Law Books, Singer Kooks, and Other News

Hello all!

Law Books:
We went up to my Grandparents on Sunday and they had a surpise for me! Grandma had found some 1921 Oklahoma law books that belonged to my great-greatdad and she wanted to pass them on to me! I was overjoyed! These books are really cool, they have every Oklahoma state law from 1907 (when Oklahoma became a state) to 1921. Now, just to make that date seem a little more real, that was almost 20 years before World War I! It is interesting to look at the pay scale for public servants, a judge made an annual salery of $1500. That's almost $4.11 a day! Not hour, day. Inflation must not have been nearly as high as it is now. But, anyway on with the news!

Singer Kooks:

And now our main story from ABC News, Spunky Homeschool, and Agent Tim Online.

Before I go into details, I want to supply you with the definition of the word "kook".

"kook": is a pejorative term for a person who writes or speaks in an authoritative fashion about a particular subject, often in science, but is alleged to have false or even ludicrous beliefs.)

With that definition in mind, here in brief, is the story.

Two white young female singers are pushing a message of hate for all other races except whites.
The reason this is even here is because these singers happen to be homeschooled.

As my family and I have discovered, just because a family says their homeschoolers does not mean that they are Christians, it just means that they for some reason or another have pulled their children from the public education system. In this case, the mother of these girls has pulled her girls to indoctrinate them with hate for all other races other then whites. A majority of homeschoolers take their children out of public school for the right reasons, to instill in their children a godly Christian worldview which they feel cannot be obtained at the local public school. However, every so often a story like this hits the airwaves and sends shocks through the Christian homeschooling community because it gives many people the only news they will ever hear about homeschoolers, the false news that all homeschoolers are white racists, child abusers or worse.

This lie is quickly countered if you take a look through the blogosphere. The great majority of homeschoolers are growing Christians who take pride in their country and believe that what a man does shows what he stands for, not the color of his skin.

So let the light shine, as they say, "there is a bad apple in every barrel", and this family is one of those.

Other News:
Square Talk Radio is up!

Pete's Place has a interesting article written by Robert Bork about the Miers nomination.

Calling all debaters! I would like to draw your attention to a gun control debate currently raging over at Sold Out. Click here to view debate. (Calling SecDef?)

Hurricane Wilma leave 6 Million without power

That's all for now!
Travis

Around the Blogosphere

Just a quick post of subjects of interest here in cyberspace.

Virtue Magazine is up.

Square Talk Radio should be up sometime tomorrow.

Apparently I have been nominated for the Blog of the Year Award over at the King's Highway. It you should like to vote please head over there and give it a spin! Thanks a lot MVB!

Also, David Ketter emailed me to let me know that the 2006 Evangelical Blog Awards are up over at EricRagle.com. I was blessed to be the runner up for Best Evangelical Teen blog last year and I bet there will be many cool blogs for your viewing pleasure. Please give it a view.

That's all for now, I hope to be blogging more in these coming days.

Travis

Christian Persecution

Hey guys,

I just got this story for Newsmax.com, have a look.

Damare, a small Sudanese boy, was taken as a slave and forced to tend camels after his village was attacked by radical Muslims. One day Damare, who had been raised in a Christian home, snuck away from his master to attend a church service. When he returned, his Muslim master was waiting for him and accused of committing a deadly act, "meeting with infidels." The master then dragged Damare into a field where he nailed his feet and knees into a large board while the boy cried out in agony.

Damare was miraculously rescued and has told The Voice of the Martyrs that just as Jesus was nailed and forgave, he forgives also. What bold faith from a simple Sudanese boy!
Damare is not alone in the persecution he has endured. The Muslim government of Khartoum in the North has declared a jihad, or holy war, against the mostly Christian South. Omar Hassan al-Turabi, an Islamic leader, has stated that anyone who opposes Islam "has no future." Since 1985, approximately two million have perished due to the genocide. Families in the South are terrorized-fathers killed, mothers raped, and children sold into slavery. Yet in the midst of these atrocities, the Christians in Sudan remains strong, worshiping their Savior and leading others to Him.

Damare has now received some assistance from workers with The Voice of the Martyrs. His wounds are still open and additional medical attention as well as some rehabilitation is still needed. (VOM is looking into further assistance.)

Voice of the Martyrs Homepage

PersecutionBlog.com

(Excellent post here here.)
(Quick quote: Worldwide it is believed that more believers were martyred in the last century than during the previous 1900 years of Christian history...But one place this slaughter has never occurred is in the United States. Please read)

Comments on Main Story:
Wow, I can help but wonder is there anyway to stop this injustice? Whenever I hear I story like this the first thing that seems to come to my mind is how can this be stopped. Maybe that's just how I am geared up. What can be done to free these innocent people from tyranny? Let have a look.

The first thing we should know is that all true Christians will be persecuted.

2 Tim 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

However that does not mean we should not defend and help these fellow Christians. In fact we are commanded to.

Prov 31:8 Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate.
Prov 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

What kind of evil are we to look out for?

Ps 94:21 They(evil persons) band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death.

Is 59:7 Their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, Devastation and destruction are in their highways.

I can't help but wonder is there anyway we could help the largely Christian southern part of Sudan to raise up and overthrow their oppressors? What do you think? Is it the part of one nation with great power to defend the righteous people throughout the world?

Luke 12:48b ...From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

It seems that we are continually playing the worlds policeman these days, but I wonder, is that just the price of being a superpower at this time? What do you think?

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Busy Day

Hey guys,

Today has been busy with school and more school, so I thought I would take a bit of time to write an update over here. Tonight we will be recording the 4th edition of Square Talk Radio on the issue of government spending. I look forward to that issue. Also Virtue magazine should come out here pretty soon.

I hope to be able to publish more soon.

Travis

Scouting the News and the Views of the Blogosphere

Hello everyone!

I must apologize for my resent absence from the blogosphere. Life caught up to me and seemed to take over my blogging time slot, but now I am back at the blogging controls!

News and a new blogger!

I have an intorduction to make, my good friend and fellow Eagle Scout, Taylor has started a blog called Reliable Politics. Please stop by and check him out!

Also, The King's Highway has a really cool contest going right now called the "Blog of the Year Award" Please stop by and cast your vote! Great idea MVB!

I got Age of Empires III yesterday! It is the most incredible game I think I have ever played! It is truly awesome! Please check out Knights of Valor for other AoE updates.

Also, here are some national news stories, I found interesting.

Senators want more on Miers, who vows to try

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Miers has taken the most extreme position of anyone I have ever known on abortion, assuming she believes that there ought to be a constitutional ban on abortion which would make it a crime except if a womans life is at stake.

Sweet!

This is the kind of thing that makes me think that Miers could be a good justice. We will just have to see what happens. I like the fact that she stated that she is/was pro-life some 20 years ago on a survey. I hope she proves to be the kind of pro-life strict constitutionalist justice we need on the bench.

Extremely dangerous Wilma batters Cancun
Comments: Is there anything Congress could do to forbid hurricanes from striking our coastlines until AFTER we get the last one cleaned up? Shesh. All kidding aside, how many hurricanes does this make this year? Five? Six? I have lost count. There is going to have to be some kind of life change for coast dwellers if this keeps up.

Congress gives gun industry a lawsuit shield

Comments: Good. They needed such a thing. I am tired of people people suing gun companies for murders that some robber committed. Assault weapons and other such is another topic, but I believe that people are responsible for their actions when using a firearm, not a gun company.

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Hey Guys!

Today, from the look of it is going to be a busy day. My sister and I have a science lab in town this morning and no telling what after that. However, I should like to supply you with some links for your viewing pleasure.

Square Talk Radio has launched an new episode just about blogging!
With two guests on the air, a special announcement, and a visit from Jake you won't want to miss this new show!

