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February 19, 2006 hot topics academy awards al-qaeda's threats cartoon wars marriage ammendment partial birth abortion pow abuse writers on writing contents adultsite4adults [pg-13] articles - blog archives books - book reviews comedy/drama e-cards - email encouraging quotations heavy topics - humor newspaper column original music in .mp3 press room - reprints RSS speaking schedule spiritual resources top ten lists writing resources XarisCom about moi All that's really important to know is that I love God, my family, writing, speaking, and Chinese food— in that order. If you want to know more— or have a really bad case of insomnia—click here. Jim daily favorites Christianity Today CyberCast News Dilbert Drudge Report Frank and Ernest Google News GospelCom.net Robin Lee Hatcher Huffington Post Mallard Fillmore ThinkChristian.net weekly favorites Chuck Colson David Drury Keith Drury Dawn Eden Barbara Nicolosi Ken Schenk Lawrence W Wilson

saturday: pray . . . . . . for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:2). 3:30 pm friday: south dakota votes to ban nearly all abortions In a move that's almost guaranteed to put the abortion issue before the US Supreme Court, South Dakota lawmakers passed legislation that would impose a five-year prison term for doctors performing abortions that are not necessary to save the mother's life. - News coverage from Fox News - My thoughts on the issue friday: patients killed, left to drown in days after hurricane Not Dead Yet, a national advocacy group for the disabled—and opponent of all forms of euthanasia—is reporting killings following hurricane Katrina. Allegedly patients at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans were given lethal drugs, while at a nursing home, 34 patients were left to drown as medical staff fled the flooding facilities. The charges stem from government documents obtained by National Public Radio. I'm tempted to gasp "unbelievable," but this is the natural consequence of culture's refusal to value and protect life at all ages. - Some thoughts on euthanasia commercial interruption: jameswatkins.commissary Shop for one-of-a-kind T-shirts, mugs, tote bags, books and more. One-tenth of all proceeds go to our host gospelcom.net. And now, back to our program . . . - Click here to shop jameswatkins.commissary thursday: 'thoughts' on 'olympic-sized what ifs' My wife, Lois, has begun posting "Thursday Thoughts" on her Web site. "If our lives were confined to a week, Thursday would be after mid-life, but before old age, whenever that is. A lot of living has taken place by Thursday, but God willing, there is almost as much yet to live. So, each week I will share an 'aha' or an 'oh-oh' or a 'hmmm' (hopefully not many 'ho-hums') for you to consider." This week she looks at the Olympics and all the "what if" questions we ask ourselves on Thursdays. - Click here 1 pm wednesday: rumors of my death greatly exaggerated No, I'm not the James Watkins who was killed in a quail hunting accident today in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, nor was I the shooter, James Watkins. Same name, same state, two different people named James Watkins. Thanks for asking. wednesday: singers, rappers celebrate degrading industry Anita Roddick of The Body Shop lashed out at Beyoncé and Britney Spears for "celebrating the sex industry." Roddick told The Standard, "A lot of people seem to think it's cool to be a pimp or a whore. It's not cool. The reality is dark and evil and appalling." Pop tarts and gansta rappers should talk with a few sex slaves before they glamorize a degrading, dangerous and deadly industry—or at least read the following: - World Vision's report on sex trafficking [off site] - US State Department's campaign against sex traffickers [off site] - Christianity Today's report on sex trafficking in America [off site] 10:15 am tuesday: court to hear 'partial birth' abortion case The Associated Press is reporting that the US Supreme Court will consider the constitutionaility of the 2003 federal law banning the late-term abortion. The law was never put into effect since it was struck down by judges in California, Nebraska and New York. - Is it a life or a choice? 8:30 am tuesday: anesthesiologists walk out on execution The 12:01 am execution of raptist/murderer Michael Morales at San Quenton was put on hold when court-ordered anesthesiologists refused to participate in the process. According to the LA Times, "Concerns hinged on the ethics of returning an inmate to consciousness in the event of a botched lethal injection." - Serious questions concerning capital punishment tuesday: freedom of speech under attack British historian David Irving has been held in an Austrian prison since November for his books and speeches defending Adolf Hitler and denying that the Holocaust killed six million Jews. Monday he was sentenced to three years. Irving was arrested under a 1947 Austrian law that makes it a crime to "deny the National Socialist [Nazi] genocide or other National Socialist crimes, minimizes them, gives them approvals or seeks to justify them." Meanwhile in Canada, individuals expressing opposition to homosexual behavior are being fined up to $5,000. And of course, there is the radical Muslims' million-dollar bounty on the head of the cartoonist who depicted Muhammad as a terrorist. Freedom of speech must apply to all (including Nazi sympathizers and "blasphemous" cartoonists) if any any of us are safe from government censorship. - Some thoughts on eroding freedom of speech - Some thoughts on Muhammad cartoon war - Coverage of Irving's trial from BBC monday: not a happy president's day "I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth. Whether I shall ever be better I can not tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible; I must die or be better, it appears to me" (President Abraham Lincoln from 1841 letter to law partner, John Stuart). - Lincoln's depression discussed in Ability magazine [off site] - Dealing with depression - Dealing with suicidal thoughts sunday: was george washington first president? Well, it all depends on your definition of "president." John Hanson of Maryland was the first president under the Articles of Confederation. His official title was "President of the United States in Congress Assembled." So, it could be argued that Washington was actually the ninth president. A tougher question is this: Was George Washington a Christian? Well, it all depends on your definiton of "Christian." - Were the Founding Fathers Christian? last week: marriage ammendment, pow pics, mud slide . . . Valentines Day, VP Cheney on Fox, 'Top Ten' list for post-fifty birthday and more - Click here last month: top ten sites for January - 1 Home page - 2 Out of My Mind (.mp3 music) [new] - 3 Is it a life or a choice? - 4 "Adult site" for adults - 5 "Jim Shorts" on sex - 6 Articles, books, comedy/drama, music - 7 "Jim Shorts" on miscellanea - 8 "Jim Shorts" on health issues - 9 "Jim Shorts" on issues - 10 Writers' resources but wait, there's more . . . Here are 300 articles, book excerpts, humor . . . archives book reviews comedy/drama devotions ecards Espanol forums health holidays humor issues kid's page love and sex media music parenting polls quotations spirituality top ten lists travel writing tips more Read a book excerpt, then go to amazon.com and buy them for yourself, family, friends, co-workers, next door neighbor, paperboy, dentist, pastor, . . . and now a word from our sponsor . . . Thanks for stopping by! Hi, I'm Jim Watkins. Each week I try to bring my guests "heavy topics with a light touch" in articles and editorials on a variety of subjects—everything from sex to sects. Email me at jim@jameswatkins.com and let me know how I can better serve you. And, if you enjoyed your visit, please save it as a bookmark or favorites and come back for new material each week. Link it from your site. Then tell all your family, friends, and email pals about it! Thanks! Okay, I admit that RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is not simple enough for me to undestand, so presenting Ridiculously Stupid Syndication. Simply email me at jim@jameswatkins.com with "RSS" in the subject line and I'll sign you up for my weekly SPAM-O-GRAM email newsletter which will include my latest rants, raves and reactions to current events. Now that's "really simple." Finally (this is the last commercial, I promise), you can be a Pal and help Pay expenses for this site by contributing securely using any major credit card with PayPal: "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 2). fine print © James Watkins. All text and graphics on my sites, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted © in my name, James N. Watkins, and are protected by United States copyright law and international copyright law under the Berne Convention. 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