Seems like the good old Soviet way is alive and well -- they want to 'reeducate' us, you see.
Those who make human behavior their business aim to make living "green" your business.Armed with new research into what makes some people environmentally conscious and others less so, the 148,000-member American Psychological Association is stepping up efforts to foster a broader sense of eco-sensitivity that the group believes will translate into more public action to protect the planet.
"We know how to change behavior and attitudes. That is what we do," says Yale University psychologist Alan Kazdin, association president. "We know what messages will work and what will not."
These people are all about restricting not only our liberty, but controlling what we think. Scary stuff, people.
(Three posts in one day! Wow!)
Is the hot air emitted by celebrities when they spout ecological platitudes a greenhouse gas?
"The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat and dishwatery utterances of the man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States."
It's not what you think. Well, maybe it is. But the answer lies here.
As if Al weren't enough of a pompous windbag already! He'll never shut up now. Peace prize [snort]
Job seekers, here is your opportunity.
The City of Santa Cruz (the southernmost point of the Bermuda Triangle for Common Sense, as former local radio host DAG used to call it) is hiring a global warming czar.
The gig will pay $80,000 a year.
That does it. I am in the wrong business.
Recruitment for the position will begin in the next two weeks. The article does not say where to show up to apply, but I suspect City Hall would be a good place to start.
Cross-posted at Cranky's place
Barbara Boxer is a freaking moron? I'm thinking worse words in my head.
And I say this as a constituent. As embarrassing as that is.
So much for the will of the people and the consent of the governed.
I didn't vote in the latest local special election because I did not have the time or the energy to study the issues thoroughly to make an informed choice. The ballot measures all had to do with land use and development issues, and I can't remember when I have seen and heard as much obfuscation on both sides of an issue. At one point I was tempted to vote against one measure based solely on the sign pollution of the side in favor.
The voters soundly defeated all four ballot measures, so that should be the end of it. Right? Wrong! Those Who Know BestTM are taking steps to thwart the will of the people.
. . . supporters said not so fast. They are plotting a comeback with lawsuits and creating GPU-5, a plan that combines the concepts of Measure A and GPU-4 while rejecting development in the Rancho San Juan area.I think I'm getting a headache.Several lawsuits are already pending against the county and more are expected to be filed. County counsel said it could be years before this issue is settled in court.
Despite the fact that voters shot it down two years ago and again on Tuesday, the Butterfly Village project, a provision of Measure D, could still move forward.
Cross-posted at Cranky's place
One thing that's virtually guaranteed to get me irritated, is a missive from my elected representative, the permanently entrenched in power, Sam Farr. If you want to make me growl bad words at my computer screen and stomp around the office for a bit, then you send me this:
Dear Denise: Like you, I am deeply disappointed the President refused to modify his position on the Iraq war
Like me? LIKE ME? Nothing, and I mean nothing, sets me off than a politician or an organization acting like they know me, that they know what I think, or how I feel. It's like NOW trying to tell me that they speak for all women. Horse pucky!
I'm tempted to reply to the email...
Dear Sam, I am nothing like you. Nor will I ever be. In future, please be so kind as to not presume you speak for me, or assume that you in any way could express my feelings.
Thank you
Saw this over at NRO:
DEMOCRATS TO CHANGE 185 YEAR-OLD HOUSE RULE TO ALLOW TAX HIKES WITHOUT HAVING TO VOTEMay 16, 2007
In a stunning move, House Democrats today revealed they will attempt to rewrite House rules that have gone unchanged since 1822 in order to make it possible to increase taxes and government spending without having to vote and be held accountable. House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today vowed Republicans will use every available means to fight this unprecedented change.
“This is an astonishing attempt by the majority leadership to duck accountability for tax-and-spend policies the American people do not want,” Boehner said. “The majority leadership is gutting House rules that have been in place for 185 years so they can raise taxes and increase government spending without a vote. House Republicans will use every tool available to fight this abuse of power.”
Last November, House Democratic leaders promised the most open, ethical Congress in history:
“[W]e promised the American people that we would have the most honest and most open government and we will.” (Nancy Pelosi press stakeout, December 6, 2006)
“We intend to have a Rules Committee ... that gives opposition voices and alternative proposals the ability to be heard and considered on the floor of the House.” (Steny Hoyer in CongressDaily PM, December 5, 2006)
The rules House Democrats are seeking to change have not been changed since 1822.
Republicans have already achieved significant legislative successes on the House floor with 11 consecutive “motion-to-recommit” victories that exposed flaws and substantively improved weaknesses in underlying Democrat bills. But rather than living by the same rules which have guided the House of Representatives for 185 years, Democrats are proposing to change the rules in order to game the system and raise taxes and increase spending without a House vote. What are House Democrats afraid of?
... At Hilltop, however, the teachers strive to make them different. “We recognized that children are political beings, actively shaping their social and political understandings of ownership and economic equity,” write Pelo and Pelojoaquin. “We agreed that we want to take part in shaping the children’s understandings from a perspective of social justice. So we decided to take the Legos out of the classroom.”
More fun here.
I don't know how he does it, but Kerry manages to exceed my lowest expectations. Way to go, dude!
Everyone is aware of the latest to do with the Dixie Pollo-ettes, but I just had to highlight this porion of their most recent interview:
... the controversy was a blessing in disguise"I'd rather have a small following of really cool people who get it, who will grow with us as we grow and are fans for life, than people that have us in their five-disc changer with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith," Maguire said. "We don't want those kinds of fans. They limit what you can do."
But you happily took their money for your CDs, concerts, merchandise, right? Maybe you should have told of us fans that you don't really want that you didn't want us back when when your first CD came out. I could have saved myself some money!
To think I used to be such a big fan of theirs. What a bunch of spoiled, whiney little brats they turned out to be. They're millionaires, but the fans that made them wealthy and famous are no better than the dirt under their shoes as far as they're concerened. You know, I'm not even that much of a Reba fan, but she has more class than all three of the pollo-ettes combined -- and then some.
You think that the food police in this country won't be trying something like this soon?
Under regulations being considered by the Executive, landlords - many of whom are still unhappy at the smoking ban - would be required to have policies to promote "sensible eating" as a condition of their licences.But pub trade bosses said the move to make landlords provide the sensible- eating advice might mean they were forced not to sell "unhealthy" food, and that would cause major problems for the industry, and penalise the majority of pub-goers.
Paul Waterson, chief executive of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said the eating advice was aimed at banning meals such as pies, beans and chips from being served.
"It's a dangerous road to go down, and we are very concerned about it," he added. "Everybody has their own ideas about food - if you speak to vegetarians for instance. There is a danger most customers will get caught in the middle between official guidance and people who want to eat what they want.
I'm on a TV related email list, one that I've been on for nearly ten years now. Well, the moderator has vanished and now it's become a free for all. They have a thread going on 'tolerance' and as you might imagine, it's anything but. The loving tolerant left is having a field day bashing Christians and mourning the 'day democracy died' in 2000. They spend their days patting themselves on the back for their tolerance, but they certainly don't practice it. No, I'm not surprised by how they behave, I'm well used to such antics. But it is disheartening when people can work up so much venom against us 'evil Christians' when Islamofascists are burning down Danish embassies over cartoons. Talk about a lack of perspective..
City of Shaker Heights, OHIO - ( Jan 17, 2006 ) Following a health trend that appears to be brewing up all over the nation, Mayor Judith Rawson has signed a proclamation for the City of Shaker Heights that addresses the issues regarding caffeine intoxication and dependency.
No, it isn't satire.
May I direct your attention to this little gem, which caught my eye over the weekend?
Islamofascists aren't evil, they just have a different perspective! Well, I feel so much better now -- how 'bout you? Do these people actually believe their own twaddle?
