Welcome to Spinsters'

Tonight is the night....

The Spinsters' Club

requests the honor of your presence

at the

Christmas Ball

Friday evening

the twenty-eighth of December

two thousand seven

eight until midnight

Presentation of New Members

eight-thirty o' clock

Mary Baldwin College

Student Activities Building

Staunton, Virginia

Black tie only

If you're a Spinsters' Alum like me, I look forward to seeing you there tonight. If you don't know about this tradition--steeped in Old South aristocracy--go here for an article about it in the Times.

Let the merriment and socializing begin...

OUR TENDENCY

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to,
If you aren't afraid of dying,
there is nothing you can't achieve.

- Tao Te Ching

an exert from ABOUT-FACE
an essay of counterinsurgent warfare

from a speech given 6 December 2007
at James Madison University

william tate


OUR TENDENCY
Our thinking is not insurgent thinking. We tend toward muscle; don't we win the most medals in the Olympics? Or at least in swimming? Well, didn't we used to? At least in the 60's?

So ours is a way of might. It is our culture: This is the land of the strong. Nascar is one left turn at 180mph, over and over and over; NFL athletes weigh 350 pounds. Forget the people, they will see that we were right, because we know what's best for them. Once we get there we will win them over. It is not a matter of our coming to the people, but the people coming to us. We have the answer, and the means.

And we will not talk to terrorists. Or Iran. They are brigands, they want to destroy us, take innocent lives, nuke Israel. Forget causes, forget why they think what they do. They must come to us, meet us on our own terms. Their causes are not worthy of our notice. And we are so powerful we can shun them and eventually they must come around. Saudi Arabia is greater than Iran, isn't it? And who cares about Yemen?
Besides, look at how they treat their women. Barbaric.
And our women CEO's salaries are much closer now to men's.

As to culture and understanding, everyone wants to be America. What's all this crying about globalization? Who wants to be a camel jockey when you can be a Brittney Spears? We are the model of civilization; they are all begging to have the chance to be just like us. So there is no need to learn Arabic, they will speak English. Or should. My gosh, how backwards . . . .

WHO'S THE BOOGIE MAN?

If you realize that all things change,
there is nothing you will try to hold on to,
If you aren't afraid of dying,
there is nothing you can't achieve.

- Tao Te Ching

an exert from ABOUT-FACE
an essay of counterinsurgent warfare

from a speech given 6 December 2007
at James Madison University

william tate


WHO'S THE BOOGIE MAN?
Coverage of the Iraq war constantly refers to the enemy as insurgents. These are the guys killing our soldiers, marines, and navy seals. Various brandings include terrorists, guerillas, thugs, cowards, beasts, ragheads, Ali Babas, etc., all vestiges of the axes of evil.
With such nomenclature we have them corralled, they are not us, and our survival depends on the Good overcoming the Evil, on US overcoming THEM. We Americans are the saviors of mankind; it is our destiny.

The hazard to this thinking is that if we cast the insurgents off as inferior and their tactics as brutality, then we fail to enter the mind of the enemy. Our superiority borders on arrogance, and we become our own victim, for we lose all chance of anticipation, versatility, and breakthrough. We seal ourselves off into self-sure delusion. Which leads to delusional behavior; we do not see what is happening right in front of our eyes. Instead, we justify.

Congress in Shambles

And people thought that it was our President who wasn't doing that well in the ratings...

Great job, Democrats. Thanks to your great initiative and work ethics in the Congress, you've garnered one of the lowest approval ratings in a very long time.

Good job up there.

The Islamopandering Continues...

Last week, I visited a Muslim place of worship. A schedule for Islam’s five daily prayers was posted at the entrance, near a sign requesting that shoes be removed. Inside, a barrier divided men’s and women’s prayer space, an arrow informed worshippers of the direction of Mecca, and literature urged women to cover their faces.

Does this sound like a mosque to you? Well, guess what, it's not. It's the meditation room at a community college in Minnesota. What was meant to be a room for all faiths to pray and/or meditate as they so choose, has turned into being a full-scale Muslim mosque. Literature like "Hijaab and Modesty" can be found there, along with tracts describing how women should cover their faces, stay at home, and their speech should not "be such that it is heard." Other tracts laid about say things just as, "Enter into Islaam completely and accept all the rulings of Islaam...", "It should not be that you accept what entertains your desires and leave what opposes your desires; this is from the manners of the Jews." , "[T]he Jews and the Christians are...the enemies of Allaah's religion....Remember that you will never succeed while you follow these people."

