Sunday, January 30, 2005

This is VERY interesting

In Germany, an unemployed woman who refuses to take work as a prostitute might lose her unemployment benefits. Remember, Europe is supposed to be the moral model for the world. No thanks, I like America's values better.

Be a prostitute or lose your benefits

I love what I do.

Here is the kind of thing I get to write about psych patients. I love the nuance and the euphemistic aura.

"Mental Status- Pt was alert and Ox4. Oriented to person, time, place, and situation. Pt made good eye contact and spoke in a slightly elevated (volume) voice. Pt was dressed neatly, in what looked to be an expensive, tailored suit with styled hair. Pt made several inappropriate comments to therapist (sexually suggestive). Pts affect was not congruent with stated feelings and thought content, as this session was related to a negative interaction with the legal system and Pt showed no evidence of remorse or anxiety related to the topic."

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Priceless

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"Puts that bad hair day in perspective, doesn’t it? Again, to restate the point: let’s imagine how some people – hell, a lot of people – would react if the government put posters like this in bus stops and public buildings today. People would shriek as if they were having burned skin peeled off with a straight-edge razor. They would be convinced that the transformation of America into a fascist state was finally complete. But this was FDR’s America. Just so we’re clear."--James Lileks


I feel like a little kid watching the moon landings

All this Iraqi election stuff has me so excited! I know I might sound too optimistic but I want so badly for yet another country to be able choose it's own leaders! I stole this picture from LGF. Sorry Charles, hope you don't mind.

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A "Certain Ring" to it Indeed.

Scalia is the justice who has put forth the idea that if the full faith and credit clause applies to anything, it should be concealed carry permits. I like this man.

To Some "Chief Justice Scalia" Has a Certain Ring, Washington Post.

We need to respect their sovereignty

In this policy review article by Michael Rubin, the very real concerns about sovereignty that the Iraqis have are addressed. Bremer made a promise about sovereignty that was vetoed by Washington and the Iraqi leadership is a little mad, (but being very gracious about it) and there are some good suggestions contained herein.

However, in light of all that, he does take a few lines to point out that while the rest of the world complains about injustice all over the planet, the U.S. actually does something about it (again). And in the fashion of a truly open minded individual he does not let America off completely. I'll spell it out, in case you miss it. The part in the following paragraph about the American embrace being suffocating is called "honest self-critique." Note to Democrats: Learn this concept, fast.

"Washington should celebrate the Iraqi elections, even if the poll is only the start of a long transitional process. While the European Union wrings its hands, engages autocrats, ridicules the idea that Arabs are capable of democracy, and spends vast amounts of money saying little of substance at lavish conferences, the United States has actually done something to bring liberty to those who suffered under tyrannical regimes. Sometimes, though, the American embrace can be suffocating. Iraqis do not want us to disengage but they do want us to honor their sovereignty. This election provides an opportunity for a fresh and, hopefully, more respectful start."

Hanson makes some good points here...

A couple of good points in this article by Victor Davis Hanson about the eventual end to the self-destruct mode that the Democrats are currently in. I suppose we will have to wait and see, but if just the right concoction of scenarios and conditions arise, the Republicans could conceivably lose their momentum and also forfeit the current perception the people have of them as the party of moderation.

An interesting analysis of what happened in 96 and in particular, 92 leaves me a little worried. The only time I ever voted for a non-Republican was 92. It is the danger of subscribing to ideological purity, and my more devoted libertarian friends need to listen carefully to what is being said here. You anti-abortion-at-all-cost and NEVER EVER EVER on same sex marriage types need to pay attention too.

This opportunity to finally have an America like we envision is ours to lose.

It has come to this.

Cops using tasers on 75-year-old ladies in nursing homes. My God.

Taser Used on Woman in S.C. Nursing Home

Today's Dose

Here is today's pick for the "please, oh please stop teasing us. Just do it already," award.

"It should not be a surpirse to everybody that the DLC has placed Tim Roemer as a candidate for the chairmanship of the Democratic Party. He has been placed there to counter Howard Dean. It seems that Roemer's candidacy is gaining ground. I cannot believe Nancy Pelosi, a one-time firebrand liberal, has given her endorsement. Hasn't anybody sent Pelosi a letter about this? It seems to me that the DLC is making an attempt to shift the Democratic Party closer to the GOP's stance particularly in regards to abortion, gay rights, Iraq, and the whole thing. You know and I know this is unacceptable. Will progressives and liberals continue to support a party that is drifting closer to fascism? Why? If Roemer gets it does this mean Joe Lieberman will be the Democratic nominee for president in 2008?

The wise decision should Mr. Roemer get the seat is to leave the sinking ship called the Democratic Party and make a new start of it in a new political party that will carry on the true Democratic Party values. I know this is not a popular idea but why would you want to be associated with a bunch of Republican wannabes and weak-knees? Ultimately, I would want to see the new party unite with other progessive and left third parties to form a united opposition coalition to get these bums out of office from the local level to the federal level.

