COLD BEVERAGE

GONE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

2004-12-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

..... will be back in '05.

Internet News getting some props!

2004-12-24T05:01:00.000-08:00

Gallup: Internet News Growing, Other Media Decline
The number of Americans who rely on news outlets like NewsMax.com, the Drudge Report and FreeRepublic.com has jumped by 33 percent in just the last the two years, while virtually every other form of news media has lost readers and viewers, according to a new Gallup survey.

"The only news source to show an increase in daily use from Gallup's 2002 poll on media usage is the Internet – now at an all-time high," the polling firm said this week.

"Use of public television news, nightly network news, local television news, and National Public Radio has decreased, and the number of Americans who report using nightly network news programs, local TV news, local newspapers, and network newsmagazine shows reached new lows in this year's poll," said Gallup.

"Every source has fallen somewhat since 2002, with only news on the Internet gaining, from 15 percent [of readers] going there every day two years ago to 20 percent doing so today," reports Editor & Publisher, in their analysis of the Gallup survey.

Quotes of 2004 / January

2004-12-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

And you know something? You know something? Not only are we going to Space Mountain, we're going to the tea cups and Mr. Toads Wild Ride and the Pirates of the Carribbean and the Jungle Adventure and the Matterhorn! We're going to the Haunted Mansion and Main Street and It's a Small World! And we're going to the Tiki Room and the Coutry Bear Jamboree and the Luau and a character breakfast! And then we're going to the Electric Light Parade. To take back Cinderella's Castle! YEEEAAARGH!!

From Tim Blair

2004-12-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

Notice the phrase: "Includes the Punk Rock Singles..."

The Virus of Democracy

2004-12-23T05:10:00.000-08:00

Yet more words of wisdom from Victor Davis Hanson:

Peace comes, whether in Germany, Japan, Vietnam, or the Falklands, when victory and defeat adjudicate the issues at hand. Thus, there will be no settlement in the Middle East until the Palestinians accept that the effort to destroy Israel leads not to political advantage but to their own destruction, a realization that might just discredit the corrupt tribal apparatus of the Palestinian Authority.

The present cold war of sorts, akin to our own struggle with the Soviet Union, will eventually lead to a day of reckoning for the Palestinians after Israel has finished its fence, withdrawn from Gaza, and consolidated remaining settlements in line with its own strategic advantage.

So time is not on the Palestinians’ side. The world elsewhere tires with the creepy global image of the masked jihadist as it continues to move toward open markets and free societies. Meanwhile, Palestine is closing itself off from its only window to the West, its tribal government free instead to trade and exchange ideas with the likes of Mubarak’s Egypt or the Assad dictatorship in Syria.

While George W. Bush gets few high marks from Dennis Ross for his relative distance from the minutiae that comprise this 800-page book, his larger post-9/11 vision of democratizing the Middle East may do what thousands of shuttle missions by the dutiful and honest Ross could not — if the virus of democracy let loose in Afghanistan and Iraq finally infects the West Bank. After all, the real problem in the Middle East has never been just a few thousand acres of disputed land.

Instead, as was true during the Cold War, strife arises from the complete absence on one side of a legitimate government — as well as the subsidized mythologies of Palestinians that they could win from the Jews through suicide murder the honor, prosperity, and victory that they could never otherwise obtain through outright war or endemic tribal dictatorship.

I guess you could say that for Palestinians, disillusionment is a bitch.

In Spite of These Times

2004-12-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

Over at Alarming News I found this post about some Big "R" quotes that a friend had emailed to the author. Reagan had a way of cutting to the quick; he also had a keen insight into what made America the envy of the rest of the globe.

But Reagan was skilled at reminding the common man the consequences of appeasment, detante and nurturing the inclination to weaken the U.S. military in times of relative 'peace.'
And yet the question remains: will the American people have the fortitude to see this current War through to a winning conclusion?

I saw Daniel Pipes speak last week and he said that it was a mistake to label our current war as 'on terrorism'. He said that after Pearl Harbor we did not declare a war on 'surprise attacks'. Our war is with Islamofascists and if we let go of Iraq, if they succeed in breaking our will, then they will win not just the battle for Iraq but the war for the world. They will have a safe haven from which to spread murderous ideology and illiberal philosophies.

This threat brings me to yet another Reagan quote 'Of the four wars in my lifetime none came about because the U.S. was too strong.' A strong America is a necessity for us to win. I hope American resolve to finish the war in Iraq will be renewed in the new year. I don't think there is a Reagan quote to describe what will happen if it isn't.

Massacre in Mosul

2004-12-21T22:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a very moving (yet painful and heartbraking ) account of today's bombing at the mess hall in Mosul.
It's from a blog called "Training for Eternity" which is going on my blogroll tonight.

The scene was little more than controlled chaos. Helicopters landing, people shouting, wounded screaming, bodies everywhere. As the staff began to triage the dead and wounded I found the chaplain and offered my assistance. He directed me to where he needed me and I dove in. I would be hard pressed to write about every person I had the opportunity to pray with today but I will try to relate a few.I found "Betty" on a stretcher being tended by nurses. I introduced myself and held her hand. She looked up at me and said, "Chaplain, am I going to be alright?" I said that she was despite the fact that I could see she had a long road to recovery ahead of her. Most of her hair had been singed off. Her face was burnt fairly badly, although it didn't look like the kind of burns that will scar. What I do know is that it was painful enough to hurt just by being in the sun. I prayed with Betty and moved on...

Best Tax Accountant of the Year Award

2004-12-21T19:02:00.000-08:00

There are times in Life when just about everything you do and hear about in the course of a normal day makes sense. You've pretty much got it figured out, whether it's the rate of your quickly levitating gas indicater arm, or the exact time all three networks cut to a commercial break.
But then you read about a judge down in Australia who ruled on the tax breaks of a convicted drug dealer....

Australia's High Court ruled in October that convicted drug dealer Francesco Dominico La Rosa could indeed write off a casualty loss of A$224,793 (about US$168,000) against his taxable income, even though the "loss" occurred when someone allegedly stole that amount that La Rosa had buried in his back yard and wanted to use for a heroin deal.
(The Australian Tax Office went nuts at the ruling, and efforts are under way to change the law.)

Damn! I Missed the Annual Stone Pelting Festival... this year.

2004-12-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

Stone throwing festival celebrated

Hundreds of people have been injured in an annual stone throwing festival at a remote mountain village in northern India.

Residents of Dhami near Shimla divided themselves into two groups and pelted stones at each other.

The group having the least number of wounded were declared winners reports Asian News International

It is reported participants were extremely enthusiastic about the stone throwing ritual, which continued for more than an hour in spite of injuries sustained.

Local administrators and police set up several makeshift medical camps to treat the bleeding victims.

Now, I'm not sure about you... but if I'm bleeding from voluntarily getting pelted with stones, I'm not so sure I'd worry about being declared a "winner"

Hey, does this remind you of a Douglas Adams novel?

Why Is Castro Given A Pass ?

2004-12-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

In the words of VDH:

So it is also time to take a hard look at the heroes and villains of Hollywood, liberal Democrats, and the Euro elites. Many are as obsessed with damning the senile dictator of Chile as they are with excusing the unelected President for Life Fidel Castro. But let us be frank. A murderous Pinochet probably killed fewer of his own than did a mass-murdering Castro, and left Chile in better shape than contemporary Cuba is in. And the former is long gone, while the latter is still long in power.

Belgium Pays Homage to Americans - Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge

2004-12-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

It's stories like these that make a knowledge of history so vital. Think of the sacrifices this country gave in Europe to beat back the dark forces of their creation! Radical Islam is our next target. Get ready, I have a feeling we're just at the start of this thing. If television and the media were not in their nascent stages back in the 1940's do you think the citizens of this country would have had the guts to stick it out? After reading this, I kinda doubt it.

Lasting six weeks, the battle drew in more than a million troops — 600,000 Germans, 500,000 Americans and 55,000 Britons — who fought in bitter cold from Dec. 16, 1944, to Jan. 25, 1945.
There were some 81,000 American casualties — including 19,000 killed — in the fighting. Some 100,000 Germans were killed or seriously wounded.

There was so much destruction that it was impossible to know exactly how many were killed in action, how many went missing and how many were wounded.

Woman Charged with Killing Mom; Taking Unborn Baby

2004-12-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

I just don't know what to say about this.
I'm depressed.

According to a criminal complaint, Lisa M. Montgomery admitted she strangled Bobbie Jo Stinnett and took her baby. The complaint also said Montgomery lied to her husband about giving birth, although U.S. Attorney Todd Graves declined to give a motive for the crime.

Stinnett's mother found the 23-year-old nearly dead Thursday in her home in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore. Paramedics tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The baby was found Friday in an eastern Kansas home; a red Honda hatchback matching a description offered earlier by police was in the driveway.

Although DNA tests were pending to confirm the baby's identity, authorities called off the Amber Alert issued for the child.

Democracy = Dignity = Remedy

2004-12-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

In the WSJ today Claudia Rosset posits that the only way for a nation to establish a sense of distinction is to build a democracy from the rubble piles of corruption and tyranny. The Ukraine is going through a remarkable revolution right now. And that "speaks to the best part of the human spirit" This could be a propitious indicater of what is to come in other more backwards lands. Entire article here:

Ukraine is telegraphing around the globe a reminder that freedom brings with it the great gift of dignity. That is precisely why it is so stirring to watch such revolutions. They speak to the best part of the human spirit, because we are witnessing people, often against big odds and at great risk, recovering their self-respect.