And that is just for starters.

For a catch-all meditation room like this is supposed to be, noticeably lacking is any Christian, Jewish, or Eastern religion literature. That means, no Bible, Torah, or Sri Guru Granth Sahib. And those students who practice any of those religions feel unwelcome, disrespected, and not appreciated in this "non-denominational" "all faiths welcomed" meditation room.

It's called Islamopandering folks...

Radical Baby Killers

Again, those who would try (and are getting more and more successful by the minute) to pervert the true way of Islam are back at it again.

This time, they've taken an innocent baby. For as Mark Steyn noted, "...what could be more powerless than a newborn babe? On the other, without a newborn babe, man is ultimately powerless. For, without new life, there can be no civilization, no society, no nothing." And that's what it's about. They're taking advantage of the most powerless form of humanity they can--they are that low. And we cannot argue with that.

So what did the enemy do to the newborn baby? How does strapping bombs to her clothes sound? And that's what happened--and they tried to hand the newborn to the Pakistan Peoples Party leader Benazir Bhutto--when it exploded.

That baby was splashed to the four winds and into oblivion.

An innocent child paid with its life for the sake of radical religious and political maneuvers.

"It was about 1 or 2 years old, and I think it was a girl...We feel it was a baby, kidnapped, and its clothes were rigged with explosives. He kept trying to hand it to people to hand to me. I'm a mother, I love babies, but the [streetlights] had already gone out, and I was worried about the baby getting dropped or hurt....The baby, the bomb, it went off only feet from me; there was nothing between us but the wall of the truck....We were rocking from side to side, this huge truck. We saw the bodies, the blood everywhere; we saw the carnage. Some bodies were naked, with their clothes burned off..."

Mary Did You Know??

Let's talk about Mary. You know, the whole 'virgin-birth' woman...Mary, the mother of Jesus. I'm sure you know who I'm taking about.

This Sunday in the Advent season was looking at Mary during the immaculate conception.

So like I said, let's take a look at Mary. Who Mary is, considering her situation, is labeled with this Greek word: parthenos. And that, simply translated, means a virgin girl between the ages of 12 and 14. Let's be frank here right off the bat. Let's take the spiritual vernier off of the Mother Mary right now. So many Christians try to portray her as absolutely giddy over this conception. That she was willing and happy--and that everyone else too. Let me tell you, that could not be further from the truth. If it weren't, then we would not see the usage of parthenos used the the Bible. Some may say, well that was a different time back then...you have to take that into consideration. But do we really? Sure times and customs may change--but the emotional, mental, and physiological state of girls? That remains unaltered. This was no happy go lucky pregnancy by any means. It was a ticket to the gallows.

Number one, Joseph and Mary were not married which was taboo enough, but even that was not her biggest crime. That real crime, that sin, that fly in the ointment is that she has a child that is NOT Joseph's. The penalty for fornication is death by stoning--and at that time, we're not talking playground pebbles. And let's look at her parents, you know that they want to believe her, but seriously folks--you do the math. She comes down to breakfast one morning and tells her dear parents that she's going to have a baby because an angel said so? Now, what would your response be to your kid if that was the case? But we tend to brush over that little issue and paint this whole conception in blue and gold...we try to find it in the brush strokes of a Kinkade painting. The parents may smile and nod, but you know they think she's out of her mind.

The truth is, is that all Mary has grown up with is the law and the church. All she's read in the Law tells her she's in BIG trouble. Truly, Mary is scared out of her wits and Joseph is a little more than just mildly upset. By this time, the word has spread around the community and you know he's heard that Mary has betrayed him. It's not a good, joyous, or a happy occasion by any means.

It is important to throw in this side not saying that some skeptics may say that the immaculate conception is just scientifically impossible--never happened, never will. Some reading this may think that exact same way. I will ask you to step away from your computer for a moment and look out your window at the majestic mountains, fresh fallen snow, or the chilled starry night sky. Now ask yourself (for the sake of argument) what is more for God? To make the entire universe in all it's reflecting glory of Him--or to have a virgin conceive a child without the aid of man. Just think about it. Think Elizabeth and Zacharia. Think Sarah and Abraham. Think sin and love. Impossibilities becoming possible. Just think about it.

