People love to pick what pleases them...

That seems to be the case as we see a number of folks jumping for joy over the news that President Bush has an approval rating of only 28%. Reality is that this poll came from CBS News, who as we all recall did a wonderful job of reporting false news during the 2004 election and that led the the downfall of Dan Rather.

In addition to this, sometimes it is a wise idea to see if anyone else agrees with that particular number. So, what I did was look at a number of polls and here is what we got:

CBS News: 28% Approve 64% Disapprove
ABC News: 33% Approve 65% Disapprove
NBC News: 35% Approve 60% Disapprove
Fox News: 35% Approve 58% Disapprove
Gallup: 36% Approve 61% Disapprove
Rasmussen: 39% Approve 60% Disapprove
AP: 36% Approve 61% Disapprove
CNN: 34% Approve 64% Disapprove
Newsweek: 31% Approve 62% Disapprove
Average: 34% Approve 62% Disapprove

So what does this prove? Well, for starters, the President's numbers aren't the greatest in the world. Anyone could easily tell you that. What this does show is that basing your information off of one source is never a good diea. Yes, poll data does change from week to week, but these numbers are all the most recent polling numbers that have come out.

In addition to this, the Average number I came up with off of those nine polls are identical to Real Clear Politics and their poll average. So my advice for everyone is that before you start saying whatever poll number you find is the greatest thing since sliced bread, be sure to double check on the numbers and make sure it isn't a fluke.

He's Baaaaaaack.....

So it looks like Zeus is back, or at least that is what some folks are trying to do as reported from CNN. By my calculations, the last time Zeus was ever really seen as big news was about 1614 years ago. After all pagan religions were banned in Greece and replaced by Christianity, what few "pagans" that were left tried to keep their old ways alive, but could only make it to the ninth century.

I can't help but think we could be looking at the dawn of a "new" or return of an old, religion here. Now, before everyone thinks I am offmy rocker, lets be honest here for a second. Most religions, in fact all, have been seen as strange and hokie in their own rights. In addition to that, once the message was spread, there were some folks who found that it wasn't as bad as others made it out to be.

How long ago was it that people thought Wicca was just a fad. From what I know, a lot of folks consider themselves in it through one way or another. How about Scientology? Everyone likes to poke fun at Tom Cruise, but even that has a pretty big following.

I suppose the point here is that sometimes folks look for some kind of stability in the crazy world we have now found ourselves in. Religion has always been a very stable place to be. What kind of religion we follow is up to the individual and is one that each of us need to consider carefully. Does this mean Zeus and the other Olympian gods will return? I don't know, but I bet there might be a small following in Greece before we know it.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Learn it...
Know it...
Live it!

I found an AWESOME blog.

Chuck Norris is a Republican! Now, we all know how awesome he is. I am sure a lot of us have heard facts about him, but now we can all learn what he thinkg about the world. WorldNetDaily has a link where he will write columns for the website. Truth be told, I think this is rather interesting as he applies a great deal of Eastern philosophy into everyday situations.

In addition to that, lets be honest: there is something to admire about a guy who knows how to be a gentleman and walk away from a possible bad situation than just go in and roundhouse kick everyone in sight. On a personal note though, I don't think I would want to disagree with Chuck Norris. I mean, the man's chief export is pain!

New Jersey to Stop Requirement for Schools to Teach About Veteran's Day and Memorial Day

From CNN: For World War II veteran Sam Stia, a legislative proposal that would cease requiring New Jersey schools to teach about Veterans Day and Memorial Day can be summed up in two words.

"That's wrong," Stia, 83, said Thursday from his Hamilton home, where he flies an American flag at half-staff to honor fallen soldiers. "We're just giving our flag away and our patriotism away."

Stia and other veterans are steamed about the proposal, which the state lawmakers unanimously passed last month and now awaits action by the governor. It was included as part of a larger measure designed to help control property taxes, mostly by abolishing some laws on school purchasing and public hearings.

Other holidays about which schools no longer would be required to teach include Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Arbor Day and Commodore Barry Day, which commemorates Revolutionary War hero John Barry.

New Jersey schools must observe the holidays under a 1967 law designed to promote "the development of a higher spirit of patriotism." Florida, Nebraska and Washington are among states with similar laws.

New Jersey American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars groups have asked Governor Jon S. Corzine to veto the bill so schools still have to teach about Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

"It's not right. They're not going to know the sacrifices that were made so they can enjoy the protections that they have," said Hank Adams, New Jersey VFW adjutant and an Army and Coast Guard veteran.

The governor hasn't decided how to proceed. "We're reviewing that bill," Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley said.

The law wouldn't ban schools from holding holiday commemorations. But requiring schools to honor the days guarantees children would learn about veterans, said Ray Zawacki, department adjutant for the American Legion of New Jersey.

"If it wasn't for veterans, we wouldn't have been able to maintain the freedoms the Constitution provided to us," said Zawacki, a Vietnam War Navy veteran.

Zawacki said schools frequently ask his and other veterans groups to send speakers into schools before the holidays.

But state Senator John Adler, a sponsor of the bill, cited a 2004 report by a state commission that recommended giving schools more flexibility to decide holiday observations. He questioned whether schools even bother to recognize the holidays.

"I don't believe that most schools fulfill the spirit of the law and the mandate," he said.

Adler said he understood and respected the veterans' concerns, but argued curriculum, not state mandates, should drive instruction.

"I don't think the state should be in the business of telling districts to do every single thing," he said.

New Jersey school officials support the bill.

"It's simply time and flexibility," said Mike Yaple, spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. "There's nothing in the legislation that can undermine the amount of pride and honor a community feels toward their veterans."

While I agree with Mr. Yaple that the amount of pride and honor a community gives towards their veterans will not be threatened, the knowledge of what these veterans have done for the country DOES seem to be at stake here.

As a history teacher, there does seem to be a notable concern here. More often than not, I will ask my students a rather basic question regarding US History. The blank stare that I get back is frightening. Imagine students who don't know who Christopher Columbus is. Imagine the shock I get when students tell me the Civil War was in 1923 or that the Battle of Manassas was fought in Vermont and started when the Monitor was fired on by the Merrimac. How about when a student asks whether or not Stonewall Jackson was actually Andrew Jackson.

As a teacher, there is an obligation to give all students a strong knowledge of United States history. The fear veterans groups have when it comes to not having these days taught about or observed is well founded. The students may forget about what those who came before them died for. Even worse, if a teacher is not going to teach what happened on these days or who these people were, it is possible that the teacher could use their own classroom as a bully pulpit to tell children whatever they want.

Is this right? Must we sacrifice our history for the sake of political correctness? Am I just so old fashioned that teaching history should in the end give kids a sense of pride in who they are as Americans?

Rosie vs. The Donald.....I wish it wasn't true.

The First Wrestling War ended in 2001 right before Wrestlemania X7. It was certainly a momentous moment because the WWF finally defeated WCW and drove them out of business.

Truth be told, Time Warner put the death knoll on WCW, but Vince McMahon likes to take credit for it.

On September 24, 2006, the Second Wrestling War began. It was on this date that the announcement was made which showed Kurt Angle jumped to TNA.

Now, we mark a new date for the Second Wrestling War: January 8, 2007. If you watch this clip closely, you will see the awful match of two impersonators trying to be Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump.

Listen to the crowd chants. After a long run of boring chants, at the 7:45 minute marker, there is a VERY clear and audible chant of T-N-A being made by the crowd. There is even a shot of Vince McMahon and the look on his face from hearing the chant.

Even in the worst days of the original Wrestling War, there were never chants for the opposition done on WWF television.

This is a VERY notable moment for Vince McMahon as it shows his company is in danger of some hard competition. If he doesn't wake up, smell the roses, and realize the fans want more than this, He may have to be ready to find out that the markets which he once controlled will fall out of his grasp and he could once again be the Number 2 company.

Lee Jackson Day

Today is Lee Jackson Day. While some folks might have a problem with Virginia having a state holiday remembering two of Virginia’s most famous sons who fought for the Confederacy, the legacy of this date has been around for well over a hundred years.

