What is Supervillian Island?

I was watching a What on Earth? episode when the show started talking about an “island” that just appeared out of nowhere. That’s the island in the picture in the upper left. The right screenshot is where the mysterious island is located taken from the show. If you go to Whats My GPS.com and type in 9.5506111 for the latitude and 112.89277777777778 for the longitude you can see the island for yourself. Or just click on the “picture” hyperlink. Be sure you are in “Satellite” mode though and you will have to enlarge the view until you see it. The actual coordinates in DMS is 9 degrees, 33’, 2.2” North and 112 degrees, 53’, 34” East.

So, what is the island? It’s definately not natural like from a volcano eruption. If you look at the screenshot below:

You can see roads, buildings and even airports. If you zoom in the view from Whats My GPS website you can even see ships or what appears to be ships.

Next question is who owns the island? No one will claim it. The major suspect is China. They would have the manpower and money to do it. Probably for military purposes. The show said that Obama did ask the Chinese leader if that island was own by them but China said it didn’t. I am not sure if I believe that. One way to find out is to send a US naval ship or even a drone to the island and see if any of the surrounding countries intercepts the ship or drone. If no country does then walk around the island to see if there is any clues who owns it. Just a thought.

The TV show says no-one claims it. But I watched a video on an news article on CNN.com about China deploying missles on a south sea island called Woody Island. On the video the newsman said Phillipians owns the island but China is refuting the claim and taking them to court.

One last note. I was able to convert the DMS to decimal degrees by going to a GPS coordinates converter website.

The Growing Threat of ISIS Unleashing a Weapon of Mass Destruction

From Daily Signal.com (Feb. 19):

The apocalyptic ideology that propels the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) is by now well known. Much less widely known are the use of chemical weapons by ISIS in Iraq and Syria and the disappearance of radioactive materials in Iraq that could be used in a “dirty bomb,” a radiological weapon of mass destruction (WMD).

Reuters reported the disappearance of 10 grams of a “highly dangerous” radioactive isotope used to test oil and gas pipelines in southern Iraq, which Iraqi authorities fear may have fallen into the hands of ISIS. The Iridium-192 material, classified as a Category 2 radioactive source, could permanently injure people exposed to it for only a few hours, or kill people exposed to it longer.

The radioactive isotope was stolen in November from a storage facility in the southern city of al-Zubair, which is more than 300 miles away from ISIS-controlled territory. But ISIS has launched attacks nearby.

Ten grams of radioactive material is not very much. But it could be added to other materials previously seized by the terrorist group. ISIS already had enough radioactive materials to arm a dirty bomb, according to Australian intelligence reports last June. [read more]

Scary. That’s why containment won’t work. America will eventually will have to send in troops. Probably with some special forces like the army rangers. Nothing against the navy SEALS but they seem to get all the press. The rangers could have taken out Bin Laden too. I digress. NATO and some of the surrounding countries around Iraq, like Saudi Arabia, Isreal, Egypt, Turkey, etc. could help out too. It’s in their interest too to defeat ISIS.

My fear is if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency ISIS or even Iran might do a massive attack on America. Why? Because radical Muslims don’t respect women especially women in positions of power. They are second class citizens. If a woman becomes the president the radicals will see America as weak and vulnerable. Benazir Bhutto the once presidence of Pakistan was probably assassinated by al-Qaeda for this reason among others.

I am not against a woman president. I think Carly Fiorina would have been a good president. Just not now. Not when there is crazy radical Muslims who want to do harm to America. Not so much ISIS (although they are dangerous too) but Iran is real concern. 

Hubble Telescope Captures Photo of Supermassive Black Hole 21 Billion Times the Size of the Sun

From The Blaze.com (Feb. 18):

A new photo of galaxy NGC 4889 reveals the biggest black hole that astronomers have ever discovered. The famous Hubble Space Telescope helped scientists capture photos of the galaxy that sits nearly 300 million lightyears away in the Coma Cluster. The photo of the supermassive black hole appears placid and ethereal at first glance, and even though the black hole is dormant, it’s broken all types of records, according to the Hubble website.

Astronomers have estimated the mass of the hole to be 21 billion times the mass of the sun, and its event horizon (a surface so dense that even light can’t escape its gravitational grip) has a diameter of approximately 130 billion kilometers, or about 15 times the diameter of Neptune’s orbit around the sun. [read more]

Wow, that’s pretty big. I didn’t show the photo because there was really nothing to see. Scientists don’t really know how supermassive black holes get created.

The Twelve Trusts

To resurrect a new chivalry in modern times (more specifically, in our personal lives), it would be helpful to have some sort of template or code to guide us, and as a reminder of what chivalry is all about.
      The following is such a template. We [The International Fellowship of Chivalry-Now (IFCN)] call it the 12 Trusts.

Upon my honor,

1. I will develop my life for the greater good.
2. I will place character above riches, and concern for others above personal wealth.
3. I will never boast, but cherish humility instead.
4. I will speak the truth at all times, and forever keep my word.
5. I will defend those who cannot defend themselves.
6. I will honor and respect women, and refute sexism in all its guises.
7. I will uphold justice by being fair to all.
8. I will be faithful in love and loyal in friendship.
9. I will abhor scandals and gossip-neither partake nor delight in them.
10. I will be generous to the poor and to those who need help.
11. I will forgive when asked, that my own mistakes will be forgiven.
12. I will live my life with courtesy and honor from this day forward.

By adhering to these 12 Trusts, I swear to partake in the living Quest in everything I do.

Source: 12 Trusts.

A pretty good list of trusts. It’s honorable that there is a fellowship like this. Who says chivalry is dead. I found this website when I was researching humility in the previous blog entry. I have two objections or qualms though about the fellowship. One is they fellowship believes in global warming. Not sure how that fits in with chivarly. Man-made global warming is a hoax. Next, they don’t understand ISIS or radical Islamic groups like them. For one thing, #6 they do not do. Women are inferior to them.

Their political manifesto is helpful. It’s not a Left or Right manifesto like the Communist manifesto but a set of commen sense guidelines. A nice attempt altogether at chivarly for IFCN.

Milton Friedman’s Epic Breakdown of Socialism vs. Capitalism

Milton Friedman and Phil Donahue On Socialism v. Capitalism 1979

Donahue just got schooled! Milton Friedman is correct. Greed is not just a capitalistic problem, it’s not just a socialistic problem—it’s a human problem. It’s affects not just corporations but unions and gov’ts alike. Gov’t can’t make people virtuous—they have to do that themselves. Talking about virtue and gov’ts, political philosopher Montesquieu thought that democratic republics rely on the principle of virtue. Montesquieu’s idea of virtue is “it is a love of the republic.” He goes on:

A love of the republic in a democracy is a love of the democracy; as the latter is that of equality.

A love of the democracy is likewise that of frugality. Since every individual ought here to enjoy the same happiness and the same advantages, they should consequently taste the same pleasures and form the same hopes, which cannot be expected but from a general frugality.

Sort of sounds like he is talking about patriotism. As for the frugal part I wish America was frugal again especially the lawmakers. But I digress.

Like it says in Timothy 6:10:

For the love of [my emphasis] money is a root of all evils, by means of which some having lusted after it were seduced from the faith, and they themselves pierced through by many pains.

I emphasized “love” because some people leave out the “the love of” part. Money is neither good nor bad. Just as power is neither good nor bad. But the love of power is bad. Which is actually worse in my opinion. But some powers-that-be in the past and present think nothing of wanting more power. Like they are entitled to it. 

Then there is Jesus saying about a rich man entering heaven in Matthew 19:24:

And again I say to you, It is easier for a heavy rope to pass through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Some say this means that the rich never get to heaven. No! This is an incorrect interpretation. Jesus is saying you can’t buy your way into heaven. God doesn’t care what you own but who you are. The powerful may never get to heaven either.

H/T: Glenn Beck.com.