Now, if you're like me...you've probably heard this story 1,000,000 times over. You might think it's a very interesting, inspiring, complex, glorious Christmas story--which it is--but you know it has nothing to do directly with your life in there here and now. Well, It does. And for us, it's not about the angel's announcement of the conception but about Mary's response.

We need to ask ourselves, what--when--where--how--and who--is God calling each one of us to be. Each one of us has a calling from God for our lives. Mary could have said no. She could have. She had the option, it is clear. And confronted with a thousand emotions when the angel did appear, remember that she did not say yes or no. She said only, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." In other words, let me become who you have called me to be.

What impossible part of your life is God looking to change? -- And only a week before Christmas? In this season, we must look at Luke 1.28, "The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." That is Advent. That is the whole point. We celebrate a God who never leaves us, always remembers, and never forgets to keep his promises. That is the God we serve.

God says don't be afraid. He's with every single one of you reading this right now, regardless of your feelings or beliefs in Him. That is Advent.

What impossibility does God declare possible for you today?

The Waiting Game...will you win?

Americans hate to wait. We deplore it. You've seen those Visa commericals out there--the ones where the the line goes along swimmingly, sliding their credit card down the machine--then the person comes along with cash and harmony is destroyed. We've seen it in the Comcast commercials with the turtle couple, The Slowskys. Everyone thinks they're insane because they're not "up to speed" (no pun intended) with the fastest internet connection.

But right now, we are in the season of Advent. Many churches focus on the coming of Christ. The evangelical mainstream starts the Advent season with small Christmas, a little more Christmas, even more Christmas, tons of Christmas--until they get to THE service where Christmas is literally exploding from the church. I'll go out on a limb here and offer that that's not quite what Advent is about. It's not about the coming--it's about the waiting for Christ.

Advent is a time to wait each and every day for inspiration of God's Holy Spirit. It is a time for Christians to relate to their ancestors who waited not weeks but centuries, to see the fulfillments of the prophesies and God's promises. And we're not the only ones who have been playing this reverent waiting game: Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Job, the Hebrews, the Israelites, the prophets, the Jews, the apostles, and even we--as present disciples of Christ--today wait for Christ's return.

As a society in the 21st century, we mock, disdain, and scorn any type of waiting. The less we have to do, the better. Remember when pagers were the "in" thing to have? Well, you had to find a phone to get back to someone. And look what came about....cell phones! Instant access as soon as you dialed...or...well...as long as you were in service. But dialing takes up precious seconds--even if you have someone stored in your contact list. So out comes the new walkie-talkie cell phones. All you now have to do is push one button. Ours is an instant culture. We deplore anything less. Instant potatoes, mac and cheese, coffee, and even certain types of mortgages are becoming as easy to make, fix, or invest in as turning on a light switch--and who knows--even that may become to much of a wait in the future...And it is truly my generation who gets the brunt of this--not only are we bombarded with instant technology but now, even instant relationships. Courtships? Pshhtt....a thing of the past. Abstinence? Do most in high school even know the word? Fidelity? As foreign as the Latin language. For the culture we are in, relationships are as easy to get out of and into as the Clapper lights. CLAP ON!! CLAP OFF!!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, imprisoned by the Nazis and martyred for his faith , wrote a letter before Christmas 1943, in which he said, "Life in a prison cell reminds me a great deal of Advent. One waits and hopes and putters around but in the end what we do is of little consequence. The door is shut, and it can only be opened from the outside."

Christians, we just need to drop the pretenses that we have. You know we really don't care for Advent. We want that tree up as soon as the Thanksgiving sun sets. We want that Christmas music to hit our airwaves as soon as Halloween ends. We NEED to get in the mood--and the sooner the better. We don't feel the need to prolong the inevitable holiday of Yuletide cheer. Why wait? We know what happens--we know the story--we know the Messiah has come.


We must wait. We're not good at it. We disdain it. We mock it. We scorn it. Our culture is one that should not, by all accounts, appreciate or accept Advent. We just don't want to do it. We don't want to play the waiting game. But we're waiting for a child that came into this world--who signaled new life, new joy, and a new tomorrow.

Will we choose to wait?

The Curtain Closes...

Well, chalk another Nutcracker down on the books.

It seems that finally, my work with this production has come full circle. From the early days, of hiking the big, steep steps with one of my best friends to the sound and light booth to watch, learn, and listen in elementra school--to now--taking center stage as The Nutcracker himself.

