Duke "Rape" Case

Although it is hard to ignore if you watch the news, I tried. But this "case" is stranger than strange. It seems that there was no rape, the witness' (victim?) story keeps changing and the DA didn't bother to do basic interviews. Yet in all of this, the three young men have been punished. First by Duke University, then one by the City of Washington and, most of all, by the press. A poor choice of parties ended up ruining several lives. Yet, how many of us didn't attend some event that we wouldn't go to on a bet in later years? It is beginning to look as though these young men will have the opportunity to become rich at tax-payer's expense. Although I am not a big fan of law-suits, I believe the City of Durham and Duke University owe these kids more than "Never mind."

Anyone taking bets on when Reverend Jackson and the Black Panther Party will issue apologies?

The Mind of the Elite

Haven't fealt like blogging lately, but John Kerry's comments about "get an education or end up in Iraq" finally lit my fire. I spent darned near 30 years in the reserves and took enough snide remarks for a couple of lifetimes. Kerry really frosts me. If anyone buys into the Democratic elite's "support our troop" you have my deepest sympathy.

The military has about the highest per capita education level short of college campuses in the US. There are more Ph. D.'s per capita than in business and industry. Then along comes John, whose military career was nothing short of a self-promotion, with his snide little remark in front of a group of college kiddies who probably couldn't distinguish an air force uniform and a marine corps uniform.

Maybe that's why I much prefer military or ex-military. They have earned their postion by hard work and education. People like Kerry disgust me.

Father of beheaded man blames Bush, not Zarqawi�|�Reuters.com

Father of beheaded man blames Bush, not Zarqawi�|�Reuters.com More absolute idiocy. "I don't think that Zarqawi is himself responsible for the killings of hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq," Berg said in a combative television interview with the U.S. Fox News network. "I think George Bush is."

Pardon my absolute outrage when his son was murdered. But, George Bush did not shanghai Nick Berg and send him to Iraq. He went willingly in search of high-dollar work. Now his father is blaming Bush for the actions of a psychopath.

Pardon my decreasing sympathy for the Berg family, they decide that politics is more important than anything.

Democrats call Zarqawi killing a stunt�-�Nation/Politics�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

Democrats call Zarqawi killing a stunt�-�Nation/Politics�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper Zarqawi was a pschotic mass murderer and Stark and Kucinich call his death a stunt by Bush. Reid congratulates the military and CIA, nothing said about Bush. Absolute hogwash. Those guys can't give a hoot that a major player in the Iraqi mayhem has been found and dealt with. It's all about politics, to hell with the country.

PS. I don't know many people who plan to vote for G. Bush in 2008, wander why the keep running against him? Guaranteed success.

The Name for that is dissertion

Thank You Lt. Ehren Watada - Home. The young man joined voluntarily, knowing that he might well be called to serve. He was not drafted. He swore an oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States and to obey the lawful orders of those above him.

No argument over whether we should be in Iraq. However, no credible case can be made for the illegality of the war. No pity or sympathy for the 1LT. I hope the Army throws the book at him.

Note the multiple announcements in Washington and Hawaii. Planned? You betcha.

Free, after rebate and other myths

Bought a HP laptop for my youngest as a combination birthday, graduation and "needed next year in college" present. The deal at Circuit City was pretty good and the computer was less than comparably ordered from HP. Then the fun started. Part of the deal was rebates. Nine of them. Circuit City, HP, Canon, D-Link have a real maze of rebates. some of the forms can't be easily found. I've got about 8 hours into sorting this mess out.

Rebates reduce prices and make money for the company, you are, in effect, loaning them money for a couple of months. And they are betting you won't send in the form. Circuit City makes it easy not to send in the form. Other companies are easier. I betcha that his is a sure-fire way to lose at least one future customer.

Cotton industry running down myths and misinformation

Cotton industry running down myths and misinformation, A story about myths surrounding organic cotton's reduction of pesticide use. the myth overstates pesticides by 500x and seems to go unchallenged by anyone, except Cotton Incorporated. I'd wonder why the media doesn't challenge fallacious statements such as the amount of pesticides used and allows the myths to grow. It is either that they are too lazy to check sources or that they have some political point to make, or both. It's beginning to be believe half of what you see and nothing you read that you cannot verify from multiple independent sources.