The only candidates I see that are worth their salt in this are Dean and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb. Other than that, I cannot see how the others will be affective. Roemer is too much of a DLC player to be DNC Chair and I would encourage anybody who plans to vote for the post, not vote for Roemer. Otherwise, the Democratic Party is finished."

From DU, of course.

Friday, January 28, 2005

The Left's New Rallying Cry:

"Self-Destruct Sequence Initiated"

Did not come up with that one myself. Credit goes to Neofascist? at Strangely Normal. Smart kid, good blog. Go there. (Yes, the question mark is part of his screen name.)

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Confirmed!

It's not like there was any doubt. Here she is, showing her "don't mess with me" look. Congrats, you senior Hoover fellow, you.

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Very Funny Movie

If you haven't seen "The Life Aquatic" yet, it's pretty good.

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Daily Dose of the Left

As promised, I would like to point out daily (it is not hard) how crazy the left has become. Here is a post (DU) about Dick Cheney speaking at Auschwitz.


"Fat Nazi president cheney representing US at Auschwitz?

the world is officially upside down and inside out.the biggest nazi currently living in this world at the auschwitz commemorative ceremony. jeesus christ, irony is dead."

No corrections to spelling or capitalization have been made to protect the, uh, "innocent."

"Biggest Nazi currently living." Again, my plea goes out to the mainstream left. Keep it up. Know this. Become this. Make it your own.

George Will, on target as usual

Writing about the farce that is Harvard University, George Will makes another brilliant point:

"...Nancy Hopkins, the hysteric who, hearing Summers, 'felt I was going to be sick. My heart was pounding and my breath was shallow." And, ``I just couldn't breathe because this kind of bias makes me physically ill.'' She said that if she had not bolted from the room, 'I would've either blacked out or thrown up.'
Is this the fruit of feminism? A women at the peak of the academic pyramid becomes theatrically flurried by an unwelcome idea and, like a Victorian maiden exposed to male coarseness, suffers the vapors and collapses on the drawing room carpet in a heap of crinolines until revived by smelling salts and the offending brute's contrition."


I can see it now, people standing around, offering water, fanning her. "Oh dear, are you alright?"

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Never, ever stop.

When I am this guys age, I better still be running.

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Only in grad school

My neuropsych instructor made herself laugh almost uncontrollably with the following line today:

"If the lesion occurs along the Optic Cranial Nerve anterior to the Optic Chiasma, the visual field defect will be restricted to one eye only! Ha ha ha ha!!!"

I guess you had to be there. Wait a minute, I was there I didn't think it was that funny.

She is definitely running

'On January 20, Hillary deigned to pay homage to a being higher than herself (as if such a thing were possible). “There is no contradiction between support for faith-based initiatives and upholding our constitutional principles,” she told an audience in Boston. Faith-based organizations “see God's work right in front of them” where others “see trouble,” she stated. Americans need room to “live out their faith in the public square,” she said. “I’ve always been a praying person,” she added.'

'When religious Christian Dr. David Hager was considered for appointment to a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on women's reproductive health, Clinton immediately began to condemn him as a fanatic. As though a return to the Dark Ages was imminent, Hillary wailed: “We are going to be in trouble in this country if we start moving toward theology-based science or ideological research.” '

Is there any doubt now? Here is the rest of the column by Ben Shapiro



Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Confused about what the war in Iraq is about?

Still think September 11th was because of our policies in the Middle East?

"We have declared a fierce war on this evil principle of democracy and those who follow this wrong ideology. Democracy is also based on the right to choose your religion and that is against the rule of God."

--Musab al Zarqawi

Sounds like it's about freedom. It always is. Never forget it-- it's those who love freedom vs. those who fear/loath/hate to see other people free to determine their own destiny. Pick your side.

Stop the madness

And now for something completely different. The thing I can't stand about this administration--Please stop spending so much money. I beg of you, for the children.

Budget Deficit Will Reach $427B

A theme developing

I am beginning to see a trend here. I think I am going to make it a running theme on the blog--to call attention to how wacky and out of the mainstream the left gets on a daily basis. I read a post on DU tonight entitled "F*** YOU Feinstein!!!" Here is the text from one of the responses.


"She needs to be dumped!!!!

As a Californian, I am thoroughly fed up with that DINO. Isn't there some way we can get a nomination for someone else next time? I highly doubt it and that's another thing I'm good and sick of, the inability of the Democratic party to replace Dems that suck. Look what happened with Davis! We should have had the opportunity to come up with someone better than him."