It was a bittersweet performance as I said goodbye to some very good friends of mine who were graduating seniors. So thanks, Devon and Emily for being this Nutcracker's Clara. It was an honor to share the stage with you on your last Nutcracker prefromance. Thank you Emily--one of the greatest Sugar Plumb Fairies ever--for being one of the first of my friends at the Academy. And lastly--but definitely not least--thank you Heidi for being the greatest Mouse King I've ever shared a stage with. I'll miss the awesome battle scene, cheese catapult, and even your solo work as the Merlaton in the Marzipan sequence.

Finally, who I'm most sad to see leave, is Jurijs. A master, international dancer who has come to the Academy to do two shows for the past two years with us. Originially from Lativa, he has preformed all over America, Europe, and Asia. On set, we became great friends--and even more--he taught me a ton of things that I will carry with me always. He'll hopefully be coming back in August to do some private classes and I'm hoping for that. He's getting ready to tie the knot with his fiancee in the Spring, so best of luck to him and his future wife!

We've reached a quarter of a century mark with this ballet. Twenty-five years and going strong. With a near-packed house each night (that equals over 1,000 seats filled each night), this holiday tradition sees no signs of loosing it's place in the Valley's Christmas magic. We are so happy to finally see this monumentous moment pass in our history, and have already set our sights in the big fifty.

HAPPY 25th!

Nutcracker Preview Photos

OPENING NIGHT!!!

OPENING NIGHT OF...

THE CURTAIN WILL OPEN...

7:00pm TONIGHT



Info here.

Jurijs Safonovs Preforms...

Jurijs Safonovs is a native of Latvia. Mr Safonovs began studying dance at the age of ten. He is a 1996 graduate of the Riga Choreographic School where he studied ballet under Professor Juris Kapralis and received a Bachelor's degree in classical and modern dance.

From 1996-2001, Mr. Safonovs was a ballet soloist with the Latvian National Opera, where he performed the leading roles in Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Don Kishot. He performed with the Virginia Ballet Theatre from 2002-2006 as a principle dancer.

Mr. Safonovs has performed throughout Asia and Europe on worldwide tours. We are pleased to have him this year as our guest artist for The Nutcracker.

Letter from The Academy's Director

I would like to offer a personal warm and heartfelt thank you to the many individuals and families who have been part of The Nutcracker over the last twenty-five years, be it by dancing, supporting financially, giving their time and talents, or as an enthusiastic audience member. These are the people who have created "Nutcracker Magic" in the Shenandoah Valley for the last quarter of a century.

When I began directing The Nutcracker in 1983, I never dreamed that twenty-five years later we would be celebrating with the anniversary performance. Over the years, in order to our Nutcracker going, we have braved snow storms, outbreaks of the stomach flu, power outages, accidental fires on the stage, and injuries that have caused changes just minutes before the curtain rose.

Our first performance of The Nutcracker was a very different performance than the one you will see today. That year, the performance was held at Fort Defiance High School and we had very limited costuming and sets and only sixty-seven dancers. In fact, most of the soloists that year wore my old costumes that I had brought to Virginia from my dancing days in San Francisco. Most touching, perhaps, is knowing that dancers I worked with that very first year are now watching their own children dance across this stage. To see the quality of the performance today and to know I have been a part of it is, most simply stated, an honor. I thank each and every one of you for giving me this opportunity.

Pamela McCray

Director
Shenandoah Civic Dance Company
Staunton Academy of Ballet

The Two Faces of Iran

It almost seemed ominous when I turned on the radio a number of months ago this morning and heard the reporter saying that the US had now decided to hold talks with Iran and Syria as part of an international meeting on Iraq.

What is our problem? Are we giving in to Ahmadinejad? No country is more two faced than Iran and no leader is moreso than this man. Whenever he is on American interviews, his vision never wavers--an insistance on compassion, love, and justice as an international community.

But in his home country? Hear what he decries....

What is the Security Council anyway? The whole world knows that America and England are the enemies of the Iranian nation.

We must understand that this man is an insanely smart and highly clever debater. He lives off of using elaborate smoke screens to hide his true initiatives. He has two faces--and two agendas. They could never be more opposite. American hears--

Our message is a message of peace and brotherhood with all people. We love the American people as we love our own.

The people of Iran hear, "These two countries are not worthy of being members of the Security Council. If you want to have good relations with the Iranian people in the future, you should acknowledge the right and the might of the Iranian people. If you do not accept this, the Iranian people will force you to bow and surrender."