Mass Shooters Prefer Gun-Free Zones

From The Daily Signal.com (Feb. 10):

An analysis of mass shootings in the United States since the year 2002 shows that gun-wielding mass killers are more likely to strike where the Second Amendment right to bear arms has been supplanted by “gun-free zone” ordinances, be they federal, local, or specified by the owner of the property.

The Stanford University Libraries’ dataset of mass shootings (“Stanford Mass Shootings in America, courtesy of the Stanford Geospatial Center and Stanford Libraries”) was analyzed for mass shootings over the past 14 years.

The definition of a mass shooting for the Stanford database is three or more shooting victims injured or killed, not including the shooter. Shootings that are gang- or drug-related are not included.

The dataset includes 153 incidents going back to the beginning of 2002.

[read more]

According to the Heritage Foundation research since 2002 there have been 54 mass shootings. 17 of the shootings, citizens were allowed to be armed. That’s quite a difference. Then again mass shooters can read. If they see a “no guns allowed” sign then the victims are basically sitting ducks. Otherwise the victims become surviviors and shoot back if they have a gun.  That in of itself will wake up a mass shooter out of his fantasy of being in a video game. Also, out of that 17 shootings, five were able to slow or stop the shooter. Only two was able to stop or slow the shooter in the gun free zone. Maybe instead of a “no guns allowed” sign there should be a “guns are welcome” sign. Just a thought.

Sen. Ben Sasse Defines Conservatism

Wow! Did the senator just channel President Reagan? Sounds like it to me. What he said is the essence of conservatism. Which is the way to make America great again.

Sen. Sasse is sure brave to go on pMSNBC.

H/T: Daily Signal.com.

Obama’s New Oil Tax Plan Will Hike Gas and Heating Prices

From The Blaze.com (Feb. 5):

President Barack Obama will propose a $10 per barrel tax on oil in the last annual budget he submits to Congress.

Obama reportedly hopes the tax will reduce carbon emissions and plans to use the revenue for spending on public transportation.

If such a proposal passed, then oil companies would likely pass the cost of the new tax on to consumers, meaning gas prices would increase, Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, told USA Today.

“Something like this would trickle down and be a $10 per barrel tax on motorists,” DeHaan said. “This is not something oil companies are going to absorb.”

Economist Donald Marron of the Urban Institute believes the tax hike would more than the double the federal gas tax. The 18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax is figured into the price at the pump; Marron estimates that the proposed oil tax would increase the price of a gallon of gas by 22 cents. [read more]

So, the American people have to be sacraficed to the global warming gods again. Just great. So, much about caring for the poor and middle class.  What else is knew. It’s like a reflex—I must raise taxes.

What isn’t said in the article is this stupid plan will also lead to higher prices for any business that uses trucks to deliver their goods—like food. They are going to pass on the expense too. The president like most Leftists are stupid about economics. Then again maybe they just don’t care.

Hopefully no Republican will vote for this proposal. The Dems if they know what’s good for them shouldn’t either. They just have to supress their instinct which is hard.

As for the public transportation part of the plan that should be left up to cities and town gov’s to subsize. Then again you have the private sector like Uber that’s gradually replacing public transportation (which really makes the Left nervous).

Miscellaneous Thoughts Part 37

• You want free education? Try your public library. Well, you have to pay for a library card but checking out the books is free.
• What’s the difference between a socialist and a democrat? Don’t know? Neither does the head of the DNC. Someone should ask Hillary Clinton this question. Bernie Sanders would reply “I wish.”
• The Left is for individual liberty but only for their elite.
• Illegal immigrants don’t love America. Legal immigrants do.
• A socialist is a person who want gov’t to own and control a profit making industry so there’s no more profit to be made .
• My Five (similar to the Five on Fox News): Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, & Michelle Malkin. Yea, I know there are no Leftists on the panel. That’s by design.
• It’s hard if not impossible to have a surprise birthday party for an omniscience being.
• Progressivism and humility are contradictory terms.
• I think Bloomberg should run as an indepedent for president so he can take votes away from Hillary Clinton. Not sure why he didn’t run on the dem side.
• The Gold Standard disciplined Washington and limited gov’t. Since Washington didn’t like either concept they had to get rid of the Gold Standard.

5 Random Earth Facts That Will Blow Your Mind

From The Blaze.com (Jan. 25):

Mother Earth never ceases to amaze.

And these five random facts are no exception.

How It Works has given what it calls “five random earth facts that will blow your mind.” The blast includes everything from what happens to the Eiffel Tower during the summer to the empty space space between human atoms. Take a look:

1. The Eiffel Tower is nearly six inches taller during the summer. The Eiffel Tower is 5.9 inches taller during the summer months, because of a scientific process called “thermal expansion.”
2. The Amazon Rainforest produces 20 percent of Earth’s oxygen.
3. Hawaii moves nearly three feet closer to Alaska each year. Hawaii sits on what’s known as the Pacific Plate, the tectonic plate that is slowly moving toward the North American mainland and, specifically, Alaska. Tectonic plates beneath the earth’s surface are always moving because of currents created by rising and sinking rock.
4. Remove all the empty space between atoms, and the entire human race could fit inside a sugar cube.
5. In 2.3 billion years, it will be too hot for life to exist on Earth and the sun will fully engulf the planet. Over the next 2.3 billion years, some scientists predict the sun will continue to get brighter and hotter, causing Earth’s oceans to completely evaporate.

[read more]

Let’s see the distance between Alaska to Hawaii is 3,019.05 miles. Which is ‪15,940,584‬ feet according to my Windows 10 calculator. So, it will take 5,313,528 years for Hawaii to be close if not touching Alaska. Hmmm.

As for the last fact, there’s your real global warming! Hopefully mankind will figure out a way to get off the planet by then if AI doesn’t kill us first as Stephen Hawking and others have suggested.

Planet Nine Discovered?

From The Blaze.com (Jan. 20):

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology announced Wednesday that they had uncovered evidence of a giant planet existing beyond Pluto in the outer solar system.

The planet, nicknamed Planet Nine, is estimated to have a mass approximately 10 times larger than Earth’s and an orbit 20 times farther from the sun. It is estimated that it would take Planet Nine between 10,000 to 20,000 years to orbit the sun just one time.

“This would be a real ninth planet,” researcher Mike Brown said in a press release. “There have only been two true planets discovered since ancient times, and this would be a third. It’s a pretty substantial chunk of our solar system that’s still out there to be found, which is pretty exciting.”

Brown and co-researcher Konstantin Batygin came to their conclusion after examining the bizarre orbits of of more than a dozen distant objects in the Kuiper Belt.  [read more]

For comparison, Uranus is 14.5X the mass of the earth. The orbital period is probably why it hasn’t been discovered before. The scientists really need to come up with a better name than “Planet Nine.” Sounds like a sci-fi novel. Have we ran out of Greek/Roman gods/goddesses names? Maybe scientists are waiting until they see it to name it better since the existence is an inference based on the bizarre orbits in the Kuiper Belt.

Hillary Clinton on Guns and Taxes

Hillary Clinton as First Lady in 1993:

Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J., picked up Mrs. Clinton's support for his idea of slapping stiff taxes on ''purveyors of violence:'' a 25 percent sales tax on guns and $2,500 license fees for gun dealers.

''Speaking personally ... I'm all for that,'' said the first lady. But she stressed she was just speaking for herself.

Source: AP News Archive.com.

On her website about gun violence prevention, Hillary Clinton says this:

If Congress refuses to act, Hillary will take administrative action [my emphasis] to require that any person attempting to sell a significant number of guns abide by the same commonsense rules that apply to gun stores—including requiring background checks on gun sales.

Hillary believes the gun industry must be held accountable for violence perpetrated with their guns. Hillary will lead the charge to repeal the so-called “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,” a dangerous law that prevents victims of gun violence from holding negligent manufacturers and dealers accountable for violence perpetrated with their guns.

Administrative action? That sounds like executive orders to me. Just like what Obama does.

