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Let boys play with toy guns, Nurseries told
By Graeme Paton,

Education Editor 31/12/2007
Young boys should be encouraged to play with toy guns and other weapons at nursery to get them interested in education, according to Government guidance. Nursery staff are told in official advice to resist their “natural instinct” to stop under-fives playing with weapons in games with other toddlers.

A new document issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families said children should be encouraged to take part in play which “involves more action”. Last night teachers condemned the advice, warning that toy guns “symbolise aggression”. But ministers said education needed to be tailored towards the needs of boys to ensure they do not fall behind from a young age.

There is continuing concern over the gap in standards between boys and girls, which has failed to narrow in recent years. Boys lag behind at every age, and a report published earlier this year warned that inability to read and write properly at primary school was fuelling an “anti-education culture” which became more pronounced as boys progressed through the system.

The new guidance aims for improvement by “creating the right conditions for boys’ learning” before they start formal primary education. Making use of boys’ interests can help them become more interested in school, the document suggested. “Sometimes practitioners find the chosen play of boys more difficult to understand and value than that of girls,” it said. ”

Perhaps the pendulum is swinging the right way again.

“The critics said it couldn’t be done, but the vision and determination of General David Petraeus have brought greater security and cause for optimism to the people of Iraq.

He is The Sunday Telegraph’s Person of the Year For a man whose critics say he is far too fond of the television cameras, General David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq, has been rather out of the limelight this Christmas.

The sprightly, media-friendly 55-year-old is not perturbed, however, that his face is no longer number one item on the US networks. As he said last week, where Iraq is concerned, “No news is good news.”

Today, we put him in the spotlight again by naming Gen Petraeus as The Sunday Telegraph’s Person of the Year, a new annual accolade to recognise outstanding individual achievement. He has been the man behind the US troop surge over the past 10 months, the last-ditch effort to end Iraq’s escalating civil war by putting an extra 28,000 American troops on the ground.

So far, it has achieved what many feared was impossible. Sectarian killings are down. Al-Qaeda is on the run. And the two million Iraqis who fled the country are slowly returning. Progress in Iraq is relative - 538 civilians died last month. But compared with the 3,000 peak of December last year, it offers at least a glimmer of hope.

Nonetheless, why should we choose to nominate Petraeus But the reason for picking Petraeus is simple. Iraq, whatever the current crises in Afghanistan and Pakistan, remains the West’s biggest foreign policy challenge of this decade, and if he can halt its slide into all-out anarchy, Gen Petraeus may save more than Iraqi lives.

A failed Iraq would not just be a second Vietnam, nor would it just be America’s problem. It would be a symbolic victory for al-Qaeda, a safe haven for jihadists to plot future September 11s and July 7s, and a battleground for a Shia-Sunni struggle that could draw in the entire Middle East. Our future peace and prosperity depend, in part, on fixing this mess. And, a year ago, few had much hope.”

Time Magazine screw up as expected. The Brits got it right!!!

Nancy the Pelosi, the Evil one from San Fran. is now leading the charge in the party of the Moonbats to cover her 6 for the next elections by trying to modify her image. Her tireless efforts to declare defeat in Iraq and legislate just that are biting her in the A**. Poor Nancy. 

“An unexpected phone call from Nancy Pelosi

By Michelle Malkin • December 30, 2007 06:03 AM href=”http://davidjeffers.thevanguard.org/164/my-conversation-with-nancy-pelosi/”>David Jeffers, the father of fallen hero Sgt. Eddie Jeffers, reports that he received a surprise phone yesterday from Nancy Pelosi (hat tip - Scott M.). Sgt. Jeffers published essays from Iraq over the past year and was killed in Ramadi in September at the age of 23. Is there a shred of humanity behind the frozen mask of Madam Speaker? Or was this a calculated political move to offset her unhinged rhetoric on the war? David Jeffers writes:

“This is Nancy Pelosi and I just wanted to call you and let you know that I got your packet from Congressman Jeff Miller and that I read all of your son Eddie’s articles. I want to first say how sorry I am for your loss and I imagine this must have been a tough Christmas for your family.”

That’s how my conversation with the Speaker of the House began. I told her because of our faith in Christ we were able to rejoice knowing that Eddie was with Jesus. I told her my daughters were able to come home for Christmas and we were thankful for that. She asked about the girls and where they lived and said it was great that they were close enough to come home. She said that it was good that we have a strong faith to lean on.

She said that Eddie’s words were profound and that although he is gone from us, his words will live on forever. She also stated that our soldiers are magnificent and regardless of our differences on the war or its conduct, we can all be thankful for such a wonderful military. We said a couple of more pleasantries and then wished each other a Happy New Year. I thanked her for taking the time to call and that I appreciated it.”

She is willing to pander to anyone or thing to save her butt. Evidentally she has put the word out for other Dems to “cut and run” from their policy position of “cut and run”.

Here is the latest from the Once a Republican Now a Democrat Congresswoman from Kansas:

“Congresswoman Boyda reports out on her trip to Turkey and Iraq

Congresswoman Boyda held a teleconference today to discuss her just-completed trip to Iraq and Turkey, where she met with Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus in Iraq, and in Turkey the US Ambassador Wilson and the Turkish Defense Minister Gönül, Prime Minister Erdoğan and President Gul. I’m going to focus on Iraq.

