Thought of the Day

Kid Wisdom

2010-04-12T05:22:00.002-05:00

"If people say one hundred and four, why don't they say thirty and four?"

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Overdog

2010-04-11T05:28:00.002-05:00

Just when I was starting to warm up to the overdog Tiger Woods, the story broke, along with his SUV, of his serial infidelity. Now I don't want to root for Woods because I don't like him personally.

Many people, at least at Augusta, have no problem dichotomizing Tiger the golfer from Tiger the man. I do. Where is the line? Would we root for Jack the Ripper or Hitler if he could hit a clutch shot at the Masters?

Then again, we have no assurance that any of the other guys don't do exactly what Woods did ... or would if they could. Still, I feel golf as a gentlemen's game has lost something by all of this, and that's too bad. Tiger's no gentleman, and neither are we.

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Special Announcement: New Website Launched

2010-04-08T17:49:00.000-05:00

Since October 2004 StanGuthrie.com has been parked on Blogger. Except for the last few weeks (when I was forced to give it a Blogspot address), there it has remained, basically unchanged. But times and needs change, and so must this website. This isn't the end, but a new beginning.

Today I'm excited to announce that StanGuthrie.com is moving to WordPress. While StanGuthrie.com remains the URL, the official name for the site is now Stan Guthrie Communications. This change reflects the broader mission of my business.

Since parting with Christianity Today last year, I have actively expanded my presence in book publishing as an author, coauthor, editor, podcaster, speaker, and literary agent. In addition, I continue to do journalism and public relations work.

The new StanGuthrie.com reflects this expanded mission. Besides remaining the home for my personal blog and Thought of the Day, the site is a one-stop shop of publishing news and information. StanGuthrie.com:

- more effectively promotes my business as a writer, editor, speaker, and agent;

- highlights my books;

- provides a live news feed on publishing and journalism;

- offers interesting facts and insights about publishing;

- allows you to hear (and in one case so far to see) podcasts, radio interviews, and some of my speeches; and

- serves as a gateway to tons of information about book publishing, journalism, and the Christian faith.

While the Stan Guthrie Communications site is unabashedly self-promotional, I believe it provides a real service to authors, publishers, and readers. You should expect to come away with something new after each time you visit.

And of course you will see why you should consider hiring me. The motto of the new site sums it up well (if I do say so myself):

Because Words Matter.

I will keep this current Blogger site up a while longer to ease the transition, but for new content, please go to StanGuthrie.com.

Thank you!

Nuclear Cowboy

2010-04-07T09:57:00.002-05:00

Barack Obama has taken steps to dismantle the nuclear umbrella that has helped to keep this nation safe for decades. And what is his reward? Iran, which is building its own nuclear arsenal, is calling the anti-Bush a "cowboy." If all this weren't so dangerous, it'd be funny.

Extremism in the Defense of Liberty Is Still Extremism

2010-04-06T22:17:00.002-05:00

A man in Washington state has just been arrested for threatening the lives of senators who voted for Obamacare. Though the attempted takeover of one-sixth of the nation's economy against the popular will is maddeningly frustrating, the Democrats must be defeated at the polls, not in the streets. Those who espouse violence must be rejected.

Getting

2010-04-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you can't get all you want. You have to take what you can get.

Census

2010-04-02T07:22:00.003-05:00

Chicago Congressman Danny Davis-who recently urged Democratic power brokers to block a white candidate from winning the county board chairmanship-has just vowed to go to Chicagoans "in the alleys and under the viaducts" in order to return their census forms. This is presumably so the city that used to work can get its spot at the federal trough.

This is the party of compassion? Davis and friends apparently have no problem with people living this way as long as they get to control taxpayers' money. What they should do is attempt to help such people get out of the alleys and out from under the viaducts.

Fools

2010-04-01T18:05:00.001-05:00

Barack Obama says he wants to drill? April Fools, right? I'll believe it when I see it.

Unreality

2010-03-31T06:58:00.003-05:00

California Democrat Henry Waxman, angry that some of America's biggest companies are taking billion-dollar charges in anticipation of healthcare "reform," is ordering executives to appear before him to explain themselves. Even if it's politically inconvenient, you can't defy economic reality, Henry.