I have been playing around with the Knights of Valor site and have added two cool pictures to the site. Please stop by and have a look, I think you will like them!

Also, SecDef offered his thoughts about Harriet Miers. He has a very well taken point. I am impressed by his arguments. This has caused me to rethink my stance on Miers. I will have to give it some thought.

That's all for now!
Have a good day all!
Travis

Saturday Afternoon Post

Hey guys!

We are having a garage sale today and I just sold a computer game! *grin*
In other news today:

We the members of Square Talk are planning to tape a new edition tonight about blogging! With a surprise special guest! Coming soon to a server near you.

Also, look for my latest post over at The Knights of Valor.

That's all for now!

Travis

Age of Empires III

Hey guys!

This is another slight departure from my normal politic'in, but I'd like to do it anyway. *grin*

As some of you know, the world famous Age of Empires series is launching its newest addition to the family, Age of Empires III, in 4 short days. For some time, I have thought it would be great fun to have a Christian Age of Empires Clan, where Christians could get together and enjoy this great game. On that note, may I unveil, the The Knights of Valor, THE place for Christian AoE gamers. We have about 6-8 members and would welcome many more. We hope to try out some clan vs. Clan gameplay as well as continuing our ranking system. I have recently downloaded the Age of Empires Fan Site Kit and hope to add some cool stuff over there soon.

Have a great day everybody!

Travis

Quick Commentary

Hey Guys,

A really quick post for now, today looks like it may be a very busy, so here are some hurried links for your viewing pleasure.

How Harriet Unleashed a Storm on the Right

Blessed are the meek - Includes a profile of Miers

ConfirmThem.com continues to provide good commentary

TTFN - Ta Ta For Now!

Travis

A Few Miers Toons

Have a look! I really like the second one down.
~Travis

A Timely Response

Hey guys,

This is going to be a little off my usual posting subjects so please bear with me.

I was over at To Give an Answer last night where I found this article from the London Times. This article sights various polls and data to conclude that "religious" nations such as the United States have worse rates of "social ills"(teenage pregnancy, crime rates, abortion, and STD infection, etc.) then more secular nations like the UK. Please give this article a quick read and then come back.

Startling, is it not? Why would a nation with more people who claim to be Christian, have greater amounts of sin acting within those same people? Let's have a look.

What is the first thing you must do to come to Christ? Your eyes must be opened to the fear of the Lord.

Prov 1:7 ¶ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

What is the fear of the Lord?

Prov 8:13a "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;

When a sinner learns that there is a God out there and he punishes sinners with burning death forever, if that sinner receives that truth, he will become fearful of the Lord's wrath. Then he will come to hate the sin that condemns him to eternal destruction. He will reads verses like:

Jer 15:7 "I will winnow them with a winnowing fork At the gates of the land; I will bereave {them} of children, I will destroy My people; They did not repent of their ways.

He fights against that sin alone but to no avail.

Gal 2:21 "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness {comes} through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

This increases his terror of judgment. He cries out to the Lord saying "Lord, let me turn from my wicked ways!" "Change me, oh God, who is my hope!" He expresses his hate for his sin and his utter rejection of it, he seeks the Lord's help, he humbles himself. He is repenting.

Repentance - a change of mental and spiritual habit respecting sin, involving a hatred of and sorrow because of it, and a genuine abandonment of it in conduct of life.

James 4:6b "..."God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Now, with his heart crying out to God in humility, the Lord gives him grace and forgiveness. and says:

Ezek 18:31 "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel?
Ezek 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord GOD. "Therefore, repent and live."

Grace - the gift of God inhering in the soul, by which men are enabled to perform righteous acts.

He is now free from the bonds of sin that once bound him! He now seeks the Lord through His Holy Word, the Bible. He must know how the Lord who freed him wants him to stay free. He goes to a well-meaning local church, where after a week or two of attendance, he finds that the pastors daughter has had a child out of wedlock. He questions a member of the church asking how this could be allowed within the church. The church goer replies; "Well, nobody's perfect. Its a good thing she got saved back in '99" The man asks "How can she be living under the Lords protection and still be practicing these things?" "The Lord speaks very strongly against such activities." "Look mister, the church goer replys, "At least she is going to heaven, no one can go a day with out sin anyway." The man returns home in shock at what he has seen and heard. Is it true that no man can stop sinning and all you must do is be covered by this "grace" yet, continue in sin?
He returns home and begins to study his Bible in great depth. One day while reading through Romans, (one of the things he had heard in that church was the Romans road to salvation) he goes past the verses the church gave him and reads on into chapter 12. Four verses seem to jump out at him,

Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Rom 12:9 ¶ {Let} love {be} without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

and

Rom 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

Ah ha! He says to himself. They didn't read far enough. The "Roman's Road" goes on a bit farther than they thought. But, how can I be perfect? I am just a simple man.

Still thinking about that church, he flips back to a section of Luke.

Luke 12:1 Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first {of all,} "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Luke 12:2 "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Luke 12:3 "Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.
Luke 12:4 ¶ "I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.
Luke 12:5 "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

He looks for more verses on the Pharisees and finds,

Luke 11:39 But the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.

Matt 23:25 ¶ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.

Matt 23:26 "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

He says, " I understand now!" Those people back at that church look like Christians on the outside, but inside they are full of sin and unrighteousness! Well, phooy, if they messed up, what chance have I to live my life without sin as the Lord commands? Now, where was that commandment...oh here it is!

John 5:14 Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you."

Phil 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
Phil 1:10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

Col 3:5 ¶ Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
Col 3:6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
Col 3:7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
Col 3:8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, {and} abusive speech from your mouth.
Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its {evil} practices,
Col 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him

But, Lord, He said, how can I be sinless? I tried that before and I failed. Then a verse jumped out at him.

Rom 8:31 ¶ What then shall we say to these things? If God {is} for us, who {is} against us?

WOW! I see now! With the Lord on my side, I can overcome sin! What I couldn't do on my own Christ can do through me! It is possible to live without sin! One last verse caught his eye.

Phil 3:12 ¶ Not that I have already obtained {it} or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

This man, has great spiritual understanding for this day and time. How does this apply to the Times article? Let me explain.

America is full of church's, and a vast majority of our nation's population claims to be Christian, but are these people really hearing the saving true gospel that instructs a person to put away sin for good? Or are church's like the church our friend visited? A church that looks clean on the outside, but inside is dirty with sin? Are they hearing the Word when it says,

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

There should be a change in a persons life when they come to Christ. It is people like the Pharisees who give sinners reason to curse the Lord as David did in his sin with Bathseba. The true Word of God changes a persons conduct and way of life. Let's look at a person floating out in the world, they sin and they think about joining a church. But, then one day they see the pastor of the congregation in open sin. They think, "Man, that guy in into sin deeper then I am and he is supposed to be spiritual, I don't want any part of that, I can deal with sin better myself." And they become an atheist or a agnostic because of that church's hypocrisy.

This is a somber post today guys, but I feel this had to be said. If the one true church is becoming perverted in America, what hope have we for our nation?

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Scouting the News: Square Talk, Paintball, and Harriet Miers

Good morning everyone!

First up this morning is,

Harriet Miers and Square Talk Radio:
The new Square Talk Radio show is up! Listen to Alex King , Tim Sweetman and myself discuss in-depth the pros and cons of Harriet Miers nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States.
My thoughts at this point are: "She was not my first choice, but as I hear more about her personal views, the better she is sounding."