In her prepared remarks, she made clear she believes that the downward spiral of escalating violence has stopped, and begun a slow, upward, positive trend. Or, as she said, “The undeniable fact is, violence is significantly down in Iraq, and everyone should be extremely grateful for that.”

Which she then caveated thusly: “General Petraeus and General Gaskin do not want to overstate what is going on - they don’t want to jinx it. It is very fragile, and they know it.”

A sensible caveat on the part of the Generals, methinks.

Explaining why she thinks things are showing an uptick, she made 4 points.

1. She talked about the “Awakening” or Sunni Tribal Revolt and how that set the stage for the Sunnis to begin to move towards a reconciliation with the Shi’a-dominated government, at least in uniting to rid Iraq of the foreigners running AQI.”

You can click on the link and read it all is Castle Argghhh, or I will translate it here.

“Holy Crap this stuff is working!!! I am so glad I didn’t get caught supporting Moveon.Crap like my buddy Denis Moore did. But just in case I am gonna look all patriotic and stuff just to continue to fool those who haven’t paid attention to my Moonbat Pelosi voting record.  Please don’t dump me!

Right …the Nancys would never lie ….sure.

It was a good Christmas. It was great we all were together. Hopefully we will have a photo to post soon.

Things that made it better was the great comments and emails from friends and family. The welder commented too.

And my long lost cousin Suzy wrote (wait a minute, maybe it’s me that’s lost). Gotta love that woman.

Now on to New Years. Someone we know is gonna graduate from a school we know about the middle of next month and then come visit us again.

Life is good!

Well for girls that is. What a striking piece of headgear. Ma was proud to model it.

Pink is also the color of support. Not at all like those code pink perverts who protest soldiers.

“Why Uniforms Go Where Uniforms Go…

…and Do What Uniforms Do.

It’s already ten minutes past the time the shuttle from Huntsville should be arriving in Atlanta and it hasn’t even departed from Atlanta for Huntsville yet. My fellow strandees are conversing quietly with one another — a prototypical Dad-and-Mom-and-Two-Kids re-hashing a recent trip to the Pentagon-In-Orlando, a scattering of older couples comparing notes on their respective retirement communities, some Auburn students alternately dozing and reading, a couple of businessmen laptopping and a solo Mom slowly rocking her six-month-old, who is staring at me in wide-eyed wonder.

“Wow — lookit him *look* at you.”

*grin*

“It’s the mustache. Kids think it’ll turn into a butterfly if they stare at it long enough.”

*return grin*

“His Daddy has a mustache, too. He’ll be home on leave next month.”

Maybe thirty people at the gate, counting the relief flight crew, and their only immediate concerns are weather-related. Nobody worries that they’ll be snuffed in-flight by a bomb planted by someone who thinks they need to die for the crime of being Americans. Nobody worries that someone walking past will scream “Allah akhbar!” and go full auto with an AK into the waiting area.

A Mom doesn’t worry that an act of violence by a Death-Worshipper will keep her child from growing and playing and learning.

That’s why Uniforms Go Where Uniforms Go and Do What Uniforms Do.

And they also Go and Do so that other moms in Iraq and Afghanistan and Alltheotherstans will have a chance at living without that particular worry and their children, too, will grow and play and learn.

Me? I go where I go and do what I do ‘cuz I really hate raking leaves.

Heh. Merry Christmas, kids…”

Thanks Chief Bill … Merry Christmas to you … Stay safe Brother.

The Savior is Born

Christmas is the time for giving gifts …. like the Grinch .. right Daisy?

And sledding with family.

It’s cold but it’s warm…. and fun.

Life is good!

Hillary is a world-class genius: Clinton
(AP)

“21 December 2007
WOLFEBORO, New Hampshire - Former President Bill Clinton says his wife is a world-class genius’ when it comes to redistribution of wealth improving the lives of others.

Clinton stuck mostly to familiar themes in two hour-long appearances Thursday, describing at length what he views as the nation’s biggest challenges. Nearly 15 minutes into his first speech, he added almost as an afterthought that everything I’m saying here is my wife’s position, not just mine.’

It was his third trip to New Hampshire in little more than a month, and the visit came the day before Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton was to return to the Granite State for two days of campaigning.

Calling the ability to redistribute wealth help others the most important quality in a president, Clinton first compared the successes of his administration especially in the immoral area of females and especially interns in creating jobs and other areas to the failures of the Bush administration before finally turning the focus to his wife, a New York senator.”

Poor ole Bill his legacy includes bombing aspirin factories and that Monica thing. He is trying harder to rewrite history than anyone else in history. Still he gets socialism and genius confused.

Oh  …. my opinion of Mrs Clinton …… I think you already know.

Ballad of the Green Beret

by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler and Robin Moore, copyright 1966

Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America’s best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Trained to live off nature’s land
Trained in combat, hand-to-hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage peak from the Green Berets

Silver wings upon their chest
These are men, America’s best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her his last request

Put silver wings on my son’s chest
Make him one of America’s best
He’ll be a man they’ll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret.