Friday Night Vamp

I've been an arms-length fan of Paul Thorn for quite some time. I say that because I simply cannot reconcile everything he records to the column labeled "of good report." Paul is enigmatic at the very least, and his "backslider's perspective" peppers nearly everything he does.

Every now and then his rather occluded church background provides something inexplicably brilliant. Something about the synergistic run-up by a band makes the previous statement exponential.



-R

Caspian Destined for Dethronement?

Apparently, the disappointed Mr. Crispo isn't the only one saying "Sing to me , baby" to the newest cinematic installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series.  Disney is blaming low box office sales on a misjudgement in the release date.  The movie was expected to be the same kind of blockbuster that its predecessor, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was.  Unfortunately, ticket sales have been depressingly low.  The film was released just after the summer hit Iron Man and just before the much-anticipated Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Plans are still in the works to release the third installment in May of 2010.

 

Josh R

Secretary Of State . . . . John Kerry?

I've already made my feelings clear on the upcoming election: that the good ship Liberty will be overtaken by the marauding Buccaneers of the left. So what better way to destabilize even the most resolute diplomatic pillars? Put Massachusetts senator John kerry at the helm of foreign policy:

Kerry aides insist he's not angling for the job and point to his long involvement in foreign affairs. It started with his famous testimony as a 27-year-old veteranquestioning the Vietnam War before the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee. It continues today, at age 64, as the No. 3 Democrat on the same panel.

But envisioning him in the post would hardly be a stretch given Obama's chances at securing the Democratic nomination, a general election shaping up as a "change"campaign and Kerry's relationship with the Illinois senator.

This is all purely in a conjectural bubble at this point. But, should Obama take the White House, I'll be writing letters in full support of Kerry's Ascendancy. Since Obama's made it perfectly clear that he's willing to assign diplomatic gravity to unhinged, Napoleonic anti-Semites like Ahmadinejad, one can preemptively see the sheer comedic value in watching Kerry reconcile his expressed desire to push the little man off a cliff with alleged negotiating clout.

Besides, it'll be fun to see Kerry grow a beard and wear a Members Only jacket to Tehran.

-R

Google Now On Verge Of Knowing Everything

If it wasn't enough that Google has become an indigenous part of any work-related trivial cul-de-sac, now the road warriors on the information superhighway have staked out an improvement on . . . well, information:



It will be interesting to see what kind of redactions emerge after a sufficient testing phase, just like in the search engine proper and their "Street View" addendum.

-R

Subway Also Likely To Start Touting Weight-Loss Results With People Who Were Already Skinny

If you hadn't already read this at The Apostolic Report, you'll most likely hear about it anyway eventually. Subway Sandwiches is soliciting the writing skills of students nationwide, utilizing one of their "Story Starters." Amongst the viable participants? All students, pre-K thru 6th grade.

Oh yeah. Except for the dread homeschooler:

Now of course, being the parent of two homeschooled little girls, I could easily get all bent out of shape over something this overt. But actually, I tend to fall into a somewhat empathetic tone with a comparatively critical moon rising. My guess is, the corporate sandwich behemoth has strong ties to the teacher's unions, who are, as a union, no way inclined to concede a single inch to homeschooling.

Also, being that a homeschooler managed to walk away with the Heisman Trophy this year, and considering that homeschoolers continue to rout the national spelling bees, it's no wonder that these contests are starting to be exclusionary. Jesse Owens was a tough pill to swallow at the 1936 summer Olympics for some, too. And we know how his opponents tried to level the playing field.

-R

Harry Potter & Real Witches

Okay, thousands of years ago in internet time I wrote a positive review about Harry Potter and got some flack. A bit later, I got hammered by a brave Pentecostal who spammed me without revealing him/herself when I disputed a "Harry Potter is sending our kids to the devil" group email. Even wrote a short dispute about the whole issue.

Later, 90&9 ran an anti-Harry Potter article disagreeing with my article, which is what we do when we get submissions on both sides of an issue. Of course, we had many letters about both articles.

