Forgive me Father, for I have not posted ...

... it's been 24 days since my last post. And in that time, rather than attend to my duties here, I have instead ...

- watched a documentary upon return from my vacation to unwind.

- twice kept company with a woman of questionable moral fiber (her pasties and gross of prophylactics should have been a red flag).

- no less than three times slayed the Huns on XBox 360's Call To Duty, with my son of course.

- and on at least four different occasions forced myself to attend the gym, but for reasons of vanity, not health, I assure you.

Aaaahh, sipping the sweet nectar of an unburdened conscience ... that's better.

Now, where shall we begin?

Let us start with this: God bless Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Today she signed into law the most sweeping anti illegal immigration bill in the nation. Now being historically aware, as I am, the idea of uniformed officers asking, "show me your papers", conjures up unpleasant images to say the least (especially when done with a German or Russian accent). But, lets consider the plight of Arizona, shall we?

They are facing a $3 Billion dollar budget short fall. The effects of illegal immigration cost the state an estimated $800 million to $1.5 billion ... annually. The emergency rooms of border town hospitals are over run. Health costs to the state are exploding. Mexican drug cartels routinely cross over in order to carry out "hits" on targets. Gun battles have erupted within Arizona nightclubs, foreign nationals being the chief gunmen among them. In one case severed heads were rolled into a bar to serve as a warning to certain rivals within the establishment. A third of all federal crime is committed by aliens with an illegal status. Both federal Senators McCain and Kyle have been requesting for over a year now that the President assign 3000 US troops along the Arizona border. Ranchers are being overrun and intimidated by gangs that threaten death if not allowed to pass. Kidnappings of US citizens for ransom has grown - in short it is an absolute disaster. The new Arizona law, supported by 70% of Arizona residents (and I have to believe that number represents an awful lot of Arizonan Latinos), is a direct result of a catastrophic federal policy from G.W. Bush to Barak Obama. I name them specifically for the situation has grown especially acute in recent years. Border states have been clamoring, screaming, pleading that federally mandated fences be built, and federal law enforced. All of which has fallen on deaf ears. So what was Arizona to do? Do they not have a sovereign right, nay duty, to protect themselves and manage their own state border?

What I find particularly disturbing, if not predictable, is that upon Googling, or picking up a paper, one finds the following headlines: "Arizona Enacts Tough New Immigration Law." Does any one else see a problem in this? Whether it is that headline or the argument that immigration is solely the purview of the federal government, it all misses a vital point. This is NOT a law regarding, regulating nor establishing any action on IMMIGRATION. "Immigration" is the lawful relocation of a foreign national. This is a law to deal with what is already a crime in Arizona and throughout the nation - ILLEGAL entry into the US. The following is a link to the pdf version of the new law, and the text which is at its' heart:

Senate Bill 1070 Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act

B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE PERSON'S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).

C. IF AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES IS CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF STATE OR LOCAL LAW, ON DISCHARGE FROM IMPRISONMENT OR ASSESSMENT OF ANY FINE THAT IS IMPOSED, THE ALIEN SHALL BE TRANSFERRED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CUSTODY OF THE UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OR THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION.

D. NOT WITHSTANDING ANY OTHER LAW, A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY SECURELY TRANSPORT AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES AND WHO IS IN THE AGENCY'S CUSTODY TO A FEDERAL FACILITY IN THIS STATE OR TO ANY OTHER POINT OF TRANSFER INTO FEDERAL CUSTODY THAT IS OUTSIDE THE JURISDICTION OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

Now the president's reaction was predictable. He referred to the law as "misguided." However, he got something very right, "This is a result of the inability of Washington to act on the federal level." What Gauls me (my tribute pun to Crixus) is what followed. Did he order his Justice Department to go after employers of illegals? No. Did he request a doubling of the INS budget? No. Did he direct the FBI to make a poignant investigation into border cartels? Grant the Senators Kyle and McCain the 3,000 troops? Expedite the real and virtual fence building process? No, no and no. What he did was publicly announce that he has directed the D.O.J to monitor and investigate any instances of Civil Rights violation by Arizona law enforcement as a result of this new law. Now lets set aside how disgusting, in my view, a reaction that is from the federal government and the CiC in particular, and focus on a separate paradigm that occurred to me as the president spoke these words. Within Senate Bill 1070 there is an explicit provision that allows (if not encourages) any private citizen to sue an officer or department as a whole for NOT enforcing this law. Does that not speak to how serious the problem is in border states? Now consider that you are a patrolman, getting up at 5a.m., slapping on your badge and side arm. On the one hand the D.O.J may sue and go after your job if you enforce the law "too vigorously." And on the other any of the state's millions of legal residents may sue, and go after your job, if you do not pursue it vigorously enough! This is untenable. And this cluster f*** is a direct result of the absolute failure of the federal government to fulfill their sworn duty.

