Afghanistan: Canadian troops dying to make Afghanistan a Christianity-free zone safe for Islam

Two Christian Aid Groups Suspended in Afghanistan

"Afghan authorities suspended two Christian foreign aid groups Monday on suspicion of proselytizing in the strictly Islamic nation and said a follow-up investigation would include whether other groups were trying to convert Muslims."

Afghanistan: Canadian troops (many of them Christian) dying to make Afghanistan a Christianity-free zone safe for Islam.

The West reflexively accepts that Islam can be a political enterprise, but reacts in horror at the thought that Christianity might want the same privilege. The West accepts and uses the term "Muslim nations" but strictly eschews the term "Christian nation".

The West's double standard demands that Christian nations be accommodating (and therefore secularized and multiculturalized) while Islamic nations are allowed free reign.

How can this possibly end well?

I would welcome a discussion on this, if any of you care to share your thoughts.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

How Sweet It Is!

We all should have food goals, nutrition goals, eat-out goals, right? Thanks to an article, here's my latest "to-do" list:

1. Bob Evans’ Cinnamon Cream Stacked & Packed Stuffed Hotcakes: The CSPI measured the dish at 1,380 calories and 34 grams of fat. The pancakes have 7 grams of trans fat despite claims on Bob Evans’ menu that the restaurant uses no-trans-fat cooking oil, according to the CSPI.

2. California Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza with Grilled Steak: 1,680 calories, 32 grams of saturated fat (50% more than is recommended for U.S. adults), and 3,300 milligrams of sodium.

3. Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger: One burger contains 920 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat. But the CSPI says the real calories are in Five Guys fries: one large order of fries contains nearly 1,500 calories.

4. P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo: 1,820 calories and 7,690 milligrams of sodium, more than a five-day supply. “The noodles end up hard and crunchy, you end up soft and flabby,” quips Bonnie Liebman, the CSPI's director of nutrition

5. Cheesecake Factory Pasta Carbonara with Chicken: 2,500 calories (25% more than an adult should get in a whole day) and 85 grams of saturated fat are hidden in this big plate of pasta with cream sauce, according to the CSPI.

6. Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake: The “three-quarter-pound slab of cake” has 1,670 calories and 48 grams of saturated fat, the CSPI says. Even dividing it in half would approach half the calories one adult should get in a day, says Jacobson.

7. California Pizza Kitchen's Pesto Cream Penne: This penne dish includes basil pine nut pesto cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese and contains 1,350 calories, 49 grams of saturated fat, and 1,920 milligrams of sodium, according to the CSPI.

8. Outback’s New Zealand Rack of Lamb: The rack of lamb is cooked with a “rich Cabernet wine sauce” and served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The lamb without the sides has 1,300 calories, 60 grams of saturated fat, and 1,340 milligrams of sodium, according to the CSPI. The garlic mashed potatoes are loaded with 13 grams of saturated fat while the veggie side has 7 grams.

9. Chevy’s Crab & Shrimp Quesadilla: Along with the crab and shrimp, these “Frisbee-size white flour tortillas” are stuffed with cheese and cream sauce and topped with guacamole and sour cream, says the CSPI. This dish packs 1,790 calories, 63 grams of saturated fat, and 3,440 milligrams of sodium, according to the report.

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Thanks, WebMD!

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

John Ladd's Ranch

How long would latte-sipping Hollywooders support illegal immigration if it was their property that had been trespassed on 500,000 times by illegals?

You heard me right. Five hundred thousand times. On one Arizona ranch. And that's just the ones who were caught.

And it's not just Hispanics.

"JENKINS: And you have seen not just Mexican crossers, you've seen other nationalities.

LADD: You bet. I've seen Russian, Polish, Chinese, Iraqi, Pakistani, Romanian, Brazilians, Guatemalans."

John Ladd sounds like the kind of guy I would like to hang out with.

Must watch video.

If you can't watch the video, read the transcript.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

Canada's Favourite Hippie-Dippie Climate Man

"Canadian hippie cult leader David Suzuki has landed a new radio show on Can-Jazeera the CBC, because there is no left-wing bias at the national broadcaster. No comment from the CBC about Suzuki’s appearance at a decidedly left-leaning anti-oil rally. To balance the airwaves, fellow Canadian and climate skeptic Dr. Tim Ball doesn’t have a new radio show on the CBC. Oh wait, nevermind."

Here.

CBC: ya gotta pay for it, but ya don't gotta listen to it!

The Communion of the Saints

"J.B., it’s not as hard as you think."

Check it out (Google it).

Oh, The Humanity!

Liberal leader and once-future PM Michael Ignatieff is really, really concerned about the 1,000,000,000 dollars the government is spending on security for the upcoming G20 summit. This kind of spending would never happen -- never -- under a Liberal government, which always watches its spending like a hawk and treats taxpayers' money as if it were their own.

"Why, under a Liberal administration, this could have paid for 500 (FIVE HUNDRED) gun registries!!!", Ignatieff said.

And that's the way the fiscal Ball bounces.

Hide The Decline

As a newbie global warming believer and Al Gore's biggest fan, I find this video disgusting. All right-thinking people will agree. Whoever did it should be jailed along with the others David Suzuki wants jailed.

We may not be able to win the argument, but we should at least make the best of it and throw as many people in jail as we possibly can. For one thing, for every person thrown in jail and thus minimizing his CO2 footprint, our leader Al Gore can afford an upsize in his houseboat.

It's only fair.

Arizona 1, Massachusetts 0

Arizona 1, Massachusetts 0.

Wearing "Mexican costume" was the police's first clue.

But, for the citizens of the great state of Massachusetts, whether the drunk driver was an illegal immigrant is a matter of complete indifference. The State Police are staffed by a crew of Sgt. Shultzes.

h/t Kathy Shaidle.

I Am So Not LOST

I don't watch shows on TV any more. Can't stomach commercial interruptions or waiting to see the next episode. I like DVD sets. I like subtitles. But, I can wait. I hear LOST is a great TV series. Don't know. Have never seen an episode. But, now that it's over, I may buy the DVD set when the series set comes out.

Let me know if you think I'll like it.

But please don't give away the plot or the ending.

And that's the way the Ball waits to bounce.

PS -- Right now, we're watching Numb3rs, recommended by a Christian professor.

Razing Arizona

All right-thinking persons oppose the Arizona anti-illegal immigration law. Obama opposes it. His staff oppose it. San Diego, LA, and San Francisco oppose it. Those on the left oppose it. Liberals oppose it. Democrats oppose it. Hispanics oppose it. The media cheers them on -- they oppose it.

So, listen up. Before you criticize the Arizona statute, please answer these two questions.

One. How does the Arizona law differ from California's? (What makes Arizona's unacceptable and California's OK?)

Two. Why do you oppose Arizona's laws -- and urge a boycott of Arizona, but do not oppose Mexico's (nor urge a boycott)? How are Mexico's immigration laws just and fair and Arizona's unjust and unfair?

I suggest that unless and until a person can answer these two questions they have no business criticizing, let alone urging the boycott of, Arizona.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

A Solution to Arizona's Problems

Clearly the solution is for Arizona to align its laws and policies with those of Mexico, as the Wintery Knight suggests.

In fact, why not make the new motto of the US, "If it's good enough for Mexico, it's good enough for us"?

Guess Who?

Read this, and guess which state came up with this bigoted, anti-immigrant law.

Every law enforcement agency in [this State] shall fully cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service regarding any person who is arrested if he or she is suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.

(b) With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, every [State] law enforcement agency shall do the following:

(1) Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent resident, an alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time or as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of immigration laws.

The verification process may include, but shall not be limited to, questioning the person regarding his or her date and place of birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding documentation to indicate his or her legal status.

I suggest we boycott this state, not for this law, but for its sheer and utter hypocrisy.

Source: Moonbattery.

Toronto Woman Sues Rogers After Her Hair Is Exposed

OK. The headline actually should say Affair, not Hair. My bad. But, hair makes as much sense.

A Toronto woman says sloppy billing practices by Rogers [a Canadian wireless company] led to her husband discovering her extramarital affair. The husband has up and went.

The woman is suing Rogers for $600,000 for invasion of privacy, breach of contract, and for, well, ruining her adulterous life.

I think the woman should get her $600,000 from Rogers. I really do. Fair's fair's fair.

But, then she should be required to give the $600,000 to her husband for her cheatin' ways. Then, the husband should be required to give the $600,000 to Rogers for revealing the adultery.

Is this a brilliant solution or what -- everybody gets $600,000 -- I should work for Obama!

And that's the way the razor-sharp Ball bounces.

I'm Boycotting the Arizona Boycott

To San Diego Tourist Board:

"We regard the decision by San Diego to boycott Arizona as arrogant, ill-willed, and punitive. Naturally, we do not want to be associated with such a decision. Therefore, we are canceling our plans to take a cruise from/to your beautiful city, and will be spending our money enjoying Arizona instead.

Since you yourself are into boycotting, you should understand our thinking, and, I trust, approve of our decision."

PS -- If you really want to consider a principled boycott, you might consider boycotting goods from China, which has a demonstrably worse human rights record than your friends to the east.

Toyota Customer Service

"Thank you for updating your Club Toyota customer profile with Toyota Canada.

Please note that it may take up to five days for your changes to be reflected on your profile."

No problem at all. I'll just make a note to myself to check back in, oh, FIVE DAYS, to see if the address change has kicked in. Toyota: moving at the speed of sand.

America, Meet Zimbabwe

"... U.S. law... limits energy companies' liability for lost business and local tax revenues from oil spills to US$75-million.

"President Barack Obama's administration would like to raise the cap retroactively."

I'm sure they would. And I would like to retroactively charge all my clients more for my past services, and retroactively pay less for the coffee maker I bought last week.

Doing this would make the US resemble a dysfunctional African state, where they change the rules at whim and capital flees (and then they blame the West for abandoning them). They did this with the GM bailout by arbitrarily favoring the unions at the expense of legitimate, legal, shareholders' rights; they did this again when they ordered judges to ignore legal mortgage contracts and reinterpret the contracts to favor the delinquent homeowners, and now they're at it again.

The sanctity of contracts and rule of law are foundations of modern prosperity. The Obama admin appears to have no moral grounding or core; they seem driven by a distain for law and our western heritage in favor of political or perhaps even personal expediency.

And that's the way the Sunday evening late Ball bounces.

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=3035488#ixzz0o9jZ5d4p

My Comments Are Of Great Importance to Air Miles -- I'm A SOMEBODY!!!!!

"Thank you for taking the time to write us.

"Your comments are of great importance to us, as it [sic] assists us in creating the best possible experience for you.

"Your email will be placed in priority sequence and a personalized reply will be on its way within 3-5 business days.

"Have a great day!

"AIR MILES Reward Program

"(Thank you for not replying to this e-mail.)"

* * *

[This after I tried FOUR (4) times to update my address. I finally figured out they don't like Safari and apparently can't be bothered letting customers know. Instead, in the name of the best possible customer experience, we get to bang our head against the wall.]

I'm Boycotting BP

On the route north from Phoenix, we had the chance to fill-up at BP. I chose another gas station.

I'm boycotting BP.

Why?

It's not because of the oil spill. Any oil company can have an oil spill and must be held accountable for it.

No, it's because of the sheer and utter hypocrisy of the company.

For years now I've been bombarded on international trips with advertising from BP -- billboards, magazines... BP is Beyond Petroleum. It's wind energy. It's solar energy. It's alternative fuel sources. We are the environmentally-friendly oil company. Flowers growing in the sun. Have a nice day. In other words, their ads were never about their product, never about how good their gas was, never about the hard work that goes into searching for oil, getting it out of the ground, refining it, shipping it, and getting it to your car; they were always nothing more than image, image, image, aimed at pandering to the environmentalist cause.

So, for the sheer hubris and hypocrisy of this company, I'm boycotting them.

I've heard that BP lobbied against further safety laws on oil rigs. Don't know if this is true, but, if it is, then their hypocrisy is Beyond Preposterous.

And that's the way the Gulf oil petroleum Ball bounces.