Fast Forward To Now
That said, while desensitization is always an issue, I couldn't believe young adult novels that used Hogwarts as a magic high school archetype were sending kids into the clutches of devil-worshipers. In the interest of fairness, MTV.News ran this article "Young Witches Explain What They're Really About" a few weeks back, in which MTV even salutes conservative Christians for...sending some kids into the clutches of devil worshipers.

Says the article:

"A surprising number of young witches MTV News spoke with also said that they became curious about their faith through misguiding pop-culture fare like the camp Neve Campbell vehicle "The Craft" and the "Harry Potter" series. (Guess a few conservative Christian groups were right about that one).

But many young people enter the Craft in reaction to a very conservative religious upbringing — Southern Baptist, perhaps, or Catholic. "Some people don't feel God in the church, so they seek out different expressions of God that are more personal or mystic," said Raven, who has mentored younger Pagans and is active in the online community."

The Moral of this Story?
So this is just proof that anything can seduce the ungrounded. It appears I was too confident in my faith in humanity and should've taken that into consideration. My apologies if I was especially glib in the past.

Of course, reacting against a conservative religious upbringing is worth thinking about too. Never saw that as a recruiting tool for pagans either.

Now in Ireland...

David Bunch, late of Collideoscope, but now of Ireland as a short-term missionary sends the following:

Hello All!

Just wanted to let you know that we arrived safely in Belfast on Friday and we have been settling in for the last several days in the Gilford, NI area.

We have been blogging about our experiences. Please visit us there for the latest stories and pictures.

We miss everyone but at the same time we feel "home" and we are excited about what God is going to do here.

Godspeed,
David

Carter Presumably Ready To Lose Elderly Driving Privileges, Too

I was only twelve years old when Jimmy Carter was fortifying Iran's ego with sissified foreign policy. It was clear then that the man had it in for Israel, but I just didn't understand the bigger picture at the time.

Now, I'm wondering if blind hatred for the only functional society in the middle eastern sectors had been trumped by out and out senility--the kind of burnt-in remnant on his mental desktop resulting from leaving his anti-Semitic VGA monitor on for 30 years:

LONDON — Former President Jimmy Carter caused a stir over the weekend when he claimed that Israel possesses a nuclear arsenal of 150 weapons.

While experts have long maintained Israel has a nuclear arsenal, the Jewish state has refused to confirm or deny it.

In case one isn't the least bit inculcated into foreign policy, let's take a little (and not quite as oversimplified as it seems) look at the endless, Israel vs. the Rest of Islamicdom, shall we?

See the little red area on the map? Go ahead and run down to the nearest university and borrow an electron microscope if you need to in order to view it. See it now? That's Israel.

See the proliferate sea of green everywhere else? Those are the countries that are literally--hell-bent--on wiping out the little red area.

Seems Jimmy carter can't bring himself to let the little guy stash a Ruger in his sock without outing him to the well-armed regiments bent on their destruction.

No matter how you slice this, it is unconscionable--unconscionable unless your true presidential heart has always been with the Policies fostered by Ishmael's spawning. Or, you've just plain slid off the mental curtain entirely.

I'm sure Barack Obama's not thrilled by the transparency, either. After all, he's been endorsed by the man.

-R

A Little Levity for Your Holiday Weekend

A friend sent this to me today and I though you would all enjoy it, especially if you're a preacher's wife (or a PK). These three pastor's wives from Florida found a creative way to express their frustrations over constantly turning up in their husband's sermons. Check it out.

Maybe Blending Isn't Your Thing...

...try this story for warm fuzzies.

 

These two New Zealanders were flying their microlight airplane when they ran out of gas.  In an airplane, that's kind of a big deal.  They were approaching a ridge and could not tell whether there would be any place to land even if they made it over the ridge.  They began to pray that God would allow them to make it over the ridge and that they would find a place to land that was not too steep, and that would allow them to avoid ditching in the ocean.