The story of the day began in 1889 when Virginia decided to commemorate Robert E. Lee’s birthday, January 19. The person who passed this date into law was Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Robert E. Lee and also governor of Virginia at the time. Like his uncle, Lee had served in the Confederate army as a general in the Army of Northern Virginia. Fitzhugh Lee would become one of many a string of Democrat governors in Virginia after Reconstruction.

In 1904, the decision was made to add Thomas Jonathon “Stonewall” Jackson to the day since his birthday was on January 21. This addition occurred under the watch of Andrew Jackson Montague.

In 1978, Virginia began to celebrate and remember Martin Luther King Jr. for his work in the Civil Rights movement. The problem that had occurred for Virginia, though, was when should the state remember the man. The decision was made to celebrate and remember Martin Luther King Jr. on New Year’s Day. The governor at the time was John Nichols Dalton.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan approved an act by Congress which set January 15 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For Virginia, this date fell very close to Lee Jackson Day. As a result, it was decided to combine the two days together. This would occur during Chuck Robb’s tenure as governor. Needless to say, a number of lawmakers could not help but notice the contrast of having a single day celebrating both extremes of the spectrum when it came to southern history.

In 2000, Jim Gilmore separated the two holidays by moving Lee Jackson Day to the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

What is really interesting to note is that this is the first time in recent memory that I can think of that MLK Day actually falls on the date Congress said it was to fall on. As far back as I can remember, MLK Day was always on the third Monday of January. In looking up the history behind the day, MLK Day certainly was met with a great deal of opposition. Jesse Helms had argued that King was not worthy of having a national holiday named after him citing King’s opposition to the Vietnam War and possible Communist leanings. After Congress showed an overwhelming support for a national holiday for King, President Reagan signed it into law. It wouldn’t be until 1986 for the nation to take hold of it, but Virginia still was able to lead the nation by having the holiday on the books first.

As for Lee Jackson Day, this seems to be a day which has pretty much fallen into obscurity for the people of Virginia. Interestingly enough though, not everyone seems to have forgotten it. The DMV hasn’t as its offices are closed in observance of the day. In addition to this, I know for a fact that it is impossible for a person to get a parking ticket on Lee Jackson Day in Alexandria. It is actually a law on the city books. While I am sure there are a few other laws pertaining to Lee Jackson Day throughout the state, we should use this date as a way to remember all of Virginia’s sons and daughters who have made an impact on our state’s history.

For better of for worse, the legacy of the Civil War in Virginia can be seen throughout the majority of the state. However a person may view the South and the Confederacy, it is still impossible for anyone to deny the valor of those who stepped onto the battlefield and were willing to stare into the face of death and refuse to blink.

Ensuring that we remember this date is something that is important to Virginia. By acknowledging this aspect of American and Southern history, we as a people will never forget the lessons of the past when it comes to government, equality, courage, valor, honor, dignity, and respect. So on this day, let us remember these words:

“In spite of failures which I lament, of errors which I now see and acknowledge, or of the present aspect of affairs, do I despair the future? The truth is this: the march of Providence is so slow, our desires so impatient, the work of progress is so immense, and our means of aiding it so feeble, the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope.”-Robert E. Lee

The Cover Has Been Released

I decided to reread the entire alternate history timeline written by Harry Turtledove where the Confederate States of America were successful in defeating the United States of America in the Civil War.

The major change in history is when Special Orders 191 is not lost by a Confederate courier and discovered by the Army of the Potomac. Instead, Robert E. Lee leads the Army of Northern Virgnia into Pennsylvania and defeats the Union at Camp Hill, captures Philadelphia, and threatens to take Washington DC. The end result is the victory and independence of the South.

In How Few Remain, the CSA buys the Mexican provinces of Sonora and Chihuahua in order to expand to the Pacific. The United States is not thrilled by the plan and President James G. Blaine decides war is the only option. The end result of the Second Mexican War is another defeat for the United States and the loss of half of the state of Maine.

Turtledove then moves on the series. In the Great War Series, the books The American Front, A Walk In Hell, and Breakthroughs look at the American continent in relation to how the USA and CSA fight Word War I. In the end, the United States and Germany find themselves victorious over the Entente (UK, France, Russia, CSA) and decide to impose harsh terms on their defeated foes. This will lead to the next series...

American Empire, which also has three books: Blood and Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and The Victorious Opposition. This series looks at the time after WWI and the Depression. We see the USA in a state of jubilation as they are winners, but the CSA goes through hyper inflation and the rise of radical political parties. The party focused heavily on is the Freedom Party. This party will rise up like the Nazis and will take over the Confederate government. The series will end on June 22, 1941. If you know your history, you might be able to figure out what is rather unique about this date.

And now we enter into the final series: Settling Accounts. Return Engagement, Drive to the East, and The Grapple show how World War II is waged between the USA and CSA. Early in the war, the CSA is doing a surprisingly good job at beating the USA, but as time goes on, the CSA find itself on the losing end of the stick and are being pushed back faster than they realize.

Now we enter the last chapter of the saga. The book is entitled In At The Death. It is clear to me that the Confederacy is going to be annexed back into the United States of America. The real question is how everything will look in the end. While I have to wait a few more months to find out the answers to my questions, I at least now know the cover of the book. Here it is. Any thoughts on the series. I think people might find it interesting. Enjoy!

The 2006 Word of the Year

"Plutoed" was chosen 2006's Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society at its annual meeting Friday.

To "pluto" is "to demote or devalue someone or something," much like what happened to the former planet last year when the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided Pluto didn't meet its definition of a planet.

"Our members believe the great emotional reaction of the public to the demotion of Pluto shows the importance of Pluto as a name," said society president Cleveland Evans. "We may no longer believe in the Roman god Pluto, but we still have a sense of personal connection with the former planet."

This comes from Yahoo News. I got to admit, the planet didn't get any respect, but now it will be remembered. I can't help but wonder if it would be a bit of an irony if someone were to pluto the International Astronomical Union one day by showing Pluto really IS a planet. Only time will tell.

Did Tigger Really Punch A Kid Out?

I've watched the video and listened to a couple of stories on this. I'm not too sure if the kid is totally innocent in all of this. His arm I think is far enough to grab the tail or maybe a zipper. The problem is that there is no real way to tell exactly. As for Tigger's reaction, I am not too certain if he did or didn't do the right thing. So I pose these questions: Is Tigger at fault? Did he do the right thing? Was the kid really at fault? Do you think the dad might be seeing dollar signs in all of this?

Cutting Through the Spin on Cloning

As I mentioned yesterday, Father Tad presented our school with why cloning is not something Catholics should be in favor of. In reality, this whole presentation seemed to be to me a rehashing of his presentation stem cell research, but with a new angle that involved cloning. In addition to that, his audience of about 1500+ only had maybe 200-300 awake the entire time. Everyone else was out like a light, including a number of faculty.

So here is what we got when it came to the presentation:

-We start with Embryonic Stem Cell research by showing that the stem cells are retrieved from a five day old embryo. This is a background piece for those who might not remember or never knew that to begin with.
-We move on to cloning and his different myths. Before going into this, we need to know what cloning is. Imagine plucking a hair from your head and at the tip is where the DNA is. One takes the DNA cells and places it into an empty egg cell. After some stimulation to the fertilized egg, a human being is created. This human happens to be you. This is what is known as Reproductive Cloning. The problem with this is that there are inherent risks to cloning a straight human being. As Father Tad put it, it is like trying to flip thousands of genetic switches at once. The other type of cloning which is out there is Therapeutic Cloning. In this particular aspect, we would clone organs and tissue to help people. Problem, as Father Tad shows, is that you till create a life with the embryo and are killing it in order to harvest the human being.
-The other myth he discussed was Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, which is just another name for cloning but sounds different so as not to freak out voters. The key element to all of this is that it does involved a lot of egg harvesting, which can negatively affect 35% of women who do it with pelvis pain, infertility, stroke, and death.
-Father Tad also discussed fetal farming, and how this could be done with cloning so that people would have extra organs. The plan to get these organs would be to have the baby go to 9 months and then abort it before birth, thus getting the organs.