Found on Junkscience

Anti-tax cut silliness

The great debate over reducing taxes ends up with the yap of "tax cuts for the rich." The left seems to be unfazed by real data that the rich pay a higher percentage of the total tax burden and the more on the lower end pay no taxes. We seem to want to make sure that the rich pay more taxes because they should feel great guilt at having money.

Never mentioned is the simple fact that if you feel guilty about the amount of taxes pay and think you should pay more, then you can do so. For simpletons like me, it seems very easy to increase your taxes by simply not taking all allowable deductions, doing your 401k contributions as "after tax," and for the rich who hire accountants to avoid taxes, simply putting their money into things that take more taxes.

We don't hear the rich folks who get elected by railing at "tax breaks" for the rich, offering to pay more in taxes for themselves. It is always someone else who should pay more. No one every askes the likes of Kerry, Reid, Pelosi and Dean if they are paying more than the minimum required taxes.

Definitions

I just read a post on http://www.powerline.blog.com concerning the use of the word "social justice" at Brandeis University. Not being very bright, I decided to look up social justice. It can be defined as the philosophy of giving people what they are "due" by society. However, reading various sites on social justice I don't thing the simple definition works. Like most of the terms the left is so agog over, social justice seems to mean whatever someone wants it to mean. If social justice meant giving terrorists what I think they are "due", then I'd be all for it. I don't think the left and I would agree with what they are due, however. So, my definitions.

"social justice" some feeling of guilt by those who think they are among the haves and privileged that results in the desire to transfer wealth and power to people who may not deserve either. Only the intellectual elite can decide who is deserving and who is not.

"environmental justice" the practice, enacted into law, of ensuring that activities that may pollute by any amount not be undertaken in blighted areas that may benefit economically from that activity.

"multiculturalism" the practice of not accepting differences in cultural backgroud, but elevating select cultures and denigrating others. Again, only the intellectual elite are capable of the very discerning task of deciding which cultures to elevate and which cultures to trash.

"diversity" preferential treatment of one group over others.

McCain Gets Cantankerous Reception at Commencement - New York Times

McCain Gets Cantankerous Reception at Commencement - New York Times The "New School" has enlightened progressives. Given the reception of someone with different ideas, when do these lovers and defenders of civil rights and intellectual discourse start burning books and wearing brown shirts. Can the New School Krystal Nacht be far away?

Pay more for Gas? Just what congress wants!

News from The Associated Press Check who voted against expanding US oil supply during a time of high prices from short supply. Also, listen to the same folks decrying America's dependence of foreign oil. This is absolute hyprocisy. Our elected leaders sure aren't looking out for us. I betcha they will all blame Bush for high gas prices, too. If your rep voted for increasing your fuel prices by voting against increasing domestic supply, you ought to vote for an extended vacation for that idiot. Castro can drill and we can't. Maybe he will give us a good deal on oil.

Real Immigration Reform or Straw Man?

Without teeth for non-compliance, the proposal is a straw man.

Bush's speech tonight was several years late. However, I believe he is right on not deporting all illegal aliens. I get pictures of people being packed into box cars.
Unfortunately, our elected leadership has failed to insist that immigration laws for two decades and we think there are about 12 million illegals in the country.

By default, then, I'm for some temporary worker program. However, the one thing that seems to be missing is "What are the penalties for failing to register as a temporary workers?" In the speech, no penalties were mentioned. Why not have a temporary worker program that requires registration by a certain date. Anyone who does not register should be immediately deported. No excuses.

Path to citizenship? Maybe. But fix the borders and then insist that laws be obeyed first.

A new passion

I've enjoyed shooting for many years, but never did a lot. I was always too busy. Over the past year, a couple of my kids have taken us to a firing range just for fun. My pistol-shooting was atrocious, in part because my advancing years and bifocals have dimmed my ability to see the front sight. A couple of months ago, I purchased an inexpensive .22 semi-automatic and have been a regular at a firing range. Trying to teach myself how to shoot with two-hand stances and how to get the right sight picture has been a hoot. .22 ammunition is inexpensive and I can bang away with 500 rounds for less than the price of gas to get me to the range. You meet lots of nice folks at the range. At least they are polite. But I guess if you are in a place where everyone has at least one firearm it tends to be a polite place.

