The more I read, the more I become a fan of Ambassador John Bolton. This is a man the Left wanted to keep as far away as possible from the UN due to his supposedly abrasive and blunt behavior. Well, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for some bluntness in our dealings with the UN. Bolton has been great. He is a great representative of the Bush Administration and has a firm grasp on the international situations that he is involved with.

Here were two of my favorites. The first comes John Bolton’s opening statement at his second round of confirmation hearings. The excerpt was found by Powerline:

We are actively engaged in New York to identify lasting solutions to bring about a permanent peace in the Middle East. To do so, however, requires that we have a shared understanding of the problem. The United States has held the firm view that the root cause of the problem is terrorism – and that this terrorism is solely and directly responsible for the situation we find ourselves in today. This terrorism manifests itself, not only in the form of Hezbollah and Hamas, but also in their state sponsors in Tehran and Damascus. We should all take note, particularly Iran and Syria, of the important statement from the Arab League for its courage and conviction in condemning Hezbollah for its role in instigating this latest round of violence.We take note that some Member States have called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah – but we must ask our colleagues: how do you negotiate and maintain a ceasefire with a terrorist organization, one which does not even recognize the right of Israel to exist? The United States has no confidence that Hezbollah would honor an unconditional ceasefire. History shows us that it would only allow them time to regroup and plan their next wave of kidnappings and attacks against Israel. The United States seeks an end to the violence that afflicts innocent civilians, and for that very reason we are working for the conditions that will make a real cease fire possible and permanent. Our aim is to address the underlying cause of the violence in southern Lebanon – namely terrorism.

I agree 110% with the notion that trying to negotiate a ceasefire with a terrorist organization is absurd on its face. I also appreciate that he points out the obvious about these ceasfires. Whether it is Fatah, Hamas, or Hezbollah, they all have the same approach: Attack, negotiate a ceasefire, regroup and rearm, repeat. The goal is to never let Israel bring it’s superior military force to bear while being allowed to continue killing Israelis indiscriminately. A plan that most of Europe and the UN seems to be happy to encourage. It’s immoral and outrageous.
The second is from Gateway Pundit (hat tip to Powerline) pointing out a comment from Bolton to Senator Kerry during the same hearings:

Kerry: Why not engage in a bilateral [rather than multilteral negotiations with North Korea] and get the job done? That’s what the Clinton administration did.

Bolton: Very poorly, since the North Koreans violated the agreed framework almost from the time it was signed.

That’s the kind of answer I want from my diplomats. If I didn’t like Condi so much, I’d recommend Bolton for the Secretary of State job in a flash. Confirm him now.

No worries, it’s not our own home that’s changing, but our church’s.

Since our church started, we’ve been holding Sunday service in the cafeteria of a middle school. As of now, we have two services each Sunday and both of them fill the available space. That’s probably 400+ people in each service.

After a series of really miraculous events, our church was able to sign a lease on a 36,000 square foot building in the office park where our church offices are currently located. There will be some significant buildout to be done in the new building, but the plan is to be moved in by October 15.

This will mean that Sunday service will be in the same auditorium as Wednesday night. The youth groups will meet in the same building as the adults. We’ll be able to settle in a bit more than we can now.

God has filled the container He gave us. And now He’s giving us a bigger one. Like the widow’s oil in 2 Kings 4, we can only conclude it’s because He wants to fill this one, too. We’re looking forward to more people coming to church and, more importantly, more people coming to Christ.

Hallelujah!

Drudge caught this article at ABC news by Claire Shipman about Mikhail Gorbachev’s opinion of the United States and current state of geopolitics. There are so many things wrong with it, I just had to take the opportunity to deconstruct it. It’s a great example of what’s wrong with the MSM and what’s wrong with people who hate the USA.

It starts like this:

July 12, 2006 — Mikhail Gorbachev is generally regarded as the man who broke down the “iron curtain” that separated the communist world from the West and thawed the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.

“Generally regarded”? Only by those who choose to ignore history. Gorbachev had to make concessions because he knew he was beaten. They couldn’t keep up with the military technology of the US and he couldn’t convince Reagan to make unilateral giveaways. He was stuck and had no choice. He certainly wouldn’t have done any of it if he didn’t have to.

“We have made some mistakes,” he said, referring to recent attacks on Russia’s democracy. “So what? Please don’t put even more obstacles in our way. Do you really think you are smarter than we are?”

Um, yes. I do. You felt that Communism was an acceptable form of government and participated in that system for years. If you really thought it was the right way to govern a country, I do think I’m smarter than you. Next question.

“Americans have a severe disease — worse than AIDS. It’s called the winner’s complex,” he said. “You want an American style-democracy here. That will not work.”