Other links below:

Half of Senate Republicans doubt Miers

Transcript: Conservatives Debate Miers' Nomination

Miers gets standing ovation at church

Judiciary committee chief decries criticism of Miers

Miers Mire From Hugh Hewitt and World Magazine



Paintball:

Just a quick personal update on me, yesterday after church about 10 of the teens all got together and played paintball! It was so much fun. One of the guys(Arron) bought a stock gun at Walmart and then upgraded it to look just like a M-16, it was incredible! And one of the other guys(Joseph) upgraded his from semi-auto to full auto(machine gun)! He can get about 13 balls a second with that thing. As I arrived and took in these things, my response was one of joy for them and slight butterflies from me. I have a $20 pump action gun which gets 4 balls a second on a good day. *weak smile* But, then Joseph was nice enough to long me his spare gun, a really nice pump with great sniper capabilities. After firing it a few rounds I knew I would enjoy using it. My strategy was to work in co-op with a gunner in a swat team like manner to make the best use of both our strenghs, accuracy and rate of fire. The greatest disadvantage to using a pump/sniper is that you can fight a gunner/semi-auto or better head to head. You have to use stealth and your accuracy to win.

The first round Donny(A nice fellow with a semi-auto) and I were in a sub-team together. At the beginning of the game we moved down the middle of the field, one of us covering the other while our partner run to a forward bunker. We started to take fire from the left, which we returned. Soon Donny landed a good shot and one of their players had been eliminated. I asked Donny to cover me while I ran across a little clearing in the woods to get to another bunker. A minute or two after I dashed into the bunker, I started to see figures in camo darting through the woods in front of me. The enemy team was counter-attacking. I ducked behind the bunker and opened fire on them. Suddenly, loads of paint begin pounding against my bunker. It was Joseph(the guy with the machine gun) and one other fellow. I called for Donny to cover me, but he didn't respond. One thought when through my head, "uh oh". Paint was hitting my bunker like there was no tomorrow when suddenly I saw the enemies flanker strafing across my field of fire. I got off about 2 shots when the incoming paint found its mark. I had been eliminated. As I was walking back I saw Donny coming back to the battleline. He told me he had run out of paint and had been forced to go back and reload. Oh dear.

The next game was probably my best, Arron(the M-16 guy) and I teamed up. Gunner and sniper working together. It was awesome! We flanked on their right side and totally demolished their flank and center. That was a awesome round.

The next round Arron, another guy and myself were flanking again when we were pinned down by Joseph! He was well dug in and was pouring out the paint. Arron and the other fellow pushed on toward the flank and I remained to cover the center and work my way to a strategic bunker. I heard Arron call that he was eliminated (gulp) so I made my move and dashed to the bunker. Donny and Joseph were slugging it out and I made it to the bunker unseen. I watched and waited. Then I made out Joseph's form as he raised out of the brush. I fired twice and he quickly ducked back behind his bunker. He then opened fire on my position and I in turn ducked. Then I waited. Joseph and Donny were still trading shots and I think Joe thought I had moved to another bunker. I raised up, was very thankful I was in full camo, and leveled my gun on a tree limb and waited. Then I saw Joe slowly raising up to get a better shot at Donny. I waited until I could see his waist above the brush then fired two shots. He spun around as the first shot sang past him, and was almost back behind his cover when my second shot caught him! Whoopee! And that was then end of that round.

Altogether, it was an incredibly fun day.

That's all for now!
The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Scouting the News

Happy Birthday!
First up today, Happy Birthday Alex and Tim! That's right SmartHomeschool and Agent Tim have been blogging for a year now! That is so cool that we all started a blog (unknowingly) within a week of each other! Truly incredible.

Virtue Magazine launched

Virtue Magazine issue 19 is up and running! Please check it out!

Rumor Debunked

Another interesting new tidbit, I have heard the rumor that at a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, President Bush said the following:

'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.' And I did. And then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq.' And I did,

This has since been proven false. Abbas calls it false as does the White House.

Harriet Miers

President Bush today gave a strong speech in support of Mrs. Miers today on his radio show.

Transcript here

Bush calls Miers a conservative nominee and asks for conservative support

Miers and a History Squinting Lefty

Hehe, this article makes me happy. The guy is obviously a lefty, but he tells us right wingers a thing or two.

"Miers, like Bush himself, is classic Texas conservative Establishment, with the addition of Christian fundamentalism. What I mean by fundamentalist is one who believes in both biblical inerrancy and salvation by faith alone."...

She is enrolled in the Valley View Christian Church of Dallas, which she attended for at least 20 years before moving to Washington five years ago. Among her fellow churchgoers was Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court, considered second only to Priscilla Owen as that court's most adamant anti-abortion judge."

Sweet! Now this guy either doesn't know his history or looks at it through left wing glasses(only sees what he wants to see) because he uses a Madison quote:

As an 1803 quote attributed to James Madison goes: ``The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.''

to back up his point. However if you look at this history a little deeper you will find that Madison is right but this fellow is wrong. The founders did not want only on Christian denomination in power at any time. They had way to much of that back in England where you were thrown in jail if you were more Protestant then the king. However they had no intention of removing Christianity from government! They only wished to see that no one denomination could run the government and persecute the other denominations. I cover this topic in-depth in my Virtue Magazine series Christianity in Government. You can find them all here.

(Also see David Bartons article on this issue here

Thats all for now!

Travis

GOP email

Here is a copied email I just received from the GOP. Have a look. In response to a comment I would like to say that I don't feel that Miers was the best choice but she might do. Or I suppose if we conservatives got REALLY mad we could reject her nomination and demand someone like Janice Rodgers Brown, Priscilla Owens or Edith Jones. That could get kinda interesting.
- The BBS

"Dear Travis,

On Monday President George W. Bush nominated Harriet Miers to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court.

Harriet Miers has a long and distinguished career as one of the foremost lawyers in the country which makes her exceptionally well qualified to serve on the United States Supreme Court. As a Justice on the Supreme Court, she will strictly interpret the Constitution and laws of the United States, not legislate from the bench.The President has once again nominated someone to the federal bench who stand strong for our shared principles. Like Chief Justice John Roberts, Harriet Miers will bring to the Supreme Court modesty, humility, and a conservative judicial philosophy.

In recent days, many conservative leaders are rallying to support her nomination.

Dr. James Dobson:
"We welcome the president's nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court. He pledged emphatically during his campaign to appoint judges who will interpret the law rather than create it. He also promised to select competent judges who will 'not use the bench to write social policy. To this point, President Bush's appointments to the federal bench appear to have been remarkably consistent with that stated philosophy."

David N. O'Steen, Executive Director - National Right to Life Committee:
"President Bush has an excellent record of appointing judges who recognize the proper role of the courts, which is to interpret the law according to its actual text, and not to legislate from the bench. We believe that Harriet Miers is another nominee who will abide by the text and history of the Constitution."

Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel - American Center for Law and Justice:
"At a time when the High Court is facing some of the most critical issues of the day - including a number of cases dealing directly with abortion and life issues - the person who replaces Justice O'Connor is critical. She [Harriet Miers] is bright, thoughtful, and a consummate professional and I enthusiastically endorse her nomination. Once again, President Bush showed exceptional judgment in naming Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court to replace Justice O'Connor"

Roberta Combs, President - Christian Coalition of America:
"She [Harriet Miers] was the first woman to be elected the Texas State Bar Association President and the first woman to be hired in her law firm and to become President of the law firm. I trust that she will be an excellent addition to the High Court and all Americans will be proud of her."

Dr. Richard Land:"I'm supporting her because I know this president. There is no issue he is more committed to than turning around the role of judges in this culture and his commitment to strict-constructionist, original- intent jurists. There is no promise he has kept more faithfully."

Take Action! Sign our petition in support of Harriet Miers

Take Action! Let us know why you are supporting President Bush and his nomination of Harriet Miers.

Email faithandvalues@gop.com and let us know why you are supporting her nomination.

Sincerely,
David Rexrode
Director of Conservative Development "

Harriet Miers - The Winds Are Shifting

Hey guys,
As more information is becoming available about Harriet Miers, I am becoming more and more favorable towards her confirmation. After a visit to AlbertMohler.com I found two very informative posts.
The first one called, What Should We Think of Harriet Miers? is a very good post listing the pros and cons of her nomination.