Something to do when the fish aren't biting.

School Zone Gun Ban-An unintended problem?

Federal law prohibits firearms within 1000 feet of a school. You may own a firearm, but may not transport it from your house to your car if you live within the zone according to those now discussing it. I suppose this means that if you are going hunting or to a firing range and happen to drive within 1000 feet of a school, you are violating federal law. I hadn't thought of this. I wonder if the feds have ever decided to enforce this law? Is this concern an unintended consequence? Sounds like another reason to have a CCW so you will not inadvertantly violate some law.

Guard Faces Phase-Out of Combat Role - Los Angeles Times

Guard Faces Phase-Out of Combat Role - Los Angeles Times To quote Col. Potter (MASH 4077) "Horse Pucky" The active component has never liked the Guard and Reserves. If they are forced to reduce forces, it will always be to reduce active duty combat service support and retain, or increase, combat arms. This makes sense only when the Active Component Combart Arms (Infantry, Armor, Artillery) forces are needed immediately. It does not make sense if those forces are needed in a follow-on mode.

Quite often, the Guard and Reserves, bring skill sets not found in the active components. I was a member of a Reserve Unit (3077 COSCOM) when, after being redisgnated as a COSCOM, the unit leaders went to the active duty 3rd COSCOM to learn and ended up teaching the active army about being a COSCOM. My artillery battalion was undergoing an Army training test required of all active and reserve units as the Iraqi's went into Kuwait. We passed the training test with flying colors, indicating that our training level was up to active army standards. Our "go to war" active component went to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Active Army elected not to send my unit and pulled people from the IRR for retraining. How could you not take an artillery battalion that sucessfully completed an ARTEP as the Iraqi's went into Kuwait and elect instead to pull your troops (fillers for active component units) from a group that had been away from artillery and military training for years? The only reason I can find for this is that the Active Component did not want a Reserve combat arms unit to look good, it would harm the grand plan to rid combat arms of us pesky reservists.

There is absolutely no reason that a reserve (Guard or Army Reserve unit) cannot be combat ready in a short time after activation. (Do you really think that the active components are all ready to go in 5 minutes?). The key is meaningful training and followup on readiness. I've heard some stories from mobiliation sites of Guard and Reserve units coming to the site, totally unprepared and lacking basic soldier skills. Correction of that is a command problem that absolutely must be addressed at all levels. Frankly, the Abu Ghraib mess was from a reserve unit that wasn't adequately trained by a leadership that wasn't capable of leading. This should never have happened and a bunch of folks should have been penalized for allowing it.

The Army is trying to consolidate what it thinks is exciting and pushing the dull stuff off to the guard and reserve forces. The idea is insulting, but it is just another turf war. All the arguments for this are simply fluff.

The Audacity of Elected Officials

The MSM's lauding of the CIA leakers would be funny if it didn't have great potential for getting people killed. The only good intelligence operations conducted by the CIA in two decades has been the disimformation campaign against an elected president. Their misses on lesser things doesn't count. I suppose you would be happy with longterm employees who supply you with great intelligence on your mortal enemy (Bush). As best I can surmise, the CIA longtimers are very unhappy at having to take directions from a president elected by the hoi-poloi. They remind me of some GS employees I've had to supervise. They didn't believe they were responsible for doing any assigned task they didn't want to because the supervisor was short term: I was here before you and will be here after you leave. The wrath of the civil service will fall heavily on any short timer who dares believe he actually has supervisory responsibility.

Read the "Yes, Minister Series" its true.

BREITBART.COM - House Panel Questions Exxon Mobil Payment

BREITBART.COM - House Panel Questions Exxon Mobil Payment The Senate wants to look into retirement pay of a publically held corporation? Its really none of their business.