I haven't been into "angry" blogging these days, but this morning, I may be over my current aversion. I probably shouldn't watch TV in the morning, I really shouldn't. So what set me off? I think it's just the same thing over and over and over and.... well, you get the idea. For months, the only idea the Dems have had in their lil heads is to keep saying, "They lied!". That's their big plan it seems. See, we're so stupid, that if we keep hearing them screech, "they lied!' enough times, we'll actually believe them. Cus we're the unwashed masses who need to be fed and led to the 'correct' thoughts and decisions. Never mind that most of us can read, use a search engine, and have fairly adequate memories of what's been going on the last few years. If we hear Dean scream "LIED!!!" enough times, we'll buy it, we'll fall in line, we'll be good little peasants and believe what our oh so wise elders are saying. But I guess we aren't getting our brains washed fast enough, because now the plan seems to be "PUMP UP THE VOLUME!!" So now, they're SCREAMING it, and added holding their breath till they turn blue, with a little foot stamping thrown in for good measure. Can we send them to their rooms without supper till the start behaving like adults? . How freakin' stupid do they really think we are? Yeah, dumb question -- we all know exactly what they think of us. It's insulting and offensive, and this from a party that thinks they represent the 'common people' [snort]. Common people they have absolutely no respect for.
When trolls post in different comment threads with different names? I don't think they understand IP addresses.
Ever heard of Cultural Competence? Well, it may be coming to a school near you.
....In May 2004, the Oregon Department of Education sponsored a summit of "over 100 of the State's leaders in educationto engage in a dialogue about cultural competency." Its purpose was to develop a specific proposal on how to implement 'cultural competence' in education, from kindergarten to university.It was the summit's definition of 'cultural competence' that caused Oregon's House to balk at the education bill that ensued -- Senate Bill 50. The essence of that definition: "Cultural competence is based on a commitment to social justice and equity."
Some of the specifics of what constitutes 'social justice' and 'equity' emerged from the summit, which was organized into discussion Ttbles. 'Cultural competence' "entails actively challenging the status quoone table noted the need to incorporate institutionalized notions of power, privilege, and oppression into the definition.Thus, for many, cultural competence is transformative and political."
In practical terms, a "culturally competent" teacher "advocates for social justice"; the teacher "exhibits awareness of key concepts" such as "privilege, affirmative action"; he or she must not only "apply cultural competencies" but also "believe it."
'Cultural competence' would not be a request but a requirement. In its five year projection, the summit proposed to "revise rules to achieve high cultural standards including possible revocation of licensure for culturally incompetent behavior" and "to require cultural competence for license renewal."
Indeed, SB50 would have authorized the establishment of "standards for cultural competency and require an applicant for a teaching license to meet those standards."
In short, teachers would be required to advocate a specific vision of social justice to be licensed.
Why does everything these days sound like people live in a permanent encounter group? It's freakish.
I've never been a fan of Anne Rice, and am I glad of that right now. I've read so much nastiness over the last week, and I've kept my peace, but I think this was the proverbial straw. Here's what she has to say about us:
But to my country I want to say this: During this crisis you failed us. You looked down on us; you dismissed our victims; you dismissed us. You want our Jazz Fest, you want our Mardi Gras, you want our cooking and our music. Then when you saw us in real trouble, when you saw a tiny minority preying on the weak among us, you called us "Sin City," and turned your backs.
Should I ask for the money I donated this week back? Since I don't care and all.
Actually, Ann, I went to New Orleans once and once was quite enough. I don't want your Jazz Fest, or your Mardi Gras. So no, I don't want anything from you or your city. But despite that, I still care about the people there. And the people of Gulfport, and Biloxi, and all the other towns and cities devastated by this disaster. And so do millions of other Americans --- they're fellow countrymen, just like me, just like you. I know it must be a difficult concept for you to grasp with all your wealth and fame, but we care even without wanting or getting anything in return. And despite your small mindedness and nastiness, we'll still keep caring, and keep helping. Sorry to disappoint you. If you honestly believe we dismissed the suffering of the victims of the hurricane, then you're a sad and deluded person. Maybe you should stick to your fantasy world, because you surely don't seem to grasp the real one.
I've been hearing about the Akaka Bill for a while, and it's beyond belief that this will actually pass.
E Pluribus Unum? Not in Hawaii.
And if you want more, check out this transcript.
Later: Kathy has a post on the subject with some interesting comments.
This is interesting. Even though Pres. Bush is "the most fit President in history", according to the official guidlines, he's overweight. What a crock these "obese" figures are! When will the government get a clue? Yeah, I know, silly question.
John Podhoretz on The Corner passes on this love note from the Boston Globe movie critic:
Stealth' is a pretty fair military-hardware action movie until you start thinking about it -- at which point it turns incredibly sour in your mouth. I can therefore recommend it to any and all audiences lacking higher brain functions. Sea cucumbers, perhaps. Ones waving American flags.
Tell me about that unbiased media again...?
According to Screamin' Howard Dean, Republicans don't understand how hard it is to go out and vote after a day at work, because most of us have never put in an honest day's work in our lives.
So that means whatever it is I do every day is either dishonest, or a delusion.
(heard on the radio, so no link)
Later: thanks to Robert, who directed me here, I present the actual quote:
"You think people can work all day and then pick up their kids at child care or wherever and get home and still manage to sandwich in an eight-hour vote? Well Republicans, I guess can do that. Because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives. "
A few days I ago, I posted that Ward Churchill was gracing the Monterey Peninsula with his presence, having been invited to speak at CSUMB. I watched coverage of the event on the local news last night, and it was exactly what one would expect: students reading the names of the victims of 9/11 in protest of Churchill's appearance being drowned out by the moonbats who screamed and chanted with the aid of bullhorns. Ah, you have to love the left, they believe so fiercely in freedom of speech -- for them.
The left in this country is always going on about "the root causes" of terrorism, right? So the only possible reason I can think of for them to object to the President's speech yesterday is that it was the President that said it.
Just wanted to get that off my chest. Carry on.
Remember me posting earlier this week about the new season of "24" and how it had Muslim groups with their knickers all in a twist? Looks like FOX is caving to the pressure. Figures. Anyone know where FOX execs can get a backbone transplant?
Get a load of this poor troubled individual.
It's pathetic, it really is. These people don't seem to have a klew that they're the ones who are closed minded and intolerant. They actually believe they're some sort of higher enlightened being! So here's a free klew to these folks: they have drugs for your problem, you know. Maybe it's time you sought professional help, 'cus we care, we really do.
I think I'm moving past anger to pity. How can you not feel sorry for someone so obviously out of touch with reality?
Found this over on The Corner. It's from a Salon piece, but you have to be a subscriber (which I'm not) to read all of it.
But like many liberals I'm betting on the Armageddon theory of politics. Bush and the GOP majorities in the House and Senate will make things so bad in the next four years that the country will never elect a Republican ever again. So here's hoping things get much, much worse!
This is the kind of thing that's keeping me from being a gracious winner, the kind of thing that keeps me believing that the left is hopeless and so entrenched in a Michael Moore fantasy world that reaching out to them is an exercise in futility.
An actual message that dropped into my email on a list I'm on:
hes going to win (SOB)that women hateing homophobic basterd is going to win and then lucifer's reign will start and chaos and darkness (sob) why Florida ,why again!!!!!!!!!!!!(sob) why WWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYY Oh GOD i wish to end myself (hysterical sobbing) i need something to end the pain.... screw it i am going to bed maybe its just a horrible dream. (Sobs) leaveing in disgust .........(damn 2 party system)
Just... Wow... I can't think of anything else that can describe it...
