Yeah, But Can I Dance To It?

Party Crashing, Arizona-Style

2010-04-26T19:13:00.004-05:00

Holy cow, did you see? There is an awesome party coming up next weekend. It looks like the best party ever!
There will be lots of famous people there, an open bar, great food, and gorgeous women.

I would LOVE to go to that party.

The problem is, it is a party to reward people who donated to an important humanitarian cause. Invitation only.

I did not donate to that cause. But, man... the party is going to be awesome! I need to figure out a way to get in.

Well, I decide to sneak in through the kitchen. Got lucky, no one noticed me. This is GREAT! I can't believe I am actually in this crazy fun party now. This place is amazing! The lights & sound are killer, the women are gorgeous... is this Heaven?
The best part is, people seem to be assuming I belong. They are saying "hello". The waiter offered me a glass of champagne. Hors d'oeuvres are offered from a silver tray. I accept, graciously.

I am loving this! Oh, here comes my favorite recording artist. I actually get to chat for a minute and get a photo taken! Awesome!

Whew, a few more glasses of the bubbly, and I'm a little tipsy. I guess I had a bit too much, and as this beautiful lady walks past, I grab her butt. Just a little. No harm, no foul. But NooOOooo. She turns around, glares at me, slaps me in the face, and yells for security.

Oh great. Now three thick-necked, earpiece-wearing goons are grabbing me and asking to see my invitation. What the...? How DARE they! I'm IN THE PARTY, YOU IDIOTS! You have SOME nerve asking for my invitation! I'm HERE, am I not? Of course I had an invitation. I just... err... misplaced it. What's that? How much did I contribute to the cause? Umm... err... well NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!! Hey, LET GO OF ME! You can't throw me out! I have a glass of champagne to finish! OW! Stop dragging me! JEEZ, you guys are out of line. All I did was come in for some food and fun! I'm not hurting anything!! OUCH! Thanks for opening the door with my head, you fascist pigs! UGH (thump). (Slam). Great. In the alley looking like a loser.

Who do those snobs think they are? I've got as much a right to be in that party as any of those so-called donors!

...and that, my friends, is the illegal immigration problem faced by Arizona in a nutshell.

Newness

2010-04-09T18:05:00.003-05:00

OK, so I haven't posted anything in forever. But, a few things have happened in the last few months:
1. Bought a house
2. Got a new job
3. Became an Uncle again (that's a bigger deal than you might think)

It's kind of mind-boggling, once one has been in a routine for many years, to suddenly have all this change in one's life. However, I have discovered that it's not only survivable, it is enjoyable.
I guess it is rather easy to sink into a rut, then start getting really comfortable in that rut... so that the thought of getting out becomes more and more disturbing, even scary.
However, unless someone's doing you bodily harm, or you've taken ill, the changes won't kill you. Quite the opposite. You may find yourself changing all sorts of habits, just because the old ones don't work anymore. If you pull a rug out from under someone, they tend to not stand still for the next few seconds. And once they're up, they will probably chase you and beat you. Two things they likely never considered previous to said rug-pulling. And once they've beaten you, they will think "Huh, that was kind of fun. Should have done that a long time ago."
All this to say... try embracing a little change. Not the kind you get sold by slick politicians, the kind that YOU control. The kind that will enhance YOUR mental well-being, even your financial well-being. The kind that will get you up out of your rut and have you looking around over the top of the grass and seeing the whole yard for once.
It's a pretty nice view!

2009-08-19T21:00:00.002-05:00

Barack Obama is a Dumb B***h REVISED

2009-05-11T10:19:00.003-05:00

Perez Hilton, supreme arbiter of all things moral, legal, and tasteful pronounced Carrie Prejean as "dumb bitch" for daring to hold this view:

We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.

Barack Obama, when asked about gay marriage in 2004, posited this view:

I'm a Christian, and so although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman.

Therefore it's safe to say that Barack Obama, too, is a dumb bitch.

Keep in mind, however, that unlike Miss Prejean, Barack doesn't stand behind that statement anymore because, like, he's all president and whatnot. So naturally he has vacillated and now, according to Robert Gibbs, he thinks it is a matter best left to the States (sounds eerily close another position being "above his pay grade"). It's so nice to have a president that stands firmly on the Twister game mat with hands & feet in all parts of an issue. Transparency, honesty, "Hope & Change" -- you betcha!

REVISION 05.12.09 Looks like Donald Trump echoes my take - not that Obama is a dumb B, but that Carrie Prejean holds the same view as the POTUS and can keep her crown. I wonder if, now that this has been drug into wide view, Obama will come out with a new statement on his "official" position on the subject.

The Egotistical Keyboard

2009-04-18T21:10:00.002-05:00

wow.

2009-04-03T00:14:00.002-05:00

Steel Life from Mathieu Gérard on Vimeo.

This is reprinted from changethethought.com

Mathieu Gérard created “Steel Life” for his master thesis at Arts et Technologies de l’Image. There isn’t really a tangible narrative to the film. It is more a work of abstract realism utilizing imagery inspired by nature.

The soundtrack, composed by Mathieu Alvado and performed by the Star Pop Orchestra, is really amazing and does a lot of work to create a really compellingly grand sense of scope and drama. As an abstract piece, it is really beautiful.

I have nothing to add - just thought you should see this!

Bedtime Stories

2009-02-03T18:22:00.004-06:00

Tonight, kids, our story is about the new president. He's that man that went all over Europe like a rock star, being really nice and handsome so that those kinda smelly folk across the pond would like us again. He can speak like the best preacher or teacher you ever heard. He told us lots of really nice things so that we would put him in charge. You see, Washington, D.C is full of a subhuman species called "Politicians." Somehow, these politicians got to be in charge of our government. By the way, you could turn into a politician if you are not careful. It's true. Only a few people are actually born that way. These politicians really like being in charge of the government. So they spend most of their time doing things to make sure they stay in charge. How can they not be in charge anymore? Well, people called "the voters", every 2, 4, and 6 years get to choose whether or not a politician stays in charge. Can you imagine? These politicians figured out that if you promise to give things to big groups of the voters, they will probably keep you in charge. Your new president said that this was bad, and that if he could be in charge, just this once, he would make sure that those selfish politicians would have some 'splaining to do and he was going to put them in time out. He would bring in new people that didn't do those bad politician things. He told us that the people who figured out a way to make a living by whispering to the politicians what the groups of voters would really like to be promised would not be allowed to be part of the new team. He told us that we were in a "new era of responsibility" which means that everybody -- you, me, your mommy, your daddy, your teacher... everybody would have to do some things that we may not like because it's good for us, like when you have to take medicine that tastes bad but your mommy makes you take it because it's good for you. But when he told us that, it was like the sun was shining more brightly, birds were singing in the trees, and flowers bloomed all around. We decided that if he was going to roll up his sleeves and push down those mean politicians for the good of the country, we would help him by voting for him and rolling up our sleeves, too.
So guess what happened? The voters decided that he could be in charge! There was a party to end all parties. Even people as far away as Africa were dancing in the streets. People cried, they were so happy. On TV, the news people were trembling like your new puppy did the first day you brought him home, with his tail wagging and wanting to lick your face. Things were really going to change! The nasty politicians were going to stay in time out for a long time until they quit being so concerned about being in charge all the time.
Well, I wish this story had a happy ending, but it turns out that the new president told some tales. He wasn't being honest. He started putting people on his team that are crusty old politicians. Some of them, even the one in charge of all the money, didn't pay their taxes. That used to be a bad thing, and if you ever try it, you might get your house taken away from you. But the friends of the new president just said they didn't mean to, and it was OK. No time out. It turns out that the new president is one of those rare people who is actually born a politician! He was just really good at hiding it, like when you are the best bumblebee in the school play and your mommy says "I thought you really were a bumblebee", but it was really you. The new president knew how to say things that would make the voters think he was super-special, but he isn't. You know how some people have a skill, like playing a musical instrument, or being able to run really fast? He has a skill, too... but his skill is fooling people. The scary part is, the voters didn't know about the fooling until after they said he could be in charge. Now they are stuck with a liar-liar-pants-on-fire politician instead of a special man like they thought. Some people still think he is really special, though, like the news people on TV. You know how when you started thinking maybe Santa Claus wasn't real, but you really really believed he was, so you didn't want to really think that he wasn't? So maybe one or two Christmases came and you said "I believe in Santa" because your friends believed in Santa and you liked getting presents that said "From Santa" on them? Then finally your mom or dad or someone else said "Santa isn't really real" and even though you wanted to cry, you thought somehow deep down inside you knew he wasn't already? That's what the news people on TV think about the new president. But it will probably be a Christmas or two before they quit putting out cookies and milk.
Sometimes life isn't fair, kids... but sometimes it is. When you're old enough, you'll get to be a voter, and you can decide who gets to be in charge. So you will have to be really grown-up and think hard about things a politician says that sound wonderful. Unfortunately, the voters this time got all caught up in the promises of presents and specialness and hope and change and forgot to think hard. And when you don't think hard about big decisions, there is something called consequences. That's like when you play baseball too close to the house, and you know you're not supposed to but you do it anyway, and you break the kitchen window? Well, you might say "I was just having fun playing and I forgot about the window" but you still have to take your allowance money and pay for the window? That's a consequence. And what if you didn't fix the window, but ran away and left one of your friends to take the blame but then they ran away and left another friend there, then they ran away too until a long time went by and somebody who wasn't even playing ball got stuck paying for the window? Well, just wait, kids. You or your own children are going to pay for our window.
OK, nite-nite! Sweet dreams.

Experience Suddenly Matters

2009-01-16T10:46:00.002-06:00

I'm sure everyone has heard/seen the story about the US Airways jet that landed in the Hudson River yesterday after being KO'd (allegedly) by bird strikes.

The media, rightly so, is trumpeting the heroic actions of the pilot, Chesley Sullenberger III. He managed to safely splash-land the plane in the water, with only minor injuries reported to anyone on board.

This guy has been flying for US Airways for 29 years, is a veteran of the Air Force (flew F4 Phantoms), is also a glider pilot (hey, think that came in handy with a dead airplane?) and a bunch of other things.

I will wager that all 155 people on that flight are eternally grateful that there was a calm, EXPERIENCED professional at the helm on their fateful flight.

Hmmm... and yet, we seem giddy as schoolgirls about putting a nearly totally inexperienced pilot at the helm of our nation. Would you want a guy who cheated through flight school, then only flew a Cessna for a year and a half before taking the stick on YOUR airliner?
Well, that's what you're getting in 4 days, America. Better pay attention to the "in case of emergency" card in the seatback pocket. Lord help us all.

Nice People? What The...?

2008-11-10T20:01:00.002-06:00

I realize that many of my posts on this blog tend to be somewhat.. err.. negative. After all, this is my place to vent to my heart's content, right?
However, today was a day that partially restored my faith in humanity (all right, that's a little over-dramatic).
I was taking a vacation day today, to catch up on things and have a 'decompression day' after the trip to Boston. While running errands, I went to the dry cleaner and was treated very nicely (to be fair, this place is always great). Then I went to get my oil changed. I had to go to three places (Jiffy Lube - closed due to hurricane damage, sticker stop didn't have my filter) and ended up at the Detail/Lube center at the Mister Car Wash on Gessner near I-10. These people were amazing! I can't remember the last time folks were so polite and helpful. The guy came in to show me my filters, and when I opted to not have them replace my cabin filter (can get it a lot cheaper elsewhere) he not only didn't try to hard-sell me, he immediately said "OK, I'll put a note in the comments on your invoice so you'll have a reminder". Then once the oil change was done, the lady who rang me up carefully explained their coupon attached for a free car wash (did you know they do that? makes the cost of the oil change a lot more reasonable!). Oh, they also have some pretty high-quality leather couches/chairs in the waiting room (and the coffee actually tasted good). I have to say, I came out of that place smiling and shaking my head. I'm not used to actual customer service these days, ya know?
Later, stopping by Kroger for some groceries, the girl who was sort of supervising the self-check-out lane actually said "Have a great day, sir" as I was walking out (could have done without the 'sir', but I guess I am old). Again, unexpected and refreshing.
I also made a trip to Sam's Club to talk to their optical shop and to pick up a few items. The lady who rang me up and I had a fun conversation about the person behind me (who had about 300 things on 3 floats -- she wasn't looking forward to ringing it all up!). Then she actually used my name as she thanked me and wished me a good evening. I don't remember that happening before at Sam's.
However, lest you think my cynicism is completely on hold, I had a rather lackluster experience at TSO. I recently got my eye exam and, sadly, it is time for reading correction. Now, I have an optician in the family, but he's in Florida and it is very difficult to select/buy glasses long distance. My plan was to see if I could find a frame here in Houston that (a) I like and (b) Chuck can get at his store. There is also a possibility that I'll get something here locally, as I want to get a 'regular' pair and a sunglasses pair. Chuck's store is very upscale and even with the "family discount", 2 pairs would/will set me back! Upon entering TSO, I looked around at their haphazard displays, nothing labeled as far as whether they were men's or women's frames (hard to tell these days as many truly are "unisex") but I couldn't narrow down my search. There seemed to be no grouping of frames by any criteria. On top of that, NOTHING was priced. There was only one employee in the store and although she was dealing with another customer, she never even acknowledged my presence. So, I left and shall never return.
So, TSO was crap, but overall, I was impressed and surprised by my fellow humans today. Thought I should let folks know.

Obama's Coming for Your Gun

2008-11-09T17:46:00.002-06:00

While driving back from the airport today, I got a chance to listen to a few minutes of "Gun Talk" on the radio.

He mentioned that the Obama transition team has a website outlining their agenda. DURING the show, that agenda outline was removed from the website. Fortunately, stuff gets archived! Here's the gun bit from OBAMA'S OWN WEBSITE (italics mine). Note that in true liberal form, it starts with plans that seem quite reasonable... then after the MTV generation has read the first sentence and had another sip of the Kool Aid, they begin to reveal the real agenda.

Address Gun Violence in Cities: As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals who shouldn't have them. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong (sic) on foreign battlefields and not on our streets.

Oh sure... he "respects the second amendment". So what part of "shall not be infringed" does he not understand? OF COURSE you don't want criminals to have guns. But guess what? They do, and always will, have them. You, however, apparently don't "need" to have a gun to defend yourself from the criminal. This agenda reveals the intent to outlaw gun shows, and to reinstitute and expand the Assault Weapons Ban. Keep in mind, banning things does not make them suddenly disappear from criminal use. Aren't marijuana, crystal meth, cocaine, crack, slavery, and bootlegging all "banned"?? And how do you make a gun "child proof"? huh? Whatever happened to Parental Responsibility? There is also very strong evidence that Obama and his ilk plan to institute onerous taxes on ammunition, so that no one will be able to afford to go to the range and shoot. You think the criminals will pay the tax? Nope, they'll break in and steal the ammo.

This is kind of a pet issue with me, but there are a LOT of things on that website you may want to review.

Shalom, Y'all!

2008-11-09T16:58:00.005-06:00

I just attended the wedding of my step-niece up in the Boston area. For our family, this wedding was a bit different in a few ways! First off, it's an inter-faith marriage. So, although the wedding ceremony took place in a Lutheran church (where my sister, the stepmother of the bride, is organist and minister of music), there were Jewish elements involved along with the Christian traditions. That was a little strange. First of all, God was worshiped and prayed to, but Jesus was not mentioned. Along with the church's altar, there was a huppa, the open-topped 'tent' (made famous to us non-Jews in "Meet the Parents" where Owen Wilson, the perfect ex-boyfriend, carved one from a single piece of wood...). Hebrew readings/blessings were alternated with scripture readings in English. The Lutheran pastor presided (no Rabbi). No seven circles, no breaking glass, etc. Interesting, however, to be sure.