Drudge

ESPN.com - NCB - Sources: Pistons' Lowe agrees to coach NC State

ESPN.com - NCB - Sources: Pistons' Lowe agrees to coach NC State. My alma mater became the butt of jokes because they couldn't find a big-name head coach to replace Herb Sendek. Sendek was a great guy and had built the team to 5 consecutive NCAA appearances. However, for Tobacco Road roundball, when you don't beat Duke and Carolina regularly, that is not good enough and some of the fan base hated him. State went out looking for a big-name coach, must have 5 years D1 experience. Lots of noise, attention and no takers.

They appear to have hired Sidney Lowe, no college coaching experience and a 0.257 winning average as a pro-head coach. He does have one advantage, point guard on Valvano's 1983 national championship team. He will be loved by the Pack faithful for at least a couple of years. If he doesn't produce by then, I'm sure the same fan base will give him the same treatment UNC gave one of its stars: Matt Doherty.

Good luck, Sidney.

No wonder he failed-add this one to the dumb thief file

Tonight's news had a story of a teenager who robbed a convenience store. In the struggle with the owner, he lost his report card. Didn't take the cops long to find him. Unsurprisingly, the kid's grades weren't too good.

Cost of Ethanol in Fuel-correction

If I read the EIA correctly, gasoline cost, pretax, is about 2.43 per gallon. Ethanol is 2.70 per gallon. At 10% ethanol, the extra cost of ethanol is about $0.03/gallon. The cost of the ethanol in the gas is $0.27 less the comparable cost of gasoline. Not as big a difference as I've read. However, should the price of gasoline decrease, then the cost/gallon of ethanol increases. Next time double check the sources.

$3/gallon and I lost my cool

I was watching the news tonight and lost my cool over the gas news. Yep, $3/gallon is painful, 48 bucks to fill up my Ranger. I really lost it when I hear our leaders, who ought to know better give some combination of "big oil" and "speculators" as the problem, not anything they have done in the past decade. The idea that they can buy us off for $100 is also insulting. The media, bless their pointy heads, seems to want to give the pols a pass.

Take the mantra "we need eliminate our dependence on foreign oil." Do we do this by increasing supply under our control by drilling known reserves (Anwar) and pretty sure reserves off our coasts? Nope, we get a dose of "alternative fuels." The Democrats are very proud of years of preventing drilling known reserves. They have saved the planet. We also haven't increased capacity and infrastructure to keep up with growing demand.

I admit that conservation is a great way to reduce dependence and price of a commodity. However, the holy grail of conservation will not do what "they" seem to want. So, how do you keep the economy going and get out of foreign oil dependence? Increase domestic supply. If we had started in 2000 as Bush Proposed, Anwar would be producing ~1 million bbl/day. Domestic oil production is about 5 million bbl/day (25% of consumption). Anwar would ad another 5%. I'm not sure what expanding the Gulf and Cal coast would do, but it would decrease outside dependence.

The shock of gasoline prices is a function of supply, demand and government meddling. Supply is adequate until you get to refining and distribution. Demand is increasing. Prices go up when that happens. Government meddling is a real culprit. First we go to ethanol, which adds costs due to added transprotation, storage and equipment at terminals. EtOH can't be put in gasoline in the pipelien. Guess who really pays for the added cost. Ethanol is in short supply and is still supported by subsidy and tariff's. Heaven forebid that we would be dependent on Brazil for ethanol. Ethanol adds about $0.13/gal to the price and has the added benefit of reducing fuel economy by ~5%. Do the calculations, ethanol gives 80,000 Btu/gal on combustion and gasoline is gives 135,000 btu/gal. Since the engine works on energy released on burning, the addition of 10% EtOH gives about 5% fewer Btu's, so economy suffers.

Ethanol has another problem. It takes more energy to produce a gallon than you get back. I suppose we could make it up on volume, NOT. Great idea, but you have to know going in that EtOH will be energy negative. Remember, corn takes lots of nitrogen, from ammonia, which is made from natural gas and requires fuel to plant, harvest and energy to convert and distill. There isn't enough land in the US to supply a 100% replacement of gasoline by ethanol. Bad idea and the bulging brains in Congress mandated it. No one calls them to task for increasing the cost of fuel. They get a complete pass by the media.

