Monday, October 31, 2005

The Next Pick: Alito

It appears, prelimarily at least, that President Bush has had his memory jarred. I think he is remembering two important things here that perhaps he had forgotten or dismissed.

1) That it was the conservatives that got him elected.
2) That Republicans control both branches of Congress.

The uproar on the right side of the spectrum was something that he didn't expect and I think it did send him into a defensive mode. But, with the Alito nomination, I think that he is giving us conservatives what we demanded from him--a proven originalist. Has there ever been a more telling example that the President works for the people and not the other way around?

The Miers' nomination was very disappointing because it was a slight of hand nomination, and with the way that the nomination process works, slight of hand is a lot like a party grab bag, in that you hope it is a good gift, but somewhere in the prizes you know there is a can of foot spray (David Souter.) Secondly, we don't need to play slight of hand when we hold the power. That is the whole point of winning elections. It is nice that the President is now recognizing this. I do think that Mr. Bush believed that Harriet Miers would give conservatives what they wanted--and from that standpoint he was wanting us to simply believe in him. I've said it before though, that I'm not ashamed of my conservatism, and I don't think that the best way to promote a conservative agenda is though grab-bag politics.

I think this too sets the stage for a huge battle--and I think we may very well see the nuclear option. However, from my viewpoint that option is more of a fizzle than a real bomb. Republicans have never had a history of fighting court nominees on ideological grounds and this wouldn't likely change. Good grief, they overwhelmingly confirmed Ginsburg--a documented fringe leftist.

So, now we have an acceptable nominee from the President. Let the games, er, bombs begin.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

Iran vs. Israel 2

As reported in the Detroit Free Press, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly displayed great remorse for an ill-advised comment he made on the destruction of Israel a few days ago. Ahmadinejad begged forgivenss of Allah by taking part in a huge ceremony of apology.

Oops. I guess that was sarcasm. I need my meds.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Children's Book to Contain Poem Praising Holocaust

Some items in the news make me wonder just how dumb human beings can be. But, not just you and me average Joes being dumb, but professional people whose elitist snobbery makes their self-righteous intellectual positions above reproach.

A poem that promotes Hitler's killing of the Jews is being included in a children's book of poetry to be distributed in the UK.

Thank you Frontpage Mag for exposing this sort of crap.

Iran's President and Israel

Muslims are a loving bunch of people. In a recent speech the President of the Muslim theocracy of Iran calls for the distruction of Israel. (Link to Yahoo! News.)

Kind of warms your heart, doesn't it?

Here is a world leader of a country actively seeking nuclear weapons, a state sponsor of terrorism, and a country that is documented to be engaging in the undermining of self determination in Iraq. Now they are openly advocating the destruction of the only democracy in the middle east.

I'm wondering how long this will continue. We don't live in a world any longer when a rogue state across the globe no longer poses a threat to us. There are thousands of analysts around the world studying this powder keg called Iran. Something is going to happen there within the next couple of years--and it won't be the fault of fascist, imperialist, warmonger George Hitlerbush when it occurs.

We need revolution in Iran now. Anything that we can do to support an internal uprising (one that is ripe by the way) should be pursued. Without that type of uprising soon within the borders of Iran, the US might soon find itself in a showdown with a country that has nuclear capabilities. But, unlike our previous confrontations with countries so armed, Iran is not afraid to use such a weapon.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Harriet Miers Withdraws

Harriet Miers appears to have had enough. It is a shame really to see a good person like this undergo so much criticism over what is undoubtedly someone else's mistake.

I have already read a number of personal posts lamenting that this will hurt the president, but I don't believe it for a second. I believe this will help Mr. Bush in his quest for higher poll number and his ability to re-energize his conservative base. Just about everyone that has the potential to bail on President Bush has already done so and is already in the "disapprove performance" column (myself included.)

What the President must do now is rediscover his roots and prove that he was listening to those that supported him in his first term and got him re-elected. By nominating an originalist with a proven track record he can pull out of this nose dive. The left will gloat over this move publicly, but this is not what they wanted. The longer that Miers was left hanging in the wind the more damage it did the President. She is no longer hanging and this will stop the bleeding.

Now lets see just how badly the Democrats hate the next nominee--and how long it takes the conservatives to forgive and forget.

Announcement on Fox News.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Giving in to Muslims

In yet another example of pandering to Muslim doofi, two UK financial institutions are ending the use of piggy banks as a way of promoting personal savings.