After listening for an hour to his speech, I got to admit I was getting sleepy. Even typing this out is getting me sleepy again. However, for me, my concerns to embryonic stem cell research and cloning comes from a different angle. I will be the first to admit that stem cell research can have a lot of good for people. It can most likely help cure people of diseases. The problem is a scientist WILL eventually come along and decide to go one or two steps further in the name of science.

The doctor might say, "Why don't we offer parents the ability to create the perfect child." See the movie Gattaca for that scenario. Or, what if Kim Jong Il or Al queda, or someone even worse decides to go with cloning and clones their leader? See The Boys from Brazil on that one. The biggest concern though is what happens if we combine both of these where doctors create the perfect people and one of them develops the cognitive reasoning that says, "Wait a minute! We are better than flawed humans. Our strength, our intelligence, everything which makes us unique makes us the master race." Sound familiar? If so, then it would seem science would let Hitler's dream of the Aryan race come to life.

I know alot of what I am saying sounds like science fiction, but what other crazy notions have sounded like science fiction? Flight, airplanes, going to the moon, computer that fit on a desk, small hand held communication devices, organ transplants.

My point here is that while there are new medical fields being opened to us to help cure diseases, perhaps we should spend more time and resources isolating the EXACT causes of the diseases we are battling and then work on neutralizing it. It sounds pretty simple to me.

Father Tad Pacholczyk and Cloning

Tomorrow will be a pro life assembly at the school I teach at. For those wondering, it is a private Catholic school, thus explaining why we are having this assembly. Last year, Father Tad showed up to talk about stem cell research and why embryonic stem cell research is a bad idea. The general review by the students was simply the following: ZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZ. I wish I was kidding on this, but if you need confirmation, ask James Martin at Virginia Progressive on this one and he will confirm it.

I will talk about what he has to say on cloning tomorrow. Personally, I am interested in what he has to say namely because cloning is something (being the sci fi junkie that I am) that interests me. There are a number of practical applications and concerns that need to be addressed on this issue. So stay tuned tomorrow for my report on this assembly.

What I got for Christmas

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Everyone is probably enjoying their presents right now, but I got to admit I got an awesome on this year. I show you my vending machine.

That's right folks, a vending machine. It comes with 12 tokens and can hold ten cans of soda in it. In the event you run out of tokens, quarters work just fine. Yes, you can retrieve the coins from the inside of the machine and it is both easy to set up and operate. I got to admit, it is awesome to use! In the event anyone is interested in ordering one for themselves, you can get the awesome gift here. I think it would be awesome for the child who is about to hit the double digit age not to mention the college dorm kid.

How often can you say your roommate has a vending machine in their room? Or you own a vending machine? In a word, this gift is AWESOME!

Virginia Time Travel

After a month of hard waiting, Virginia Time Travel is officially on the air. The first episode just finished and I am pleased to say it went over very well. There are a few little spots to be fixed here and there for future show ideas, but that is what happens when you have a first show. Also, I am accepting any show ideas so as to come up with upcoming episodes for possibly Season 2 or Season 3.

While we have the Fairfax County Public Access scene all taken care of, we hope to expand by getting the show out to the rest of the state. So for all of you who are in the rest of the state and like reading my blog, please visit the Time Travel 21 website and check out some of the things there and email us the contact info for any and all public access stations you may have. Include universities in your area which might have an channel on television in your area.

Let's see that VA grassroots movement at work again with this show. Call the stations, get them to call for the show to be aired in your area. It's Viginia History!

Robots will have rights!

That’s right folks: robots will have the same rights as humans. According to an article written by the Financial Times, by the year 2056 the world will be having a new group of citizens brought into the fold. Robots are currently seen as inanimate objects; however, computers are currently being given artificial intelligence systems and becoming more powerful by the day.

Think back to the old days of the computer. Back in 1966, the idea that we would have a computer that would fit on a desk and could be carried around with you everyday was something that could only be seen on Star Trek. Today, we have everything Star Trek came up with. Interestingly enough, Star Trek even asked the question as to whether or not a robot should have rights.

In a previous post I did called “The Measure of a Man,” I stated in regards to an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation the following on Lt. Commander Data:

“The key element to the hearing is whether or not Data is a sentient being. Maddox contends there are three criteria in order to be declared sentient: intelligence, self awareness, and consciousness. So let us examine the three elements of sentient beings.

Intelligence-the ability to learn, cope, and deal with new situations.
Self awareness-conscious of your existence and actions, aware of one’s self and ego
Consciousness-as Webster’s Dictionary defines it as the state of being aware especially of
something within oneself.

The whole array of the argument is something which is very unique. Can a machine be sentient? The argument Captain Picard used when dealing with the idea of a race of Data’s was that these androids would become a race and possibly achieve sentient status. If that were to happen, then these new people would be effectively slaves, all in the name of the betterment of humanity. In the end, the judge in the hearing rules that Data has the right to choose and is, in effect, sentient.”

Where we decide to draw the final line on where robots receive rights still has yet to be determined, especially since this moment has yet to occur. The most important element to remember is that if we do not acknowledge the fact that we are building a workforce to do everything for us, NOT to give them some kind of protection under the law means we are purposely creating a slave race. In addition to this, saying what can and cannot be considered intelligent or have the ability to learn would liken us to the days of slavery.

Now as for robots themselves, I for one hope the first one built is named Bender. How is he powered up? Beer. In the event you want to see how entertaining he is, check him out on Futurama. He is awesome!

There is a man....

and his name is Charles Foster Kane.

And the Man of the Year is........

Since 1927, Time Magazine has chosen one person to be their Man of the Year. For better or worse, some of have been great individuals while others were, to be honest, Satan's cabana boys. So here is the list. I like the 2006 winner the most.

1927 Charles Augustus Lindbergh
1928 Walter P. Chrysler
1929 Owen D. Young
1930 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
1931 Pierre Laval
1932 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1933 Hugh Samuel Johnson
1934 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1935 Haile Selassie
1936 Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson
1937 Generalissimo & Mme Chiang Kai-Shek
1938 Adolf Hitler
1939 Joseph Stalin
1940 Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
1941 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1942 Joseph Stalin
1943 George Catlett Marshall
1944 Dwight David Eisenhower
1945 Harry Truman
1946 James F. Byrnes
1947 George Catlett Marshall
1948 Harry Truman
1949 Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill
1950 American Fighting-Man
1951 Mohammed Mossadegh
1952 Elizabeth II
1953 Konrad Adenauer
1954 John Foster Dulles
1955 Harlow Herbert Curtice
1956 Hungarian Freedom Fighter
1957 Nikita Krushchev
1958 Charles De Gaulle
1959 Dwight David Eisenhower
1960 U.S. Scientists
1961 John Fitzgerald Kennedy
1962 Pope John XXIII
1963 Martin Luther King Jr.
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson
1965 General William Childs Westmoreland
1966 Twenty-Five and Under
1967 Lyndon B. Johnson
1968 Astronauts Anders, Borman and Lovell
1969 The Middle Americans
1970 Willy Brandt
1971 Richard Milhous Nixon
1972 Nixon and Kissinger
1973 John J. Sirica
1974 King Faisal
1975 American Women
1976 Jimmy Carter
1977 Anwar Sadat
1978 Teng Hsiao-P'ing
1979 Ayatullah Khomeini
1980 Ronald Reagan
1981 Lech Walesa
1982 The Computer
1983 Ronald Regan & Yuri Andropov
1984 Peter Ueberroth
1985 Deng Xiaoping
1986 Corazon Aquino
1987 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
1988 Endangered Earth
1989 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev
1990 The Two George Bushes
1991 Ted Turner
1992 Bill Clinton
1993 The Peacemakers
1994 Pope John Paul II
1995 Newt Gingrich
1996 Dr. David Ho
1997 Andy Grove
1998 Bill Clinton and Kenneth Starr
1999 Jeff Bezos
2000 George W. Bush
2001 Rudolph Giuliani
2002 The Whistleblowers
2003 The American Soldier
2004 George W. Bush
2005 Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, & Bono
2006 ME!

A Dinner to Remember...