 

They were able to coax the plane over the ridge, but just barely.  Desperately searching for a place to land, they immediately spotted a small airfield that neither of them ever knew was there.  Thanking God, they made their landing safely and taxied to the end of the runway.  Pulling to a stop, they turned and noticed a large 20 foot tall sign that said...

 

Jesus Is Lord.

 

Josh R

Will It Blend?

Today is overcast and rainy here in the Sunshine State which makes everything a bit awkward.  So to lift my spirits a little here is a fun post that avoids some of the recent controversy.

 

Will It Blend?   The concept is simple: drop items into a blender and see what happens.  Genius!  No doubt, this was inspired by David Letterman's "Will It Float?," although this game has a little more action. 

 

Have fun with the videos.

 

Josh R.

Congress Attacks Binding Oil Prices With Predictable Non-Binding Legislation

Oil speculators got your wallet in a twist? Got 30 years of untapped oil under your feet while allowing loony, schizophrenically-turned harem-keepers to play you like a fine Stradivarius? Don't worry, that fine repository of grit and guts in Washington is on the case for you:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices, but the White House threatened to veto the measure. The bill would subject OPEC oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela, to the same antitrust laws that U.S. companies must follow.

What could possibly go wrong here? Oh . . . nothing, just the usual and predictable appeal to our sense of "fairness"--the same petard that makes us fall all over ourselves in a Guantanamo reflex fit and hand our Geneva-forged mallet over to our enemies so they can commence to beating us with it.

This has all the trappings of cowardice. Instead of recognizing that world will not rid itself of the need for oil--possibly ever--and acting accordingly by drilling in our own vast resources, the United States Congress mollifies its own need for artificial bravery by filing the economic equivalent of an Anita Hill harassment charge: "I won't stand up for myself when it counts, but I'll sure get you on the world stage when you don't see it coming." And we all know how well that worked for her.

War For Oil?

I for one, always wished Presidents could be more honest than they can be. But they can't. They have to make grovelling speeches about "religions of peace" and "democracy" in areas that simply don't have what it takes to operate it (especially when the only proximate democracy within missile range happens to be the one you want to annihilate anyway). Fact of the matter is, one of the reasons we are there is precisely for oil. A statement that surprised a dyed-in-the-wool leftist I was talking to the other day. He couldn't conceive that I agreed with him.

"So you agree that we're in Iraq for oil?" he asked.

"I do," I said. "Now I need you to tell me what's wrong with trying to make sure we don't lose access to the most important resource we have?" I of course stipulated that Saddam Hussein's regime needed to be taken down, and the WMD that weren't there when we got there were there before we got there and while UN Inspector Hans Blix was running interference for him.

He made the usual arguments about oil companies, disjointed Halliburton tirades and the self-deluding sense that his Honda Prius was the answer to the world's problems. I just laughed.

"You'll be ready for war over oil when it costs you 800 dollars to drive to Burning Man," I said. "We're in the same boat. I'm just paddling for you right now."

-R

Kennedy's Winter

One would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't heard that Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy has been given a rather bleak prognosis: that his seizure from few days ago has been spawned by what has been at least tentatively deemed an inoperable brain tumor.

Things like this make one (or at any rate, me) take pause, and ponder the big picture; does a man whose life has literally been engulfed by a never-ending string of Greek tragedies and unrequited sins ever contemplate eternity? Do his liturgical roots provide him any comfort in times like these?

I for one pray that the Senator uses his remaining days seeking the face of God, and not whittling them away in the futile venture of thrashing out "one last piece of legislation" in the name of serving his country--something that nearly always rings hollow outside the matrix of screen plays, mini-series', and Nicholas Sparks novels.

My the Lord be with him and his family.

-R

Southwest Airlines "Star Employee"

If you're flying Southwest Airlines this month, make sure you check out page 16 of their in-flight magazine, Spirit. One of our own, Andrea (Davis) Mathews, is the featured Star Employee of the month.Husband Keith, dog Einstein, and parents Richard and Sharon Davis couldn't be prouder.