Put plainly, this is a reasonable and responsible act. What else are they to do? I ask sincerely? And as I watch these protests from a small percentage of the 30% that oppose the law I ask myself if these individuals even realize that they aren't "pro-immigrant" in this opposition at all, but rather "pro-crime?" And that's what it comes down to - the rule of law. We are a nation of laws, not of men. And as long as it is illegal to enter the US without proper documentation, the states that encompass those ports of entry have a right to enforce that law on their own behalf.

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Lt. Winters and Navy SEALS ...

You may remember some time back that employees of the Blackwater Security Group were captured by terrorist insurgents and strung up, naked and mutilated, on a bridge in Iraq. Our military leaders subsequently sent an elite team of Navy SEALS (that's a redundancy if I ever wrote one, SEALS are by definition "elite"), to recover the mastermind behind the heinous act. SEALS are good at what they do, to put it mildly, and they caught the guy. Sometime later 3 of the SEALS were called into their CO's office and informed that a "black mark" would appear on their record for maltreatment of a prisoner in their custody - namely punching the guy in the stomach & giving him a fat lip. They refused, TO THE MAN, to accept the mark and insisted on a Courts Martial (that would be "Marshall" for you B.o.B fans out there, hehe). Today marks the second of the SEALS to be acquitted on all charges. The third is forthcoming.

I must say, the first 2 were not only acquitted, but in rapid fashion. Which leads me to believe that the military brass should have never brought these charges. They should have never (admittedly I posit this as an outsider) insisted on a reprimand in my estimation. This man wasn't mutilated, tortured, it wasn't even an Abu Grab style debasement. The guy got a fat lip, literally. Given the lethality prowess of a SEAL, I'd say that terrorist should be thanking his lucky stars he got away with only that. And I do believe that setting this precedent - you can be hung out to dry over giving a real hangmen a fat lip, will cause undo hesitation by soldiers in combat, and cost American lives. It was a bad move, and one that on the face of it was instigated by PR & PC concerns rather than a need to instill discipline and enforce military codes of behavior.

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The Castle Doctrine. Obviously I fully support the Mississippi version. Ironically it is the capital of England which has wholly abandoned this founding principle of Western civilization. Private use handguns are illegal, and there is at least one case in which a farmer fired upon intruders into his barn, which he was occupying, and the farmer was convicted of unlawful discharge of his hunting rifle. And this from the nation whom made "Castles" famous throughout Western history and literature.

And while on England ... I viewed the first half of the PM debate, which was billed as the only second ever televised PM debate (I assume its because they elect a "Party" to power, versus an individual so such a debate in the past would have seemed presumptuous if not unnecessary).

They have The left of center Labour, the VERY left Social Democrats, and the "conservative" Party. Albeit their version of conservative is more akin to our moderate Republicans. They debated the obvious issues, terror, sovereignty of the UK versus control form Brussels via the EU. And 2 things struck me. 1.) Gordon Brown & the SD candidate both exclaimed how vital it was to remain in the EU so they could, "Punch above their wait", economically and in terms of foreign affairs. And I thought to myself, Dear Lord, your realm once consisted of nearly the entire known world and now you tremble at the though of not being in league, literally, with France & Germany. 2.) They truly are a Godless bunch. The SD candidate openly admitted. "he is no man of faith", and hastened to add, "but my wife is Catholic and so are my children." Any one else see an inherent flaw with the man's household? But all three, including the "conservative" candidate, when asked about a Papal visit, were quick to point out where they disagree with the Church. Homosexuality and abortion being chief among them. Then went a step further, and again this from the Conservative's candidate for PM, that they, "disagree with the Church on science. I think we need to pursue science." That was it! Not the science of stem cell research, etc. No specifics, just "science." Yes, you're right England. The Pope has the Swiss Guard poised to seize any Brit with a telescope pointed towards the Heavans, and a steaming cup of Hemlock awaits you at the Vatican. Fancy the rack? Sheeeeeesh ...