In the second one here, Dr. Mohler quotes from these two articles,

In Midcareer, a Turn to Faith to Fill a Void

Strong Grounding in the Church Could Be a Clue to Miers's Priorities

Both posts are very enlightening and take a look into the character of this lady. Dr. Mohler speaks directly to concerned conservatives like myself in this selection of his first post on the subject:

"Conservatives who have long been troubled by the courts are always (justifiably) concerned that every new nominee is another David H. Souter. In other words, another nominee represented as a conservative who, once on the bench, turns out to be another judicial activist. There are two reasons why this is not likely to be a good analogy in this case. In the first place, President George H. W. Bush had no personal knowledge of David Souter when he nominated him to the Supreme Court in 1990. President George W. Bush has known Harriet Miers for over a decade and has worked with her closely. As the President made clear in his remarks yesterday, he knows Harriet Miers very well, and he trusts her heart. Given the fact that she worked so closely with the President on judicial appointments, this is a significant positive factor. Secondly, President Bush has established a track-record of outstanding judicial nominations at every level, even as he has articulated a vision of judicial philosophy and constitutional interpretation that should give us confidence. As I see it, the President deserves our support for this nomination unless clear evidence should indicate otherwise. I do not expect any such evidence to appear."

These points are very encouraging to me as well as the repeated emphasis on her membership in a conservative Christian and pro-life church and the abundant praise of the ACLJ, including the Jay Sekulow report on her overtly pro-life stance within the American Bar Association. Again I don't see why Bush didn't pick a proven conservative with a long track record, such as Edith Jones. I think that would have made most conservatives very happy, and there is not much the left could do about it. It would have also drawn some very far right wingers back into the GOP who have joined other political parties such as the Constitution Party. But, as more of Mrs. Miers beliefs come forward, I am growing more favorable.

I am hoping to get a show together today on Square Talk today to talk about the split opinions within the GOP. I think the bottom line is that conservatives aren't just willing to take the President at his word anymore. There have been too many disappointing judicial picks by Republican Presidents, and "We The People" are ready to take on anyone from the President on down to make sure our views are heard and meet. I think that is great! The power in the US has always belonged to the people(even though the people have often given it to others) and I am glad to see that the people of the United States are awaking to the fact that all Americans must play a part in their government. I don't think this is totally all about Miers, it is about the Presidents conservative base holding the President acountable on a national scale, that is something new in modern American Politics. We want facts about nominees, not just the Presidents say-so, and I think that is a good thing.

Other Bloggers covering this issue are Legal Redux, Pete's Place, Spunky Jr. and of course, ConfirmThem.com.

Miers Links and Commentary

What to think, what to think on Harriet Miers?

Some conservatives today voiced their concerns about the Presidents nomination of Harriet Miers today in a private meeting.

On the flip side, Listen to Jay Sekulow's audio clip on Harriet Miers and have a look at this.

ACLJ Calls Harriet Miers - President Bush's Nominee to Replace Justice O'Connor - an "Excellent" Choice for the Supreme Court

(Below quoted from Jay Sekulow)
"Harriet Miers is an excellent choice with an extraordinary record of service in the legal community and is certain to approach her work on the high court with a firm commitment to follow the Constitution and the rule of law. I have been privileged to work with her in her capacity as White House counsel. She is bright, thoughtful, and a consummate professional and I enthusiastically endorse her nomination”

Hmm, interesting. So Mr Sekulow knows Mrs.Miers personally? That's a good thing.
He goes on to say,

“We look forward to a speedy confirmation process and will work aggressively to ensure that Harriet Miers gets full and fair consideration before the Senate. We call on members of the Senate to reject the partisan political rhetoric and focus on the judicial philosophy of this conservative mainstream nominee.”

Some pretty high praise coming from the ACLJ. If she is a conservative, (which it is looking more and more like she is) I would like to see her confirmed. The only concern I have heard from other conservatives is that we just don't know what she believes. Well, I hope we are starting to get that information. completelytly understand the conservative confusion on this ladies nomination, no news was quick to come on just where she stands on some of these issues. The best thing she can do is get some people who know where she stands(Jay Sekulow) to start telling the public her record. That is the quickest way to reunited the conservatives behind her or against her is to let her true stance come out.

I am still unhappy that Edith Jones was not appointed, but perhaps this lady will do. I would have really liked to have seen President Bush make a strong political statement by apointing a well-known conservative, but if this lady can stand in the gap against abortion supporters, I am willing to back her up.

However I still think it would be wise to wait a bit before calling her stance on the issues either way, because even Dr. Dobson isn't sure yet.

The Political Perusal: The War in Iraq - Right or Wrong?

Last week, I laid out an invitation to any interested blogger to write their thoughts on the War in Iraq. I have since received some great replies and I hope you will enjoy reading them! (Articles are listed in the order they where submitted.)

Travis

1. First up we have this great article by SecDef.

In his analysis of the War he covers five areas of discussion from which he draws his conclusion. Namely,
The Role of Government in Defense
Constitutionality of the "War"
Reasons for War
The link to Al-Qaeda (This one is good!)
"Divide and Conquer."

2. Next we have this article by a new member of the blogosphere, A Tinted View.

He is a second year seminary student and a good writer, so stop over and give him a big welcome to the blogosphere!

3. Next we have this article by Hannah of Recordari.

Her article sets out to "show that George Bush, president of the United States, made a noble and ethical decision when he initiated the Iraq War" and she covers it in six sections with many quotes scattered throughout.
The Beginning of a War
A Need for Freedom
The Motivations
A Presidents’s Reasoning
“Nothing Good”
A President’s Resolve

4. Next up is this article by Lita Harman of Virtue Magazine.

She uses quotes links and historiargumentsents to drive home her point that the War in Iraq is indeed a just war.

5. And last, but certainly not least, we have this article by David Ketter of the Account.

This very good article goes to the heart of the issue, when should a nation wage war, period? David Ketter(with a little help from Thomas Aquinas) shows that this war meets the Aquinas requirements to declare war:

Just Authority
Just Cause
Just Intent

And raps it up for this edition of the Political Perusal. A big thanks to all who contributed!

Was this fun? Did you enjoy this selection of articles? If so, would you enjoy seeing another bunch of articles next week on a different topic? Please, tell me what you think.

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

The Boy Scout Blogger's First Anniversary

Hello everyone!

Yes, it is true, I have now been at this for a whole year. Wow, I can't hardly believe it has been that long. I started this blog with the vague idea of typing something and maybe covering the 2004 presidential and senatorial elections. As I started typing about these issues and covering events, I was struck by just how incredible it was to be able to type something and it be available to just about anyone with an internet connection. Communication is a wonderful thing, and blogging has made communication that much easier. Then I started running onto other bloggers, the first 3 I met are now my fellow commentators on SquareTalk Radio, Agent Tim(a big hat tip to him for providing this great graphic), Mission3:6teen, and SmartHomeschool. We swapped links and AIM tags and haven't stopped talking since! *grin* Then later along came this idea for a teen political/news online magazine. Alex and Jake created the site for the new staff and so became Virtue Magazine, currently in its 18th issue. I began to meet other bloggers, Spunky Jr., The Account, SecDef, and even FaithMouse! :-) It has been a blast!

So, where will the BSB go from here? Well, I will be graduating this year and will most likely begin college next fall. I am currently planning to major in history(or history education) and then go to law school. I hope to grow in Christ and learn more of His wonder and glory. I want to be a man he would be pleased to call His. I think that is every young Christian man's desire and I pray that we would accomplish that goal.

Announcements:

The Political Perusal should be up tomorrow.

There is a new Scouting blog devoted just to Christian homeschoolers! Jay Ryan, a Christian Scoutleader in Ohio has asked me to help out with this blog, so be checking in there for my Scouting memoirs and suggestions. *grin*

Blessings upon all you who honor and fear His name!
The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Square Talk Radio

Hey guys!