Oxymorons

2010-03-30T08:59:00.003-05:00

The term "Christian militia" is an oxymoron, isn't it? Yet the media, who have a hard time identifying the religion of terrorists when they kill in the name of Allah, have no problem splashing the alleged religious identity of some antigovernment Michigan yahoos in the headlines. I wonder which is the bigger threat?

Question for a Daughter

2010-03-29T09:13:00.001-05:00

Who told you that you should be a rebel?

Underwater

2010-03-26T09:18:00.002-05:00

With the ink from the president's 22 signing pens not even dry on Obamacare, the administration has announced plans to bail out homeowners whose properties are underwater. Just where do they think all this money is coming from?

Time

2010-03-25T09:07:00.001-05:00

When someone who's working for you is on the clock, take time to be clear. Or you'll pay.

Nanny Statism

2010-03-24T09:00:00.002-05:00

Government is declaring another war ... on obesity. Obamacare will force restaurants to post calaries next to their menu items. The city of Santa Clara is voting to ban fast-food joints from giving away toys with their kid meals. And the Chicago Public Schools are just saying no to doughnuts and Pop Tarts on school premises.

Do we really think all this nanny statism is going to work? Fat chance.

Hardly Working

2010-03-23T07:10:00.001-05:00

The top five employers in Chicago are government entities. It's time to call it "the city that collects."

Stupid

2010-03-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

From now on, it's Bart Stupid.

Last Rampart

2010-03-21T06:34:00.003-05:00

The last rampart against Obamacare appears to be a handful of pro-life Democrats, who are being asked to believe that this pro-choice president will respect their principles. First, anyone who believes Obama's or Pelosi's assurances over abortion is a fool. Second, this bill should be shot down regardless of one's position on abortion. A bad bill is a bad bill. Abortion just makes it worse.

Playing with Fire

2010-03-20T09:59:00.004-05:00

Barack Obama's personal popularity has exceeded the popularity of his policies for a long while. Voters like this winsome and appealing man more than they like what he is doing. And why not? As the nation's first African American president, he enjoys a lot of automatic good will from the people. But not an endless suppply.

If, as it appears, Mr. Obama rams through this unpopular government takeover of one-sixth of the economy, by hook or by crook, he will lose a large portion of that good will forever. His ideological stubbornness and willingness to govern using raw power will forever mark him as an extremist in the minds of many. And I daresay this tragic episode in the history of the Republic will make him not only an unpopular figure, but a hated one.

Accounting Trick

2010-03-19T05:57:00.001-05:00

Attempting to pay for their healthcare boondoggle, Democrats are proposing cutting $522 billion from Medicare, calling it a "savings" to make that popular but expensive program solvent, and then using the $522 billion to close the yawning budget gap for Obamacare. If an accountant in the private sector tried this trick, we'd put him in jail.

Spring

2010-03-18T09:29:00.001-05:00

Ah, springtime in Chicago: The snow is melting, the birds are chirping, and the thugs are shooting.

Courage

2010-03-16T09:35:00.004-05:00

President Obama says a vote for his trillion-dollar, 2,300-page healthcare "reform" will take courage. Sure, if you call defying the clear will of the people and jettisoning congressional rules and the Constitution courageous, then I guess you could call it that. This November, I predict there will be a lot of courageous people in the unemployment line.

Tyranny

2010-03-15T09:35:00.002-05:00

What do you call it when representatives no longer represent, when they deny the will of the people, and when they attempt to commandeer one-sixth of the American econmy for an ever-increasing government? Some people call it Obamacare. I call it tyranny. And don't be surprised if the people agree.

Vacate

2010-03-14T15:38:00.001-05:00

It's okay, Mr. Obama. Go ahead and take another vacation. We'll handle healthcare without you.

Change

2010-03-13T10:19:00.000-06:00

Before you can change the world, be sure you change yourself.

Surprise

2010-03-12T07:12:00.001-06:00

Tiger Woods is going to play in the Masters. What a surprise.

Final Vote

2010-03-11T08:24:00.002-06:00

Ignoring the polls and results at the ballot box, President Obama says that the American people deserve a final vote on his healthcare reform. Now, facing the prospect of losing even that vote, one Democratic House leader says that perhaps they can do it without casting a final vote after all. In that same spirit, perhaps the citizens can throw them out without a vote, too.