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Kudos on having the NY Times echo your thoughts only days later. But I assumed you were brighter than the lot of them even before, so in response I'll just give you my favorite Lombardi quote, one I have plastered just to the right of my computer screen: "The dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK."

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Fantastic statistics recited Titus. I make mention of course of your numbers on sexual abuse within the public school system versus that of the Catholic Church. We all know why the Church's sins are promoted while the public school's are not - the abuse scandal fits the template of those opposed ideologically, socially, and psychologically in ways too numerous to examine in a single post. And let me add, the Catholic sex abuse scandal percentages includes not just catholic Schools, but the entire scope of the Church. The public numbers that already dwarf those of the Church's that you cited are solely within the public school system. Were we to broaden the numbers to include EVERY facet of government bureaucracy and institution they would be staggering.

But take solace in this my friend ... no one is on a waiting list to place their child in a public school.

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The Wikileak footage ... I saw this. Of course I knew right away, as you did, what the press would do with it. Watching that small black and white screen, the AK clad hands of some of the men on the ground, combined with the fact that insurgents do not wear uniforms and the fact that this action was taken in the midst of an offensive, within a reasonable geographical point of the fighting and you quickly realize just how tough the job is of our fighting men (and women). I can only imagine if we had footage of Normandy, or pick you WWII battle, what the reaction would have been, or say the bombing of Berlin to bring a civilian component into it. It's unfortunate ... but so is war.

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On the diet ... I hesitate to add this, given a no wine memorandum has been issued to your household. I have done extensive research into alcohol as it relates to health. As you mentioned, my Gold's Gym membership is one that gets its' mileage. It is undeniable that spirits such as vodka are considered low/no carb drinks; however, in terms of weight loss, it is near impossible to include them in your diet. The body burns fat when there is a caloric deficit. And or when there is a carbohydrate deficit. Your body burns its' stored amounts when it is denied either of these, burns them as fuel. Unfortunately once alcohol is introduced into the system it is burned as fuel prior to any fat storage. So while you wont technically "gain" weight from the alcohol itself, because it is acts as a fuel source, it will prevent your body from accessing stored sources until the alcohol is depleted. In other words, you're making it that much harder on yourself if alcohol is part of your diet. Not to mention, the average beer is between 100-150 calories depending on your preference (and I assure you Guinness is on the higher end of that scale). And given we (as a society) typically drink at night, the mere act of killing off a 6 pack means an additional 600-900 calories just before bed, with no chance of burning them off. This is a diet killer. So I suppose you could drink in the morning, but a better resolution would be to avoid alcohol all together until you hit your target weight, as unpalatable (literally & figuratively) as that option may seem.

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NPR & pre-Revolution taxes ... you basically made the point that was unable to via text. The NPR pundits were snickering as if they had found a way to prove the Founders & their fellow revolters weren't as clever as they thought, stating that taxes were higher post versus pre Revolution. This of course skated right by the fact that "taxation without representation" was the cry, not simply "taxation." As I said in the text, only an NPR pundit could mine "wisdom" from such a technical truth on taxation levels.

Now let me say this about NPR. They had a program produced by Independent Minds: The War in The Pacific. I would urge you to find this online and listen. It is co produced by HBO to highlight their series, The Pacific, but being an audio presentation it is ripe with interviews with the surviving main characters (of the series) and detailed bios on how each met their heroic fate or handled post war life. I rip them continuously, but in this NPR production there is but one excerpt from Hanks, one from Spielberg, and the rest is either the men themselves, or period news excerpts. Good stuff. The picture painted by Eldridge of prying gold teeth from dead Japanese and flicking pebbles into a half intact skull will grab your attention to say the least. My favorite line of his was: "My biggest adjustment post war was getting used to hearing people complain about trivial things. I would think to myself, hell, what are you so worried about? You can go put on dry socks whenever you want!"

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Your thoughts on Confederate History Month ... I must say, I went into this post expecting full well to leap out of my chair in objection (mostly I admit because your text message on the post read as follows: "This is a biggie."). Having said that I confess it was a well thought out, well put position. I knew this about Lincoln from various sources, (such as a book entitled: "Presidential Ambition"), so I understood him not to be a "saint" on the issue of race. But your post was able to weave both sides, with an historically accurate tone, minus ambiguity and platitudes. Well done.

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On Claire's medals ...
A very sweet account. I had much the same instance in 2 years of coaching my son. I was a less than average athlete at football, quite a bit better at basketball, but excelled and won my various trophies, medals & mvp awards at soccer (I even made the high school team in 8th grade - not too shabby). But soccer isn't where the glory is, not in the States. So when my son tried out for football I crossed my fingers, and said a Hail Mary (couldn't resist). It turns out he wasn't that bad. And with practice, over 2 years, became a team leader. In his championship game this year he scored a touchdown. As coach I was ecstatic, it gave us the lead going into the half. But as a father, I could barely muster a word as he ran off the field high fiving his teammates. So I simply high fived him as well, announcing. "hell yeah!" To be honest I was afraid he'd spot a bit of very real of wetness in my eye - my boy had scored a touchdown in the "big game." And at that moment it was the only thing going on in the world, nothing else existed. It meant more to me than I could possibly express.

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The volcano. First, kudos on actually writing that name out. Outside of that we must come to accept that global warming fanatics or no different than any other religious cult. They draw conclusions in spite of facts, not because of them. And we must continually expose that - it will be their downfall.

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Spartacus: Blood and Sand ... a season in review.

This is the without question the best thing on television (leaving room for The Pacific, which I have not seen fully). They have done so much with so little. STARZ isn't a mega network like an HBO, or Cinemax or even Showtime, so I can only assume their budget reflects that. But their close quarter camera angles, sprinkled with just a hint of CGI when prudent, gives this program a very intimate feel. As a viewer, when proper Romans enter the House of Baatiatus, you feel as if you know that den of wolves better than the newly arrived guest of the time period. The battle scenes are spectacular to be sure, but the only thing more well defined than the gladiator's pecs and the slave women's bosoms are the character's personalities. And that's the secret to the program, its writing. When a secret or event is revealed one can not wait until Crixus, or Spartacus or Doctore finds out. Each episode was better then the last, each new week became my instant "favorite." The season finale was spectacular as I found myself in danger of waking my sleeping off spring as I shouted, "D-A-M-N!", at nearly every kill stroke. At this point my only concern is that Netflix users will become a victim of the show's success. Spartacus is breathing rarified air in that it alone could cause a consumer to purchase the Starz network in its' entirety just to view one show. Joining such hits as the Sopranos, B.o.B and The Pacific. It was sharp of the Starz execuitive to stream instantly new espisodes (and a full day before they aired) in order to spread the popularity of their new darling. But now I fear we will be purchasing Starz come season 2. But that's fine, their success is well deserved.

You were wrong about one thing though Titus, it was more than Illithia whom survived (although yes, you're technically correct in that she's the only "Roman" whom survived). Let us not forget Asher ... that forked tounge devil managed to slither his way out, literally, under a dead Centurion, and will surely rasie his head once again. But this time Doctore will succeed in lopping it off! Like I said, I love this series.

And by the way, I have been for a year now (roughly) been watching/streaming movies instantly from Netflix via my son's Xbox 360 (Spartacus chief among the viewings). It is phenomenal technology, as Titus noted, and the future of move rentals if you ask me. And here's a bonus nugget of information - if Titus has less than 5 devices linked to his Netflix account, he can include Jambo (with his Xbox), free of charge. I use my sister's account at present.

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Speaking of my sister .... we traveled to the coast for an afternoon and were treated to cold beer, and deliscious hot steaks (and a great salad) at Casa de Jambo. Thanks for the hospitality brother! As we noted, next time we'll make it a multi day event. The overall trip to Mississippi was fantastic. On the first day I woke up to the sound of roosters crowing and shotgun rounds friring, and thought to myself ... yep, I'm home. As I am here, at the Bund.