Some of you may be reading things like this for the first time. The MSM dares not cover it...that's why you don't hear about it. The West just doesn't see it. And as a result, we just can't get it.

When asked by CNN's Anderson Cooper about the Jews, Ahmadinejad passionately replied, "So what I'm saying is, we want peace established there--we care for the Jews who live under pressure there as well."

In the safety of his own country, free of the Western press, he paints a more sinister picture...

I have said in Tehran and I say it again here--I say to the leaders of some Western countries--stop supporting these corrupt people. Behold, the rage of the Muslim peoples is accumulating. The rage of the Muslim peoples may soon reach the point of explosion. Death to Israel! Death to America!

With this truly insane and bloodthirsty rhetoric, and indeed actions, by the whole of Iran and their government, the parallel to Hitler and his Nazi Germany cannot BUT be forthcoming. It is the
rise of Hitler in the 21st century. We are living in 1938 once again and Ahmadinejad's government is preparing the second Holocaust. He denies the first even occured...so he prepares the second. As with Hitler, while the world knew what was going on in his own country, the world remained silent as Hitler spoke his rhetoric, as he armed a country, as his threat grew, and as he ultimately carried out what he claimed he would do. By then, it was much to late for the world to stop him--and they were made to defeat him, if they were able. And in this, it has become even more evident in Ahmadinejad's continual testing and exploration of unsupervised nuclear programs. America hears Ahmadinejad condemning nuclear practices saying, "We are no threat for anyone. Nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's policy. Making nuclear weapons are not on Iran's agenda."

But what does his country hear?

Today the Iranian people is the owner of nuclear technology. If some believe they can keep talking to the Iranian people in the language of threats and aggressiveness, they should know that they are making a bitter mistake. If they have not realized this by now, they soon will, but then it will be too late.

The latter is simple to understand when you find that the International Energy Agency (IEA) found traces of plutonium and iranium in Iran. The bombs that they are being found in, and even those that they are not--they're all aimed at Israel. They are planning--right now--to destroy Israel. And once that goal is reached, America becomes Ahmadinejad's next target. Their unabashed hatred, like Nazism, does not stop with the Jews alone. It strives to dominate the civilizations of the West.

Iran, the biggest supporter of terrorism, is simply a threat. They should not be entertained. America is the enemy. They want us dead. They want to kill us. And we just don't get it. Because we don't hear Ahmadinejad decreeing, "Death to those who oppose the rule of the jurisprudent. Death to America. Death to England."

This man has an apocalyptic view of global domination. He will exterminate the Israel, the West, and even Muslims who refuse to subjugate to his views. Iran simply must not be allowed to dabble in nuclear programs.

If we continue to engage Iran in diplomacy, we will lose our will in America.

The Shenandoah Civic Dance Company

So you all know a little more about the umbrella organization that puts on the Nutcracker...

The Shenandoah Civic Dance Company was formed in the fall of 1983 to provide serious dance students the opportunity to enrich their study of ballet through performing and attending master classes, field trips and workshops. This nonprofit organization, under the artistic direction of Pamela McCray, has expanded its mission to advance dance as an art form in the Shenandoah Valley by performing full-length ballets and short repertory works, and by providing lecture demonstrations at schools and community events.

In it's 25th year, the Shenandoah Civic Dance Company consists of ninety-eight dancers. Their talent and technical skills have allowed us to introduce advanced choreography and professional costuming with the hopes of bringing the level of our performance to a new height.

It is our sincere wish that you, our audience, may experience the joy of dance and the magic of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker."

2 DAYS...

...UNTIL THE CURTAIN OPENS...



Info here.

Be watching the local news...

Islamic Weapons of Propaganda

There is one common thread between the jihadist and his terror:

They use their religion to justify their hatred.

Nowhere is this seen more than in the extremist propaganda of the Islamic terrorists and government officials.

And if you go into Iran, and indeed, some places in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the rest of the Middle East, it is everywhere. Even schools are not untouched. The propaganda is right there...incessantly in your face. Preaching words of hate in the guise of factual news and scholarly articles.

An investigative report was done recently on Iranian television. It was openly designed to highlight the evils of Israel and big American business. The reporting was passed off not as opinionated, but as absolute fact. And what were they saying about American businesses?