Evil Prius

2010-03-10T08:39:00.001-06:00

Does anyone else find it amusing that the evil vehicle is no longer the gas-hogging SUV but the eco-friendly Prius?

Why They Haven't Voted

2010-03-09T08:49:00.002-06:00

Columnist Tony Blankley says that if the Democrats had the votes to pass Obamacare, they would already have passed it. Since they have not, now is the time to let your representative how you feel.

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2010-03-07T08:29:00.001-06:00

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Three Thoughts After a Fall

2010-03-07T08:23:00.003-06:00

It's not my fault. Jesus is enough. I'll accept whatever he does.

When Good News Isn't

2010-03-06T10:11:00.002-06:00

The unemployment rate holds steady at 9.7 percent, and the politicians and pundits are calling it good news? Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations.

Mayor Obama

2010-03-05T06:00:00.000-06:00

In all his brushing off of the voters and his bribing legislators to get what he wants or, if that doesn't work, running over them, Barack Obama reminds me not so much of FDR but instead of his real role model ... Mayor Daley. Welcome to Chicago-style democracy, writ large.

Guns

2010-03-04T06:00:00.001-06:00

If you're going to stick to your guns, make sure they're loaded.

Nukes

2010-03-03T06:07:00.000-06:00

As Iran continues to defy international opinion with its uranium-enrichment program, the mullahs insist it is for peaceful purposes. And what did you expect them to say? They would claim this whether or not the high-grade nuke program is peaceful. But I don't think it is. Do you?

Marriage Ref?

2010-03-02T06:05:00.001-06:00

Jerry Seinfeld refereeing marriages? What's wrong with this picture? More to the point, what's right?

Wealth

2010-03-01T06:34:00.004-06:00

Clarence was right. True wealth is found not in the bank but in your relationships.

Wake-up Calls

2010-02-28T07:44:00.003-06:00

Christian faith tells us that one day the Creator will return, setting a world spinning out of control back on its axis. With all the snowicanes, earthquakes, and financial and moral catastrophes besetting us these days, it would be hard to argue against the proposition that the Day is near.

I'm not in the business of timing such things, but I think it would be wise to take spiritual stock. "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep," it says in Rom. 13:11 (ESV). "For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed."

Tissues

2010-02-27T05:36:00.000-06:00

When going to the hospital for surgery, be sure to pack your own tissues. Or you'll be paying through the nose.

Tilly

2010-02-26T06:05:00.001-06:00

Turns out Tilly the killer whale that held a trainer underwater until she died had already killed. Isn't it a basic approach to put down or remove animals that have already killed people because they have already lost their fear of man?

Messiah

2010-02-25T08:29:00.002-06:00

President Obama is going to put his powers as a political powers as messiah to the test, attempting to (1) sway Republicans to support a health care plan voters have already rejected and (2) blame Republicans if they don't. Meanwhile, the national debt and unemployment continue to explode. What part of "no" doesn't Obama understand? The political life Mr. Obama needs to resurrect may be his own.

Discrimination

2010-02-24T06:03:00.000-06:00

Six thousand African Americans who failed a test to join the Chicago police force are suing because of alleged racial discrimination. The discrimination, if I'm not mistaken, is that they were forced to pass the same test as everyone else. Thus, the meaning of discrimination has been turned on its head.

The people they should be suing are those who ran their schools into the ground, the parents who didn't teach them life or academic skills, and themselves for not studying the body of human knowledge that is freely out there for anyone who wants it.

Kid Wisdom

2010-02-23T06:07:00.000-06:00

"Why do atheists swear?"

Character

2010-02-22T06:02:00.001-06:00

I wasn't really thinking I needed more character building at this point, but I'm getting shoulder surgery today anyway. Here's hoping it works-on my shoulder and on my heart.

Tiger

2010-02-20T06:05:00.001-06:00

It's not my business, but I'm willing (with no chips in the game) to give Tiger the benefit of the doubt. Until further notice.

Getting Serious?

2010-02-19T09:15:00.002-06:00

Iran is going nuclear, the national debt is threatening national security, the pace of terrorist attacks is increasing, Washington is shut down by snow, and voters are in revolt. Meanwhile, the president is checking his Blackberry every 30 minutes for ... Olympic results?