I was talking with Mason Conservative about what if you could meet one figure in history and get to talk with them. The problem with a scenario like that is there are SO many people to choose from in history that you almost have to pick more than one person to meet.

So I am going to propose this scenario: you are sitting at a table. There is a chair to your left, right, and in front of you. You are going to have dinner with three historical figures you would love to meet. The only condition to this particular dinner is that the three other people you are going to be meeting could not have met with the others in question. By doing this, you are guaranteed a great discussion throughout the entire evening.

Errol Flynn (Across)
George Washington (Left Seat)
Robert E. Lee (Right Seat)

There are my choices and where I would sit them. As many know, I am a great admirer of Washington and would love to meet him. I am also a great admirer of Lee, and would be curious to see how the two men would see each others causes and what they may think of their respective scenarios. As for Flynn, he was one of the most charasmatic individuals around in Hollywood and would provide for a degree of bravado that would makethe evening complete.

So who would you want to have dinner with?

Get a Trunk Monkey

Trunk Monkey, the most advanced anti-theft system available.

Who would have thought....

From The Independent:

"Meet the world's top destroyer of the environment. It is not the car, or the plane,or even George Bush: it is the cow.

A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.

The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together.

Burning fuel to produce fertiliser to grow feed, to produce meat and to transport it - and clearing vegetation for grazing - produces 9 per cent of all emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas. And their wind and manure emit more than one third of emissions of another, methane, which warms the world 20 times faster than carbon dioxide.
Livestock also produces more than 100 other polluting gases, including more than two-thirds of the world's emissions of ammonia, one of the main causes of acid rain.

Ranching, the report adds, is "the major driver of deforestation" worldwide, and overgrazing is turning a fifth of all pastures and ranges into desert.Cows also soak up vast amounts of water: it takes a staggering 990 litres of water to produce one litre of milk.

Wastes from feedlots and fertilisers used to grow their feed overnourish water, causing weeds to choke all other life. And the pesticides, antibiotics and hormones used to treat them get into drinking water and endanger human health.

The pollution washes down to the sea, killing coral reefs and creating "dead zones" devoid of life. One is up to 21,000sqkm, in the Gulf of Mexico, where much of the waste from US beef production is carried down the Mississippi.

The report concludes that, unless drastic changes are made, the massive damage done by livestock will more than double by 2050, as demand for meat increases."

What Reindeer am I?

You Are Rudolph

Sweet and shy, you tend to be happiest when you're making someone else happy. Why You're Naughty: You sometimes stick that nose where it doesn't belong Why You're Nice: Christmas would be a sad affair without you!

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Wednesday Main Event

This week, we bring to you a match from the WCW Monday Night Nitro.

Outsiders vs. Ric Flair and Chris Benoit for the WCW Tag Team Titles. One thing to note in the match is that Chris Benoit is sporting a pretty mean looking mullet. It is a good match overall and the crowd is pretty into it. Enjoy!

Strange but True

It must have been a pretty big fart...

What does history teach us?

ASG poses an interesting question through his blog Time Machine.

He asks "Does a knowledge of history help us make better decisions? And if so...why?"

Click here to leave your views on the subject

Are You Sick Of Those High Paid Teachers?

I, for one, am sick and tired of those high paid teachers. Their hefty salaries are driving up taxes and they only work nine or ten months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do... baby-sit! We can get babysitters for less than minimum wage.

That's right...

I would give them $3.00 dollars an hour and only for the hours they worked, not any of that silly planning time. That would be 15 dollars a day. Each parent should pay 15 dollars a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now, how many do they teach in a day......maybe 25.

Then that's 15 x 25= $375 a day. But remember they only work 180 days a year! I'm not going to pay them for any vacations.

Let's see...that's 375 x 180 = $67,500.00 (Hold on, my calculator must need batteries!)

What about those special teachers or those with master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage just to be fair. Let's round it off to $6.00 an hour. That would be.......$6 times 5 hours times 25 children times 180 days = $135,000.00 per year.
Wait a minute, there is something wrong here!!!

Make a teacher smile; :-) send this to him or her.
-------------------------------------------------
I wish this were true. If that were the case, then I will do some stats of my own. I have 112 students and a real teacher work day is 8 hours, not the five as posted in the email I placed here. So...here is what we go:

6 x 8 = 48
48 x 112 = 5376
5376 x 180 = 967,680

So my yearly salary should be almost 1 million dollars!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sadly, I don't think a lot of people would be willing to pay a teacher that much money. Does anyone have a reason? The obvious is that this is a lot of money, but I am flexible. I am willing to take only a tenth of that per year as a salary. Sound like a deal?

From the Desk of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Today, the President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad released a letter to the American people, where he outlines his own ideas as to how the United States can better its image with the world and do things better within our own borders.

Read the letter here

It is very clear Ahmadinelad is an intelligent man and has a very good writing prose about him. That is a simple fact that cannot be denied. From my own interpretation, I would argue that he is calling for the United States to abandon its support of Israel and side with the Palestinians. if we were to do this, the Middle East might turn its views around on us.

Anyone else have an interpretation on the letter?

Virginia Time Travel

A while back I mentioned I was working on a television show entitled Virginia Time Travel. After doing all our filming, I am happy to announce that the premiere of the show will be occurring on Thursday at 530 pm!

Season One of the show has the following episodes:

George Washington (Premiere)
Pirates
Alexandria Archeology
The Economy of the South
Carlyle House Movies
John Carlyle
War of 1812
The Legend of Braddock's Gold
Patrick Henry (Season Finale)

The show will air new episodes every month on the fourth week of the month: Tuesday 600 am, Thursday 530 pm, and Friday 930 pm.

In addition to the show, we have a website up: Time Travel 21 and it is here you can get a lot of news and information pertaining to Virginia history and historical events. If you have any show ideas, let me know or email us and we can try to develop the idea.

Sage Father Advice From Bill Cosby

Is there ever any doubt as to why Bill Cosby is so great? This clip could be called Child Raising 101. Just classic.

Wednesday Main Event

"The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels vs. "The Original Playa From the Himalaya" Sonjay Dutt.

Primetime Impact

It looks like TNA is going to make a quick shot on WWE. Not really a big one, but it is still something WWE might want to be careful about. TNA could overtake them soon enough if they don't get their act together.

Wednesday Night Main Event

This week we have a match from Japan. It is Chris Jericho vs. Ultimo Dragon. Jericho is the blonde, while Dragon is the guy who looks like a dragon. The one thing you learn about Japan and their wrestling is that they really appreciate the technical aspects of it all. Enjoy!

Election Fallout

I have to dust off my old mantle today simply for the reason that watching the results come in have drained me and I need to say my own little piece on all of this. Aside from Allen losing, I called the election right down the line on the Virginia ballot I was given. Interestingly enough though, I DID call the recount.

Perhaps my power of pronostication aren't so bad after all.

With control of Congress now in the hands of the Democrats, some might say that we are going to enter into two years of gridlock when it comes to the government of this country. In some ways, it might be a good thing. It will certainly get a lot of people to ease up and relax more. In addition to this, President Bush is a lam duck president. By all rights, Congress can sit on their hands and do nothing for the next two years except keep the government running and there really isn't much Bush can do about it.

I don't think the Democrats are going to do that. I think they will do everything they can to try and show that their message of taking the country into a new direction is an accurate message. 1994's Contract for America worked pretty well for Republicans for a while, so maybe this will work for Democrats too. Only time will tell on that one.

Fact of the Matter

The fact of the matter is that now it is time for the Democrats to step up to the plate and show the nation what they can do. It will be an interesting two years, no doubt about that. Jeannemarie (sp) Davis had said that perhaps losing Congress might be the best thing for the party. A lot of other folks have said the same thing and in retrospect I am having to agree and feeling better about the election loss thinking of it in terms like that.

Republicans can look into their playbook and figure out what they need to do next. Perhaps this is something telling about a political party. A good decade run is good, but after that it can be overkill. Who knows, after two years, maybe the Republicans can storm back, but then again maybe they won't. It all depends on how the next two years work out.