Anyway, after the ceremony, we traveled to a place called "The Red Lion Inn" for the reception in the "Lion's Hall" . Great place for a party! The original structure of the inn was built in 1704 and has a unique history. Really wonderful place. It was a sit-down dinner, and aside from the clam chowdah being a little tepid, the food was excellent! There was a typical wedding band (versed in everything from jazz standards to rock-n-roll oldies to disco) -- and (dare I say it) dancing! I have to say, this is where "Baptist" weddings fall down. Raised as a Southern Baptist, nearly every family wedding I've been to has had the reception in the fellowship hall of the church where there will be no alcohol or dancing. I have to tell you, although the ceremonies have always been beautiful (c'mon, it's your family member tying the knot, of course it's special!), the receptions are outright lame. People standing around nursing a cup of punch, waiting for the couple to cut the cake. This reception was more like the ones I've attended as a sound engineer (mixing for one of those tuxedoed bands) -- where people actually have fun and party! Here I was, seeing a lot of family I haven't seen in a long time, meeting "the other side" for the first time, and it was the most fun I've had in ages. Just being silly, dancing with my 12-year-old niece, all of us "screaming along" with the disco medley... and HISTORY WAS MADE on this date. My parents, in their 70's, ACTUALLY DANCED for what I believe is the very first time. Not a ballroom-style dance or even a slow dance, but just out there dancing around to some oldies. My brother ran for his camcorder, I veritably dove for my camera. I cannot put into words the joy you experience seeing something like that. I've watched plenty of septuagenarians hit the dance floor at wedding receptions, but MY FOLKS? I believe they were actually raised to think dancing is evil. Of course, over the years they've let a few of the more strident "no-nos" of the rural Southern Baptist tradition, such as card playing, lapse, but I NEVER thought I'd see them out on a dance floor. Where other people could see them? NO way. My dad has always had a silly streak and will do some pretty goofy stuff, but not in public. So perhaps it was a bit less astonishing to see him out there -- but my MOM?? Oh man. OH MAN. Just those 4 or 5 minutes were worth the trip. I really can't overstate this. Unbelievable.

Also during this trip I got my first taste of Rock Band the video game. They have it at my sister's house. So my 12-yr-old niece, my 18-yr-old nephew and I fumbled our way through some classics (well, Dallas and I stumbled. Erika was always playing on the "hard" setting and was killing!). I tried both guitar and drums, Dallas sang when all three of us were playing and Erika alternated instruments with me. NOW I see why this thing, and Guitar Hero, are so stinkin' popular! ADDICTIVE is definitely the operative word here. I'd really never had a good description of how it all works, and won't attempt to describe it to you either (it's kind of hard to do). I had been told that if you really do know how to play the guitar, it doesn't help you -- and that is TRUE. As a matter of fact, it's a hindrance, as your fingers will invariably revert to actually trying to hit a correct fret instead of just pressing the button of the correct color. Playing the 'drums' is a little closer to reality, as your task does require some rhythm -- but the bottom line is that it's all eye-hand coordination like most video games. It also helps if you know the songs you are "playing", but it's not of major importance unless you are the singer (the game tracks the accuracy of your pitch, and provides the lyrics, so for a 'singer' it's karaoke-like, but you will fail if you can't carry a tune). You do have things to do during instrumental portions of the song, usually tapping the mic on beat, that sort of thing. Anyway, that's just crazy fun. Everyone should have one.

My littlest nephew, Nash, was pretty well-behaved and charming for the majority of the trip -- and he is now in that three-year-old thing where they just talk a blue streak. One quick anecdote: My brother-in-law Tim (father of the bride) is having continuing (and worsening! please pray!!) health problems and as a result is currently walking with a cane. Nash came up to him and said "I like your cane, Uncle Tim!" Then, "Maybe Santa can bring me a cane like that for Christmas, but maybe a little shorter." Kids. Gotta love 'em. Oh, and he had decided that he was going to call me "Cheese Crackers" for most of the weekend.

It seems like whenever our family gets together, someone will, in the attempt to be funny, just stick their foot way down their throat. It was my turn this time. We'd been kind of kidding about some things Jewish, and I was teasing my sister Dawne about something... anyway, she'd said something about lox or some such other thing and I said "You trying to be Jewish? Well you've got the schnoz for it" (we've always given her a hard time about her nose). HOWEVER, the word that came out in place of "schnoz" was... "schlong". It was just my siblings, Dallas and I in the room at the moment, thank goodness. That was one of several laugh-until-you-cry-and-cannot-breathe moments of the weekend. yikes.

All in all, this weekend was just insanely enjoyable. However, my reign as
The Flat Tire King continues. This morning at 6:30 AM as I went out to my rental car with my luggage (getting ready to take my Floridian sister and myself to the airport for our respective flights), the left rear tire was flat. There was a nail, in its usual spot (too close to the sidewall to plug -- a ruined tire!). Thankfully, the lug nuts were not air-hammered on for all time by a sadistic mechanic, so I was able to get them loose with the 12" toy lug wrench provided in the "kit" and got the donut on in just a few minutes. Also thankfully, it wasn't very cold and the drizzle had abated. We got to the airport in plenty of time, where my flight to Houston was delayed nearly an hour due to -- no kidding -- a flat tire.

Careful What You Hope For

2008-11-04T23:20:00.002-06:00

Well, I just finished watching Obama's acceptance speech. We've got us a new President!
I'm certainly not surprised.

So, we've just elected a guy who, on the positive side, is the first mixed-race President.
However, this is also a guy who has stated that he felt that the Warren court wasn't radical enough, didn't address the subject of wealth redistribution. It's a guy who, in a rare moment of candor, told a guy that "spreading the wealth around" was his intention. A guy who has said we need a civilian national security force equal to the military. A guy who has lined up behind gun ban legislation at every turn. A guy who thinks sitting down and having conversations with lunatic dictators is the right way to pursue diplomacy. A guy who intends (in his own words) to bankrupt the coal industry. A guy who expects us to believe that he sat in the pew of an anti-american, anti-white church for over 20 years but doesn't embrace the theology of its pastor (a man so inspiring to him that the title of Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" is from one of Wright's sermons). A guy who cozied up to a well known 60's radical terrorist to launch his own political ambitions, trying to say that somehow he really had nothing to do with the guy.

Oh, "change". "Hope".

Well, as he said tonight, "Change has come to America". I pray that it's not what he actually says he wants to do, because even you kool-aid drinkers will be horrified if and when he shuts down talk radio, silences opposition, takes guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, reaches DEEP into your pocket to "spread the wealth around", and forms his own private army to enforce whatever he deems necessary.

Do I think he'll actually be able to pull all of that off? Well, I would love to say "of course not". After all, the President can't just do what he wants. There's always congress... Oh wait... it's in Democrat hands as well. Not to mention that we could see two more Supreme Court justices retire very soon, as they are ancient. You think Obama will put in strict constructionists? Judges who won't impose their agenda via their decisions?

When your taxes go up, when you have to turn in your gun, when you have to look over your shoulder before having a candid conversation lest you break speech codes, when the government (imagine the horror) takes over the health care industry, when your electricity bill skyrockets, when you start having to pay carbon offset taxes...

Maybe then you'll wonder "what was I thinking?". Of course, by then it will be too late.

Economic Stimulus...?

2008-10-15T21:14:00.004-05:00

OK, I don't get it.

Forget the crazy stock market crashing all around us for a minute (hard to do when you realize your 401k has been knocked for a loop, I know).

Here's what I can't figure out. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat party are mulling a second "economic stimulus" package, writing checks to get more spending by consumers in the economy.

OK, didn't they just do that? How well did that go? What did you do with your 600 or 1200 dollars? Most people I know paid off debt. Even if you ran out and bought clothes, put a down payment on a car, or got a flat-screen TV... what good did it do? It sure didn't stave off the Fannie/Freddie/Bear Stearns/Lehman/Wachovia/WaMu/AIG meltdown. It sure didn't keep people in jobs. Basically it was blatant pandering. It didn't do anything, and it was a stupid idea.

It will be a stupid idea again.

"But" you say, "I think it's a great idea for me to get another check!" -- really? That's what Pelosi and her minions hope you think. But let's ask an obvious question. When the Federal Government sends you a check -- of any kind-- where do you think that money came from?

It came from YOU. In the form of taxes. It is the ONLY source of revenue for the government. Taxes. "Well, I know that" you say... let's think for a second.

You might recall, if you're old enough, John F. Kennedy cut taxes. The economy boomed. You might recall that in '86 the tax code was reformed and lowered the top rate from 50% to 28%. The economy boomed. Clinton, in the midst of one of the biggest bull markets in history (largely due to the "dot-com" bubble) raised taxes so much that even he said "I think I raised your taxes too much." When he left office we were recession-bound.

(By the way, I think it bears noting that during that fat & happy time, Al Gore pronounced "the end of the economic cycle". Hmmm... how's that global warming thing going, Al? Oh yeah, it's already snowing in several states and it ain't even November yet. Gore has a dismal track record on... well, everything.)

So, George Bush pushed through tax cuts. Despite the breast-beating from Liberals that the cuts "only benefited the wealthy" (gee, don't they pay the most tax? duh), the economy boomed.

Nancy Pelosi and the Dems have always railed against tax cuts. At the same time, they rail against spending cuts (and continually call any reduction in growth a cut). See a pattern here? "We wanna reward our cronies and donors and stupid people who continue to vote for us even though we never deliver on our promises, so we certainly can't cut programs... and therefore you who have 'benefited from life's lottery' must pay more -- it's your fair share! It's patriotic!"

And yet, it's a really good idea to cut you a check so you'll go out and buy the new iPhone.

So, here I am, not getting it. Tax cuts, which would put more of YOUR money in YOUR pocket, are bad. However, if Congress reaches into the pile of YOUR money, aka taxes, and writes you a check, that's a good thing.

MORONS!

Of course, the deal here is this: Tax cuts do not allow the Democrats to rob Peter to pay Paul. They can't take from the rich and (pretend to) give to the poor. They can't pickpocket evil, rich white people and dole out crumbs to "the disenfranchised" among us. In other words, it won't translate into VOTES. Tax cuts give a break to the PRODUCTIVE members of society and allow them to actually hang on to more of the money they have EARNED. There's no political benefit in that! Well, not for Democrats, anyway.

However, if you reach into the tax bucket and write checks to everyone, even those that never pay income tax, guess what? Well, jeepers, you are a knight in shining armor! Oh my, you've allowed Seniors on fixed income the chance to eat people food, not dog food! Saints be praised, you've allowed working families to put food on the table for the children. Glory Hallelujah, you've provided 50" HDTVs for trailer homes from sea to shining sea.

So, no matter how many times the exact opposite has been proven to be true, with Democrats in charge, you'll always hear that we must increase taxes to pay for our beloved and necessary programs. We can't afford tax cuts. This crap B.O. is spouting about 95% of people in his plan... bunk. Is that before or after the Bush tax cuts, which are so horrible, expire? So, when they expire, the result will be the largest tax increase in history... and you, B.O., can throw a couple of crumbs to the idiots that elected you (yeah, I guess I'm making a prediction there) and claim you lowered their taxes.

And all of this is OUTSIDE of the bailout/recession/depression/meltdown we're experiencing right now. Thanks to... well, that's a subject for another post. Just think about this: The Government held a gun to your head and said "we gotta do this bailout, cuz it will save the economy!". So, they sign off on the blasted thing. What happened? Worst market crash in like forever. Then they held a gun to the banks' collective head and said "You better sign on to us buying into your assets or we won't be so generous if you fall on hard times in the future." And what happened? Another MASSIVE sell-off.
So, the government is basically RUINING our free market system by "helping". And you want them to run HEALTH CARE??? Where people DIE from mistakes?

I weep for this country, I really do.

I don't like Ike

2008-09-13T12:35:00.003-05:00

Well, the worst of the storm is over, and I am grateful that I only lost power for about 5.5 hours staring at 2:00 am. I had gone outside a few times to see what was happening, and there was almost no rain, even at 3 am. When the power came back on around 7:30, it was raining like crazy.
Sometime between my 3 am trip downstairs and 7:30, a tree went down right at the corner of the complex:

Street Side:

I took my trusty DeWalt 18V reciprocating saw down and cleared the left lane of the street so people can get through:

All in all, I consider myself very blessed that there was no damage, no long-term power outage, and no flooding in my area. Water pressure is very low due to a power outage at a main pumping station.
There are millions without power, especially in the coastal areas which just got whalloped. I'm a little North of I-10 on the West side of Houston, so really only got "medium" winds/rain.

I think the power is down at my employer, the website is not reachable (we stupidly host our own site).

I reckon that's it for now.

Rudy and Sarah... My Kind of Night!

2008-09-03T22:21:00.002-05:00

Oh, man.
I obviously am not objective in my musings about these conventions. So with that said, I gotta say, both Rudy Guliani and Sarah Palin hit it out of the park tonight.

First, Rudy came out and just killed. Part comedian, part statesman, he certainly didn't pull any punches. I love the fact that he called out Biden on his previous stance that the presidency was no place for on the job training... and Hillary on the 3am phone call. Peppered with sarcasm (which of course worked for me!), he took Obama to the proverbial woodshed. One thing I thought he was going to say, but didn't (and perhaps he missed the oppportunity) was when he was reminding people of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there was a huge backdrop of the New York skyline behind him. I was just willing him to turn around and say "look at that skyline -- never forget the twin towers that once towered over my city".
Anyway, I thought Rudy was pretty brilliant.

Then, Sarah Palin comes out and gets an ovation which I believe was longer than the reception Obama got at his Stadium speech.
Again, using some sarcasm (of course the MSNBC pundits have decided she insulted her opponents) and some simply awesome lines, I'd say she has roared on to the national stage in fine fashion.
When they weren't standing, the folks in the hall were literally leaning forward on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next line.
As I'm writing this, the he/she on MSNBC just said she was surprised that Palin gave an "insulting, sniping, cutting" speech that gave us little of her biography and "a whole lot of what is wrong with Barack Obama". To that I say "so what?" What were all of the speeches at the democrat convention about? "Four more years of the same failed policies... it's not that John McCain doesn't care.. he just doesn't know", etc.
Jeez.
Obviously, much if not all of the speech was written by McCain's policy folks, so as she went down the litany of policy positions, it got a little flat... but when she was talking about her family, her town, her job, and her beliefs, she shone like no one I've seen before.
Some of my favorite bits:

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.

In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.
And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

...this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform...

Now, it remains to be seen how she really governed in Alaska. So far, the word seems to be that she did some flip-flopping... apparently supporting the "bridge to nowhere" before she opposed it, and sought pork barrel projects as mayor before crusading against that type of spending as governor. We'll just have to see how it all shakes out. At least she's done SOMETHING.

As for me, for this moment in time, I am a Palin fan. She was tough, likeable, she's got a nearly "Fargo-ish" accent that is just subtle enough not to annoy, and it doesn't hurt that she's attractive. Thank goodness when she speaks loudly, her voice doesn't disintegrate into a shrill shriek. That, maybe more than her Socialist views, bugged me to no end about Hillary.

Oh man, Keith Olberman, always the smug bastard, just "had to get this off his list" -- "It's 'pundit, p-u-n-d-i-t, not pundent." Interesting. Did he correct Sean Penn, Michael Moore, or any of the other dozens of left-wingers I've heard mispronounce that word? At least she can pronounce "nuclear."

I wish the timing had been a little tighter (I guess it was Rudy that ran long), because there was a biographical video they were supposed to run before Sarah P came on stage. That would have helped round out the background story and set up the intro much better. But, ya can't have everything.

Anyway, I say it was a good night for the pubs. Go, Sarah, Go!

MSNBC - Mentally Stunted, Nothing But Critical

2008-09-02T22:58:00.002-05:00

So, I'm watching the Republican National Convention tonight, and Fred Thompson, Joe Lieberman, and George Bush gave the main speeches. The theme of the night was playing up service to country, honoring veterans, volunteers, foster/adoptive parents, and non-profit (and NOT supported by government) organizations dedicated to helping the less fortunate.
They played a winning essay by a high school (I think) student about "what the flag means to me". They had a girl who founded a non-profit called SAIF which rehabs properties and allows folks in financial straits to rebuild their lives.
There were descriptions of the things John McCain has done, focusing on his character, Fred Thompson actually saying "Being a POW does not qualify one to be president of the United States. Character does."
I watched the convention on C-Span, because there is no commentary during the program. Then, due to the lack of channels I have with my non-cable "master antenna" thing here at the apartment, I switched to MSNBC to check out their "coverage" of the night.
What are they talking about? Palin's pregnant daughter, Palin was a last-minute choice, there's "news" that she wasn't interviewed until last Wednesday... and the pompous ASS Keith Olberman correcting every little thing he could find to either knock down the impact of what was said during a speech, pointing out how many times Fred Thompson cleared his throat during his speech, etc. That guy is such a hack, I can't believe MSNBC lets him on the air under the heading of "journalist". Chris Matthews, whoever that tranny is (oh, Rachel Maddow) are beating on Pat Buchanan, the one conservative allowed on the dais. Rachel or Rick or whatever his/her name is is nearly apoplectic that Sarah Palin might be thrust upon us when she was a last-minute pick, she's ripping the Republicans for "skipping over the last 8 years" (I guess she missed all of the talk about the war, the surge, and Laura Bush's recitation of all of W's accomplishments). Pat's trying to stand his ground and he called out "us" meaning all of the media for blowing up the Palin's pregnant daughter story, and giving a reasonable assessment of how the night went. They had no such vitriol for Obama, all they talked about was the wonderful message of hope, and how "electric" the atmosphere was. Tonight it's all about "Who do the Republicans think they are?" NO veneer even attempted at journalistic integrity. This is pure editorializing.
One of the MSNBC boobs was saying "well, with high unemployment..." HUH? We're at what, 5.5%? When we had that level under Clinton it was heralded as a freakin' miracle. Some idiot I read online today was saying that the GOP "just won't admit there's a recession" -- A recession is defined by 2 consecutive quarters of NEGATIVE growth... last quarter? 3.3%. Note to moron: no need to admit to something that does not exist.
Look, Bush has been a lackluster President on MANY fronts. He fell down on the job on illegal immigration and has some bizzare fetish for Mexican presidents. Until this surge, he was blowing the war on terror. He hasn't articulated (well, duh) any of the accomplishments of his administration, challenged the democrats in congress, or pointed out their wrong-headedness.
McCain? Well, not the guy I'd hoped would become the nominee, but I'll take him any day over Barry the socialist Obama. Logical criticisms are valid of course. But the hysterical pitch associated with everything I'm seeing tonight and read today just points out that the "mainstream" media (it's only mainstream if you're a liberal) is biased... even worse than ever imagined.

