Mt. Soledad cross stays put

Great news!

A controversial cross on Mt. Soledad in San Diego can stay as part of a federally owned war memorial, a federal judge ruled.

"The court finds the memorial at Mt. Soledad, including its Latin cross, communicates the primarily nonreligious messages of military service, death and sacrifice," wrote U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns in his decision filed Tuesday. "As such, despite its location on public land, the memorial is constitutional."

This case was ridiculous from day one. The cross had stood there not offending anyone for decades. Then some nut with a chip on his shoulder against Christianity comes along and decides that the cross somehow infringed upon his rights, even though the most effect that it had or ever would have on him was probably gravitational in nature. No law was passed by this cross establishing a state religion. The cross was not forcing him to follow any religion. It was just a cross standing on a hill as a memorial to people who died protecting this country. And that's all it will ever be.

It's a boy!

Yep, we're having another boy. The baby was in the perfect position and the ultrasound absolutely confirmed it. My first son and daughter are pretty excited. When I asked my daughter if she'd have been happier if she were getting a little sister, she said she'd be happy if it was a boy or a girl. Pretty mature of her!

Mom's doing great. Little guy's been kicking her like crazy. I was already guessing it was going to be a boy and if we hadn't found out, all this kicking would've solidified my guess. My first son was a kicker like that, but not my daughter.

As always, click to enlarge.









(Sorry about procrastinating in putting these pics up. I've no excuse. It's not like it's hard to do.)

I felt my baby kick tonight!!!

YAY!!! Praise the Lord! Been trying to feel the kicks for a couple weeks now. My wife's been getting kicked hard quite a bit recently and I was finally able to feel it with my hand tonight. Two real big kicks. Not so great for my wife, obviously, but there's nothing quite like being a dad and feeling those kicks for the first time.

Tomorrow we also will have the first chance to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. I'll post the results here around 11-12 hours from this post. My guess is that it's a boy because of how my wife is getting kicked. My son kicked her like that, but my daughter didn't.

Oh, and the birth date is set: November 20th.

Real life stranger than satire

You'd think this story is from the satirical Onion or something:

Toddlers who dislike spicy food 'racist'

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 10:15AM BST 07/07/2008

Toddlers who turn their noses up at spicy food from overseas could be branded racists by a Government-sponsored agency.

The National Children's Bureau, which receives £12 million a year, mainly from Government funded organisations, has issued guidance to play leaders and nursery teachers advising them to be alert for racist incidents among youngsters in their care.

This could include a child of as young as three who says "yuk" in response to being served unfamiliar foreign food.

The guidance by the NCB is designed to draw attention to potentially-racist attitudes in youngsters from a young age.

Sadly, this is from a completely non-satirical news source.

Uh, yeah. About that "quagmire..."

Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda

American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.

After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.

A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000 began on May 10.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!