More on Google Page Rank.

In a post from October [Google Page Rank.] I wrote how, after two years of blogging, the Google Page Rank for this particular blog dropped from it's consistent ranking of 3/10 to a disappointing 2/10.
I was at a loss to explain the drop. I've search the web for a valid explanation of how Google Page Rank works and how I should go about boosting it. I don't believe anyone really knows.
Today, while looking at my latest blog [D'offus of the Big-Doofus] I discovered that it had risen to a 3/10......which, considering that blog is less than one month old, pleased me to no end.

I immediately came back to this blog to see if the rank had changed.
It had.
The Google rank for this blog had gone back up to 3/10.

The odd thing about the ranking is that individual pages within the blog can be ranked differently than the blog's main page. Usually, my individual pages ranked much lower. I discovered, however, that one of my old posts [Clueless Nun Supports The Chosen One.] had managed to reach a 4/10 on it's own (that's probably due to that page being linked to in a Reuter's story which has a 5/10 rank).

The rankings on my three other blogs haven't changed.....understandable since I seldom post on those.
Do I see the makings of a New Year's resolution?

IPC's "Theologically innovative paper" no longer available.

From a March 13, 2007 press release, we learn that The Institute for Progressive Christianity (IPC) has issued an academic "white paper" entitled "The Kingdom of God and the Witness of Gay Marriage " which, Progressives are saying, is a theological breakthrough in showing gay marriage as "a moral good" that "spiritually liberates straight people as well as gay people."

The Rev. Mark Farr, an Episcopal priest and IPC co- director, called the paper "a truly groundbreaking scriptural affirmation of gay marriage as an almost iconic window into the reality of God's love."

The press release goes on to say the paper, "affirms gay marriage as a positive value for the Christian worldview as rooted in Christian Biblical texts......"

Unfortunately, this "theologically innovative" paper is no longer available on the Internet.
A number of articles extolling the greatness of the paper have instructed me to find the paper on the IPC website. If it was ever available there, it's nowhere to be found today.

Googling "The Kingdom of God and the Witness of Gay Marriage ", I found a few sites that provided links where I could go to download the paper. But, those links only lead to dead ends.

If, as the IPC press release states,"this paper changes the dynamics of the entire debate over gay marriage" then why can we no longer read this paper for ourselves?

I can post a link to the press release [IPC Releases Innovative Paper on Gay Marriage] but, lots of luck finding the actual paper.

More Fun with GIMP.

The idea for this photo came too late to go up on today's D'offus of the Big-Doofus post-Rick Warren to help with Kwanzaa Feast.
So, it'll have to find a home on this blog.

Falling Behind.

Earlier in the year, I decided to put forth an effort and get 366 posts on this blog this year.

I'm not going to make it. This will only be the 20th post for this month and I'm too far behind to catch up before the end of the year.

Of course, if I wanted to claim victory in spite of the numbers, I could figure in the posts for my other blogs and the total would well surpass the one-a-day average.

At least I have a legitimate excuse for falling behind this month. My wife was off from work for the Christmas Holiday from the 24th until today; we don't get as much time together as we'd like and I wasn't going to use up what little time we've gained this month with blogging.

Contrary to what many might think, I actually put a lot of thought into these posts. OK, I admit it....not all are well thought out, but probably more are than not.
I spend time looking around the Internet to get some ideas on what to write about and naturally, I have to check out my favorite blogs (you know who you are).

Some of the stories I come across call for serious responses, but, often I try to be funny and/or sarcastic with my posts.

The less than serious posts very often call for a less than serious photo as accompaniment. The D'offus of the Big-Doofus more especially needs a GIMPed photo for each post and as I'm not all that talented with GIMP, it takes me a long time to manipulate the photos in just the right way.

Even though I won't write 366 posts for 2008, I've managed to more than double the number I posted in 2007. I suppose that's something.

More Problems in the Obamanation.

Washington Post Op-Ed columnist Richard Cohen and his sister are none too happy with President-Elect Obama and his choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his coronation inauguration. Cohen writes that his sister -who is gay- is so upset with the Messiah, that she is canceling her Obama Inauguration Party where she was planning to serve Obama Punch.

I'm not sure how Obama Punch is made, but I'm reasonably certain that it contains considerable amounts of Kool-Aid.

Like Barney Frank, Cohen believes Obama should not have chosen Warren because, they say, he likens homosexuality to incest, polygamy and pederasty.
I guess it's good to know that Frank and Cohen believe some things are wrong.

I admit that I don't understand Warren's comparison of gay marriage to polygamy. I'm not in favor of either (it's my belief that one of the reasons we have a problem with Muslims is that men with multiple wives are unquestionably insane) but, unlike homosexuality, polygamy isn't a biological and evolutionary dead end.

The folks who support "gay rights" and same sex marriage claim that homosexuals are biologically wired to be homosexual; their sexual preference isn't by choice. If that argument holds, why can't the same be said about incest and pederasty? Contrary to what they would have us believe, homosexuality is deviant behavior.

I know it's unfashionable to say this in these "liberated" times, but the ultimate purpose of sex is procreation. It's how we, as a species, have offspring. Same sex marriage can't do that.

Bush Bashing game Boring at Best.

After reading all the hoopla over the sock and awe hit Bush with a shoe game, I couldn't resist going to the site and giving it a try.
You would have to be a really big Bush hater to like this game......the graphics are terrible, the sound quality is rather poor and I can't imagine this thing holding anyone's attention for very long.
Even the guy who came up with the idea called it, a "stupid little flash game".
OK, somebody bought the thing on Ebay for £5,215 ($7,818).
Lord knows why.

Gays Angry with Obama.

According to Obama's website, D'offus of the Big-Doofus, gay activists have amassed a gigantic protest in response to Obama's plan to perform Swan Lake in Canada today.
I knew that the gay community was losing faith in the One, but I hadn't realized the situation was so serious.
The full story (and a link to the I.N.N. web site) can be found on Obama's site.....here

Rick Warren....safe as Mayonnaise.

