The Right Spin

HOPE stands for Hospitalized Online Pediatric Environment. What they are is a group of doctors who believe that access to online gaming can help improve the quality of life of hospitalized children. For example, kids who need to be hooked up to a dialysis machine multiple times every week might benefit from being able to play games during the procedure. It will keep them occupied and they might even ask for less pain medication. The doctors behind this are currently working on gathering the hard data needed to support their idea.

Taken from their mission statement:

HOPE gives chronically ill children the opportunity to escape stresses inherent in their conditions by providing distraction through gaming and comfort via peer contact. Through our virtual world we are able to ameliorate depression, reduce perceived pain, and improve the quality of our patients’ lives.

You can learn more about this great cause at their homepage.

It seems that the recent Newsweek mess has brought forth cries of anti-Americanism and unpatriotic in the news from various sources. This isn't new, at all, but Newsweek is the most recent example of the media seemingly eager to castrate the war effort abroad rather than thinking about the needs of American citizens, here or abroad themselves, first. We've all seen the World War 2 reels praising the achievements of Allied soldiers against the Axis threat. Why don't we see something like this now? To be blunt, I cannot remember a front page news item or a top television news story that featured some piece of good news in the war on terror. Why? Are you telling me there is nothing front page worthy? Nothing? Not the rebuilding of a school or hospital? Not a soldier who risked his life to save a civilian? Heck, not even a positive story on what the soldiers' think about being there?

I'm not asking you to tout the administration line. I want you to be critical but try to balance it out a bit! We're doing a lot of good but no one is seeing it. It breaks my heart that so many in the media can hate their home so much as to make us appear as witless buffoons to the rest of the world.

Dean has his thoughts here as well as a link to a man keeping track as best he can of the good news here.

Absolutely awesome!

Two more added to the blogroll:

Murdoc Online

Right Wing News

I'll be sure to steal great posts and make them my own in the future!

Frank J. lets us know of a friend fighting the good fight in Iraq. They hit it big with some intelligence finds, a weapon cache and getting a bad guy from the deck 'o cards. Unfortunately a soldier under his command got hurt and is now in the U.S. getting medical care. Keep them all in your prayers.

The fight between Republicans and Democrats inflamed passions to the point where Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, the third ranking Republican, drew parallels between the "hubris" of Democrats and that of German dictator Adolf Hitler

Quoted from this article.

There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be using language like this about anyone who hasn't done anything short of killing 6 million people. This should be strongly condemned by every standing Republican and I'm hoping it is. Remarks like this do nothing to bring people to your side and only alienate those who are normally sympathetic to it. Democrats may be acting like spoiled children because they can't get their way but Republicans aren't above it either when they're annoyed. So, let's stop with the ignorant insults and let's go on with being adults.

Looks like Antarctica has put on some weight! 45 billion tons of ice to be exact. Enough to slow the annual rising of the oceans by 0.12 millimeters per year. Well, good for her. I'm glad to see the lass up on her feet again.

However, global warming proponents, not to be outshone by this upstart continent, warn that this thickening is nothing more than a weather variation. Well, humbug. Here I was hoping my grandchildren wouldn't have to call Nevada beachfront property. Damn you America!

Or, more realistically, the whole thing is a cycle. A cycle which up until this point we've not been able to really measure. Glaciers melt due to rising temperatures because of the lack of moisture in the air. As they melt this adds moisture into the air, bringing down temperatures, and causing an accumulation of ice in artic regions. Once this hits its peak, glaciers stop melting as much, temps raise and the cycle begins again. We've just happen to catch the cycle during a swelling phase. And scientists who barely understand what it is they study are too eager to effect social change than simply devote themselves to study and answer, "I don't know," when asked a question. They don't because, "I don't know," doesn't pay the bills. They get paid to get the results whoever is paying them want. In this day it happens to be groups like the Sierra Club and other global warming tree huggers. A scientist whose results run counter to the public talking points will not find themselves employed long.

I never thought I'd be saying these words but I will be boycotting all Pepsi products from henceforth. This really sucks because I prefer Pepsi over Coke. But the speech given by PepsiCo's President and CFO has made the decision quite easy for me. If she thinks America is such a terrible place then she doesn't need my ignorant American cash.