First up, the Boy Scout Blogger's First Anniversary is tomorrow!

Now on with the news. *grin*

Today, I am happy to report that a new Radio Show has entered the blogosphere! Agent Tim, SmartHomeschool, and I got together and tried our best to play Hannity, Mohler, and Hewitt. The 3 of us in addition to Mission3:6teen, have launched a show called SquareTalk Radio. Our first show deals with John Roberts confirmation and the constitutionality of the government rebuilding the Gulf Coast. I fear I said "Uh..." one hundred time too often , but I hope you can all over look that. :-) We should get better at this the more we do it, and I hope you can stand us until then. *grin*

With all that said, enjoy the show!

Also in the news today, President Bush nominated his new pick for O'Conners seat on SCOTUS, Harriet Miers. I have no idea what to think on this lady yet.

ConfirmThem.com has mixed feelings.

Jay Sekulow likes her.

Hugh Hewitt calls her a "B+".

Townhall.com reports:

"Democratic strategist Bob Beckel on Fox News today:

I'm telling you we're working on it. Just finish that up. So we're relieved that he didn't pick people that would have been from our standpoint quite unacceptable. We don't know a lot about her, we have to wait and see. But it's an important job and we'll learn more about her. But we didn't -- we didn't get a jones and that's important to us.
Well, at least someone is "relieved" ...

UPDATE: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has said he is "happy" with the pick..."

(Travis's Comments) That makes me mad. Why didn't we get a Jones? We have conservative majorities in the House and the Senate. We have a Republican President. Why in thunderation are we not getting die hard pro life conservatives on the Court? Maybe one of you guys can tell me that, but I really want to know. Why in the world is President Bush waffling on topics of this importance? These people "may" turn out ok, but as I said on SquareTalk Radio a day or two ago, after a justice in on the Supreme Court for LIFE, it's a little late to find out what they believe. We can pray and hope that Mrs. Miers is what we would like her to be but it doesn't seem we have any guaranty.

Rush Limbaugh gave his thoughts today saying:

"This is a pick that was made from weakness. There was an opportunity here to show strength and confidence, and I don't think this is it. There are plenty of known quantities out there who would be superb for the court."

Which was responded to later by Vice-President Dick Cheney:

"I'm confident that she has a conservative judicial philosophy that you'd be comfortable with, Rush."

Read the very interesting transcript here.

The bottom line is I would love to see this lady turn out to be a great conservative as many people say she will be, but I would have liked to have seen a proven conservitive selected.

What do you think of this new nominee? Please drop me a comment and let me know.

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook prepares to run for Governor of Oklahoma!

Hey guys!

Another bit of local news here, one of Oklahoma's best Congressmen, House member Ernest Istook (R) is considering running against incumbent Governor Brad Henry(D). Mr. Istook is one of my favorite Congressmen largely due to his wonderful stance on Ten Commandment displays, prayer in school, and other issues of importance to Christians. I cannot think of a better candidate to run against Gov. Brad Henry. Even if a Washington poll is convinced of his defeat. Gov. Henry is playing the tricky game of being a blue governor of a red state and I think Mr. Istook could have a very good chance at the office. I will look forward to this race with great anticipation.

In other news:

The Boy Scout Blogger will be celebrating its first anniversary in 2 days! That's right on October the 4th I will have been blogging for 1 year! I can't hardly believe it has been that long! I hope to have a surprise or two for you guys on the 4th so make sure to log in then!

Also, if you are planning to enter the Political Perusal, remember your entry must be in by Wednesday. We have 4 posts submitted so far and I am looking forward to bringing them to you soon!

That's all for now!
The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Explosion at the OU Football Game

Apparently, there has been a at least a suicide, at worse a suicide bomber at the OU game tonight in Norman. Some person blew themselves up about 100 yards from Gaylord Family-Memorial Stadium where the game took place. No damage appeared to be done to anyone else but this person. The Police found another explosive device and detonated safely.

Click here for updated coverage from Newsok.com.

A Political Perusal

Hello everyone!

I have decided to begin a new line of posts here at the Blogging Boy Scout called "A Political Perusal". This posts will contain a question of interest to me, which I will ask any readers to answer with a post or comment. If you answer with a blogpost, I will give you a link on a summary post and hopefully send your blog some new readers. Here is the question I would like you to answer.

The War in Iraq - Right or Wrong?

So please send in your answers! Some bloggers who I would love to see tackle this topic are:

Agent Tim

D3's Blog

Mission3:6teen

SecDef

SmartHomeschool

The Account

The Rebelution

But, anyone is allowed to participate, although I do reserve the right to edit or reject articles. This does not mean I will kick an article just because it is anti-war, it just means I retain sole editing power if some odd incident should bestir itself.

Please write away! Please post a comment and tell me when you have it done. The deadline for entry's is Wednesday.

Update: After some council with my good friend Agent Tim, I have extended the deadline for articles to Wednesday to allow for more time to get out the word about the event and encourage new and old bloggers to join in.

News Roundup

First lady makes her reality TV debut

Senate confirms Roberts as chief justice
Comments: My mood right now? Cautious optimism. I would really like to know where Mr. Roberts stands on abortion issues. However, I am inclined to accept Mr. Roberts as an acceptable justice due to the great support given him by such people as Hugh Hewitt and the ACLJ. We have some very critical cases coming before the court soon which will better then anything else show Mr. Roberts views on a whole plethora of issues from the Pledge of Allegiance to intelligent design in school. At this point, only time will tell.

Who's next in line for a Supreme Court nomination?
Comments: One of the people listed here, is my personal pick for a Supreme Court seat, Edith Hollan Jones. A die-hard pro-life conservative, I believe Mrs. Jones would be a great voice for the Supreme Court.

That's all for now!
The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Doing better!

Hey guys!

Just a quick update on my health, I am feeling better, but since the pollen levels are so high right now here in OK, when I when outside today my throat got sore again. BUT, a cool front is moving through and I am hoping that will settle all that stuff down.

In other news:

I got the book "Blog" from the library today! I am really looking forward to reading it and I hope to share my thoughts about it with you guys.
Also here are a news story I found to be of interest.

Intelligent design faces first big court test @ MSNBC

Darwin's theory is just that, a theory @ Virtue Blog

This case is centered on the question:
Can a specific scientific theory that covers all the facts about life on earth AND points out gaping holes in any other theory, be taught in public school because said theory happens to contain a Creator?

To ban this theory for schools in unthinkable, if the theory fits and explains the facts better then all others, it should be taught in school, regardless or the fact that in contains a Creator. That is just pure untarnished science.
My personal ability to debate this point needs work,(I tend to spend to much time on constitutional issues *grin*) however if you would like to do so, I would like to recommend a good friend of mine who specializes in discussions of this sort. His blog is Rejection of Mediocrity so if you would like a good debate on this topic, please give him a try. *grin*

That's all for now!
The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Sick day

Hello all,

I would like to ask for all of you to remember me in your prayers the next few days. I am dealing with allergies and have had a bit of a sore throat more of the day. I am starting to get better but would be very grateful for your prayers.

That's all for now,
Travis

Randomish Thoughts

Good day all!

Today we went to our Grandmothers after church. That was great fun, I got to wash our suburban, a 3/4 ton pickup and a sudan all after dark. *grin* It was cool to be able to get them all shiny clean and watch them glitter in the moonlight.

I also had time to watch a bit of the History Channel, they were recreating a Egyptian mummy.

I think I shall plan some tennis games for our church in the near future as well as a LAN party perhaps. *grin*

Also I am currently reading a very interesting book on the Spanish Armada, called, cleverly enough "The Armada". It almost is a continuation of the G.A. Henty book, "Saint Bartholomew's Eve". It goes into more detail on what happens in France after that grave event.