And right there is the basic remedy for the miseries of the Middle East. There has been plenty of debate about the humiliations of the Muslim world, and how to redress or contain the rage and hate this breeds. There have been endless disquisitions on the complicated politics, the complex cultural and religious divides, and the--how did Mr. Rybachuk put it?--the idiocy, romanticism and naiveté of the idea, put forward as policy by President Bush, that living under the rule of some of the world's most corrupt thugs are vast silent majorities who given any room to maneuver would prefer to create free societies.

The bottom line is simple, and universal. Freedom brings with it a degree of dignity that repression can never confer. No amount of handouts from the likes of the Saudi royals, or Libya's terrorist tycoon, Moammar Gadhafi, or United Nations-sanctioned rations under a Saddam Hussein, can make up for the self-respect that comes with the self-determination of free people.

He's Back !

2004-12-15T04:19:00.000-08:00

Mark Steyn has returned....

Maybe if the Antarctic food chain is incapable of evolving to cope with a two-degree increase in temperature across many decades, it isn't meant to survive. Science tells us that extinction is a fact of life, and that nature is never still: long before the Industrial Revolution, long before the first lardbuttus Americanus got into his primitive four-miles-per-gallon SUV to head to the mall for the world's first cheeseburger, there were dramatic fluctuations in climate wiping out a ton of stuff.

Get the whole story here. You'll be glad you did.

Courage of Her Convictions

2004-12-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

TRAILER BARK !
Seventies diva Diana Ross threw a fit before the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday night because she didn't want to use a trailer as a dressing room.

"All the A-list stars from A to Z were given trailers as dressing rooms in the lot behind the MGM Grand," said one attendee.

When Diana saw hers, she started screaming "Ms. Ross will not be in a trailer!"
"It was hilarious," the source said. "She kept referring to herself in the third person." Finally, the staff created a dressing room inside for her.

Are You French? You may qualify for damages!

2004-12-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

Unbelieveable story today. Ready? The French-American community feels that they are being "bashed" as the result of a TV commercial! That's right and they are now organizing a class action lawsuit in order to rectify their hurt feelings. Blame Carl's Jr. Forget about free speech in this country, obviously that should be trumped damages must be paid because a hamburger chain is unfairly depticting people of French origin "in a truly unsavor manner"!
The "malicious" and "injurious" action? The voiceover during the commercial:

* At the Waterloo, the French surrendered.
* In the Franco-Prussian War, the French surrendered.
* In World War 2, well, the French surrendered.
* Don’t be a big chicken. Eat one.

You know, i'm pretty sure if something is proven by the historical record, it's not exactly grounds for libel.
But then again, i'm no lawyer.

What do you think?
there is a link to this story HERE.

By the way....
The french just created their own version of our color coded terror alert system but it is slighly different:

1)Run
2)Hide
3)Surrender
4)Collaborate

2004-12-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

Do You Want Fries With That?

Shrill, Yet Shrewd

2004-12-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

In today's WSJ, Peggy Noonan makes a convincing case of the path that Hillary is charting on her way to the Democratic presidential nomination. Peggy knows the woman well, having conducted interviews over the years with Mrs. Clinton's friends and enemies alike. To me, another Clinton presidency seems highly improbable. That is, until I read this.

My favorite selection from her own Q & A on the subject:

You make it sound like a Hillary candidacy is inevitable.

She is inevitable as a candidate, but not as a president. There will be serious drawbacks and problems with her candidacy. When she speaks in a large hall she shouts and it is shrill; she sounds like some boomer wife from hell who's unpacking the grocery bags and telling you that you forgot not just the mayo but the mustard.

That's fixable, to some degree. What may not be fixable is that many voters associate her with a time of scandal and bad behavior. I mean not Monica, which the Clintons always pretend is The Scandal, but every other scandal of the Clinton era: FBI files, illegal fund-raising, sleazy pardons, the whole ugly mess. There will be some who associate her with the cultural disaster that was the Clinton presidency. There will be those who remember she and he led the country down a path both dark and merry while Osama tapped out his plans on a laptop in a cave.

Are those all the potential impediments to her plans?

No. There is still, always, with Mrs. Clinton, the question of her deepest convictions and beliefs. Also known as What She Stands For, or What She Believes. She has been finessing all this for decades and will continue to attempt to, but it may not work in a national presidential run. What she believed did not seem all that important when she was running for first lady, and was easily finessed when she ran in liberal New York. But there is an old paper trail, there is a record of radical statements and writings by Mrs. Clinton. She could disavow what she has written in the past, but never has. In this she is like John Kerry, who could not disavow his youthful, radical statements about Vietnam. Why has she not disavowed, and why can't she? That will be a question.

Anarchy in the Ukraine

2004-12-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

Last week, I wrote about something that seperages the Left from the Right and why I am apt to describe myself a Conservative (without resorting to the "fiscal conservative, Social Democrat" label). It had to do with looking at reality and not what you THINK reality SHOULD be, having a sense of recent history with a determination not to repeat the horrors of the 20th century, and getting out of the way of oncoming traffic instead of just bitching about how crowded the 405 freeway is.

This article below is a few days old, but I just found it this morning. I also agree with the fundamental premise that the one thing that really seperates Americans from other citizens of the world is our constant sense of optimisim and the fact that we actually believe that the future can be better than the present. And then we go about working toward that future instead of just complaining about the world not being 'fair' - it's so simple yet often overlooked.

And the reaction of the Left over the historical events in the Ukraine is another indication of what seperates Conservatives from Liberals. We choose to encourage events that will lead to a better future not just of our own citizens but for people in other lands that have the rare chance to change their future for the better. Isn't it amazing at how you only hear a brooding sense of pessimistic doom about the arrival of democracy in Iraq, the disappointment that the Afghan elections went well, and now the deafening silence about the 3 week protest of fraudulent elections in the Ukraine? This is something that both sides should champion, wouldn't you think?

Yeah, but I guess since our president actually threw his support behind the idea of fair elections there, the Left can't even bring themselves to acknowledge what a progressive step forward this is for a nation that is thirsting for a chance to choose its own leaders, and therefore its future.

Here's a snippet from John Podhoretz. It's a quick article, so click hear to read the whole thing.

Down the line, on issue after issue, the arguments of both Left and Right are always couched in progressive terms (even when those arguments are disingenuous).

There's only one area in which the progressive consensus has truly broken down: On foreign policy, the Left has completely forsaken the American creed in favor of a profoundly and wrong-headedly conservative pessimism.
The last three months or so tell the bitter tale.

Right now, in Ukraine, we are witnessing a genuine democratic revolution against the post-Soviet status quo, with hundreds of thousands of ordinary people refusing to allow an election to be stolen by kleptocratic thugs.
And who is celebrating this spontaneous, powerful and entirely progressive uprising? The Right, and no one but the Right. The good news is being blasted out of Kiev by conservative bloggers (particularly the married couple "Tulipgirl" and "Discoshaman") and promoted by conservative bloggers stateside.

Bloggers on the Left largely greeted the uprising with skeptical distance and worry. Because the president offered his moral support to the uprising, obsessively anti-Bush commentators seem reflexively to be skeptical of it.

Wartime Quote of the week

2004-12-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

"They're never going to like us," he added, echoing other Marine commanders who cautioned against raising hopes that Fallujans would warmly welcome troops when they return to ruined houses and rubble-strewn streets. The goal, Bellon said, is "mutual respect."

Hattip to Wizbangblog.

Jesus seen in patient dental X-Ray!

2004-12-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

you're not going to believe this:
Jesus playing in dental x-ray now!!!

The patient came in for a routine exam on Tuesday. The image was revealed when the X-ray was developed.
The patient described himself as a devout Christian, but said he has never before seen Jesus in an X-ray.

The patient's dental exam was perfect.

The "American Way" proves most effecient

2004-12-06T10:28:00.000-08:00

Whether it's Keven Tibbles with a video camera, or the left-leaning media with and their obvious agenda driven poison pens, the American military has come under some harsh criticism for their tactics in gaining the upper hand in the battle for Iraq.

But now comes a story from the LA Times of all places! It details how the conception among our friendly allies the Brits that the U.S. military is too 'heavy handed' in their approach to dealing with the Iraqi insurgents. The British media turn their nose up at that aggresiveness and have claimed for months that the "softly softly" philosophy employed by the Scotish regiment The Black Watch was far more effective and humane.

Well, maybe down in Basara fellas.... but they soon learned that the American way proves much more effective when you cross over the Baghdad county line. And it doesn't take them long to fully appreciate how the Marines are dealing with terrorists hell-bent on chaos.
Full story here.

The Black Watch tried to bring that culture north with them when they merged operations with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit based south of Baghdad in a deployment that ended Saturday. The British began the assignment patrolling in their berets. They handed out leaflets in Arabic explaining they were a "Scottish" regiment in case Iraqis mistook them for Americans, and proclaimed they had only come to help build a safe and free Iraq.

Insurgents responded with two suicide car bombings and a roadside bomb in the first week of operations, killing four British soldiers and gravely injuring two.The shooting of the Iraqi driver at the checkpoint occurred just an hour after the second car bomb had blown the legs off two of the Black Watch gunner's colleagues."The threat here is at the other end of the spectrum from what we faced in Basra," said Black Watch Capt. Stuart MacAulay, sitting on the edge of a bunker at Camp Dogwood with a map of the area spread in front of him.

"After the suicide bombings against us, I went to an American soldier I know here and put my hands up. I said, 'I confess, I was one of those who sat around in Basra criticizing your approach.'"And I'm embarrassed that I criticized American tactics without ever being here and without having met them."

Dan, We Thought We Knew Ye!

2004-12-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

What a gift the internet is.
I don't ordinarily read the Lady's Home Journal. But thanks to my cable modem, i've run across this Rather surprising piece in LHJ that supports the theory that Dan Rather is just a dirty old hippie with too much "reporter's curiosity" for his own good.

Yes, it seems in addition to braving the rough waters of tempestuous hurricanes.... Danno has also been investigating the murky waters of LSD and smack.

Everyone mentioned his groundbreaking performance hanging onto a tree during Hurricane Carla. Not many mentioned the time he had the Houston Police Department shoot him up with heroin.

Rather talked about the incident 24 years ago in an interview in the Ladies' Home Journal, of all places.

"As a reporter -- and I don't want to say that that's the only context -- I've tried everything. I can say to you with confidence, I know a fair amount about LSD," he said. "I've never been a social user of any of these things, but my curiosity has carried me into a lot of interesting areas."

Boy I'll say. Full story here.

When A Cowboy Isn't A Cowboy....

2004-12-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

The always reliable Victor Davis Hanson writes this week on how the most important events that one might consider life-altering in the macro sense can quickly recede from the memory. I mean we're talking major "paradigm shift" here folks and now it seems we just kinda take history making events like free elections in Afghanastan for the first time in 5000 years for granted. Like, we never had the naysayers declaring that would be an impossible feat, and that democracy is 'never imposed through the barrel of a gun' and such.
I guess old notions don't die, it just takes strong leadership and fortitude to push them aside once gain.
Amazing, isn't it?

Do we remember all this and more when we talk nonchalantly now of elections in Afghanistan or the decency of the Karzai government? Is there a Frenchman or a German to be had at least to say in retrospect, "Yes, you were not the cowboys we slurred you as, but brought something good where there was only evil before"? Do we ponder if but for a second how improbable — indeed, how absolutely preposterous — it was at the time to even suggest that the Afghan people would soon stand in line hours to vote, freed from those who had so sorely oppressed them?

Have we forgotten what foul and cowardly folk the Taliban were — thugs who lynched women, shot homosexuals, blew up civilization's icons, destroyed a century of culture in Afghanistan, promised us death and worse, and then ran out of town in the clothes of women with what plunder they could carry? Do any of us recall the brave Afghans and Americans, both the planners in Washington who were libeled and the soldiers in the field who routed these butcherers?

2004-12-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

coming in from the cold...

I wanna be a Truck, Not A Pedestrian

2004-12-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

The difference between liberals and conservatives is that conservatives know the truck is always coming. They're looking for ways to escape - to get away clean. The liberals are trying to set up traffic lights and warning signs so that nobody gets hit. That's why liberals are so attracted to despair. They know the feeling, while trying to be nobody's enemy, of watching a fellow human splattered. Writings of despair could be shared by liberals and conservatives. Perhaps it is the proper nexus. It was despair that changed me.

I turned Republican when I realized that catastrophe is inevitable, and the only salvation is becoming larger than life, and pre-emptively thrashing your enemies. Capitalism is a great medium for this agenda. If you don't become larger than life, then you are stuck at the mezzanine of despair, of knowing that life is a giant highway and the trucks never stop running people down. The liberal never seeks to become the truck. Instead, they endlessly warn the weak and bury the dead. It's a state of mind I cannot abide. Despair cannot be my byline. I want to be sensitive, I cannot be jaded. Burying bodies, praying for the trucks to stop, coming up with new schemes and watching them all fail...

I don't have the patience for that.

Hey Sugar, Can I Buy You A Drink...?

2004-12-03T07:06:00.000-08:00

Get ready for the $10,000 martini....
There's still time to be the first sucker to order one up, and it only takes 3 days to create.

The plush Algonquin Hotel in New York City has created a new, glamorous and expensive drink called "Martini on the Rock". One glass of the Martini on the Rock will set your bar tab at $10,000. This poses the question: when it costs $10,000, is it safe to ask for it to be shaken?

For those of us who think a $10 dollar Martini is expensive, the drink sounds too lavish to quench even the deepest thirst. But, the innovative Martini exceeds all expectations of an already classy drink by trading in the drink’s traditional olive for a diamond. Anthony Melchiorri, the hotel’s general manager, says nobody has risked purchasing the drink yet.

There is usually a three-day preparation period after you order the drink before it can be made. My guess is, interested testers have sobered up by then.

Olberman: The Eyebrows that Roared

2004-12-03T06:08:00.000-08:00

Still no takers on Keith Olberman's "conspiracy voter fraud in Ohio" theory?
Didn't think so. I don't know why people outside MSNBC refer to this guy as a journalist.

Lame puns seem to be the only reason for his existence. Does he fancy himself an icon of anti-hero newsreading? Hmmm, even Dan Rather didn't take the 'Republican voter fraud' bait. What do you expect from a guy that gets his main info from emails, chain letters and satirical websites, often quoting them on his 'news' show as hard news. I used to like his show a couple years ago, they at least had 8 seconds of decent musical outros before the commercials began. But now he just looks desperate and kinda sad. His ratings are just below Chris Matthews, and they beg the question.... when will the NBC news division and get a clue?

Is it just me or is it about time for a news show written by bloggers from the left and the right that attempts to capture breaking stories, their possible implications and the agendas behind the stories.
In the meantime, why doesn't somebody ask Olberman about getting those caterpillars trimmed before they turn into butterflys.

2004-12-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

japrobot

Japanese Robot to Keep Old People from Going Senile!

2004-12-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

When I lived in Japan several years ago, I was continually amazed at some of the products they would invent for what is seemingly a 'niche' market. They have a great respect for the elderly in Japan, but I'm not sure their good intentions actually shine through with this talking robot. It's designed to keep grandpa company by asking things like "hey, how about this crazy weather today?" I guess it's a good substitute when the retirement home won't allow pets.

Snuggling Ifbot, who is dressed in an astronaut suit with a glowing face, has the conversation ability of a five-year-old, the language level needed to stimulate the brains of senior citizens, its software designer said.
If a person tells Snuggling Ifbot, "I'm bored today," the robot might respond, "Are you bored? What do you want to do?"

To a statement, "Isn't it nice today?", the robot could say, "It is a fine autumn day," by detecting the season from its internal clock.

"This robot has in its memory several million patterns of word phrases that it uses when spoken to,"

Q: Are We Not Blog ?

2004-12-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

A: What's the #1 Word of the Year?
.....according to Merriam Webster anyway. Check it:

Americans called up blogs in droves for information and laughs ahead of the November 2 presidential election.

Freed from the constraints that govern traditional print and broadcast news organizations, blogs spread gossip while also serving as an outlet for people increasingly disenchanted with mainstream media.

It was mainly on blogs that readers first encountered speculation that U.S. President George W. Bush wore a listening device during his first debate against Democrat John Kerry. The White House, forced to respond, called it a laughable, left-wing conspiracy theory.
Bloggers also were among the first to cast doubt on a CBS television news report that challenged Bush's military service.

CBS later admitted it had been duped into using questionable documents for the report. Last week CBS anchor Dan Rather said he would step down in March, although the network said the move was unconnected to the scandal.
A Merriam-Webster spokesman said it was not possible to say how many times blog had been looked up on its Web sites but that from July onward, the word received tens of thousands of hits per month.

Amazing Eye in the Sky

2004-11-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

Like I've stated before - technology will triumph in the War on Terror. This is just plain cool.

The "ScanEagle" is a robotic plane is capable of transmitting real time images of terrorists on the ground in Iraq. The detail transmitted is startling, and how about that gas milage!

It was developed and built by the St. Louis-based defense unit of Boeing Co. and the Washington-based Insitu Group.
Boeing officials said they could not comment on specific ScanEagle missions, but spoke generally of its use.
It travels above insurgent positions and sends real-time video images to Marines on the ground. The unmanned device can relay facial expressions on enemy soldiers, and can transmit in such detail that it shows steam rising from their coffee.
The 4-foot-long aircraft has a 10-foot wingspan and can fly up to 15 hours at a time on less than two gallons of fuel, Boeing officials said.

Wow! I guess, similar to Americans, the "insurgents" stood around sipping coffee before they started their day. They probably weren't much different from us. Of course, while our days involve traffic, phone calls, memos, etc, their day involved murdering civilians, feining death, and blowing themselves up.

College Football: Quote of the Week

2004-11-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

"We can't imagine Knute Rockne envisioning this kind of pstscript when he first brought his Notre Dame team west in 1926.
That was then, this is now.

The reality is the gap between USC and NOtre Dame is wider than the one in David Letterman's teeth."
Chris Dufrense, LA Times

2004-11-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

Looks like Arafat was able to mail out his Xmas cards just in time....

Anarchy in the Ukraine

2004-11-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

Still not sure if the Ukrainian elections were rigged? Check this out from the Daily Telegraph in London.

It was 5.30pm on election day in Ukraine when the thugs in masks arrived armed with rubber truncheons.
Vitaly Kizima, an election monitor at Zhovtneve in Ukraine's Sumy region, watched in horror as 30 men in tracksuits stormed into the village polling station. "They started to beat voters and election officials, trying to push through towards the ballot boxes," he told The Telegraph.

"People's faces were cut from blows to the head. There was blood all over."

The thugs - believed to be loyal to the pro-Russian presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich from his stronghold, Donetsk - were repulsed only when locals pushed them back and a policeman fired warning shots.

Damnation and Redemption about to be unearthed in equal measure; so now is the time - as it always was.
Full story here.

2004-11-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

Bush vs. the Irish !

Experience the Victory!

2004-11-27T15:13:00.000-08:00

"son if you come to USC, this will be your hope too...."

Just a snippet of the conversation going on today on the sidelines of the big game at the Collisium. This is a huge game for recruits and a lot of talent will be watching in person the jaggernaut that is the USC Trojan football team.

It's a great big step for the Trojans today, as far as covincing the national media that they deserve a solid #1 national ranking. They have a national audience and the rich traditon of the cross-country rivalry. The crowd is probably going to break the all time attendance record today, according to the morning papers.

The weather is atypical for so cal, but the fans are getting pumped up as I write.
Here are 3 reasons they will win the football game tonight in the wind and rain...

1. USC comes with some serious fire, they are coming out not just to win, but to beat you down, to make you feel the pain, to make you pay physically. The defense is a punishing one. At the same time, they know how to stand up and be leaders and help the community, and represent themselves well off the field, but come game time, there will be no mercy. There are only 8 quarters in the football season, and the Trojans control their own destiny. Yeah, they're pumped!

2. Excellent game preparation. They know exactly what to do, after lots of review of film and past situations. The psychology factor is also big, the senior leadership is respected. Coach Carrol emphasizes the fun factor as well, so they come into every game focused, but loose at the same time. That's a rarity more often than not. If they go undefeated, there should be no controversy about who's going to the big dance.

3. It's USC vs. Notre Dame. True anything can happen when these two get together, but the fact is USC just has way too much talent and depth and coaching experience to be overcome. Whether on the ground or through the air, they tend to dominate even if it takes them a quarter or two to really get rolling. When you have better talent, if both teams bring their best game, Notre Dame cannot beat USC tonight.

4. My prediction? USC 44 Notre Dame 17!

Birth of a Democracy....?

2004-11-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Iraq the Model - run by 3 brothers who have fought for years to overthrow the Baathist regime against insurmountable odds - have a go at stream-of-consciousness blending of past and present that just may put a smile on your face.

We reached the government main headquarter and entered without much difficulty. We went to one of these offices as we didn’t know were to go as this was our first time there. One of the government employees asked us what was our need. We said our prayers and told him that we want to change the regime. He asked us to wait until he call for the man in charge and I said to myself, “that’s it, they’re calling the Mukhabarat” the guy came back with another man who, after greeting us asked about our group. We handed him a file that contained our goals and a list of the people who supported us. He took it and told us to come back in 3 days after they study it.

“Study it!?” I said to myself “ they’re not going to hang us? Maybe they are letting the small fish to capture the large one?” Anyway we went back and spent 3 difficult nights full of worries and nightmares.

Read the whooooole thing to find out what happens....

2004-11-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

The kids are (finally) alright

Hey! Teacher.....

2004-11-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

Pink Floyd Pupils Sue for Royalties

It's got to be quite a slice of satisfaction to know not only did you contribute to a historic musical document, but now you're due thousands as a result of a day off from class.
Lucky "kids".

Peter Thorpe, who sang on the single, told friends: "We were just taken to the studios and it was great fun.
I didn't realise royalties were owed and I'm very glad to be in a position to claim them."

Too Many Bond Flicks

2004-11-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

Now don't this just make you wanna hop on a plane for the holidays....

The TSA has found knives disguised as lipstick, a radio with a handgun inside, a loaded gun stuffed into a teddy bear. Several people have tried to bring chainsaws onto planes. A U.S. army sergeant was kicked off a flight after an inert landmine was found in his checked luggage. One man packed gunpowder and a fuse for his hobby of shooting golf balls out of cannons.

"You name it, we've seen it," said the TSA's von Walter.

www.canada.com

Short & Sweet

2004-11-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

I know it's not cool to root for your own country in an age of Irony and Post-Modern "whatever". And I know there are those Americans who live in this country and take advantage of all it has to offer, yet continue to deride it, criticize it, and lament that our current leaders are setting a bad example to the rest of the world. But once you stand back and take a look at the level of accomplishment and high standards that have been achieved in the past 240 years, it's nothing short of astonishing. It's not surprising then that in addition to inspiring some, it creates resentment and self-hatred in others.

In my opinion there is no other nation on Earth, no other civilization in history, more dedicated to the principles of freedom and equality, no military more professional in it’s determination to fight the forces of darkness, than our United States of America.

And I'm thankful to call myself an American; I said it so what? Would you please just go with it? Try not to be so cynical - you are in a wink-free zone now. It's no dirty secret. But an admission of one hell of a guilty pleasure. This does not amount to taking a stand.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Now, go induldge.

2004-11-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

I have a feeling this lady will devour more ThxGvng Turkey than all your in-laws put together. NAME HER!

Trojan Quote of the Week

2004-11-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

“We’re right where we want to be,” Leinart said. “This is the fun part of the season. It all counts right now.”

The Illusion of Peace

2004-11-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

From: Resurrection Song.

I'm not saying that I like the idea of more violence--I want peace. But I don't want the illusion of peace that comes when we simply bide our time waiting for another attack on our country.

I never supported the war in Iraq because I wanted cheap gas, wanted to see Americans colonize the country, or felt a need for vengeance. I supported the war because I felt that it might act as the catalyst for change in the Middle East. Not that every change has to come at the muzzle of a rifle, but that the methods we had been employing were obviously not working. In fact, those methods had never worked, were never going to work, and, quite possibly, made the situation worse by allowing militant Islamists to attack us with near impunity.

No More Beating Around the Bush

2004-11-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

It's a little strange to hear people knock the Prez for picking heads of cabinet that he has known to be good honest people that tend to share his views. Dept. of State is one of the most important to fill, and I think he made an awesome selection. As for the people that are crying about there not being a chance for 'healthy debate' or 'enough diverse views' give me a freakin' break. The position demands perspicacity and a healthy knowledge of history and Condi Rice has both in spades... ah, I didn't just write that, did I?

Here's how John Podhoretz sums it up nicely in the NY Post:

Did the president benefit from hearing Colin Powell's views during his first term? On some matters, certainly, and on others probably not as much. But it's simply comic to assume that with Powell gone, there will not be healthy debate between incoming Secretary of State Condi Rice and the secretary of Defense (Rummy or whoever follows him).

There has always been and will always be tension between these departments, because they step on each other's toes. The fact that their presiding officers will be more loyal to the president than they will be to Bob Woodward won't mitigate that fact of Washington political life.

The only surprising aspect of this argument is that it completely ditches the old, reliable "Bush is a moron" meme for a new and more ominous "Bush is a control-freak mastermind" theory. The man who, we were told, had no interest in policy and could barely tie his shoes now wants to vet every minute decision made at the departments of State, Justice and Education and at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Hey guys: Pick an argument and stick to it, will you? Otherwise, people will start thinking you're crazy.

But that's the way liberals tend to operate; if the shoe doesn't fit, toss it and try something new that might.

Dan, it's Mark Steyn on line One...

2004-11-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

what do you mean i'm not invited to thanksgiving?!

Danny Says It's Time to Go...

2004-11-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

Of Broadcast plots & 6:30 Slots ~

Well it looks like we can now add the Liberal Media to the casualty list of That Which Is Mortally Wounded during the Bush Administration.
(Now if we can just add Islamo-Fascism and American Idol to the list I'd do a jig; heck, can Castro be far behind?)

Dan Rather embodied all that is wrong with the Establishment Press, and his ratings reflect his irrelevance rather effectively. The only thing that can save CBS at this point is Murdoch coming in and buying it. Broadcast news needs more comely newsladies, & that's something he's always understood extremely well.

UPDATE: David Frum nails it!

"What would the world be saying of Dan Rather if, say, he managed an automobile manufacturer? Over his 24 years at the helm of CBS News, he has led his program from first place to third, losing more than half his audience along the way. Throughout his career he has been embroiled in controversy and scandal, culminating in his broadcast of forged documents - and his insistence that they might well be genuine long after the falsehood was obvious to everybody else. He leaves his news program in worse editorial and economic shape than at any time since it was launched five decades ago.

If CBS were a car company, Rather would be universally condemned as a business and moral failure, one who broke faith with his colleagues, his customers, and his shareholders. Fortunately for Rather, CBS is a media organization. So he will exit the scene hailed as an American legend and a hero for our time."

Where's The Camera At...?

2004-11-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

Anybody else besides me figure that Ron Artest is a total prick in real life?
After watching the Today show, I begin to wonder just who preps Matt Lauer with questions before showtime.

Lauer: "Are there 2 Ron Artests? Your dad says you're a nice kid."
Artest: "I always interact with the fans. I think you should get some interviews with the fans."

Well, i'm sure one or two of them will be happy to give an interview in the coming weeks. Unfortunately for you, it will be in a court of law and it will be called a deposition.

Direct from CentCom....

2004-11-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

November 22, 2004 Release Number: 04-11-77

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

INSURGENTS FAKING DEAD FIRES ON MARINES
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Marines from the 1st Marine Division shot and killed an insurgent, who while faking dead, opened fire on the Marines that were conducting a security and clearing patrol through the streets here at approximately 3:45 p.m. on 21 November.

So, we are probably going to be told we have to walk up.... tap tap.... ok, he's dead now.
Are we at war or not?

Americans to the Rescue..... again.

2004-11-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

From the Ny Times this past Friday, the following headline:

"Showing Their Resolve, Rebels Mount Attacks in Northern and Central Iraq."

Well, what can I say? The mainstream U.S. press continues to see such acts as beheadings and false surrenders as commendable. Probably for striking a blow to the American imperialist, capitalist hegemony no doubt.

As the duplicity the security council is exposed, and the U.N. is revealed as not much more than a bastion of corruption and prefidious "allies" with their own self-interest front and center......the notion that the United States is anything but alone in this noble mission to bring freedom, stability, opportunity and human rights to a region that has known none of that, we continue to be 2nd guessed and even vilified in the mainstream press. The NYT still can't help itself from cheering for "insurgents" that disembowl, decapitate and disgrace.