Andrea attends the First United Pentecostal Church of Euless (TX), pastored by Bro. Carl McLaughlin. (For reasons that defies explanation, Southwest posts most of their magazine on the web, but not this feature.)

It's always nice to see a Pentecostal being recognized for professional excellence in the business world.

Sad Bible Quizzing News (Updated)

If you're a former UPC Bible Quizzer or Coach like me, then you've been influenced by Lonnie Brown, assistant national quizmaster until retiring three years ago (as well as national champion coach, district & regional coordinator & just about everything else along the way).

He's been attacked by cancer, and died at 3:42 p.m. (CST) today.

Said the official report:

Precious Friends and Prayer Partners,

Lonnie received his healing and promotion today at 3:42 in the afternoon while his son-in-law, Rev. Jason Sciscoe was reading John 14. All of his family was there to celebrate his homegoing with singing and worship.The peace and presence of God filled the room along with the strength of all your prayers.

We will never forget your outpouring of love, support and prayers during this journey. You are precious to us. Arrangements to follow in an email.

From our Hearts,
The Lonnie Brown Family

Viewing & Funeral Details
The viewings will be from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Monday, May 19th and from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20th.

The Homegoing service will be on Tuesday, May 20th at 1 p.m. Both the viewing and the service will be held at New Life Center, 11570 Mark Twain Lane, Bridgeton, Missouri 63044.

In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been established. Contributions may be made to the Lonnie B. Brown Memorial Fund, to benefit three ministries that he loved the most: Bible Quizzing, World Missions, and New Life Christian School.

Memorials may be sent to the following:

United Pentecostal Church International
Attn: Stewardship Department
8855 Dunn Road
Hazelwood, MO 63042

Condolences may be left online at www.baue.com.

Updated reports should be available at Triumph Today.

Will Rev. Wright Make The Transition From Pastor To Saboteur?

I know I can't be the only one thinking that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is going to do everything within his power to make his former parishioner lose this election. And not because Obama was forced to throw him under the bus to maintain a political pulse, either.

Why else would Wright continue to issue poisonous, subcutaneous editorial problems for the man such as placing him on the cover of the church's literary organ, Trumpet Magazine with raging, anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan? Especially when the cover manages to include Elisha Mohamed, Johnny Cochran, and the rapper, "Common," all the while omitting Martin Luther King Jr.?

What would Obama's successful ascent to the presidency serve, other than to discredit the conspiratorial gripes and hate-filled vociferations of people like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright?

Short answer? Nothing. Maybe I read too much into these early salvos, but I have to wonder what kind of palpable panic will ensue at Def Jam records if Obama actually transcends the demographic divide and becomes president. Where's one to moor the ship called Rage if the harbor waters are friendly?

-R

On An Historical Note

 

But yesterday the word of Caesar might

Have stood against the world:now lies he there,

And none so poor to do him reverence

Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 2

 

A marble bust of Julius Caesar was recently discovered in the Rhone River that possibly dates to around 46 BC.  It shows an older Caesar who is beginning to show signs of age.  It was found in an archaeological treasure trove that also included statuettes and a 5.9 foot-tall statue of Neptune.

 

A bit outside our usual discussions, I know, but interesting.

 

Josh R

I Want To Believe...

For those of you who were wondering, the Vatican has declared that belief in extraterrestrials does not necessarily conflict with belief in God and the Bible.  Because the universe is so vast God may have created other creatures outside of Earth.  Other intelligent created beings could even be considered our "brothers" and "sisters" (and whatever else might be appropriate).  Denying even the possibility of aliens would be putting limits on god's creative freedom. 

 

No word yet on whether or not Elvis might be living among them.  Stay tuned here for updates.

 

Josh R

Vatican: "That Swamp Gas May Have Theological Merit"

It's not like I look at the Vatican as some substantial, watchtower sentinel. Actually, I see them as more of the John McCain of Christendom; they're just not happy unless they're wrenching the steadfast out of their positions with criticisms and tactical, leftward maneuvering.