I want the left to keep going in this direction. For Dianne Feinstein to be considered a sell out or too far right is CLEAR EVIDENCE that they have lost their minds. In the "class" department, Dianne Feinstein is the polar opposite of Barbara Boxer, even though they basically stand for (and vote for) the exact same policies. So again, I cry out-- PLEASE MAKE YOUR WHOLE PARTY THIS WEIRD.

Classic Line From Aqua Teen Hunger Force

"Tell 'em, Er, with your parallelogram mouth"

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Monday, January 24, 2005

Please keep marginalizing yourselves!

Found this one on DU today.

"Bush inaugural made me sick!

Fittingly, I was puking Thursday and therefore unable to enjoy the coronation live, as it happened. I had a horrible migraine and while I was able to stave off a trip to the ER, I did have to see my GP and pain specialist. Funny thing, at both offices it was remarked to me that they were having an "epidemic" of migraines among patients and office workers. They said it was the weather, but I think it's just as likely we had a mass reaction to the political climate. Speaking for myself, I can say for certain that on *good* days, the Chimpster makes me ill. It doesn't seem too much of a stretch, that on his day of declaring himself world savior, vast populations of the world would wake vomiting and feeling as if a straight razor were embedded in their forehead."

To those who are actually like this I say: Please keep it up. Become the mainstream left. Sell your ideas to the Democratic Party. Please Please Please.

Grandma won't help you.

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The U.S. leads, the world follows

As usual, it only takes a little courage on the part of the U.S. to get the world thinking about social injustices like genocide all over the globe. Is it possible that the UN may actually be starting to take it's original charter and purpose seriously? If so, is the Unisted States and it's championing of such ideals through force a coincidence?

Here is the story

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Tom Frank, free thinker from the left.

Well, I guess I have found the answer to my own post, wondering out loud who the thinkers from the left are. Tom Frank (of The New Republic) sounds like he has just about had enough of the crazies.


"Last night I was sitting in a low-budget church on G Street in downtown Washington listening to speakers at an International Socialist Organization-sponsored gathering by the name of “Town Hall: Empire and Resistance.”

Needless to say, this wasn’t much fun. I could have thrown a stone as far as my strength allowed and still have been certain of not hitting a crab cake. On the other hand, everyone else seemed to be having a good time. The hundred or so people there frequently applauded and hollered, and, as expected, phrases like “exposing Bush for what he is—a cold-blooded killer” were particular hits. I didn’t even think there was much to report on. After all, who cares what the ideological fringe of the losing side has to say? But the more I heard, the more I became convinced that I had discovered something truly threatening: This band of socialists was the most effective recruiting tool for the Republican Party I’d ever encountered.

To begin with, there were the posters on the wall: MONEY FOR JOBS AND EDUCATION, NOT FOR WAR AND OCCUPATION. Let’s leave aside that the meter is somehow dissatisfying (nine syllables followed by eight—no flow at all). The main point is, if the shallowness of this statement bothers you, to what party do you look for comfort? To the Democrats, many of whom condemn building firehouses in Baghdad and closing firehouses at home? Or do you say to yourself, in that moment, “I don’t much care for Newt Gingrich—nor does anyone else—but I bet he hates that goddamn poster as much as I do”? I know where I was leaning.

Then there was the pooh-poohing of elections—any elections. Former soldier Stan Goff (supposedly of the Delta Force, Rangers, and Special Forces) spoke at length about the evils of capitalism and declared, “We ain’t never resolved nothing through an election.” This drew loud, sustained applause. Nothing to get worked up about, I thought; just a leftist speaker spouting lunacy. But today it seemed particularly bad. It wasn’t just that I was missing what might be lovely canapés (or perhaps spring rolls being brought about on trays with delectable dipping sauce); rather, it was the thought that the speaker was dismissing something that Afghanis of all ages had recently risked their lives to participate in, something Iraq’s insurgents view as so transformative that they are murdering scores of Iraqis to prevent it. No, what I needed to counter this speaker was not a Democrat like me who might argue that elections were, in fact, important. What I needed was a Republican like Arnold who would walk up to him and punch him in the face."

Welcome to the real world, Tommy. We'll be gentle.

ARMY 10 Miler

In 2003 I ran the Army 10-Miler in D.C. Reminds me of my running buddies, 1LT's Bramlett and Carney. Those guys are pobably CPT's by now. Here is the picture from the starting line that year. I'm the guy in the shorts and the t-shirt.

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I think I am going to try to run it again this year. By October I should be in some kind of shape.

ACLU Religious Freedom Spin

Here is the text from the ACLU website concerning their "defending" of religious freedom.