I think I've mentioned that one of my pet peeves is people who pollute an email list with off topic political screeds. (And it probably wouldn't surprise you that those who do so are usually of the leftist variety.) Anywho, one of the lists I'm on just had a moonbat eruption where the person in question decided that we all really needed to know how evil Bush is ("Bin Laden's business partner"). I present a small sample for your entertainment:
The man blew up Iraqui women and kids while Bin laden hid safely elsewhere, and oil was never mentioned. Now they are debating to see who is the best choice to lead their failure retreat from this dryland Vietnam left sadly with no more bombing opportunities. Maybe this time they will figure out how to count the ballots, and people of colour won't be disenfranchised of their democratic right. Normal America....logical orderly election.....hmmmmm.
It went on and on from there. And what prompted such a post? Hell if I know! But it gets better, and my fellow Red Ensign bloggers will love it. He's Canadian, and states in yet another off topic email:
War is such a sin. At least that is the national view of we Canuks.
So there you go! Don't you all feel silly now?
A Bit Later: This guy is turning out to be a grade A lefty moonbat! A fellow list member took him to task and now he's privately emailing her stuff that makes the above look somewhat sane! Boy, he needs a royal fisking! It's like he gets his scripts from Dem Underground -- he certainly has yet to express an original thought.
Dan Rather blabbered on again on how even if the docs were forgeries, it's not the central issue.
Listen up, Dan... YES IT IS!!! It's the only issue. Either you were duped in your eagerness to try and get the President, or you knowingly presented those forgeries, in which case you made an attempt to subvert the election. You aren't emperor, Dan, you don't have the right to play fast and loose with the truth. I know this comes as a shock to you in all your journalistic greatness, but you aren't special, you aren't better or smarter than us. You're just a sad and sorry excuse for an institution that passed its prime long ago. Edward R. Murrow, you're not. Honest. It's time for you to head for the old anchor's home and sit on the beach knitting or something.
I found this over at Michelle Malkin's from a comment board for Border's employees:
You guys don't actually HAVE to sell the thing!Just "carelessly" hide the boxes, "accidentally" drop them off pallets, "forget" to stock the ones you have, and then suggest a nice Al Franken or Micheal Moore book as a substitute. Borders wants those recommends, remember?
I don't care if these Neandertals (sic) in fancy suits get mad at me, they aren't regular customers anyway. Other than "Left Behind" books, they don't read. Anything you can do to make them feel unwelcome is only fair. They are the people pushing retailers to cut costs, don't forget. And they would censor your speech, your books, your music in a heartbeat, so give them a taste of it!
Don't get mad, get even!
What a bunch of !@$#$%#$! I don't read anything but "Left Behind" books? I've never read one. In fact, I think I can safely say I probably read more in a year than the average Border's Employee reads in their whole frigging life!
Are these people born stupid, or did they have to study?
For the 3 or 4 of you on the planet who have not seen this yet....
According to the Drudge Report, Janet Jackson is claiming the White House used her, ahem, infamous wardrobe malfunction to distract the country from the war in Iraq.
I can only say, our absent hostess Ith needs a new category here, and that would be narcissistic blithering fools!
Un-freaking-believable. Just when you think you've heard everything, somebody comes along and re-defines "everything."
On my way down to the gym to work off those chocolate eclairs from Friday, I followed a car for a couple of blocks. Pasted to its rear bumper:
John Kerry.
Putting complete sentences back in the White House.
Anybody besides me notice what's wrong with this picture?
And no, I don't think it was meant to be funny... because on the other side of the bumper was a great big "Unidos Con Kerry" sticker.
At least according to a nutburger teacher at the University of Texas.
Later: I posted an update here.
One of the items discussed this week by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County was a proposal to switch the channels on the televisions at the Monterey Sports Center.The rules at the city-owned gym are that the six televisions are supposed to be tuned to sports or news. Apparently one is almost always set to the Fox News Channel, which tends to put a conservative spin on the news.
Peggy Olson told the peace group that Fox's slant makes it inappropriate for a city-owned facility. The Peace Coalition opted not to pursue the issue, but some in the group are talking about taking it up with the City Council.
Note to Carolyn, Margaret, & Nin: This may be a good discussion topic at our next Town Hall Meetup.
This has to be one of the stupidest things I've read in a while (and that's saying something.)
Discussing how much America is hated, Senator Graham had this nugget of wisdom to share:
Senator Graham said re-electing Mr Bush would be viewed by people abroad as a majority of Americans approving of Mr Bush's policies.
DUUUUUUH! Isn't that sort of the point of an election?
from melodramatic Hollywood pantywaists! Could they be more overwrought and screechy?
Politics and presidential elections were on everyone's lips at Monday's Gotham preem of "The Manchurian Candidate.""This is a movie about political brainwashing, and we're right back there again now," said director Jonathan Demme. "I hope it has the potential for stimulating people to start thinking about the process because Lord knows we could use some stimulation," he added.
I think most of Hollywood are poster children for, "This Is Your Brain On Drugs".
You haven't seen loonies until you watched a FCC open forum.
My goodness! There are people up there saying things that make Ith and I go "Huh?".
People are going on about how FCC should provide more money for PBS because they were the only fair and balanced place for people to get current news.
And, our local NBC affiliate was racist and classist because they wouldn't show Al Sharpton on Saturday Night Live, and something to do with Wal-Mart (We couldn't figure out the connection...).
[rolls eyes]
I'm going back to my drinking now and laughing at the broadcast.
(Hey, at least the closed captioning equipment Ith's company used for the event is working. The person typing it in can't spell, but it's working! That's a plus...)
I was reading a Q&A with a WA Post reporter, and I have to say, people are past stupid. There are actually people ragging on the Bush twins because the said in an interview for Vogue (Vogue, not an in depth policy interview with US News & World Report) that some of their favorite things are Mexican food, Starbucks lattes, and sushi. Apparently this makes them out of touch with mainstream Americans. Oh, and it makes them bimbos too -- go figure. Well I guess I'm out of touch with mainstream Americans, cus gosh darn, I like those things too. Not only that, but I like Greek food, imported cheese, and mochas! I'm such a BIMBO!!
Lord, these maroons have their father to whine about, not to mention an entire administration, but their burning bleat is the twins and the fact they like *$%^& Mexican food?
Give me a break and go get lives and a sense of proportion, for pity's sake!
Later: I forgot, I could have said it in Latin! Fac ut vivas!
Conservative black organizations are formed and funded by white Republicans, NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said yesterday in an address to a packed ballroom at the group's annual convention here.
I'll be sure to pass that on to my black conservative friends, Kweisi.
What a maroon! And he gets away with it!
The whole article here, and a hearty, "AVAST!", to Cam for the link.
Poll: over 40% of Canadian teens think America is "evil"
Surprising? Not to me, not really. You have to remember I was a teeneager in Canada, subjected to daily torment by my fellow school students for the crime of being American. And that was more than twenty years ago. Those students are the parents of these kids in the poll. They learned their lessons well, no?
Rush mentioned this a few minutes ago, and a quick search produced the article:
Call for UN observers in US election
SEVERAL members of the US House of Representatives have requested the United Nations to send observers to monitor the November 2 US presidential election to avoid a contentious vote as in 2000, when the outcome was decided by Florida.Recalling the long, drawn-out process in the southern state, nine lawmakers, including four blacks and one Hispanic, sent a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan asking that the international body "ensure free and fair elections in America", according to a statement issued by Florida representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, who spearheaded the effort.
"As lawmakers, we must assure the people of America that our nation will not experience the nightmare of the 2000 presidential election," she said in the letter.
"This is the first step in making sure that history does not repeat itself," she added after requesting that the UN "deploy election observers across the US" to monitor the November, 2004 election.