I'm still listening to my Catholic co-workers hold forth with Pope John Paul's "Evolution and Creation can co-exist" nonsense. Tomorrow I'm going to go in there and have to contend with the Art Bell Eucharist and Pizza before Bedtime Delusions:

VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican's chief astronomer says that believing in aliens does not contradict faith in God.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, says that the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

In an interview published Tuesday by Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes says that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures.

The interview was headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother." Funes said that ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom.

One could have a field day with that last line alone . . .

-R

UPDATE: Looks like Josh R. was posting about this at nearly the exact same time I was. Conspiracy?

The Wonder Of Stevie

This post is really more of an odd aside--all because I'm currently finishing a book called "This Is Your Brain On Music"--a book interestingly enough analyses the mind's many known facets with regard to music. Written by a neuroscientist/rock musician, his little asides about the composite makeup of popular songs didn't surprise me--until I learned that Stevie Wonder played the drums on his own mega hit, Superstition.

Makes his circa "long time ago" takeover of Sesame Street even sweeter. I was stunned when I saw this as a kid, and now, to see it again with a VERY young Ray Parker Jr. on the hollow body makes it even cooler. How in the world did they get a mix like that?



-R

Auction Of Einstein Letter Affords Media Rare Opportunity To Bash Bible, Jews Simultaneously

Brietbart is all over it, but even FOX Can't contain their reflexive need to kick both the antithesis to Darwinism, along with fine recipients of it in real time:

Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews
were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this week, an auctioneer said Tuesday.

The father of relativity, whose previously
known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people".

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.

Of course only a real genius with a vice-like grip on humanistic tendencies would've also been able to predict that a post 1948 world might involve the technological malevolencies spawned by his genius ("E=Mc2, oh and perhaps we should keep the nukes out of the hands of the Arabs.")

But who are we, with our little proletarian brains, to quibble with genius?

-R

Don't Be Nice, It Might Get You Arrested!

That's what this man in Miami found out recently.  The 78-year-old was at the store when a woman approached him asking for a ride.  He told her if she was still there when he was done shopping he would be happy to help her out.  He finished shopping then gave her a ride home.  Once he dropped her off he was swarmed by the police, given a fine and had his car impounded.  His crime?  Operating an illegal taxi service. 

 

The woman, it turned out, was working undercover for the consumer services department.  It was a sting operation.  Unfortunately, this old-school gentleman mistook this opportunity to commit a crime as an opportunity to do a good deed and help someone with a genuine need. 

 

Is our legal system a little backward or what?

 

Josh R

General Youth Division Polls

Check out these polls at the GYD web site.  They are in a unique position to give a fair snapshot of what UPCI youth think.  Some of the results may surprise you.

 

Josh R

Bill Clinton Sits Again Amongst Apostolic Friends

Perhaps one of the greatest "paradoxes" in Apostolic conversation is Former President Clinton's associations--yeah even friendships--with a number of apostolics. I even remember reading an article in which it was stated that a young governor Clinton would many times seek personal solace in a car, listening to the unmistakable dulcet-tones of Mickey Mangun (one of his stated favorite singers, and judging by her appearances at his inaugural ceremonies, would seem to be valid at the very least).

The Apostolic Report covers in some detail, Bill Clinton's visit to The Pentecostal Church in North Carolina this weekend:

The Pentecostal Church first learned of the visit when Clinton’s office contacted the Pastor of the Church of Pentecost, Rev. Brent Keating, on Friday to ask permission to attend. With only a couple of days to prepare, the church was busy during the weekend preparing for the former President’s visit.

During his brief visit to the church, Clinton spoke of his long relationship with Pentecostal churches, thanking them for all the support they have given him over the years.

I've always wondered whether or not Bill's political career was one of those "miscarriages" referred to by the Rev. Carlton Pearson--the kind that morph from true "moves of God" into political liberation movements. Maybe Bill is an erstwhile apostolic preacher.

The congregation listened attentively as Clinton told stories of his relationship with Pentecostal churches over the years. Clinton even spoke about how Barbara Streisand was inspired to record her first spiritual album after listening to a Pentecostal singer who performed at Clinton’s mother’s funeral.