"The right of each and every American to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all, is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The Constitution's framers understood very well that religious liberty can flourish only if the government leaves religion alone.
The free exercise clause of the First Amendment guarantees the right to practice one's religion free of government interference. The establishment clause requires the separation of church and state. Combined, they ensure religious liberty. Yet assaults on the freedom to believe continue, both in Washington and in state legislatures around the country.
The ACLU will continue working to ensure that religious liberty is protected by keeping the government out of the religion business. Use the resources on this page to learn more and take action to protect the rights guaranteed to all Americans by the Bill of Rights. Our latest news releases are listed to the left; actions you can take now are listed to the right, along with additional resources. The most recent religious liberty features are included directly below. "


From whom, exactly, are the "assaults on freedom to believe" coming from?

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Thinkers on the right

Here is my list, which I offer up as a challenge to the left. In no particular order..

Charles Krauthammer
James Q. Wilson
George Will
Victor Davis Hanson
Dennis Prager
Thomas Sowell
William F. Buckley
Phyllis Schlafly
Bruce Hershenson

These just happen to be my favorites--the list goes on forever--but where are the equivalent minds from the left? Pat Moynihan doesn't count, he's dead. (And he was a conservative Democrat)

Awww....

Aren't they cute when they do stuff like this? Wish I had a flamethrower.

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Rock on!

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Boortz on the state of freedom in America

Neil Boortz is not the most eloquent writer on the planet, but he is CLEAR. Here is a paragraph from yesterday's "Neils Nuze" on the grim state of freedom, American style...

"More examples? They're not difficult to find. Just go to the basic levels of our society. Should you be free to negotiate with an employer on the basis of salary? No ... we need a minimum wage. Should you be free to buy a health insurance policy that doesn't include pregnancy benefits? No .. the government stands in the way. Should you be free to chose who is going to come into your home and tell you what drapery fabric would look good with your throw pillows? No. The government tells you who you can and can't hire for that job. Do people complain? Do they protest? Not a bit. Just accept the government controls and regulations and move on."

Here is the rest of the article, "Freedom? No Thanks."

Is he or isn't he?

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Don't know, don't care.

In a post CBS scandal world...

AP still does not get it. Of course, when you see something from one perspective for so long, it is nearly impossible to notice the bias you bring to the table.

Bush Turns Attention to "Daunting" 2nd Term

Unbelievable bias in this one.

Friday, January 21, 2005

To the limit, baby...

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Thursday, January 20, 2005

Liberal Elitist Double Standard

Michael Moore's bodyguard was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm at JFK. It is not necessary to read between the lines to get the message, but I will spell it out just in case: "Regular people should not have guns. We are the exception."

Michael Moore's Bodyguard Arrested on Airport Gun Charge

Hot chicks of the administration

I have to say it. I am jealous of W because he is surrounded by Laura, the twins and Condi. Luckyyyyyyy

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If I worked in that environment, I couldn't concentrate.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

A little perspective, please

Ann Coulter helps us put the inaguration costs in context.

Truth No. 2

For every one time you feel like the picture in truth #1 there are 10 of these...


Listening Across Cultures

Well, I could not avoid it. It was bound to happen. In my clinical interviewing class today we had a guest speaker talking about cultural sensitivity during intake interviews. To be fair, the speaker was interesting, engaging, non-confrontational and generally quite pleasant. She had some interesting things to say about what to look for when dealing with patients who are from other cultures. I did not agree with every part of her approach, and my objections and challenges, which I made politely and without malicious intent were responded to in kind. I wanted to depict this fairly.

With news agencies like Reuters, who needs CBS?

Charles from LGF already has this one, but I had to put it up.

My favorite quote from the artice:

"There are some encouraging signs. Bush and the European leaders who fell out with him over the Iraq war have signaled they are ready to bury their differences. "

Too bad we didn't ask for the signal. Once again--we were right, Europe was wrong and now they are ready to "bury their differences." By the headline, it seems like the world needs a therapist for treatment of PEST.

Here's the rest of the article Four more years of Bush makes the world anxious

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

You go girl!

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Condi, my dream woman, made Senator Boxer look pretty silly today. That's my girl!

California Kills Murderer

Well, I could not find anything in the news yet, but tomorrow if all goes well, there should be one less murderer being kept alive at taxpayers expense. Good riddance.

We'll see

In light of the history here, it is unlikely that this will work, but those who love peace will wait anxiously and hopefully as the Palestinian Security Forces disarm the militants

Those wacky DU'ers

Any time I want to be entertained, I just go to DU. It only takes a second or two to find something like this:

"When B*sh stole the 2000 election, I know I was not alone in my sense of foreboding that something dreadful would soon take place. Then, when 9/11--and everything that flowed from that day--happened, I realized that my worst nightmares never touched the reality this administration had wrought.Now, he's stolen another election, and he's already signaling that he believes he can act with impunity in whatever spheres he sees fit. What fresh new hellish reality does the he have planned? Will he make the ultimate bid to ride shotgun on the world, plunging us into WWIII?I'm scared for my children, and I'm seriously considering taking them and leaving this country. Am I overreacting?"