Do I even need to comment on this? I know you know what I'm thinking! (and it's quite colourful)
I made the mistake of stopping on one of our new public access channels last night when I saw the CBC logo in the corner. Lord! Now my brother had told me that the PA channels were havens of left wing lunacy, but all I'd ever seen were bad seventies horror movies from Spain when I had channel surfed before. He was right! The "station" was calling itself "Free Speech TV" and they were airing a CBC show called "Counter-Spin". It was every loony left wing paranoid fantasy brought to life. The subject was what should Paul Martin tell George Bush about Iraq when they meet. As they worked thought the audience, I heard everything from the belief that since Bush was a Christian, the point of the Iraq war was to Christianize the Middle East, to it's about the Oooooooooooil, to an Iraqi Canadian woman saying that the women who were tortured and killed by Saddam didn't matter because it was an Iraqi matter. That got applause.
There were two official guests, one from something called Z net who was like a poster child for ANSWER, and a woman from the National Post, who while not a conservative by any stretch of the imagination, came off as the sane voice of reason in that group. After the break, they came back and started discussing missile defense. The Z net guy insisted it was an offensive weapon, the NP woman just stared at him in disbelief and then tried to reason with him and the audience. When she said that a terrorist could get their hands on a missile some day and use it, they laughed at her! She said that she hoped that the idea ended up being as funny as they all seemed to think that it was, but that it was a real possibility to her, and as a Canadian, living very close to the U.S.A., it was something Canadians should be concerned about. You can imagine the reaction she got to that.
That was the point I turned it off. Not relaxing TV before bed!
You know it's bad when you're cursing at the TV at 7am. But, damn it, I was fuming! It was the usual tag team interview -- one Republican former campaign guy, and one Democrats former campaign guy. The Dem was frickin unbelievable!
Here's a brief recap:
1) The abuse of the Iraqi prisoners is George Bush's personal responsibility, a responsibility he's trying to avoid.
2) The President shouldn't be campaigning because it's not "Presidential" and he should be in D.C. because he's "out of touch", and he should be dealing with all his failed policies.
3) He shouldn't be meeting with regular folk on the bus tour because he should be in D.C. because -- wait for it -- he's "out of touch".
@#$%^&(*)&##$%!!
Deep breath.
Exhale.
Did she have a straight face when she said it?
..... House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi: "The Bush administration needs to understand that the independent 9/11 commission seeks truth, not blame."
Sing it to your choir, Nancy.
And for more travels in the unbiased media, check out this article. I founf the points made about Clinton's pardoning the FALN terrorist members particularly illuminating.
From Andrew Studdaford on The Corner today comes this latest bit of PC idiocy:
For over a century, a statue of a wild boar stood in the center of Englands oldest public park. It was damaged during the Second World War. Finally, it has been restored. The old boar was going to be put back where it belonged. Not any more. These plans have, apparently, now been "abandoned for fear of offending Muslims, whose religion considers pigs to be 'unclean'."And if you want another tiny example of the Wests supine response to Islamic fanaticism thats it.
Posted by Ith at 5:19 PM
Next up, the 9/11 commission and how the Clinton officials testifying this week are going to try and blame 9/11 on the Bush administration. So much for not politicizing it, eh? I hope we'll get to hear what the Clinton people were doing for the 8 years they were in power. What did they do after the first WTC attack? Why didn't they take Bin Laden when he was offered? What about the USS Cole? What about the Kobar Towers bombing?
Eight years of a Clinton administration to fail fighting terror, and it's all President Bush's fault in just nine months.
(boy, I'm really ticked off tonight, aren't I?)
There's a "diplomat" on FNC right now saying that hatred of us in Europe is our fault, that we need to change our policies to make them happy. This is one of those times I'd like to post in all CAPS! Damn it! I'm sick and tired of this crap. Why should we change? Why don't they start appeasing us, asking themselves why we don't like them, and what policies of theirs they should change to make us happier?? I'm really beginning to understand why the U.S. was isolationist prior to WWII. Europe is so not worth it, and I'm past fed up with their whinging and complaining. They'd all be speaking German now if not for us.
They can take their unhappiness and stuff it for all I care. We've done our bit for Europe -- more than once -- and I say leave them to stew in their own juices.
More from local news. This time, the snobby prigs of the CAB. Local church wants a statue in its garden for their 100th aniv. -- seems simple, right? Not in the same village that banned ice cream cones once upon a time. You see, the statue has to be approved by the CAB, and said CAB denied permission unanimously:
I dont think it furthers what the church is about its just a decorative little piece, said Eleen Auvil.
I am so glad I live outside the village limits!
The Ca Coastal Commission strikes again. They'll do anything to stop development -- even lie. Check out the story they made up about the imminent demise of all Monterey Pines in the area. Heaven forbid there be more homes for residents, or more jobs.
Would they take a gritty drama with undertones of humour like Magnum P.I. and turn it into a Starsky & Hutch like spoof. With a rapper as the costar no less.
A comic spoof out of a show that gave us an episode like, "Have You Seen The Sunrise"??
I'll stick to repeats on TV, thanks very much.
A tale of woe from one of the just released Brit prisoners that was at Gitmo.
Give me a freakin' break! Of course, the anti-American left in Britain -- and our own country -- will eat this fantasy up.
Update: Love what Steve has to say on the subject. A snippet: Al-Harith told these people a number of lies. You can pretty well guess what they were. Pointless beatings, "mystery injections," rotten food, water so filthy it looked like Coca-Cola, forced rides in the pork-promoting Oscar Mayer Wienermobile...okay, that last one is mine. I have a better imagination than Mr. Al-Harith. Snorfle! Wienermobile!
There's a new state amendment being proposed in the state of California.
It's to give teenagers the right to vote. Yeah, 14-17 year olds can vote.
Oh, wait... It gets better!
They don't get a full vote...
Oh no.
14-15 year olds are counted as a fourth vote.
16-17 year olds are counted as a half vote.
As if people aren't confused by the election process already!
Why, you ask?
"We believe it's time to open up the franchise to young Californians at the age of 14, let them register and vote and be seriously included in the process," said Democratic State Senator John Vasconcellos.
Of course it would have nothing to do with the fact that the majority of teenagers lean toward the Democratic party.
Or the fact that if they do this, they'll be getting votes from all the children of Hispanic immigrants (legal or not) in the state.
Oh no, nothing to do with those points at all.
[/sarcasm]
I actually heard about this on Friday, but I've been stewing about it off and on since...
I've been keeping abreast of the Angel axing, and one of the things I've seen crop up is that WB canceled Angel to make way for yet another remake of Dark Shadows, and that WB is under the impression that fans of the vampire genre will find shows with vampires interchangeable. In other words, we'll all happily watch Dark Shadows and not miss Angel, cus, duh, it has vampires! What more could we want?
Morons!
I've never seen Dark Shadows (that I recall) and I'm not about to watch it becasue I'm expected to, anymore than I was going to watch that silly Aaron Spelling vampire show that was on when Forever Knight was (two episodes were enough). Lord, TV execs make me want to scream! I have to actually be interested in a show. Just throwing vampires at me isn't going to do it. Really.
(I still have my "Forever Knight, Embrace No Substitute" button on my
corkboard at work)
(now FK was a show!)
Again with the idea that space will eternally be a place of peace, love, and planetary group hugs. Damn bloody naivete and shortsightedness!
A commissioner on the panel studying the President's proposal for manned flights to the moon and Mars actually asked why the military was involved! What planet do these people live on anyway?!!? Yes, let's go into space waving flowers and dancing around like Hare Krishnas at the airport. Maybe the ChiComs will take a pamphlet and throw a few coins in the hat on their way past.
Can you tell I'm more than a wee bit put out?
Didn't think so.