Clinton never asked the congregation to vote for his wife, instead, he asked them to pray for her.

The Apostolic Report has the full story, as well as pictures and audio here.

UPDATE: Go and listen to the audio clip link at the bottom of the story. Funniest moment is when he quotes Colin Powell leaning over to him during a song by Mickey Mangun:

Where'd you find a white woman that can sing like that?

-R

WWJVF-Who Would Jesus Vote For?

"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.  It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool."-- Martin Luther King Jr.

 

"Don't teach me about politics and government, just tell me who to vote for."-- "A New Law" by Dereck Webb

 

Some evangelical leaders have drawn up a document that revisits the idea of the church's involvement in politics.  While traditionally evangelical involvement in politics has focused on a handful of issues like abortion and marriage, these leaders are calling for a change.  They claim that Christians have lost the focus of proclaiming the truth of God's Word and have, instead, become puppets and tools of the political parties.

 

Is God a Republican or a Democrat?  If Jesus were voting in this election, who would he vote for?  Many pastors are willing to tell you, but I don't think it's a very clear issue at all.  If the only issues are abortion and the family, it would be easy to choose a candidate.  But there are so many more issues that should be important to Christians as well.  Attitudes toward the poor, going to war based on shady intelligence, stewardship of the environment are only a few issues that muddy the clear distinction between the "religious right" and the "secular left." 

 

Who should a good Christian support?  The few passages in the Bible that do speak to politics were certainly not anticipating the democratic republic that is the United States.  We have a very unique responsibility in being able to choose our leaders.  We should take this responsibility seriously and not simply vote for whoever makes the most visits to churches.  It should be a matter of a lot of prayer.  Only God's Spirit could guide us through such a difficult and multi-faceted decision.

 

Josh R

Congressional Energy Pilots Continue Wearing Patch Over Good Eye

As the markets continue to spasm over speculatory $200 per barrel oil prices, our Congress, the clueless pantheon of America's alleged brightest and best--the governing body more dedicated to eradicating legal substances from Major League Baseball than stopping the Jihadist threat--continue to ignore the offshore writing on the wall.

Or, as cartoonist Richard Ramirez points out:

-R

Positive Politics

In this world of Mayors who hire call girls and presidential candidates who are willing to throw their former spiritual leaders under the bus for a few percentage points in the polls, it's nice to have some positive politicians to focus on from time to time.

Alaska governor, Republican Sarah Palin has taken the political world by storm, completing what many have called a "startling first year in office."

During her first year in office, Palin distanced herself from the old guard, powerful Republicans in the state GOP, even calling on tight-lipped veteran U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens to explain to Alaskans why federal authorities were investigating him.

She asked Alaska's congressional delegation to be more selective in seeking earmarks after what came to be known as the "Bridge to Nowhere" turned into a national symbol of piggish pork-barrel spending.

She stood up to the powerful oil industry, and with bipartisan support in the statehouse she won a tax increase on oil companies' profits.

She also found time to pose for the fashion magazine Vogue while she was pregnant, and she has been mentioned as a potential running mate for presidential candidate John McCain.

But it is not only her startling political rise that people are talking about. In December, Palin and her husband found out that the child they were expecting had tested positive for Down syndrome. Having never had any complications with her four other children Palin was faced with a life and career altering decision.

"It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the Web site and start reading facts about the situation."

Once her husband got the news, he told her: "We shouldn't be asking, 'Why us?' We should be saying, 'Well, why not us?'" There was never any doubt the Palins would have the child, and on April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin. "We've both been very vocal about being pro-life," Palin said. "We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential."

Three days after giving birth, Palin returned to work in her Anchorage office, accompanied by Trig and her husband.

This was not a mother's typical visit to the office to show off the new baby; instead, she was serving notice that a child of special needs would not hinder her professional commitments. "It's a sign of the times to be able to do this," she said.

So my hat is off to Sarah Palin for standing up for what she believes in and proving to the world that there are some politicians left in this country who still maintain their integrity.