Unreal

2010-02-18T09:03:00.006-06:00

Team Obama seems to have settled on 2 million as the number of jobs "saved or created" by the $800 billion "stimulus" bill. I won't deny that perhaps some jobs were "saved or created"; in Illinois, where they poured in $242 million of "stimulus," it was a banner year for people providing "weatherization" services for government housing. But these are not real jobs, and the taxpayer money used to "save or create" them didn't stimulate anything lasting, except more government debt. As Evan Bayh honestly pointed out, government hasn't created even one job over the last six months in the private sector, which is the engine of the real economy.

Going Nuclear

2010-02-17T06:12:00.001-06:00

Barack Obama advocating nuclear power? Maybe he is waking up. Now if he'll only start drilling....

Wrong on Rights

2010-02-16T09:35:00.001-06:00

U.S. forces just captured the No. 2 Taliban leader in Karachi. Quick, somebody interrogate him before Eric Holder shows up and reads him his rights.

Global Cult

2010-02-15T15:12:00.002-06:00

First, too little snow was evidence of global warming. Now, too much is evidence of global warming (er, "climate change"). When everything is evidence for a theory and the theory becomes nonfalsifiable, it ceases to be science and becommes something akin to ... a cult.

Money

2010-02-14T06:04:00.000-06:00

For an author or agent, the money's not in the proposal. It's in the book.

Dancing

2010-02-13T09:02:00.001-06:00

Somewhere in Vancouver, representatives of Canada's First Nations are still dancing ....

Overconfidence

2010-02-12T09:22:00.001-06:00

FDR said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. For conservatives looking for change this November, the only thing we have to fear is overconfidence.

Red Ink

2010-02-11T10:17:00.004-06:00

I heard Gov. Tim Pawlenty yesterday. He said the federal government takes in $2.2 trillion annually and has an annual budget deficit of approximately $1.5 trillion. But he said that's just the beginning. Nancy Pelosi just upped the national debt ceiling from $12 trillion to $14 trillion. Then the taxpayer is also on the hook for $65 trillion in payments for Social Security, Medicare, and so on. Pawlenty said we will have to default, though we won't call it that.

Are you getting fed up with deficit spending yet? More to the point, are you getting scared?

Bipartisanship

2010-02-10T06:02:00.000-06:00

President Obama, his plans to ram through health care "reform" without Republican input derailed by the voters, is now calling for bipartisanship. That is fine, as long as he realizes that he has to start over. The Democratic Party's plan was firmly rejected, so there is no use building upon it. Bipartisanship means, at a minimum, that he must now listen to the Republicans-and the voters. Ideological rigidity is the wrong health care prescription.

Necessary Smile

2010-02-09T06:53:00.001-06:00

Do what you have to ... with a smile.

Will of the People-Not

2010-02-08T09:16:00.003-06:00

The Democratic power brokers of Illinois have pushed out the party's nominee for lietenant governor, Scott Lee Cohen, not because of his checkered past, but because he would pull down "the ticket" (i.e., incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn). Instead of a candidate duly put forward by voters, the bigwigs in Springfield and Chicago will choose someone more to their liking. This is democracy?

Global Warming Alert

2010-02-07T05:49:00.000-06:00

From the Wall Street Journal: "Huge snowfall shuts public transport, forces event cancellations and causes hundreds of road accidents; hundreds of thousands lose electricity."

Blind Guides

2010-02-06T06:35:00.001-06:00

The Republican leading vote-getter (so far) for governor in Illinois was virtually ignored by the Chicago media. So was the democratic nominee for lietenant governor, whose list of ethical and legal problems is longer than Rod Blagojevich's hair. Too bad we can't sue the journalists for breach of the social contract.

Clowns

2010-02-05T09:21:00.004-06:00

The Democratic lieutenant governor nominee and pawnbroker in Illinois is a real prize: There are accusations of holding a knife to the throat of his prostitute girlfriend, 'roid rage, a tax lien, and other items. He'll fit right in with Roland Burris, Rod Blagoyevich, Rahm Emmanuel, and the rest of the clowns.