I got to admit, there were a couple of great zingers for this election. One is from a man named John, a Webb supporter, who asked in referrring to voter turnout, "Who said that man in the White House wasn't a uniter?"

But now that the mideterms are over, it is time to go for primary season. So lets get some odds going. Top five picks for Democrat and Republican nominees for the presidency:

Democrats
1. Hillary Clinton
2. Al Gore
3. Barak Obama
4. Joseph Lieberman
5. Bill Richardson

Republicans
1. John McCain
2. Rudy Guiliani
3. JEB Bush
4. Newt Gingrich
5. Michael Steele

Classroom Election Results

Since today is Election Day and a number of my students were unable to vote in the general election due to their age, I decided to do a mock election and see who they would vote on a Virginia ballot. So here are the result:

Virginia Senate
George F. Allen (R)- 46
James H. Webb, Jr. (D)- 17

Virginia House (Chose this one because this is the district the school was in)
James Moran (D)- 31
Thomas O'Donaghue (R)- 32

Ballot Issue 1
Yes- 39
No- 24

Ballot Issue 2
Yes- 37
No- 26

Ballot Issue 3
Yes- 41
No- 22

If you pay attention to the numbers, this shows that only 63 students voted. I have 69 government students, so the six who did not vote certainly could have made a difference in the Moran race. I am willing to bet they might have tipped the scales in his favor. However, it is interesting to see what a group of high school students think. Comments?

Dee Dee Dee Song by Carlos Mencia

Wednesday Main Event

Sorry to everyone who missed the Main Event last week. I was busy working on grades for the my students, who had their first quarter come to an end. However, this week's main event is a good one.

Low Ki vs. Nova vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels vs. Shark Boy vs. Tony Mamaluke. I probably just spelled the last one wrong, but the match will speak for itself on how good it is.

Pay attention to Low Ki, who is really hitting the opponents and hurting them. The match is a little over 20 minutes, but is very enjoyable.

Halloween 2006

Halloween is almost upon us. It is during this time we have goblins and ghouls running around asking for candy. However, at the same time, we hav all the different horror movies coming out on television and giving us all good chills and thrills. Since I have a night free, what horror films will I watch this year you might ask? Well, here is what we have. Thanks to the Sci Fi Channel, I was able to get two films in.

Mortuary: This film was on at 3pm. The film deals with a family who moves into a a small town in California where the mother acts as the town mortician. There seems to be a family curse on the house where she lives and a great deal of chasing occurs for the movie's teens. Starring Denise Crosby, this film proves to be a good scare if you allow yourself to get caught up in it.

Village of the Damned: Starring Christopher Reeves and Kirstie Alley, this films looks at a small town where a group of children are all born on the same day. With white blonde hair and blue eyes, the children have powers unlike any that people have seen before. Can they be stopped, or will the children come to rule the world?

House on Haunted Hill: Which version is what a movie buff would ask. The one I have on is the remake starring Geoffrey Rush. Dealing with a group of people locked in an asylum for one night, the name of the game is money. If you can survive the night, you get one million dollars. A pretty sweet deal at the face of it, but what happens when the house is alive and trying to kill you? This is a film where if your house creeks alot, you might need all the lights on.

Snow White: What happens when you take the classic Disney cartoon, turn it into a live action film, and decide to really make it scary? Answer: this film. Sigourney Weaver as the wicked witch is a perfect casting. The way in which the film is remade is spectacular and makes you happy the kids version is the first one you see. As an adult, you can appreciate it more for the fact that it answers some questions of like: why doesn't the witch try to kill off the dwarves?

The Shining: The be all, end all of any horror film marathon. Any person with common sense knows this film starring Jack Nicholson is just AWESOME. A Stanley Kubrick classic, this film looks at a caretaker who loses his mind at a hotel out in the middle of the Rocky Mountains and tries to kill his wife and son. A guarantee classic if ever there was one.

After being scared half to death or at least having enough pent up emotion to create some scary as anything dreams, how do you break the tension of it? Well, a good comedy will more than take care of that problem. But which comedy is recommended before bed? Answer: any. I haven't decided which one I will go with as the movie to end the night and go to bed on, but I am sure I will be able to think of something. Just a few movie ideas for everyone this Halloween. Below are other movie suggestions for Halloween viewing. Anyone else have ideas I might have missed?

The Halloween Series
Friday the 13th Series
Nightmare on Elm Street Series
Vincent Price movies
Child's Play Series
Classic Horror Films: Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon

Musical Monday

Last night was TNA's Bound for Glory Pay Per View. This event was held in Detroit, Michigan and went up against the World Series. The arena they were at held about three thousand people and was an aswesome show from start to finish.

This week's song is the themes song for the ppv, sung by the band Fozzy. The lead singer is former wrestler Chris Jericho, who was the first Undisputed Heavyweight wrestling champion after the wrestling wars ended officially.

Enjoy the vidoe. This is an awesome song!

Wednesday Main Event

King of the Mountain

This is the first ever King of the Mountain match TNA ever put on. While this is not necessarily an older match, this one is still a classic as it is a first match. The rules are explained by the first minute of the video.

Now this one is twenty minutes long, but WELL worth the watch. A high spot to note is AJ Styles, who will do a running start and then leap over the penalty box. Trust me on this one, it is a good spot.

What is truly noteworthy about this match is that shortly after this match, TNA will move to cable television on FSN and have their first major pay per view: Victory Road.

Messin with Sasquatch - Shaving Cream

This is too funny.

Friday Night Movie Review

School for Scoundrels

I just got back from the Ballston Regal Theaters where I saw tonight's feature review. To begin with, my suspicion about possibly running into a student from the school where I work at came true as literally three seconds after I got my ticket ripped in half the person behind the concession stand called out my name. *SIGH* Oh well, at least they were nice enough not to bug me about what movie I was going to see.

Anyway, the movie star Billy Bob Thornton as Dr. P and Jon Heder as Roger. Roger is a regular guy who tends to get walked all over by society. One day he is given Dr. P's number and enrolls in a class designed to teach him how to stand up to the world and stop being treated like a sucker. Roger excels in the class and discovers that his mentor plans to make an example out of his star pupil. Hilarity ensues as the two men battle each other over the affection of Amanda, played by Jacinda Barrett. I won't spoil the ending, but I will point out a few funny moments:

1. Pretty funny when Heder gets shot in the groin by a paint ball gun from only a foot away.

2. Damn funny when Dr. P takes shock paddles to his own groin.

3. Any reference students make about Lecher (Michael Clarke Duncan) will make you laugh. Trust me on this one.

As for previews, Will Ferrel has a new film coming out, but I don't know how successful it will be. But two films I want to see are:

1. National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj

2. Mr. Woodcock

Both films are comedies and should be well worth the price of admission. As for School of Scoundrels, it is a lot like Old School in its humor, but I do think the film is geared for an audience who enjoys seeing some physical humor. I must admit, this is a film I will be interested in getting on DVD when it comes out.

Wednesday Main Event

"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers vs. Johnny Valentine

For this week, we have a classic black and white match from the olden days. In this case, the match is shown via clips on a news reel. In addition to this, the match is fast forwarded a little in order to move things along just like it is slowed down a little as well. The ring is technically a boxing ring, but it still got the job done when it came to wrestling. Still a classic considering most of Buddy Rogers' matches aren't seen by many people.

Caling out all ideas

On Thursday I will be taping a show called Virginia Time Travel. The show will discuss different themes pertainign to the history of Virginia itself. At the moment, we have 8 shows lines up to tape, but after that it gets a little hard to come up with ideas. The reason is because each show is centered around a theme that could be used at any time throughout a school year by schools across the country. If there is a show dealing with a specific event (like a rally), we might as well not even bother doing that show because future dvd's of the show would be worthless. So I am asking the bloggers who still check out this site to give me a few show ideas. Who knows, maybe one of you will have a really good one.

Rules: Show must be based off of a theme. Show must not have some inherent one side swing/spin to it. Show must relate to Virginia is some manner.

Tapings will begin on Thursday and I will announce when the first show will air. Hope to hear soem great ideas!