Demovention: Monday

2008-08-25T19:31:00.003-05:00

Oh, man.
The dems are hitting the "the same failed republican policies" line mighty hard at the convention.
I'm typing to keep from getting enraged.

They are showing a short film showing "the lessons learned" from Katrina.
NO mention of the city and state government (democrats) blowing it. Only blaming George Bush.
Jimmy Carter is narrating/starring in this film. He actually said that "the federal government couldn't take care of its own people" -- since when does the federal government take care of us? It's not only not their job, it's illegal. He's talking about how we saw that there were so many impoverished people, mostly african-american... well, how could THAT be in a city and state under democrat control for generations? Why, Jimmy just said that the Democrats are the party for ordinary citizens... look at your own movie, ya moron! The Democrats created huge ghettos in flood-prone areas... Oh yeah, and siphoned off all the money meant to maintain the levees. But it's George Bush's fault because he didn't... umm, what, call God on the phone and ask if he'd send Moses down to part the Mississippi?

Nancy Pelosi, in her speech actually said "we need a president who recognizes that health care is a right, not a privilege." Really? a RIGHT? I have a RIGHT to health care? By that logic, I have a right to groceries, a house, and clothes (since food, clothing and shelter are the true basic necessities, eh?). Where's my free house? My free food? My free threads?

They just played a sound bite from Barack saying that the most important thing to him is his family. Well, Mr. Multimillionaire, let's tell that to your brother in Kenya living in a tin shack.

Oh geez. A half-sister of Barack's is going on about nothing in particular and they just got a camera shot of some college-age girl in the audience wiping away a tear. I think I'm going to puke.

Wow, that's something, she just said that her students (she's a history teacher and has taught in both NY and HI) -- they've never traveled beyond their own neighborhoods because they "were afraid they'd be treated as an outsider"... HUH? What a load of crap.

heeeree we go... Jesse Jackson jr. is pulling the "Dr. King is looking down on us..." hmmm... and he just said that Barack Obama would be nominated to be the president of the United States... no Jesse, he'll be nominated to be the party's candidate. He still has to get elected.
OK he's calming down a little now.. I'll give him props for a nice riff on "the well-being of the 'we' depends upon the well-being of the 'he' and the 'she'..."I guess he's taking the rhyming cue from daddy.
This guy, if he can shake the stigma of being jesse jackson's son, may rise pretty high... he's got the look and the speechifying skills like obama... and apparently that's all it takes!

weird. I guess CSPAN isn't allowed to show the entertainers. Soemeone (can't tell if it's actually Lenny Kravitz or not) just performed "Are you gonna go my way" and they never showed the performer at all. Just really old people trying to sway to the beat. Wow. I thought it was Republicans that weren't supposed to have rhythm. I wonder what this break is all about? Let's see, this has to be some sort of "house band".

Hey, Spike Lee's in the crowd. Is he a delegate? Or does he think he's at a Knicks/Nuggets game?

meh. this is pretty much what I expected. I'm turning it off. Oh, wait, what's this... Working families, living wage, health care, retirement ALL in the same sentence from some union stiff. Nice. The "working families" can't afford 4 more years of the same failed policies... this is so ridiculous.

Hey, this new reality show looks like fun bunch of city folk on a boat... better than speeches from blowhard politicians any day.

Obama Changes Nothing

2008-08-23T10:45:00.004-05:00

So much for change. So much for the new face of Washington. So much for anything you thought might make Obama "The One."

Today, he selected Joe Biden, (D) Del. as his running mate. What? This guy couldn't be any more old-school, Washington insider... everything Obama claimed to be opposing. Not only that, but when Obama announced he was running for the presidency, Biden had this to say:

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy... I mean, that's a storybook, man."

Condescending, certainly. A bit racist? I'd say so. "clean"? huh?

Ah, but time heals all wounds and politics makes strange bedfellows.

And Obama proves he'll do anything to get elected. Just like those nasty Washington insiders he claims to oppose. Probably realized that if he didn't get a heavyweight on the ticket, he was done. Of course, what will all of those teary-eyed emo college kids do now that there's an old white guy running with Obama? That's not change, man... that's 'the man'!

meh.

Happy Anniversary to my folks

2008-08-18T22:50:00.002-05:00

So, August 19th, 2008 will be my parents' 52nd anniversary. Can you believe that?

With the marriage statistics being what they are, this seems a monumental feat. But, if you ask my parents (and the majority of people from their generation), they don't think it's anything but perfectly natural.

When my parents celebrated their 50th, we (the kids) had a big party for them, and many, many of their friends attended. I noticed that some were widowed, but ALL were still married. As a matter of fact, I can't think of a single couple of my parents' vintage, in their circle of friends, who went through a divorce. Seriously. I'll give you one huge reason for this: My parents, and their circle of friends, are Christians. The second reason: They're old. I don't mean that in a mean way, I mean to say that when they were tying the knot, the vows meant what they said: Til Death Do Us Part.

After the festivities had wound down during the 50th celebration, I asked my folks "So, what's the secret?" After a couple of silly answers (such as "I can't imagine training another one"), they both said "We take our vows seriously." How simple is that? I will guarantee that if I asked either of them (I wouldn't waste the breath) "So, how did you manage to stay faithful all these years?" the answer would be exactly the same.

Thank you, God, for blessing me with such a beautiful example of what marriage is meant to be.

By the way... when your folks get to a certain age, they don't need more 'stuff', so it's difficult to find gifts for them (well, the ol' Cracker Barrel gift card never goes to waste). I was bumping around the card aisle looking for something fun, and found the most ridiculous card I've ever seen. I had to get it! This thing said "Congratulations on your..." and ended with "Anniversary" -- but in between, there was a cut-out window, and behind this was a wheel with all the different years on it (I didn't see where it started & ended, but 52 was in there!). The message inside was typical greeting card drivel. Couldn't resist.
I also included a deck of cards. It's symbolic, get it?

I love these guys.

2008-08-18T22:36:00.002-05:00

A small quote from a story from AFP:

More than 30 people died in the worst weekend of violence this year in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua, the scene of daily drug gang turf wars, police said Monday.

Drug-related violence in Mexico has killed 2,682 people since the start of the year -- nine more than in all of 2007 -- with nearly half in Chihuahua state, daily El Universal reported Saturday.

And this from AP:

Federal inspectors at U.S. border crossings repeatedly turned back filthy, disease-ridden shipments of peppers from Mexico in the months before a salmonella outbreak that sickened 1,400 people was finally traced to Mexican chilies.

Yet no larger action was taken. Food and Drug Administration officials insisted as recently as last week that they were surprised by the outbreak because Mexican peppers had not been spotted as a problem before.

But an Associated Press analysis of FDA records found that peppers and chilies were consistently the top Mexican crop rejected by border inspectors for the last year.

And yet, if we try to control our border, we're racist xenophobes.
Bush was a no-show on the border issue, and whether we get McCain or Obama... well, it'll be a free-for-all.

Drug runners, poisonous produce, tuberculosis, gang members, unsafe/uninspected trucks on our highways...
Yeah, Mexico is great. Well, if you don't get kidnapped.

And if our border guards shoot a drug dealer? 10 years in prison.

What about Mexico's military crossing our border? That's called an act of war anywhere else in the world, but we let it happen (repeatedly) and don't let our guys engage -- don't want to "upset our neighbors to the South".

We've got a great country, for a little while longer. I don't know why the people we've elected to protect it seem so hell-bent on ruining it by any means necessary.

Can ya tell I'm in a sour mood today?

Unemployment is High? Blame Pelosi.

2008-08-07T22:01:00.005-05:00

So, the American People supposedly "sent a message" in the 2006 Congressional elections by putting Democrats in control. The Democrats basically claimed that they were going to fix everything, ever wrong, everywhere. With all the promises and all the hype, it turns out that the Democrats did very little to address anything. No surprise there. (I'll save the rant on them bugging out instead of voting on energy policy while Gas is nearly 4 bucks a gallon)
One "accomplishment" they tout was that they increased the minimum wage. Woo hoo! Now you are forced to pay an unskilled employee, no matter what the job, 6.55/hr. By 2009, it will be 7.25. On the face of it, that always sounds great. Especially since the media and Liberals have made phrases like "living wage" and "working families" (no matter how meaningless they are) part of every sound bite regarding wages or taxes.
Right-thinking folks have always warned against raising the minimum wage because of the unintended consequences. A wage is an agreement - the employer is willing to pay it, and the employee is willing to work for it. Forcing one side to pay an arbitrarily set rate ruins the market force of supply and demand. It's economics 101.
Now, the Democrats have been crowing about this wonderful victory for "working families"... however, if you look in recent economic news, you'll see that jobless claims are at their highest point in four years. Huh? What? How can this be?
Well, what happens in the Summer? Tons of students try to find Summer jobs. Think some of those are minimum wage jobs? As an employer, can you hire the same number of students for the summer if you have to pay them more? Let's see. Gas costs a fortune. That, coupled with other factors, has caused the prices of supplies, raw materials, etc. to increase. Again, as an employer, with ALL of your costs skyrocketing... can you hire all those kids you were going to?

Umm, no.

When wages are artificially, and arbitrarily increased by our lovely Congress, it makes for great sound bites. They can talk about how they have the interests of the "working class" or "working families" at heart. How they have provided (as if by magic!) "a living wage".

Except, they haven't. All they've done is contribute to higher unemployment, lower profits for small businesses, higher prices for consumers, and even lower tax revenues for local and state governments when people buy less.

Oh, but the Democrats are the party of "the little guy". Not like those "evil Republicans" who are "in the back pocket of the evil corporations"...

It makes me want to puke. Seriously, next year, when some teenage kid (who's basically looking for iTunes money) applies to take out trash and sweep the floor in your tiny restaurant that barely allows you to pay rent... is that job gonna be worth 7.25 an hour? Are you going to be able to pay that? And keep your doors open? Or not have to raise your prices? Hmmm?

And we're supposed to elect one of these geniuses to the Presidency? A boob who is now touting "A 1000-dollar energy credit" to "working families" to be paid for with... wait for it... "Windfall profits" of the oil companies. What is this, Venezuela? 1940's Italy? Since when does the government get to "take" profits from anyone? Sure, they do it through taxation (BTW, the oil companies pay more in taxes than the lower third of EVERYONE in the United States), but Barry O. has even dropped the euphemisms. He wants to "take the profits" of... now, to be fair, Hillary was the first to use that rhetoric back before the primaries. You didn't think Obama actually had an original idea, did you? But seriously, folks... if they can come after oil companies because their profits are "obscene" (their percentage of profit is so low that it would be considered an abject failure in most industries), who's next? WalMart? McDonald's? You?

I can only hope and pray that by November, people have paid enough attention to realize that if the Dems reach a 60-40 majority in the Senate AND get the presidency... the downhill race for socialism will be ON. And God help us all should that happen.

Forcing the Race Card

2008-08-01T18:20:00.005-05:00

This week, trying to make the point that John McCain doesn't have anything to say about himself, Barry Obama said

"But, since they don’t have any new ideas the only strategy they’ve got in this election is to try to scare you about me. They’re going to try to say that I’m a risky guy, they’re going to try to say, 'Well, you know, he’s got a funny name and he doesn’t look like all the presidents on the dollar bills and the five dollar bills and, and they’re going to send out nasty emails."

So, Obama is making predictions that John McCain is going to play the race card, the xenophobe card and that he's going to send out nasty emails. Beautiful. Who's playing the race card, Barry? John McCain has never done such a thing (he fired a staffer who once got close). Let's see. Who, although he is half white, called his own grandmother "a typical white woman"? Implying that she couldn't help but be racist even though her own grandson is half black... that wasn't McCain (can you imagine if McCain had ever referred to anyone as a "typical black person"? whoo boy!)

Worse, in an earlier version the same day of these "he doesn't look like" comments, he actually said

"You know, he’s new, he’s... doesn’t look like the other presidents on the currency, you know, he’s got a, he’s got a funny name."

The OTHER presidents? What arrogance. Note to Obama: You're not a president yet. You don't get to lump yourself in with "the other presidents". And this guy is supposed to be the sublime speaker.

On the same subject, I just happened to catch a talk radio host named Leo Terrell actually try to pull a racist slant out of the McCain campaign's recent stupid ad featuring Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Barry O. If you haven't seen it, it was making the point (sloppily) that the fascination with Obama is based on fluff, not substance, as it is with Hilton & Spears. But what did Mr. Terrell see? Nothing less than an insidious plot to turn white voters against Obama by subliminally linking a black man with white women "which is a big no-no". HUH? Moron. IF there is anyone dumb enough to hold that view and at the same time shrewd enough to catch this subtle, diabolical subterfuge, well... they weren't ever gonna vote for Barry anyway.

People say and do racist things in fairly obvious ways -- and when they do, they get called on the carpet. You've got to have a lot of time on your hands (and a pretty big chip on your shoulder) to ferret out fantasies of a "Birth of a Nation" contingent running around this country... and the ludicrous idea that McCain would be pandering to them.

By the way, since Obama said this stuff, and the McCain camp responded by saying "He played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck" (that'll become a cliche someday), he has responded by saying something along the lines of "What I meant was, I don't look like I came from Central Casting for presidential candidates. Race had nothing to do with it..." wha? What is it about you that makes you look so different from previous presidents, B.O.? Your ears? Check Lincoln. Your youth? Check Clinton. Your elitist ways? Check Bush 41, FDR, JFK, et al. Face it. You meant your skin color. There's nothing else you could have meant.

For a guy who is supposed to "transcend race"... he sure seems to make sure we're painfully aware of it.

I'm not thrilled about the idea of McCain as president, but I'll be pulling the "R" lever this go round.

Whar'dem English Blogs?

2008-07-14T17:42:00.003-05:00

Sometimes when I have a few minutes (and think about doing it), I will hit a blog on Blogger and start clicking "Next Blog" to randomly check out other blogs. I'm sure it is a national pastime only surpassed by googling the Jonas Brothers. Anyway... Increasingly, it seems, the blogs that come up are in other languages. Mostly Spanish, although I have recognized French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Polish, and New England.
As Blogger is a global thing, I suppose this should be no surprise, but since I can't read those other languages, it would be nice if there were a language preference when it comes to the "next blog" feature. Of course, then it wouldn't be random, and I wouldn't have the amusing task of figuring out why, on an Arabic blog with a profile shot of Ahmedinejad and the Ayatollah Khomeini (if I misspelled 'em, too bad), there's an entry with a picture of a sheep amongst the other entries that seem to be military/political in nature. People do post photos of their girlfriends quite often, so I suppose that's one possibility. Of course the lamb also in the photo leads me to believe that the author may be baaa-aaaby daaa-aaady too.

Gas Prices Got You Down?

2008-07-13T19:07:00.006-05:00

OK, so I'm in Wamsutter, Wyoming (of course, who hasn't been there), and am at the Love's truck stop to buy a Coke Zero. The guy in front of me is a trucker, and I overhear this from the cashier:
"All right, that's $977.63... out of a thousand... and I owe you $22.37"

OUCH! I thought it was costing ME a lot to fill up.