Coca Cola, besides its clear, continuous, support of the Israeli government --had announced its willingness to invest billions of dollars to topple the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

WHAT? Forget the American cola wars....even Pepsi was not spared the brunt of extremist propaganda. According to them, did you know that Pepsi is an acronym? Do you know what it stands for?

Pay Each Penny Save Israel

This is obviously ridiculous. Sad thing is, these notions are beat into these people's heads from the moment they are born. They are born into the propaganda, are taught it in their schools and colleges, and grow up with it--on a literal daily basis. For most, this is all they will ever know of Israel and the West. The average Iranian citizen has no reason not to believe what they are reading and hearing.

So why does this propaganda exist in this first place? As a people, the Iranians are forced to deal with abject poverty for most of their citizens, government corruption on all levels, and high death and murder rates. To shift the wary eye off of Islamofacism, who does the government-induced propaganda machine blame? Israel. And in turn, America. We are portrayed as nothing short of being in bed with all of Israel. We are portrayed as their aider and constant helper. And for that, we are viewed as the root of ALL evil. We are, as we are called, in their own words, The Great Satan.

In another Iranian news program, a reporter is discussing American ideals, their justice, their morality, and above all--their Statue of Liberty. What does the reporter say?

This is Satan, the source of tyranny. A she-demon measuring slightly less than 320 feet and 6 inches. In her hand a torch, and on her head a crown, plundered from the kingdom of Persia. She is the shadow of the Anti-Christ. She is not dead. And now in the end days, in our days of iron, she is plotting a great conspiracy.

This is what we are dealing with in Iran and a majority of the Middle East. This is why we must have victory. Islamofacism is a disease and their extremist propaganda in the cancer. If we do not fight and win, it will end in killing us...

Nutcracker Countdown...

3 DAYS...

...UNTIL THE CURTAIN OPENS...



Info here.

Muslims, It's Time to Assert Yourselves....

The Muslims in America are at a climactic turning point today--right now. It is time for the people of your religion to take a firm and a visible stand. We in America realize that about 90% of you guys really aren't the insane nutjob extremists that most associate you with, but you and only you are required to address the 10% of your people.

Where is your guys' PR department? They should be on every radio station, news channel, documentary filming, resounding with one, loud voice that, "These peoples are radicals that DO NOT represent our religion of who we stand for!" But instead, you feel the need to fight security officers at airports who do their jobs, cry bigot and racist, and try to destroy any talk-show host, news anchor, politician, or interviewer that DARES bring up this fact. And I'm sure I'll be attacked for saying this. But hey--I can take it. I'm not the one who is saying all Muslims should be destroyed...it's your 10% is saying that all non-Muslims' blood should be spilt and that their skulls should be shattered.

I know that Islam is truly a religion of peace. I know that jihad does not translate into 'war' but literally means 'a struggle', 'a striving', or 'a great effort'. I know that it truly means the struggle of the soul to overcome the sinful obstacles that keep a person from God. I know that in the Quran war is either just or unjust--and that it is never 'holy'. So why do you all feel the need to go after people like me? This 10% has polluted not only it's own 90%, but the minds of all Americans. Groups like the Islamic Thinkers Society and the Muslim Council of Montreal are either covering their tracks or are making the rest of you live in Stupid-ville. And you all might just be that stupid. The extremists are using you and will kill you when they're through, because they know you will not stand up against them, so they run over you. You folks are either just stupid or you just don't understand.

So let me make this very clear: if you all stand up against your OWN 10% then that is good. If you stay quiet and continue to allow these misconceptions, atrocities, and ridiculous archaic practices like Sharia Law to continue, then--not so good.

Speaking of Sharia Law, in the Canadian town of Herouxville, Quebec, they have just passed ordinance that clears up that you can't stone your wife, you can't burn your wife alive (or dead or that matter), you can't pour acid on your wife, you can't cover your face unless it's Halloween, and children cannot carry ceremonial daggers to school with them. Oh, but don't worry--women are allowed to write checks, dance, drive vehicles, and as long as they are police officers, they can arrest people. And the Muslim Council of Montreal actually came out and said that they were, "shocked and insulted to see these kinds of false stereotypes..." FALSE STEREOTYPES?Are we serious? This 10% lives off of doing these kind of exact things! And if you don't agree with that, you are cited as being Anti-Immigrant in this instance. Maybe we need to build a wall keeping illegals out of CANADA. We certainly need to keep these people out of here.

I mean look, I could care less what religion you follow--we've got freedom of religion--you can practice Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Scientology, Hinduism or whatever. But because this is MY blog, I can say whatever I want. And as a Christian, I have my concrete beliefs and my very strong morals. And this 10% doesn't realize the mess they are getting in. They need to understand that this is America in 2007. This is America and this is free democracy and they should not and will not bring this kind of treatment onto our lands. If they want to live in 1207 and not 2007, and treat their women like that, then they can go live in a cave somewhere. But if we find out that these people are stoning, burning and pouring acid on their women, and letting their kids carry daggers to school, then sure--go back and do so as you live in your caves. But you better be ready. We're going to come to your caves (we can find you) and WE ARE COMING TO KILL YOU.

When you mess with women, God's own children, my sisters--you're coming through me. And there is no cave deep enough in the bowels of Hell itself to hide you.

There is not room on this planet for this 10% to coexist with their own 90%. But sadly, there seems to also not be enough of the 90% (if any) to stand up, fight and discredit it's incendiary 10%.

Islamic Terrorists Forgiven

Yesterday, I reported about the Christian beheadings and killings by a jihadists group based out of Indonesia with Al-Qaia ties.

Well, a fourth girl in the group actually survived. Noviana Malewa, 15, was seriously hurt but survived the attack by rolling into a ravine after the initial fight began. It was then that the jihadists beheaded their victims, tied their heads up in plastic garbage bags, took them to a nearby village, dumped them, and left a note saying, "We still need another 100 heads. Blood for blood, a life for life and a head for a head."

And after all of this, what is surprising (perhaps, even to some Christians) is that Malewa, the one girl who survived, has already issued numerous public statements on behalf of herself and her martyred Christian sister offering full forgiveness for all the jihadists.

That's what a true follower of Christ is like folks. It's hard to think of being able to do such a thing in spite of all that has occurred to this girl.

Could you forgive so easily a group of people like this, if it happened to your best friends?

Republican Advance Pictures

SWAC Girl has some good pictures up of the Advance weekend...

Nutcracker Countdown...

4 DAYS...

...UNTIL THE CURTAIN OPENS...



Info here.

Killing Christians -- The Martyrdom Continues

There are more Christian martyrs today than there were in AD 100--

in the day of the Roman Empire. Now in the 21st century,

hundreds of thousands of Christians are

MARTYRED

around the world EVERY YEAR.

You have always heard us say, This is the Jihad! Democrats Don't Get It. Here's the difference. The Christians do--but they choose to live their life with a love for Christ and their fellow man--putting their safety second, for the greater cause of servanthood

And that is exactly what has just happened. Six Islamic jihadists from Indonesia were arrested, tried, and convicted for up to 19 years for beheading three Christian schoolgirls and a Christian priest. This was only one act among a rash of hate-filled others the court nailed them on. They even left a note beside the beheaded Christians that vowed more killings to avenge the deaths of other Muslims.

These jihadists are responsible for the killings of hundreds of people.

These people are linked to Al-Qaida. They hate Americans. They hate Christians. They hate you.

Never forget that.

Don't forget your terms...

"Remember, folks...they're Democrats, not Democratics. Republicans belong to the Republican Party. Libertarians belong to the Libertarian Party. Socialists belong to the Socialist Party. Democrats belong to the Democrat Party."

-Neal Boortz

Where was this 6 months ago...?

Hooah.

The Nutcracker Is Coming...

The Shenandoah Civic Dance Company

presents Tchsikovsky's full length ballet

The Nutcracker

A Holiday Tradition for 25 years

with special

international

guest artist

Jurijs Safonovs

Saturday, Dec. 8 - 7:00pm
Sunday, Dec. 9 - 2:00pm
John Lewis Auditorium - R.E. Lee High School North Coalter Street, Staunton

LIMITED RESERVED SEATING

$14.00 - Adult $12.00 - Children through high school Group discounts available for non-profit organizations

GENERAL ADMISSION

$10.00 - Adult $8.00 - Children through high school

Ticket Locations Beginning November 19th

Staunton:
The Bookstack - 1 East Beverly Street You're A Star - Staunton Mall
Waynesboro:
Donna's Hallmark - Westwood Village
Harrisonburg:
The Exception - Neff Avenue (behind Valley Mall)

For Information Call: 885-8524

Ron Paul Horde Stacks Advance Straw Poll

So the word is coming in that the Straw Poll at the Republican Advance in Crystal City was stacked by the Ron Paul Horde.

I knew about that the day it occurred, but refrained from posting anything since I didn't have all the facts.

Sure, the guy is a big believer in states rights--which I love--but for a majority of things, he is NO Republican. His anti-war sentiments don't get him any props either. They got him and his followers booed at the Advance. But don't start thinking it was the Advance-ers that were the rude ones. The Ron Paul Horde was loud, obnoxious, rude, and inflammatory. If they were trying to shed a good light on their presidential hopeful--the buck stopped in Crystal City.

The Ron Paul Horde even got the Richmond Times Dispatch talking against them...not a very good thing, considering--

Republican officials dismissed the poll's outcome, noting that Paul has been concentrating on winning straw polls all over the country.

Paul bused in young supporters. They waved signs and shouted loudly when his name was mentioned.

"He brought people in here. What is more critical to look at is who finished second and third. That is a more true indicator of the feelings of the Republican Party of Virginia," said Tucker Watkins of Randolph in Charlotte County, a former 5th District GOP chairman.

If this is the way that Ron Paul wants to try to win over the expanse of this country (basically, getting his people there--sure he doesn't PAY them to go but HEAVY ENCOURAGEMENT is a good word to describe it--to stack the straw polls in Paul's favor), he can have it. But let me tell you, straw polls don't say that much of anything. And face it, Conservative Virginians--simply put--do not want a Ron Paul.

But I think I know who might...

SWAC Girl has a ton more on this issue. Everything from the RTD article, a link over the NotLarrySabato about how awfully dressed the Ron Paul Horde was, to a detailed run down of what REALLY happened in regards to the straw poll.

Ultimate Republican Advance Recap

SWAC Girl really knows her live blogging.

She has kept all of us back here at home updated on one of the most important get-togethers for Conservatives.

From the moment she arrived, she let us know what was going on. She let us know how Friday night's hospitality suites were, who was there, and which bloggers decided to show up. The same didn't change on Saturday either, she touched on having breakfast with Bill Bolling (mmm...I hope there was bacon...) where he gave out his annual Christmas ornaments made of pewter. John Hager also spoke to the large crowd. Awards were given to the coveted title of Volunteer of the Year.

Of course, there were many different seminars to choose from on Saturday--everything from bias in the media, blogging, to parliamentary procedure--and that's just the tip of the iceberg. But you can bet Ms. SWAC was there, letting us know about the Media and Blogging seminar. Friday night was capped off with a wonderful reception and she got great pictures. She also informed us that Kathy Terry had gain the nomination and election as the National Committeewoman.


All in all, SWAC Nation was well represented this Advance. Hopefully will see you guys at the next one!

Good job keeping us informed SWAC Girl!

Dems Continuing to Flounder...

In light of the victory and freedom that the country of Iraq is rapidly been experiencing, there is little doubt that Petraeus is right. The surge is working.

Jerry Fuhrman at From On High is making that clear. His bluntness is what I love. No beating around the political bush for this guy.

Wake up to what is going on. The public is seeing that victory is not only attainable--but it is blatantly imminent. And yet, pigs like Harry Reid and other Liberal figureheads are still trying to rally support to pull the troops out in face of their hard-fought, almost won victory. They are trying to focus attention on all the other "problems" they can find.

The liberals were wrong about the situation in Iraq. They were wrong. They have been exposed.

They are running scared.

We're WINNING the WAR

It's time to just face that fact.

The Radical Left can scream, whine, cry, and pitch as much of a fit as they want. But it doesn't change pure fact. The surge is working. Less of our men and women are losing their lives. General Petraeus' plan of action has worked. Victory is in sight.

It is beautiful.

This excellent news is not relegated to only this month either. In fact, this drastic decline can be seen for sixth consecutive months, converging on November, one of the lowest death tolls of the entire conflict.

Not only have military deaths decreased dramatically, but so have civilian deaths.

For an article and excellent graph on this news, go here.

The bottom line is this: The war is ending. America and her allies are beginning to taste the sweet fruits of victory. A mighty fight it was, but the enemy is beginning to scatter. Nothing left but their overturned machines of destruction. Al-Qaeda and it's ideaologies are being slain--splashed to the four winds. Directly the Americans and their allies arrived and the surge went into effect and we attacked attacked them. From that moment, they were doomed.

The torment is ending. The people scattered over the country, desperate, leaderless, starved, the thousands who had fled by sea--all are beginning to return, the pulse of life growing stronger and stronger is beating again.