There's so many things to be angry over in this story: Michigan teacher must cover cost of substitute while on military duty. But you know what I could not believe? These maroons from the school district are acting like they're doing this teacher and patriot some sort of favour!!
As a new Harry Potter fan, I now have all these extra articles to read, and I found a gem today! This is from an interview with Alfonso Cuaron who is directing Prisoner of Azkaban:
"It's a myth for our times," Cuaron tells Entertainment Weekly magazine in its Jan. 23 issue. "You read about Fudge and the Ministry of Magic that's Tony Blair! And Guantanamo is not that different from Azkaban. There are Dementors there, too."
Viggo, call your agent! Here's a guy you can not only work with but share silly current event comparisons with too! It's a match made in heaven.
Geeez.
(a little lunchtime posting)
There's a pharmacist at work who is very liberal. However, every time he starts a rant, I blow him out of the water (the last one was about space exploration).
Today he decided to bash Bush and Republicans in general.
I started walking towards him, and he got quieter and quieter.
Finally, when I was standing next to him, he shut up.
I grinned madly and walked away.
Quite fun.
Bleak Outlook for U.S. in Iraq Says Blix
"There's a hatred against the United States and you have 130,000 American troops sitting there as a big target," said Hans Blix as he leaned forward to make his point about the future of Iraq and its military occupation."The borders, although guarded, are not watertight. Weapons of mass destruction may not be there but conventional weapons are and the U.S. does not have the capacity to guard it all," Blix added. "The outlook is bad."
Anyone expect the "peace activists" to be protesting the terrorist slaughter of their countrymen, and dozens of Turks, in Turkey today?
Nah, me either. After all, what's a few deaths amongst friends?
Hillary Clinton is a tease. Now isn't that one of those things that feminists hate? Being a tease? But here's their standard bearer being the poster child for it. There she is, being so coy, batting her eyelashes: Will I run? In 2004? In 2008? I'm going to Iowa, but I'm not running. Well, maybe...
So not only is she a woman whose main qualification for President is who she married, but she's a tease too.
You've come a long way, baby. [snort]
Justene has been threatened with a lawsuit by a company called Infotel. Xrlq has a post on the whole thing here, and Justene's original post is here.
Also check out Jay, Daily Pundit, Patterico, the Interociter, Miller's Time, & Right On The Left Beach.
Updating the List:
I know we've dealt with similar things where I work, so the more light that we shine on the vermin the better. My favourite is the toner scam. You get a call fro your "copier company" wanting to double check the model of your copy machine. If you give them that information, there will be a box of incredibly overpriced toner delivered within days. Then they hope someone will sign for it without checking, and then they nail your for the charges with that signature. As soon as you ask them the name of the company they come from, they hang up. One time, my boss pretended he couldn't speak English and kept them hopping for quite awhile before they realized we were on to them.
Andrea pointed me to this article. first, go read Andrea's post, then read the article.
Give this guy some valium! Please! There's lots and lots that bugs me about these sorts of journalisitic hatchet jobs, but I'll stick with two.
First, do you ever see these sorts practicing what they preach? Is reporter guy living in an eco commune? Does he bike everywhere? Did he take an airplane, or a train, or a bus, to research his expose? And isn't his newspaper printed on like, dead trees? Does he use air conditioning in his home? How about heat? How many square feet does he and his family use to live in?
It would be nice for him to realize that technology allows us to produce more food on less land, so we can feed more people. And America feeds lots of people.
The other thing is "global warming". The planet has been warmer many times in the past, it's normal. And we're just going to have to deal. If we can't deal, then I guess we're screwed. Mother Nature doesn't play favourites. And the planet warming isn't all bad. There are many benefits to be had from a warmer planet. We just need to make it through the transition. And I'll take a few degrees warmer over icesheets covering half of California anyday.
Oh, and a third thing! I know, I said two. But! The British Isles are a testament to man manipulating the land to suit them. Does he not know that Britian used to be heavily forested? If he went to look at Sherwood forest, he would see that it used to be that way all over. But no, it's just eeeevil modern Americans who are responsible for the rape of the planet.
Well, "Lolita" left about 15 huge spam comments over night. So if anyone saw the s*m*ut, I apologize. I've banned the current IP, but who knows how long before "she" gets a new one.
This was what a "Code Pink" activist said at an anti-Arnold rally:
.... She admitted that Bill Clinton (news - web sites)'s sexual peccadilloes were as inexcusable as Arnold's."The difference is that Clinton was so brilliant," she said.
"If Arnold was a brilliant pol and had this thing about inappropriate behavior, we'd figure a way of getting around it. I think it's to our detriment to go on too much about the groping. But it's our way in. This is really about the GOP trying to take California in 2004 and our trying to stop it."
I'd like to invite California Dem Operatives to come check out my ballot before I mail it in. Just so they can reassure themselves that my "goon tactics" aren't sullying the sanctity of the election.
The Democrats are so insulting and obnoxious. I keep thinking they can't get any more pathetic, but they do.
Talk about goons.
What a treasure trove the day has been for asshatted celebrity comment! But I bet you thought I couldn't come up with anything better than the Dixie Chicks latest tantrum, or Martin Sheen's latest verbal assault, but you'd be wrong, gentle readers!! Take a look at this gem I came across while reading a Yahoo! news bit, "Backstage at the Emmys". This tidbit comes from Jon Stewart, who has a TV show from what I understand. (First time I'd ever seen him was last night as he did some lame comedy bit at the Emmys.)
[....] He also had a few words for the uniformed journalist representing the U.S. Marines who asked nearly every winner to send their deepest sentiments to the men and women overseas. "Shouldn't you be defending us from something? Isn't this something you do in the corner of a Best Buy?"
So this is what passes for humour these days? And you win awards for it too! I miss Bob Hope more and more every day.
Not that this comes as a surprise, but... Chicks to break with country scene.
Violinist Martie Maguire told Spiegel magazine: "We don't feel part of the country scene any longer, it can't be our home any more."She said she was disappointed other country singers didn't back up the Dixie Chicks in their criticism of George W Bush's politics on Iraq.
"A few weeks ago, Merle Haggard said a couple of nice words about us, but that was it," Maguire complained.
"The support we got came from others, like Bruce Springsteen."
Maybe because they're grownups, Martie? With this sort of whining, it appears you certainly aren't one yet. Suck it up, girls! If you take a stand, you need to do it because you think it's right, not because you want to be part of the "in" crowd, or because you think it's cool at the time. But that's the problem, you don't think. R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y -- look it up in the dictionary.
Going home empty-handed from the Country Awards ceremony also made them decide to break with the scene, Maguire said.
Mmmm-hmmmm..... I think that about covers it, don't you? The Dixie Chicks owe Country and its fans for their success. If they want to be just another pop band, then so be it. I guess mediocrity is easier than originality and creativity. Their last CD certainly proved that.
A new industry group, P2P, is going to pay the $2,000 fine that was imposed on 12-year-old Brianna LaHara by the recording industry for illegally downloading music. The little girl's single mother agreed to the fine to settle a lawsuit filed against her by the Recording Industry of America.
Says P2P of RIAA:
But the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based P2P United, Adam Eisgrau, says the RIAA should pick on someone its own size, not a little girl who downloaded songs like "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands."
He is also calling on the RIAA to abandon its campaign and stop going after children and grandparents--one RIAA target is a 71-year-old grandfather.
Personally, while I agree that intellectual property must be protected, suing little kids and grandparents isn't the way to go about it - in fact, it'll turn into a PR nighmare for the recording industry.