Hydrogen is worse, from an energy standpoint than ethanol. And we have no infrastructure. So the pipedream of going to a hydrogen economy needs some stupendous breakthroughs to be feasible. Only Iceland, with free geothermal energy, can afford to go to hydrogen.

And forget nukes. We've spent years making nukes impossible and using up natural gas because it is "cleaner." Coal is in abundance, but we think it is too dirty to use. Also, the Syngas project flopped big time three decades ago.

When you chip in a blank check and 2 credit references to fill your tank, think about the good old boys and girls in Washington. They helped create this mess and they get a complete pass with no memory of where they stood on the issues.

Maybe its time to remember and send them home.

TheStar.com - Could trash power your home?

TheStar.com - Could trash power your home? Anyone checked a map of Canada. Incredibly more space than people and nowhere to put garbage. Energy from garbage is such a good idea that it won't happen.

My Alma Mater and the New Basketball Coach

Whomever that might be.

I'm an NC State Alumnus, and like a lot of folks from North Carolina, a rabid ACC basketball fan. I grew up "watching" the Dixie Classic on the radio while shooting hoops in the back yard. I walked home from Boy Scouts with a transister radio so I didn't miss a UNC game. My heroes were Brown, Moe, Cunningham, Shavlik, Heyman, Mullins and on and on. Sometime during my senior year in high school, I decided to go to NC State and everything baby blue became anathema. I was a student at state from 1965-1975. There has never been a better college basketball team than the 72-74 Wolf Pack. I defy anyone to seriously argue against David Thompson being the best college basketball player ever. Maryland-State in the 74 ACC tournament is the best college game ever. I love college basketball.

Some State fans are an unusual lot. They remember the 83 national championship and dimly remember the really great DT teams. They seem to think that Sendek's 10 years is just an abberation from continued greatness. Nothing but return to those glory years will do. (They don't look at the Stats and look at who has dominated the ACC for the past 20+ years).

State has not had the record us rabid Wolfpackers want. We hired a coach who took us to 5 straight NCAA tournaments. Some of the faithful hated him because he (a) didn't regularly beat UNC and Duke (never mind that no one has in recent years, (b) he didn't win the ACC tournament and (c) no national championships. The "Fire Herb" thread on the N&O sports forum became nationally famous. Sendek decided that after 10 years of abuse from some of the fans that he had a great opportunity at ASU. State doesn't have a coach of any kind in men's basketball at this time.

The school has run through the A list of college coaches to restore us to our (at least perceived) former glory. Names like Izzo, Barnes, Calipari, Beyheim have been mentioned. $2 million wasn't enough to lure Barns, Calipari, Lavin or Beilein away from their current jobs. Why go to Raleigh, fight the recruiting wars against Carolina and Duke and get abused by the fans from Day 2?

A case in point from some of the fans is the mention of Phil Ford as a possible coach, since no one has the gumption to coach at State. Ford was one of the best point guards ever to play college basketball. Unfortunately, he did it for (spit, spit) Carolina. State "fans" reacted to the mention with profanity, threats to burn the AD's house, the RBC center and their diplomas if we let a Tarheel into our beloved school. And they wonder why there isn't a double line of final four coaches at the door trying to get the job? I think the fan base (at least some of them) is going a long way to dissuade quality, first tier coaches.

But heck, its just a college sport. It isn't life or death.

For us rabid ACC fanatics, its much more important that that.

Anybody out there want to coach at a school with a really great tradition? We promise to love you until you get 2 points behind in the first game with Carolina.

A real unlimited resource

Hot air from politicians seems to be a boundless energy source. All we need is a few turbines around the capital and we could export power anywhere.

flu scare of the day

My Way News. I'd check to see if this is science fiction, but we need another scary story to keep up the sense of panic. Omigosh, the internet might be shut down by the flu. that's quite a jump for the wrong type of virus.

For all the idiocy and warnings, turns out that this year has been one of the lower flu years. Who would believe it with the media out counting every dead bird in the world.

Would a flu pandemic be bad? yes. Should we be preparing for the next great one? yes. Still its no reason for the flu-scare-of the day

Don't antagonize who?