As for the second part, if you are going to hold gun manufacturers accountable for criminals using their guns are going to make automobile manufacturers responsible for hit-and-run drivers driving their cars? Or better yet, hold knife manufacturers accountable for criminals stabbing people? It’s the same kind of logic. (Not to mention all the murders done with axes. Lizzy Borden comes to mind.)

To those who fear, loathe, and even despise guns answer me this: Would it make you feel any better if you were killed with another object? Like a knife for instance? I mean the result is the same isn’t it? You’re dead. Gun violence isn’t the problem—violence of any kind is the problem. But solving general violence is harder. That takes a respect for human life. If a person doesn’t have that then all bets are off.  I don’t think gov’t can solve that—respect for human life mainly comes from the family values. If really want to solve gun violence maybe there should be a federal law that says if you commit a crime with a gun you get extra time added on like Bill O’Reilly suggested. That would be a start. Punish the criminal not the law abiding citizen. Maybe there should be extra time added on if a criminal uses any kind of object as a weapon to commit a crime. More time for guns, but less time for knives and brass knuckles for instance.

Finally, Juan Williams once said on Hannity that he would be scared if a crazy guy would be waving a gun around. Hannity should have responded back anyone would be scared too if that crazy guy would be waving around a knife or sword. It’s not the weapon that matters—but the person holding the weapon that matters.

Isil's security advice to would-be jihadists: Shave your beard, encrypt your phones and wear western clothes

From telegraph.co.uk (Jan. 12):

Islamic State has issued an advice booklet for followers who want to carry out “lone wolf” attacks of the sort that are plaguing European countries.

The booklet, “Safety and security guidelines for lone wolf mujahideen and small cells”, tells readers how to “surprise the enemy” by evading security agencies.

“Any operation that doesn’t have a strong security and precaution base is deemed to fail, just like a big building needs strong foundations,” it says. “Security precautions are the foundations of any operation.”

………….

It says that lone wolves in particular should try and meld in with the local population, including by “not looking like a Muslim”. That means shaving your beard, wearing western clothes and not attending mosque too frequently.

However, it also realises that this advice might itself cause difficulty, so it goes as far as giving fashion advice.

“Always look like any random tourist or normal traveller,” it says. “Make the colours go with each other. Wearing a red or yellow shirt with black pants (trousers) will get you noticed as someone who is not used to this kind of clothing.

“Also, no need to put on new clothes, as that can be suspicious. Some brothers like to buy entirely new cloths, from top to bottom including shoes, but that will get too much attention.”  [read more]

Basically, blend in is the advice. This is really nothing new. During war time this happens often especially with spies. Islam doesn’t forbid deception. The Islamic State thugs are assuming that countries are not accepting Muslims. This might not be the case—Germany for instance isn’t screening Muslims out—although they could since it isn’t against their laws. Germany doesn’t have freedom of religion. America doesn’t seem to be screening anyone except possibly Christians.

IBN Live.com reports that the manual says it okay for the terrorists to wear crosses as long they don’t have a Muslim sounding name on their passports. Then the screeners could ask (if they are allowed to) what church the refugees belong to, is Jesus the son of God (Muslims don’t believe this), etc. Yes, they could lie but what you are looking for is response time.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Here are some quotes from MLK:

Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and consciencious stupidity.

Hatred paralyses life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.

Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.

Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right.

Andrew Napolitano Warns of Little-Known ‘Danger’ of Executive Action Versus Executive Order

From The Blaze.com (Jan. 11):

Though the terms “executive order” and “executive action” often seem to be interchangeable, in Judge Andrew Napolitano’s eyes, there is a certain “danger” that comes with executive action.

The conversation came as Napolitano, who served on New Jersey's superior court from 1987-1995 and is now Fox News’ senior judicial analyst, and Glenn Beck discussed President Barack Obama’s executive actions on gun control, which were introduced last week.

“Let me warn you about another danger. The president keeps referring to this as executive action rather than an executive order,” Napolitano told Beck on The Glenn Beck Program Monday night. ”Executive action is when he tells someone in the executive branch to do something and he either doesn't tell them in writing or he keeps the writing secret.”

According to Napolitano, issuing an executive action rather than an executive order will make it “more difficult and cumbersome” to challenge legally. The former judge defended his claim with a reference to the president's executive orders on immigration, which were ultimately defeated in court by then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R), who now serves as the state’s governor.  [read more]

Yea, that is big difference. Executive action is more sneakier.

Mountain Lion That Has Left Wildlife Biologists Completely Stumped

From the Blaze.com (Jan. 11):

A mountain lion that was recently killed in southeast Idaho was discovered to have an unusual deformity: a second set of teeth and whiskers growing from its head.

According to the Idaho State Journal, the yearling cougar was harvested near the town of Weston on Dec. 30 by an unidentified hunter. The deformed animal has biologists stumped.

“It has all of us scratching our heads,” regional wildlife biologist Zach Lockyer told the State Journal. “It’s a bizarre situation and a bizarre photo.”

In a press release Friday, Idaho’s department of fish and game said that they could not fully explain the deformity, but offered several possible explanations.

“It is possible that the teeth could be the remnants of a conjoined twin that died in the womb and was absorbed into the other fetus,” the press release said. “It is also possible that deformity was a teratoma tumor. These kinds of tumors are composed of tissue from which teeth, hair, and even fingers and toes can develop. They are rare in humans and animals.” [read more]

I don’t know but that deformity, whatever it is, looks like a chicken head grew on his head.

Hillary Clinton asked ‘What’s the Difference Between a Democrat and a Socialist?’

From the Blaze.com (Jan. 5):

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton was mercilessly grilled Tuesday evening by an MSNBC host over the difference between the ideology of a Democrat and socialist.

“I want to try to help you tonight…locate yourself politically,” Chris Matthews, host of “Hardball,” told Clinton before noting that her chief 2016 rival Bernie Sanders identifies as a socialist.

Matthews then asked, “What's the difference between a socialist and a Democrat? Is that a question you want to answer, or would you rather not?”

.......

“Well, I can tell you what I am,” Clinton said. “I am a progressive Democrat.”

“How's that different than a socialist?” Matthews fired back.

Clinton didn't answer, but only said she's a Democrat who “likes to get things done.”

[read more]

It's about time someone asked her that question. And just like the head of the DNC she dodged the question. "Get things done" is Leftist code for subjugate the Constitution and make everyone dependent on the gov't.

Heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles and driverless suicide car bombs

From The Blaze.com (Jan. 6):

Islamic State technicians have been developing heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles and driverless suicide car bombs with the aim of launching attacks in Europe, a video seized in Turkey from the laptop of a captured jihadist fighter revealed, Britain’s Sky News reported.

Sky News, which obtained the disturbing video, reported that scientists in the Islamic State’s de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria have been working tirelessly at what the British broadcaster described as the “jihadi university” to find ever more lethal and stealth ways to kill Westerners.

The most shocking revelation was footage showing how the group was converting a missile from a jet fighter into a surface-to-air missile. Sky reported that the video was designed to train foreign jihadists residing outside Syria to target their home countries. [read more]

Driverless suicide car bombs? If the Islamic State thugs aren’t driving the cars anymore does that mean they don’t believe in martyrdom anymore? I am sure the driverless cars won’t be as good as Google or Apple can make if that’s any consolation. I wonder if these Islamic thugs have brain-storming sessions about ways to kill the infidels. If the Prophet says it isn’t forbidden probably.

The article goes on to say that the driverless cars use “mannequins equipped with thermostats imitating human body temperature designed to fool scanning equipment protecting Western military and government facilities.” Nice, real nice.

FreedomWorks’ Digital Bill of Rights

As more and more of our activities move online and the internet plays an integral role in our day to day lives, it must be remembered that the rights we enjoy as American citizens do not stop at technology’s doorstep. It is important, therefore, to ensure that the protections established in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights serve Americans in the digital world just as effectively as they do in the real world. With this in mind, we therefore propose a Digital Bill of Rights:

1. The right to due process shall be preserved in the digital realm.
2. The internet does not give government agencies the right to tax or regulate outside of their proper jurisdictions.
3. The right to freedom of expression shall be preserved online.
4. Government shall not erect barriers to prevent or control internet access.
5. The right to secure data shall not be compromised.