Aspiring Hypocrite

2010-02-04T09:16:00.003-06:00

The ethically challenged Illinois Democratic senatorial candidate, Alexi Giannoulias, is ripping his opponent, Rep. Mark Kirk, as a "Washington insider." This doesn't work on at least two levels. First, he plays hoops with Barack Obama, so you can't get much more inside than that. Second, Giannoulias is trying to become a Washington insider, which is precisely what he is criticizing Kirk for. So the best you can say about Giannoulias is that he is aspiring to be a hypocrite.

Runoff Request

2010-02-03T09:10:00.004-06:00

Yesterday Illinois held its first-in-the-nation primary, and it looks to be setting up well for the Republicans to take "Barack Obamma's Senate seat" in November.

In the Republican contest for governor, the leading vote-getter is right now just 503 ballots ahead of his nearest rival. Isn't 503 the margin of victory in Florida for George W. Bush and the country over Al Gore in 2000? Every vote does count!

Anyway, the top four Republican gubernatorial candidates all have less than 25 percent of the vote and are extremely close. I think Illinois voters deserve a runoff of the top two candidates to get a clear winner.

President Miranda

2010-02-03T06:01:00.000-06:00

President Obama may have a measure of vindication in his (to me) incomprehensible decision to read the Nigerian terrorist his Miranda "rights":

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's cooperation could prove to be a national security victory and a political vindication for President Barack Obama, who has been under fire from lawmakers who contend the administration botched the case by giving Abdulmutallab the right to remain silent, rather than interrogating him as a military prisoner.

If the guy talks, for whatever reason, it's a victory for us all, including Obama. But I still think it's a wrong-headed policy.

Era of Big Problems

2010-02-02T09:56:00.003-06:00

With his lips Barack Obama says that the era of big government deficit spending needs to be over. But with his proposed $3.8 trillion budget he says, "Not yet." With a deficit of $1.6 trillion just for this fiscal year, that's a new obligation of $5,333 for every man, woman, and child in the United States-and that's before interest, which will likely end up in the pockets of the Chinese.

But don't worry, the president is focusing on what's most important to the American people, such as ending "don't ask, don't tell" in the military. So not only is our financial house in ruins, so is our moral house. And I'm sure this sop to his gay base will help our all-volunteer armed forces in recruiting, so our security house will also be in trouble.

The era of Barack Obama can't end soon enough. I'm not sure we can take much more.

Macmillian and Amazon.com, Part 2

2010-02-01T09:10:00.001-06:00

Amazon.com says it will give in to publishing giant Macmillan and agree to sell electronic versions of its books even at prices it considers too high.

By the Associated Press

Publisher Macmillan's books pulled from Amazon.com in pricing dispute

2010-01-31T07:15:00.002-06:00

New copies of Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall," Andrew Young's "The Politician" and other books published by Macmillan were unavailable Saturday on Amazon.com, a drastic step in the ongoing dispute over e-book prices.

By the Associated Press

My comment: I'm with Macmillan. I don't understand how publishers can be expected to stay in business by charging below-market rates for their electronic content (books). The Web is killing magazines and newspapers. I'd hate to see a close approximation (the e-book) kill the book industry.

The Pits

2010-01-30T09:57:00.001-06:00

If they were bigger, chihuahuas would be worse than pit bulls.

HT: Christine

"Enough About You; Let's Talk About Me"

2010-01-29T10:11:00.003-06:00

Given its crazy patchwork of proposals, the main theme of the president's speech seemed to be, "I won't quit." It was all about him, not us. Glenn Beck says Mr. Obama used the words "I" or "me" 132 times. Perhaps we should label the address "The State of Obama."

Incredible Speech

2010-01-28T06:38:00.003-06:00

With all his talk about a "jobs bill" (a euphemism for a second "stimulus"?) and a spending "freeze," last night the president almost sounded like a conservative. With his stubbornness on health care "reform" and "don't ask don't tell," he sounded like a liberal. With his unseemly harranguing of the Supreme Court, he sounded like Hugo Chavez. The one thing he didn't sound like was credible. Mr. Obama apparently doesn't know that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Middle Class Strings Attached

2010-01-27T05:57:00.000-06:00

Seeking to present a new image as a champion of the middle class, President Obama has another giveaway in his bag of tricks: tax credits for those who put their children in daycare or who care for their aging parents. In other words, if we do what the Democrats want, they'll give us some of our own money back.