I do have to say, that in looking at the population on the sign, I believe it used to say "681" and only looks like "68" if you don't look carefully. That sounds more logical, as I saw too many houses for there to only be 68 people. Of course, 681 ain't exactly Metropolis. Most of the residents look like this:

or this:

A New Band...

2008-07-13T19:00:00.002-05:00

I kinda like these guys, check 'em out on Myspace.

They are called Above the Golden State, a Christian band that hopefully is a harbinger of things to come in the CCM scene... in other words, they don't sound like a processed, homogenized, softened & spit-polished product of the Nashville machine (even though they are on Sparrow Records!)

Yay!

Album drops July 22, pre-order it here

New stuff is fun.

Suicide is Painless - Unless You're a Republican

2008-05-01T17:50:00.002-05:00

"There's no liberal bias in the media."
I just want to throw up when I hear someone say that. There is so much evidence to the contrary, and really none in support of such a moronic statement.

Here's the latest.

I thought I'd blogged about the Eliot Spitzer & his call girl story, but I see no such post (I'm losing my mind!). Anyway, as all of the stories about that were running, you had to dig DEEP (as in, go look it up in a government website) to find out if Eliot Spitzer is a Democrat or Republican. Wanna know why? Well, because he is a Democrat, of course. Seriously, go back & google the stories - and see how often his party affiliation is mentioned. I dare ya.

NOW, the "DC Madam" has committed suicide. This is Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the woman who was running a call girl ring in Washington. Here's the line that is appearing in EVERY story about the suicide:

Palfrey was convicted April 15 by a federal jury of running a prostitution service that catered to members of Washington's political elite, including Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican.

So, even when the story is about a suicide, not a prostitution ring, they just HAVE to get in that "a Louisiana Republican" was one of her clients. True, he's one of the only ones they got a real name on, but... the fact that he was a client is OLD news (and Lord knows it was repeated enough, always with the "(R)" by his name, whether in print or on TV.

But there's no liberal bias in the media. Oh no.

Why You Hatin'?

2008-04-29T17:38:00.004-05:00

OK, this seems obvious to me, but "the mainstream media" doesn't seem to be asking the question:
The Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's "crazy uncle" made the following comments about Calypso Louie... err, The Honorable Louis Farrakhan:

Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains, he did not put me in salvery, and he didn’t make me this color. (emphasis mine)

So let me get this straight. Only your enemy would make you "this color"? Well, God did that. So, God is your enemy, Reverend? You are apparently in the wrong business if you claim God as your enemy, sir.

Of course, I'd like to see who put you in chains or slavery, since you had a middle-class upbringing in this horrible country "run by rich white men", the very people in whose neighborhood you just bought a huge house. I guess you don't want to stay among your flock now that you've retired.

Crazy uncle, indeed. I've been to black church, and yes... it's different from white church. But the things this lunatic is saying are far beyond "cultural differences". This guy is certifiable. Claiming that criticism of his vitriol is somehow an attack on the Black Church is tantamount to yelling "Fire!" in a crowded movie house. This is a blatant attempt to fan the flames of whatever racial animosity lingers in American society. I don't think pastor Wright will be happy until there are marches or riots in the streets.

No one has attacked the Black Church. We've only questioned the motives and character of a man who sat in the pew of Jeremiah Spite's church for 20 years and now is running for the highest office in the land. It's evident to me that Barry Obama did it for street cred since he wasn't "black enough" for the African-American Community. Even though the media hasn't mentioned it lately, the guy is half white. That doesn't fly in the Second Ward. So, in order to show that you're in touch with your blackness, why not start calling yourself "Barack" and join up with the most militant Black Liberation Theology church in town? Instant props from the hood. Now, having to explain it away just makes Senator Obama look like the tired, pandering, triangulating, lying type of politician he claims to be replacing. Ah, the audacity of Hype.

Can We Clone Brooke?

2008-04-04T22:50:00.004-05:00

I don't really watch much of "American Idol", unless it's the very early audition shows where the deluded come to be humiliated. However, this season, there's someone on the show that just stands out, at least to me.
That person is Brooke White. Finally, a true light in the darkness. In this otherwise inane excuse for entertainment, this lady exudes humility, perseverance, class and dignity. I believe she's a Mormon, but I'm gonna have to let that slide for the moment. Musically speaking, she's got a bit of a "throwback" vibe, more like a Carole King than a Britney Spears (and yes, that is a GOOD thing). The sheer joy that just bursts from her countenance (that's her face for you public school dropouts) when she sings is infectious and genuine. Her responses to the judges are always unfazed, calm and imbued with an understated confidence and comfort in her own skin.
I say her husband is a lucky man!
I don't have any idea if she'll win (although I think she may be the last female standing), but I thank Fox and the voting viewers (so far) for letting us see someone on TV that we can point to and say to our kids "That's how you should act". Rare, indeed.

Umm, I reserve the right to recant this post if naughty pictures of Brooke show up on the internet... or if she gets indicted for running a dogfighting ring... or if it turns out that she drinks bear bile as a health tonic.

Flag Pins are Cool.

2008-04-04T22:23:00.003-05:00

It seems that loving your country is out of vogue these days, unless you (a) don't live in the USA, or (b) include some sort of criticism along with your expression of patriotism (all the better if the criticism completely negates the patriotic part).
However, at the risk of sounding "unenlightened", I'll say that I unabashedly love this country. I can freely go to whatever church I want. I've got every cuisine worth eating within 10 miles of my home. I can call my president a dunderhead and not be in stocks the next morning. That's just a few things that make me love this place.
I don't buy into the "enlightened" view that all cultures are equally good, they are just different. If that were the case, people from every other culture on the planet wouldn't be willing, in droves, to leave their ancestral homeland, break laws, endure subhuman treatment and risk drowning, sharks, coyotes, and human smugglers just to get here.
Here's a couple of items that prompted this little flag-waving, jingoistic, entry:
Palestinian fisherman were captured on tape dragging in a huge leatherback sea turtle on the beach and slaughtering it (in front of kids, no less). Now, I don't expect third-world miscreants to be fully aware of horribly endangered species, but I DO expect people in the 21st century to not slaughter an animal so that "sick children or people with back problems" can drink its blood for the "healing properties". I'm just going to have to say, "We're better than that."
Also, in China, an Asian animal rights organization is in the process of rescuing dozens (on their way to thousands) of bears (small bears called Moon Bears) which are penned in tiny cages their entire lives for... wait for it... their bile. In China, bear bile is apparently highly prized for medicinal value. Mmmmmmm, we're better than that, too.
Sure, we've got Paris Hilton, Sean Penn, and the "Chocolate Rain" guy, but... we're still the best place on the planet to live. Yeah, I said it.

Global...Cooling?

2008-02-28T21:30:00.002-06:00

It's been interesting to see that the major news media and staunch global warming advocates (zealots) have recently been using the term "climate change" vs. the more 'controversial' "Global Warming." I wondered why, and now I think I know.

Surely you've heard about the incredible snows that all the ski locations have been enjoying this winter. Many are experiencing record snows, in some cases the best ever on record. That, obviously, doesn't sound like a warming issue...

Well, then there's this (quoted from a Brit Hume column on FoxNews.com):

Now there is word that all four major global temperature tracking outlets have released data showing that temperatures have dropped significantly over the last year. California meteorologist Anthony Watts says the amount of cooling ranges from 65-hundredths of a degree Centigrade to 75-hundreds of a degree.
That is said to be a value large enough to erase nearly all the global warming recorded over the past 100 years. It is reportedly the single fastest temperature change ever recorded — up or down.
Some scientists contend the cooling is the result of reduced solar activity — which they say is a larger driver of climate change than man-made greenhouse gases.

This news, for some reason, isn't being widely reported... well, I think I know the reason. I don't know how they'll keep this quiet until November -- any repudiation of the dogma of the Global Warming religion will likely not bode well for a Democrat running for President. Both Clinton and Obama have both jumped on the Global Warmi...err, "climate change" bandwagon and are calling for draconian measures to mitigate what they claim is man-caused change.

I'm sure that once a Democrat is safely ensconced in office (I shudder just typing that), it will be a "happy revelation" that perhaps "we were a bit too aggressive" in the call for massive oppression of industry to pay reparations to Gaia.

Climate change is cyclical. Always has been, always will be. I think it's a good idea to curb emissions, look for viable alternatives to "fossil fuels", conserve our resources, etc. But listening to the likes of Al Gore and shackling American business while the rest of the world pollutes away, well, I call that foolishness.

Random Political Thoughts

2008-02-16T14:28:00.004-06:00

If we're at nearly full employment, and we "must" have illegals here to "do the jobs Americans will not do", why is Barack Obama talking about creating programs to create up to 7 million more jobs? Who's gonna do them?

In 2000, Hillary Clinton decried our electoral college method of electing a president, saying that the winner of the popular vote should be the president. Now, she's carefully calculating how to win more delegates (and "Super Delegates" - what an evil moronic concept!) even if Barack Obama wins more actual primary/caucus votes. Ah, Clintonian hypocrisy. I'd almost forgotten how underhanded these people are.

Congress continues to hold hearings about steroid use in baseball. We're about to reach 4,000 dead in the War on Terror. Priorities, anyone?

Hillary is being held up as some sort of feminist role model, claiming she's been working for 35 years to empower and fight for women... except, of course, for the ones who had "liaisons" with her husband. Ah, Clintonian hyp... wait, I am repeating myself.

I don't look forward to casting a vote this upcoming election. The choice truly will be the lesser of two evils. How McCain went from an also-ran to front-runner on the Republican side baffles (and worries) me. And either of the two Democratic possibilities scares me to death. Marxist-Stalinists both, they'll be doing everything they can to rush us towards Socialism, which has failed 100% anywhere it's been tried.

I think the real, deep-down, reason so many people hate George W. Bush is his inability to orate. Conversely, Obama's speech-giving prowess is the reason so many have been mesmerized into thinking he's something special.

Barack Obama claims that he is "no longer a Muslim". Islam dictates that apostasy be dealt with by death. So, do we want a president who will be under a Fatwah? It will be the "duty" of some "good Muslim" to assassinate him. And from what I've seen, the Islamists take that sort of thing seriously. They've cut heads off for less.

Grammys: Almost Great!

2008-02-10T22:09:00.000-06:00

I haven't enjoyed the Grammys for a long, long time. However, tonight's show (which I didn't even realize was on - accidentally turned it on) was a standout in many ways.
The performances were a little more understated with a focus on the actual talent and not pure bombast.
Even though I'm no fan of Kanye West, I appreciated his heartfelt song to his mom.
My favorite moment was when Vince Gill got his award for best country record (I think), it was handed to him by presenter Ringo Starr. Vince said "I just got handed a Grammy by a Beatle... Kayne, has that happened to you yet?" Classic. One might recall that Vince Gill was part of a Beatles tribute several years back on a Grammy show, which made the whole moment a little sweeter.
I thought that Alicia Keyes performing "No One" started out great, then her voice took a little turn for the worse... but then it was all redeemed when John Mayer came out to lay down a tasty guitar solo for the end. Alicia has always had good live performances on these shows, flamenco dancing, doing wildly different arrangements of her hits, etc. A true talent.
Whoever had the idea of the "Passing of the torch" performance with Tina Turner and Beyonce is a genius. Beyonce really does personify the drive, energy, and talent of Tina for a new generation. I'm awfully proud of our Houston girl! She's got a lifetime of potential left, and I'll be watching and listening. Go girl!
Two things shocked me (in a good way!) this year: They actually had a long performance of "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin done by Herbie Hancock and a Chinese pianist who's name escapes me at the moment (sorry!). That piece, even though the airline commercials nearly ruined it for me, holds a special place in my heart. My mom has always been a huge opera/classical music fan, particularly of Beverly Sills. My dad rarely talks about music, what he does or does not like, I don't know him to have ever purchased a record or CD... but he has always told us that "Rhapsody in Blue" is his favorite piece of music. So, it can't help but be special to all of his kids.
The second shocker was an extended and respectful Gospel Medley! Even Chris "Ludacris" Bridges was respectful in his intro. Good to see Israel Houghton up there, representing Houston (via Lakewood Church). Aretha Franklin, I don't know how old she is, still has more range than a piano. Unbelievable! Still making it look easy!
The Foo Fighters doing "The Pretender" outside with a full orchestra (arranged/conducted by John Paul Jones!) were just incredible. That is SUCH a good band. They need to be the Superbowl halftime act next year.
As I'm typing this, Will-I-Am is doing a crazy rap/song with backing tracks like "Theme from A Summer Place", "Strangers In the Night", "Beat It", and "It's a Beautiful Day" -- That's creative, gotta hand it to him.
Amy Winehouse, the poster child for life imitating art, won for Record of the Year with "Rehab" (I told people that when it came out! Still got the touch! Ha). She seemed totally and completely stunned by the win, and that's always nice to see.
OH wow. Herbie Hancock just won Album of the Year for "River: The Joni Letters" -- do I detect some integrity in the academy?
My only complaint, and I don't know who's responsible, is that the audio SUCKED. Not the mix, but there was a continual wowing, sounding like a bad cassette that had spent too many days on the dashboard of someone's Nissan Sentra. NO excuse for fouling up the sound on THE GRAMMYS!!! UGH.
Other than that, I gotta give 'em high marks for a pretty well-done show. I hope the Oscars follow suit and don't do anything stupid. Maybe the writer's strike (possibly OVER) will force them to keep it short & sweet without too many badly-delivered jokes. We'll see...
Ack! One more small gripe -- they cut the show and jammed the credits into a small frame during other promos... at very high speed. I HATE that. A show like that takes dozens, if not hundreds, of people to pull off. I've got friends in the industry and if they are involved I know I want to see them credited! So I have to assume others would like to see themselves or their friends/family members as well... eh? Is that too much to ask?

Happy New Year?

2008-01-27T22:12:00.000-06:00

OK, it's been forever since I added anything here. I still haven't much to say, but there are two interesting things that I think everyone should see. First off, there's this crazy video from "Anonymous" declaring war on Scientology:

Next, it looks like the record industry has decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em and has lauched Qtrax.
The software is downloadable as of Midnight EST Jan 28. Free downloads of dern near every song around from what they say. I think it's probably too good to be true, and we'll have to endure not only advertising (that's a given), but I'd wager there's some sort of snooping malware involved. I just can't see the record industry doing this with NO strings attached.

Article Here

www.qtrax.com

But Islam Is The Religion Of Peace...

2007-11-15T10:55:00.000-06:00

So, if I'm to believe the apologists for the wonderful religion of Islam, it's a peaceful religion. I don't call violently punishing the victim of an already unthinkably violent crime "peaceful."

Saudi Arabia is punishing a female victim of gang rape with 200 lashes and six months in jail.

From AFP:

The 19-year-old woman -- whose six armed attackers have been sentenced to jail terms -- was initially ordered to undergo 90 lashes for "being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape," the Arab News reported.

But in a new verdict issued after Saudi Arabia's Higher Judicial Council ordered a retrial, the court in the eastern town of Al-Qatif more than doubled the number of lashes to 200.

A court source told the English-language Arab News that the judges had decided to punish the woman further for "her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media."

Makes me sick. Yet, we're supposed to be 'tolerant' and 'inclusive' -- and we are not to think that one 'culture' is better than another... remember, Christianity brought us the Crusades, right? Oh, wait. Islam brought on the Crusades. I keep forgetting, since no one in a US high school or University will tell you that. I do wonder what the endgame is of all of the anti-Christian, anti-capitalist, anti-American elites that constantly work to undermine Judeo-Christian values, any sort of personal responsibility, and the very existence of the USA. If they get their way, Islamicists WILL take over our country, and these very elites will be the first ones to feel the sword. Careening down a suicidal path tends to make me agree with Michael Savage: Liberalism is a mental disorder.

WOW. Sometimes Things Go Right.

2007-10-25T16:06:00.000-05:00

I am a flat-magnet.