PCWorld.com - Industry Group Pays Child's RIAA Fine
Sometimes, I like to go cruising the kook sites, to see what absurdities they bilge forth with. Today's selection was PETA -- always an excellent source of absurdium profundium. PETA are crowing (pardon) concerning winging (oops, I mean "winning") a lawsuit against KFC, formerly known as "Kentucky Friend Chicken" and KFC's advertising campaign. PETA are as happy as puppies with socks because as stated on PETA's site:
PETAs victory in this lawsuitwhich PETA believes to be unprecedented in that it is a successful suit for false representations about the treatment of farmed animalsputs corporations on notice that they cannot abuse animals and lie about it with impunity. The false claims that have now been removed from the KFC and Yum! Brands Web sites include the following:
What follows is their list, and my comments:
that chickens raised for KFC suffer no pain
Would that the people PETA's terrorist companions harm could suffer no pain!
that chickens raised for KFC suffer no injuries
I wonder how many children have suffered injuries at the hands of PETA's allies?
that KFC suppliers use state-of-the-art slaughter equipment
When you're talking about killing a chicken, I have to wonder if the old "snap the neck" routine versus some fancy automated chopper really matters?
that humane treatment of the birds is ensured
Where "humane" is defined as "treating animals as though they were kings, and humans as though they were fodder."
Dunno 'bout you, but it tickles my wish ... I mean funny bone!
A post from The Corner:
From the Alameda Times-Star: FEDERICO de Jesus owes Victor David Hanson an apology.De Jesus, a staffer for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Cal., falsely accused Hanson, the distinguished author of the just-published book "Mexifornia" (Encounter, 2003), of racism and xenophobia at a recent Capitol Hill briefing.
During his introduction, Hanson, a scholar of ancient Rome and Greece, was aptly described as "a classicist." De Jesus somehow interpreted that to mean that the author had a white "classist" bias against immigrants. Pelosi's aide, who somehow earned a diploma without being able to make a distinction between a classicist and a classist, got ugly with Hanson and stormed out of the briefing in protest.
What to say about Johnny Depp and his latest pronouncements from afar? Well, I guess I could say he's consistent. This is definitely not the first time he's shared his opinion, and at least he actually did leave the country to go live in Europe. We weren't so lucky with Alec Baldwin after all.
Jonah Goldberg had this to say today:
I don't particularly care that Johnny Depp has unkind things to say about America or the Bush Administration. To date, not a single thoughtful person in Christendom has found it necessary to consult his views before making an informed decision. That said, what I do find hilarious is that all of the Europeans do care. I mean, these are the same folks who say that American culture is leading to the cretinization of the world and that Hollywood values are shallow, low-brow and materialistic. And yet, the second an American movie star opens his mouth on politics these people applaud.
That sounds about right. For me, it's not so much that these 'artists' shoot off their mouths, it's the hypocrisy. Like Harrison Ford last week who lamented:
"I think American films right now are suffering from an excess of scale. Lots of movies we're seeing now are more akin to video games than stories about human life and relationships," said Ford, while noting "12- to 20-year-olds are maybe the largest economic force in the US movie business".
And Harrison Ford only makes artistic, serious, meaningful films. Riiiiiiight. He goes on, in the same interview, to say:
"I'm very troubled by the proliferation of arms, at the fact so many people in the United States carry guns. It obviously contributes greatly to the crime problems we have. I'm sure gun laws should be strengthened in the United States. I just don't know the correct mechanism."
Again, the hypocrisy! If he feels so strongly on the subject, why does he make movies where the hero uses guns? As they say, "if you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem." But that's the thing, many celebrities see themselves as a class apart. Above us mere nobodies that fund their lifestyle. They have a sense of entitlement. They deserve to have their cake and eat it to.
Johnny Depp has a great life. He's wealthy enough that he can move to France and make the choices he wants. But he got that wealth because of us. Because of America. Because of the country -- and one would assume the citizens -- he despises. Actors aren't flocking to Iceland for fame and fortune, that's for sure!
So, Johnny, Harrison, you have the freedom to make asshats of yourself, but maybe you should stop ant take a look at the lives you lead and the choices you make before you spout off the next time. I'd have a lot more respect for you if you weren't a bunch of hypocrites.
This quote was sent to me via email:
"A political and social welfare organization with a military wing that has launched terror attacks against Israel." --ABC's Mike Lee describing none other than Hamas
Harrison Ford is now officially on my "celebrity nimnull list". He's been close, but today, he gets his own special spot right alongside the Dixie Chicks (I hope he and Natalie get along...).
In Madrid, Spain -- that's right, gentle readers, he's in another country saying this stuff -- he said:
"I'm very disturbed about the direction American foreign policy is going," said Ford, with US post-war casualties having exceeded those during the actual conflict."I think something needs to be done to help alleviate the conditions which have created a disenfranchised and angry faction in the Middle East.
"I don't think military intervention is the correct solution. I regret what we as a country have done so far," said Chicago-born Ford, 62.
[....]
Although on screen Ford has starred in many action-packed, gun-toting thrillers -his Hollywood Homicide alongside 25-year-old Josh Hartnett is, in fact, more designed as a comedy - Ford abhors liberal US gun laws.
"I'm very troubled by the proliferation of arms, at the fact so many people in the United States carry guns. It obviously contributes greatly to the crime problems we have. I'm sure gun laws should be strengthened in the United States. I just don't know the correct mechanism."
You know, Harrison has been my favourite Hollywood stud puppy since I was 14 and saw "Star Wars". I went to every single one of his movies in those early carefree days. But, alas, the love affair has ended. Like so many of Hollywood's finest, he along with Viggo Mortenson, and Johnny Depp, will now be told to just keep their mouths shut and look pretty. It's for the best, dahlings, it really is. Trust me on this, guys. Would I lie to you?
(A little lunchtime posting today)
(I saved our warehouse from potentially burning down this morning!)
Michele posts about Bill Maher and his asinine assertion that SUVs are to blame for the deaths of children whose parents leave them in their vehicles:
Once again, the far left - of which Maher is a card-carrying member - blame something other than the person at fault. I'm waiting for the inevitable class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of SUV owners whose children died in that horrible way, claiming that they made the cars too big or too wide or the seat backs too high.It's just another case of Maher and his like wanting to blame the ills of the world on SUV owners. It's the parents and caregivers, stupid. Not the car.
Do these people ever believe that people should accept responsibility for their actions? Not to mention do they ever get their facts straight before making sweeping assertions? Silly question!
Update: and a companion post.
From the Carmel Pinecone
ONE OF the other newspapers on the Monterey Peninsula used a front page headline last Saturday to anoint Molly Erickson and Kris Lindstrom as "environmentalists" -- a laudatory description, bordering on sainthood, which the two embattled water board members would surely choose for themselves.Not only are Erickson and Lindstrom environmentalists, the newspaper went on, they helped form a "strongly environmentalist voting bloc" on the water board for the last two years. Another story this week was even more favorable: they, and their allies Zan Henson and Judi Lehman, have been the water board's "green bloc."
These supposedly objective news stories, in describing the decisions of Erickson and Lindstrom not to seek reelection, hardly mentioned last fall's Measure B, which two-thirds of Monterey Peninsula voters used to express their displeasure with the water board. There was no analysis whatsoever of the role that embarrassing rejection -- "We don't want you and we don't want your agency!" -- might have played in the decisions of Erickson and Lindstrom to retire. The newspaper interviewed Erickson but apparently didn't ask her if the overwhelming success of Measure B made her realize she had no chance to be re-elected. The stories also ignored the obvious implication of the paper's declaration that the water board majority has been composed of ardent environmentalists: Did the landslide vote calling for the board's dissolution mean the people of the Monterey Peninsula no longer love the environment?