On another note, Virtue Magazine is up.

That's all for now!
The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

School and Lawn Mowing

Hey guys!

Today has been a pretty normal day. School work, cattle feeding and a bit of lawn mowing filled the day. Also had a little time to watch the hurricane Rita coverage on MSNBC. It looks to be a bad storm but not near as bad as the traffic out of Houston right now. Cars are backed up as far as 100 miles in some places. Yikes!

Also had an update on John Roberts confirmation hearing. He passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 13-5 in favor (that includes Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn voting in favor) The ACLJ tells us to expect the Roberts confirmation to go to the full Senate tomorrow, with a vote by the middle of next week.

Also if you would like to keep "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, please add your name to the ACLJ petition here

There is also big new breaking over at The Account. I don't think I could have said it better then David so here it is!

"D3, author of In Rejection of Mediocrity, has teamed up with Ryan B, a fellow teen from Mississippi who found himself and his family disinherited by Hurricane Katrina. Not one to sit around (as D3 has always been, and apparently, Ryan B is the same...), the two put their heads together and started a blog called Gulf Coast Connection. According to the site, the purpose is to find "a way for teens displaced by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita to connect with their friends." They do this by collecting a profile and email address of the said persons and posting them for their friends to find. Personally, I think this approach is visionary and hope that it goes well for Ryan and others like him. If you know someone affected by Katrina or Rita, please get them hooked up with GCC."

Man, what a cool idea! I may have to slip over there and get an interview in with one of those guys. *grin*

Well, that's all for now!
Travis

New Poll!

Hey guys! As I am covering the Pledge of Allegiance controversy, I have decided to ask you, my readers, what you have to say in this matter. Therefore my new poll question is:

"Should the phrase "Under God" remain in the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Please cast your vote and tell me.

Also, here are the results from my last poll question,
"Should audible prayer be allowed in school for Teachers or students?"


Yes (56)58%
Yes - See comment (5) 5%
No (32)33%
No - See comment (4) 4%

I am happy with these answers. Approximately 63% of my readers are sensible prayerful folk, as for the other 37% well, I am glad your reading. I hope I can show facts through this blog and on Virtue Magazine that you will consider and possibly change your mind on this issue.

That's all for now!
Travis

Update: I have reset the poll votes and rewritten the poll question due to the fact that the question on this post and the question in the poll differed. But it is all fixed now so please vote again!
Thanks,
The BBS

Oklahoma and its Tornados

This topic may not be that inclusive with my many readers from out of state, but some of these jokes are quite funny. (I predict that Jake will be rolling on the floor laughing). Without further ado, a Tornado Glossary(a forwarded email).

Travis
P.S. Look for the rest of my Pledge of Allegiance post later today.
Update: It is up!


For those of you who aren't familiar with tornadoes & are hearing news coverage of them, I put together a short glossary to help you understand....

Fujita Scale: Scale used to measure wind speeds of a tornado & their severity.

F1: Laughable little string of wind unless it comes through your house, then enough to make your insurance company drop you like a brick.Oklahomans enjoy standing on their porches to watch this kind.

F2: Strong enough to blow your car into your house, unless, of course, you drive an Expedition & live in a mobile home, then strong enough to blow your house into your car.

F3: Will pick your house & your Expedition up & move you to the other side of town.

F4: Usually ranging from 1/2 to a full mile wide, this tornado can turn an Expedition into a Pinto, then gift wrap it in a semi truck.

F5: The Mother of all Tornadoes, you might as well stand on your front porch & watch it, because it's probably going to be the a last sight before you die.

Meteorologist: A rather soft-spoken, mild-mannered type person until severe weather strikes, & they start yelling at you through the TV:"GET TO YOUR BATHROOM OR CLOSET OR YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!"

Storm Chaser: Meteorologist-rejects who are pretty much insane but get us really cool pictures of tornadoes. We release them from the mental institution every time it starts thundering, just to see what they'll do.

Tranquilizer: What you have to give any dog or cat who lived through any of the Oklahoma tornados because every time it storms, they tear your whole house up freaking out of their minds.

Moore, Oklahoma: A favorite gathering place for tornadoes. They like to meet here & do a little partying before stretching out across the rest of the Midwest.

Bathtub: Best place to seek shelter in the middle of a tornado, mostly because after you're covered with debris, you can quickly wash off & come out looking great for the local & national TV crews.

Severe Weather Radio: A handy device that sends out messages from the National Weather Service during a storm, though quite disconcerting because the high pitched, shrill noise just like an alarm, sounds suspiciously just like a tornado. Plus the guy reading the report just sounds a little too turned on by the tornado activity.

Tornado Siren: A system the city spent millions to install, which is really useful, unless there's a storm or a tornado, because then of course you can't hear them.

Storm Cellar: A great place to go during a tornado, as it's almost 100% safe, though weigh your options carefully, as most aren't cared for, & are homes to many rats and snakes.

April - July: Tourist season in Oklahoma, when people who are tired of bungee jumping & diving out of airplanes decide it might be fun to chase a tornado. These people usually end up on Fear Factor.

Barometric Pressure: Nobody really knows what this is, but when it drops a lot of pregnant women go into labor, which makes for exciting moments as their husbands are trying to drive them to the hospital & dodge tornadoes at the same time.

Cars: The worst place to be during a tornado (next to a mobile home). Yes, you can outrun a tornado in your car... unless everybody on the road decides to do the same thing, & then you're just in a traffic jam.

A Ditch: Supposedly where you're supposed to go if you find yourself without shelter or in your car during a tornado. Theoretically the tornado is supposed to pass right over you, but since it can lift a 20 ton truck & uproot a 300 yr old tree, I'd bet my life on outrunning it in a car.

Mobile Home: Most people are convinced mobile homes send off some strange signal that triggers tornadoes, because if the ere's 1 mobile home park in a 100 mile radius, the tornado will find it.

Earthquake: What any Californian would rather go through on any scale of severity than face a tornado. Tornado: What any Oklahoman would rather go through on any scale of severity than face an earthquake.

Twister: Slang for 'tornado' & also the title to a movie starring Helen Hunt, which incidentally everyone believes to be corny & unrealistic unless they live in Oklahoma, then they know the movie didn't do our tornados justice.

Power Flash: 1 of the most reliable ways to track a tornado at night, it's the term used when the tornado hits a powerline & a bright light flashes. It's also the emotion experienced by meteorologists when they get to make the call to interrupt prime-time must-see TV & $1,000,000 worth of advertising to track a storm for viewers.

----------------------------------

Here are some phrases you migh t want to learn & be familiar with if you're a new resident to Oklahoma:

"We'll have your electricity restored in 24 hrs," which means it'll be a week.

"We're going to be out for a week, so buy a lot of supplies & an expensive generator," means it's going to be on in 12 hrs, probably as soon as you return from Wal-Mart.

"It's a little muggy today." Get the heck outta town. It's getting ready to storm!

"There's just a slight chance of severe weather today, so go ahead & make your outdoor plans." Ha. Hahahaha...

When your electricity goes out, & you go to bed at night, be sure to turn off everything that was on before it went out, or when it's unexpectedly restored in the middle of the night, every light, every computer, your dishwasher, your blow dryer, your washing machine, your microwave & your fans will all come on, all at once.

1) You'll just about have a heart attack when they all come on at the same time, waking you from a dead sleep; &

2) Your breakers will blow, leaving you in the dark once again.

Agent Tim is on the Radio!

WOW! Agent Tim was on Albert Mohler's Radio Show! And Jake from Mission36Teen.com called in and was on the show! Have a look!

The Pledge of Allegiance - Unconstitutional?

I got this email today from the American Family Association:

A federal district court in San Francisco has ruled that reciting the Pledge of
Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional.