Err, what that means is, I get flat tires a lot. At least I think it is more than the average driver. Not sure what the deal is. I've had to buy a replacement lug wrench (I completely destroyed the wimpy folding one that came with the car trying to remove lug nuts that were impact-wrenched on as if the Space Shuttle depended on it). I've had to replace tires multiple times because when I get a flat, it typically is some crazy shard of IED that rips through the sidewall.
Some time back, I noticed that I was getting some vibration, but it started RIGHT before I made a trip to Dallas and back. So, on a bad alignment, I put about 500 miles on the tires and wore one of them pretty badly on the outside edge. Fast forward to about 2 months ago. This worn tire picks up a nail and starts leaking. I get it fixed. In the meantime, I'm starting to notice vibration again at higher speeds. Oh, and I have a trip to Dallas impending (tomorrow). Now about a week ago, I notice the SAME tire has a nice new nail in it. It's not leaking, but needs to be fixed before a Dallas trip, right? Today (yep, waiting until the last minute), I take the car to the Sears near work. Tell them I need the tire fixed.
"Can't do it - not enough tread".
Great. I have to buy a new tire. But, probably the wise thing to do. It's not that expensive of a tire.
Then the guy says "Your alignment is probably out for this to be so worn down."
"Well, most of that happened before I got it aligned a while back."
"Where did you get it aligned?"
"Here."
"When was it? The alignment is warrantied."
"I'm not sure. How long is the warranty?"
"Six thousand miles or six months, whichever comes first."
"Psshh, it was probably more than six thousand miles ago, but let me look."
I have the receipt in the glove compartment. I look. I do the math.
"OH man, check this out. It was May 1st, and I'm under 6k by... about 100 miles."
"OK, then it's free."

Hallelujah! You can't tell me God wasn't protecting this fool on this one. Even if I were staying town, another 2 days and I'd have been over 6,000 miles. And also under by six days? Insane.

So, now I have a fresh new tire and a new alignment... AND, they were slow so they did all of it while I was there. Less than an hour. That's awesome.

What a Difference... revised

2007-10-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

OK, I will equate this fire thing with Katrina. It's gotten totally huge since I wrote my last post. Good grief. I pray that they'll be able to control these things soon. Nature is NOT on our side.

What a Difference a Governor Makes?

2007-10-23T09:22:00.001-05:00

I can't help but notice that in San Diego, CA thousands upon thousands of people, fleeing a natural disaster, have gathered at Qualcomm Stadium (the NFL Stadium there) to wait out the fires, worried sick about their homes and futures.

Sound familiar?

However, instead of crimes being committed, people becoming mini-celebrities by complaining, rumors of beatings, robbery and rape, it's a civil, almost festive atmosphere. Food and water are in abundance, the governor of the state is there, talking to people one-on-one, and the mood, while apprehensive, is calm.

Now, I'm not trying to equate wildfires in a relatively small area to a hurricane that covers an entire city. However, it does show some stark differences. In an environment run by Democrats, who claim to be 'for the little guy', no help came, organization was nil, buses that could have evacuated neighborhoods were left to sink under rising water, and thousands of people with a mindset of entitlement (again, thanks to... well, I won't keep repeating the obvious) just asked "where's mine, when am I going to get it, and dang, I think I'll take this plasma tv".

Dare I mention that the governor of California is a Republican? I wonder if that might have had anything to do with the way the evacuees are being managed. Just wondering.

Granted, California is a bastion of Liberalism, but it's a different kind. This is the elitist snob kind of Liberalism. The kind that shows that when a wildfire strikes, the homes in danger are the multi-million-dollar variety (wildfires indicate forest, and living near a beautiful wooded area is expensive, kids). The kind that through onerous "open space laws" has artificially created a housing shortage, driving the price of the existing homes through the roof (no pun intended), where only the well-heeled can afford to live. Convenient, eh? No worries about "those people" moving in near you - they can't ever afford to. Sure, you're at the ballot box, pushing for this racist, elitist, separatist agenda in the name of "The Environment", because that makes it sound noble and "green". But the "green" in this case is your protected property values. And you don't have to come out and say that when you push for government programs to help "the poor", what you really mean is "just as long as they don't come near me, except to clean the pool."

What happened in New Orleans was a travesty on many levels. The "Blame Bush First" crowd tried to make it be about the federal government failures, but the state has to first officially ask for the federal government's help. That's the way it works. Locally, the mayor was caught like a deer in headlights and did nothing (until he began panicking and blaming Bush). The governor did next to nothing (until it was too late, so she too blamed Bush). The president didn't help the cause with his usual foot-in-mouth sound bites ("Heckuva job, Brownie!"), but the failures of NOLA began many decades ago, when corrupt Democrat officials enjoyed a tradition of siphoning federal levee money into pet projects (and pockets), and made damned sure that the poor stayed that way so they could always get reelected on promises of better days ahead.

It's a sickening idea, but think about it: if minorities and 'poor folk' actually shook off the empty promises and table scraps of the welfare state, rolled up their sleeves, worked hard, saved their money & thus built a better life for themselves and their children... why would they vote Democrat? So they could pay more in taxes? They've been told all their lives that "the rich" owe them something. Why would they want to become rich and then have their hard-earned money confiscated via taxes to give to people who didn't get off their butt and make something of themselves? Much easier to continue to listen to the lies, platitudes and empty promises of the party machine. Stay resentful of the 'haves' -- remain a 'have not' and sing "We Shall Overcome" on MLK day.

The West Coast Liberals have figured out a way to keep their enclaves free of "the common people" while claiming to care about them. Southern Liberals have just flat-out exploited their poor -- and even when the curtain was pulled aside after Katrina and the Great Oz was unmasked, these poor misguided people chose to stay asleep and not get back to Kansas and see reality. Hmmm, actually, a lot of them did flee to Kansas -- But I digress. I can only hope that some day the voting bloc that is the "African-American Community" (since when does your race make you a community?) will wake up and realize they are being used. Katrina should have been a clarion call, but the brainwashing is even more entrenched than I thought. And that's just sad.

Hate Crimes Update

2007-10-12T09:19:00.000-05:00

As ridiculous as the concept of a "hate crime" is, here's evidence that hate crime laws are so poorly written that... get this... you don't even have to be a hater to get convicted of a hate crime. What?

In New York, Anthony Fortunato was just convicted of a hate crime against a gay man. That conjures up images of some homophobe violently attacking a homosexual, some old-fashioned gay-bashing, with a flurry of anti-gay epithets thrown in just to seal the deal. But is that what happened? Nope, not even close. Anthony Fortunato is himself gay, or at least bisexual.

He and some friends were low on money and dope and Fortunato had an idea to troll a gay chat room and find someone looking for a date. They lured Michael Sandy to some place and Fortunato's friends attacked him. He ran and as they chased him, he ran into the path of an oncoming car. Fortunato claims that he had no intention of beating the guy, only to try to get him to share some pot, and then maybe taking some money from him.

Well, here's the rub: Apparently in New York, you don't have to prove that the perpetrator hates gays, only that the victim was chosen based on his sexual orientation. So Fortunato was convicted of manslaughter as a hate crime.

So if you were thinking about stealing someones CD collection of show tunes, you may want to think twice. Could be a hate crime.

Logically, shouldn't this make all targeted robberies hate crimes? You might not hate old ladies, but you targeted one for purse-snatching because of her age and assumed frailty... You don't hate rich white folks leaving the opera, but you targeted them for their race and their assumed wealth...

It's bad enough we're creating thought police. If hate crimes laws are going to exist, the bar better be set pretty freakin' high - because the State is miraculously going to prosecute you for what they cannot know... what you are thinking. Merely "choosing a victim based on sexual preference" may involve stereotyping, but that hardly rises to the level of statutory "hate".

Object Lessons and Slaps in the Face

2007-10-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

So, right now there is a bible study going on at my church on Tuesdays. We're watching a series of talks by Louie Giglio. If you don't know anything about Louie, the nutshell is that he has a very visually-oriented, casual ministry style but manages to drive home the truths of the Gospel in a very profound way.

This series is "Christ In You" and focuses on Colossians. This Tuesday, he spent some time talking about the difference in what is actually true vs. what we feel like, or feel is true. He said that sadly, most people live based on their feelings instead of what God has said is true (the point here being, in case you are a little slow, that God's word can be trusted).

Although I've heard this teaching before, it really whacked me upside the head this week, because I'd just gotten through enduring a situation that truthfully was nothing... but it felt like hell. And, acting on the feeling and not the reality, I pushed the first domino over.

click

click

click click

click click click

click click clickclickclickclick...thunk! <--(the sound of someone jamming their hand in between the dominoes)

Thank God that before the whole domino arrangement fell over (it's barely started getting set up!), cooler heads prevailed, the voice of reason (and reality) intervened, and a friendship was not destroyed.

Louie, even though you just happened to be cued up in the DVD player on Tuesday, I thank God that you were there to make the analogy painfully clear. Although the issue was already being resolved, I now have a wonderful picture of how ridiculously far away from the truth (and The Truth) we can get when we base our reactions on our feelings and not reality. Whether in the interpersonal moments in day to day life or the infinitely more important and eternal ramifications of our salvation, how we may feel about something is nothing upon which to stand. May I always remember this the next time my feelings get in the way... the enemy sure knows how to manipulate feelings, but cannot change the truth!

The Must-Read of the Day

2007-10-01T17:02:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to read this one.
Of course, at the rate I'm going, it will be next year before I can post any sort of review...
Anyway, I feel confident in recommending this to any and all. This man has been maligned by so many, simply because he doesn't fall into the Left's definition of what an African-American is assumed to be. Instead of being held up as a role model, he (along with Colin Powell, J.C. Watts, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, and others) is derided as an "Uncle Tom", "not in touch with his blackness" (whatever that means), and other such baseless name-calling.
Any time I've had the good fortune to catch a speech by Justice Thomas, I've been captivated by his clarity, conviction and honesty. It breaks my heart that there are probably no more than a handful of young African-American boys thinking "Someday, I want to be like Clarence Thomas". Maybe, just maybe, this book will open the eyes of some -- although I'm sure the NYT Book Review and all the usual suspects in the race-baiting business will trash the book out of hand and unfortunately help limit its success.

Workin' at the Car Wash

2007-09-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

Today started out fairly lazy -- washing dishes, catching up on some email, etc. After finally getting off my "blessed assurance" and going to wash my car, I noticed it was sprinkling a little. Great timing. Anyway, I decided to wash the car anyway because it was pretty dirty.
I go to a coin-op car wash that is always a cultural experience, I get to catch up on all the latest in Tejano, Nortena, Merengue music, basically anything with rip-roaring accordions blaring out of car stereos. I feel badly for the people who live in the apartments adjoining the car wash!
Anyway, as I was lathering up the Saturn in the vend-o-squirt, I noticed that all of the stalls had filled up and a few people were waiting. So I slowed way down. Just kidding! I tried to finish up quickly and get out of the stall for the next person. I jumped in the car and maneuvered to one of the vacuum stations (several slots down, as the one directly in front of me was occupied. As I was knocking the water off the car with my trusty California Water Blade, in the corner of my eye I noticed a guy walking up to me. This happens a lot, where someone 'volunteers' to wash or dry your car for a few bucks... so as I was formulating my polite but firm refusal in my head, I turned and noticed that this guy was (a) on the phone, (b) not really paying attention to me at all, and (c) had a ziplock bag of quarters in his hand... the bag of quarters I'd left at the control panel/coin receiver in my stall. I thanked him somewhat profusely as he handed them to me, and he never even paused in his phone conversation as he turned and and went back to his truck.
I have to say, that was a very pleasant and unexpected surprise! I am a little sad that it was so unexpected for two reasons: (1)-it's just today's reality, but (2)- it probably says something about my attitude towards others. So, while being very happy about the return of my quarters, I was a little disappointed in my initial reaction to noticing the approach of this stranger. Maybe next time I'll extend the benefit of the doubt a little more graciously. At least I'd like to think I will.
Oh, and it started raining while I was typing this.

Trying to get the old fire back

2007-09-16T17:18:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time, I thought I was going to be an artist. Over the years, the creative bug has had long periods of hibernation, but sometimes it wakes up, walks outside the cave and takes a look around.

The latest urge was to do something mixed media, sort of an 'altered' piece/collage/painted... well, whatever. I have these old red 45rpm records that were my mother's (let's just say they don't play so good nowadays), they are actually opera records. There are a lot of singers in my family (yours truly is not one of them), and my niece just started school at Berklee in Boston. I thought if I could put something together around the singing theme and incorporate one of the old records, I'd send it to her to put in her dorm room.

There are different ways to approach a painting or any art project, you can plan it out painstakingly, sketch it out, etc.... or you can just wing it. I chose the latter on this one. Therefore, it took some weird turns along the way. I think this is done, but I'm not thrilled with it.

Michael Vick Revisited

2007-08-27T19:13:00.000-05:00

Today after his guilty plea, Michael Vick did what I think is the right thing: Took responsibility for his actions.

In this day and age, that is somewhat astounding. Instead of making a bunch of excuses, he apologized to his teammates, the team management, and most importantly, kids that might look at him as a role model.

He didn't seem to be trying to get out of whatever punishment will come his way, and mentioned that he had to work on "Michael Vick the person", not "Michael Vick the football player".

I can only hope that he is sincere and will learn/grow from the experience. I also think that if the NFL bans him for life, that's the consequence of messing with gambling of any sort when you are in a sport that is bet on.

I also still think that the comments from the NAACP leader were ludicrous. The road to redemption for Vick will be tough, but he will deal with it himself. His personal growth will be between him and God. His professional fate is in the hands of the NFL. His criminal punishment is in the hands of a judge. His fate with the public is up to us, the public. Where does the NAACP come in to this? It doesn't. It can't give Michael Vick his job back, spring him from jail, make him a better man, or convince us to love him. There may be no more irrelevant organization on the planet (except for the hundreds of federal government organizations, I suppose!).

Michael Vick is no victim. He engaged in thug-like & criminal behavior, got caught, and will pay a price. It remains to be seen if he has learned his lesson. I pray that he will turn the corner and use his fame to warn other would-be scofflaws that even the high and mighty can't just do what they want.

One of the headlines contained a quote "I've found Jesus", but I didn't see it in the body of the article. I sure hope that this is true and sincere, and that Michael will take his punishment and return as a warrior for Christ and not just the Atlanta Falcons. That would be a great story of redemption. Jesus Christ changes lives, changes hearts. Not race-baiting organizations that have to trade in poverty-pimping and victimhood to keep themselves in existence. I anxiously await the next chapters of this guy's life.

When's the Darwinist Reformation?

2007-08-24T12:44:00.000-05:00

This quote jumped out at me from an article on brietbart.com entitled "Fossil Find Pushes Human-Ape Split Back Millions of Years"

"We know nothing about how the human line actually emerged from apes," the authors of the paper noted.

But, if anyone dare suggest that the human line DIDN'T emerge from apes... you're a religious extremist. Way to go, science! Posit your theory as fact and spend the next 150 years twisting, turning, spinning and forcing "evidence" to support it.

Wow. I thought a theory was just that: A theory. Until PROVEN. Silly me. I'm sure this latest hole in the 'theory' won't deter the religious extremists of Darwinism, however. :::yawn:::

Michael Vick: Get Out The Violins

2007-08-23T09:44:00.000-05:00

OK, I have to get this off my chest.
Michael Vick is about to plead guilty to felony offenses related to the dogfighting indictments against him. FELONY OFFENSES.
However, as I predicted to many of my friends, Mr. Vick is now being portrayed as a victim and the NAACP (what is the relevance of this organization in 2007?) is "pleading" with the NFL to reinstate Vick once he's out of jail. Here's the quote:

"As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football," said R.L. White, president of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter. "We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."

WHAT THE !#$%#$^???!!!

Michael Vick is about to plead guilty to animal cruelty, interstate illegal gambling, and Lord knows what else. These are CRIMES. CRIMES.

However, Don Imus, a curmudgeon of talk radio... called some people names. But HE is supposed to pay with his career. He's even being sued by one of the players involved (after, I might add, she and the rest of the team FORMALLY accepted his apology -- but I'm sure it isn't about money, oh no). What about banning Mr. Imus from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country?

Hmm, sure. It's only fair. White guy calls black people some names, we can't have that! OH no. We'll even muster up new definitions of those names to make them sound more derogatory than they were ever intended, just to make SURE no one will touch the guy with a 10-foot pole.

But, if a black guy exhibits the most extreme stupidity and takes his position of wealth and fame and throws it away on thug-like criminal behavior, builds a facility intended for ILLEGAL activities, tortures and kills helpless animals in brutal and disgusting ways, gets caught, is pleading GUILTY... we're supposed to look the other way, extend the olive branch, focus on his redeeming qualities, and let him have his multi-million-dollar job back AFTER HE SERVES TIME(!)...

OK, I know I'm pointing out the obvious (at least I HOPE it's obvious). The blatant racist hypocrisy exhibited by so-called "Leaders of the African-American Community" is setting back "The Struggle" by decades, if not centuries.

Let's talk about redeeming qualities for a minute. You may think Don Imus is a disgusting sack of human flotsam, but he and his wife, Deidre, run a ranch for kids with cancer. They don't just "fund a foundation", they RUN it. WORK it. Hands on, with the kids, every year. Giving them hope and a season of life-changing activities. They are raising awareness and money for the cause of Autism - calling out politicians who flip-flop or are soft on the issue (Don used to be able to lambaste them live on the air). They've invented a line of cleaning products that get the carcinogenic and otherwise toxic chemicals out of homes and hospitals. He's a staunch advocate for veterans, and was instrumental in the building of the Veteran's Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio. Hey, I may think the guy is a flaming liberal, but at least he is taking ACTION where so many others spout off about how the government needs to run our lives. This guy puts his money where his sizable mouth is and I will say has a lot more redeeming qualities than a man gifted with athletic prowess who can't see past his own ego.

I Want My MTV (moment to do over)!

2007-08-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

The year was 1990. I was the Music Director at a venue called ClubLand in Detroit, MI. ClubLand was a concept created by Steve Jarvis. The idea was to take an existing theater space and turn it into a nightclub and multipurpose venue. The main physical things were to remove the sloped theater seating on the ground floor, put in stepped levels and add cabaret-style seating. The stage itself, and the area immediately in front of the stage would become dance floor. A large video wall would be installed upstage to create a dynamic multimedia backdrop for the night's activities. Three large projection screens would then be installed above that, which enabled many different visual pieces to happen consecutively. Those large screens were retractable so that they could also act as a curtain for performers on a platform atop the video wall. Add in a killer sound system and light show, and a bunch of bars...
The first ClubLand was in Chicago at the Vic Theater, then Houston's Tower Theater followed, with Detroit (in the State Theater, now the Detroit Fillmore) being the third and largest by far. They tried Worcester, MA (now the Palladium) and Key West, FL as well, to less success. The State Theater in Detroit was a historic theater built in 1925 and was just beautiful.

The entertainment concept was unique among nightclubs: Sure, you had programmed music (a DJ - that was me), but there was a lot more. Since the stage was a natural focal point for the crowd (and not everyone is a dancer, many preferring to people-watch), we actually had an MC, a dance troupe, and guest musicians. This in addition to all sorts of video 'bits' that could be something as simple as text scrolling on the big screens, to pre-taped comedy bits, live camera interaction, and of course, music videos. We had an elaborate DJ booth that housed lighting control, the audio gear/records/videotapes, and the video switching and routing command center. Pretty high tech for its day, I must say.
The dance troupe consisted of usually 6 dancers that constantly worked up routines to either various songs of the day. There was a professional choreographer who worked with them and they actually did a great job, considering 90% of their routines were performed on a 6' deep platform with no front railing to keep them from plunging off the top of the video wall. OSHA who? The guest musicians would also perform up there, usually a guitarist or sax player who would jam over pre-determined songs 3 times during the night. We got pretty creative sometimes, though, and had a trombone player (Bugs Beddow! Still remember that guy - he could wail. On flute, too!) and even a drummer (Dennis White)[2] with an electronic kit -- that was great fun. He and I would "trade eights" like live musicians do, me scratching in and out of records, him playing all sorts of cools stuff (he had a lot of sample triggers & such).
Most of these entertainment elements were 'seamless' to the clubgoers as to not disrupt dance floor activity, you could watch and/or pay attention, or you could just dance your butt off. Occasionally, though, we'd do some sort of skit that stopped the action and turned the place into a theater for a couple of minutes (our "Mandatory Union Break" was pretty funny). All in all, it was very successful, as it was varied enough that most everyone found something to really like about it.
When the nightclub wasn't in operation, we'd use the venue for concerts, corporate events, fashion shows, beauty pageants, whatever. I still remember Ford debuting the Escort there (whee!)-- they even had the lady who sang the jingle "Have you driven a Ford... lately?" come sing it live as a surprise to the Ford execs. The wild stories of the "urban" Hair Shows will have to wait.
Anyway, during this same time, MTV was running a show they called "24-Hour Street Party", where Downtown Julie Brown would visit some club in America, they'd tape some segments, and then edit them into a show for broadcast (she'd intro videos 'live' from the club, chat with various people, etc.). They came to ClubLand on November 1 (no, I don't remember that date, someone very nice at Clubland made me a 'scrapbook' of sorts with xeroxes of nearly every event flier and ad we ever had - thanks, Wendy!) and we had SNAP! in concert that night as well as the usual club madness (no, SNAP! wasn't a real band, but they pulled together enough musicians to pull off a tour, just like Inner City and other house music outfits). So, Julie and her camera crew were shooting intros/outros from various places in the club, and also getting quick interviews with bartenders, patrons, and of course... the DJ. Well, I was thinking about what glib and funny things I might say, and Julie came down to the booth to talk to me before recording. She asked me if I had a "handle" as many DJs do (I never used one), and said "OK, we'll be back in a little while to roll tape". Keep in mind, this is in the middle of a screamingly loud room, SNAP! wasn't on stage at the time so I was busy spinning records. Apparently when Julie said "in a little while" she meant "now". She basically turned around, waved her cameraman in, and came right back to me. Her first question, of course, was about "what crazy, cool DJ handle" I used, to which I had to answer "Clay" -- first dork moment of the evening. Then, she says, "Well, CLAY..have you..." and then she turned away from me towards the camera and I couldn't hear what she said. Next thing I know, she has turned back around with the mic in my face... and I got nuthin'. Not to mention, my record is running out and I've got to get the next one going. So I kind of went "...Heh-heh... well..." and had to grab for the turntable. She said some sort of goodbye and they went on to the next bit. Horrible! I was pretty red-faced over it, and had NO idea what she'd said. Much later, after the episode aired and someone got a tape, I found out she'd said "Well, CLAY, have you seen anything really funky go on around here?" -- which I'm not sure I would have had much of an answer for anyway... what kind of a question is that? I guess I could have told her of all the times we'd caught people in flagrante delicto up in the balcony...
Luckily, not that many people really watch MTV. I did have one old girlfriend from Pittsburgh (5 years earlier) call and tell me she saw it, but that was it.
All in all, my 15 ~~minutes~~ seconds of fame was a bust! I did get to spend a little time with DJB though, and she was very friendly and down-to-earth (a refreshing change from TV-types, including one of her predecessors, Mark Goodman, who was a total jerk when I met him years prior).

Six Degrees part II

2007-08-15T17:59:00.000-05:00

OK, I promised to mention what got me on my Atlanta kick. A few months ago, I was able to find and purchase a copy of the very first Mother's Finest album (self-titled, RCA from 1972... not to be confused with a second "debut", on CBS in 1976, also self-titled) . This is a rare record that was never released on CD. More recently, I'd decided to record it into my computer & burn it onto CD so I could listen to it wherever. Also, randomly, I came across a copy of The Producers' "You Make the Heat" album at a thrift store. It was in really good shape and now I had more motivation to get the recording done (this album is also unavailable on CD). So, I got to tracking. There were some technical difficulties, however, and I was getting a weird noise on the files. I thought that maybe my cartridge/stylus had something to do with it and began looking for another that I knew I had somewhere. That turned into about a 2-hour search. While I was looking for the needle in the haystack (pun fully intended), I came across a very old address book that had my old Atlanta names/numbers in it.
So here I am recording LPs of Atlanta bands, and find my Atlanta address book. It was all just a little weird. Flipping through, I just started reminiscing a little and wondering about some of the people I'd worked with & been friends with so many years ago.
I decided to "Google" one of my friends, expecting to come up empty (happens with the females, they tend to change last names at some point in life for some reason). Anyway, a hit did come up on a "friends of animals"-type website. She had answered someone's post about how to humanely trap feral cats. I was able to get a message to her through that kittie-pal website and it was indeed my friend, and we have corresponded a little since.
Having moved so many times during my 20s & 30s, it's pretty much impossible to keep up with everyone (and considering I'm terrible at it to begin with, it is a lost cause). So it's always a big deal when I re-connect with someone. Lately, I've re-established some other friendships as well, mostly from Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, it took the death of one of our friends to get us talking again. Some folks are doing great, others have had hard times with illnesses, loss of family members, that sort of thing. Makes me wish I'd been around for them.
Everyone has a story. I guess that's one reason why these blogs are so popular. Even if no one else cares or even reads, you can tell your story. You can tell it when you want, how you want, when the urge strikes. I suppose that's a good thing.

I need to remember to write about the time I got on MTV. Not terribly exciting (and actually a little embarrassing), but fun.

"On The Prowl" (1984)

2007-08-13T15:36:00.000-05:00

I figured I'd get my 1984 class project video up on YouTube... it's what you do nowadays, is it not? Some history of the video is on the previous entry. It looks like the audio got way out of sync with the video when this got processed by YouTube (and the video quality is pretty bad -- started with a low-res .wmv file)... but what can you do.

Six Degrees of Separation, Atlanta-Style

2007-08-11T16:21:00.001-05:00

I've recently had some nostalgic "deja-vu" moments, all going back to my time in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1983, after getting an AA from St. Petersburg Jr. College (FL), I attended The Music Business Institute in Atlanta. At the time, this school was an independent program founded by Mert Paul, a former CBS executive to give people an overview and real-world instruction in the ways of the music business (It was purchased by the Art Institutes and developed into their recording/production track). One of the "guest lecturers" that came to speak to us during my tenure was Wyzard (Jerry Seay), who was currently the touring bass player for Stevie Nicks. However, Wyz was also a member of Mother's Finest [2], an Atlanta act that had regional success in the 70's and enjoys a cult following today.
That was the first time I'd heard of Mother's Finest. File away "Mother's Finest" in your head.
Also in school, for our video production class, we had to do a project and no one in my class was very pro-active. I'd been listening to a local band called "Bareback", headed by keyboardist Doug Bare.

I approached them and asked if they'd let us shoot a music video with them for our project. They thought it sounded like a hoot, and they'd get a free video out of the deal! The video turned out OK (it was early '84 at the time and MTV was just out of its infancy, remember), and got some play on a local UHF music video channel. My only directing credit!
The guitar player for Bareback was Tommy Strain, who'd been in the one-hit wonder 70s group Starbuck ("Moonlight Feels Right). He is still playing in Atlanta and the "On The Prowl" video is actually available on his website! Thanks, Tommy! You are a sick puppy.
Both Doug and Tommy had toured with Mother's Finest, I believe in 1983. So, another connection.
As another school project, in our Concert Production class, some of us actually did a little field trip for extra credit. The Atlanta Music Awards show was going on and somehow one of our teachers got us to be stagehands for the show. There were some live acts playing, the headliners being The Producers. These guys were phenomenal. Sadly, bad management pretty much robbed them of their stardom. In our Artist Management class, they were the poster children for a raw deal. They too have a huge cult following today and I am a proud fan. The bass player/vocalist for The Producers is Kyle Henderson. Little did I know, Kyle had been in a band called "Whiteface" with Doug Bare back in the late 70s. Ain't this convoluted?

A little later, I found myself working for a nightclub called Confetti and there were a couple of Mother's Finest songs that would always raise the roof off the place ("Baby Love" and "Piece of the Rock"). Now, the nightclub gig wasn't paying the bills at the time, so I picked up a part time job filling phoned-in ticket orders for a venue called Chastain Park. We'd get a pile of credit card slips from the answering service and would verify the cards, pull the tickets, stuff the envelopes, and mail them to the customers. Sounds incredibly exciting, doesn't it? Anyway, one of my coworkers was a lady named Terra Moore. It turns out, she was the wife of Gary "Moses Mo" Moore, the guitar player in, you guessed it, Mother's Finest (MySpace page here). OK, that's enough for the moment. I'll get to the current stuff next time.

Mind-Reading Websites

2007-08-11T16:09:00.001-05:00

I use NetFlix for renting movies, as do 5 kajillion others. Anyway, like Tivo, Netflix takes a look at what you've rented/watched in the past and tries to make recommendations of other movies/shows you might like. Netflix doesn't doo too bad of a job, but this one struck me as funny.

According to Netflix, since I enjoyed:
The Passion of the Christ
Ray
Coach Carter

They thought they'd recommend:

Of Course! Who wouldn't? Seriously, though -- what's the connection? None of the above were comedies, that's for sure. This just don't make no sense.

SIMPSONIZE YO'SELF!

2007-08-10T10:36:00.000-05:00

OK, this is too cool. You'll need an uploadable photo of yourself and a few minutes for 'tweaking', but this is genius!

Here's me:

And here's the site:

http://simpsonizeme.com/

Anyone Need A House In Florida?

2007-08-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

Man,

It has now been over one year and my parents still can't sell their house in St. Petersburg.
My heart just aches for them, I know that they are not enjoying this one little bit. But, at the same time, I am frustrated.
Many of the problems that have occurred during the saga stem from their trusting nature (or is it Naivety?) plus the fact that they, for some reason, decided to sell their old home by themselves. No fixing up, no improvements, no consideration of curb appeal, etc. So now the house sits looking "unlived in" without a lick of furniture inside, and nothing to help the looks of the outside either. I'll spare you the details of the debacle involving the people who they let move in, on a "promise" that they could qualify for a loan (hint: it didn't end well).
My take (and that of my siblings) is that if they are serious, they need to invest a little money and update the bathrooms and kitchen... OR just cut their price to make the place attractive to someone looking for a 'fixer-upper'. Of course, they think they should get appraised value (well, they did -- just got word that they've dropped the price some).
The good news is that this house is long since paid for, so at least there's not a payment. But taxes, the new mortgage on their new house, etc. are putting the squeeze on them. If I lived closer, I might swipe their keys and go do some work on the place. But from here, there's nothing I can do. I don't have the cash to buy the place or even pay for remodeling. If I could, I'd buy it and rent it out. But that's just a fantasy. With my prestigious, high-paying job, I can't even buy a house for myself to LIVE in, much less take on a rental property.
As much as this eats at me, I can only imagine what they are going through. They do finally have a Realtor, but I don't think he's lifted a finger to actually try to move the house (case in point: He had a lame open house on Father's Day! Who does that?).
I know they love the house and neighborhood they are in now, so that's some consolation, but this selling problem just grows slowly more painful every day.
ugh.

Crazy Korean Choreography

2007-08-01T21:40:00.000-05:00

This is insane!

Duckling Responsibility

2007-07-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

Here's a story from my childhood. It came to mind the other day -- why, I do not know.

I grew up in St. Petersburg, FL in a neighborhood that was near a golf course. This golf course was built with a connected network of ponds and creeks that fed into (or were fed by) Lake Maggiore. Most of the bodies of water were created as water hazards for the golfers, and also served as some decent fishing for a little kid with a cane pole. There were lots of bream, catfish and even a few bass to catch. In addition to the fish, several other wildlife species were in abundance. Turtles, ducks, cranes, herons, alligators, snakes, etc. could all be found.

One Summer day, I was fishing and generally bumping around when I noticed a little duckling in the creek that was by itself, swimming around peeping its little heart out. I realized that he had somehow gotten separated from his family, as mama duck and several other ducklings were actually in the larger pond across the street.
An older kid from the neighborhood was riding by on his bike and had stopped to ask me if I was catching anything. I pointed out the situation. We decided, as kids will do, that it was our duty, our mission, to reunite this lone peeper with his family.
Johnny (Harell, of the Harrell brothers) told me that we couldn't touch the duckling or the mother would reject it. So, we were in a quandary as to what to do. We decided that we would just sort of corral the little guy and drive him towards his mama. This involved a trip under the street in one of two culverts, but they were plenty big enough for us to navigate and the water level was low enough that we'd only be ankle deep or so as we went through. So, we jumped into the creek and started making a little racket as we approached the intrepid yellow fuzzball. He began swimming away from us and towards the culvert as planned. We continued the duckling drive for probably 15 minutes (ducklings don't cover a lot of ground... err, water, very quickly) as he made his way under the street. Once he came through on the other side, he caught sight of his mom and siblings. We were feeling pretty happy about our good deed as he sped up his efforts and started off in their direction. The family convoy was cruising across the pond and was headed to the far side in their instinctive single-file platoon, with Mom leading the way. Our little hero was paddling furiously to catch up. As he was gaining on them, and the whole posse was getting fairly close to shore, we were actually cheering him on while putting our shoes back on. Then our mood was suddenly destroyed as we saw the ominous black lump break the surface several yards behind the group. Alligator! The ducks noticed the predator as well and Mama started quacking like crazy and picked up the pace. Our little guy was still catching up as the reptilian beast began slowly cruising up behind. We were screaming at the gator and throwing rocks at it, but it was out of our range and wasn't deterred. It maintained its leisurely pace. The ducks were really stepping on it, and finally Mama, then the first duckling reached shore. All of the others were close behind, and even our buddy was just about caught up to the last one in line. Sometimes I think the alligator was showing off. He just kept cruising at altitude, slowly gaining on the train of web-footed flappers. One by one, the ducklings were making it to shore as Mama frantically quacked her head off. I don't know if she was trying to egg them on or to distract the gator, perhaps both. Now all of the ducklings but our prodigal son had made it to shore. And with perfect, deadly timing, just as this helpless little trooper was about to jump up onto dry land... chomp. One quick snap of prehistoric jaws and that was it.
Johnny, who was sort of a tough kid, started cussing the alligator out with tears in his eyes as it slipped below the surface with utter nonchalance. I was inconsolable. I sobbed my little heart out for what seemed like hours, walking home, trying to tell my mom what had happened in that wracked, hitching, way that only kids can achieve when their nascent sense of justice, fair play and altruism has just been crushed along with the tiny body of one of God's cutest creatures. That freakin' hurt. My parents told me how proud they were that Johnny and I had worked so hard and so smartly to reunite the duckling with his mother, and I think they tried to tell me a little about nature and food chains and stuff, but I wasn't having any of it. It just wasn't right.
That was a crappy day. I wish I had some silver lining to this story, how it steeled my resolve to always help the downtrodden no matter what, or that I awoke to the wonders of the circle of life or something, but I didn't. It's just one of those painful childhood memories. Stupid alligator.

The Madness Continues

2007-07-25T17:26:00.001-05:00

If the ice cream were not bad enough, now Starbucks is going to raise their prices due to the increase in dairy costs.
Where's Susan Powter when you need her?

More Ethanol Stupidity

2007-07-16T15:34:00.000-05:00

I am not supposed to call the ethanol lobby "Raca", but I will say their actions are not brilliant. The latest casualty in the corn-fuel madness? Ice Cream. Yep, our favorite dessert is likely going to cost more... why? The cost of corn is skyrocketing as more and more is being used for ethanol instead of feeding cattle. If you remember 2nd grade chemistry, you know that ice cream is made from, well, cream. Cream, comes from cows. Cows eat (wait for it)... corn. We could debate the wisdom of using corn for cattle feed, since a "free range" cow would eat grass, as God intended. However, in the commercial dairy industry, the cows basically stand still all day, feeding on corn, and vacuum hoses are connected to the nether regions to extract milk. A little biological factory. So, if the cost of feed corn rises, the cost of milk rises. The ice cream makers are stuck.

Here's a quick quote from an article, the rest of which can be found here:

This month, the price of milk in the United States surged to a near-record in part because of the increasing costs of feeding a dairy herd. The corn feed used to feed cattle has almost doubled in price in a year as demand has grown for the grain to produce ethanol.

If Bill Clinton were still president, I'm sure he'd do something about all this now that ice cream is feeling the pressure.

I Are Smart!

2007-07-14T00:29:00.000-05:00

Well, this is a relief. Crazy quizzes! I apparently deserve my high school diploma. Sweet validation!

You paid attention during 100% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Is this blandness?

2007-07-14T00:06:00.000-05:00

Taking a suggestion from my friend Rebecca, I tried this little quiz. I think our results are quite similar! We apparently don't have much of an accent. Does that sound boring? Hmmm, no. I would rather have the Midland (whatever that is) sound than a complete hillbilly, or worse, Ted Kennedy. Hahdy hah hah (that's Hardy har har in Bostonian). Their little description is fairly accurate, however -- I was born & raised in Florida, have lived in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit, Chicago and now Houston... so maybe all that moving around has erased any accent I once may have had. Who knows!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The West
The Northeast
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Rappin'!

2007-07-12T06:27:00.001-05:00

OH my goodness. Sometimes you see a movie that is so bad, it's good.
This is the case with 1985's Rappin', starring Mario Van Peebles and featuring a pre-ER Eriq LaSalle and a pre-A Different World Kadeem Hardison, and even an uncredited Ice-T (isn't that reason enough to put this in your Netflix queue?). Now, this may be a cult favorite for all I know, but I managed to miss it the first time around (But I did see Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo!). It must have some street cred, as it features the Force MD's performing "Itchin' for a Scratch", and Claudja Barry performing "Born to Love".

Anyway, how did I come to watch this little chestnut? Well, a few weeks ago, I went to see Spamalot with some good friends. Reading the playbill, I noticed that the understudy for "The Lady of the Lake" was Lyn Philistine, someone I'd worked with briefly in San Antonio back in 1998 (that's a whole 'nother story, believe me!). I didn't get a chance to find Lyn, as Spamalot was in its final days in Houston.

Anyway, this sparked my curiosity to see if this lovely and talented songbird had been involved in other productions over the years. Gotta love Google!. I saw that she was credited with a non-speaking role in Rappin', simply listed as "girl". Naturally, I had to get the movie.

Well, Lyn looked as cute as ever as a (I'm guessing) 12-year-old in the few minutes of film she got, but the experience of watching the rest of the movie was, well, hilarious. This movie has some elements that were 80's staples: A reformed street hoodlum (Van Peebles, imaginatively cast as -- I'm not kidding -- John Hood), dance-offs, urban kids using music (rap in this case) to combat societal ills and stick it to The Man, and a record contract in the balance. The actual raps, even for 1985, were so corny that they had to be written by 40+ year old white guys (You haven't lived until you've heard "Snack Attack", where Van Peeble's gang taunts their overweight comrade -- possible inspiration for the Fat Boys?). The acting is pretty horrible, as one might expect, but works as unintentional self-parody in these later years. The script doesn't qualify this as a "blaxploitation" flick, but it does have the similar "story of the ghetto written by someone who's never seen one" feel. Hood's gang rival, Duane (if that ain't a gangsta name, I dont' know what is), gets to say "Two's company, three's a crowd" AND "Hey? Hay is for horses" within seconds of each other during a very tense club scene... and it just keeps getting better.

My recommendation? Get some friends together and do your own version of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It's worth it. Spoiler alert: The coolest (only?) car in the movie other than cop cars is a Chrysler LeBaron.

Happy Independence Day

2007-07-03T13:48:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday, America!
Hope you don't get so senile in your 200's that you forget that you really are special.

Shady People

2007-07-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

Good grief.As if there aren't any real issues out there to get all hot & bothered about. Now some busybody has decided that humans take too much of the sun's energy (which, of course, deprives other species of this horribly limited resource). I'm scared!
Now, if there were some way to predict that the sun, after disappearing during the time we call "night" would come back again, perhaps we could relax a little. But until that happens, I'm afraid that our greed in utilizing what could be the last known rays of light and energy may, at any time, doom us all.
By the way, I hope you aren't drinking water, because the fish need it to swim in. You greedy human, you.

Hiding Behind the Skirt of Mommy... err, Wifey

2007-06-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

It's only June (well, July once I finish this, perhaps) of 2007 yet the talk radio shows, news programs, "debate shows" (or whatever you call the "two-sides-of-an-issue-yelling-
at-each-other-with-no-resolution" shows) and opinion info-tainment shows seem to be obsessed with the presidential race. OH wait, that's because the candidates are already full steam ahead. I suppose if I had the energy or desire to go check the records, it may be that this isn't ridiculously early to be diving into the circus that is our electoral process, but it sure seems like we're a long ways out.
Anyway, I have a bone to pick with the lone "good hair" candidate on the Democrat side, John Edwards. Some months ago, I blogged about Ann Coulter and her now infamous "the other f-word" remark (post here). She was making an attempt at a joke shortly after the Isiah Washington debacle (and see how that turned out!). Anyway, after that, the Edwards camp used her "hate speech" (hey, didn't I talk about that, too?) to raise money for his campaign.
Well, fast forward a little and you may recall that Mr. Edwards was too much of a sissy to attend a debate hosted by Fox News (along with other "D" candidates). Apparently the abject fear of hard questions (and not completely controlling the debate) was just too much. Boo hoo. Didn't the Republicans appear on MSNBC? Hmmm...
Now, just the other night, Ann Coulter actually appeared on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews. This showed a lot of spunk, but Ann realizes that any publicity may help sell books, of which she has penned several best-sellers. Now, while she is smartly parrying with the manic Matthews, a "spontaneous" call comes in (it wasn't a call-in show, and no one else called in... so you think it was really spontaneous? Ha!). Who is it on the line? John Edwards, Ann's "arch enemy" and "victim" of her "personal attacks"? No, it's his wife, Elizabeth. HUH? The WIFE of the candidate? What the heck is that? So, Elizabeth goes into this long-winded explanation of how she wants to take this opportunity to "politely ask" Ann to "Stop it with the personal attacks". Apparently the only people allowed to make personal attacks are Democrats in Congress (e.g. John Murtha), Left-wing TV hosts (e.g. Bill Maher), and Hollywood liberals (e.g. Spike Lee). Ann reminded Mrs. Edwards that they are making money due to her so-called attack, and defended her (now three year old) column about Edwards using the tragedy of his son's death for political points. None of this matters, of course, Ann isn't in Congress or running for office.
What kills me though, is that Mrs. Edwards actually blamed Ann and others (all conservatives, of course) for the dwindling percentage of voters!! Here's the coffee, lady, SMELL IT. People are fed up with OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, not talk radio or Fox News. Congress' approval rating is at 14%!!! I think people are fed up with hypocrisy, lies and inaction, not shrill commentators.
One other point -- why didn't sissy John have the stones to call in and confront Ann? Sending your cancer-stricken wife to do your dirty work is the lowest and weakest thing I think I've ever seen from someone who actually considers himself fit to lead the last Superpower on Earth. Even when Ann is sitting in the lion's den, taking the best Matthews could dish out with her usual sarcastic (but truthful) wit. I especially enjoyed it when Mrs. Edwards said "...I want to use the opportunity, which I don‘t get much, because Ann and I don‘t hang out with the same people..." to which Ann snuck in "I don't have enough money" -- Brilliant.
Folks, you could lock up Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, and any other famous conservative with a microphone, and guess what -- Congress would still suck. People will still be fed up. If the "mean-spirited" (read: not mouthpieces for the left) talkers are silenced, that won't change the fact that the "new era of responsibility" that was supposed to be realized when the Democrats took control has simply NOT happened. More earmarks, another pay raise (what, you didn't hear about that?), more attempts to bilk us out of our money, and a ridiculous bill on illegal immigration are what is turning people off.
I weep for the future of this country. I really do.

Ethanol or Tequila?

2007-05-29T17:35:00.000-05:00

Wow.

The ridiculous push for Ethanol has even driven Mexican Agave farmers to burn off their tequila-producing agave land and plant it with corn so they can cash in on the ethanol craze.

Here's a little insight into the ethanol hoax, reprinted without any permission or anything from The American Enterprise Online:

The most perverse aspect of subsidized ethanol production was uncovered by David Pimentel. He calculates that it actually consumes more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than the ethanol itself provides. While a 2002 report from the Department of Agriculture claims that increased corn yields have converted ethanol from a net energy waste to a net energy gain, Pimentel’s 2003 study maintains that ethanol uses 29 percent more energy than it creates due to tractor fuel, irrigation pumps, and other inputs. According to Pimentel, 99,119 BTUs of energy are expended to create the 77,000 BTUs in a gallon of ethanol. In other words, the government is keeping farmers busy by paying them to waste energy.

Of course, the other fun thing is that our government (read: Senators in corn-producing states) has decided to subsidize the corn farmers, since if the "playing field were level" (hey, wait - aren't liberals always bitching about uneven playing fields?) the cost of growing corn would make ethanol more expensive than gasoline. So now Archer-Daniels-Midland gets something about $400 Million a year from the government to grow corn in South Dakota and Iowa (hmm, they have primaries in Iowa, don't they?). Land that should be left alone as forest or meadow is now being stripped and fertilized for corn crops, which adds tons of nitrate contamination (another baddie according to all the greenies!) to groundwater. And burning ethanol, far from being "cleaner" than petrol actually adds more crap to the air, water, and soil when you factor in the fertilizing, farming equipment, irrigation, production and the ethanol exhaust itself.
And don't forget, many states have mandated ethanol content in their gas (and therefore mandated subsidies) - which, if eliminated, would actually help the environment, not hurt it.

But, hey. Don't let facts get in the way of feel-good greenspeak! Corn is renewable! Who cares how much it costs to produce! Who cares if it artificially drives the cost of feed corn and food corn (that'd be corn for animals and people to eat, respectively) through the roof! The mamacitas in Mexico aren't going to be able to afford to make tortillas! But who cares! Poverty and starvation in Mexico ain't our problem, we have to quit burning oil!

Jeez. Does it ever end? Here is a good article with more scholarly presentation than my venting.

Fat Lazy Americans, Indeed!

2007-05-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

And I thought I was a couch potato. Jeez.

nicked from LiveJournal

Insect Slapstick

2007-05-21T11:11:00.001-05:00

Pretty cool. Apparently it is a Samsung commercial for very thin phones...

Three Amigos Trivia

2007-05-07T19:39:00.000-05:00

After viewing the comedy classic "The Three Amigos" this weekend, I was digging around for information on one of the kids in the movie ("...can I have your watch when you are dead?"). He looks familiar, like he may be "someone" now. Anyway, I couldn't find anything. But I did see that Sam Kinison actually had a cameo role but it got cut. Wikipedia says:

He had a supporting role as a Mexican bandit in the 1986 movie ¡Three Amigos!, but his scene was cut. Kinison believed this was due to Chevy Chase being jealous of how Kinison stole several scenes in Back to School.

I also wonder, knowing Sam's "colorful" vocabulary, if his scene might have garnered the film an "R" rating instead of the more socially acceptable "PG-13". Incidentally, the descripion of PG-13 might read: "Some material may not be suitable for viewers under 13, or your Baptist Singles Department gathering". Is there a movie made for grown-ups that is actually funny without resorting to locker-room humor? I wonder...

Hate Crime Update

2007-05-07T19:21:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you have to wonder at the blatant pandering of our wonderful elected officials. I mentioned HR 1592 in a previous post, and the House actually passed it. Unbelievable.
Thankfully, President Bush has pledged to veto it (this would only be his third or fourth, I believe).
In an email newsletter, Congressman Ron Paul summed up the unconstitutionality (hey, don't let that old piece of paper get in the way of pandering to gays and minorities! We got votes to buy!) of the resolution, and it bears reading:

May 7, 2007

Last week, the House of Representatives acted with disdain for the Constitution and individual liberty by passing HR 1592, a bill creating new federal programs to combat so-called “hate crimes.” The legislation defines a hate crime as an act of violence committed against an individual because of the victim’s race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Federal hate crime laws violate the Tenth Amendment’s limitations on federal power. Hate crime laws may also violate the First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech and religion by criminalizing speech federal bureaucrats define as “hateful.”

There is no evidence that local governments are failing to apprehend and prosecute criminals motivated by prejudice, in comparison to the apprehension and conviction rates of other crimes. Therefore, new hate crime laws will not significantly reduce crime. Instead of increasing the effectiveness of law enforcement, hate crime laws undermine equal justice under the law by requiring law enforcement and judicial system officers to give priority to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes. Of course, all decent people should condemn criminal acts motivated by prejudice. But why should an assault victim be treated by the legal system as a second-class citizen because his assailant was motivated by greed instead of hate?

HR 1592, like all hate crime laws, imposes a longer sentence on a criminal motivated by hate than on someone who commits the same crime with a different motivation. Increasing sentences because of motivation goes beyond criminalizing acts; it makes it a crime to think certain thoughts. Criminalizing even the vilest hateful thoughts--as opposed to willful criminal acts--is inconsistent with a free society.

HR 1592 could lead to federal censorship of religious or political speech on the grounds that the speech incites hate. Hate crime laws have been used to silence free speech and even the free exercise of religion. For example, a Pennsylvania hate crime law has been used to prosecute peaceful religious demonstrators on the grounds that their public Bible readings could incite violence. One of HR 1592’s supporters admitted that this legislation could allow the government to silence a preacher if one of the preacher’s parishioners commits a hate crime. More evidence that hate crime laws lead to censorship came recently when one member of Congress suggested that the Federal Communications Commission ban hate speech from the airwaves.

Hate crime laws not only violate the First Amendment, they also violate the Tenth Amendment. Under the United States Constitution, there are only three federal crimes: piracy, treason, and counterfeiting. All other criminal matters are left to the individual states. Any federal legislation dealing with criminal matters not related to these three issues usurps state authority over criminal law and takes a step toward turning the states into mere administrative units of the federal government.