The NYT Jumps the Shark

With this headline the New York Times has officially and irrevocably jumped the shark.

"Odd Smells in New Orleans"

Odd smells in New Orleans? Hello?! New Orleans is, by definition, odd smells.

This is like a headline that reads "Traffic in New York City".

Speaking of NOLA smells, the beignets at Cafe Du Monde are one of the nicer smells, not to mention flavours, of New Orleans.

Road Trip!™ -- Phoenix to Toronto *Updated*

Sunday - Phoenix, Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Stayed at Sheraton - Priceline $50++. Second breakfast at Susie's, Route 66 Holbrook Arizona -- delicious pancakes -- two syrupy thumbs up!!!

Monday - Albuquerque - Amarillo, Texas. Side-trip up to Santa Fe. Breakfast at the historic La Fonda hotel. Stayed at Holiday Inn - Priceline $40++. Ate at the Big Texan in Amarillo. Had a Rib-Eye. Delicious! Two greasy thumbs up! Meat Is Good!™.

Tuesday - Amarillo - Tulsa, OK. Stayed at the Hilton - Priceline $60++. Ate with friends Jeff and Gail Monroe at Charleston's. Had the Prime Rib (end-cut). Great hot horseradish! Had a Key Lime Pie -- Delicious! Two whipped cream thumbs up! Key Limes are Good!™.

Wednesday - Tulsa - Missouri - Illinois - Terre Haute, Indiana. Staying at the Pear Tree by Drury Inn. Used a travel coupon. About $50. Ate lunch at Lambert's -- Home of the Throwed Rolls in Ozark, MO. Had a pulled pork sandwich -- the best ever! Two BBQ sauce thumbs up! Bought a mug and "train whistle" -- whatever that is.

Thursday - Terre Haute - Toronto. Safe Arrival. Thank the Lord. Lunch at Bob Evans in Port Huron -- one last taste of America before crossing into Timbitlandistan. Biscuits and gravy, two fried eggs over medium on the side... D-Licious! Two sausage gravy thumbs up!

Friday - Toronto. Hit the scales this morning. Can't imagine how I could have gained five pounds!

And that's the way the ballooning Ball bounces.

Shocking Environmental News

This is (to borrow a line from the Iggster) big!!!!

The bombshell lead-off sentence:

"One third of plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction, a UN report is expected to conclude this week."

What makes this big and shocking is this: global warming is not being blamed!!!!!!!

It's like global warming scare headlines have been number one on the environmental hit parade for the past, like, 108 months, and all of a sudden they've been bumped by something else. What is it? "The developing world's appetite for raw materials, population growth, pollution and the spread of Western-style consumption ". In a word, human prosperity.

Some of the key scary points designed to scare us scared:

* “The magnitude of the damage to ecosystems is Much Bigger Than Previously Thought™ (how many times have we heard this!)

* The rate of extinction is currently running at 1,000 times the natural historical background rate of extinction.” (Yikes!)

* If the 9 billion people predicted to be with us by 2050 were to have the same lifestyle as Americans, we would need five planets.”

Five planets -- yikes, and the only one we've got is already doomed by AGW. This is Scary Times Five!!!!!

Just imagine how scary it's going to be when someone at the UN gets the bright idea of combining this scare with the AGW scare:

"Increased consumption will kill off 1/3 of all species; AGW will knock off the rest, says UN"

You read it here first.

And that's the way the doomsday Ball bounces.

Quebec wants recognition as a nation: poll

Quebec wants to be recognized as a nation. Great. For starters, you might start by paying your own

way. Paying back the endless annual subsidies you've received from Canada would be a great way of showing your sincerity. Nothing says nation state like standing on your own feet and paying your own way. Once you do, we'll recognize you as a nation. Until then --

You say you want to be a nation

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

You tell me that it's evolution

Well, you know

We all want to change the world

But when you talk about a subs-i-dy

Don't you know you shouldn't count on me

Don't you know it's gonna be all right

all right, all right

You say you got a real solution

Well, you know

We'd all love to see the plan

You ask me for a contribution

Well, you know

You should be doin' what you can

But when you want money

and independent state

All I can tell is you'll have to wait

Don't you know it's gonna be all right

all right, all right

Ah

ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...