U.S. District
Judge
Lawrence Karlton ruled that the pledge's reference to one nation
"under God"
violates school children's right to be "free from a coercive
requirement to
affirm God." Karlton said he was bound by 2002 precedent of
the Ninth U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals.

Your Senators could have
stopped this nonsense
last year but they failed to act. In 2004, the House
of Representatives passed a
bill that would have prohibited liberal judges
from ruling on issues involving
the pledge, but failed because the bill died
in U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

S. 1046 The Pledge Protection Act of
2005 has been introduced in the
U.S. Senate. Let's not let this happen
again! S.1046 - The Pledge Protection Act
of 2005 - reads as follows:
'No court created by Act of Congress shall have
any jurisdiction, and
the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to
hear or decide
any question pertaining to the interpretation of, or the validity
under the
Constitution of, the Pledge of Allegiance, as defined in section 4 of
title
4, or its recitation.'

By exercising the authority of Congress to
regulate the jurisdiction of federal courts, the Pledge Protection Act will
do
more than express an affirmation by Congress that the Pledge is
constitutional.
It will rein in a renegade judiciary that has confused the
freedom for religion
with freedom from religion. Email Your Senators Now! If
your Senator is already
a co-sponsor, be sure to thank him or her for
supporting this vital legislation.

If not, urge your Senator to sign on
as a sponsor S.1046 - The Pledge
Protection Act of 2005.

Click Here To Email Your Senators Now!

Interesting article is it not? Having a great interest in this topic, I took a bit of time to look into this issue.

1. An acclaimed atheist Michael Newdow is coming before the Supreme Court to attempt to take "under God" out of the pledge of Allegiance.

Note: Mr. Newdow doesn't even have custody of this daughter, his wife does and his wife wants her daughter to recite the pledge.

2. Mr. Newdow is under the false impression that his daughter hearing the pledge forces "God" on her. Please view this FAQ from one of Oklahoma's representatives, Congressman Istook.

Question:

So I'm a school student, and a fellow student wants to say a
prayer over
the intercom and I don't want to hear it. Or, I'm a parent and I
don't
want my children to hear it.
Are my children protected? Where do they
go? Do they have to leave the room? Don't they have the same rights as
those
saying the prayer in that room?

Answer:
The parent is making two incorrect
assumptions in this scenario. The first is an underlying assumption that
hearing
a prayer, or expression from one religion, is inherently harmful,
much less
unconstitutional. The second error is that the amendment
would somehow DICTATE prayer. This amendment does not mandate prayer. It
expressly prohibits such a mandate. But the Constitution never guaranteed to
protect us from hearing
something with which we disagree. Students (and
others) who engage in religious
expression should no longer be singled out
for censorship. Our religious rights
should not be lost when we set foot on
public property.
Everyone remains under the Equal Protection clause of the
Constitution. This amendment does not removed that, nor the ban on establishing
an official religion. We will always support and keep those protections.(emphasis mine)

3. Someone's morality will be inforced. I feel this cannot be stressed enough. I heard just the other day that Planned Parenthood or some such organisation was attenpting through a court case to force a Christian hospitel to conduct abortions. This is a prime example, someones morality will be inforced. If you are driving down the road at 100 miles per hour and the policeman stops you, he is inforcing his beliefs(rules made by the government) on you. If you take "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegence you are suppressing religion. I have heard argument after argument saying just make education nuetral, don't put anything in there controlversel, just state the facts. Well, I want to see public school curreculem state the facts about our founders and the greatest men of our nation. I want public schools to return Washingtons Farewell Address to the textbooks.(Where it once stood quite well, I might add) I would like schoolchildren to read this quote from that great speech:

"Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connexions with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked, Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

I think if America's education was reformed we would laugh these crazy cases out of court. Even Justice Sandra Day O'Conner recconised this fact:'

''It is unsurprising that a nation founded by religious refugees and dedicated to religious freedom should find references to divinity in its symbols, songs, mottoes and oaths. Eradicating such references would sever ties to a history that sustains this Nation even today.''

Amen, Mrs. O'Conner. Amen.

ACLJ Update from Jay Sekulow

This is a report I got from the ACLJ about the Supreme Court comfirmation process, with video included. Have a look!
Travis

I have just sat through another day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Judge John Roberts, Jr.
Because this is such a critical time for our nation, I wanted to give you a quick report on how the hearings are proceeding.

Please click here to view a video report made from outside the Senate Judiciary hearings just moments after today's session convened.

(BSB's Comments: Please watch this video. Mr. Sekulow talks about John Roberts position on Roe v. Wade and alerts us to the fact that any day President Bush will nominate the new replacment for Justice O'Conner.)

The entire video takes only about a minute to view, but it is important information you need to know as a member of the American Center for Law and Justice.
It is your support that has enabled us to fight this ongoing battle for the Supreme Court confirmation, prepare for critical cases heading to the high court this term, and continue all of our crucial work for your rights and freedoms across the country.

Our opposition in this ''race'' for the Supreme Court is strong! People For the American Way, NARAL: Pro-Choice America, and the National Organization for Women are well-funded competitors. This year, the ACLJ is battling these organizations and the multi-million-dollar abortion lobby on many fronts. Not only in this hearing and future ones (remember: there is another Supreme Court seat to fill), but also in several pro-life cases that the ACLJ has coming before the Supreme Court this next term.

PLUS, we have just learned that an activist federal judge in San Diego has ruled the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional in public schools. We will not allow this ruling to stand! We will fight it all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.

End of Article

You guys know what? I think I would enjoy working for the ACLJ. :-)

That's all for now!

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Liberals Begin Attack On Judge Roberts

I got this from the American Family Association this morning. Have a look.

The U.S. Senate will soon be voting to confirm nominee for the Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Now is the time to let your Senators hear from you in support of Judge Roberts' nomination. The liberals are doing all they can to get Judge Roberts' nomination defeated.

A look at what one liberal group stands for shows the philosophy of those who oppose Judge Roberts. They say that Judge Roberts is outside the mainstream of American values. They want to bypass the legislative branch of government and continue to use the judicial system to impose their agenda on every American.

Here is a list of what People for the American Way, which strongly opposes Judge Roberts, stands for.

People for the American Way opposes:

pornography filters on public library computers
regulation of hardcore internet pornography
restrictions on simulated child pornography
school choice
voluntary prayer in public places

People for the American Way supports:

deleting "under God from the Pledge of Allegiance
homosexual marriage
voting rights for felons
forcing Boy Scouts to permit openly gay scoutmasters
partial birth abortion
judicially imposed tax hikes
removing The Ten Commandments from public settings
(View my article on this issue here @ Virtue Magazine)
racial quotas in college admissions

If People for the American Way is using everything it has to defeat Judge Roberts, then surely Judge Roberts deserves our support. Please send your email now asking your Senators to vote to confirm Judge Roberts! Then forward this to others asking them to do the same. The vote is expected to be very close. It is vitally important that we secure as many letters of support as we can for Judge Roberts.

Click Here To Email Your Senators Now!

Comments: All the issues that People for the American Way are supporting are crazy! A person could not be a Christian and support such things. Look at these issues...homosexual marriage...partial birth abortion... forcing Boy Scouts to permit openly gay scoutmasters(!). They wish for no moral standards, that for one thing is clear. They DON'T want porn filters in librarys for crying out loud! What is that, restrictingsomeone'ss right to view sick, sick, pictures in front of school children? Do these people care about the effects on the kids who might happen to walk past the computers at the library? Nope. All they care about is easy porn access.
That tells you what kind of perverts they are doesn't it?
(End of rant)
To conclude, please support John Roberts confirmation as the Chief Justice of the United State's Supreme Court. While on that note, have a look at my pick for O'Conners seat, Edith Jones.