Does the Democratic Party distance itself from these people like the Republicans do from the far right? (Think Pat Buchanan) The answer is, of course they don't. To a Democrat, there is no such thing as "too far left." That is why their party will not last if it does not do some soul searching.

No frolic!

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Note to Iranian government....

Take a hint! Our president has a particular perspective on crazy, cooky terrorist-supporting states and whether or not they should have nuclear weapons. You are next on the list. Bush won't rule out military action against Iran if they don't get a clue

Monday, January 17, 2005

Graner=Sacrificial Lamb

What is the message we send to the enemy by sending SPC Graner to prison for 10 years? (A rhetorical question, of course.) As a former Army SGT I say, drive on SPC Graner, drive on!

MLK Jr. Day

This will come as a shock to most liberals, but a few of my heroes are FDR, JFK and MLK. That was back when the Democratic party and being liberal stood for something, instead of against something. I met someone recently who did not know MLK was a preacher until she was an adult. Too bad.

I almost went to this

I was invited to go to this rally but had a prior engagement. Wish I would have made it.

Angry Pro-Palestine Protesters Disrupt Anti-Terrorism Rally

Don't be confused. The "counter protesters" shouting "we're martyrs, we can't wait" were not talking about punch and cookies afterwards. They want to be suicide bombers like their heroes in the middle east.

Blue Bracelets

Neil Boortz has this to say about the new blue bracelet craze. I couldn't have said it better myself, so I won't....

"We have this female in New York City who doesn't want to be associated with being an American. Those are her words. She's ashamed of America, and ashamed to be an American. The reason? Because George Bush is president. You see, she voted for John Kerry, and he lost. Her name is Berns Rothchild, and she's come up with an idea of blue bracelets; blue bracelets fashioned after the popular LiveStrong yellow bracelets you see everywhere. The blue bracelets say "Count me Blue" and are are supposed to be an indication that you did not vote for George Bush.
Fair enough. No, I'm not upset by this. I think it's a fantastic idea. I want it to spread. I want every person out there who voted for John Kerry, every person who donated money to his campaign, to end up wearing one of these blue bracelets. This can only be good for America, and here are some of the reasons why:


1. The blue bracelets will easily identify people who believe that America is great because of its government instead of freedom.
2. The bracelets will identify people who believe that any price paid for freedom is too much, and that living peacefully as a slave is better than fighting to be free.
3. The bracelets will identify people who believe in the mob, and not in the individual, and who have enlisted wholeheartedly in the war against individualism.
4. We will be able to identify the people who believe that America should be a country of equal results rather than a system that guarantees equal opportunity.
5. People who believe that the government should own and control our retirement accounts will be identified by that flash of blue on their wrists.
6. We will be able to recognize those who believe that accomplishment should be punished while laziness and poor decision making should be rewarded."



Saturday, January 15, 2005

Weird Blog

So you think a blog about libertarian/Republican politics and running is strange? How about a blog written by a cat?

Congratulations Ethiopians

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If I could just figure out how to run as fast as these guys. Terefe Yae, male winner at this year's P.F. Chang's Rock and Roll Arizona Marathon (first picture) finished in 2:14:24. Prize? $20,000. Shitaye Gemechu, female winner was done in 2:32:51, and also took $20,000. Then I could quit graduate school and just run for a living. Nice job, Ethiopia--as usual.

But instead, I look like this when I cross the finish line...

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Palestinian Elections

Here's an interesting bit of news from the recent Palestinian elections. Maybe the crowd from Ohio could go down and demand a recount. Probably not though.

Palestinian Election Officials Resign

Friday, January 14, 2005

No longer on the fence

This will will make my cousin and her husband happy. I have finally decided that I really don't care if two homosexual people marry each other. This is contrary to 99% of those in my own party, but I have to call it like I see it. I just don't see the harm.

Not exactly brand new

In the race to be the first one with this, I bring a policy letter from October 04. Pay more attention to the website, a sort of libertarian policy reveiw think tank. I was interested in immigration policy from their perspective.

The Future of Freedom Foundation

It's time...

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Took a couple of days off

Well, what can I say? Blogging is not my full-time job.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Still think America is what is wrong with the world?

The fact that this trial is happening at all, in this open forum is proof that we do it right.

Defense in Abu Ghraib begins today

But America is the problem, right?

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Visits

Wow! People I don't even know are visiting the site. How cool. Thanks for the comments. Now I feel pressure to put more stuff up.

Oh please...

The subtext of this article should be "see, Democrats care about morals too!!!"

Tipper Gore was at the forefront of record labelling

Of course, my libertarian side says "a plague on both houses." I didn't care about explicit lyric labels then, and I don't care about them now.

Memo to DNC...

Please make this man your chairman.

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LA Times Story

Image shack is having a problem

Some of my images are not working! But then some came back all by themselves. I will give image shack a little while to get it together. What the heck, it's free.