[read more]

Lt. Col. Oliver North’s 10 Point Plan to Defeat ISIS

1. Define the enemy: Radical Islam.
2. Define Victory: No safe havens for radical Islamic groups anywhere.
3. Deploy 2 US Carrier Strike Groups & Marines to the Med.
4. Launch heavy strikes against radical Islamic terror groups in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and the Sinai. 
5. Put US JTACs & FACs with real anti-ISIS fighters/Pesh Merga. 
6. Provide arms directly to the Kurds - not through Baghdad.
7. Tell Putin to get out of the way.
8. Stop all GITMO transfers.
9. Support President Sisi in Egypt & King Abdullah in Amman to clear ISIS out of the Euphrates river valley.
10. Resettle and support refugees in the region - Not in the US.

Source: North Points.

More Questions about Islam from CNN

How do many Muslims feel right now?

According to the Pew Research Center (April 2013) 86% of Muslims in Malaysia, 77% in Thailand, 99% in Afghanistan, 84% in Pakistan, 82% in Bangladesh, and 91% in Iraq support sharia law as the official law of the country just to give examples.

Why is Mohammed so important to Muslims?

He is their prophet. According to alim.org: Muhammad was chosen by God to deliver His Message of Peace, namely Islam. The revelation that he received is called the Qur'an, while the message is called Islam. Muhammad is the very last Prophet of God to mankind. He is the final Messenger of God. His message was and is still to the Christians, the Jews and the rest of mankind. He was sent to those religious people to inform them about the true mission of Jesus, Moses, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.

Does Islam need a Reformation?

Yes, I believe it does. The Jewish and Christian faith had reformations. Why not Islam? There was a Protestant Reformation where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis on a church. If a moderate or traditional Muslim nailed his “95 thesis” on a mosque he might want to go into hiding afterwards especially if he signed the thesis. There might be a fatwa on him. Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a moderate Muslim, wants to reform Islam. In his book, A Battle for the Soul of Islam (2012) suggested these reforms:

1. An Islamic narrative that does not constrain universal principles.
2. Muslim leaders who support the separation of mosque and state, even as they take strands on social or political issues.
3. The affirmation of an egalitarian approach to faith beyond the constraints of simple tolerance. Tolerance implies superiority, while pluralism implies equality.
4. Recognition that if government enacts the literal laws of God rather than natural or human law, then government becomes God and abrogates religion and the personal nature of the relationship of God.
5. Creation of movements and organizations that are specifically opposed to such radical or terrorism-supporting groups as Al Qaeda, Hamas, etc. by name, rather than simply being against undefined, generic  notions of terrorism.

Following these suggestions (there are ten in all) would be good start to reform Islam. But as long as the Islamists don’t respect women there probably will never be a reformation. The Jewish and Christianity religions are maternalistic by nature—that’s how they were to reform themselves.

Why have there been so many recent attacks by extremist Muslims?

It could be to bring back the Mahdi. When he comes back, according to Islamic theology, those will we be the last days. They want another world war. Add to the fact the Islamists feel emboldened by America having a weak president.

How can the extremists be stopped?

A much harder question to answer. We must destroy their bases and kill them much as possible. But this takes leadership. It would help if the NATO would go after the extremists too. I thought France invoke the “attack one, attack all” clause but they didn’t. Maybe because they are waiting for an adult to be leader of the America. Don’t know. It would also help if the moderate leaders in the Muslim community spoke out against the extremists but again that is wishful thinking.

Does Islam Encourage Violence?

Here is what several passages from the Quran says:

You will find other hypocrites who wish to be safe from you as well as from their own people; but who would plunge into mischief whenever they get an opportunity. Therefore if they do not keep distance from you and neither offer you peace, nor cease their hostilities against you, you may seize them and kill them wherever you find them, against such people We give you absolute authority. (4.19)

Male or female, whoever is guilty of theft, cut off the hand (that was used in theft) of either of them as a punishment for their crime. This is exemplary punishment ordained by Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise. (5.38)

The Jews say: "Uzair (Azra) is the son of Allah," and the Christians say: " Messiah (Christ) is the son of Allah." That is what they say with their mouths, imitating the sayings of the former unbelievers. May Allah destroy them! How perverted they are! (9.30)

The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication—flog each of them with hundred stripes: Let no compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by God, if ye believe in God and the last day. (24.2)

Those who accuse a chaste woman of fornication and do not produce four witnesses to support their allegation, shall be flogged with eighty lashes and their testimony shall not be accepted ever after, for they are the ones who are wicked transgressors   - except those who repent thereafter and mend their conduct; for Allah is surely Forgiving, Merciful. (24.4)

Therefore, when you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield smite their necks and, when you have thoroughly subdued them, then take prisoners of war and bind them firmly. After the war lay down her burdens, then you have the choice whether you show them favor or accept ransom. Thus are you commanded. If Allah wanted, He Himself could have punished them; but He adopted this way so that He may test some of you by means of others. As for those who are slain in the cause of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost. (47.4)

This was a question that CNN asked.

Does Islam really ban all images of the Prophet Mohammed?

Another question from CNN. Let’s take a look at the Hadith this time:

We were with Masruq at the house of Yasar bin Numair. Masruq saw pictures on his terrace and said, "I heard 'Abdullah saying that he heard the Prophet saying, "The people who will receive the severest punishment from Allah will be the picture makers.' " (7.834)

Allah's Apostle returned from a journey when I had placed a curtain of mine having pictures over (the door of) a chamber of mine. When Allah's Apostle saw it, he tore it and said, "The people who will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be those who try to make the like of Allah's creations." So we turned it (i.e., the curtain) into one or two cushions. (7.838)

I purchased a cushion with pictures on it. The Prophet (came and) stood at the door but did not enter. I said (to him), "I repent to Allah for what (the guilt) I have done." He said, "What is this cushion?" I said, "It is for you to sit on and recline on." He said, "The makers of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and it will be said to them, 'Make alive what you have created.' Moreover, the angels do not enter a house where there are pictures.'" (7.840)

According to a Wikipedia article, the Quran doesn’t strictly forbid pictures of Mohammed. Most Sunni Muslims believe that visual depictions of all the prophets of Islam should be prohibited. In Shia religion the depictions are common now. The only reference in the Quran that could be possible talk about images of Mohammed is the one about idolatry:

They set up equals with Allah to mislead people from His Way. Tell them: "Well, you may enjoy yourself for a while, but your final destination is going to be hellfire." (Quran 14:30)

Former Al Qaeda Terrorist Offers Chilling Warning: Another Attack Coming ‘Within the Next Two Weeks’

From the Blaze.com (Nov. 17):

A former member of Al Qaeda in Yemen warned Tuesday that a terror attack is likely within the next two weeks.

Morten Storm, an ex-terrorist who later became a double agent for the CIA, told Fox News host Megyn Kelly that he believes an attack is imminent.

“I believe that within the next two weeks, we will have an attack,” he said.

Storm added, “The people who are on the run at the moment from ISIS in Europe are very desperate, and they know their time’s up, and they will need to do as much damage as possible.”

The ex-terrorist said an attack on American soil could happen, but would be a “bit different” because of the security precautions currently in place.

“And I also believe that copycats in America will do their best to do what their brothers have done in Europe,” Storm said.

Storm’s warning comes just days after terrorists killed at least 129 in France in the deadliest violence the country had seen since World War II. [source]

God forbid this from happening. If it does happen I am blaming Obama for not taking the terrorists seriously—although he probably won’t accept the blame—just pass it on to someone else.

If America takes Syrian refugees without any kind of filtering to keep out the dangerous element then an attack becomes more probable. The Islamic State thugs will infiltrate the refugees population. The simplest way is just to filter out the Muslims in the refugee population. Some will say well Islamic State thugs will just pretend to be Christian or some other non-Muslim religion. I guess it is possible, but I don’t think so. The IS thugs believe Christians and Jews as inferior. If a refugee says he is a Christian ask that person if he believes Jesus is divine or the son of God. Then watch the reaction. Muslims believe Jesus is just a man not divine. So, a true Christian will answer yes without hesitation that He is divine.