What's up with that?

I'll tell you. America is sui generis. Thus, we are bearing the burden others cannot or outright refuse to shoulder.

And as will be the case once again, America--in addition to preserving its own security--will rid a portion of the world of a fanatical death cult (Fundametalist Islam), will provide food, medicine, relief supplies and the inestimably precious supply of freedom to an oppressed people, and will demand no recompense. I don't need a war to be waged in order to be proud of my country. But it is telling that even in the midst of the cataclysm of human conflict, the majesty and beneficence of American generosity and kindness comes through. Winston Churchill warned the Nazis to "do [their worst], and we shall do our best." Those are words that America and Americans live by.

It should be added, however, that in addition to doing our best when others do their worst, we are at our best when the times are at their worst. We could become vicious along with the vicious times, but in spite of all the fears to the contrary, we have kept our character, our sense of humanity and self-worth, our fundamental goodness and decency as a people, and the sense of honor we have borne throughout our history--a sense of honor that allows Americans to look in a mirror and to tell ourselves truthfully and without fear of being contradicted by an objective posterity that when all is said and done, the world is better off for our presence on the world's most dangerous real estate.

Much better off.

And it pisses off those that see every war through the prism of the freakin' Vietnam war. But that's a terrible fit, for reasons to numerous to list here. Just rest assured, this silly, warped view will be the tipping point of their downfall. As the mainstream press stumbles into irrelevance, just remember....

they were rooting for the other side.

Christmas in Iraq (Feels Like the 1st Time)

2004-11-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

I think this is a great idea. Go and give where it's needed most this year. It's called the New Spirit of America Challenge. It goes toward a place you've never been physically, but are granted an inside look thanks to Iraqi blogs that have become invaluable. Come on, you'll feel better after a small donation. I did.

Now, I'm waiting for my story....

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2004-11-20T09:43:00.000-08:00

"Just as the breakdown of a few Communist Eastern European states led to a general collapse of Marxism in the east, or the military humiliation in colonial Africa and the Falklands led to democratic renaissance in Iberia and Argentina, or American military efforts in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Panama City brought consensual government to Central America, a reformed Afghanistan and Iraq may prompt what decades of billions of dollars in wasted aid to Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinians, the 1991 Gulf War, and 60 years of appeasement of Gulf petrol-sheiks could not: the end of the old sick calculus of Middle East tyrannies blackmailing the United States through past intrigue with the Soviet Union, then threats of oil embargos and rigged prices, and, most recently, both overt and stealthy support for fundamentalist killers.

Germany and France threw away their historic special relationships with America, while billions in Eastern Europe, India, Russia, China, and Japan either approved of our efforts or at least kept silent. Who would have believed 60 years ago that the great critics of democracy in the Middle East would now be American novelists and European utopians, while Indians, Poles, and Japanese were supporting those who just wanted the chance to vote? Who would have thought that a young Marine from the suburbs of Topeka battling the Dark Ages in Fallujah — the real humanist — was doing more to aid the planet than all the billions of the U.N.?"

Victor Davis Hanson

The Whole World is Going Down the Toilet

2004-11-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Toilet Day

"The entire toilet movement is taking on the world," he said.
"People are saying 'we want good toilets' because a toilet is a basic human right and this basic human right has been neglected."

In recent years, hundreds of improved toilets have been built or renovated in Beijing. Today at the conference authorities were trumpeting their efforts.
With China hosting the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Mr Sim believes such efforts are very timely.
"When people come to see the Olympics they need first of all a good toilet," he said.
"And the bigger effect is when they go back, when they go back home their friends will ask them, 'I thought the toilets there are terrible'. And they will say, 'No you're wrong. Nowadays it's fantastic.'

50 Minutes in D.C.

2004-11-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

Overheard yesterday in the capitol....

Shrink: "So he makes you angry?"

Powell: "YES. Yes. Very angry."

Shrink: "Would you like to talk about it?"

Powell: "He's just overbearing. And he always thinks he's right."

Shrink: "Is this frustrating. . .?"

Powell: "He won't shut up. He's a threat. A real threat."

Shrink: "A threat? How is he. . .?"

Powell: "He's going to undermine everything. Everything! He flies in the face of our American morals. He's completely out of control. . .and now that the change is made, there's nothing to stop him. He can do whatever he wants!"

Shrink: "Like--"

Powell: "I'm telling you, Western Civilization's at risk. I tried to reign him in, but he's consolidated power! It's over I tell you. Over! OVER!"

Shrink: "But he's just a shock jock. . . ."

Hattip to The Mad Parson.

2004-11-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

Ain't Talking 'Bout Love

Drivin' With The Devil

2004-11-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

My cousin is a paramedic. Frank once told me it's the hardest thing he ever had to do: passing that Paramedic test. Frank is a smart guy too. So imagine my surprise this morning when I saw this:

NEW YORK - David Lee Roth, the former lead singer for Van Halen, is training to be a paramedic.
Roth began his career in medicine several weeks ago, riding along with an ambulance crew in New York.

EXTREME MAKE-OVER: Fallujah Edition

2004-11-18T03:41:00.000-08:00

I love technology. Especially when it meets the U.S. military.
Here's what it truly is like to witness a 'dead man walking'
Maybe this drone will catch up with Kevin Sites by the weekend. Ok, from the Times of London, no doubt.
Nice to know not all the tabloids in the U.K. have their heads reamed. This entire article is great reading.

THE last hours of the mujahidin are terrifying. With the city they once ruled with the absolute authority of medieval caliphs now overrun by American and Iraqi troops, they have to keep moving. To pause even for a few minutes can mean instant death from an unseen enemy.
A group of 15 fighters dressed in black and carrying an array of weapons ducked into a two-storey house in war-torn southern Fallujah yesterday morning. Their movement was picked up by an unmanned spy plane that beamed back live footage to a control centre on the edge of the city. Within minutes, an airstrike was called and the house disappeared in a giant plume of grey smoke.

From a house across the road, the explosion flushed out another group of guerrillas. Deafened by the blast, they stumbled out into the street, formed a ragged line and started off on the marathon to postpone their deaths, the drone dogging their every step.

“The rats are trying to move about,” Major Tim Karcher, of the Second Battalion, Seventh Cavalry, said as the figures flitted from street to street, seeking cover close to walls.

Wednesday Round-Up

2004-11-17T06:28:00.000-08:00

I'm testing out my new browser - "FireFox" from Mozilla. I like it so far, it loads faster and has a cool bookmark system. Still a couple of bugs in here though, especially in Blogger. Anyone else having this problem? Meantime, here are a few highlights I came across this morning. Not much here to make me think the world isn't still off its axis.... but I have to hold out hope.
Give Peach a Chance, baby.

First is a take from FrontPage.com on the absurdity of burying arafat in Jerusalum:

Try to imagine proposals in the newly restored Union of 1865 to bury John Wilkes Booth in the ground of Capitol Hill. Or proposals to bury Hitler’s charred carcass in the Invalides in Paris, or in Westminster Cathedral in London. How about a proposal to bury Pontius Pilate and Attila the Hun in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican? Or bin Laden’s body, when it is DNA-confirmed, buried at Ground Zero?

Meanwhile, Coffee Annan is still too busy being a diplomat and slipping in snide remarks about the U.S. cleaning out Fallujah in less than a week to cooperate with the corruption explosion that is "Oily-For-Food". I can't stand this guy, and if he thinks he's doing the U.N. any favors by stonewalling, he's more deluded than I thought possible.

In the spirit of shooting the messenger, Mr. Annan has complained often in recent months about criticism of Oil for Food, denouncing it as a "campaign" that has "hurt the U.N." Monday's Oil for Food hearing evoked from Mr. Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, the comment that Mr. Annan feels he has been "misjudged by certain media" and that Mr. Annan is "not being obstructionist" in his refusal to cooperate with congressional investigators. We are given to understand that Mr. Annan would help if he could, but his job entails so many over-riding responsibilities.

OK, except that when it comes to Oil for Food, Mr. Annan has labored hard in recent months to disavow his own large role and responsibilities. From both Mr. Annan and the entourage of U.N. speechwriters and spokesman who report to him have come a long series of disclaimers and protests, eye-catching less for what they tell us than for what they leave out.

Finally, from the always reliably "nuanced" BBC News.....

Condoleezza Rice is so closely allied to Mr Bush's interests that it is difficult to see how she would diverge, even if she comes under the influence of the State Department which tends to take a longer term view of world affairs.

a "longer term view" ? Oh, ok. I'm sure a longer term view would start to undo the damage and disregard with which so many in the international community have come to look at the U.S. Yeah right. And I love the Today Show's tease at the start of yesterday's show:
"RICE..... IN THE PRESSURE COOKER!" bellowed Matt Lauer.

That's funny.

2004-11-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

The Kids are Alright

Let's Keep Things in Perspective

2004-11-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

After a day of overblown rhetoric about how the United States has stepped over the line, and became a violater of the Geneva Conventions after the video of that Marine who took steps to ensure the continuation of his own life, I found myself twisting my head and asking if it's at all possible to put things in perspective. We've come a long way in this war and the last time I looked, the Geneva Conventions do not apply to bandits who butcher, disembowl, assinate and mutilate innocent human beings! What the hell is going on with people?

I found this compendious take on the events of the last 3 years from Victor Davis Hanson just a couple days ago. It's amazing how far we've come, what devestation we've withered and how cleanly we've gone about it. I doubt there has ever been a nation that has acted with such exceptionalby honorable intentions, not to mention the oceans of blood shed in pursuit of an ideal, in the history of mankind.