Faith is a subject that is endlessly fascinating to me. Indeed, many of my fictional writings deal with this at theri core. I suppose this is so because faith has always been a struggle for me. I believe as I do because Christianity makes sense to me. It's the only belief system (religious or secular) that I feel answers all the world's questions best. So, it's this logical deduction that keeps me to it. But I feel a lacking. It's like I'm only getting one half of the package and no matter how much I may beg I only receive silence. I hear stories of people's conversion or displays of God's power and I get angry. Since I was raised a Christian I never needed a conversion. So, I never saw the clouds part or a loving presence. I beg for something to let me know He is there and I get nothing. I talk to people, family, pastors and they always tell me, "You must be doing something wrong." "You're not going to church enough." "You're not doing this, that or the other thing..." Well, what the hell is my incentive since I can nary get a peep from Him? Am I to arbitrarily start changing things until I hit the right combination? I thought this wasn't supposed to be a works-based faith? Why do I have to complete some kind of ritual before God can pickup the phone? "He's talking to you but what you're doing isn't allowing you to hear Him." What the hell is that!? He's God, right? If I cannot hear Him how about throwing a burning bush or something my way? Worked just fine for Moses and I don't even think he was looking for a sign!

While I'm ranting, what's the deal about success and God? Why, if I'm successful, do I owe it all to God? Why can't I have just worked my ass off and got what I earned? Does that mean if I'm not successful I owe that to God as well? If I'm a complete failure can't I give that to Him as well? Why does He only get credit for our triumphs?

I suppose one could blame our failures on Satan but, "The devil made me do it," is really weak. If our actions condemn us to hell why can't our actions save us? Why can't we get credit for anything? If God cannot answer a simple prayer to reveal Himself to a servant aching for some kind of connection why the hell should I be humble and give Him credit for the success I work my ass off for?

A lake vanishes in Russia and it's America's fault. Murdock's got it right, if only we could pull of one tenth of the stuff blamed on us. I'm sure we can expect Michael Moore to present us with some stinging reporting somehow connecting this to the Bush Administration. Global warming and our obsession with SUVs may be a good place to start, Mike.

Some Jewish activists are upset about the First Lady visiting the Temple Mount as a sign of respect for the Islamic faith. To be fair to Mrs. Bush she is also visiting the Wailing Wall (Western Wall or Kotel) and a church in Jericho as signs of respect to Judaism and Christianity respectively. The problems Jewish activists have are twofold.

1. The Western Wall is part of a retaining wall for the Temple Mount which is build upon the location of the first and second Temple. This makes it the holiest site in Judaism. Whereas the Temple Mount is only the 3rd holiest site in Islam.

2. This site exists within the borders of Israel but is almost exclusively controlled by Muslims. Indeed they regulate how many Christians and Jews may enter and have strict rules for what they can and cannot do once allowed entry. Why are Jews not allowed to worship as the will at their holiest site within their own nation?

Obviously in this conflict I come out on side of Israel for every reason in the world. They have every right to exist and have every right to run their nation as they see fit. That terrorism has become such an issue there that Jews cannot worship at their holiest site for fear of offending Muslims is absurd. Indeed this site didn't gain popularity in the Islamic world until the state of Israel was formed! Pre-1948 the area there was a malaria filled mess completely devoid of people. No one wanted that land and no one cared for it. It wasn't until Jews started to flock there and began to irrigate and cultivate the land did Muslims suddenly become interested again. It officially becoming a state in 1948 was the last straw. Only then, all of a sudden, did the Temple Mount become important. Previous to that no one visited or made pilgrimages. No one cared! But like a spoiled child, once Muslims saw their Jewish brothers turn a wasteland into a fertile paradise did they yell foul.

The Temple Mount is only important to Islam so long as Jews hold a claim to the same land. Since they cannot push Israel into the sea (thus greatly increasing the GDP of the sea) they'll take any piece of land from them they can.

I'm sorry so few know this but the Palestinian people already have a state, and Ariel Sharon mentioned this while fielding questions from reporters a few years back. "Don't you think Palestinians should have their own state?" they asked. "They already do," he answered, "Jordan." And that's absolutely true! The same plan that drew the 1948 borders for Israel also drew the borders for Jordan. Except, no one wants to talk about that. And no one also wants to talk about the fact the the Arab world looks down upon Palestinians as their version of the red-neck (actually it's worse than that). They're only using the situation to strike back at Israel. If they cared about their Palestinian brothers so much why doesn't one of them offer to take them in instead of keeping them living in squalor? Israel is the size of a matchbook in a football stadium when compared to the size of the Middle East. All that room and no one is willing to open their arms to these poor Palestinians? Please note the sarcasm: The Palestinians brought this upon themselves. They betrayed Israel and are now pissed that Israel won't let them back it. Too damn bad.