You can also check to see what the refugees are carrying. If they are carrying a prayer rug and a Quran they are Muslim. They might also being carrying a Hadith.

If America feels it has to let Muslims in then filter out the fundamentalists. That’s going to be trickier. First, you need to filter out the 15-30 year olds single Muslims. The age range doesn’t have to that exact. I would have said 15-30 year old single male Muslims but woman are being radicalized too. One of the terrorists in France was a woman. Second, of those you filtered out, you could ask a Muslim what a country should do with homosexuals. Or what is their opinion about honor killings, Sharia law, drawings of Allah, dancing, etc. If they give extreme views then they are fundamentalist. Maybe a moderate or traditional Muslim could help in filtering process. If it is possible these questions would be asked in private so other refugees can’t prepare an answer.

Obviously, the best course of action is to have refugees put in a camp or safe zone somewhere in Syria or Egypt or somewhere not in America.

The lone wolf problem or sleeper cells in America are a different animal. America needs to put Muslim informants in Mosques in most major cities like Washington, New York, Wichita, KS, Los Angeles, etc to see what the Imams are preaching.  That would be a good start.

I agree with the cartoon. The Islamic State is a world problem. But until the world does something NATO can and should do something. France is a part of NATO and since an attack on a NATO country is an attack on all NATO countries—that’s in the by-laws—NATO has to start doing some butt-kicking. But that takes leadership from America which America doesn’t seem to have at the moment. I hope it doesn’t take another attack in this country before Obama starts caring. Hitler was taking over countries left and right before the world decided to do something. It seems history is repeating itself again. Is this the Fourth Turning that William Strauss and Neil Howe talked about in their book? The American Revolution, Civil War, The Great Depression and WWII were fourth turnings.

Attacking Our Founders

An article by Walter E. Williams on Townhall.com (Nov. 11):

Many of my columns speak highly of the wisdom of our nation's founders. Every once in a while, I receive an ugly letter sarcastically asking what do I think of their wisdom declaring blacks "three-fifths of a human." It's difficult to tell whether such a question is prompted by ignorance or is the fruit of an ongoing agenda to undermine American greatness. Let's examine some facts about our founders and slavery.

At the time of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, slaves were 40 percent of the population of southern colonies. Apportionment in the House of Representatives and the number of electoral votes each state would have in presidential elections would be based upon population. Southern colonies wanted slaves to be counted as one person. Northern delegates to the convention, and those opposed to slavery, wanted to count only free persons of each state for the purposes of apportionment in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The compromise reached was that each slave would be counted as only three-fifths of a person.

If the convention delegates had not reached this compromise, the Constitution would have not been ratified and there would not have been a Union. My questions to those who criticize the three-fifths clause are twofold. Would it have been preferable for the southern states to be able to count slaves as whole persons, thereby giving southern states more political power? Would blacks have been better off without constitutional ratification and a Union made possible by the three-fifths compromise? In other words, would blacks have been better off with northern states having gone their way and southern states having gone theirs and, as a consequence, no U.S. Constitution and no Union? Abolitionist Frederick Douglass understood the compromise, saying that the three-fifths clause was "a downright disability laid upon the slaveholding states" that deprived them of "two-fifths of their natural basis of representation." [read more]

Mr. Williams goes on to say George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin to name a few were against slavery. It seemed to these Founders black lives matter. For example, Benjamin Franklin (my favorite Founder) said "Slavery is ... an atrocious debasement of human nature."

For those of you who don’t know, Mr. Williams is a black economist at George Mason University.

Navy SEALs Reveal the One Thing That Will Cause You to Fail as a Leader ’99.9 Percent’ of the Time

From The Blaze.com (Nov. 10):

Two former Navy SEALs are revealing the one thing that causes people to fail as a leader “99.9 percent of the time,” and it has nothing to do one’s physical or mental abilities.

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, who co-authored the book “Extreme Ownership,” explained in a Business Insider video recently that having success as a SEAL leader has nothing to do with one’s physical skills or even their mental toughness.

“What it has to do with is the fact that the person is not humble enough to accept responsibility when things go wrong, accept that there might be better ways to do things, and they just have a closed mind,” Willink said. ”They can’t change, and that’s what makes a person fail as a leader.”

[read more]

Good advice for anyone running for president and the current president—especially the current president.

Secrets Behind The USS Constitution

From All That Is Interesting.com (Nov. 11):

During the War of 1812, the United States’ small and relatively new navy was taking a major beating at the hands of the powerful British. The U.S. needed a victory, and the USS Constitution would help provide one.

In August 1812, she met head on with Britain’s HMS Guerriere and astonished sailors on both sides with her resilience. When British cannonballs bounced off the Constitution’s hull, one British sailor was said to have exclaimed “Her sides are made of iron!” From there, it was more wartime heroics, battles with pirates, and the most venerated career of any U.S. warship.

Here are some of the secrets:

1. The USS Constitution has never been defeated in battle.
2. The first US Marine Corps officer to die in combat, Lt. William Bush, was killed on the USS Constitution in a battle with the HMS Guerriere.
3. The ship’s copper fastenings were constructed by Paul Revere himself!
4. The USS Constitution first launched in 1797, making her the world’s oldest commissioned warship.
5. She’s actually made of wood—the original trees making up the Constitution’s frame were chopped down in 1795. It took more than 1,500 of them.
6. The USS Constitution is 204-feet-long, 43-feet-wide and has a 21-inch-thick hull.
7. Many people to believe the USS Constitution to be haunted.
8. One of the ghosts said to haunt her is that of the unfortunate Neil Harvey, who fell asleep on watch in the 1880s. Commodore Thomas Truxton had him stabbed in the gut, tied over a canon, and blown to pieces.*
9. Another popular ghost story claims that a 24-pound cannonball once rolled across the deck while the ship was completely still.
10. The last night watchman of the USS Constitution was replaced by an alarm system in 1963. His spirit allegedly plays cards on the lower deck today, and gave a tour of the ship to a priest.

[read more]

*What a way to die! I guess that is what happens when you fall asleep during your duty. He won’t be doing that again!

Are You a Buccaneer-Scholar?

You life for…

• Firsthand knowledge instead of learning from an authority figure (like a lecture, rules, etc.)
• Self-directed learning. Your methods are heuristic, not dogmatic.

You hunt ideas…

• Curiosity drives you. You are driven by the power of novel and diverse ideas.
• Puzzles intrigue you.
• Complexity dares you. You know that if someone else has learned it, you can too.

You win your place in the thinking world…

• You construct yourself. For you, learning is about ongoing personal transformation, not just fact accumulation. You see yourself as thinker-learner-teacher.
• You earn reputation. You establish and maintain your reputation through the merit of your ideas. You want to earn the respect of people whom you respect.

Source: Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar. How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion Can Lead to a Lifetime of Success (2009) by James Marcus Bach.

Here are some of the author’s great secrets:

• My [the author] education is the mind I have constructed and my process of constructing it.
• My mind is free, even from me.
• Most of my learning is a side effect.
• What appears to be chaos is just a form of order I don’t yet understand.
• At a distance, many fun things to learn look scary.
• If I try to understand, but fail, that’s progress.
• Few people out there want exactly what I’m offering, but a few is all I need.
• Intelligence is just a tool. Love is the point.
• Whenever I’m learning something difficult, I keep expectations low, and aspirations high.
• To build my brand name, I must stand for something, even if many people won’t get it or don’t like it.
• Anything I learn is a gateway to everything else I will ever know.

The author’s website is: Self Made Scholar.com.