I had to do it.

I know LGF already has this one, but I almost sprayed my computer screen with gatorade from laughing.

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More from the Dems double standard file...

When a Democrat uses a racial slur 50 years ago, he gets a pass. (And a book deal!) When a Republican does it, he loses his position in the senate.

Robert Byrd writes life story

Monday, January 10, 2005

I need a vacation

If I ever go to Japan, I am definitely shopping here..

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Smoking Gun

If you read this passage from the CBS report and still believe there is no collusion between liberals in the media (redundant term) and Democratic campaigns, you have no credibility.

"Today I am going to send the following hypothetical scenario to a reliable, trustable editor friend of mine . . . What if there was a person who might have some information that could possibly change the momentum of an election but we needed to get an ASAP book deal to help get us the information? What kinds of turnaround payment schedules are possible, keeping in mind the book probably could not make it out until after the election . . . . What I am asking is in this best case hypothetical scenario, can we get a decent sized advance payment, and get it turned around quickly."

--Memo from Michael Smith, Mapes assistant

Offering a quick turnaround book deal to "Change the momentum of the election." Nice.

Truth no. 1

Those who don't love running have never felt like this before.

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Abortion Middle Ground?

While cruising Democratic Underground, I found this honest post.

"This is a bit of a touchy subject, so I thought I would give a little bit of info about my own experience before I ask my question......For starters I'm a man. I have never been in a situation where I was involved with my partner having an abortion. In other words, I don't have a lot of experience on this issue. I was witness to my now current wife making a decision not to abort, and proceed with her pregnancy, resulting in our now current daughter (my wife and I were married after our daughter was born). Enough of that, here's my question: Is there a middle between the views from both sides on the abortion issue? Is there any way to work things out on this topic (especially before the next few elections)? This is a tough one because you would have to somehow respect the views of one group without compromising the rights of another. I am sure this has been discussed before; I am very curious as to whether or not anybody has any solutions/ideas on this."

There is of course, a middle ground and the libertarian position has it. (Also known as "the way it was intended to work in the first damn place) Strict adherance to the constitution calls for federalism in these areas. It is possible to hold to either the pro-life or the pro-choice position in your heart and believe that roe v. wade was bad case law. This, of course will cause the average linear thinker to stop reading right now. However, if you uphold the value of freedom over the idea that an abortion is a constitutionally protected right it is not that difficult. If roe were overturned, it is a fallacy to suggest as many on the left do, that the very next day abortions would only occur in back alleys. Every state law is now consistent with roe and that would not change over night. Also, the political reality is not the same as it was in 1973. What would happen is, over a decade or so, each state would modify it's own abortion policy to suit it's constituents--the way it should be. Then, if you lived in a state where you did not like the abortion policy, you could work within the sytem to change it, live with it and shut up, or move to a different state! It's called freedom. An idea whose time as come.

However, since the Libertarian party is so wacky on foreign policy, I vote for the Republicans and hold my nose while doing it.

EDIT-- Apply this logic to any of today's hot button issues--inlcuding Same Sex Marriage, and the result is basically the same. Federalism, it's a beautiful thing.

Where do you stand?

Here is an interesting test to help you figure out where you are on the political spectrum. Come on, it's only 10 questions.

Are you a libertarian?

Congratulations on the promotion, Charles!

From the Yahoo News site (AP)--

"Questions were quickly raised about the typed memos, with some document experts saying it appeared they contained a computer character inconsistent with typewriters at the time. "

I wonder if Charles from LGF ever thought he would be identified as a "document expert" for opening a new Microsoft Word document to the default settings and typing the exact same document in 5 minutes.

Prediction

The Republican Party will be the first to elect a woman president. (Which will be one more thing that will drive the Democrats crazy) She will be...

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A black woman, no less. But since she is a black conservative, it won't count in their eyes because diversity of skin color, not diversity of thought is what matters.

New HTML Problem

OK- now I have figured out how to make as many Links to outside sites in the "News and Commentary" section as I want, I can't figure out what the other partial box is at the bottom of that section. I think it is the footer, and it has somehow decided to relocate itself.

In the snow

Some people like running more than others.

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Ready for 2008?

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Rather Left Standing

The golden umbrella does not only apply to big corporate execs. Dan Rather gets to leave CBS on his own terms, his own timeline while the pawns fall on their swords.

YAHOO News

What EXACTLY did Armstrong Williams do?