Barack Obama's choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.
Gay activists are upset with the choice because of Warren's opposition to Prop. 8.but, I'm sure Warren's beliefs were the furthest thing from Obama's mind when he made his decision.

Obviously, Obama wasn't about to have Rev. Jeremiah Wright involved in any way. He's burned that bridge. The President-Elect can't very well choose his own personal pastor because he hasn't even made a decision on where the Obama family will be attending church when they move to Washington.

He picked Warren simply because he's well known and as bland as mayonnaise. Sure, Warren is against same sex marriage (as is Obama) and pro-life (which Obama isn't) but his being picked is for cosmetic purposes......his theology is beside the point as far as Obama is concerned.

I'm sure quite a few Obama supporters were hoping he'd find a pro-choice, lesbian minister to give the invocation. Instead, the agent of change went for the Ronald McDonald of the religious world.

My Banana Pudding.

Today, where my wife works, they'll have a little Christmas dinner. The company will provide the turkey or ham and each employee will bring a "covered dish". Some of her co-workers asked if she could bring one of my banana puddings. I was happy to oblige.

Everyone loves my banana pudding. The reason for that is simple; I am one of only a very small minority who can make a traditional, Southern style banana pudding like "grandma used to make".
The custard is home made.......made with eggs, milk, sugar and flour. It's not made by throwing an instant pudding mix together. It doesn't come from a box.

The top of the pudding is a meringue and not made with Kool Whip.

When I was a boy, that was the way banana puddings were made. My mother, her sister and their sister-in-law all followed pretty much the same recipe as did every other woman in the southern United States.

The Baby Boomers killed the traditional banana pudding in the way they've attempted to kill every worthwhile tradition in this country. In this case, it was radical feminism and fast foods that did it.
The women in my generation decided that they would not be like Mama and many simply refused to learn to cook the traditional recipes.

Of course, there were a few women (and some men) who still went into the kitchen, but, sadly when it came to preparing certain foods, convenience became more important than taste. It was too much trouble to separate yolks from the egg whites. Why take the time to do it right, when you could just make this kind of Franken-pudding from powder ?

Twenty years ago, when I discovered that no one was going to make a proper banana pudding for me, I looked for, and found the recipe. Now, I can have it whenever I like.

Best of all, I know my three year old will not be one of those poor waifs who grows up without ever having tasted a true, traditional banana pudding. I hope he appreciates it.

Balancing Act.

While we were attending a Christmas party Sunday, my three year old son said he had a new trick to show me.

He had a spoon and was trying to balance it on his nose. I wasn't sure where he had seen the trick, but I was certain that he wouldn't be able to do it. Of course, I didn't discourage him.....I didn't tell him that I thought he wouldn't be able to do the trick. I went along and smiled while he rubbed the spoon on his chin and cheeks.

Much to my surprise, he had the trick mastered in just a few attempts.
Everyone at the Christmas party was amazed.

My wife told me that they had seen a kid's program on TV where someone was doing the spoon trick, but I don't know how he managed to do this on his own.

Obama Photos.

As I mentioned in an post from November, [Mocking the Big-Doofus] for eight years, the Left has done whatever they could to belittle and mock President Bush. No slur was out of bounds ; no cartoon was too outrageous.

I decided that now, with a left-leaning President, the time had come for the Right to engage in the same tactics. With that in mind, I started a new blog [my-new-blogdoffus-of-big-doofus] called D'offus of the Big-Doofus.

Looking back at some of the images used to mock Bush, we find several photos of Bush with a really dumb look on his face.My goal was to find similar photos of Barack Obama I could use.
It was easier than I imagined it would be.

When someone is constantly followed by photographers looking to find "the picture" it stands to reason that some of those photos will be less than flattering. I was surprised at the number I was able to get where the Big- Doofus had the most doofusoid expression. Those photos, along with GIMP can give lots of material for sarcasm and satire.

The D'offus of the Big-Doofus blog hasn't received as many hits as I think it should have. Here's hoping more of you will give it a look.

Just Say "No Way" to "Calling in Gay-Day".

Today is, the so-called, "Call in Gay Day" when same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to skip work to show us how much the country depends on gays and lesbians to keep this all going.
In Phildelphia, 25 of the 60 teachers at Independence Charter School plan on participating.
"We want to get the conversation going in the community that gay is not bad," one teacher was quoted as saying. "For kids to hear that in a positive light can be life-changing."
An online community website, join the impact has suggestions for those who are afraid to call in gay:
1. Volunteer your time and services after work
2. Do not buy anything
3. Do not watch TV or use your cell phone
4. Do not go online. Online advertising is everywhere and a simple page load could cause money to be spent.
5. Do not buy lunch (and don’t go out today to get what you need for lunch tomorrow), find something you already have and pack your lunch.

I'm urging everyone else to be sure to show up for work today.....even if you really are sick......and be sure to break as many of the five suggestions as you can.

The Gift of .........huh, Life?

From FOXNews.com :
"A number of Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana and Illinois are offering gift certificates for their services this Christmas.
Officials say the vouchers enable people to give their loved ones "the gift of life" — that would help pay for annual checkups and birth control — but also can be used for abortions."
Is anyone surprised?
Obviously, you can't expect anyone who has no regard for human life to be worried about offending other people.
Do we really think that it bothers the folks at Planned Parenthood that Christians might be upset that PP would offer abortion gift certificates for a Holiday that celebrates the nativity of Jesus Christ?
It doesn't even bother those people to kill innocent, unborn children. Do you think that they care for one minute that this pisses you off?
The Demon who came up with this idea is probably laughing himself silly at the whole notion.

Firefox crashes.....again.

Funny,
Firefox 3 was supposed to be the greatest browser ever. Saying that's an exaggeration is putting it mildly.
I've written a few blogs on Firefox 3;
D is for Download Day
I did my part, as usual.
Firefox 3 review.
After using it since June, I am rather unimpressed with the browser. As a matter of fact, I believe it's really a pisspoor piece of work.
It crashes several times a day and it hangs more often than I can count. It's even gotten to the point that I've started using IE more and more.
I'm not the only one having this problem. Googling firefox crashes yields more than 630,000 results.
Someone at i.nconspicuo.us wrote,
"I don’t know what is going on, but ever since I installed Firefox 3, it has been crashing occasionally. From time to time, when I shut it down, I get the Mozilla Crash Reporter window popping up. Has anyone else encountered this problem? Any suggestions? Here’s a screenshot of the Mozilla Crash Reporter that appears when Firefox Crashes."
The poster received 69 responses.
Going to Mozilla for an answer is usless.
As one person wrote, it's a sad day when one prefers IE over Firefox.
Oh yeah.....it even crashed while I was posting this.

Pacquiao beats De La Hoya.

I wasn't able to swipe a video of the fight, but the ESPN web site has all the information.
Pacquiao turns 'dream fight' into nightmare for De La Hoya

O.J. Redux.

Re-running a post from September, 2007.

If I Only Had a Brain

I could while away the hours
Conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain
And my head, I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain.

I'd unravel ev'ry riddle
For any individ'le
In trouble or in pain

With the thoughts I'd be thinkin'
I could be another Lincoln,
If I only had a brain.

Oh, I could tell you why
The ocean's near the shore,
I could think of things I never thunk before
And then I'd sit and think some more.

I would not be just a nuffin'
My head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain.
I would dance and be merry
Life would be a ding-a-derry
If I only had a brain-

Merry Christmas, Ms. Michalak.

Sarah Michalak,UNC-Chapel Hill's associate provost for university libraries has decided that the Christmas trees that have traditionally decorated the two main libraries will remain in storage this year.
Michalak said she made the decision following complaints from library employees and patrons bothered by the Christmas trees.
"We strive in our collection to have a wide variety of ideas," she said. "It doesn't seem right to celebrate one particular set of customs."

OK.....rather than ban Christmas trees, why not display Jewish and Muslim decorations during their religious celebrations?
Geeze....the libraries could even put up atheists' decoration for whatever holiday they celebrate.

Merry Christmas, Ms. Michalak.

Link:
UNC-CH libraries leave Christmas trees in storage

My New Blog......D'offus of the Big-Doofus.

Anyone taking a look at the list of labels on this blog can see that there isn't a theme to all this.
I'm subject to write about anything and everything on any given day. The posts can run the gamut from religion to politics....sometimes seriously, sometimes with humor.
The nice thing about having such a mixture, is that there is rarely a shortage of things to write about. But, I think some readers who might appreciate one subject may be turned off by another.
So, in an attempt to have a more consistent blog, I've started yet another blog to take care of my "Obama posts". I'm calling this new blog D'offus of the Big-Doofus. Obviously, with that name, I won't be playing nice. I'll be making use of sarcasm, irony and satire to mock the Anointed One .
You'll be seeing less on Obama here.....I'll take out my frustrations with the President-Elect on the other blog.

Palin Helps Chambliss Win Georgia.

Here in Georgia, we sent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss back to Washington. Chambliss had been in a run off with Democrat Jim Martin and the Republicans needed to win here to prevent the Democrats from getting a filibuster proof Senate.
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin came to Georgia to give her support. It looks as if the reports of Palin's political demise are premature. Conservatives still love her and having her campaign for Chambliss was a big help.
It speaks volumes that The One did not come down here to help Martin. True, he did a few radio ads, but, you'd think that the President-Elect would come here in person.
Obviously, the Obama camp knew that his coming to Georgia would not help Martin win. Had he campaigned for Martin it would have been seen as a lost for Obama and he didn't want to risk that.

I'm no Drudge.

In a post yesterday [A Real Man of the People.], I was critical of Barack Obama's buying a $30,000 Harmony Ring for wife Michelle.The source for the story was linked to Drudge Report.
Now, it seems that the Obama Press Office has released a statement saying that the ring story isn't true.
When asked about the story, the jeweler's spokesman, Enrico Gamba said, via email;
"I regret to inform you that because of reports so wrong and clearly different from the reality of our statements, we decided to not issue statement on this matter.
Unfortunately, we were negatively affected by read on national and foreign media news stories that have no basement[sic], and in excess of the objective reality.
I inform you that we have no intention to disseminate more information about this story."

I checked Drudge today, and there's no link to any retraction.
I'm no Drudge.........if I post something that turns out to be untrue, I'll try to set things right.

Britney more popular than Obama.

From BBC NEWS
Of the billions of searches carried out on Yahoo.com during 2008, Barack Obama was the third most popular keyword searched, behind Britney Spears and World Wrestling Entertainment.
The finish below Britney makes sense to me.....but WWE?
Haven't heard how the two did on Google.

A Real Man of the People.

The current salary for a US President is $400,000 per year, with a $50,000 expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account, and $19,000 for entertainment.
It seems to me, given that income, a rare $30,000 rhodium Harmony Ring is just a wee bit extravagant.
During the campaign,Obama often told us that ordinary Americans were hurting.
I'm not quite sure how this helps the common man.....must be his version of trickle down economics.
A real man of the people.
Links:
Hit & Run: Ring the changes.
Obama buys rhodium ring for his wife.
Rhodium

December 03,2008 Update:
I'm no Drudge.

Pinocchio.

The article at ew.com says that they "could possibly be the most reckless, punk-rock group of bad-asses making music today."
The group is an underground - all female band in Saudi Arabia, called The Accolade.
Besides that article, they've been written about in the New York Times and AsiaNews.it. There's no need for me to go into great detail about the articles as I'm sure anyone can figure out what the articles have to say about the band, without actually reading the articles.
You know.....how brave the young women are to be playing the "devil's music" in a country living under the thumb of religious fundamentalists. All of that's true, of course. Female rock musicians would hardly be welcome in a country that sends rape victims to jail.
The group has recorded a single that is available on their myspace page.
OK.....by what standard do we use to evaluate this particular single? If looked at as "a recording made by female rock musicians in Saudi Arabia" then, of course, I'd say the recording is pretty amazing. If looked at as another rock song performed by just another band trying to make a name for themselves, then I'd have to give them a "C".........just average. The song is passable, but that's about it.
Needless to say, anyone can hear the song and judge for themselves by following the link. I'm sure a lot of folks will tell me that I should cut the girls some slack....after all, look at what they risk by playing this music.
Yes, I know; all of that is true, but, from a musical standpoint, the song doesn't deserve the accolades it's received.

Too Stupid to Vote.

From the "tell me something I don't already know" department, an article in Tuesday's Washington Post by Kathleen Parker informs us that the average American is really too stupid to be allowed to vote.
Parker writes of a recent report from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) on Americans' lack of knowledge concerning civics and how our government works.
This year the ISI surveyed 2,508 Americans, of varied backgrounds and educational levels, with a test consisting of 33 multiple choice civics questions.

The results?
Seventy-one percent of Americans fail the test, with an overall average score of 49%.
Liberals score 49%;
Conservatives score 48%.
Republicans score 52%;
Democrats score 45%.

The average score among those who ended their formal education with a bachelor’s degree is 57%, or an “F.”........ 13 percentage points higher than the average score among those who ended their formal education with a high school diploma.

Of course, I couldn't resist going to the ISI website and taking the test myself.
Before taking the test, I made sure I had a bite to eat and a cup of coffee (it was 6:30 AM, for crying out loud).
How did I do?
As you can see by the screen shot I took of my score, I did pretty good.
Twenty-seven correct out of thirty-three. It was calculated as 81.82%, but, hey....let's just say 82% OK.

Is there any wonder why we end up with Presidents like George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and now, Barack Obama ? We have far too many people, who have no clue how the government should operate, voting on who will get the most important job on the planet.
We should require anyone registering to vote take a civics test. If you can't do better than 70% you shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Take the Quiz

Mocking the Big-Doofus.

For eight years, the Left has done whatever they could to belittle and mock President Bush. No slur was out of bounds ; no cartoon was too outrageous.
Now with the election of Barack Obama, many think the time has come for a change in attitude.....we should have more civility; let's end the rancor and bitter, partisan hits on the office of the President.
I don't think so.
I fear, too many will be afraid to mock the One for fear of being called racists. Obama is a politician and as such, is fair game.
I've already purchased the license for big-doofus.com (bigdoofus.com having already been taken). I'm working on ideas for an Obama parody website. Hopefully I can get it up and running by the first of the year.
I've GIMPed a few photos like the one shown here. I'm having a bit of trouble with some of the photos, however. For example, putting the hat on Obama's head, then putting the head onto the clown's body, involved using the Free Style tool and clicking the mouse while guiding the tool around the edge of the hat and head.With the arthritis in my right hand and wrist, this is very difficult and painful for me.
Fortunately, placing the eagles into the jpg using the Ellipse select tool was much easier.
If need be, I can always make some of the photos small - like the photo of Fr. Roy Bourgeois I used in a previous post [Concerning the Excommunication of Fr. Roy Bourgeois.]. It's easier to get away with an imperfect image if it's tiny.

Concerning the Excommunication of Fr. Roy Bourgeois.

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, who faces excommunication for his support of "women’s ordination" in the Catholic Church, says that he will not recant and maintains that, because of his more than 30 years in the priesthood, he should be allowed a 10 or 15 minute talk with Pope Benedict XVI.

Does Bourgeois seriously think for a moment that he can change the Pope's mind on this?
Yeah,right.
He's going to sit down with Pope Benedict and, with his brilliant argument for allowing women priests in the Church, bring the Holy Father to slap himself on the forehead and say,
"Wow, why didn't I think of that?!"

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: (889)
"In order to preserve the Church in the purity of the faith handed on by the apostles, Christ who is the Truth willed to confer on her a share in his own infallibility. By a 'supernatural sense of faith' the People of God, under the guidance of the Church's living Magisterium, 'unfailingly adheres to this faith.'"

Obviously, that statement is either true or it isn't. You either believe it or you don't.
If Fr. Bourgeois is correct, the Catholic Church is in serious error regarding her teaching on the ordination of women. If he is correct, the Church, therefore, does not share in Christ's infallibility.
Why, then, would Bourgeois want to be a member of a Church that is in such serious error ?
It would make more sense if Bougeois would simply say that the Church is in error. He should come out and say that the Church is not infallible and leave the Church for a denomination that he believes does teach Christ's Truth.
There are countless numbers of Christian denominations. I'm sure that whatever you choose to believe there is a church that mirrors that belief. Why stay in a church that you believe is wrong? I would be foolish, indeed, if I fought with the Anglicans over that Church ordaining women or allowing priests to marry. I certainly wouldn't claim to be an Episcopal and then argue with the Episcopal Church over same sex marriage.
Bourgeois and the Roman Catholic Womenpriests expose themselves as egotists who believe they know better than the Catholic Church and want to be known as the Wunderkind who beat the Church.
The same argument can be used against cafeteria Catholics like Joe Biden or Maria Shriver who pick and choose over what teachings they will accept and which ones they'll ignore.
Just admit that you are not a Catholic.
What can be simpler than that?

S.C. county councilwoman, "Oops, my bad."

From catholic news agency,

"Charleston, Nov 21, 2008 / 02:56 am (CNA).- A South Carolina county councilwoman has apologized for remarks she made at a land management committee discussion considering whether to allow a Catholic church to expand. She had said she would oppose the expansion because she sees 'hate' in the Catholic Church, criticizing the Church’s pro-life position and its lack of female clergy, which she called 'an affront to my dignity and all of womankind.'”

The article goes on to say that councilwoman Laura Von Harten later apologized for her comments.

"Saying she was 'truly sorry' for having 'interjected' her concerns about the Catholic Church into a zoning discussion, she claimed she had 'meant only an extension of my overall opposition to development that restricts access on the basis of factors such as race, age or gender but it was an inappropriate forum.' ”

Although I haven't come across any video of her apology, there is a video of her making her original remarks at the land zone meeting.

S.C. Priest, "Oops, my bad."

