Hope this photo comes through. During the playing of 'The Star Spangled Banner', the Bald Eagle, Challenger, flew in from the camera tower in center field at the College World Series in Omaha. He flew swiftly toward his trainer on the mound, then circled slowly around 2d base before coming in for a landing. Glorious.  

My son boldly predicts one of the teams in the championship series of the CWS a day before the tourney started. Great fun, in and out of Rosenblatt Stadium, come to the College World Series if ever you get the chance. 

Contest the Absurd.

Why go to the trouble ??

The uncontested absurdities of today
are the accepted
slogans of tomorrow.

They come to be accepted
by degrees,
by precedent,
by implication,
by erosion,
by default,
by dint of constant pressure on one side
and constant retreat on the other
- until the day when
they are suddenly declared
to be the country's official ideology.

~ Ayn Rand

The House votes on the
Marriage Protection Amendment next month.
Let your Congressman hear from you.

Contest the absurd 'expansion' of the
definition of marriage that judges have
created.

Why I Love 'Best of the web'...

..Because, out of all the headlines, in all the papers ,

James Taranto finds ones like these:

'This Isn't a Truly Diverse Place, Not for Hildabeasts'
"College Votes to Let In Male 'Hildabeasts' "--headline, Guardian (London), June 8

Is There a Doctor in the House?
"Health Status of Ill. Politician Unknown"--headline, Associated Press, June 7

Then Again, They May Be Dead
"Fossil Mounds May Be Oldest Life on Earth"--headline, CNN.com, June 7

You Thought It Was Supposed to Say 'Thou Shalt Now Commit Adultery'?
"Panel Edits Ten Commandments"--headline, Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), June 7

Must've Been Pretty Wrinkled
"Gonzalez Backers Press Suit After 6 Years"--headline, Associated Press, June 7

That's a Lot to Drink
"Two Stranded Near Mathers Gorge on Potomac"--headline, WRC-TV Web site (Washington), June 7

Bad News for Chile First Lady
"Honeymoon May Be Over for Chile President"--headline, Associated Press, June 6

Where's Don Quixote When You Need Him?
"Residents Debate Windmills on Great Lakes"--headline, Associated Press, June 6

It's Bush's Fault!
"Hurricanes Delete Fate From Cup Equation"--headline, USA Today, June 7

What Would Heroin Users Do Without Drug Experts?
"Drug Experts Advise Extra Precautions in Heroin Use"--headline, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 6

Why Not Just Go Cold Turkey?
"Bush Admin. Wants to Cut Meth Use 15 Pct."--headline, Associated Press, June 1

Next Reuters Exposé: Check Not Always in Mail
"Virginity Pledgers Often Dishonest About Past"--headline, Reuters, June 1

South Vietnam and East Germany Are Back!
"Nations Split at AIDS Meeting"--headline, Thanh Nien News (Vietnam), June 2

'They Don't Take American Express'
"Songwriter Charged With Growing Pot"--headline, Associated Press, June 1

A Good Reason to Move to the Suburbs
"Nicole Kidman's Urban Sex Ban"--headline, BANG Showbiz, June 1

What Would Earth Do Without JAXA?
"JAXA: Small Asteroids Not as Threatening to Earth"--healdine, CNN.com, June 2

Cliff Was Pretty Relieved Too
"Brooklyn Woman Rescued After 24 Hours on Cliff"--headline, WNBC-TV Web site (New York), June 2

Thanks for the Tip!--LXXVII
"Health Tip: Save Your Feet From Blisters"--headline, HealthDayNews, June 2

'Win One for the Zipper'
"Clinton's Visit to Put Zip in Dems' Fundraising Plans"--headline, Denver Post, June 7

Say... WHAT!!!

I know this joke has made the rounds,
I can't resist re-telling it...

After getting nailed by a 500lb bomb,
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi made his way to the pearly gates.
There, he is greeted by George Washington.
"How dare you attack sons of the nation I helped conceive!"
yells Mr. Washington, slapping Zarqi in the face.

Patrick Henry comes up from behind.
"You wanted to end liberty,
so the Americans gave you death!"
Henry punches him on the nose.

James Madison comes up next, and says
"This is why I allowed the Federal government
to provide for the common defense!"
He drops a large weight on al-Zarqawi's knee.

al-Zarqawi is subject to similar beatings from John Randolph,
James Monroe, and 65 other people who have the same love
for liberty and America.

As he writhes on the ground, Thomas Jefferson
picks him up to hurl him back toward the gate
where he is to be judged.

As al-Zarqawi awaits his journey
to his final very hot destination, he screams :
"This is not what I was promised!"

An angel replies:
"Abu, I told you there would be
72 Virginians waiting for you, idiot.
What did you think I said?



.
.
.
Proper credit to these folks.

Errr, Mr Pharmacist, do you have one that doesn't trigger any symptoms of Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia ???  

Got Phobia?

So then 668 is - Neighbor of the beast.
Was June 6th ,666 the 'Yahtzee' of the beast?

Amazing how many people are fixated on 666.
There are pages and pages of google links to the
Roman numeral and Binary number that equal 666.
Many are tshirt sellers and garage quality rock bands,
lots of people apparantly wish to identify themselves with the beast,
reminds me of the folks with large tats and extreme piercings
whose sense of self worth is directly proportional to the number
of little old ladies and milquetoasts they intimidate.

That the calendar says 6 6 6 ,
or the total at the register is $6.66,
or your cough syrup brand is 666
is meaningless.
Never the less, there IS signifigance in the Number,
the Mark, and the Image of the Beast,
and Revelation is the only book of the Bible
that pronounces a blessing on its readers,
so read it for yourself.

Of the opinions on the meaning of '666' recapped here,
this seemed the least speculative:

"I confess that I don't know what this number means.
I am certain, however, that there are more than 666 interpretations.
Everyone seems to have an opinion. Since God doesn't explain the meaning,
apparently it's not important for us to know....
...The reason God gave us any information at all,
I believe, is so that believers alive in that day will
have a clear identifying sign that the one in world power
is Satan's masterpiece."
(J. Dwight Pentecost, Prophecy for Today, 1961, p.114)

PS
This may not post till the 7th...
Superstition? ...BUZZZZZZ.
Conspiracy? ...BUZZZZZZ.
World Dominion? ...BUZZZZZZ.
Slow Inarticulate Writer? DING !!