NEW WWE RAW INTRO

No Mercy Results

Match 7: Fatal Four Way World Heavyweight Title Match: King Booker vs. Batista vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Finlay-ALL HAIL KING BOOKER!!!!!!! Winner King Booker via pinfall. ALL HAIL KING BOOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Match 6: Chris Benoit vs. William Regal-Winner Chris Benoit via submission. Side Note: Great match and well worth the surprise.

HOLY SHNIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHRIS BENOIT IS BACK!!!!!

Match 5: Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero-Winner Rey Mysterio via pinfall.

Match 4: Mr. Kennedy vs. Undertaker (Non Title Match)-Winner by Disqualification Mr. Kennedy...........KENNEDY!!!!!

Match 3: MVP vs. Matt Garner-MVP wins, but I called this one: Bathroom Match.

Match 2: Tag Team Title Match-Paul London and Brian Kendrick (c) vs. KC James and Idol Stevens-Winners and STILL Tag Team Champions Paul London and Brian Kendrick via pinfall.

Match 1: Gregory Helms vs. Matt Hardy (Non Title Match)-Winner Matt Hardy via pinfall.

WWE Pay Per View No Mercy

Tonight is No Mercy, brought to you by the WWE Brand Smackdown! Overall, this show looks like it will be a good one wrestling wise. Smackdown has consistantly produced better matches than Raw, but is always classified as the B show. So here is the card:

World Heavyweight Title Match: King Booker vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Batista vs. Finlay
Tag Team Title Match: Paul London and Brian Kendrick vs. KC James and Idol Stevens
Cruiserweight Title Match: Gregory Helms vs. Matt Hardy
Falls Count Anywhere: Rey Mysterio vs. Chavo Guerrero
Mr. Kennedy vs. Undertaker
Debut of MVP

While the card is subject to change, here are my predictions:
1. MVP is your bathroom break match.
2. If Kennedy does have to defend his title, he will probably lose. But I am going to go out on a limb here and say Kennedy will win, but probably through a count out or disqualification.
3. Chavo Guerrero is going to win this one so that there will be a Wrestlemania match between the two.
4. I think Gregory Helms is going to retain the title tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if the feud between Helms and Hardy continues.
5. Considering how any new "hot" team becomes tag champs, I am betting Stevens and James will win the tag titles tonight in what could be a show stealing match.
6. ALL HAIL KING BOOKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Booker T will retain the title. Little doubt of that in my mind. He has been a good champion thus far and his fake English accent is too funny.

Papa Roach - ...To Be Loved

Monday Night Raw's new theme song. Pretty cool song.

Wednesday Main Event

“Pretty Boy” Bobby Heenan vs. Cowboy Bob Ellis

This match is certainly a classic for any wrestling fan. A young Bobby “The Brain” Heenan in the ring. While he might not have been the best wrestler out there, the man was a master of working the microphone. Note how he is able to try and make a “convincing” argument as to how he should not wrestle his opponnent for almost 6 months.

For those wondering, the two big guys with Heenan are The Blackjacks, a vicious tag team who could make many opponents wish they were anywhere but in the ring. By today’s standards, the most notable part of this team is that there is a BJ initial for Blackjacks inside a horseshoe on the back of the two men’s tights.

The bulldog headlock is now just used as a wear down move, but back at this time, the move was impressive enough to finish an opponent off. If you get anything out of this match, it is how a wrestler/manager can use his personality to get a lot of people mad at him. Truly a classic for The Brain.

New Feature

As a part of my new format, I want to begin a new line up with Wednesday Main Event. Each Wednesday I will be posting a link to YouTube with a classic wrestling match, with commentary by yours truly here on the blog. Some of the matches here are going to be classics featuring wrestlers who you would have thought would never have done some things. For more current wrestling fans, it might be a difficult thing to watch as the matches are VERY different from the ways they are now.

I will post come current match stuff up. Still toying with a few other ideas, but I am sure folks will come to like what I am doing, in one way or another.

Something is up with YouTube

I am not too sure what is going on, but I have been trying to post videos from YouTube up here on the blog. I don't know what to say about it, so I am hoping this hyperlink will work. If it does, then I can link to the video I want to show and just give my own commentary on it here. Granted its not as good as I would want it to be, but it is still better than nothing. So here is a little Lego Fun. Enjoy!

My Final Political Rant

After dealing with all that this Senate campaign race has had to offer, I have come to the conclusion that it is time for me to lower my flag over the "political fort" and move on to a new format for my own blog. Am I sorry to leave politics behind? Not for a minute. The reason is simple: what should have been an open forum for everyone to discuss things rationally and civilly has turned into a slug fest with absolutely no limits.

A question was once asked if the blogosphere could ever be taken seriously. The answer, in my view, is no. If we need examples, we only need to read the posts all of us have done for the past couple of months to see that all of us have made this forum a joke, myself included. As such, I feel I can no longer be a part of this. I enjoy blogging and will continue to do so with my own interests, which I will address in a little bit, but the time has come to move on. A lot of people are getting frustrated with what has been going on, and I don't blame them.

As you may note, the links on the side ofthis page have been changed. The only ones who were there before dealing with politics are Mason Conservative, Republitarian, Commonwealth Conservative, and Shaun Kenney. I keep these four because (1) I know MC, (2) I love the Weekend Caption Contest, (3) Republitarian has blogger theme songs and I want him to give me one :o) , (4) Shaun does deal with other issues that I like to be kept informed on.

Also, I kept Cat House Chat because while she does talk a bit about politics, she also discusses other things dealing with life. If anything, her blog might be one of the best around because I for one enjoy going over there and seeing what is going on.

As for this blog, I plan on changing formats altogether and discussing topics that interest me alone: pro wrestling, fiction and non fiction books, my show, quizzes and tests, dvds, computer games, etc. You might have noticed the changes already occurring in the blog as I have thoguht about this for a little while. And so...

The Fact of the Matter is setting sail for a new horizon.

An Omen of the Things to Come?

Monday Night Raw has started and the lights are no longer working. It would seem that the WWE blew out the circuits to the arena they are at. The night after TNA announces they are moving to prime time in November and that Kurt Angle has joined their roster, the poetic irony of the WWE being "in the dark" seems so true right now.

Aj Styles Vs Christian Cage for the NWA Title

A house show is an event where wrestlers would fight each other in order to go ahead and prepare for a bigger match on television or pay per view. In the old days of wrestling, house shows were where something big could happen. IN many cases, rare and classic matches were fought and gave fans memories of a life time. This match, while technical in many aspect, does haev some good spots in it. Do allow the video a few moments to load up. YouTube can be a little slow, but when the video is ready, it is well worth the wait.

I will say, while watching this video, I had a couple songs going. Numb by Linkin Park and Downfall by Trust Company. Good songs to go with this match.

The Second Wrestling War has begun

On November 13, 2005, Total Nonstop Action wrestling got a major acquisition with the arrival of Christian Cage. While this was big news, the first shot of the Second Wrestling War has occurred. Mark this date on your calendar: September 24, 2006. It was on this date on the No Surrender pay per view that a huge announcement was made: KURT ANGLE IS GOING TO TNA!!!!!!!!!!

For wrestling fans out there, this is huge news. Angle is an Olympic gold medalist. He is a former 6 time heavyweight champion in the WWE. Angle is hands down one of the best and legitimate tough wrestlers there is alive today. If you tick him off, he will stretch your body out in directions that would make Gumbi scream.

In addition to this, Angle coming to TNA is a huge thing for him personally. The travel schedule means he really only has to work 3 times a month. In addition to that, he has wrestlers who can put on great matches and carry themselves in the ring. Things are heating up in the wrestling world. The reason is because this will give the entire industry a much needed boost wen it comes to the product being given. Add that to the fact TNA is going to prime time television, things will really get interesting once November 16 arrives.

While it is going to be too soon for the company to go head to head with WWE on Monday nights, TNA can carve out Thursday nights as their own and begin to grow larger with their fan base. And once the house show tours begin, I will be there when they come to Virginia.

This is going to be exciting. How do you spell it?

K U R T A N G L E

Could it be true?