The Silicon Valley Entrepreneur

The Characteristics of the Silicon Valley entrepreneur:

1. Passion- the deep desire to change the world—and the full experience that this will be achieved.
2. Authenticity.
3. Idea-driven- ideas are the commodity, produced and consumed in the way traditional goods are produced and consumed elsewhere.
4. Risk-taking- they take risks to create disruptive innovations or take on the competition, actions that are central to receiving the ecosystem’s respect and encouragement.
5. Trustworthiness- they operate in an open and collaborative environment, rarely shying away from sharing what they’re truly working on. This type of sharing drives the entrepreneurs to keep evolving, since the smallest bit of relevant information can allow one to keep pace with changing technologies or protect one from a fatal flaw in a business strategy or product.
6. Resilience.

Four shades of entrepreneurship:

1. Serial entrepreneur- love to start companies, and can’t imagine staying at any one company for too long. They find a formula that works and apply it over and over, often running several ventures concurrently.
2. Transformational entrepreneur- tend to drive the Silicon Valley culture. They are perceived as focused, committed, and revolutionary in their thinking. They see themselves as agents of evolutionary change; they have a proposed solution to any question about the world’s problems.
3. Acquisition entrepreneur- they acquire and develop technology.
4. Visionary entrepreneur.

Source: Secrets of Silicon Valley. What Everyone Else Can Learn from the Innovation Capital of the World (2013) by Deborah Perry Piscione.

Scientists claim they can change your belief on immigrants and God – with MAGNETS

From Express.co.uk (Oct. 14):

ATTITUDES towards God and immigrants can be changed by beaming magnetic waves into the brain, scientists have claimed.

A bizarre experiment claims to be able to make Christians no longer believe in God and make Britons open their arms to migrants in experiments some may find a threat to their values.

Scientists looked at how the brain resolves abstract ideological problems.

Using a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), researchers safely shut down certain groups of neurones in the brains of volunteers.

Researchers found the technique radically altered religious perceptions and prejudice.

Belief in God was reduced almost by a third, while participants became 28.5 per cent less bothered by immigration numbers. [read more]

Talk about the brave new world. Isn’t this just brain washing? I suppose an unscrupulous scientist could a person believe a political leader loves his country and isn’t trying to radically transform it. Or a political candidate isn’t lying about her emails or Benghazi. Just about anything is possible.

The Nazis, Socialists and Communists and any other fascist group would love this technology.

Thoughts on Learning and Education

From the Founding Fathers:

Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” - Thomas Jefferson

The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.” - Benjamin Franklin

There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live. - John Adams

The supreme end of education is expert discernment of all things- the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the counterfeit, and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and the counterfeit.  - Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784)

To other well known Americans:

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Never let formal education get in the way of your learning. - Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

And finally a physicist, a philosopher, and a Christian writer:

Education is the progressive realization of our ignorance. - Albert Einstein

All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth. - Aristotle (384BC - 322BC)

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.  - C. S. Lewis (1898 - 1963)

A lot of wisdom in those quotes.

The Ancient Athenians and Democracy

After the Athenians had driven out the tyrant Hippias in 510 B.C., they tried to work out methods to prevent the establishment of another tyranny. Once a year they set up an opportunity for a vote that was aimed not at electing someone, but at exiling someone. Each Athenian could write down the name of the politician he felt was growing too dangerously powerful for the good of the state. If a total of 6000 votes were cast and one man received a majority, he was forced to remain away from Athens for ten years. It was not a disgraceful exile: his property was not confiscated, his family was not mistreated, and, when the decade was up, he was welcomed back. He understood that he had been sent away to be kept from the temptation of trying to upset the democracy.

Source: Isaac Asimov's Book of Facts (1991) by Isaac Asimov.

Interesting way to keep power in check. Although, the Left would call the Athenians mean and cruel and how dare they do that.

The Connection Between Property and Liberty

Conservative thinker Russell Kirk lays out one of this ten conservative principles which says: “conservatives are persuaded that freedom and property are closely linked.” or if you prefer: “Property and freedom are inseparably connected; economic leveling is not economic progress. “

So, what did the Founding Fathers think about the link between the two? They pretty much agreed with Kirk:

…power over a man’s subsistence amounts to a power over his will. - Alexander Hamilton.

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is no force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist – John Adams.

Freedom and Property Rights are inseparable. You can't have one without the other. – George Washington.

The right to procure property and to use it for one's own enjoyment is essential to the freedom of every person, and our other rights would mean little without these rights of property ownership. – Thomas Jefferson

That is not a just government, nor is property secure under it, where the property which a man has in his personal safety and personal liberty is violated by arbitrary seizures of one class of citizens for the service of the rest.  - James Madison

Basically, if you don’t think owning That is not a just government, nor is property secure under it, where the property which a man has in his personal safety and personal liberty is violated by arbitrary seizures of one class of citizens for the service of the rest.property is a God-given right then the gov’t can do whatever it wants with it—because big gov will then claim that right. That’s what socialists and communists believe. And that’s one of the reasons why socialists and communists don’t want God in the country because one of the commandments is “do not steal.” And that includes political leaders.

E = R3WCG

From World Mag.com (Aug. 21):

E=mc2 is a simple equation compared to the mystery of what goes into good education. But I’ll [Marvin Olasky] take a shot at proposing an education equation.

(1) Start with the three Rs, reading, ’riting, and ’rithmetic.

(2) Move quickly to the opening line of a great John Newton hymn repopularized by Jars of Clay: “Let us love and sing and wonder.” If children don’t develop a sense of wonder about this astounding, God-created world, they’ll miss a lifetime of excitement. Music, art, history, science, foreign languages, and more should all make school wonder-full.

Our new testing regime doesn’t leave much time for wonder, and educators pay attention to the W only if they answer accurately a basic question: Who are my students? Are they animals with above-average intelligence (compared to horses and caterpillars, but maybe not dolphins)? Are they low-grade computers with below-average memory and above-average weight (compared to a MacBook Air)? Or are they human beings created in the image of a God of wonder?

(3) Add a C for specifically Christian education, for only in Christ do all things hold together. If students don’t understand that God created us, they are likely to become practical atheists. If they don’t understand that God gives history meaning, they are likely to become nihilists. Schools cannot give kids faith in Christ—only God can—but they can help students recognize their need, yearn for meaning, and not be content with wasting their lives. [read more]

The ‘G’ stands for grit by the way. I like his idea but secular progs fanatics will object to the Christian part. Muslims might object too although they have their Madrasas.

This is something that probably isn’t part of Common Core but part of (or should be) of all Christian private schools.

The Contract the Islamic State Group Is Forcing Christians to Sign in Syria

From The Blaze.com (Sept. 6):

These were the 11 articles of the contract, as translated by Middle East Media Research Institute:

1. Christians may not build churches, monasteries, or hermitages in the city or in the surrounding areas.
2. They may not show the cross or any of their books in the Muslims’ streets or markets, and may not use amplifiers when worshiping or during prayer.
3. They may not make Muslims hear the reciting of their books or the sounds of church bells, which must be rung only inside their churches.
4. They may not make Muslims hear the reciting of their books or the sounds of church bells, which must be rung only inside their churches.
5. They must not perform religious rituals in public.
6. They must respect Muslims and not criticize their religion.
7. Wealthy Christians must pay an annual jizya of four gold dinars; middle-class Christians must pay two gold dinars, and the poor must pay one. Christians must disclose their income, and may split the jizya into two payments.
8. They may not own guns.
9. They may not engage in commercial activity involving pigs or alcohol with Muslims or in Muslim markets, and may not drink alcohol in public.
10. They may maintain their own cemeteries.
11. They must abide by ISIS dress code and commerce guidelines.

[read more]

That’s pretty fascist I’d say. Just like the Soviet Union, the Islamic State thugs don’t allow other religions to practice either. Even though the articles refer to Christians they could apply to other non-Muslim religions too.

If the reader notices, most of the articles are “may not” or “must not.” Only three are “must”—well, they’re restrictive too. Only one “may”—# 10.  Kind of an odd one.

The Left would like articles 7 and 8. Article seven sounds like a progressive tax system.