Or maybe -- dare we say it? -- a large majority of the people, despite the newspaper's presumptions, voted for Measure B because they do not see the official actions of Erickson, Lindstrom, Henson and Lehman as die-hard environmentalism, but as obstructionism, anti-working-class extremism, elitism, or just old-fashioned megalomania. Perhaps the local populace cherishes the natural environment of the Monterey Peninsula but also wants the rights of humans -- the haves and the have-nots -- respected. Maybe they still remember the last drought (more than 10 years ago) and don't want to suffer through rationing again. Perhaps they want people to be able to build on existing lots, or add on to existing homes, and they don't see such a modest amount of building as an environmental issue. Or maybe they just want the water board to mind its own business, instead of trying to tell city councils, individuals and businesses (including the hospital) what to do.
If you'd like to read more of the insanity here on the Peninsula, here you go.
"NEW RULE: Terrorist organizations can't also be charities." That's how comedian Bill Maher began an op-ed in the Boston Globe last week. Nice thought, but Maher is an animal-rights zealot who regularly works with the terrorist-supporting "charity" People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Does his rule apply to them?
Read the whole thing here.
Via "The Tocquevillian"
By now, you've probably all read about Charlie Rangel's idiotic remarks last night on H&C. (One of the drawbacks to only being able to post before and after work is you miss the wave sometimes!)
If he really believes what he said, then the man needs a serious reality check. Everyone is someone's kid. Pol Pot had parents, I'm sure. Idi Amin? Yep. Castro? Sure thing (oh, I forgot, Castro is a bud of Charlie's). And he calls Saddam's kids, "bums"! These "bums" brutalized and murdered who knows how many people. Would Mr. Rangel like to explain to the parents of the daughters the "bum" raped, brutalized, and murdered, that he was just someone's kid? How about the families of the Iraqis the other "bum" put through plastic shredders?
And to top it off, he maligns our brave men and women in uniform. Men and women who are also the kids of someone -- American someones. Some of whom were injured taking down those "kids" and "bums". Why don't you talk to their parents, Mr. Rangel?
So Bob Graham would like to impeach the President -- or at least would like us to think about it.
I have one question, Bob... did you think Clinton should have been impeached for bombing that aspirin factory in the Sudan? You remember, the one he said was an instillation for producing biological weapons. Didn't think so.
I can't believe the Dems think the public is stupid enough to buy into all this. First they complained that the administration didn't act forcefully enough on intelligence before 9/11, and now they're screaming because they did act on intelligence. You can not have it both ways.
This isn't a Bond movie, guys. This is Real Life. There's no script, no Q type gizmos, no ends all tied up in a bow when it's all over -- because it's never really over.
Have FNC on and listening with half an ear to whatever show's on now. Anne Coulter was on with some Dem guy (no idea who he was). She kept asking him why the Dems/John Kerry etc, voted for war in Oct when this uranium ref they keep going on about, and supposedly influenced them so much, wasn't mentioned till Jan. He wouldn't answer her. Now they're back from the advert break, so I expect more fireworks!
Very interesting, very interesting indeed. The concept of "every culture is worthy" is excellent in a PURELY intellectual sense and in a perfect universe. That said, it fails, and fails miserably in this one. Is a culture "worthy" if it wants to assimilate or crush another? The answer is obviously no. Yet by the autistic nature of PC ( that should offend some PC types) we seem to inure ourselves in thinking that it "is not as bad as all that". Got news for you folks....it is. Unfortunately, it will take another, yes, another attack on our country to wake the rest of us up and to realize that while we can be "nice and accepting of others" the reverse DOES NOT hold true. While their may be "moderate" Islamists out there, the whole problem is based on the extremists. Of course the moment the extremists are smacked down, the "moderates" will not be so moderate. Any "religion" that praises death and destruction of the infidel ( whomever and what ever they may be ), is not a religion but a cult with a twist. A sick, sick twist. To sum up, we don't need them.
As an example, have you heard in France, some women are harrassed or assaulted for going through a "Muslim" section because the did not veil themselves? The fact that the women in question were not of Islam was apparently irrelevant. Try that in THIS country and I won't give a damn if you claim "freedom of religion". That freedom does NOT extend to forcing your views or customs upon another. In that event I would suggest arrest followed by persecution to the fullest extent the law allows. If the attackers are not citizens of this country, then deport them. Yes, that is correct. DEPORT them. As in "Get the HELL out, and STAY out!"
I think that covers everything.
To leave, that is! I wish...
Anyway, catch a look at this article over on LGF, but don your tinfoil hat first.
People who have spoken out against Bush are talking exit strategy--not Alec Baldwin style, just to make a statement, but fleeing the U.S. in order to save their skins. "Do you or your spouse have a European-born parent?" is a query making the rounds. (If you do, you can obtain dual nationality and a European Union passport that would allow you to work in any EU member nation.) Those whose lineage is 100 percent American are hoping that nations like Canada and France will admit American political refugees in the event of a Bushite clampdown.
And that's just a snippet of the loony tune ravings!
I bet this is a total shock to us all!
Britney Spears Says She's Not a Virgin
Which brings me to the question: Why on earth would you talk about something so personal with a magazine??
Old fashioned and not getting it.
I'm glad to see ol' Gerhard is putting hs energies into such important issues!
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's battle to quash news reports that he dyes his hair has resulted in a settlement in which he shares the court costs.Schroeder and Neue Revue magazine will share the undisclosed costs equally, said a spokeswoman for the chancellor's SDP party.
The chancellor sued when a news agency quoted an image consultant who suggested he was dyeing his hair to conceal grey.
With affidavits from his barber, Schroeder insisted that the article was false and that it had created a wave of stories that were hurting his image.
And it all ties in with the Italians (and they say we're touchy!). According to this bit in The Corner:
The undersecretary for the Italian industry ministry has now done his bit for Italo-German relations by writing a letter to a newspaper in which he described i Tedeschi as hyper-nationalistic blonds invading Italian beaches. In response, German chancellor Schroeder has threatened to cancel his planned summer vacation in Italy.Peter Jennings takes up U.S. citizenship
Back in my "moderate" days, I used to actually like this guy. Then I got older and wiser, and realized what a maroon he is. I'm not a person who genuinely dislikes many people -- not really in my nature -- but he's one of them. Ever since his nasty remarks about the President on 9/11, I've had no use for him.
I'm on a West Wing email list, and today, someone sent an email that had this header: "Help Bartlet's Candidate win back FL and the U.S."
Hello!! Can we please seperate fiction and reality? Figures a Dean supporter can't tell the difference. Then the email starts "Here's how you can help Martin Sheen's Choice for President totally win back Florida and the U.S. in 2004" with a link to two Yahoo campaign lists for a Dean and Graham ticket.
If these people are basing their votes on what an actor thinks, they're loonier than I gave them credit for. Absolutely unbelievable!
Maybe I need to send emails telling people they can support Fraiser Crane's candidate for President....
So Demmie Pres. candidate Dennis Kucinich wants to create a "Department of Peace". Saints preserve us! He wants more consultation with the UN, he wants to hand out flowers and hold hands (okay, maybe not, but it wouldn't surprise me). But what he wants to do would reduce this country to nice inoffensive pablum, not to mention endanger our very lives by placating those that wish us harm. He's a loony tune! And Dean isn't far behind him in whicky whacky land.
Heaven protect us from the leftie fringe of the Democratic party! (And the Democratic party in general)
Update: Cam posts on the subject
I get email from my Senator [hack cough] Barbara Boxer ever since I started sending her letters telling her she's wrong about pretty much everything. I take that back: everything. Anyway, at the bottom of the email is this:
Would you like to receive regular updates from Senator Boxer?
If so, please fill out the following form and return it to
Senator Boxers Los Angeles office.
Name:
Email:
Fax number:
Phone:
Address:
Please choose issues of interest:
Economy ( )
Education ( )
Environment ( )
Health ( )
Seniors ( )
Veterans ( )
Women ( )
Other:
Do you think she'd pay attention if, next to other, I put "how to assure you aren't reelected"?