At its richest, most populous stage in its history, the United States, after reeling from a devastating blow to its financial and military nerve centers, in less than three years toppled the Taliban and Saddam Hussein, implemented elections in Afghanistan and scheduled them in Iraq, prevented another 9/11-like attack — and so far has tragically lost about 1,100 in combat in a war against a virulent fascism that is antithetical to every aspect of Western liberty. Our grandfathers would have considered all this a miraculous military achievement. We call it a quagmire, deride our leaders as liars and traitors, and often doubted that our Marines — the greatest street-fighting besiegers in the history of warfare, who stormed Manila, Seoul, Hue, and Panama City — could take Fallujah last April.

George Bush is asked to win the war without losing Americans. He must defeat Islamists, but not kill too many jihadists on global television. His second term must deal with everything from jobs and globalization, energy dilemmas, fickle Europeans, and a war where winning is sometimes seen as losing. Entitlements are out of control, yet his critics don't want cuts, but rather further increases. In such a topsy-turvy world, all that will see him through are his iron will to stay firm and consistent in face of a global media barrage. He must smile more, keep far quieter, seem much nicer — and carry an even a bigger stick. God help him, because few others will.

2004-11-15T19:00:00.000-08:00

The Graft, Corruption & Stonewalling Continues.....

21.3 Billion Dollars..... Thanks U.N.

2004-11-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Well Well Well..... and I was under the impression that it was a mere 11-12 billion that Saddam Hussein had skimmed off the United Nations Oil-For-Food program set up by Kofi and Chirac. Twenty-one BILLION dollars. France and Iraq, quite a pair. You know, I truly believe that France was in bed with Saddam for so long, they were no longer sleeping together - just reading until one or the other fell asleep.
And now I hear the French are planning on naming one of their main streets after Saddam Hussein.
Maybe I'm just over-reacting. Paranoid.

But I doubt it.

Hand In Glove

2004-11-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

More evidence that Arafat was a puppet of our old arch nemesis, The Soviet Union. Who knew the Russians had such grand designs! It seems Islam was one of the most promising tools to wield against the twin pillars of Democracy and Capitalism. It's a good thing Communism caved in on itself in the 80's but one wonders how much lingering influence their plan had on current Muslim hatred of the West.

History always repeats itself, and if you can live two lives, you have an even greater chance of seeing that repetition with your own eyes. During the last six years of my other life, as a Romanian intelligence general, the main task of the Soviet bloc espionage community was to transform Yasser Arafat’s war against Israel and its main supporter, the United States, into an armed doctrine of the whole Islamic world. America was our main enemy, and a billion adversaries could inflict far greater damage on it than could a mere one million. Islamic anti-Semitism ran deep. Our task was to convert its historical hatred of the Jews into a new hatred of the United States, by portraying this land of freedom as an “imperial Zionist country” financed by Jewish money and run by a rapacious “Council of the Elders of Zion,” the Kremlin’s epithet for the US Congress..

Although we now live in an age of technology, we still do not have an instrument that can scientifically measure the results of a sustained influence operation. Nevertheless, it is safe to presume that over the course of the further twenty-plus years—until the Soviet Union buckled—the combination between spreading hundreds of thousands of Protocols within the Islamic world and portraying the United States there as a criminal Zionist instrument should have left some trace. The hijacked airplane was launched into the world of contemporary terrorism by the KGB and its puppet Yasser Arafat, and it is significant that this became the weapon of choice for September 11, 2001.

Haptip to Frontpage.com

Because Heckel & Jeckel Were Already Taken

2004-11-15T02:56:00.000-08:00

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Nov 11, 2004 — When Safra Hassan went into labor Thursday, she told her husband she wanted to name their child Yasser after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died hours earlier.
It was only in the delivery room at Gaza's Shifa Hospital that Hassan, 32, discovered she was carrying twin boys.
"I looked at my husband and I said, we will call them Yasser and Arafat," she told The Associated Press. "I'm so proud that the name of Yasser Arafat will be in my house every day.
ABC NEWS

And who says reincarnation is a myth?

QUOTABLE

2004-11-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

"YOU KNOW TIM, THE ONLY POLITICIAN IN THIS ELECTION WITH A MANDATE IS JIM McGREEVY..."

James Carville, part-time standup comedian, this morning on Meet the Press.

Make Mine A Double....

2004-11-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

Tammy the Virtual Bartender

Thirsty? Say Hi to Miss Tammy

2004-11-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Just type in a command, and see what gets served up.
Be creative, and don't forget to tip. I can't get her to do shots yet though.
(my favorite: pour a beer on yourself)

http://www.virtualbartender.beer.com/beer_usa.htm

More Evidence from the Religion of Peace

2004-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

I got a few emails this morning from individuals accusing me of inflating claims made by the U.S. military, and only presenting stories from biased media organs.

This is from The Washington Post (excerpt below). Not exactly a resevoir of right-leaning information. Since this war started, it's become apparent that the U.S. and its few allies are fighting for universal human decency. But to see that you have to cut through layer after layer of agenda-driven media reports that continually try to label terrorists as "insurgents" "rebels" or "freedom fighters".

In the industrial area on Fallujah's south side, residents said Thursday that the bodies of 20 foreign fighters had been found outside a truck repair shop, many killed by a single shot to the head. Insurgents native to Fallujah said the foreigners were executed for deserting their positions when the U.S.-led assault on the city began Monday night.

In the northern half of the city, now largely under the control of U.S. and Iraqi forces, Marines making a door-to-door sweep on Wednesday found a bruised, starving man chained to the wall of a house. The man, who identified himself as a taxi driver from nearby Abu Ghraib, said he had been kidnapped by men who refused to give him food or water and beat him with electrical cords during 10 days of captivity.

Video footage shot by an ABC crew showed the man, shirtless and wrapped in a wool Marine-issue blanket, saying through an interpreter that when his captors fled, he told them he would die without food or water. They responded:
"We brought you here to die..."

The Myth of Invincibility

2004-11-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I heard on one of the broadcast networks a report on Fallujah that implied that the coalition was at a standstill. That the Marines were "pinned down" and the troops are "bogged down". (is it too early to call it an official quagmire yet?)

There were no reports on the three Iraqi hostages found handcuffed and tortured by the terrorists before scambling out of town. Or how about the fact that in nearly every single mosque cleared by U.S. troops they find stockpiles of weapons, IEDs and bomb-making materials?

"In almost ever single mosque in Fallujah, we have found an arms cache," he said. "We have found IED-making (bomb-making) factories. We have found fortifications. We've been shot at by snipers from minarets."

Why no mention of the blood-covered straw mats inside the "hostage slaughter houses" where innocent people were murdered, and the acts were filmed? The fact that their hostages seem to consist of the mentally handicapped, women, and children. You have to hit the internet or Fox News to get the report of the 'human shields' of innocents that were shot execution style as the Jihadis made their escape from civilian homes.

Despite all of this, the fact is this: the military campaign in Fallujah is on schedule and the coaliton will control all of Fallujah by Sunday night. Further, as the Islamo-Fascists are beaten back, and killed in their tracks, it's disproving the myth of "insurgent invincibility" that is required to recruit more fighters.

"Finally, an allied victory in Fallujah throws more cold water on the myths of Western weakness and Islamic invincibility. At some point — though it's hard to say when — the young Arab men who have been fed fantasy by mad clerics and Al-Jazeera will start noticing that, in real-world battles, their side never wins.
The more sharp-eyed among them will further note that the men cheering them on to martyrdom always manage to survive.

There will probably always be a few hard-core or impossibly dim fanatics who don't know or don't care that they're being played for fools. But these would-be martyrs are getting their wish, in Fallujah and elsewhere. Who will spring up to replace them? Fewer than before, if anyone has eyes to see."

Look, we can't fight evil in this world until we honestly name it as evil. Arafat was, on several levels evil. Islamo-Fascism is evil. We must fight it - for freedom, for security, and for human rights. Too bad the Left cannot recognize these simple truths.

UPDATE: The number of terrorists killed in Fallujah just passed 1200, with 200 captured. Not bad in 4 days and nights of "urban warfare".

Fat Man, Little Car

2004-11-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I'd had it up to here with those radio OnStar commercials.
This is very well done, and funny as all get out.

http://www.imao.us/sound/MMOnStar.mp3

2004-11-12T05:02:00.000-08:00

Ready for Action

"Come And Kill Us..."

2004-11-12T05:01:00.000-08:00

The latest on the ground in Fallujah.
Courtesy of the NY Post. Interesting use of Psych-Ops !!

Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, the on-the-ground commander of the U.S. operation, told Pentagon reporters that heavy fighting was going on in several neighborhoods. But he said the massive operation involving as many as 15,000 U.S. troops and 2,000 Iraqi troops was making progress — with relatively few coalition casualties so far.
"I think we are looking at several more days of tough urban fighting. I think the enemy is fighting hard, but not to the death, and I think they are continuing to fall back," Metz said.