Read this-

"It was revealed last week that the Bush administration paid commentator Armstrong Williams almost a quarter of a million dollars to plug No Child Left Behind on his nationally syndicated TV show. According to USA Today, Armstrong had to "regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts" - and in return, he received $240,000 of your money. Sweet deal! When Armstrong got caught out last week, he made a statement saying that, despite knowing the arrangement was highly unethical, "I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in." Clearly he didn't believe in it enough to do it for free. "It's a fine line," he said last week. "Even though I'm not a journalist - I'm a commentator - I feel I should be held to the media ethics standard. My judgment was not the best. I wouldn't do it again, and I learned from it." Despite the fact that Williams "wouldn't do it again," he has announced that he's keeping the money. So, how long before conservatives start spinning the idea that it's fine for huge chunks of taxpayer money to go to broadcasters who help the Bush administration spread propaganda, and that Williams is in fact a victim of the liberal media elite? Don't hold your breath - Newsmax is already on the case! According to them, Williams was targeted because - wait for it - he's a black conservative. Wow, talk about taking personal responsibility. So in light of Newsmax's defense of this despicable misuse of media power, feel free to mark this date down on your calendars as the day "ethics" and "morals" finally became words which no longer have any meaning to conservatives."

(From DU's "Top 10 Conservatives Idiots") Democratic Underground

Then read this-

Armstrong's Apology in Townhall

You decide.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Skilled HTML types, please.

If you know anything about this stuff, take a look down the side bar. Notice the "News and Commentary" section. What I WANT is to have many more links in there. I also want them to each have the little arrow thing pointing to them like in the "Archives" and "Previous Posts" sections. Also, I want the little dotted lines in between. If I add one more the next one will be too far down and to the left a little. The side bar box does not increase in size automatically to accomodate.

Flu shot pandemonium was premature

If I remember correctly, (and I do) John Kerry blamed President Bush for the "shortage" of flu vaccine.


"The flu-shot shortage has turned into a surplus in some areas, raising fears that some vaccine might be wasted.
Aventis Pasteur, supplier of almost all flu-shot vaccine for the USA this year, still has about 3.3 million doses to distribute to U.S. consumers. GlaxoSmithKline is on tap to ship 1.2 million shots from Europe. And MedImmune, maker of a nasal vaccine, has supplies."


Here's the rest...

USA Today


Ideas for Iraq

As usual, while the left goes ballistic over minutia like margnial shifts in the tax rate and the "glass ceiling," the right and libertarians have ideas that affect the world.

CATO Institute

Caution: This article has big words and abstractions.

Next Nobel Peace Prize winner

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Nuclear escalation in North Korea our fault?

Of course, we did cause the tsunami with a bomb, so I guess somehow North Korea having a wacky leader with a nuclear weapon on the end of a missle must be our fault too.

"Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Pyongyang warned the danger of nuclear war on the Korean peninsula is growing in a New Year's editorial published in North Korea's three major newspapers.
"The danger of a nuclear war is growing on the Korean peninsula as the days go by, owing to the U.S. moves to stifle the (North Korea)," the editorial said.
"All Koreans should stage a powerful struggle for peace against war in order to drive the U.S. troops out of South Korea, remove the very source of a nuclear war and defend the peace and security on the Korean peninsula."
The editorial contrasted with last year's message, making no mention of a need by the North for a nuclear deterrent, and called on the United States to end its hostile attitude toward North Korea, which U.S. President George Bush named to an "axis of evil" that also includes Iran and Iraq.
The United States and North Korea's neighbors are hoping North Korea will agree to restart talks on its nuclear activities in coming weeks, the Financial Times reported."


(From Washing Times/UPI)

Who was president when North Korea started it's nuclear program? Hint-it was 1994.

Democrats double standard...

"When a former insurance commissioner named Chuck Quackenbush was suspected of misusing funds for personal and political purposes, the California Legislature quickly held a series of hearings. They led to his resignation. The disgraced Quackenbush happened to be a Republican. The legislative leadership were - you guessed it - Democrats.
Now the Legislature, months after allegations first surfaced, is finally getting around to holding hearings on the alleged misuse of funds of another statewide officeholder, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley. The first hearing is scheduled for Monday. The agenda for this key meeting has been released, and it suggests that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee may not even require Shelley to show up.
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Shelley is a Democrat. And so - you guessed it again - is the head of this audit committee, Assemblywoman Nicole Parra of Hanford. A double standard is emerging on how the Legislature wants to handle the Shelley scandal compared with how it dug through the dirt on Quackenbush. The double standard is revolting. And it reflects as poorly on Parra and every last Democrat in the Legislature."

Here is the whole article. For those who cannot tell the difference anymore, this is an opinion piece, not a news article...

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/11966491p-12847441c.html

I'm a Kitty Cat

I say sexy things to myself when I'm dancing.

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/kittycatdance.wmv

Saturday, January 08, 2005

Not sure what I think of this

Justice vs time past? It's a sad stain on our history. When the generation of Americans who remember all of it are gone, will we finally be able get over it?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050108/ap_on_re_us/civil_rights_killings

Intrinsically Preposterous?

Those who post on DU are a wealth of material...