On a much happier note, the demo to Age of Empires III has been released! (Click on link to view AoE3 screenshots or download demo) Age of Empires II has been my favorite game for 6 years running and this new version looks to beat it all hallow. I am really looking forward to that.

That's all for now!
Travis

News of Interest

Here is a roundup of some news I found interesting.

Supreme Court News
Senate to start Roberts' hearings today
Click here to sign a petition in support of John Roberts.
ConfirmThem.com carries the story.
Who to replace O'Conner? What about Edith Jones?

U.S. Tennis Open
Federer wins 2nd straight U.S. Open title
Comments: WOW! I didn't get to watch that game. Andre Agassi vs. Roger Federer. That had to be an incredible game. Having played tennis in our homeschool tennis team for 3 years, watching the U.S. Open really makes me want to start playing again. One way I could play competitively again would be to join the USTA. (or United States Tennis Association)

General News of interest
Ford, Honda unveil latest hybrid autos
Comments: Maybe these will offer Americans some more fuel economic options. I personally think I might go for a traditional vehicle, just because I bet these are harder (and more expensive) to work on.

Virtue Magazine's newest issue is up!
See my final article on Christianity in Government by clicking here.
Click these links for parts one and two.

Generous Home Educators Reach Out to Home Schooling Hurricane Victims

Eagle Scout Pens a 'Moving' Defense of the Boy Scouts
Comments: A fellow Eagle Scout writes what looks to be a great defense of the Boy Scouts policy.
Calif. Governor Plans to Veto Homosexual 'Marriage' Bill; Traditionalists Pleased
Comments: Good deal.

4th Anniversary of 9/11

Yes, it has already been four years. And four years of kicking Taliban turbans. This administration has been defending our nation in the very best way, by keeping terrorists on the ran or fighting our highly skilled military and not civilians in New York or elsewhere.

See this site for any information you might want about 9/11(pictures, notes, etc.).
SpunkyJunior also posts on that topic.

That's all for now! It is getting hot and I have yet to feed the bovine yet this morning. *grin*

Please comment on any issue that strikes your fancy.

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

Sekulow TV this weekend!

Hey guys, have a look at this...

1. ACLJ Television Special. On Saturday, September 10, at 5 p.m. (EST) on TBN, I will host a two-hour special concerning the ''race for the Supreme Court.'' Our guests will include former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Senator Sam Brownback, Senator John Ensign, and others.

2. The Logan Show. Watch a clean alternative to late-night television! Hosted by my son, Logan Sekulow, The Logan Show is a family-friendly, wholesome version of The Late Show mixed with Saturday Night Live. The electricity of a live audience plus great music and hilarious comedy sketches make The Logan Show ''must-see TV''!

Join Logan, the cast, and special guest Building 429 for the season opener at the following show times this weekend:

Friday night at 10 p.m. (PST) on JC-TV,Saturday night at 11 p.m. (EST) on

FamilyNet,Saturday late night at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on iLife and INSP,Sunday at 1 a.m. (EST) and Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on World Harvest Television.

Visit http://tracking.technomania.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?11-2567-1481373-11290-http://www.theloganshow.com for further details.

I don't know what to think about "The Logan show", but "The Race for the Supreme Court" looks cool!

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much Tim for posting my message about my absence from the internet! The problem that was plaguing our computer has now vanished. I thank you all so much for your prayers and praise the Lord for His goodness. Look for my thoughts on John Roberts, Edith Jones and the Supreme Court soon.

Praise the Lord y'all!

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis

*goes to catch up on last 2 days of everyone's blogging*

Internet Problems: Agent Tim Saves The Day

Hello readers of this fine blog! I, Agent Tim, have completed the hacking process on The Blogging Boy Scout's blog, and have finally entered and gained access codes making me capable of posting the words you read here.

Well...not quite.

Travis emailed me and asked me to let you guys now that he is fighting Internet problems on his computer (sounds familiar!) and cannot currently blog. (Even though he is bursting with news of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, and the U.S. Open.) So please join with me in earnest prayer for Travis and his computer, wishing the computer a speedy recovery and Travis a speedy return to the blogosphere.

Thanks,
Tim

Roberts Bush's pick for Chief Justice

For Full Story click here @ World Magazine

Bush has a chance to solidify the courts conservative wing

Also see: Timeline: The life and career of Chief Justice William Rehnquist

Also in college news:

Free to Agree - An article about how liberal colleges have become.

Faithful and true? - How Christian is the Christian college your thinking of attending?

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has died

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died in his home in Virginia Saturday evening.

To view his life story click here

From what I know of this man, he tried to do what is right. May we all strive for the same.

Blessings Mr. Rehnquist.

The battle over the Surpreme Court is just begining.

Also see my post at Virtue Blog

The Battle for New Orleans - Updated

Guys, I am watching the DateLine coverage from New Orleans tonight and that city is in tatters. Armed thugs are roaming around, people are trying to walk out, it is horrific. I tell you what, there is a lot that needs to happen in that city FAST! The national guard is coming in and with them will come food and water. Just from what I can see on TV I would say several things need to happen soon.

1. The first thing I would like to see is bulldozers rolling done the interstate into New Orleans with a following convoy of water, foodstuffs, portapottys, generators and whatever else might possibly be needed.

2. The second thing is to get the airport cleared and operating. As soon as that gets running you can start flying supplies in and people out in mass.

3. While rescue efforts continue get workers in there to get the city's dikes and pumps working again. This will cut down on potential sickness as well easing transportation and raising the city's moral.

4. After the city is clear of refugees clear main roads and extend rescue operations. As areas are cleared of survivors began clearing the city of rubble. At the same time crack down on looting and restore order. Until that is done, you can't restart the town.

5. Restart the city's infrastructure. (Get power back on, water running, sewers operating, gas shipments coming in...) During this time, get the oil companies working on their rigs.

6. Repair the port area. Get shipping back in the harbor. (More supplies can come in this way and at a lesser price)

7. Start rebuilding the town. Getting it safe to live in. Help people move into their new homes.

8. Now start looking for ways to protect the city from this type of disaster again. Look at things like stronger dikes for starters then branch out into building a breakwater or two to brake the force of the waves. Explore other options.

That's about all I can think of. But that town needs help and fast! Folk's, everyone remember to pray for these people how are down there tonight. Pray that help gets to them soon. Pray that the Lord will watch over then as the live through this horror. Pray for those who cannot locate loved ones.

May the Lord protect and save them all.

Update: Hey guys! As I have again been watching the news I was excited to see the army/national guard doing pretty much what my ideas were in New Orleans! They have already done numbers one and two and are working on 3. Kinda cool huh? :-)

College: A Big Challenge to Faith

As a 18 year old boy soon to be facing the world of college, I find this article by Agape Press very interesting. This article speaks about the alarming amount of teens that enter college as Christians and leave as atheists. This is positively scary. As a friend of mine put it:

"College will either make you or break you spiritually"

and I believe him. A secular college can be a beehive of liberal and atheist thought for a fresh-from-high-school home educator. So what is a young Christian to do?

Well, let me see.

1. You can attend a Christian college.
2. You can attend a secular college but live at home and avoid much after class mishmash. But that really doesn't help with the liberal atheistic teachers, so you must...
3. Study the Bible, history and science so much beforehand that you can refute the guy with the doctorate degree.
4. Not attend college.

Hmm well, what's a guy to do? I had thought of attending ECU near my home here in Oklahoma, but after finding out that one of the political science teachers is gay, I started to look for other options. I have always loved the thought of going to Patrick Henry College, but that is thousands of miles from home and that would put me seeing friends and family here only on holidays.
For more of my thoughts on college please see this post. It includes a list of colleges I am looking at and the pro's and con's of each. Have a look!

After that, let me ask you guys a question or two. What do you guys think about college? What are your plans? What do you see your self doing in 5-10 years? Please leave me a comment and let me know.

The Blogging Boy Scout,
Travis