"We're a little ahead of schedule. I would say the coming days will tell us whether or not the enemy is thickening as he moves back into the city, or we are killing the enemy, or capturing the enemy, or pushing the enemy back."
U.S. and Iraqi troops were also seen conducting house-to-house searches and taunting insurgents over loudspeakers about their manhood — a tactic that successfully drew out pro-Saddam militias from their hideouts during last year's invasion.
"Brave terrorists, I am waiting here for the brave terrorists. Come and kill us," one military psychological operations officer said in Arabic over a loudspeaker

CRIMINAL WITH A CAUSE

2004-11-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

SHADES OF BESLAN, RUSSIA

It would take an encyclopedia to catalog all of the evil Arafat committed. But that is no excuse for not trying to recall at least some of it.
Perhaps his signal contribution to the practice of political terror was the introduction of warfare against children. On one black date in May 1974, three PLO terrorists slipped from Lebanon into the northern Israeli town of Ma'alot. They murdered two parents and a child whom they found at home, then seized a local school, taking more than 100 boys and girls hostage and threatening to kill them unless a number of imprisoned terrorists were released. When Israeli troops attempted a rescue, the terrorists exploded hand grenades and opened fire on the students. By the time the horror ended, 25 people were dead; 21 of them were children.
Thirty years later, no one speaks of Ma'alot anymore. The dead children have been forgotten. Everyone knows Arafat's name, but who ever recalls the names of his victims?

ARAFAT DEAD !

2004-11-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

I cannot tell you how much joy it gives me to be able to type that sentence. Today is a grand occassion. And on Veteran's Day, no less. Oh, the stars are really lining up this month, no?

Arafat dead. Sweet. They should bury him face down.

His entire reason to exist was to kill innocent Jews and destroy Israel. Despite what our nation's worst president says, Arafat was nothing more than a maniac terrorist who left a brutally sick legacy while talking out of both sides of his slimy mouth. When offered over 90% of what he wanted in order to form an official Palestinian state, he rejected it. Tellingly, he didn't even make a counter offer. That's because he knew if he made peace with Israel under ANY circumstances, then he'd be marginalized, and eventually irrelevant.

Sorry Jimmy Carter, you piece of crap. The vile excuse for a human being you are eulogizing today was, pure & simple, a symbol of thievery, thugery, failed leadership, murderous hatred, and back-stabbing deception. Not to mention all the millions and millions of $$$ that he stole from American taxpayers and other Arab nations and stuffed in his own secret bank acconts while his beloved Palestinian people suffered immeasurably. At least that way, he had a scapegoat: THE ZIONIST JEWS!

And don't forget the predilection he had for gay sex documented by the Romanian Secret Service, which, in fact, most likely had something to do with the cause of his death.

Both Jimmy Carter and Yasser AraRat were proud receipents of the "Nobel Peace Prize" by the way. That alone should speak volumes about the value of that dubious honor. I mean come on! Why don't you hand one to Nicolae Ceausescu while you're at it. Stalin anyone?

If you think I'm spouting hyperbole, just click on the link below. See if you can't come away in agreement with me on the first sentence of this post.

For a good summary of the legacy of the misery Arafat wrought:

http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x_issue=11&x_article=795

Stra-TEE-ger-ee

2004-11-11T09:44:00.000-08:00

A new article from Peggy Noonan today. She sums it up nicely.....

Finally, you look at President Bush, and you can tell he's not going to change much anymore. He's 58 and he's going to stay who he is. He is not emotionally or intellectually labile or subject to great swings--he's not going to shock us and announce tomorrow that, on reconsideration, Osama had a point. He's not going to say tax increases are good. He's not going to say we need more regulation of small businesses. He liked to brag sometimes in the campaign "You know who I am--I say what I mean and I mean what I say."

Actually, it wasn't bragging, for it was true.

Some liberals, misunderstanding Mr. Bush's support, think that in the red states they think Bush is a god. They do not. They do not think he is perfect; they do not think he is Pericles; they do not think he has the subtlest political mind since Harry Hopkins (if Hopkins was subtle--I forget). They just like him, and respect him. Some love him, but they all make teasing jokes about him. This is a man whose very White House called its political strategy shop "strategery." The American people are in their own way fiercely sophisticated. They know the history of second terms: woe and error. They expect Mr. Bush to make mistakes. But they don't expect him to make amazing out-of-character mistakes. They expect him to make George Bush-type mistakes. They can live with that.

oh, I'm not sure who Harry Hopkins was, but I get the point. Second terms are fraught with danger, mis-steps and adversity. He's got a mighty challenge ahead. Somehow, I'm feeling pretty good about his chances. He's battling the enemies of Mankind in Iraq and tax reform at home. He's bold and I think deep down, most Americans respect that. If he makes a mistake or two, and he will, I think we can live with that. After all, bringing liberty and democracy to a torbid and turbulent corner of the world will require a heavy dose of fortitude and realistic expectations.

The odds are against him, but I'll take those odds.

Quotable:

2004-11-10T07:18:00.000-08:00

"Afraid of being called racist, we have been so tolerant with regard to these religious fascists that they have been allowed to merrily undermine the roots of our freedom." -- Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf

A few days ago, Theo Van Gogh (distant relative of Vincent) was murdered. No, make that slaughtered. His crime? He made a film showing the abuse of women by the peaceful religion of Islam. For this he was shot 8 times, had his throat slit, and there was a charming little note pinned, by the knife used to murder him, to his chest.
A sample:

"I know for sure that you, Oh America, will go under;
I know for sure that you, Oh Europe, will go under;
I know for sure that you, Oh unbelieving fundamentalist, will go under..."

Now, after years of "tolerance" the Dutch find themselves in much the same position of a chain smoker after his first cardiac arrest. Sometimes, a man or a nation, gets a second chance to evaluate the priorities in life.
When will the rest of the EU follow? What will it take?

UPDATE:
After a police raid near the Hague, Muslim suspects threatened police with a beheading.

Three Dutch police officers have been wounded during the raid which began early today, police said. Shots were fired as police conducted the operation on behalf of national prosecutors. Prosecutors would not confirm whether the raid was connected to an investigation in the alleged terrorist slaying of van Gogh on November 2.
One unidentified neighbour told Dutch television that she heard a police negotiator tell an apparent suspect in the building to "come out, and no body will get hurt". But the suspect yelled back "I'll behead you, I'll behead you," she said.
Six suspects, believed to be members of a terrorist group, remain in custody, in connection with van Gogh's murder, including the alleged killer, Dutch-Moroccan Mohammed Bouyeri, 26.

Well Well Well. I gotta admit after years of watching Cops on Saturday night, that's a first.

2004-11-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Exposing the Pulse of the Proletariat!

The Only Exit Poll That Mattered!

2004-11-09T11:13:00.000-08:00

Guess who had the most accurate exit poll on Election Day?
Yep, you got it - that King of American Convenience & Piping Hot Java
Does 7-Eleven have a scientific method almost too simple to be believed?!
Or do they owe Taco Bell royalties, stealing a clever idea first demonstrated
during the California recall election?

Get the full story....

No Wealth Like Rome, No Depravity Like Arabia

2004-11-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Arafat has only a few more hours to live. Some speculate he is dying from symptoms related to AIDS. Given the strong inclination that Arab men have toward homosexuality, that wouldn't seem so far-fetched. No matter, the repugnant little possum will soon be dead. And the world, will then be a far better place.

Arab pederasty was personified in Yasser Arafat, one of the vilest human beings to ever infest the earth. During the Cold War, Arafat was a frequent guest of Romania's Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu, who would put him up in his palace in Bucharest. Always included in Arafat's retinue was a selection of young boys. What Arafat didn't know was that Ceaucescu's secret police, the Securitatae, would covertly film his bedroom escapades. The Israeli intel agency Mossad has copies. Ask any Mossad guy about them and he rolls over in a fit of laughter.

What a legacy he leaves in his wake.

2004-11-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

wait, where do I go vote?

Telling the Dice How to Roll....

2004-11-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

Prime Minister of Iraq, Ayad Allawi, gave the troops a pep talk hours before they began the take-back of Fallujah today. I like the directness of this guy.

"The people of Fallujah have been taken hostage ... and you need to free them from their grip," he told Iraqi soldiers who swarmed around him during a visit to the main U.S. base outside Fallujah just before the attack began.
"May they go to hell!" the soldiers shouted, and Allawi replied: "To hell they will go."

2004-11-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Insurgent models M.C. Hammer "parachute pants"

Who are the Real Idiots?

2004-11-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

Mark Steyn has an interesting take:

More to the point, nobody who campaigns with Ben Affleck at his side has the right to call anybody an idiot. H. L. Mencken said that no one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American people. Well, George Soros, Barbra Streisand and a lot of their friends just did: The Kerry campaign and its supporters -- MoveOn.org, Rock The Vote, etc. -- were awash in bazillions of dollars, and what have they got to show for it? In this election, the plebs were more mature than the elites: They understood that war is never cost-free and that you don't run away because of a couple of setbacks; they did not accept that one jailhouse scandal should determine America's national security interest; they rejected the childish caricature of their president and paranoid ravings about Halliburton; they declined to have their vote rocked by Bruce Springsteen or any other pop culture poser.

All those millions wasted trying to tear down a man who actually has guts, conviction, and an AMERICAN vision of America. Plus, he's got a sense of humor about himself and the world around him. That counts for a lot, I think, and is one of Bush's secret strengths. Besides, higher taxes and appeasement in world affairs just plain sucks when looking back on what resulted when those concepts were tested over the past 40 years. History, again, proves invaluable.

As a friend of mine once said, you can't buy peace with appeasement, you can only rent it. And you can bet that the rent is sure as hell gonna go up.

Iraqis Stoked on the Chance to Vote

2004-11-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

You won't hear it in the mainstream U.S. press, but everyday Iraqis are really excited about the chance to participate in the upcoming elections. Translated from an Iraq newspaper:

We visited the streets of Najaf and asked some people about the elections.
Mr. Thual ( age 18) said: "I and my whole family will participate in the elections. It is our country and it is our duty to build it and keep it. If we slack then who will build or protect Iraq? I believe the elections will be successful and turnout will be big."
Mr. Abed Azuhra said: "I will participate in the elections because they are free and fair. Then we asked, "How do you know they are fee and fair?"
His answer:
"I have seen the previous elections, they were mandatory, with only existing government officials on the ballot and only one president 'Saddam.' The baathists cut our rations if we did not vote. There has been a fundamental change in Iraqi government, this government is for the people. This government invites and asks us to vote they do not threaten us. I wish the security situation were better. But it will not stop me from voting."