"On the topic of the Beast of Baghdad, January's Esquire brings an interesting article by Sara Solovitch reporting her discovery that Jumana Hanna's accounts of rape and torture at the hands of Uday Hussein don't appear to have the intimate connection to reality trumpeted by the Bush Administration and by such reporters as Peter Finn of the Washington Post, who promoted her in the Post in July of 2003.Hanna poured out her story to many eager ears belonging to Finn; Bernard Kerik (surely an expert in mendacity); a New Jersey Superior Court Judge called Donald Campbell, who was the coalition's top legal adviser; Paul Wolfowitz; Hanna's shrink, Paul Linde; and finally Solovitch, who was hired to co-write Hanna's story. Solovitch says she began to entertain some doubts when pondering Hanna's claim to have received an MA in accounting from Oxford, but somehow put off making a simple phone call to Oxford till she had spent a lengthy period of presumably well-paid toil checking other aspects of Hanna's story.I could have saved the publishers a wad of money. In atrocity stories there are some things that don't ring true, even when dealing with such well-credentialed butchers as Saddam and his sons. Take the story, subsequently identified as one concocted by a Western intelligence agency, that Uday had put some of his victims through a wood chipper. Anyone using these chippers knows the damn things jam if inconvenienced by anything with a diameter larger than that of a stick of asparagus, let alone an Iraqi human, however scrawny. Uday's chipper, whose origin can probably be traced to a scene in the movie Fargo, just didn't pass muster, same as the incubator story from the first Gulf War, first identified in this column as intrinsically preposterous.Among the horrors of Uday's boudoir divulged by Hanna to many, including Solovitch, was the following:"She was raped for days. A virgin when she entered, she heard the guards ask "Master Uday" what he wanted to do with her blood. He ordered them to sprinkle it around the rim of his whiskey glass like salt on a margarita."That's the point at which any person equipped with minimal power to suspend willing belief should have said, "Oh, come on!" No call to Oxford would have been necessary. But then, there's no ear more credulous than the one that yearns to believe."

I read this several times looking for the proof that the story was fabricated. The smoking gun is the phrase "intrinsically preposterous." Well then, it must have been made up.

From www.counterpunch.com

Restaurant Parking

I was at a restaurant today and the sign in front of the parking spaces read: "Use caution when backing out." Good thing, because otherwise I would have thrown it in reverse, closed my eyes and peeled out backwards.

Week 1

This has been week one of running since I got back from the gluttonous, no exercise pig-fest of a Christmas break. Today was 3 miles, fast. Just in case you were wondering.

Friday, January 07, 2005

In my dreams

When I go to the great half-marathon in my mind, I run as fast as these guys.

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Go here, love them

LIke the banner says, the conscience of the Repulican Party.

http://www.rlc.org/

Moveon.org

"The Senate is considering Alberto Gonzales' nomination to become Attorney General, replacing John Ashcroft. Gonzales is the White House counsel notorious for opening the door to torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons. In 2002, Gonzales wrote a memo to President Bush arguing the war on terror renders the Geneva Conventions "quaint" and "obsolete." Senators should view the Gonzales nomination skeptically, given this history."

Thank you, Mr. Soros for your analysis and accurate use of the word "torture."

Here's a little lesson on why words need to retain their meanings. A long time ago, (the 1970's) "racism" used to mean something quite evil and despicable. Now it means "opposes affirmative action." Nazi used to mean something horrible. Now it means "republican." The left has made itself into the boy who cried wolf. What will happen when the real racists and Nazis come? Will we yawn? What will happen when someone is actually tortured by American soldiers?

Fun quote from DU regarding yesterday

Yesterday, the electoral votes were legally certified and recognized as having gone in favor of W. Here is what the DU crowd thinks..

"The DNC and DLC have been just as silent and instead of initiating lawsuits to protect the rights of American citizens, they're just rolling over for another 4 years of fascism and horror."

Fascism and Horror. Remember, conservatives are the intolerant ones.

Well...

Any time Barbara Boxer cries, an angel gets its wings...

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First Post Ever

Last year, Hugh Hewitt challenged well, basically the world, (I guess) to start blogging. Of course, he meant "people who don't believe everything they hear/read on ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, NYT, LAT, and the rest of "old media." The point is--alternative, citizen media is the "wave of the future" to use the oldest, "tiredest" cliche in the book.

My name is Scott, and I am a graduate student at a small school here in Palo Alto, CA. No, not that one. That is a BIG school. I noticed last trimester that mine was the only vehicle in the parking lot with a Bush/Cheney sticker on it. This did not come as a surprise to me, but was still annoying.

So here is my attempt at blogging. I have no vision for this blog, no real reason for doing it other than to simply put something out there to make any leftist who comes across it mad.

I just got back from a run around the smelly south bay wildlife preserve thing (I have passed by the sign containing the actual name of it a million times) and I remembered the challenge. I am going to go take a shower now.