Rev. Jay Scott Newman of Greenville S.C. caused quite a stir with his comments on Catholics who voted for Barack Obama.
Of course, most of the main-stream media criticized him for his remarks, but nearly all of the Catholic bloggers I've read were supportive of the priest. Even when Fr. Newman was rebuked by his superiors, the bloggers stood behind him.
The support from his parishioners has been inspiring.....but, after receiving a standing ovation from nearly 200 people attending Mass Saturday, Fr, Newman said,
"I wrote my column in haste. I should have taken my time." He went on to say that he had not done a very good job stating his position, although he declined to explain what he meant by that.
I'm a bit disappointed.
The Church's stance on pro abortion politicians is confusing, to say the least. A few Bishops have banned pro abortion Catholic politicians from taking Communion, but otherwise, it appears the Church just looks the other way.
Conservative Catholics had expected things to be different under Pope Benedict XVI. I don't think he's quite the "rottweiler" we all thought he would be.

Links:
SC priest says he was hasty in Obama comments
Priest says he wrote Obama column too hastily

Still Smokin'.

This isn't the first time I've written about Barack Obama's cigarette habit.When I wrote Mr. Goody Two Shoes Smokes Cigarettes in June, the subject was all the rage on the Internet.
There hasn't been very much said about it recently....until today. In today's Washington Post, liberal columnist Michael Kinsley tells us [Let the Guy Smoke] that we should just turn our heads (and cough?) as Obama puffs away.
In spite of all the bad cigarettes do, we should, according to Kinsley, cut the big O some slack. Sure, it's a vile, disgusting habit, but the new President will be under a great deal of stress.....we don't want him, I don't know, dropping a bomb somewhere because he was having a nicotine fit. Kinsley tells us that, "Obama's steely calm is now one of our country's major assets."
Can it really be called "steely calm" if it can be broken by nicotine withdrawal?
Obama had promised his wife -and us- that he was giving up the smokes. Of that, Kinsley goes on,
"And if he hasn't? Well, if he is straight with us about it, we should forgive him. So he's not a superman. Neither are we."
I'm sorry, but I have zero respect for anyone who smokes cigarettes. Yes, it's hard as hell to quit them, but it is possible. He's a big boy now. A bit of physical discomfort won't kill him.
This whole cigarette story just proves to me what I've felt about Obama all along. He's a phony. He isn't what he claims to be. He's just smoke and mirrors.

Dockyard Obama meets the On-Line Language Translator.

I am fascinated by language. I love the sight and sound of words....even words in languages I can't understand.

Being a typical American, I am fluent in English only. My wife, on the other hand, like so many from Philippines, speaks three languages; English,Bisaya and Tagalog.

I've spent time in the Visayas; I have a Cebuano dictionary and I've taken a few lessons. I'm hardly fluent in the language, but when my wife and her friends are talking, I can understand a little bit of what they're saying.....at least enough to embarrass them if they happen to say something "off color".

Sad to say, I am utterly lost whenever they speak Tagalog. Sure, I know a few Tagalog words and can even sing the chorus to Jumbo Hotdog by "The Maskulados" but, that's about it.

Translating from one language to another is probably as much "art" as it is "science". I've looked around the Internet for English translations of Jumbo Hotdog and the results have been mixed.

Yesterday, I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs. While reading The Lair of the Catholic Cavemen, I noticed a link to a site that offered Tagalog translations. Out of curiosity, I pasted a copy of yesterday's post [My Email to Msgr. Martin T. Laughlin.] and translated it into Tagalog. Then, I pasted the Tagalog back onto the translator and received an English translation.
The resulting English translation was very different from the original. As a matter of fact, the words may have been in English, but the meaning was completely lost in the translation.
I did the same experiment with a number of other languages. The English "translations" are hilarious.

I've pasted the original below (for those too lazy to click the link) as well as the resulting translations. I've put the foreign language translations at the bottom for those who can speak those particular languages.

I suppose some of you may be wondering about the title of this post. Translated from Tagalog back into English, the name Barack Obama became Dockyard Obama. I know several people who speak Tagalog and none have ever said that "barrack" means "dockyard"; but who am I to argue with the translation?

Anyone interested in playing the same game can go to these web sites:
tranexp.com
babelfish

The original in English:
By now, most are aware of the story of the Greenville, South Carolina priest who told his parishioners that any who voted for pro-abortion candidate, Barack Obama, needs to be reconciled to God through penance before receiving Holy Communion and of that priest being, consequently,thrown under the bus by his superiors.

Msgr. Martin Laughlin,Diocese of Charleston Administrator issued a statement that contradicts Rev. Jay Scott Newman and Msgr. Laughlin has forbidden Fr. Newman from giving interviews on the subject.

Brian Mershon has posted a copy of a memorandum from Laughlin, dated October 16,2008, telling his priests not to rock the proverbial IRS tax exemption boat.
After reading the memorandum, I sent an email to Msgr. Laughlin (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) and I've pasted a copy of the email below :

from Tagalog into English:
by now , most are furnish of the story of the Greenville , south Carolina priest who tent its parishioners thatch whoever who vote for pro abortive candidate Dockyard Obama , need toward possible reconcile toward god through punishment before receive holy communion and of thatch priest being consequently,thrown under the bus by its ruler. Msgr. martyr Laughlin,Diocese of Charleston manager issue a statement thatch gainsay Rev. Jay Scott Newman and Msgr. laugh have forbid Fr. Newman toward giving interview toward the subject. Brian Mershon have posterior a copy of a memorandum toward laugh , date october 16,2008, say its priest not toward swing the proverb IRS tax exempt boat. after reading the memorandum , me sentence an email toward Msgr. laugh (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) and I've paste a copy of the email below :

from German into English:
by now , highly are conscious of the story of the Greenville , south Caroline priest who sat being parishioners that any you like who voted when pro abortion candidate hut Obama , need to being propitiated to god through atonement before reception Holy Communion and over that priest life consequently,thrown under the bus by being superiors. Msgr. martini Laughlin,Diocese over Charles manager issued one minutes that contradicts run. gannets scotch Newman and Msgr. pools has forbidden Fr. Newman as of giving interviews on the subject. briar Mershon has posted one copy a memorandum as of pools , dated Oct. 16,2008, telling being priest not to cradles the proverbial IRS tax liberation boat. behind reading the memorandum , self sent one email to Msgr. pools (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) and I've adhered one copy of the email envy :

from Portuguese into English:
As we speak , most are aware of the anecdote from the Greenville , South Carolina priest that said from it parishioners than it is to any that balloted about to pro abortion would-be Barack Obama , needs to be reconcile about to God right through penance before receiving Divine Communicate AND he might give priest being consequently,thrown under the bus By from it better. Msgr. Martinez Laughlin,Diocese as of Carlos Administrator issued um affirmation than it is to contradict Rev. Jay Scott Newman AND Msgr. Grin does have forbidden fruit. Newman as of administering appointments on the subject of. Brian Mershon does have post a copy by one memo as of Grin , dated October 16,2008, by saying from it priests not to rock the proverb IRS tax exemption barge. After reading the one memo , I emailed about to Msgr. Grin (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) AND I've he glues a copy from the Email line above :

from Latin into English:
Now , the most are privy to fable of Greenville , Midday Carolina priest quidnam told his parishioners when any quidnam church province for for miscarriage openly Barack Obama , to ask to be to pacify when God very penance for to raise up Holy To hand over and of that priest occurrence consequently,thrown up to, under bus very his superior. Msgr. Martial Laughlin,Diocese of Charleston Giving of help a growing up a the publishing of a book when disprove Rev. Jay Scott Newman and Msgr. To laugh at these forbidden Fr. Newman out of giving interviews upon subject. Briar Mershon these posterity a to form of a memorandum out of To laugh at , acorn October 16,2008, to say his priests not when hard stone proverbial IRS a fine to set free ship. Accordingly selection memorandum , I sent or email when Msgr. To laugh at (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) and I've pastry a to form of email below :

The original translated into Tagalog:
nina ngayon , ang lalong nakararami ay pagkalooban ng ang kuwento ng ang Greenville , timog Carolina pari sino told kanya parishioners atipan ng pawid sino man sino ihalal dahil sa pro - nabigo kandidato Barack Obama , mangilangan sa maaari papagkasunduin sa diyos lagos parusa nang una tumanggap banal komunyon at ng atipan ng pawid pari ay sinusulat consequently,thrown pang ilalim ang bus nina kanya puno. Msgr. martir Laughlin,Diocese ng Charleston tagapangasiwa maglathala a pahayag atipan ng pawid salungatin Rev. Jay Scott Newman at Msgr. tumawa may pagbawalan Fr. Newman sa giving kapanayamin sa ang alagad. Brian Mershon may pigi a kopyahin ng a memorandum sa tumawa , petsahan oktubre 16,2008, sabihin kanya pari hindi sa iugoy ang kasabihan IRS patawan ng buwis huwag nang pakunin boat. matapos pagbasa ang memorandum , ako hatulan isa email sa Msgr. tumawa (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) at I've magdikit a kopyahin ng ang email sa ibaba :

the original translated into German:
Beim nun jetzt , höchst bist bewußt des Geschichte des Greenville , Süden Caroline Priester wer gesessen sein Pfarrerskinder jene beliebig wer stimmte ab als Pro - Abtreibung Kandidat Barack Obama , Bedarf zu sein versöhnte zu Gott hindurch Buße bevor Empfang Abendmahl und über jene Priester dasein consequently,thrown unter die Autobus beim sein Vorgesetzten. Msgr. Martini Laughlin,Diocese über Carl Verwalter ausgegeben ein Protokoll jene widerspricht Laufen. Tölpel Schottisch Newman und Msgr. Lachen hat verboten Fr. Newman ab gebend Befragungen an die unterziehen. Dornstrauch Mershon hat hing auf ein abschreiben einer Memorandum ab Lachen , datiert Oktober 16,2008, erzählend sein Pfarrer nicht zu wiegen die sprichwörtlich IRS Steuer Befreiung Boot. Hinter Lesung die Memorandum , ICH sandtet ein Epost zu Msgr. Lachen (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) und I've klebte ein abschreiben des Epost beneiden :

the original translated into Portuguese:
Neste momento , a maioria estão cientes de a anedota do Greenville , Carolina do sul padre o qual dizido dele parishioners que qualquer o qual votado para pró - aborto candidato Barack Obama , necessita de ser reconciliar para Deus através de penitência antes de receber Divino Comunicar e desse padre sendo consequently,thrown sob o autocarro por dele superior. Msgr. Martinez Laughlin,Diocese de Carlos Administrador emitido um afirmação que contradizer Rev. Gaio Scott Newman e Msgr. Sorrir tem fruto proibido. Newman de dando entrevistas sobre. Brian Mershon tem mala postal uma cópia de um memorando de Sorrir , datado Outubro 16,2008, dizendo dele padres não baloiçar o provérbio IRS isenção de imposto barco. Depois de ler o memorando , Eu enviava um correio eletrónico para Msgr. Sorrir (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) e I've cola uma cópia do correio eletrónico abaixo :

the original translated into Latin:
Iam , plurimus es conscius fabula of Greenville , Meridianus Carolina priest quisnam told suus parishioners ut ullus quisnam suffragium pro pro abortion candide Barack Obama , postulo futurus pacifico ut Deus per penitentia pro suscipio Sanctus Defero quod illius priest res consequently,thrown sub bus per suus excellens. Msgr. Bellicus Laughlin,Diocese of Charleston Administrator proventus a editio ut redarguo Rev. Pica Scott Newman quod Msgr. Rideo risi risum has inconcessus Fr. Newman ex giving interviews in thema. Vepres Mershon has posteri a effingo of a memorandum ex Rideo risi risum , balanus October 16,2008, dico suus priests non ut silicis proverbial IRS miseratio libero navis. Secundum lectio memorandum , EGO sent an email ut Msgr. Rideo risi risum (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) quod I've crustulum a effingo of email subter supter :

My Email to Msgr. Martin T. Laughlin.

By now, most are aware of the story of the Greenville, South Carolina priest who told his parishioners that any who voted for pro-abortion candidate, Barack Obama, needs to be reconciled to God through penance before receiving Holy Communion and of that priest being, consequently,thrown under the bus by his superiors.
Msgr. Martin Laughlin,Diocese of Charleston Administrator issued a statement that contradicts Rev. Jay Scott Newman and Msgr. Laughlin has forbidden Fr. Newman from giving interviews on the subject.
Brian Mershon has posted a copy of a memorandum from Laughlin, dated October 16,2008, telling his priests not to rock the proverbial IRS tax exemption boat.
After reading the memorandum, I sent an email to Msgr. Laughlin (mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org) and I've pasted a copy of the email below :

to mlaughlin@catholic-doc.org
date Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 6:46 AM
subject good job
mailed-by gmail.com

Dear Rev. Msgr.Laughlin,
I have read your EMAIL MEMORANDUM of October 16, 2008.
I want to thank you for seeing that the church's tax exempt is much
more important than the teaching of the Gospels. We all know that it's
all about the money....or what your twin W.C.Fields called the
"elusive spondulicks".
We must not allow the IRS to take away our money. Good job.


Links:
Priest advises penance for Obama vote
South Carolina Priest Thrown Under the Bus
Diocese of Charleston

The Charter for Compassion.

What do you do, when you have an ego larger than life, don't actually belong to any traditional religious tradition, yet want to change the planet with your magnificent ideas? What do you do when you "believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world."?

You form TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) and give away the TED PRIZE. The TED PRIZE is awarded annually to "three exceptional individuals" who each receive $100,000 and are granted "One Wish to Change the World."

You award such "exceptional individuals" as Bill Clinton in 2007 and Bono in 2005.

One of the three recipients of the TED PRIZE for 2008 is Karen Armstrong, writer of several books on comparative religions. She is described by the TED folks as "one of the most provocative, original thinkers on the role of religion in the modern world."

Her wish?

“I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect.”

According to Ms. Armstrong, it is the religious fundamentalists among us that prevent humankind from joining together, holding hands while singing kumbaya. We all believe some version of the Golden Rule and that's enough.

The result of her wish is the Charter for Compassion website. She is assisted by The Council of Sages. What sort of pompous ass would belong to a council of sages?
You can help in the Utopian ideals of Ms.Armstrong by participating in the creation of the charter, spread the word and nominate religious leaders who will agree to sign said charter.
Going to the website, I find several story contributions by the self proclaimed "sexiest creative genius in human history", Sharon Esther Lampert AKA "KADIMAN, THE 8TH PROPHETESS OF ISRAEL".

Lampert gives her 22 COMMANDMENTS..ALL YOU WILL EVER NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOD...A UNIVERSAL MORAL COMPASS FOR ALL PEOPLE, FOR ALL RELIGIONS, AND FOR ALL TIME .

I'm not going to list the 22. You can follow the link for yourself.
Is this what Armstrong is looking for?
Lampert's contributions alone prevent me from taking the Charter seriously.

Obama and Same Sex Marriage.

In an article, recently published in USA Today, [ Where's the Outrage?] writer James Kirchick laments that, while 70% of gays and lesbians in California voted for Barack Obama, an equal percentage of African - American voters in that state voted to ban same sex marriage.

He writes,

"Unfortunately, many gay men and lesbians cannot fully share in the excitement over the president-elect's much-hyped promise to "change" America, especially when a significant number of his supporters members of the ethnic group whose progress we are celebrating oppose our legal equality. "

I decided that, in all fairness, before commenting on this, I'd look into what Obama has to say about same sex marriage.Obama's response to the question of gay marriage is very similar to the liberal's pat answer on abortion....which is, I'm personally opposed to abortions, but........ His feelings on gay marriage run along the same line. I'm opposed to gay marriage, but I support civil unions.

I watched a number of YouTube videos with Barack Obama talking about the subject and in two of those videos he speaks of his parents' marriage in the early 1960s. He notes that in several states, their marriage would have been illegal at that time ( due to anti-miscegenation laws ) and he says he is sympathetic to their cause.

Likewise, had the Supreme Court not overturned those anti-miscegenation laws my wife and I could not have married in Georgia either. However, unlike Obama, I can see a difference between the laws that would not allow couples of different races to marry and the laws banning same sex marriage.

The anti-miscegenation laws were based on racist ideas......the idea that some races were inferior to "whites" and the two shouldn't mix.
Firstly, there is no religious prohibition on different races marrying. Months before the Supreme Court ruling, the Roman Catholic Church supported interracial couples in their struggle for the right to marry.

Secondly, there is no biological or evolutionary reason why interracial couples cannot marry. Those marriages can and do produce normal offspring.
The same cannot be said for same sex marriages.

Until recently, no religion has ever sanctioned same sex unions. It is only now that some "christian" denominations permit them......and these denominations are clearly going against the traditional teachings of Christianity.

These days, many people seem to be unaware of the fact that sexual intercourse is for the purpose of propagating our species. Obviously, gays and lesbians cannot do that without utilizing some kind of neo-Frankensteinian alchemy.

If one wants to support the idea of same sex marriage, you need to drop the comparison with interracial marriage argument. There really is no comparison.

Fun with GIMP.

The first time across a photo of President-elect Barack Obama at a press conference, standing behind a podium with the "Office of the President Elect" sign on it, I nearly laughed my @$$ off.
Our President-elect, Barack Obama, is one big doofus. How lame can you get? An "Office of the President Elect" sign ?!?! Is this guy still in High School, or what?
I couldn't resist finding a copy of the photo today and having a bit of fun with GIMP.
Take a look at Joe Biden's face........that's a snicker, if ever I saw one. I'm sure he thinks President-elect Barack Obama is a big joke too.

Berlusconi as Go-between.

As expected, the Russians have rejected U.S. proposals regarding the missile defense shield in Poland.
Hoping to relieve the fears of the Russians, the U.S. had proposed allowing the Russians access to the missile sites. The U.S. plan would also include video monitoring of activities at the sites.
The Kremlin said it would wait until Obama takes office to resolve the issue.
The Kremlin wants to use Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as a go-between who, it's suggested, can ease tensions between the two countries.
I suppose that Berlusconi would be acceptable to Obama....after all, we know from his having picked Joe Biden as his VP, Obama likes to hang with guys who make strange, inappropriate gaffes. It was Biden, you'll remember, who said of Obama,
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
Berlusconi has pretty much the same opinion of Obama,
"I don't see problems for Medvedev to establish good relations with Obama, who is also handsome, young and suntanned," Berlusconi said recently.
I can see Obama and Medvedev sitting around a table, laughing and slapping their foreheads as Biden and Berlusconi come up with their hilarious one liners.
I doubt the Poles will be laughing.