More at Powerline....

Gloat Now, Or Forever Hold Your Peace

2004-11-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

Savor this moment, my friends. History has narrowly avoided a calamity. Indeed, the night the lights went out in Boston was never a certainity.
Watch this montage. Have a laugh.
But then remember to 'reach out' to the other side, and quell the the gloat factor.
(*snicker*)
but for now, there's THIS !

2004-11-06T21:43:00.000-08:00

proportional spacing, not included.

Quotable

2004-11-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

"No question now that Kerry's rapidly reaching the point where he's got his back to the wall, his shirttails on fire, and the bill collector's at the door."

Dan Rather, Election Night 2004

BBC Chokes Back Tears for Arafat

2004-11-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

As if you had any doubt the MSM continues to fall down on the job. The BBC is showing a clear emotional bias in their reporting of Yassir Arafat.

Many listeners to the BBC were rightly outraged last week by the broadcast from its Middle East correspondent, Barbara Plett, in which she cloyingly described how she wept as Yasser Arafat was airlifted from Ramallah for medical treatment.She said: "When the helicopter carrying the frail old man rose above his ruined compound, I started to cry . . . without warning." Almost as a footnote, she later admitted that an "ambivalence towards violence" was one of his failings.

Just what does it take to damage one's soul as to develop an "ambilalence towards violence"?Against civilians, I might add.
This outpouring for the father of hijackings, terrorist assasinations, and the suicide bomb.

Freedom's Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose

2004-11-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

The depression, a pessimistic sense of inadequacy, and an overbearing despondency continues in certain circles. Yet a glimmer of (better late than never) optimisim remains....

Democrats search the dark clouds for signs of light.

Stephen Hess, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution, said he's seen the Republican party all but written off in the past when Democrats simultaneously ruled the White House and Congress - only to come roaring back.
"Eventually, the party in power is going to screw up," Hess said.

House Democratic leader Pelosi put it another way. "Quite frankly, I think the table is set for us in the next election," she said. "We have lost just about everything that we can lose."

Good enough for me & Bobby McGee....

2004-11-06T03:26:00.000-08:00

Conked Out Waiting for CBS to call the Election.

History Burns

2004-11-06T03:10:00.000-08:00

the latest from Michele Malkin. she's a pistol.

Despite apocalyptic claims of systemic voter suppression, upwards of 120 million Americans were able to navigate traffic, traverse bad weather, find their polling places, stand in line without fainting, elbow their way past United Nations nosybodies and MoveOn.org mobsters, press their trembling fingers onto computer screens without getting shocked, and -- gasp -- competently cast their votes without tearfully begging for do-overs.

The projected turnout is up 15 million from the record set four years ago. With more than half the popular vote, President Bush has topped Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan's popular vote tallies. He will earn the distinction of being the presidential candidate who has earned more votes than any other in the nation's entire history.

"W." stands for "Wow!"

Know what? It could also stand for "Watershed"

IT'S A RELIGION OF PEACE

2004-11-05T13:01:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy, but I'm not very convinced that I'll be seeing this story on the nightly news any time soon. This is directly from CENTCOM, and goes to show the depravity of those who continue to fight the Forces of Good in Iraq. These muslim fanatics were apparently willing to kill innocent children, and then blame it on the Coalition.

November 5, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: INSURGENTS TARGET CHILDREN OF RAMADICAMP
RAMADI, Iraq – An Army unit assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force, discovered and defused an explosive-laden youth center in Ramadi Nov. 4, which was rigged by insurgents to detonate and potentially kill dozens of Iraqi children. They also discovered more than two tons of explosives hidden in a mosque.The discoveries were made during a sweep of the city looking for improvised explosive devices.

After a thorough investigation of the youth center, the Soldiers discovered that the explosives were rigged to detonate three ways: through a light switch, a remote control and by wiring that ran from the youth center to the nearby Al-Haq Mosque, where the unit discovered the firing mechanism.At another mosque, a search yielded the discovery of more than two tons of ammunition, explosives, mortar systems and RPGs. Artillery rounds; assault rifles and various IED-making materials were found, as well. Fifty suspected insurgents were also detained during the sweep.Mosques are granted protective status due to their religious and cultural significance. However, when insurgents violate the sanctity of the mosque by using the structure for military purposes, the site loses its protective status.
Great care is taken by the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force, who are committed to assisting Iraqi Interim Government in providing security to Iraqi people.

4 Wasted Years of Negativity

2004-11-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

Columnist John Podhoretz has a nice summary of why the good guys won:

And the reality is this: Democrats voted for Bush in large numbers because they like him. They admire him. They want him to be president. They don’t think he’s an idiot, a fascist, a warmonger, a religious fanatic, a kook, a liar, a cheat, a monster, a bad guy. They think he’s done a good job. The Democratic Party has spent four years demonizing George W. Bush, and in part because of their stupid, useless, senseless negativism, Terry McAuliffe & Co. lost 4 million voters. Some strategists will surely argue that because the Democrats were so pointed in their attacks on Bush, they brought the 2.8 million people who voted for Ralph Nader back in the fold. There’s some merit in that argument. But that still leaves the party with a net loss overall from 2000. And that, my friends, is the story of this election. George W. Bush won the election triumphantly because he made new voters. And John Kerry and the Democrats lost the election ignominiously in part because of the self-destructive hate and venom they spat at the president, which caused Democratic voters to flee in droves.

2004-11-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

WANNA BUY SOME WOOD?

Folks, We Dodged A Bullet

2004-11-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

The more I hear about Kerry & co. the more I'm convinced that we narrowly avoided a disaster.
Newsweek (not exactly a bastion of conservative reporting) has a very insightful report on the behind-the-scenes thinking that went on in the Kerry campaign. Among the most distressing is the fact that he had a meeting with John McCain, urging him to be the vice presidential nominee. To sweeten the deal, Kerry promised McCain not only the Veep, but also the post of Secretary of Defense! In effect, McCain would be "co-president" along with Kerry.

"To show just how sincere he was, he made an outlandish offer," Newsweek's Thomas reports. "If McCain said yes he would expand the role of vice president to include secretary of Defense and the overall control of foreign policy. McCain exclaimed, 'You're out of your mind. I don't even know if it's constitutional, and it certainly wouldn't sell.'" Kerry was thwarted and furious. "Why the f--- didn't he take it? After what the Bush people did to him...'"

Suffering the Illusion of Victory

2004-11-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Damn! Don't you hate it when the you go from being a Man of Destiny to a mere Victim of Fate?! Snatched from the clutches of victory.....
And hey Bob Shrum. Hey! HOW DO YOU STAY EMPLOYED?

Then the polls started closing and everything began to fall apart.
"I got a sinking feeling when the returns started to come in and the states got redder and redder," Shrum said. "The exit polls were completely wrong."

This election was as close as a landslide as you're ever going to see in this new century.
And the best part? The European press is just gonna have TO DEAL with it.

2004-11-04T11:42:00.000-08:00

Beyond a Reasonalbe Doubt

Notes from the Underground

2004-11-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

I often check out the DU website just to see how they interpret political developments and events. This caught my eye this morning. There is, understandably, a lot of self-reflection going on over there, and this is a very rare glimpse into the mind of a member of the Democratic party undergoing self-analysis. It comes down to this: although the Dems often profess to be looking out for the "Regular Joes" out there, in the 'middle class' in an economic sense, it turns out that many of the party elites and party spokespeople have very little interaction with those "Joes". And they tend to look down on them with a snooty condescending attidute. Yet, they wonder why gratidude does not follow in the wake of such an attidude toward people that are looking for straight talk and workable solutions.
I'd like some thoughts on this, because I think there is a major disconnect between the way most Dems see themselves, and the way they are viewed by others. And this is one of the major problems when it comes time to set forth an agenda, nominate candidates and try in vain to get their leaders elected by populace that seems to be getting mixed signals.

from the DU website today:
For as long as I have been a Democrat, we have taken for granted the obvious truth that we are better at protecting the economic interests of the vast majority of Americans. But I think the gradual erosion of support among Center-left populists suggests that they do not have the same opinion of the Democratic Party. Democrats need to figure out how to position ourselves once again as the staunch defender of the economic interests of the middle class. Here's another problem: I believe that party elites are disproportionately drawn from the first two groups: Left-liberals and center-left libertarians. I know lots of Democrats here in Washington, DC, and they are almost all relatively affluent professional types from the Northeast or West Coast who don't have any life experience at all interacting with regular people from middle America. In fact, their opinion of them could almost be described as contemptuous. At a minimum, I think it could be called condescending. We think that we are doing "those people" a favor by supporting policies which will help them, and quite frankly we feel a little offended that they aren't thanking us for looking out for them.

How to skip the airline security line....

2004-11-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

Ever stood in line at the airport with mounting frustration?
We all have.
Ever tried to buy an airline ticket with a credit card RECEIPT?
Me neither.
And have you ever considering stripping off all your clothes, running naked from the airline terminal, climb an 8 foot barbed wire fence on the tarmac, and charge the plane as a form of protest?

I haven't either but, you have to give full points for intiative and determination.

Airport authorities will look into improving the fence, said Paul Haney, a spokesman for the agency that operates the airport.

Details are here, it'll cheer you up next time you're standing in line at ticketing.
(hat-tip to World Mag Online)