You say you'll change the constitution

Well, you know

We all want to change your head

You tell me it's the institution

Well, you know

You better pay your way instead

But if you go carrying pictures of R. Leveque

You ain't going to make it with those outside Quebec

Don't you know it's gonna be all right

all right, all right

all right, all right, all right

all right, all right, all right

Pop Goes the Iggy

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff criticized government funding cuts to women's groups, saying the government is trying to bully and bankrupt its critics.

Saith Iggy: "This is a big issue here. It is about whether the government respects democracy".

Two things.

First, when a politician has to say, "this is a big issue here", it has a whiff of desperation to it. It reeks of "pay attention to me, to ME!".

Second, if the only way a government can show that it respects democracy is to use taxpayer funds to prop up select, ideological advocacy groups, I say two things. 2.1: count me out. Or, barring that, 2.2, count me in. Show that you respect democracy by sending me money.

If you don't give me money, you're against democracy.

That is what you are saying, isn't it, Iggy-Pop?

If and when the Liberals get re-elected, I'll have cap in hand ready for my democracy-affirming handout.

And that's the way the not-taxpayer-subsidized Ball bounces.

Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/05/06/tasha-kheiriddin-stephen-harper-woman-hater.aspx#ixzz0nHOhN9XJ

New Eco Scare

The AGW alarmist movement/cult is like the twinning of Jerry Seinfeld's "I'm Telling You For the Last Time" tour with Bill Murray's Groundhog Day. Call it the perpetual "We're Warning You For the Last Time" tour. The one-last-chance to act warnings just never stop. Please, I've ignored the one-last-chance warnings repeatedly. Let's just get on with annihilation or armageddon or whatever, and get it over with.

The latest scare is like Cherry Coke. Coke alone (AGW) won't cut it any longer; we have to give the public a new thrill, take it to a new level, so now it's AGW-Plus™. Sure, we're still all doomed by AGW, but now its the bio-diversity threat too:

"Facing what many scientists say is the sixth mass extinction in half-a-billion years, our planet urgently needs a "bailout plan" to protect its biodiversity, a top conservation group said Thursday."

"Discussions will cover... the impact of climate change, biofuels and invasive species, said the IUCN, a key partner in the deliberations."

So, it's AGW, biofuels, and invasive species all rolled into one big threat package. That's AGW Reloaded, or something.

Here's the Groundhog Day money quote:

"This year we have a one-off opportunity* to really bring home to the world the importance of the need to save nature for all life on Earth," said Jane Smart, head of the IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group."

*How many times have we heard this?

And this:

"If we don't come up with a big plan now, the planet will not survive*," she said.

*And this?

According to the article, the IUCN draws together more than 1,000 government and NGO organisations, and 11,000 volunteer scientists from about 160 countries.

And they're all clamoring for funding.

Now THAT's scary.

And that's the way the small-footed, eco-friendly, non-invasive Ball bounces.

(Actually, I'm a Big Foot -- size 14.)

I'm An Addict, Help!

This is the voice of reason speaking. The settled science remains settled, and irrefutably unrefutable.

And those irrational deniers who irrationally deny it are nothing more than brain-addled carbon addicts.

I admit it. I'm an addict. A carbon addict. Unlike Todd...

I.

Drove.

My.

Car.

Today.

I'm so ashamed! Help me!

Oh, it wasn't always this way...

When I was younger, so much younger than today,

I never needed fossil fuel's help in anyway.

But now those days are gone, I'm not so self assured,

Find I went and bought a car and opened up its doors.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down

And there's so much CO2 I'm spreadin' 'round.

Help me get my feet back on the ground,

Won't you please, please help me?

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,

My CO2 dependency grows thicker in the haze.

Yet every now and then I feel so insecure,

I know that I just need a car, like I've never done before.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down

And there's so much CO2 I'm spreadin' 'round.

Help me get my feet back on the ground,

Won't you please, please help me?

Help me,

Help me,

Ooooooo.

And that's the way the carbon-belching, planet-destroying, car-drivin', western-way-of-life-lovin' Ball bounces.