How long will it be before all businesses feel compelled to bend to this insanity? I'm not much of a militant myself, and as close as I've ever come to bombing something was an accidental exploding can of Coke at a golf outing. So, when I suggest action I'm not talking violence, but shouldn't something be said about this?

I think merchants need to understand that they serve all of us, and our (non-Muslim) sensibilities are every bit as important as a Muslim's. I wish that all the loyal customers of these banks would close their accounts and place their money in a bank that proudly encourages personal savings in a piggy bank.

In the grand scheme of things, the piggy bank is only symbolic and could be replaced with an elephant bank, an antelope bank or a broccoli bank for that matter, and nothing would be hurt. However, I'd rather make a stand on something like a piggy bank that really doesn't matter, rather than wait until all female patrons have to don a burka before getting service at the teller's window.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Middle Age Romance: Volume 5

Skin is in. You can see it in the beer ads and the music videos, or at the mall or the beach. But, it ain't just the guys looking at the girls. Women just love an inch or two of mature belly peeking out from underneath a size-too-small t-shirt.

Drives 'em crazy with passion. Absolutely crazy.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Surrendering Smartly

Admitting mistakes is not much fun. It probably hurts even more when the entire world is watching. But, it appears as though the White House is at least considering the idea that the Harriet Miers nomination may have been a mistake.

Read about it in the Washington Times.

I only have one footnote to add. Withdrawing the nomination can be done with several evident attitudes, and I know that the President has a difficult time admitting mistakes. However, if he does withdraw this nomination, I want him to do so in a manner that will make some political hay. Realistically he is not going to blame Harriet Miers, and he should not. The possibility exists however that he might try and blame this fiasco, not on his choice, but on the reactions of conservatives to his choice. This would be a big mistake.

The conservative base is not ashamed of its conservatism and is not afraid to say so. We wear our conservatism on our sleeves. We think that our political ideology has merit and is something that is worth promoting in a frontal assault, not through slight of hand tricks that this nomination employed.

Mr. President, lets get the snowball rolling down hill again. When you withdraw the nomination, do so and admit you were at fault. Heap praise on Harriet Miers. Praise those that supported her. But, also, praise those who spoke their mind from the conservitive wing. Thank them for taking you to task, for jarring your thoughts, frankly, thank them for that good slap upside the head you just received, because you needed it.

Then, in the next few days nominate Michael Luttig, Janice Rogers Brown or another documented originalist to the bench. The best thing about admitting mistakes and correcting them is the forgiveness that follows.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Muslims Riot (A real shocker I know)

Nothing ticks off a Muslim more than an insult to Islam--even if no one else understands the insult. What can you really expect though from a global group of idiots who boasts membership of a guy that threatened jihad over a Dairy Queen ice cream lid?

Well, like all sane persons of all ethnic persuasions and religious beliefs, the best way to respond to an insult is to gather in a gang and riot, and a really good response to insult must include a death and some injuries.

This was then an excellent riot. Too bad the only death was one of the rioters. But, as we all know, the death of a Muslim in a good cause is pleasing to Allah, peace be upon him.

In a real shocking development, Muslims riot it Egypt. Who woudda thunk it?

UN Strikes Again

Would someone please remind me again why it is we have the UN? When an organization, founded on good principles, completely loses its way, why must it be kept alive? Why are its programs so ineffective? Why is it so choked with scandal? Why is it so intent upon protecting tyrannical and despoting regimes? Why did Democrats fight the nomination of John Bolton to try and clean up the mess? When will my Protein Wisdom T-shirt arrive? Why do I have so many questions?

UN office doctored report on murder of Hariri

LGF lit my path.

Famous Anatomical Quotes: Volume 1

"....I will resign from this body!"

Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) brain making a passionate, if not belated, statement to the rest of himself.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Middle Age Romance: Volume 4

Black, foam, slip-on sandals are the rage, and they are as comfortable to wear as they are handsome to behold.

Chicks love 'em whether gracing a bare foot or worn with knee-high socks of any color. Fashion sense wins with the chicks. It wins huge.

The Pork On My Plate

Red State calls the Coburn Amendment to the Trasportation Appropriations Bill "A Hill to Die On."

I don't think that is an overstatement. Red State has some follow up comments too after the bill loses huge 82-15. Are you telling me we cannot find more than 15 Senators willing to stick their neck out and say enough is enough?

This is all about protecting the pork on my own plate. It has no application anywhere else. One thing that is simply not done in the Senate is to target another Senator's pet project. If Senators were children all families in America would be under bankruptcy protection.

I'm really disguested.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

South Park Taunts the Media

I love to make fun of the news media almost as much as I like to deride small neighborhood children. This South Park commentary on the news is maybe the best media taunting piece ever. What hath Dan Rather begotten?

From Newsbusters with a nudge from Protein Wisdom.

Tom the anchorman: “Peril, crisis and fear tonight as what appears to be a massive flood has overtaken the town of Beaverton, Colorado, home of the world’s largest beaver dam. Earlier today, a break in the beaver dam which protected the town broke open, trapping people in their houses and destroying their lives.”

Mitch, the reporter: “Tom, I’m currently ten miles outside of Beaverton, unable to get inside the town proper. We do not have any reports of fatalities yet, but we believe that the death toll may be in the hundreds of millions. Beaverton has only a population of about 8,000, Tom, so this would be quite devastating.”

Tom: “Any word on how the survivors in the town are doing, Mitch?”

Mitch: “We’re not sure what’s exactly is going on inside the town of Beaverton, Tom, but we’re reporting that there’s looting, raping and, yes, even acts of cannibalism.”

Tom: “My God, you’ve actually seen people looting, raping and eating each other?!”

Mitch: “No, no we’ve haven’t actually seen it, Tom. We’re just reporting it.”

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

If Only I Had Been Placed In Charge of Writing A Movie Review On: Assault On Precinct 13

This movie cost me $3.99 to rent. Wow, would everyone just die already? I couldda not rented a movie at all, watched Law and Order, and then just ripped out all my finger nails for absolutely free of charge.

I'm guessing the movie might have been a bit more enjoyable to me if the director had actually included a character somewhere that I didn't personally want to stab a few dozen times. But, I guess, that is for some focus group to figure out.

Fantasy Football Reflections: Volume 5

Sports are not always dominated by the superior athlete. There are times when the lesser athlete carries the day through better planning, attitude or emotional output.

The Minnesota Vikings and Daunte Culpepper in particular seem to be suffering on the attitude and emotional end of things. Culpepper is a marvelous athlete, and he has tons of experience, but he seems to be making the mental miscues that you would expect from some inexperienced caucasian out of Boise.

I cannot help but believe that he and a few of his underperforming teammates might benefit from a night away from the field and all the press. Perhaps they can work out their differences in private, away from the prying eyes and ears of fans and media.

I understand that Lake Minnetonka has some wonderful cruise excursions available. I don't think they should invite the wives though as I believe it would be best that they deal with these issues away from family in case dealing with team concerns get out of hand.

Thanks for the one point Daunte. I'm glad you guys used your team's off week in such a productive way.

Middle Age Romance: Volume 3

It might be the way a mature man commands his vehicle that chicks find most seductive--slightly slouched, staring straight ahead, both hands white-knuckle clutching the wheel in perfect 10 o'clock/2 o'clock fashion.

Nothing screams rebellion louder than cruising at 40 miles per hour, regardless of speed zone, in a cherry red mini-van (with luggage rack.) I got some serious James Dean working. Serious.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The Cleaning of Major Appliances

The most dangerous and least appealing of all household chores is cleaning the oven. Fortunately it is a job that must only be attempted every decade or so. This actual frequency of the cleaning will vary depending, of course, on how frequently you have to empty an entire A-B-C rated fire extinguisher into the mouth of the beast. The 10-20 year estimate is based on the snuffing out of 45 fires.

Many people make the mistake of cleaning the oven too often. This mistake will result in a great amount of waste…both in terms of the highly unstable chemicals I use for such purposes, and the money spent for the additional skin grafts that become necessary after handling such chemicals.

So, how can one accurately determine when an oven really “needs” to be cleaned? There are two critical references that must be closely perused in making such a determination.

The first such area is the door seal. When the creosotes from the burning of several thousand pot roasts accumulate around the door, you might discover that food does not cook as quickly as you would like. When my last pot roast took some 42 hours to cook on the broil setting I figured that something wasn’t quite right. We ended up eating our Sunday lunch feast as our Tuesday morning breakfast. The kids gratefully choked down the meat. (One possible benefit to this would be all the extra water they consumed in order to swallow the meat slivers. Water is so good for children.)

A second way to determine the stove’s need for cleaning is whether your roasting pans will fit on the racks without having to be hammered into a smaller size. (Hammering only recommended with non-glass roasters.) Since my oven flunked both tests it was time to collect my gear and begin.

