CommenTerry

Sean Hannity, Meet the Constitution

During a recent installment of his Fox New Channel program, Hannity's America, Sean Hannity seemed to be confused about something. He couldn't understand why police departments across the country couldn't just enter the compounds of various suspected polygamist cults and check for wrongdoing, such as pedophilia and forced marriages. It sounds to me like Mr. Hannity needs to familiarize himself with the U.S. Constitution.

Law enforcement officials are prohibited from simply entering someone's private property and checking for violations of the law without probable cause. I, for one, am glad the Constitution provides us with this protection. I don't care how horrible the acts one may suspect these cult members of practicing; I don't want to see their rights violated. Remember, if the police could do that to them, they could it to you and me as well. Would you want the police making spot checks on you in your own home? Perhaps that would be okay with Mr. Hannity. But as for me, God forbid.

From a Trickle to an Avalanche

That giant sucking sound you will soon be hearing will not have anything to do with NAFTA. And no, Ross Perot, it will have nothing to do with American jobs heading to Mexico. Actually, it will be the sound of super delegates being pulled (as if by some astronomical suction process) toward Barack Obama, some of them out of Hillary Clinton's own pocket. Since Obama's big victory in North Carolina and narrow loss in Indiana, super delegates have been trickling his way. And it won't be long before that trickle turns into an avalanche.

Clinton seems to believe that her expected big win Tuesday in West Virginia will reverse this trend, or at least stem the flow. However, it could have the opposite effect. Some super delegates, worried that it might muddle and prolong the nomination battle even more, might feel the need to rush to Obama's rescue and end this thing as soon as possible. Poor Hillary Clinton. At this point she just can't win. But don't feel sorry for her. When she had her chance, she blew it.

Totally Oblivious

Have you ever acted very quickly to avert a potential collision with someone else, only to have them go on their way, totally oblivious to the near miss? I think we all could identify with that situation. It makes me wonder how many times someone (including God) has done similar things for me while I was completely unaware.

Thank God for High Gas Prices

We should actually be happy that gas prices have gone up so high. Actually, I wouldn't mind at all if the average price of regular gasoline goes above three dollars a gallon like it did briefly last year. Do I like high gas prices? Of course not. I just know that the higher they go up, the harder they are going to come crashing down. Like I said, I don't think that's going to happen, I know it's going to happen. Just as one plus one always equals two and two plus two always equals four, the laws of supply and demand always run their course.

Classic Rants and Raves #45

A series of small missteps can be more lethal to success than a major blunder.       

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Exactly how many "trials of the century" occur in an average decade?    

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I hate to admit this, but the plot lines of most of today's movies and TV shows are way too sophisticated for me. I have great difficulty following along with them.

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Most charities will show their gratitude for your donation(s) by quickly asking for more. 

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If someone you've never heard of sends you information about an "investment opportunity" and first makes a point of telling you that he/she is a Christian, there are two things you can be sure of. First, the investment opportunity is bogus. Second, that person is not a Christian. Discard that letter quickly! 

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There is one downside to having good credit -- you are constantly being bombarded by credit card offers in the mail, even from companies with whom you already have several cards.

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Philip Morris is now distributing a booklet on how to quit smoking. Do you think Budweiser or Miller would ever distribute anything on how to quit drinking? Don't hold your breath.

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Just as ignorant notions seem silly to the intelligent, intelligent notions seem silly to the ignorant.

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Someone once asked me why the Pope is often referred to as the Pontiff. While (being a Baptist) I'm no expert in the area of Catholicism, I took a stab at answering the question anyway. I explained that part of the Pope's job is to pontificate; in order to legally pontificate, one must be a Pontiff!

How About This Immigration Compromise

What to do with the illegal aliens who are already in the United States? That's that the debate currently going on in Congress. One thing is for sure -- they are not going to be deported. Some kind of compromise will be reached that will allow them to remain in this country. Call it amnesty if you want, but something will be worked out to let them stay here. Everyone seems to have their own ideas about what it should entail, so I'll offer one of my own. Any compromise that allows illegal immigrants to remain in this country should include the following requirements:

1) They should be required to learn English and pass a rigorous test on it before being allowed to become U.S. citizens.