Here's a better idea, Mr. President: If you really care about us, let us keep more of our own money and allow us to choose how to spend it. Don't worry, we can figure it out!

The Long and Short of It

2010-01-26T06:12:00.000-06:00

Long memory, short relationship. Short memory, long relationship.

Get Serious

2010-01-25T09:52:00.002-06:00

U.S. auhorities were getting some useful information while questioning the Christmas Day bomber, then some genius read him his Miranda "rights." Not surprisingly, the fanatic terrorist stopped talking. When is Obama going to get serious? Does a plane have to go down first?

Omnipresent

2010-01-24T07:13:00.002-06:00

From Charles Krauthammer:

"After Coakley’s defeat, Obama pretended that the real cause was a generalized anger and frustration 'not just because of what’s happened in the last year or two years, but what’s happened over the last eight years.'

"Let’s get this straight: The antipathy to George W. Bush is so enduring and powerful that . . . it just elected a Republican senator in Massachusetts? Why, the man is omnipotent. "

Actually, I think the word is "omnipresent": the president's excuse-making, that is.

Big TV

2010-01-23T07:25:00.000-06:00

Any TV looks like a big screen if you sit close enough.

Stop the Presses

2010-01-22T11:49:00.002-06:00

Unless someone can show me why I shouldn't, I suppport President Obama's decision to turn banks into ... banks ... and not excessive-risk-taking investment houses. That's how it was just a few years ago, and Obama, I think, is just trying to return us to the pre-financial crisis status quo. Assuredly there were other reasons for the crisis (such as Barney Frank forcing institutions to lend to people who were bad risks), but this seems to be a good start on addressing some of the systemic issues.

The Scoop

2010-01-21T08:43:00.001-06:00

Petting is a sign that you like the cat. Scooping its litterbox is a sign that you love it.

Happy Anniversary

2010-01-20T09:07:00.005-06:00

After the massive protests in D.C., the defeat of Democrats in New Jersey and Virginia, the tea parties, the raucous town hall meetings, and the upset loss of "Ted Kennedy's Senate seat" last night, is President Obama finally ready to govern from the center (as he promised to do during the campaign) and stop shoving his statist agenda down our throats? If he is, he can still salvage his presidency. Is he smart enough to drop the liberal ideology, and are Republicans smart enough to govern responsibly also? Happy anniversary, Mr. President.

Boston Beans

2010-01-19T08:26:00.001-06:00

Has anyone seen the president? My guess is he's in Boston right now passing out hot coffee to the ACORN volunteers.

Northward

2010-01-18T06:34:00.003-06:00

While Haiti writhes in agony, our president's attention is turned northward-to a special election in Massachusetts. Every president gets out there to campaign, but if this one weren't so blatantly political, we'd all be better off. Mr. President, remove the brass knuckles and listen to the people.

Willful Blindness

2010-01-17T05:30:00.001-06:00

I heard a military official refuse to acknowledge that religious extremism is primarily a Muslim phenomenon. If they cannot identify the enemy right in front of them, on what basis should the rest of us have any confidence that this war can be won?

Deadly Inaction

2010-01-16T05:26:00.001-06:00

The U.S. military is thinking about punishing those who knew of Maj. Nidal Hasan's Islamic extremism and did nothing. What ought to be addressed is the culture of political correctness that pressured them into deadly inaction.

Just Help

2010-01-15T10:46:00.002-06:00

I don't know whether Barack Obama will try somehow to capitalize on the disaster in Haiti. He's a politician, so he probably will. But so what? Even if the administration politicizes the earthquake-as Democrats did Katrina-we don't have to. Just help.

Unfair

2010-01-14T09:51:00.002-06:00

President Obama is now advocating a tax on banks in order to recoup the bailout money he forced them to take. Isn't that a breach of contract? I'm all for the banks paying the money back (and many have), but changing the rules in the middle of game to pay for his overspending is simply unfair.

Haiti

2010-01-13T09:13:00.001-06:00

Pray for Haiti.

Rush, Harry, and Bill

2010-01-12T09:31:00.001-06:00

Just what was it that Rush Limbaugh said that made him a racial pariah? And what was it that Bill Clinton and Harry Reid said that exempted them from the same?