FT.com / China / Politics & Policy - Russia and China warn UN not to antagonise Iran. Absolute horse pucky from our friends.

I guess the US is the only country that can be antagonized without worry.

A few notes on Immigration

I Wonder which part of this isn't clear to our leaders:

§ 1181. Admission of immigrants into the United States


Release date: 2006-04-21

(a) Documents required; admission under quotas before June 30, 1968
Except as provided in subsection (b) and subsection (c) of this section no immigrant shall be admitted into the United States unless at the time of application for admission he
(1) has a valid unexpired immigrant visa or was born subsequent to the issuance of such visa of the accompanying parent, and
(2) presents a valid unexpired passport or other suitable travel document or document of identity and nationality, if such document is required under the regulations issued by the Attorney General. With respect to immigrants to be admitted under quotas of quota areas prior to June 30, 1968, no immigrant visa shall be deemed valid unless the immigrant is properly chargeable to the quota area under the quota of which the visa is issued.


Part VIII—General Penalty Provisions


Release date: 2006-04-21
§ 1321. Prevention of unauthorized landing of aliens
§ 1322. Bringing in aliens subject to denial of admission on a health-related ground; persons liable; clearance papers; exceptions; “person” defined
§ 1323. Unlawful bringing of aliens into United States
§ 1324. Bringing in and harboring certain aliens
§ 1324a. Unlawful employment of aliens
§ 1324b. Unfair immigration-related employment practices
§ 1324c. Penalties for document fraud
§ 1324d. Civil penalties for failure to depart
§ 1325. Improper entry by alien
§ 1326. Reentry of removed aliens

cbs5.com - State Senate Supports Immigrant Walkout On Monday

cbs5.com - State Senate Supports Immigrant Walkout On Monday. Maybe we should give California back to Mexico. At least send the Democratic Legislature back.

Invasion

My Way News. Seems that 5/1 is a national day for illegal immigrants to shut us down in a protest for their rights. I wonder if the pres and the "amnesty" pols are getting the message. This is getting incredible and the pols a knuckling under.

My leaders seem to be worried about the votes of non-citizens. Their short-term goal should be to worry about mine.

Ted Kennedy on Energy & Oil

Ted Kennedy on Energy & Oil another democratic leader looking out for us.

Nancy Pelosi on Energy & Oil

Nancy Pelosi on Energy & Oil. US to supply more of it's own energy. Not if Nan can help it. Guess she would rather blame Bush and talk about oil addiction.

The Democratic Party on Anwar

The Democratic Party has the headline "Drilling in ANWR Cut from Budget Bill; Seals, Polar Bears Rejoice" from 11/10/05. Do a google search and see just how much the Dems have stymied additional oil production. Of course, in March, many stalwart RINO's cut and ran on the vote.

Paying more for gas? Just a reality check to see which leaders really give a hoot.

All I know about gas prices

Is what I hear from the media and the pols.

I know that the way to solve a shortage and high prices is to have a federal investigation. Supply and demand doesn't work in a commodities market.

I know that the answer to the shortage is increased squawking from our dear leaders. Windpower is the way to decrease energy independence.

I know that our dependence on foriegn oil cannot be alleviated by more domestic production. If increasing domestic production would decrease our dependence on foreign oil, we wouldn't prevent drilling in Anwar and on the continental shelf. I know that if more domestic production were the answer the democrats would have voted for it, instead of against it time after time.

I know that the move to ethanol from MBTE had absolutely nothing to do with increased prices. I know that the increased use of ethanol which required shortages in supply and tank cleaning, installation of storage tanks at terminals for ethanol and a $0.54/gallon subsidy (tarriffs) has nothing to do with higher prices. At 10% ethanol, the subsidy doesn't add a nickel/gallon. If it did, we wouldn't have the tarrif. The answer to this problem is more federal subsidies (taxes).

I know that the fact that every state makes more than the oil companies per gallon in gas taxes. I know that Virginia's attempt to add $0.06/gallon in taxes at the terminal will not increase the pump price because businesses never pass increased costs to consumers, especially when the increased tax comes close to their current profits.