In a new article from CNN.com, there is a report being made that Osama bin Laden is DEAD! According to United States, France, and Saudi Arabia, they have been able thus far to confirm whether or not this is true. In an article published by L'Est Republicain, reporter Laid Sammari stated that he read a report from French intelligence saying the bin Laden died from typhoid fever on August 24 and that on September 4, Saudi secret service agents received reports indicating bin Laden was dead as well. The Saudis planned on making the official announcement about bin Laden's death as soon as they could confirm the burial location of the notorious terrorist.

Fact of the Matter

The fact of the matter is that if Osama bin Laden IS dead, al Queda is in trouble. The former area of pride for the terrorist organization was that their leader was completely hidden from the rest of the world. It was already common knowledge that bin Laden was ill and that time was against him.

In the event this information is confirmed, it will most likely signify a major blow to terrorism as a whole and bring more stability to the world. Added to the recent announcement that Palestine will acknowledge Israel's right to exist, and it would see that Middle East peace could actually occur. Time will tell if this story is true.

The $2.50 line has been broken

While a number of folks have been going nuts with new "controversies," there is a story even more important to talk about and consider. GOP Hokie talked about it where gas prices could be below two dollars before Thanksgiving.

Well, today certainly proved that as I saw a number of gas stations have gas priced from $2.47 to as low as $2.40. In Woodbridge, there is a gas station that has been reported to sell gas at $2.14 a gallon for regular unleaded.

With the prices going down because of the changes in the season and the announcement that the oil companies have reserves that are at full capacity, market influences dictate that prices are going down.

Fact of the Matter

The fact of the matter is that I am going to go on record with this one. Gas prices will be BELOW $2.00 by the first weekend in November. Now granted, not every station might be there, but we will see a number of stations being below two dollars by the end of November 5.

If I am wrong, we will cross that bridge when we get there. But I am very confident in this prediction. Considering how prices have been going down ten cents a week, it makes pretty logical sense. As for other parts of the state, I bet it will be below two dollars by the middle of October, assuming the prices are like that which GOP Hokie is describing in Blacksburg.

So here we go. The march to $2.00!

Quiz Results

Special thanks go out to all those who took part in this week's quiz. The answers are the following:

1. John Smith
2. The Glorious Revolution
3. Blackbeard
4. House of Burgesses
5. Massachussetts Bay Colony

As for the previous quiz, the answers are as follows:

1. 1492
2. Cortez
3. Roanoke
4. Spanish Armada
5. Virginia Dare

Again, thanks to everyone who took part in the quiz. You can expect another one later this week!

TNA Turning Point cage walk

Is it any wonder this got match of the year for TNA?

AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe

I totally got to watch the full match. Its Joe, AJ, and a match that has five stars written all over it. Keep in mind, Samoa Joe there is nearly three hundred pounds, but flies through the air as if he was one hundred and fifty pounds.

Quiz time

My history students are having a quiz today! Here are their questions:

1. Who said, "Those who do not work shall not eat?"
2. What was the arrival of William and Mary called in 1688?
3. What name was Edward Teach better known as?
4. What was the name of Virginia's legislature during the colonial era?
5. What colony was settled by the Puritans?

Any takers? The previous quiz was the following:

1. What year did Columbus discover the New World?
2. Who conquered the Aztecs?
3. What was the name of the colony whcih would famously become "lost"?
4. What was the name of the fleet which tried to take over England in 1588?
5. What was teh name of the first European child born in the New World?

Each question is worth two points. Once the quarter is finished, I should hope to hav enough quizzes to combine together and create a test grade. Good luck to anyone who wants to take the quiz! I'll let you know how you did after you answer the questions.

The gas prices are falling!

Credit goes to Virginia Virtucan for breaking this story on his blog and linking the articel from Seattle on this one.

As well know, gas prices have been really high for quite sometime. Many of us long for the days of when gas was only a dollar and filling up in the gas station did not mean you had to thinkin your head about how much of your budget you could spare for gas alone. A few months back I had read over at Drudge Report how oil prices were going to fall towards the end of the year and that gas prices themselves would go extremely low.

Now it appears a story I thought was hopeful, but maybe along the lines of far fetched, could be coming true. With the price of oil dropping $14 since July, and oil stockpiles going up, it seems as if the markets might be readjusting to things in the early 21st century. Assuming if we do not have a really cold winter this year, there is a real chance gas prices could drop not only below two dollars, but could go down to levels lower that $1.50.

In thinking about my own car, filling up 8 gallons in the car means I might have to only pay $12 or less for gas. Now that is a good bargain! If the prices were to go down to $1.15 as the article Virtucon describe, then my car would cost less that $10 to fill up!

Now granted, none of us want to get ahead of oursleves when it comes to gas prices. But considering how fast the prices have been going down as of late, there may be some major truth to all of this. In driving to and from work, the highest gas price seen on Lee Highway is $2.71, while the lowest is set at $2.61. It would not surprise me if by the end of the month gas were down to $2.50 or less.

Already, if you drive past Manassas and get down to Warrenton, the prices are at least thirty cents cheaper. So could happy days be here again? I would like to think so. Think of the benefits of all that extra money!

And the cannons roar again

Yesterday symbolized a momentous momet for all of us as it seemed nearly everyone was able to put aside their differences and act as Americans. I say nearly because it was reported tht there were a few folks who opted to take a few shots politically on 9-11. Raising Kaine decided to fire off a few opinions which drew a great deal of criticism, commentators on Not Larry Sabato for the most part were very good, but there were a few bad apples in there who really showed the negative side of all of us, only one political ad (but I think that one might have been missed. not too bad) The Hurst Blog got started, but I don't like the fact that there was a You Tube video asking if President Bush really cares about getting Osama bin Laden. In that same post, you have videos of Andy Hurts. I think this particular post, done on September 11, is rather tasteless. And then there is Jim Moran taking an opportunity to throw his own political ideas inot the mix. Truly shameless and a much needed reason to get him out of office. If this is such an "anti incumbent" year, then I think some of the Democrats who are absolutley worthless need to be voted out as well, starting with Jim Moran.

But now we are back to reality. already, a big announcement is expected to be made this afternoon for George Allen as reported by the A-Team. As I readjust trying to get back into the swing of politics after the emotionally draining day, a few thoughts came to mind that I wanted to share with all of you.

Yesterday, the school I work for did not have a moment of silence, memorial service, or anything in commemoration of 9-11. We had a bit of a lengthy prayer at the beginning of the day, but a number of my students commented that they were expecting more to be done. Members of the SCA(Student Council Association) said that when they were planning out events for the calendar, they forgot about 9-11 and thought the Administration was going to do something.

As near as I can tell, there was a serious breakdown of communications here because neither side knew what the other wanted to do for 9-11. In talking with my students, it was interesting to note how most teachers never really acknowledged the day at all. Some class spent a little time on the subject, but in a lot of depth.

Teaching Social Studies, it is rather obvious talking about that day was a very important step. The truly scary thought was that the Freshman class here, when asked about 9-11, gave blank stares about it. The fear which crossed my mind was that before too long, we are going to see more people forget every day what happened on 9-11. Do we really want that to happen?

If people stop talking about the Holocaust, then we will forget and a dictator might try to do it again. The same thing can be said about 9-11. If we don't talk about it and forget it happened, then a terrorist will try to do it again.

President Bush certainly hit it on the head when he said this War on Terror was the defining moment of the 21st centruy. If we chose not to stop the terrorists now, then who will? Do you think China or Russia will? Of course not. How about the United Nations? Well, they have been asleep at the wheel for some time now.

Some people say this Administration may go down as the worst ever. I for one doubt that. think history will ge the final decision on this. In the end, an depending on how things go with the War on Terror in the long run, we may see this Administration being the torch bearer to vicotry, or the only chance we had at trying to root out terrorism before it got a stranglehold. If the Howard Dean's of this country take control, we might want to start getting ready for the next attack because those people will deplete our military and roll out the welcome mat for the terrorists.

A Day Which Will Live In Infamy

Today is seen as a general ceasefire among all politicians and political bloggers and I will also follow suit not only here, but also in my classroom as I teach the students.