A quick trip to the hardware proved fruitful in my quest for the proper tools. I bought some oven cleaning chemicals, a chisel, a hammer, rubber gloves, an ice pick, a small propane canister and torch, spatula, goggles, garden hose, power drill, grinding wheel and a large coffee. All of these things were charged to my neighbor’s bill since a clean oven in my home would greatly benefit their property value.

Upon arriving back home I took the can of spray oven cleaner and, after prying open the oven door, I carefully read all the directions and safety precautions and then sprayed the chemicals directly into both my eyes and deep into one nostril. After stumbling to the bathroom and irrigating my face for the better part of an hour I was able to regain sight in my left eye and hoped to be able to smell again come March. Of course after this first mishap I was better prepared to try on my goggles but found my reddened flesh too sensitive to wear them unless I padded them with the addition of several layers of two-ply.

After the donning of goggles I attempted to read the instructions again with a bit more attention paid to the details—but reading through plastic goggles proved too much for me. I removed them again and quickly discerned my earlier mistake. Where the instructions clearly said “Spray Arrow Should Always Point Away From the Face” I accidentally had overlooked the Away part.

Harboring no resentment toward the manufacturer of the product (I can win a lawsuit without hating someone now can’t I?) I took the cleaner back in hand and proceeded spraying it liberally around the outside of the door and watched the acids bubble to life, creating an incredible, black, vertical stewpot of toxins.

The chemicals now applied I took off the goggles to better watch the bubbling cauldron like effect of the meat acids. I became entranced like I often do while gazing at a campfire or watching Alice reruns. As I gently nodded to sleep and my body tipped ever so slightly, my face settled lightly onto an area where I had liberally applied spray. During my deep sleep the spray dried and hardened with my face firmly planted.

My cranial adhesion caused a major work stoppage for in my haste to get the project underway I had regrettably neglected to place my tools within easy reach. Now, with my head bonded solidly to the stove, mostly blinded, and the bag of supplies on the opposite side of the kitchen I figured I was in trouble. What I needed was that spatula.

My view was somewhat impeded with my face glued to the front of the stove. I could only see with one eye (my left) and it was pointed toward the dining room where the cat was spraying on the curtains. It took me several minutes to gain the attention of the destructive beast before it eventually walked over to me and marked additional territory on my cramping leg.

I tried to stretch my body out to reach the bag of supplies with my feet, but stretch as I might, I could not reach the bag of goods. I thought I might be able to reach the bag if I could just get the door of the stove open again. But, the door showed no sign of opening with gentle pressure, and the fact that my face was stuck to the door as well as the facing of the stove made the prospect of opening the stove’s mouth a painful course of action.

I removed both of my shoes and removed the laces. I tied the laces together, end for end, and when I finished I had one 8’ long lace. Then, I took one of my shoes and tied it to the end of one of the laces, thus giving me a tool that I could use to drag the bag of important components back within reach. On my first attempt at whipping the shoe behind me I accidentally knocked over a stack of dishes waiting to be washed. This scared the cat and he bit me.

I dragged the shoe back toward me along with any shards of glass that happened to be in the shoe’s path. I tried a second time to move the bag and I did hit it on its side I knocked out the contents on the floor. On the third attempt at throwing the shoe I dislocated my shoulder, lost grip of the lace, and the shoe went crashing through the windowpane just above my sink. I cursed, heard lighting, and the cat bit me again.

Thusly glued to the facing of the oven, I resigned myself to die there. But then I had another great idea. If the oven cleaner had been soft at one point and only hardened after drying, would re-wetting the surface with more oven cleaner loosen everything up? This was my hope and prayer as I took the bottle of searing chemical and immediately sprayed it directly into my left eye. Fortunately for me I’d been building up some physical resistance to eye pain.

My idea worked and in only one short hour my head, though more sparsely skinned and my somewhat flattened, was once again free. Eyebrows not withstanding, all my other facial features would return back to normal after only a few months.

At this point, though my head enjoyed sweet liberty, the door was hopelessly locked shut. I pulled on the stove handle with all my might and it broke off cleanly, sending me careening backward into the opposite cupboard where I impaled myself hurtfully on one of those pointy brass cupboard handles that look so nice when no one is impaled upon them. The disimpalation went with relative ease and only minor tearing.

Getting the oven door open again proved difficult and a great tax on my intellectual ability. I could not pull backwards on the stems to which the handle had been attached. Nor could I plant the end of a pry bar into the crevasse of the door because it was painfully choked with what I’m sure was now radioactive solidified pork roast drippings. It didn’t help that the now-necessary continence enhancing clenched butt cheek maneuver was severely limiting my leverage. The only thing I could figure was to push the door open from the inside. I got out my electric drill and inserted the grinder wheel. After only 4 short hours I was able to cut a 3” square hole in the side of the oven. I slowly guided a metal rod I found in my neighbor’s garden through the hole until it made contact with the front door. I took a hammer and beat on the end of the rod and eventually forced open the door with only one puncture of the door itself. When the door finally did open it opened fully, made a horrible grinding sound, and became locked in the open position. The springs had either broken or some other part of the mechanism had fallen apart internally. I punched the door.

After the swelling in my knuckles subsided, I did a retake on my current situation and was somewhat encouraged by the fact that the door, now stuck in the open position, at least allowed me access to the black cavern within. Once again enthused with my project, I grasped the oven cleaner and without hesitation sprayed it directly into my eyes.

Wiping and re-wiping my eyes proved of great benefit as within two hours the pain had diminished to the level of blinding agony—a level I could easy tolerate. I eventually did get the chemicals more or less inside the oven, slathered deeply and evenly against all surfaces. After an hour of near asphyxiation from my exposure to the gaping oven, I ran a water hose from my sink and started rinsing. Several layers of semi-liquid gunk melted under the pressure of the water and flowed onto the floor. In addition, several still hardened layers of crusted meat smoke broke off and washed out onto the hardwood floor as well.

More or less satisfied with the results of the cleaning it was now time to pick up the mess so that the kitchen could be returned to its destined use—the willful burning of pot roasts.

I went to my neighbor’s and took a broom from one of his storage buildings. I then swept as much of the semi and fully liquefied mess down my basement stairs.

My clothes had absorbed a lot of the oven cleaner and the clothing was beginning to itch and chafe my tender and youthful body. I doffed all my clothing except for my shoes and started a load of wash. The only thing really left to do yet was to wipe up the stovetop and oven chamber. I did this quite quickly and easily by using the laundry my neighbor had hanging out on the line. Apparently aroused by my nakedness she came out of the house shortly after I removed several of her linens and chased me into the woods. I eventually made it home with some sheets and a blue sundress.

After mopping up with the laundry, one last snag occurred when I tried to close the door. When I first managed to get the door open I remembered the grinding sound of parts that may have broken during the process. Apparently something had indeed come apart and now these broken pieces were impeding the proper closing of the door. I lay on my back and tried my best to push upwards with my feet but there wasn’t enough clearance between the floor and the agape door for me to get any leverage.

I also tried to open the door by keeping my back straight, squatted down with my knees, and grasped the door firmly with both hands. Then I tried to lift the door by straightening up. This effort managed to strain my back, but the door stayed open, taunting me in its open mouth way.

Finally I decided I would try a new approach. Above the stove I installed a block and tackle pulley. Then I took my power drill and put a hole in the oven door large enough that I could slip a rope through it. After having completed this hole, I extended the rope through the hole and knotted it there. I then took the other end of the rope and strung it through the block and tackle so that downward pressure on the rope would lift the door open.

Facing the stove I put my right foot on the floor next to the right side of the door. Using my extreme yoga skills I placed my left foot onto the stove’s top surface by the front left burner. I grasped the rope with both hands and gave it a huge tug and nothing happened. I climbed down, sprayed silicone everywhere and got back into position. I yanked and the door gave about an inch but would not open. I climbed down again, sprayed some more silicone, tapped the hinges with a hammer, and did some closer inspecting. Finally I saw a bent piece of metal that had lodged in the hinge. I was able to bang the piece out of the way. I tried the door again without the pulley. It appeared that the door would move given one more powerful effort.

I climbed back on the stove, firmly grasped the rope and then tugged it for all I was worth. The door moved a bit, shuddered, and then started slamming shut. As the rope stopped resisting my downward pressure my left foot slipped outward and I tragically lowered my scrotum into the path of the now closing oven door. No more description of that particular event is warranted or necessary other than “oh dear God in heaven, that hurts.”

Since I wrote this article I’ve taken up smaller appliance cleaning and repair as a sideline. The pay isn’t that good and there are some dangers, but I perform all such repairs while fully clothed and wearing goggles. I no longer use that oven. I sold it on eBay.

Middle Age Romance: Volume 2

Chicks dig a mature man's face. You know, especially when the horizontal plane that runs through the jawline is the widest part of the head.

Major turn-on. Major.

Iraqi Political Divides

Christopher Hitchens makes the astute observation that those of us relying on the MSM for our understanding of the political landscape in Iraq are missing a few basic facts. One such fact is that the Kurds are primarily Sunni. Wow, that makes it seem as if this Iraqi constitution might be a bit better supported by the Sunnis than we have been led to believe.

In Slate.

Monday, October 17, 2005

A Michigan Autumn Day

It is mid October and this is Michigan. Yesterday the leaves were blazoned along the horizon--a full circle of reds, oranges and yellows that couldn't have been more beautifully backdropped than they were against a deep, cloudless sky. But, only for a day or two can giddy leaves dance along this dangerous precipice of life and color.

Today the cold rain and breeze have come. The thunder is rolling outside and the sky is a dark gray. Frosts have started. Geese are headed to warmer climes. I am wearing a warmer jacket today, the leaves are not so bright, and I long for spring.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Mark Steyn Scores Again

The international community under the guise of the UN, EU and sometimes Nato too is always demanding respect and direct counsel while it repeatedly produces nothing. To some people the only concern is the dogmatics of organization--that it matters not whether anything is ever accomplished, but rather that all non-accomplishment is arrived at by some majority consensus. That is a formula that would screw up anything more intricate than a take out order at Mr. Wong's.

Please take a moment to read Mark Steyn's take. A special bonus is Steyn's sheer poetry of words.

demanding a multilateralism that's less than the sum of its parts

Middle Age Romance: Volume 1

I'm not certain what chicks dig the most about me. It might be my receding hair line or it might be my distinctive belly.

Whatever the reason, they dig me. They dig me a lot.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

The Copier Man: Volume 3

Who is the parent company of Nyquil and Vapo-Rub? What is the bid and ask?

Fight on the Right

The Conservative wing of politics is in a meltdown. Or so many giddy pundits on the left are saying today. I suppose this is because those on the right have had so few of these tilts over the past few decades.

I don't think we are in any kind of melt down. What we are having here is good, honest debate, and there are times when tensions have to rise before the seriousness of the topic matter can be appreciated.

Those that are in disagreement here on the right are arguing over Harriet Miers for sure, but Ms. Miers is more symbolic of a larger disagreement on political tactics. I was not thrilled when Miers was nominated because backing into a room while apologizing is not the way to make an impressive entrance. I wanted a frontal assault with guns ablaze.

The biggest problem that I see with this pick is not that I think Harriet Miers will not vote conservatively, because I think that she will. I think she will be solidly conservative and will become of a solidly conservative voting bloc that might well sit on this court for the next 15 years. This is a huge positive.

However, with dozens of proven conservatives with well established track records available to Mr. Bush for nomination, we could have done better than Harriet Miers. It is time for conservatives in power to remember that there should be no such thing as an embarrassed conservative. Ronald Reagan wielded his conservatism with pride and as a result the conservatives were rejuvenated and a conservative momentum developed. Ronald Reagan would have relished the thought of nominating a staunchly conservative person to the Supreme Court given a majority in the Senate--a majority that, unlike President Bush, he did not enjoy.

Now we have some sniping back and forth among conservatives and the Democrats couldn't be happier about it. However, the last thing the Democrats want is for this argument to be resolved in a way that strengthens the conservatives.

Dipstick Senator Harry Reid knows that he will not be able to block Harriet Miers. He also knows that he will not be able to defeat whomever the President picks should Miers withdraw or be withdrawn. Harry is not particularly bright but even a cockroach will flee a flame once the antennae start to smoke.

The worst thing that could happen to Harry and the Democrats would be for vocal conservatives to succeed and get this nomination derailed. If this occurs you can bet that the next nomination will have the same conservative leanings that Miers has, but that this nominee will come labeled with all the ingredients in plain sight. That would force Harry into a fight that he knows he cannot win.

So, the argument over tactics continues and the eventual winner is not known. I'm hoping that when the smoke clears it will have been the smoke from blazing guns as well as the antennae of a cockroach or two.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Where Zawahiri and the MSM Agree

A recent letter sent from Zawahiri to Zarqawi that was intercepted has some pretty interesting things to say.

First up, "I say to you: that we are in a battle, and that more than half this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media. And that we are in a media battle in a race for the hearts and minds of our nation"

It appears that finally Zawahiri is able to express in a nutshell what we on the right have been saying for a long time--that there are two wars being fought here. There is the ones with guns and missiles and bullets, and then there is the other fought with paper, television and other media. In the first battle the US led coalition is winning, and winning big. In the second battle we are breaking even at best. Of course NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, NY Times, LA Times, Wa Post, etal, will neither change their tack on this war nor will they openly mention Zawahiri's opinion on the matter. Why would they want little newsworthy details like this get in the way of a good political smear campaign?

Secondly, Zawahiri begs with Zarqawi to stop the killing of innocents in Iraq because it is hurting the local cause. (Zarqawi as late as last week defended the tactic of killing innocent civilians as a means to wage jihad.) As obvious as it is that this tactic is hurting al Qaida in the Iraq theater, the tactic is having the desired effect in the US as it fuels the left's desire to pull out of Iraq because, as far as the left is concerned, every Iraqi that dies, regardless of the perpetrater, the responsibility lies in the lap of the US.

Zawahiri also mentions in the letter that the goal for Iraq is to have the US leave before Iraqi forces are ready to handle the insurgency and that they can then fill the vacuum left behind. What southeast Asia country does that remind you of? From the newly hatched Islamic state in Iraq, al Qaida then hopes to establish a celiphate that will serve as a launching pad for eventual mid-east domination.

When it gets right down to it I hope that US voters have the determination to stay the course in Iraq and in the greater war on terror. If we cut and run before the job is done each and every life already spent will have been a waste. Even scarier, the costs of the war, a war that will be waged either now or in the future, will be exponentially worse if we wait to fight it another day.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

The Copier Man: Volume 2

My nose is running. Bastadge.

Monday, October 10, 2005

A United Nations Power Grab

The UN is proposing that the United States give up control of the internet.

While I feel reasonably confident that no conservative would ever even consider such an action, I could see the likes of Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and John Kerry doing such a thing.

This is about as good a reason as any I can think of to keep conservatives in the White House. Lately, I'll admit, they've been sucking on immigration and spending, and, lets be honest, they fight like a bunch of girls. But Conservatives understand economics and liberals do not.

If the UN were to gain control over the internet we would see several things occur.

1) Taxation on transactions and communications would become the norm.
2) Internet access would become a tool of leverage to bend the will of nations, particularly Israel and the US.
3) The web would become just another Politically Correct venue where no speech would be tolerated that might make someone else uncomfortable--particularly as it relates to Muslims.
4) Life would suck.
5) I'd kill myself.

There are probably other reasons too, but football is on.

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Online Poker Reflections: Volume 1

There are lots of comparisons on how live poker is so much more intense than online poker and I believe it after having played both. In live poker you have to watch the eyes, the temples, the mouth, and the body (sounds an awful lot like a strip club now that I think about it,) while playing on line involves watching the more matter of fact and coldly statistical tendencies.

However, one thing that doesn't happen in live poker that just happened online to me is that you don't accidentally push all your chips to the middle and yell "all-in."

I will be spending the next couple of days cursing and learning remedial mouse operations.

Fantasy Football Reflections: Volume 4

When was the last time you went to a football game and saw the defense break out with a 29 point effort? Thats right, you guessed it. Twenty nine points against me by a defensive team. I will lose by 14.

A lesser man might notice this scoring anomale. Not me. I am above such things. No mutterings. No heavy breathing. No racing blood. If I am to lose solely by the blind fortune of someone that, through no skill of his own, blindly crashes into a 29 point defensive effort, so be it.

I will continue on, undaunted, knowing full well that it was luck that beat me, and comforted by the fact that, as a true sport, I will never mention it.

Friday, October 07, 2005

American Suicide Bomber

I sometimes cannot figure out what it is that makes some things newsworthy while other items, which in my view are extremely important, go largely unmentioned.

We have another example of this over the past few days.

It appears that last week we may have had our first Islamic suicide bomber in the United States. As with most terrorists, Joel Henry Hinrichs III, a student at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, wasn't exceedingly bright, and this is a very lucky thing. Instead of perhaps bringing down a stadium facade killing hundreds of people(a stadium that he tried to enter but fled instead when security wanted to check his backpack) he blew himself up alone on a park bench, the shrapnel in his backpack ripping his body apart in much the same way his mind had already been altered.

At first it was stated by the University, parents and friends that Hinrichs was committing suicide but had no intention to hurt anyone else. However, several things have come to light since those first, weak character defenses.

First, Hinrichs was identified as the person who attempted to buy an explosive making fertilizer component just the week prior. When pressed by the store's owner about his purpose for the fertilizer Hinrichs could not answer. The store denied the purchase because something didn't feel right. Second, a simple suicide victim doesn't typically commit suicide in public with a shrapnel laden backpack bomb strapped to him. Third, and here it gets really interesting, Hinrichs had been attending a local mosque, had an Islamic roommate, and had jihad literature in his room.

While none of these things will prove that Hinrichs was engaging in jihad, I would think that these items would at least begin to create some concern for the MSM, enough at least that they would use it somewhere in the broadcast.

So my real question is this. If the main stream media is aware of this suicide bombing in Oklahoma, what would be the motivation for burying the story?

I have a simple theory. I think the MSM is so full of Bush hatred and tired of the global war on terror (most even denying that such a war exists,)that they do not want to fan the emotional flames of an electorate that seems to have begrudgingly fallen into step with them. I think the MSM feels that we are but one domestic explosion away from a renewed support for the GWOT and they don't want this to happen.

Hinrichs should have been that explosion, but his story was buried even before the pieces of his body could be.

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Walter's Lament

"We're an ignorant nation right now. We're not really capable I do not think---the majority of our people---of making the decisions that have to be made at election time and particularly in the selection of their legislatures and their Congress and the presidency, of course. I don't think we're bright enough to do the job that would preserve our democracy, our republic. I think we're in serious danger." ---former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite

For once I agree with something Mr. Cronkite has said. Unfortunately, what he is saying is based upon his elitist intellectualism and has little basis in the real world. Walter, it should be known, is a socialist. When he says he thinks people aren't smart enough to make the right choices he is talking about the rejection of anthill politics where the common good is achieved through decree.

So, why do I agree with any part of what Uncle Walter said? Well, I agree because our electorate, myself included, is very naive. We have forgotten what tyranny looks like. We have fogotton what freedom is worth because we wake up with it every day. We have lost touch with the fact that we are a good country, primarily because we were founded by good people. Our voters have lost track of the fact that human nature is by definition begging to be corrupted.

Now, when Walter says we are ignorant he thinks it is because we do not completely embrace socialist notions. I say we are ignorant because we embrace any of them.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

The Copier Man

I've spent a good part of the afternoon ticked at the printer. I'd send it a job, have it print half way only to jamb up with a sheet of paper clearly not jambed. I'd have to interrupt the print run, press OK and watch the machine whirr back to life when there wasn't much wrong with it that I could see.

I do work in an office where there is plenty of dust so it is very plausible to me that the printer had simply taken on too much dirt over the past year or so and needed a good professional cleaning. I call the service company and who shows up an hour and a half later but Typhoid Jim.

When is the last time you saw and advertisement on television where the copier man was snorting back post nasal drip with the passion of a dentist's suction tube? The snorts were discomforting, but at least there was some regularity to the noise. The coughs however were nothing short of nerve wracking--seven here, then three, four more, snort, nine coughs, another five, etc. I especially appreciated his effort to make sure how I could next time dismantle the printer and clean certain areas by myself. This instruction could only be carried out with his wet and reddened proboscis but two feet from my face.

I know in a week I'm gonna be coughing up a storm and snorting like a prize bull. Thanks Jim. I'll make note not to invite you to my next pool party.

Monday, October 03, 2005

Best Columnist on the Web

or anywhere else for that matter is Mark Steyn.

Read his take on theBali bombings.

It is hard to find a more plausible realist on the web today.

Fantasy Football Reflections: Volume 3

Plaxico Burress, a guy named after a mythical latex country in Latin America, scores 4 points in week 2. In week 3 he scores 9 points. But, in week 4, when the bonehead comes up against my team he comes up with 25 points.

Of course, it is beneath me to complain about such poor luck. After all, I'm certain it won't be the last time some washed up has been pulls a rabbit out of the hat against me. A complaining man might dwell on it. Not me. To lose to such brazen, undeserved fortune is commonplace in Fantasy Football--and I hardly notice.

Miers Again

The American Center for Law and Justice is supporting the Miers nomination. That is, at least, somewhat conforting. However, I see that former (thankfully) Congressman Martin Frost and current delusional Senator Harry Reid are also complimentary to the pick.

It seems to me that this gun may have more than one chamber loaded.

Harriet Miers---Thud

Thud: The sound of my head hitting the table as I read the name of the latest Bush nominee.

I'm beginning to wonder how I will ever support another so-called conservative again. Bush is squandering the chance he was given by millions of voters who still have to defend their vote around the water cooler. At least in the past most of the arguing was directed at us by liberals. Now, Bush is being shot at from both sides and I find I can no longer defend my vote.

To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. I'm also betrayed. I'm now officially a Bush-non supporter.