I know the Federal Government doesn't make 2-3x the oil company profits in taxes. I know that all gas taxes go to roads and not to the general fund. I also know that not one of our leaders, state or federal, never ever use this tax money for pork projects.

I know that we should go to alternative fuels such as hydrogen and more ethanol. That solves the supply problem. I don't know that going to fuels that require more energy to produce than they give back is a bad way to go.

I know that our cockamamie environmental rules decrease the price of gasoline, increase supply and benefit us all.

I know all the problems with supply is oil company gouging.

I know that winfall profit taxes and more federal interferences with supply will not create shortages. I know that wasn't the case in the 80's, I just imagined it.

I don't know that the democrats have stymied increase domestic supplies at every turn. I don't know that the democrats have long wanted to increase prices (taxes) on fuel to decrease demand.

I know that no politician alive is ever accountable for what he did a minute ago and we are not allowed to call him to task, unless it is Bush, then he is responsible for what the other party did.

I know that if I could fuel my car on BS, I could run it forever on a weeks worth of idiocy from the media and the politicians.

I also know the moon is made of green cheese.

Telegraph | News | Archbishop attacks Da Vinci Code 'obsession'

Telegraph | News | Archbishop attacks Da Vinci Code 'obsession'

If I were promoting a book or a movie, I'd just love the start an "obsession" with it. Seems just like what has been done with the Da Vinci Code, hyping a work of fiction.

I read the book. Nice yarn, plenty of action, but not exactly the best book of the genre I've read. If you start believing it, the facts tend to fall a bit flat: a secet, powerful group that lasts for 2 millenia; a family bloodline that last for the same time; a conservative Catholic organization that also lasts for 2000 years trying to bury the "facts." Got any swampland for sale?

Loads of hype for an action yarn. You can always find "wise men" who will opine about the serious ramifications of a piece of fiction. Yawn.

Animal rights activists admit dug-up grave case - Yahoo! News

Animal rights activists admit dug-up grave case - Yahoo! News

Abuse, death threats, firebomb attacks and grave robbing and Reuters calls them "Animal Rights Activists." What a bunch of PC hooey. Why not call them what they are: terrorists, thugs, criminals.

Illegal Aliens-Strange use of Words

The growing flap over illegal aliens seems to take on a very strange use of words and excuses. The arguments for allowing the continuance of not enforcing the laws are (1) we need the workers; (2) it's hard to find them; (3) its inconvenient to find them and send the back; (4) it's racist to be against illegal aliens, and (5) if you reward this behavior by a pittance fine and allowing them become guest workers, it is not amnesty.

I don't see a simple solution to rooting out 12 million illegals and sending them back to where-ever. I can see the news showing crying mothers and children herded on to cattle cars and shipped across the country. However, it is time we decided to enforce these laws. If our elected, appointed and hired officials can't do the job, it is time to find some who will.

If we need the workers, then fix the law and beauracracy to make green cards faster to come by. I buy some of the argument that "they do jobs Americans won't do". I've been in an industry in an area that couldn't hire locals who had been bemoaning the closure of autoplants and paper mills, but just wouldn't go to work at the packing house. 90% of the labor at that beef processor was immigrant. At the time, I believe most of those were legal immigrants.

A lot seem to hinge on it being just hard and inconvenient. That is a bunch of BS. We pay those folks to do the hard and inconvenient work of law enforcement. If they don't want to do that, my packing house is still hiring, I bet.

Our elected leaders seem to be more worried about votes from people who can't vote than those who can. Last I heard, a resounding majority of American Citizens, who can vote, oppose the current policy of not enforcing immigration laws. They really should be worried about our votes.

The issue of it being "racist" is a classic cop-out. I haven't heard many of the supporters of strict enforcement of the immigration laws deciding to limit Hispanics, just illegals. If that is racist, the so be it.

The sight of thousands of protestors waiving Mexican flags and flaunting their status finally turned the tide for me. Leave until you can enter legally.

Mortified that he sent it or got caught?

DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2006�

One wonders what bothers Mr. Green. Is it that he expressed those views or got caught expressing them?
Gee, and just a bit before the election. A cynic might believe that the ABC coverage of Bush during the election season was a bit tainted.