Self-Repairing Material Could Prevent Spaceship Catastrophes

From acs.org (Aug. 26):

For astronauts living in space with objects zooming around them at 22,000 miles per hour like rogue super-bullets, it’s good to have a backup plan. Although shields and fancy maneuvers could help protect space structures, scientists have to prepare for the possibility that debris could pierce a vessel. In the journal ACS [American Chemical Society] Macro Letters, one team reports on a new material that heals itself within seconds and could prevent structural penetration from being catastrophic.

The researchers made a new kind of self-healing material by sandwiching a reactive liquid in between two layers of a solid polymer. When they shot a bullet through it, the liquid quickly reacted with oxygen from the air to form a solid plug in under a second. The researchers say the technology could also apply to other more earthly structures including automobiles. [read more]

Cool. Hope it works as planned.

Goldman Sachs Analyst’s Unsettling Conclusion About This ‘Scary’ Chart

From The Blaze.com (Aug. 31):

When the VIX — an “index of volatility” in the S&P 500 stocks — hits “levels in the high-twenties to low-thirties” for extended periods of time, it’s usually an indicator that the U.S. economy is headed for a recession, according to a Goldman Sachs analyst.

Goldman Sachs released the graph below to put this issue into perspective — and as you can see, the index is currently at “scary” levels.

“VIX levels go back to January 1990. Since that time there have been three recessions. Average VIX levels in the first two recessions (1990-1991, 2001) were 25 and 26 respectively,” Goldman Sachs analyst Krag Gregory said. “The worst of the worst was of course the Great Financial Crisis. Average VIX levels in the 2008-2009 recession were 34.”

After a dramatic spike during last week’s turbulent period, the VIX landed at 26 at the end of the week. [read more]

Well, it looks like Congress and Administrator Obama have beaten the Islamic State in destroying the economy. Is this what Obama meant by the ‘new normal?’ Well, I guess it is better than a depression.

Scientists Finally Discover How To Turn Cancer Cells Into Normal Cells

From Elite Daily.com (Aug. 26):

Scientists possibly discovered the key to “turning off” cancer by reverting malignant cells back to their previous states.

Cells constantly divide to maintain their populations, and molecules called microRNAs stop cells from dividing by producing PLEKHA7 proteins.

When a cell turns cancerous, however, this protein production does not occur and the cells’ bonds continue to divide, according to The Telegraph.

But scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Florida found restoring PLEKHA7 levels in cancer cells turned those cancerous cells back into normal cells.

The team likened the reversal process to activating the brakes on a car.

[read more]

Well, that’s great to hear even though the success was in lab-grown cells, but still hopeful.

Islamic State Plotting ‘Second Blow’ to U.S. Financial System in Bid to ‘Purify the Earth of Corruption’

From The Blaze.com (Aug. 30):

The Islamic State group revealed over the weekend that at the centerpiece of its goal to bring down America is a concerted effort to weaken the U.S. dollar and replace it with gold currency.

A video posted Saturday warned of the “dawning of a new age” in which replacing the dollar with gold would deliver “the second blow to America’s capitalist financial system of enslavement … casting into ruins their fraudulent dollar note.”

The first blow, it said, was the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center.

The English-language video included archival footage from U.S. news channels, including a 2007 clip of Ron Paul sounding the alarm over the vulnerability of the dollar.

Produced by the Islamic State’s Al Hayat Media, the extremist Sunni group positioned itself as leading the fight against fiat currency by minting caliphate gold, silver and bronze coins. It named them after historical Islamic caliphate coins: the gold dinar, the silver dirham and the bronze fals (or the plural fulus).

Its dedication to gold – and opposition to paper notes – was grounded in the Quran, excerpts of which appeared onscreen in the video. [read more]

I wonder if this is what China is trying to do. Then again they are communists and really don’t embrace the free enterprise system. Well, Iranian gov’t and probably Russian gov’t wouldn’t mind the Islamic State thugs doing this. It would save them the trouble.

Yea, America shouldn’t have gone off the gold standard but we really can’t go back. What America needs is Congress that has self-control when it comes to spending and a strong president that has a back-bone and not appeasing our enemies. You know one that believes in American exceptionalism.

My Take on The Donald

Basically the above cartoons sums up my take.

Donald Trump says during an interview now he is not for universal health care because it wouldn’t work in America.  He should be against it because it is anti-freedom and never will work anywhere. Just ask any Canadian who actually has to use it.

He said he became pro-life on relationships with close personal friends who had children. Their pregnancy experiences, Trump maintains, allowed him to mature on the abortion issue to the point of now opposing abortion. So, he didn’t become pro-life when any of this children was born? Interesting. Then he won’t defund Planned Parenthood unless they abort babies.

Mr. Trump said he was for in the gov’t in the past a wealth tax and a balanced budget amendment to get the national debt down. Now, he is against that idea because the debt is too high and won’t matter anymore. Well, the balanced budget amendment is a good idea, but the former part is what Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders would recommend. And if he becomes president and gets the debt down lower will Mr. Trump then decide a wealth tax is a good idea? He said during the interview with Sean Hannity that a wealth tax is a conservative idea. I beg your pardon. No it is not. The debt isn’t huge because there isn’t enough money coming in, it’s huge because the president and congress has out-of-control spending. No discipline. That’s the problem.

He said in the past he was a democrat but like Ronald Reagan he evolved. The problem with that statement is Ronald Reagan changed over time—that’s what evolution is. Donald Trump seemed to change when he is running for president. Also, President Reagan talked about conservative ideas and how great America is. I don’t hear Donald Trump say those things. He talks about making America great again. America is great. It’s just not realizing its potential. For those of you who remember (like me) Ronald Reagan running for president, the country was in a downturn when Jimmy Carter was in office. But you sensed Reagan’s patriotism. I am not getting that from Donald Trump that much. Not saying Donald Trump isn’t patriotic but he’s always talking about himself and how great he is. Not that everyone running for president should be Ronald Reagan but he did create the template.

Also, when Donald Trump says he is no different from any other businesses man who pays for influence with politicians. Let’s call it for what it is: bribery. If politicians were officers of the court—businessmen would go to jail. But since Congress makes the rules—it’s legal because they benefit from the system too. Trump says this is the way the system works. Well, the system is corrupt. And he has a choice like other business leaders not to play the system. Glenn Beck says he doesn’t play the system and there is pressure put on him to play it. Good for him. I wonder if Mr. Trump, if he ever becomes president, to put a bill before Congress to ban political bribes. Or will he just keep the system in place so he can use it again when he leaves office. The bill might not pass but it would be nice if that was on his platform.

Now, his immigration reform position and my comments:

1. A nation without borders is not a nation. There must be a wall across the southern border. True, and I agree a wall is a good idea.
2. A nation without laws is not a nation. Laws passed in accordance with our Constitutional system of government must be enforced. Pretty much common sense.
3. A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation. Any immigration plan must improve jobs, wages and security for all Americans. Again nothing earth shaking.
4. Make Mexico Pay For The Wall. [I]mpound all remittance payments derived from illegal wages; increase fees on all temporary visas issued to Mexican CEOs and diplomats (and if necessary cancel them); increase fees on all border crossing cards – of which we issue about 1 million to Mexican nationals each year (a major source of visa overstays); increase fees on all NAFTA worker visas from Mexico (another major source of overstays); and increase fees at ports of entry to the United States from Mexico [Tariffs and foreign aid cuts are also options].  We will not be taken advantage of anymore. Sounds good but I wonder if all that will be enough to pay for the wall.
5. Triple the number of ICE officers. Good idea. But you have to give them the power to do their job.
6. Nationwide e-verify. This has been suggested by others. Not a bad idea.
7. Mandatory return of all criminal aliens. It will take a while since there is about 76,000 illegal aliens with criminal records.

The immigration reform plan is not a bad plan. The reader can look at more of it at his website. The most controversial part is ending birthright citizenship since that has to be upheld by the Supreme Court.