Five years ago around the time I am typing this, I had gotten up to get ready to go to class and then to work in Alexandria after that. I showered, shaved, and went to the Bistro in the Johnson Center at George Mason University. My first class was at 9am, dealing with how to write history papers. The Bistro had the news on, but I left there at 840am. I sat in class and tried to stay awake through the whole thing. What got my attention was my cell phone vibrating on my hip.

It was not very often that someone called me and so I figured it was either a wrong number or something might be up. When my cell kept vibrating, knew there was a message, but the timing for the message alert was off. It was around then I knew something was up, but figured it had to do with a family member. My mom might need me to do something, etc. After I got out of class, I was more wrapped up in my own world and looked to see who called me. It was rather amazing now to think of how oblivious I was to my own surroundings at that time.

I had three messages from my dad. THAT caught my attention immediately because he usually never calls me during the day. I tried to access my voicemail, but was unable to. I shrugged it off and figured I would get the messages later. It wasn’t until I got to my History of Germany class that I found out what happened. The Twin Towers were hit and they collapsed.

When I heard that word, I imagined the buildings falling over like a tree and the surrounding buildings destroyed too. I raced back to my dorm room and grabbed my mini television and took it back to the classroom. By the time I got back, my professor said she was going to let people leave.

I went back to my dorm room and my roommate was freaking out because rumors were circulating that the State Department was blown up, in addition to the Pentagon being hit. Cell phones were worthless that day as everyone tried to call each other. I emailed my cousin Erin, who lived in NYC, to see if she was ok. Thankfully, she was alright.

I tried to get in touch with my parents, but that was almost next to impossible. By the afternoon, I finally got in touch with them. I found out my mom was in the Pentagon, but on the far side of the building and safe. Both my mom and dad were going to wait out some of the traffic in Crystal City.

As for me, I sat through a meeting of the Mason government which seemingly did nothing to comfort anyone and then went back to my dorm. It took a while for me to finally listen to my dad's messages on my cell phone. I was smart enough to remember to save them and I do have a tape of my dad’s messages on my voicemail which tells of how the news came in on this day. For a historical record, it is something that shows exactly everything that we were feeling on that day.

A moment that had occurred at GMU, but I was not witness to, was that a couple of Arab students walked up to ROTC students and said to the effect that they had gotten us good today. I reflect on the fact that the ROTC students showed remarkable discipline in not lashing out at those students. If it were me, I would have probably done it and gone into mob mentality mode. Sometimes not being somewhere is a good thing.

After everything that had happened and the emotional drain I had experienced, I will always remember the movie, The Patriot, because that was the first “regular” thing my roommate and I watched after the attacks.

So on this day, let us all say a prayer and remember the victims who were killed. May we never forget.

The problem with things...

After reading some of the comments written in other blogs, and thinking about politics in general, it dawns on me that there are certainly a number of problems in modern politics today. Republitarian said it best when blogger comments are now seemingly coming out like 8th grade girls screaming who their boyfriend is. In what should be a good place for open debate among many people, the blog universe is becoming a giant pissing match left and right. There are a few people who still try to bring honor and dignity to the whole mess, but the overwhelming number of people who read blogs and post comments are nothing more than juvenile idiots.

For instance, anonymous comments are more often than not people saying things which are rude and very insensitive. Many people feel that if you got a comment to say, put your name to it. I for one have seen a numbr of anonymous comments on this site and unless I know specifically who it was the wrote the comment, I have little to no respect for those who write it. If you need to hide behind a mask, then you have no honor. It is as simple as that.
There are those who might say that it is perfectly alright to leave an anonymous comment and not have to worry about incrimination or what not. Truth is, I like to know that this person has a name. Even if it is “Dude from (fill in the blank zip code),” it is not as if I am like some bloggers who look up your IP Address and can figure out how close you are to me. I have better things to do with my life. But on to politics and its problems.

It is rather clear that a number of politicians no longer serve the interests of the people and the country as a whole. A number of Democrats spout out hatred and anger towards the President and his policies, but when asked to provide one of their own, it is virtually identical to the Republican one. So why the hatred? It stems from how George W. Bush was elected President in 2000. If this was Al Gore as President or even John McCain, would Democrats be complaining as much.

The obvious answer is no, but there are reasons. First and foremost, these two men might have done any number of things differently. We can’t say what their policies could have been, but we can speculate. Odds are if this was a McCain administration, we would still be fighting the War on Terror, but would Democrats be in such opposition to it? The possibilities are mind boggling, but the fact remains that some people will only complain to get their names in the newspaper and on television, but really seem to have no interest in doing what is best for the country.

Fact of the Matter

Fact of the matter is that we are governed by a political class. These are people who enjoy getting paid to be politicians and listening to special interests. I for one am a firm believer in setting term limits on Congress. A senator should only serve for 12 years, while a representative should serve for 10. If the President can only serve for 8 years, then why not get Congress to have term limits. If you think about it, there are numerous advantages:

1. Special interest groups lose their grip on Capitol Hill.
2. More business will be conducted and concluded in Congress than there is now.
3. More people will become interested in politics in the country.
4. Voter turnout will go up dramatically.
5. More citizens of this country will be able to get involved with politics and maybe get into
public office.

In addition to this, a thought was presented to me by one of my students. During our first Friday group discussion, the young man gave the equivalent of a stump speech, but a very passionate one at that. He said that while he likes much of what the Democrats stand for when it comes to economics, he is polarized and torn away from voting for them because of their moral issues such as abortion. Since a number of candidates spend more time trying to pander to the interest groups and allow moral interest to dominate their election cycle, it does turn a number of voters away from the polls. The student’s solution was to allow all the moral issues to become state issues. Let each state deal with them and get the candidates to discuss major national issues. After giving this speech, the class erupted in applause. I myself have never seen such well stated argument like this before. If anything, THIS is what more people think and believe in this country.

So where do I stand on the issues? Well, I am against flag burning, abortion, higher taxes, illegal immigration, and crime. I am for lower taxes, small government, death penalty, and holding people accountable for their actions. And obviously, if you got this far down in the post, I am for term limits in Congress.

As I await any comments, which usually never happens, I wonder if I will actually get legitimate comments that have depth, logic, and an argument in it or dribble. I think it is time we start to take back the blog universe and get real debate going amongst the people. Who’s with me?

Damned if you do, damned if you don't

It was just announced today that Jim Webb was going to run a new campaign ad which featured Ronald Reagan talking about some of his accommodations while serving in the military. After seeing the ad, I have made the comment that this particular ad should have been put on television back in July. It is simple and basically gives an introduction to Jim Webb. If he wanted to send out ads, it would have to be something along the lines of what it is he STANDS for or against.

However, as soon as this news was released about the new ad, a response was made from an unlikely source: Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Reagan announced that she wanted Jim Webb to pull the campaign a from television spots because it falsely uses her late husband’s image to spread messages he never said.

Already Democrat bloggers are screaming at the top of their heads that they screwed up big time. In addition to this fiasco, the folks over at Raising Kaine could be looking at some legal trouble in regards to soft money, and the most recent Mason Dixon poll shows George Allen once again leading Jim Webb.

Fact of the Matter

The fact of the matter is that Jim Webb is in trouble. First of all, I have contended for the past few weeks that Webb’s poll numbers have been nothing more than transparent figures. If you replaced his name with folding chair after the whole Macaca-gate scandal, the folding chair would have done just as well. Now that we are getting further away from the late summer scandal, people are beginning to wonder where Jim Webb is.

Add this to the fact that his new campaign ad has been asked not to air by a former First Lady, Webb is in a rather precarious situation. If he airs the ad, he might as well get ready to see every Reagan lover in Virginia rally to vote against him because of the pain he is causing an elderly widow who had to watch the love of her life die right before her eyes for fifteen years. If he decides to pull the ad, he has just wasted a great deal of much needed money on an ad spot that could have helped it. No matter how you look at it, Webb is damned either way.

So what will he do? While I don’t have the answer, I think Webb is going to need to look into some form of damage control as the inmates are seemingly running the asylum. If any of the allegations about Raising Kaine is true, then he could be looking at some FCC problems. How people are going to spin this will be very interesting.