Rumsfeld stated that the fight for Faloujah wouldn't result in many civilian casualties. In reality, the fighting is fierce and the bodiesd for both sides are mounting up. I wonder how The Rummy will explain this minor dissonant event. I mean, gosh, he said something and it didn't turn out to be true. Reality doesn't jive with the Bush view - what will we do?

Meanwhile, the moral highground is rearing its ugly head in pharmaceuticals. "The American Pharmacists Association, with 50,000 members, has a policy that says druggists can refuse to fill prescriptions if they object on moral grounds, but they must make arrangements so a patient can still get the pills. Yet some pharmacists have refused to hand the prescription to another druggist to fill." So, here's a woman taking responsibility for her life and using birth control in order to not have to take care of a potential unwanted life. But some pharmacists with "moral objections" are deciding for her that she must either abstain from sex or chance getting pregnant. And with the Right slowly turning the noose tighter around everyone's neck, our choices are disappearing. Ironic - Republicans boats about smaller Government yet here they use Government to force decisions on everyone. If they pass laws making abortion illegal will they institute a new department to enforce the law (and thus grow Government even more)? Truly sickening.

We have our Government supporting Faith-based charities and allowing religious plaques in our National Monuments. As the separation between Church and State fully crumbles, as this once great Nation descends into a dark, mediocre Christian-based enclave I can only wonder if one day there will be waiting for me and my family a package full of yellow stars for our clothing, courtesy of Uncle Sam. And while our Government seeks to make everyone a good Christian I wonder if they'll remove the Theory of Evolution from our science classes. I wonder if they'll even care that Johnny can't read or even think. But - hey! - you got to have Faith for God will provide, right? Besides we got nucular weapons and Big Bubba.

Every so often while channel-flipping I'll watch Dr. Gene Scott just to catch a gander at his wife. She fancies herself a singer but (and please don't tell anyone) she's truly awful. Anyway, apparently old Doc has some sort of cancer and it seemed like he refused to go to a doctor, claiming that God will take care of him. Recently, however, it appears that God (and a fervent belief therein) isn't enough. The good Doc is seeking professional medical help. He even kinda, sorta, quietly hemmed-and-hawed and said that his belief wasn't enough. It's sad, besides the fact that he looks like Hell. Here's a typical preacher claiming the superiority of God and the Powers of Belief with the misguided impression that having the Belief will solve all problems. Well, it won't. Add in a bit of common sense. If I come down with cancer, I can Believe all I want and play the odds that maybe God will intervene (not likely) or I can visit doctors for treatment. Why not consider medicine a gift from God? Problem resolved - you can maintain your Belief and get help. Common sense.

Last rant. The previews for "Polar Express" are pissing me off. It's all about believing and how it's OK and safe to believe. Believe in what? Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? It's not OK or safe to tell your kids that if they believe hard enough then great things will happen. If they believe hard enough that they can fly and go up to the roof and jump, guess what? If they believe hard enough that the bottle of lye is just like water and they take a drink, guess what? If they believe hard enough that a bullet won't hurt them and they take out daddy's gun, guess what? Belief is all well and good up until reality intervenes and demonstrates otherwise. Hopefully common sense will intervene before reality but I find common sense gets lost in the Fanatics.

Great! Now I have a headache. Politics and Religion aer guaranteed headache inducers. The next four years will be murder.