That’s not a complex, Mikhail. That’s called sharing the winning formula. Our formula is not perfect, but it’s working better than any other government in the world. We’re not imposing, we’re letting you in on the secret to our success. By the way, it is our prerogative to choose our business partners. If we don’t like the changes you are making, we don’t have to work with you. We aren’t obligated to.

The article goes on to explain how even though he’s an advisor to President Putin, Gorbachev isn’t completely happy with how Putin is running Russia, either. The article wraps up with some warm fuzzies that are worth a belly laugh:

“I want my grandchildren to live in a democratic country — in a peaceful world,” he said. “But it’s hard to imagine because there are so many answers we still need to find.”

Again, let us not forget who this man was. He had to spend years moving up the ranks in the Communist party to even get a shot at being the man in charge. He, at the very least, had been claiming faith in Communism for most of his life. To now claim that he wants his grandchildren to live in a democracy means one of two things. Either he has radically changed his political beliefs or he’s lying. In either case, how does this make him an authority on how Americans should feel about themselves or their form of government?

Thanks for your thoughts. Please go away now.

Yep, today is the official day. David is 14 today. The time goes by quickly and yet he’s still a joy to have around!

David’s birthday consisted of two small parties this year. First, he spent Friday afternoon and evening with his friends Matt and Micah. They bowled, goofed off, and played some video games:

Then, on Monday, he had his grandmother and uncle over to share some Rice Krispie treats and hang out some more:

All in all it was a mellow, fun birthday and he made out pretty well in the gift department.

You can see more pictures in the photo gallery here.

Congratulations!

…is that Al Gore is wrong. It’s bad enough to use junk science to back up your theories. It’s bad enough to attempt to create panic to justify bigger government. It’s downright lying to claim that there is no opposition to your conclusions. Al Gore (and many others) do just that.

This article in the Wall Street Journal by Professor Richard Lindzen at MIT makes the point well. Here’s the summary that nails the problem clearly:

So what, then, is one to make of this alleged debate? I would suggest at least three points.

First, nonscientists generally do not want to bother with understanding the science. Claims of consensus relieve policy types, environmental advocates and politicians of any need to do so. Such claims also serve to intimidate the public and even scientists–especially those outside the area of climate dynamics. Secondly, given that the question of human attribution largely cannot be resolved, its use in promoting visions of disaster constitutes nothing so much as a bait-and-switch scam. That is an inauspicious beginning to what Mr. Gore claims is not a political issue but a “moral” crusade.

Lastly, there is a clear attempt to establish truth not by scientific methods but by perpetual repetition. An earlier attempt at this was accompanied by tragedy. Perhaps Marx was right. This time around we may have farce–if we’re lucky.

These people are truly unbelievable. They simply claim something that isn’t true and expect that nobody will point it out to them. And, they do this while proclaiming a “moral” crusade!

I just had to chime in with my opinon of the recent NBA draft. I admit to being caught up in the hysteria to draft Adam Morrison. He really seemed to have the passion and excitement that would make me enjoy watching the Blazers again. When I heard about the trades and the drafting of LaMarcus Aldrige, I was mad. I think I even pounded the steering wheel in my truck.

After sleeping on it and reading more about it, though, I think Kevin Pritchard may very well be a genius. As I look at the other teams in the lottery, they’re all bragging about the great player they got. All their news stories are about one guy. We get to brag about getting two players who could have easily gone 1-2. Our news stories float around two solid characters who want to play and should fit well. I’ve fallen in love with Aldrige and Brandon Roy. I think this is the real beginning of a rebirth.

Pritchard wheels and deals and brings home two excellent players, one project, and a sleeper of a point guard who might just turn into something special in a year or two. The Blazers now have a very young team, but with lots of talent just waiting to be tamed. Fortunately, they have the right coach, too.

I believe in Nate. I now believe in Pritchard. I only ask two more things. I ask that Paul Allen hang on to the franchise to give it some legs. I also ask that Pritchard find some way, any way, to cut Darius Miles loose. They have made great strides in raising the character bar in Portland but, one bad apple can still spoil the whole bunch. Cut him loose now. And give Zach a warning.
Until then, though, a big round of applause for the Blazers. It’s good to feel good about them again.

Okay, now comes the part of the show where I insert a shameless plug. For all two of you who actually read this blog and don’t live in our home, I wanted to make sure you knew about this.

Stef’s brother, Mike Rich, is a screenwriter who’s done fairly well for himself. This December, his latest screenplay, The Nativity Story, will make its way to theaters.

They have set up a website here that helps you get in the mood. Be sure to watch the “Behind the Scenes” video.

We’re all looking forward to it. Way to go, Mike!