2) They should be required to sign a statement acknowledging that they have committed a criminal act by entering this county illegally. That statement should include an indication of contrition, i.e., that they are truly repenting of what they did. 

3) They should be deemed ineligible during their lifetime for welfare, food stamps, SSI, Medicaid, and other government giveaway programs. However, they would be eligible for earned benefits like Social Security and Medicare.

4) They should be subject to deportation upon their first conviction of a felony.

5) They should be required to wait at least five years to become U.S. citizens.

6) Employers should be exempt from having to pay them the minimum wage during the time they are waiting to become U.S. citizens.

7) They should not be eligible for any in-state college tuition rates before becoming citizens of the U.S.

It's Almost Over for Hillary

As of this writing, Hillary Clinton was holding on to a very tenuous lead in Indiana, with the votes in Lake County (expected to be friendly to Barack Obama) having yet to come in. But even if she holds on and squeaks out a narrow victory in the Hoosier State, her presidential campaign is almost over. The thumping she took in North Carolina means that, no matter what the outcome in Indiana, she will have lost ground to Obama in both pledged delegates and popular votes as a result of Tuesday's primaries. That was something she could not afford at this point. Now it is all but impossible for her make up her deficit in delegates, even if those from Florida and Michigan are seated at the convention.

Her only chance now is to convince the super delegates to throw the nomination to her. However, this is not going to happen. She will use the electability argument, but to no avail. There is no way the super delegates are going to disregard Obama's superior numbers in pledged delegates and popular votes just because Hillary is doing slightly better than he against John McCain in some current hypothetical polls. Hillary will fight on until the primaries are over on June 3, but her realistic chances of capturing the nomination have already come to an end.

Outlook for North Carolina and Indiana

Today's primaries could be a turning point in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. If Barack Obama wins both, the race will likely be all but over. If he and Hillary Clinton split them, the race will probably go on until the primaries are over on June 3, with Obama the eventual winner after trading a few more wins with Clinton. If Clinton wins both, her late momentum will continue, with a realistic chance that she could run the table on the remainder of the contests. If this is the ultimately case, she could convince the super delegates to side with her and hand her the nomination, despite her deficit in the race for pledged delegates -- which she would be unlikely to make up under any circumstances.

Random Rants and Raves #128

When searching for a previously visited website in Internet Explorer's dropdown "address" window and are unable to find it, it can usually be found at or near the top.            

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Partial obedience will often be counted as disobedience.   

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To be a critical thinker, one must pass everything he or she hears, reads, or sees through the prism of common sense and avoid taking anything at face value.

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One who is willing to win any cost does not deserve to win.

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Why did President Bush recently attend the graduation ceremonies of an insignificant high school of only 18 students? Okay, so the high school is in Greensburg, Kansas -- the town that was devastated by a tornado last year. But what's the point?

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Hillary Clinton rails against the Bush Administration for being friendly to the "well off and well-connected." However, the fact that she's well off and well-connected makes her railings ring hollow.

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One way to maintain a smile (or perhaps a smirk) on your face is to always think of a funny joke, of just something silly.   

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I'm all for lowering the drinking age to 18. If some people want to ruin their lives with alcohol, beginning three years earlier, that's fine with me.

Why Not Fake a Field Goal First?

Here's something I've often wondered about. In a scenario that's played out over and over in the NFL during overtime games, a team will get the ball inside the other team's 10-yard line and decide to kick an all-but-certain field goal on first, second, or third down to win the game. However, as we all know, there's no sure thing in sports. Once in a while, the kicker misfires, giving the other team new life. For the life of me, I don't know why more NFL coaches don't fake a field goal in this situation before actually trying to kick one. For example, they could set up for a field goal on second down, and then have the holder catch the other team off guard by throwing to a receiver in the end zone for a touchdown. Since the defense would not be expecting it, it's highly unlikely that that the pass would be intercepted.

If it fails, the field goal could be attempted on the next down. That gives the team on offense two chances to win, first by trying for the touchdown and then by trying for a field goal if the touchdown try is unsuccessful. I only recall seeing this done once - during a Monday night game in 1978 between Dallas and Washington. The Redskins faked a field goal on third down, caught the Cowboys completely off guard, and scored a touchdown. Game over.