Links:
Russia rejects U.S. missile proposals
Italy offers mediation in Russia/US missiles spat
Berlusconi Go-Between with U.S.
Silvio Berlusconi hails 'handsome and suntanned' Barack Obama
Raw Data: List of Biden Gaffes
Silvio Berlusconi: 10 memorable gaffes

Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship.

From a Michelle Obama speech given at UCLA, Feb. 2008:
"Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."
From an AP story:
"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."
Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.
"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."



Links:
Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship
campaignspot.nationalreview.com

Number 45,704.

Speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in July, 2007 Barack Obama said,
"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do."
If signed into law, the FOCA would abolish all restrictions and limitations on abortion in the United States.....on both the Federal and State level. The act would invalidate all parental notification and consent laws, late term abortion bans and even the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
Americans United for Life has an online petition to fight the FOCA.
I was number 45,704 to sign and I'm encouraging everyone to follow suit.

Links:
online petition to fight the FOCA.
wikipedia article on FOCA
National Right to Life

Recess at the Asylum.

This page has become the most visited page on my blog.....getting more folks coming here every day.
I wish I could take credit for this gif. I received in an email and I don't know who created it.
Still, I hope some of you folks stopping by because you've googled "recess at the asylum" will check out a more of the blog. Or, at least visit D'offus of the Big-Doofus for more Obama fun.

Separated at Birth?

Over the past few days, I've written posts on Russian president Dimitry Medvedev and his announcement that he will deploy Iskander-M missiles in the Kaliningrad region bordering Poland. This is an important issue and we need to know how Obama will react to the Russians when he takes office in January.
I've been surfing the Internet daily trying to keep up-to-date on this situation and I've read accounts on Russian web sites and I've located an official web site for Kaliningrad.

On a less serious note, take a look at the photo above........at first glance, you might suppose that the two halves are of the same person.
Wrong.
The man on the left is Georgy Boos, the governor of Kaliningrad.
The man on the right is Jersey City Councilman Steven Lipski. After an night of too much booze,Lipski urinated on a crowd of revelers from a second story balcony of a nightclub in Washington D.C..
Lipski was just doing what politicians have always done to the electorate. Boos and Medvedev will have their turn with Obama soon enough.

Councilman vows to quit alcohol after public urination bust
www.gov.kaliningrad.ru
The Iskander Factor

I "Heart" Irony.

According to an article written by Jennifer 8. Lee and published in the International Herald Tribune "Barack" is set to become the hot, new name for babies.
The article says,
"In the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the United States........"
Of course, the irony of this isn't lost on me. It's fitting that the most pro-abortion President in the history of our republic should be the namesake of so many babies whose mothers choose life.
It's difficult to say just how accurate this article really is, however.
Lee writes, at one point, that naming babies after U.S. Presidents was once very common.
She writes,
"There have been other presidential naming trends in the past century, according to Social Security Administration data. Franklin jumped to No. 33 in 1933, up from No. 147 in 1931. Dwight surged in the 1950s and Lyndon in the 1960s. Theodore hit its peak in the first decade of the 20th century."
Dwight surged in the 1950s? Honestly, other than Dwight Yoakam (born in 1956) I can't think of one.
Lyndon in the 1960s?......she's kidding, right? I can't say I've ever met a Lyndon.
Every Monday, my local newspaper publishes the names of babies born in our city. I'm going to be keeping a sharp eye out to see just how popular the name "Barack" becomes.

Melissa Etheridge says..."No more Taxes."

OK, Let me see if I have this straight.
According to the Obama Doctrine, the evil rich, the ones who make more than $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 a year must pay their fair share in taxes and will, therefore, see an increase in the upcoming year.
It's for the good of the country......a patriotic duty. All for the common good.
Now, "Grammy-winning musician, gay-rights activist and committed environmentalist", Melissa Etheridge says she will no longer pay California state taxes. Ms. Etheridge is angry with California voters for their passing Proposition 8 and legally banning same sex marriage in the state.
She said,
"Oh and too bad California, I know you were looking forward to the revenue from all of those extra marriages. I guess you will have to find some other way to get out of the budget trouble you are in."
Wait, Melissa....paying taxes is a good thing, right?
Are you going to deprive the poor, the homeless, the downtrodden their share, all because of a vote you disagree with?
"Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen."
Sorry, contrary to what you may think, non citizens must pay taxes too.
"I mean that would just be wrong, to make someone pay taxes and not give them the same rights, sounds sort of like that taxation without representation thing from the history books."
" taxation without representation"? You have the right to vote....you have representation.
"Oh, and I am sure Ellen will be a little excited to keep her bazillion bucks that she pays in taxes too."
Sounds like a conspiracy.......let's see if Ellen Degeneres stops paying taxes.
"When did it become okay to legislate morality? "
All laws are based on morality. Morality is more than sex. It is immoral to steal, kill or bear false witness. We have always legislated morality.
"Come to think of it, I should get a federal tax break too..."
Tell that to the IRS and see how far you get.

Will Obama abandon Poland?

Wednesday,Russian President Dimitry Medvedev warned that he would deploy missiles in western Kaliningrad should the United States continue it's planned Defense Shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Poland expects the incoming Obama administration to go ahead with the plan.

Kevin Dougherty wrote in Stars & Stripes,
"Poles surveyed prior to the U.S. election showed strong support for McCain, the highest in Europe at 38 percent, according to Dobrowolski. He attributed McCain’s popularity in Poland to the Republican nominee’s tough stance toward Russia."

The European Union expressed "strong concern" over Russia's plan to place the missiles near Poland's border.

Which path will Obama take?
Will he protect eastern Europe or will he acquiesce to Russia's demands?