If this essay sounds like an attack on Donald Trump. It is not. I am just asking questions. Like is he really a conservative? Does he understand the connection between private property and liberty? Does he understand that political power ought to be kept in the hands of private persons and local institutions? Does he understand the role of the Constitution? Or does he thinks it is a obstacle like Obama and the rest of the Left? Does he get American exceptionalism? I know your rich Mr. Trump. Nothing wrong with that, but you don’t need to mention it every time. It’s getting old.

I believe those who support Donald Trump for president are those who like his passion and bluntness. Those qualities by themselves are not necessary bad. But if a candidate for office doesn’t have good decent principles to start off with then those other qualities don’t mean much. Voters need to look deeper. It’s their future and their children’s future. Not just him but for every candidate running for office. Maybe a candidate that has humility would be a good change for once.

I don’t know. Bill O’Reilly said Donald Trump isn’t a republican but a Trumplican. He could be right. But I think he is more of a populist.

Head of EPA Admits Climate Regulations Will Hit Low-Income Minority Families Hardest

From The Daily Signal.com (Aug. 19):

The chief environmental regulator in the United States had some blunt words of reality regarding the administration’s climate change regulations.

The Clean Power Plan that will require drastic cuts in 47 states’ carbon dioxide emissions – consequently shifting America’s energy economy away from affordable, reliable coal – will adversely impact poor, minority families the most.

When speaking about the higher energy prices caused by the administration’s climate regulations on power plants, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy said, “We know that low-income minority communities would be hardest hit.”

McCarthy downplayed that fact by saying any minimal higher prices would be offset by implementing energy efficiency measures that would save consumers money in the long run. [read more]

This is just another example of the war on the poor. But does the Left care? No because the global warming worship is more important than people. Then again maybe this is all part of the top-down, bottom-up, inside-out chaos that Van Jones was talking about. And Obama wanted to radically transform America. Hillary is no different.

As for saving consumers money in the long run—we’ll see. But I doubt it.

New Video Shows Hillary Meet With Black Lives Matter Activists — and Things Briefly Get Tense

From The Blaze.com (Aug. 17):

Newly-released video shows Hillary Clinton’s meeting with the Boston chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement earlier this month after the activists were initially denied entry to a campaign event.

The video shows Clinton meet backstage in New Hampshire with what appears to be a group of three activists. One of the activists compares the prison system in the U.S. to the plantation system.

“America’s first drug is free black labor. And turning black bodies into profit,” the activist tells Clinton as she nods her head, seemingly agreeing. “The mass incarceration system mirrors an awful lot like the prison. The prison plantation system. It’s a similar thread. And until someone takes that message and speaks that truth to white people in this country, so that we can actually take on anti-blackness as a founding problem in this problem.”

The activist suggested that the mass incarceration of individuals is motivated by money before asking Clinton a question about “what in your heart has changed that is going to change the direction of this country?”

“What in you, not your platform, not what you’re supposed to say, how do you actually feel that is different than you did before?” the activist asked.

Clinton said that it was a “very thoughtful question” that deserved a “thoughtful answer.”

“I can only tell you that I feel very committed to and responsible for doing whatever I can,” she said, before noting she has spent much of her career focused on kids.

. . . .

In a separate clip published online, things briefly got tense after the activist tells Clinton that this has always been a “white problem of violence.”

“There’s not much that we can do to stop the violence against us,” he told Clinton.

The Democratic frontrunner pushed back.

“Respectfully, if that is your position, then I will only talk to white people about how we are going to deal with these very real problems,” she shot back.

“That’s not what I mean,” the activist replied. “But, what you just said was a form of victim blaming. You were saying what the Black Lives Matter movement needs to do to change white hearts is to—.”

Clinton said that she doesn’t believe in changing all hearts, but instead changing laws and allocation of resources. [my emphasis]

“You change the way systems operate,” she said.   [read more]

Hillary Clinton “doesn’t believe in change all hearts, but instead changing laws and allocation of resources”? Hmm. Let’s analyze that statement. Basically what she is saying is she doesn’t have time to persuade people to her beliefs so she is going to bully them to her belief system. It’s just takes too much effort to persuade people to her beliefs so she is going to bully them to her system. After all she (and most of the Left) believes she knows what best for than the common man and so why go through the trouble and try to explain her position. In other words the Left’s elite are shepherds and the rest of the people are sheeple. So, just get in line you sheep and behave! Well, first the Elites will try to trick, bribe and coerce before they force the commoner to their will.

As for the “allocation of resources” part well that sounds like wealth redistribution. Then again I could be wrong.

In other related news, Governor Jeb Bush ended his town hall early when the Black Lives Matter (BLM) thugs activists interrupted his speech. If the gov cannot take confrontation from professional agitators (they are supported by uber rich Leftist George Soros) how is he going to deal with the Islamic State thugs and other Leftist agitators like the BLM group when he is president? When you are president you have groups that will cause you stress and yes, hate you. Just ask your brother W. You have to deal with them and not run away from them.

To be fair, a democratic runner Martin O'Malley was confronted by this group when he said “all lives matter.” They started shouting ‘black lives matter.’ Then he apologized. What?! All lives do matter. What a weenie. Socialist Bernie Sanders was also confronted by this group too. In both cases the group should have been escorted out by the police.

Then again BLM is like most of the Left: They are obsessed with race, gender, income, etc. They see people as part of a group not as an individuals which makes it easier to treat people as sheep.

Shocking New Iranian Video Imagines Islamic Takeover of Jerusalem, Destruction of Israel

From algemeiner.com (Aug. 17):

A newly revealed video produced under the auspices of the Iranian regime in early August threatens and visualizes the destruction of Israel at the hands of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian Middle East proxies, The Investigative Project on Terrorism reported on Monday.

The animated video, produced by the Islamic Revolution Design House, depicts soldiers preparing for battle. One dons the IRGC insignia on his left arm, another the emblem of the Iran-backed Iraqi Shia Badr Organization. Yet a third dons a headband bearing the Lebanese Hezbollah logo, and a fourth is seen clad in Hamas’ characteristic balaclava and the Qassam Brigades green headband.

Each brandishes a weapon, a helmet and a keffiyeh. They are shown poised on a hill overlooking the Israeli capital of Jerusalem, prepared for battle.

The video then pans out showing an ever-growing number of soldiers, presumably all members of Iran’s loyal proxies, like the fighters portrayed at the beginning of the footage.

The clip then transitions to a black screen with Persian script that says “Israel must be obliterated,” or literally, “erased from the annals of history,” a command first issued by Iran’s late Ayatollah Khomeini and famously repeated by former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as well as leaders of Iran’s proxies such as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. [read more]

And the Obama regime is making a “treaty” with Iran. Really? I know this video shows Iranian soldiers invading Israel not America but two points to consider:

1. Israel is and probably will always be America’s friend. They have consistently voted with us more than any other nation in the UN. Therefore they should always get our support. You don’t turn your back on your loyal friends.
2. According to Iran’s leaders, America is the big Satan and Israel is the little Satan. So, eventually they will attack America unless they get a democratic peaceful regime again. At least one that doesn’t want to cause another holocaust.

Miscellaneous Thoughts Part 36

• I wonder if the medical examiner said “Elvis has left his body” when declaring Elvis Presley dead. Probably not.
• Why do teachers need unions? I mean who is oppressing them? The students? The parents?
• If you are running for POTUS and won’t give your plan, your agenda, or your platform for the country because you are concerned that an opponent will steal your ideas then you are only thinking of yourself and not of the well-being of the country. What’s more important? Your ego or the country?
• For the Left insanity loves company.
• For OCBs measure 10X cut once.
• A salad a day keeps constipation at bay.
• I think there is inverse relationship between ego and intelligence. The higher your ego, the more you think you know-it-all and thus you stop learning.
• Evil thrives on social chaos.
• Maybe Congressional leaderships should be voted on every two years by members of the respective party. The incumbent can re-run if he/she wants to.
• What Donald Trump should have said about John McCain is that yes, he is a war hero but it didn’t matter to the voter. He still lost the presidential election.