Shades of Soylent Green

World Tribune.com -- Report: Cosmetics firm using remains of executed Chinese

Sounds like an old movie.

from Drudge

How to start a panic

� When we start reporting the death of every bird and mentioning "bird flu" we can certainly create a panic. Are they doing this because they are stupid or does the hype sell advertising? The media is doing us a great disfavor.

Fog of War

� The report of previously released tapes clearly indicates that the folks responsible for the initial Katrina response were having a great deal of trouble getting a handle on the true situation in New Orleans post Katrina. Lack of organization, practice or just the immediate aftermath of the most massive storm in a very long time...take your pick.

This is known in the military as "fog of war." Piecemeal information not giving the whole picture with big gaps in it. It is really too bad that the organizations at all levels didn't pull it together in time to get a clear picture and move the response forward.

Backroom Battles or How the Dems support the troops

Backroom Battles Nice story of Schumer and Reid supporting Hackett by smear and inuendo.

Choices for the Evening News

1. Watch Entwistle's airplane land
2. Listen to media have a fit because Cheney didn't call them.
3. Listen to "experts" beat the Cheney dead horse some more.
4. Watch olympic curling.

Given tonight's menu, curling became much more exciting.

Our Media

I watched some of the White House Press corps go after McClellan for the second day over the Cheney bird hunt. I am more convinced than ever that these guys are absolute buffoons. To cap it off, Clarence Page told O'Reilly that the Cheney bird hunt news was more important than Gore's trashing the US this weekend in Saudi Arabia (for a fat fee.) Page said that the more recent news was more important, then backed off to "the current Vice President" when confronted with the fact that both happened this weekend.

The MSM constantly make fools of themselves, then pat themselves on the back for doing it. The Cheney incident is important only to Whittington and Cheney and no one else.

Incidents like this are a constant reminder that the guy who does my plumbing, or the guy who fixes my car have to be certified and can loose their license if they mess up. The press, on the other hand, aren't required to have any credentials what-so-ever. It shows.

The Trouble With Boys - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com

The Trouble With Boys - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com. Another piece of idiocy from Newsweek and our great educational system. They just discovered that boys are rambunctious and, in today's educational system, they aren't learning as they did in the past. Amid all the psychobabble about ADD, ADHD and other they have one good thought: the decline of the family, especially father figures, seems to contribute. They don't mention that this just might be the product of decades of the elites trying to destroy or remake the male of the species, or the constant attack on the family.

I doubt boys have changed much in the half-century that has passed since I was one. I'm pretty sure that the educational system has run away from discipline and has dumbed down the courses to the point that I doubt anyone could pay attention. PS for you expert educators: the math I took in the 7th and 8th grade is now taught in High School. Math education is not working when the 7th grade is devoted to a mad scramble to make up what wasn't taught and what wasn't learned in grades 1-6.

Back in the dark ages, schools handled discipline without needing an on-site police force. Many of my friends weren't worried about discipline in school, only having it known at home that they were disciplined, because school would be mild with what happened when the note got home.

Seems to me that today's kids are just living down to very low expectations. Challenge them, make the courses interesting, set and enforce certain standards of behavior and give them time (like recess) to burn off excess energy. Parents need to insist that little Johnny behave in school and take quick measure to ensure he does.

Yea, we got bored to tears by some classes and teachers, but knew we only had to endure an hour or so of it. Besides, there was always shop class and the many dedicated educators that challenged us.

The Other Big Brother - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com

The Other Big Brother - Newsweek National News - MSNBC.com. Newsweek has hit the heights of satire or assumes its audience is as technically dumb as they are. I'm not sure which.

The Pentagon has a supersecret program to track protest groups. Just how are they "spying"? Probably, by reading the media and using the internet. So Big Brother is reading the paper and taking notes on groups. Not sure if this belongs in the Pentagon, but there may be some way to gather meaningful anti-terror statistics. Me, I'd rather do artillery training than do supersluthing cut and past from the NY Times and the internet.

I wonder if Newsweek is just trying to run the hype on the Bush spying story.