It's a thought!
A girl can dream....
Coming soon to an EU near you!!
Advertisements that affront "human dignity" by demeaning women would be prohibited under proposals being drafted by the European Commission.Television programmes would also be censored to ensure there was no promotion of gender stereotypes.
I'd laugh if it were not so sad. Ah, to hell with it....
Caught this irritating, argh inducing tidbit on today's Best of the Web:
Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle contained an obnoxious anti-American rant by one Purvi Patel, who was offended by an official ceremony she attended recently. The event "reinforced a growing resentment I felt toward the United States," she writes. "The American government, in pursuit of an illegal war and a post-9/11 assault on civil liberties, seemed more a police state than a democracy."Purvi Patel considered "walking out," that's how put off she was. But in the end she stayed and completed the ceremony--namely, her swearing in as a U.S. citizen.
So Purvi thinks America is just awful--but not so awful that she doesn't want to be an American.
I'm not even going to start....
Go read Rachel's post. One of those "I would have said it myself if she hadn't already done it" things.
So a court actually upheld Spike Lee's complaint against TNT!! Now, Spike Lee thinking anyone connects "spike TV" with him, was stupidity defined, but a court actually going along with his primadonna, out of touch, idiotic complaint puts a whole new floor on the stupid house.
Got this from a Corner Posting by John J. Miller. It's a snippet of an article (not online) that compares the fall of Mayan civilization and ours:
"We do indeed differ from the Maya, but not in ways we might like: we have a much larger population, we have more potent destructive technology, and we face the risk of a worldwide rather than a local decline." What's more, we have "Enron" (mentioned twice in this survey of Mayan history) and "advocates of tax cuts for the rich."
John Miller comments: I'm not going to be so hubristic as to say our own civilization won't ever crumble, but I'm willing to bet that lowering marginal rates won't ever be the cause. This is hysterical leftism at its finest--or worst, I should say.
Well Ith told us the guest bloggers were quiet. Ok, here is the following:
I picked this up from John Little via Rachel Lucas It struck me as going after pests ( rodents, chipmunks etc) with the equivalent of atomic weapons. I present to you the post:
*** The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Tuesday he favors developing new technology to remotely destroy the computers of people who illegally download music from the Internet.
The surprise remarks by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, during a hearing on copyright abuses represent a dramatic escalation in the frustrating battle by industry executives and lawmakers in Washington against illegal music downloads.
During a discussion on methods to frustrate computer users who illegally exchange music and movie files over the Internet, Hatch asked technology executives about ways to damage computers involved in such file trading.
He said damaging someone's computer "may be the only way you can teach somebody about copyrights."
The senator acknowledged Congress would have to enact an exemption for copyright owners from liability for damaging computers. He endorsed technology that would twice warn a computer user about illegal online behavior, "then destroy their computer."
"If we can find some way to do this without destroying their machines, we'd be interested in hearing about that," Hatch said. "If that's the only way, then I'm all for destroying their machines. If you have a few hundred thousand of those, I think people would realize" the seriousness of their actions, he said.
"There's no excuse for anyone violating copyright laws," Hatch said. ******
Missing a few things here I would think. Like DUE PROCESS among other things.
However, besides that large omission, why are they going to so much trouble?
The issue of MP3's and file sharing is an area caught between legal protection, fair use and technology. The official statement/reason for going after it legally seems to be a way to recoup or stop lost revenues that are lost due to file sharing between computers, along with uploading to your computer a friend's MP3 files on their MP3 player etc. However, the economy in addition to the artificial high price for CD's apparently plays no part in lost revenue. Interesting economic theory to use.
Aside from that I just wanted to rant on this! :) I for one am really amused by all the fuss. If one compares a song on CD with that of the same song in the MP3 file format. I notice the difference. Mark that, I NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE.
The highs are not as high and the lows are weak attempts at the original. Basically it sounds tinny and cheap. This is after how many generations of algorithm refinement??! To go after what is in my opinion an inferior sound format with a huge arsenal of legal firepower seems like a huge waste of resources. There are far more serious matters that we need to attend to first.
Landry set on independent Quebec
QUEBEC (CP) -- Parti Quebecois Leader Bernard Landry promised Saturday to lead his party toward power and an independent Quebec, just two months after saying he would quit before the next election.
So you couldn't even keep that promise, could you, you bastard? Then again, I suppose that getting voted out of office ignominously would give you just the sort of track record of excellence to qualify you to lead the PQ back to power, and the People's Republic of Quebeckistan to independence... Keep up the good work for those of us that like Canada in one piece, Bernie.
"We will start a new cycle that will drive us to a quick re-election and an independent Quebec will be the immediate consequence," Landry told PQ supporters during a provincial meeting, the first since the April 14 election.
Sure you will, right after the Tooth Fairy starts visiting you on a regular basis.
Landry had started planning his retirement and a possible return to teaching after the PQ's loss to Jean Charest's Liberals. Landry turned 66 during the campaign. He had said he would not lead the PQ through another election and hinted he would quit soon.
I, for one, can't wait to see him try, especially with the comb-over that he already has, and the lovely walker that he'll be sporting by the time he hits seventy-one, which is when the next election should be called.
Landry also said he had to explore his own heart when the PQ fell from power after nine years of forming the provincial government.
Judging by the outcome, it must have been a rather Clintonian process...
He told party activists they helped trigger his change of heart. He said he received hundreds of letters, e-mails and faxes from party members and other Quebecers who let him know they wanted him to stay.
Delusion can be a wonderful, wonderful thing in the exciting world of politics.
In his speech, Landry spoke Latin and Spanish and said the party must reach out to new Quebecers. He cited Marx and Adam Smith, an 18th century free-market economist, while complaining about cuts by the new government.
No news as to whether he made it past the "Una cerveza, por favor" stage.
It's a sad sign for this country when Canadian Press feels the need to explain who Adam Smith is, but assumes that everyone is familiar with Karl Marx...
In last week's budget, the Liberals cut several programs dear to the Parti Quebecois, including business subsidies, regional development funds and welfare. Social and labour groups have condemned the budget.
Ahhhh, everything's coming up roses...
France Weighs EU Peacekeeping Offer for Mideast
PARIS (Reuters) - France said Sunday it would discuss with Europe the possibility of sending peacekeeping forces to the Middle East if they could help to halt Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed.
Speaking after a week of violence that threatens a U.S.-backed "road map" for peace, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said peacekeepers would only be sent with the backing of the international community.
"Let's see what such a force could contribute on the ground," Villepin told French radio station Radio J.
"If it appears that all the parties want it and that a peacekeeping force would halt movements of terrorists or act in such a way as to avoid raising the stakes, then let's do it."
Sure, Dominique, because if there's one country whose soldiers' Israel wouldn't mind having on its soil, it's France.
Why not bring Germany along for the ride as well? I'm sure that the Israelis will warm up to the Bundesheer's 52nd Totenkopf Panzer Divison in no time...
Sorry, it's been a few days since I last peeked in on the Dear Leader and his band of merry lunatics, but my prickly, arrogant self had to deal with more pressing arse-clowning closer to home.
The Supreme Commander's Magical Misery Base Tour continues...
Kim Jong Il inspects unit of KPA air force
Pyongyang, June 10 (KCNA) - General Secretary Kim Jong Il Monday inspected unit 855 of the KPA air force. He was accompanied by vice Marshal of the KPA Kim Yong Chun, Chief of the KPA General Staff, and KPA generals Ri Myong Su, Hyon Chol Hae and Pak Jae Gyong.
After receiving a salute, he looked round the monument to President Kim Il Sung's on-the-spot