Seeking Advantage

2010-01-11T09:39:00.002-06:00

To note the difference in response by Democrats to racially insensitive remarks by their own majority leader when compared with a Republican's is to simply state the obvious: Democrats only care about race when it is to their political advantage to do so.

Kid Wisdom

2010-01-09T06:10:00.001-06:00

"More people hear you if you shout, but more people understand you if you talk."

No Kidding

2010-01-08T09:44:00.003-06:00

I once had a boss who used to joke with his underlings as he walked out the door, "Work harder, work longer." It was his twist on the old adage, "Don't work harder, work smarter," which reminds us to be more concerned with results than with process.

Unfortunately, with his speech about national security yesterday, President Obama appears to be taking my old supervisor literally. Focusing on process, Obama says the key to making sure the snafu that allowed the Nigerian Muslim terrorist to nearly blow up Northwest 253 is to work harder and longer on our intelligence gathering and analysis.

So Mr. Obama doesn't think we need to change our basic approach or the people running it. The formula to begin "connecting the dots" seems to be: same strategy, same people, different results. In other words, "work harder, work longer."

My boss was kidding. I only wish Mr. Obama were doing the same.

Freedom

2010-01-07T05:58:00.001-06:00

Freedom isn't the finish line. It's the starting line.

Tests

2010-01-06T09:35:00.000-06:00

Taking a test doesn't make you smarter. It reveals how smart you are.

Will

2010-01-05T12:33:00.001-06:00

A country that loses the will to defend itself forfeits its right to survive.

Not So Tiny Tim

2010-01-02T10:44:00.001-06:00

Tim Tebow is that rare athlete who looks bigger and better the more closely you inspect him.

4 Qs

2009-12-31T06:06:00.003-06:00

The headlines say that American spy agencies didn't share with one another what they knew about the man who would become known as the underwear bomber. Four questions: (1) Wasn't that the problem before September 11, 2001-not sharing intel? (2) Isn't that what the liberals have wanted ever since 9/11 in their tooth-and-nail approach to security measures such as the Patriot Act? (3) Why are they acting surprised now? (4) Does everyone feel safer?

Napolitano

2009-12-29T09:00:00.002-06:00

To increase homeland security, rather than the current Obama policy of shipping Guantanamo detainees to Yemen, where they can receive further training, I have a better idea: Let's ship Janet Napolitano to Yemen.

Kudos

2009-12-26T12:08:00.001-06:00

Kudos to the passengers on Flight 253 for doing what the PC airport screeners apparently couldn't: stopping a terror suspect before he could kill them.

Presents vs. the Gift

2009-12-25T07:59:00.002-06:00

On Christmas Day we receive presents and unwrap them. On that first Christmas we received the Gift and wrapped him. "They wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

If you possess this Gift, have the best Christmas ever. Presents are strictly optional.

Stomach Setup

2009-12-18T08:20:00.001-06:00

When did an upset stomach become the medical condition known as "stomach upset"? And is it at all related to "ache head"?

Snow

2009-12-17T10:07:00.003-06:00

Critics of global warmism are chuckling that it's snowing in Copenhagen during the climate summit. Hey, it always snows in Denmark, doesn't it?

Fat Cat

2009-12-15T09:12:00.003-06:00

President Obama yesterday jawboned at the "fat cat" bankers for not making enough loans, apparently forgetting that what he wants was a key cause of the financial mess we're in. Meanwhile, others in the financial industry can't return their bailout money fast enough. They apparently are growing tired of the demagoguery emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Grade Inflation

2009-12-14T08:40:00.002-06:00

Barack Obama gives himself a B-plus for his first year in office. Talk about grade inflation. Judging by the plunging opinion polls and the lack of any positive accomplishments (save picking up his Nobel Prize), the American people's verdict on the president's record is considerably lower.

Lighten Up

2009-12-12T06:15:00.004-06:00

Breaking a tradition that has held since Eisenhower, President Obama has declined to send Christmas cards this year, I suppose to avoid offending non-Christians. Well, I'm a Christian, and I'll admit to being offended. Our president, who proclaims his Christianity when politically convenient, has no hesitation in celebrating whatever Jewish or Muslim holiday, but suddenly he gets super-sensitive when it comes to a Christian holiday. It's Christmas, Mr. Obama. Lighten up.