Because federal hate crime laws criminalize thoughts, they are incompatible with a free society. Fortunately, President Bush has pledged to veto HR 1592. Of course, I would vote to uphold the president’s veto.

As much as I think Bush has messed up, he gets some things right. This is definitely one of them. Texans may recall that he wouldn't sign hate crime legislation into law in this great state - and the NAACP created one of the most disgusting, polarizing, divisive, race-baiting commercials ever to air on the "public airwaves" (but Imus had to lose his job... I digress). They ran "re-enactment" video of the James Byrd dragging incident while his daughter provided the voiceover: "(I)t was like my father was killed all over again." because Governor Bush wouldn't sign the hate crime bill. Hmmm. Two of the three perpetrators got the death penalty and the third got life in prison. What more is there? You get killed "extra good" if it's a hate crime? Besides, I thought the NAACP was against the death penalty because too many blacks get death sentences. Oh wait... if it's white guys, they're all for it (and then some!), apparently.

For Noelle

2007-05-04T17:48:00.000-05:00

Cibo Matto - "Sugar Water" video

I was reminded of this while watching Bajo Fondo's "Perfume" video over at Noelle's blog. Lots of split/multiple screen stuff!

How is This Not "Hate Speech"?

2007-05-01T16:54:00.000-05:00

Well, we can all rest easier now. Rage Against The Machine has reunited. Lead singer Zack de la Rocha apparently missed the Imus debacle:

Stomping, shouting into his microphone, grabbing his curly hair and inciting the audience to "keep fighting," de la Rocha powered through songs ranging from the bass heavy "Bulls on Parade" to the anthem "Killing in the Name."

He also railed against the war in Iraq and likened Bush administration officials to Nazi war criminals.

"This current administration is no exception. They should be tried and hung and shot," he said.

So, if you make an idiotic comment about some basketball players, you pay with your career. If you compare your President and his administration to Nazis, then call for their death... what, you're some kind of visionary? A hero? A role model?

If he had said it "on the public airwaves", would that been a problem? That's the excuse for the "Imus outrage". Somehow, I doubt it. After all, why would we care what a rapper/singer says when we let sitting members of Congress compare the administration and even our troops to Nazis & Commmunists and call them (in the case of the military) terrorists (Kerry) and cold-blooded murderers (Murtha). We obviously have higher expectations of our shock-jocks than our elected officials.

By the way, keep your ears open for the latest "if we repeat it often enough, people will believe it's official" term: "Hate Speech". It's been used somewhat in the past, but there's going to be a full-court press to shove it into the American lexicon as a catch-phrase, hopefully leading to sweeping unconstitutional legislation violating the 1st amendment. Just like "Separation of Church and State", or "Hate Crimes", it will be in so many sound bites that people will start parroting "Hey, that's hate speech" and assume that somehow it's illegal. Then will come the laws. Check out HR 1592. It's coming.

Of course, "hate speech" will only refer to white male conservatives saying things that any non-white, non-male, or non-conservative finds unpleasant. Calling the President a Nazi is Free Speech, saying he and his administration should be shot is Free Speech... but asking to be seated with English-speaking students in your elementary school is Hate Speech. See the difference?

Hey kids, open wide! Here comes another heapin' fork full of Double Standard Pie! Yum!

Stick Control!! Stick Control!

2007-04-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

I just read that in Brooklyn, an 12-year-old boy was "impaled in the head" with a stick by an 11-yr-old boy. The victim is clinging to life in the hospital. This is a blatant indictment of our "stick culture" and raises serious social questions:
1. How was the male child able to get his hands on a stick?
2. Why have we made it so easy to acquire sticks?
3. Was this not a stick-free zone?

Clearly, by restricting access to sticks, we could avoid such ruthless attacks. Had it not been so easy for this troubled pre-teen (surely we'll soon find that this 11-yr-old was "teased" and likely "pushed down" by others in his short life) to get a stick, perhaps he would have "used his words", not only for the "give me your change" part of the attack, but also the last part of the confrontation after the victim refused.

Why didn't the victim simply quickly surrender?

According to Tom Plate, former editor of the editorial pages at the Los Angeles Times, quickly responding to the assailant's requests (surrendering) would have been the thing to do, as he did when mugged at gunpoint recently.

Mr. Plate also points out that in his opinion, the "NRA mantra" of "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" is flat out wrong. He asserts that the people at VATech were, in fact, killed by a 9 mm handgun and a .22 caliber handgun.

So, by Mr. Plate's esteemed logic, the 12-yr-old boy has been attacked by a STICK. Not a crazy 11-year-old. People don't impale people in the head, sticks impale people in the head.

I say then it is high time we get sticks off of our streets. Perhaps law enforcement may be permitted to carry sticks. If Teddy Roosevelt were still alive, he might be afforded a stick, although probably not a big one, as those are scary and can only be meant for one thing: Impaling someone in the head.

No one needs to have a stick. We certainly don't need to allow for people to keep a stick on them in a public place. It's also time to go after the stick manufacturers. This would include the Louisville Slugger people, and, well... trees. If we could remove those menaces to society, we need never read such a tragic tale again.

Oh, and Mr. Plate... I'll humor you for a moment and remove all blame from the psycopath who loaded, pointed, and pulled the trigger... and place the blame on the hardware. However, even in your idiotic assertion, you should be condemning the BULLETS, which actually entered the bodies of the victims, causing the wounds that in 33 cases lead to death. Even in your twisted logic, Guns don't kill people, bullets kill people. If you're going to misplace your anger, at least misplace it properly.

Random

2007-04-22T23:10:00.000-05:00

So, for some reason I haven't been feeling real well lately. I think if this were 18th century England it might be described as "a general malaise".

I'm finishing up a book called "This Beautiful Mess" (My friend Camille said "Oh, is it your biography?" - cracked me up!) by Rick McKinley. The subtitle is "Practicing the Presence of the Kingdom of God". It's the kind of book that bears a second read and some serious study. Go get it.

Someone smashed the window of an SUV two cars away from mine at the apartment complex. Don't know whose it was. Don't know if it was an attempted theft of stuff inside the vehicle or the vehicle itself. Makes me a little more paranoid, yet glad I drive a cheap car.

When I moved into this apartment complex, I think I was about the youngest person here. That's changing, however, not just because I'm getting older, but there is a different 'element' starting to move in. A little more hanging out in the parking lot, a lot more extremely loud stereos in cars, more "thugwear", more skateboards, etc. More mess in the laundry rooms. More noise late at night. Great.

I haven't really talked to anyone in almost two weeks. What's up with that? I mean, I still speak to people at work, when I'm amongst people, and all... but haven't really initiated a conversation with anyone. I think it's part of the 'general malaise'.

Why does everything have a ton of sugar in it? There's ONE cereal that isn't loaded with sugar -- shredded wheat. Great. Tasty. Need a snack in the middle of the afternoon? Sugar. Starbucks has all of these convenience store items, "frappucino", "double shot"... why don't they make a sugar-free or unsweetened version?

Sleep now.

We're Raising a Nation of Babies

2007-04-20T17:55:00.000-05:00

In all of the ridiculous coverage of the Virginia Tech murders, I have wondered just how this guy roamed up and down the halls, even RETURNING to classrooms he previously entered and was able to shoot so many people. Is the 76-year old Liviu Librescu the only person there who thought to try to do something about it? We have emasculated our boys, telling them that "violence is never the answer", "use your words", "use your inside voice", "here is some medicine called Ritalin to make you feel better", "fighting is wrong - you can always walk away", ad nauseum. Where was the guy who says "enough" and whips a backpack full of college textbooks at this psychopath and jumps his scrawny ass? No one thought to pick up a desk and rush him? No one came up behind him and brained him with a fire extinguisher?

Of course, sadly, the real answer here would have been a responsible citizen carrying a gun. Oh, sure, guns are scary. Especially in the hands of a mentally deranged moron in a full break with reality. But the gun in the hand of a trained, responsible CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA would have looked like HEAVEN to these now dead and wounded people. The proverbial knight on the white horse. A person who, with practiced discipline, could have taken this piece of scum OUT, saving who knows how many lives.

But no. We are to cower and wait for the authorities. Dial 911 and "stay on the line, let me try to decide if your call rates a response." Let the 'trained professionals' deal with an "alleged perpetrator." Believe me, when a crazy killer is emptying his magazine and reloading, you can safely assume that (a) he's not going to reason with anyone, (b) he's not going to wait until the police arrive, and (c) you are next.

I don't fault anyone for diving out a window. Self-preservation is a powerful instinct. But where was the person who takes to heart "and this is Love, that a man lay down his life for his friends"? Where was the person to say "Not in MY school, you don't"... where was the action? Are we really raising a generation of soft, "it's not my place to judge, therefore I can't take action" wusses? It surely seems so at VaTech. Hokie Pride apparently doesn't extend to protecting your Hokie brothers and sisters.

This column below points out the heroism of ordinary citizens.Nicely Done. Maybe former actors make the best presidents. I'm about ready to see if Fred Thompson would be as good as Reagan... Check it out -- Spot on!

April 20, 2007, 0:31 a.m.

Signs of Intelligence?

By Fred Thompson

One of the things that's got to be going through a lot of peoples' minds now is how one man with two handguns, that he had to reload time and time again, could go from classroom to classroom on the Virginia Tech campus without being stopped. Much of the answer can be found in policies put in place by the university itself.

Virginia, like 39 other states, allows citizens with training and legal permits to carry concealed weapons. That means that Virginians regularly sit in movie theaters and eat in restaurants among armed citizens. They walk, joke, and rub shoulders everyday with people who responsibly carry firearms — and are far safer than they would be in San Francisco, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, or Washington, D.C., where such permits are difficult or impossible to obtain.

The statistics are clear. Communities that recognize and grant Second Amendment rights to responsible adults have a significantly lower incidence of violent crime than those that do not. More to the point, incarcerated criminals tell criminologists that they consider local gun laws when they decide what sort of crime they will commit, and where they will do so.

Still, there are a lot of people who are just offended by the notion that people can carry guns around. They view everybody, or at least many of us, as potential murderers prevented only by the lack of a convenient weapon. Virginia Tech administrators overrode Virginia state law and threatened to expel or fire anybody who brings a weapon onto campus.

In recent years, however, armed Americans — not on-duty police officers — have successfully prevented a number of attempted mass murders. Evidence from Israel, where many teachers have weapons and have stopped serious terror attacks, has been documented. Supporting, though contrary, evidence from Great Britain, where strict gun controls have led to violent crime rates far higher than ours, is also common knowledge.

So Virginians asked their legislators to change the university's "concealed carry" policy to exempt people 21 years of age or older who have passed background checks and taken training classes. The university, however, lobbied against that bill, and a top administrator subsequently praised the legislature for blocking the measure.

The logic behind this attitude baffles me, but I suspect it has to do with a basic difference in worldviews. Some people think that power should exist only at the top, and everybody else should rely on "the authorities" for protection.

Despite such attitudes, average Americans have always made up the front line against crime. Through programs like Neighborhood Watch and Amber Alert, we are stopping and catching criminals daily. Normal people tackled "shoe bomber" Richard Reid as he was trying to blow up an airliner. It was a truck driver who found the D.C. snipers. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that civilians use firearms to prevent at least a half million crimes annually.

When people capable of performing acts of heroism are discouraged or denied the opportunity, our society is all the poorer. And from the selfless examples of the passengers on Flight 93 on 9/11 to Virginia Tech professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor who sacrificed himself to save his students earlier this week, we know what extraordinary acts of heroism ordinary citizens are capable of.

Many other universities have been swayed by an anti-gun, anti-self defense ideology. I respect their right to hold those views, but I challenge their decision to deny Americans the right to protect themselves on their campuses — and then proudly advertise that fact to any and all.

Whenever I've seen one of those "Gun-free Zone" signs, especially outside of a school filled with our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, I've always wondered exactly who these signs are directed at. Obviously, they don't mean much to the sort of man who murdered 32 people just a few days ago.

— Fred Thompson is an actor and former United States senator from Tennessee.

© ABC
National Review Online - http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTIwYzMyZmQ1YzQ1MDNmZTMyYzQ1Y2U3YTU4YzNmNGE=

This is Brilliant!

2007-04-12T21:20:00.000-05:00

Forget my incoherent ramblings. Check out Jason Whitlock's comments:

Quoted from the Kansas City Star, 4/11/07:

Imus isn’t the real bad guy
Instead of wasting time on irrelevant shock jock, black leaders need to be fighting a growing gangster culture.
By JASON WHITLOCK - Columnist

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

The bigots win again.

While we’re fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, I’m sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cent’s or Snoop Dogg’s or Young Jeezy’s latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos.

I ain’t saying Jesse, Al and Vivian are gold-diggas, but they don’t have the heart to mount a legitimate campaign against the real black-folk killas.

It is us. At this time, we are our own worst enemies. We have allowed our youths to buy into a culture (hip hop) that has been perverted, corrupted and overtaken by prison culture. The music, attitude and behavior expressed in this culture is anti-black, anti-education, demeaning, self-destructive, pro-drug dealing and violent.

Rather than confront this heinous enemy from within, we sit back and wait for someone like Imus to have a slip of the tongue and make the mistake of repeating the things we say about ourselves.

It’s embarrassing. Dave Chappelle was offered $50 million to make racially insensitive jokes about black and white people on TV. He was hailed as a genius. Black comedians routinely crack jokes about white and black people, and we all laugh out loud.

I’m no Don Imus apologist. He and his tiny companion Mike Lupica blasted me after I fell out with ESPN. Imus is a hack.

But, in my view, he didn’t do anything outside the norm for shock jocks and comedians. He also offered an apology. That should’ve been the end of this whole affair. Instead, it’s only the beginning. It’s an opportunity for Stringer, Jackson and Sharpton to step on victim platforms and elevate themselves and their agenda$.

I watched the Rutgers news conference and was ashamed.

Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for eight minutes in 1963 at the March on Washington. At the time, black people could be lynched and denied fundamental rights with little thought. With the comments of a talk-show host most of her players had never heard of before last week serving as her excuse, Vivian Stringer rambled on for 30 minutes about the amazing season her team had.

Somehow, we’re supposed to believe that the comments of a man with virtually no connection to the sports world ruined Rutgers’ wonderful season. Had a broadcaster with credibility and a platform in the sports world uttered the words Imus did, I could understand a level of outrage.

But an hourlong press conference over a man who has already apologized, already been suspended and is already insignificant is just plain intellectually dishonest. This is opportunism. This is a distraction.

In the grand scheme, Don Imus is no threat to us in general and no threat to black women in particular. If his words are so powerful and so destructive and must be rebuked so forcefully, then what should we do about the idiot rappers on BET, MTV and every black-owned radio station in the country who use words much more powerful and much more destructive?

I don’t listen or watch Imus’ show regularly. Has he at any point glorified selling crack cocaine to black women? Has he celebrated black men shooting each other randomly? Has he suggested in any way that it’s cool to be a baby-daddy rather than a husband and a parent? Does he tell his listeners that they’re suckers for pursuing education and that they’re selling out their race if they do?

When Imus does any of that, call me and I’ll get upset. Until then, he is what he is — a washed-up shock jock who is very easy to ignore when you’re not looking to be made a victim.

No. We all know where the real battleground is. We know that the gangsta rappers and their followers in the athletic world have far bigger platforms to negatively define us than some old white man with a bad radio show. There’s no money and lots of danger in that battle, so Jesse and Al are going to sit it out.

BRILLIANT!

And a footnote...

2007-04-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

And,if it is so offensive, why can you buy this (and dozens of other items) online?

Imus has to lose his career, but now "pop-culture-savvy entrepeneurs" get to make money off of it.

When does this madness end?

Open Mouth, Insert Foot, Lose Career

2007-04-12T19:32:00.000-05:00

The news is all abuzz about Don Imus' firing by both CBS radio and MSNBC. Too bad for him some loopy astronaut didn't don a diaper and head out to club her rival, or a D-List celebrity didn't die to take this story off the "front page".

No, since it's been slow news-wise lately, we had to watch the tiny simmer grow into a roiling boil of "outrage" at the comments made during some banter between Mr. Imus and Bernard McGuirk, one of his producers regarding the Rutgers University women's basketball team.

Sure, what he said was asinine. But then, Don Imus pretty much says asinine things every day. I don't defend his comments at all, but I do shake my head at the blatant hypocrisy in the outrage. I would wager that NO member of the Rutgers women's basketball team actually witnessed the comments. They had to hear about it from someone else. I would also wager that their first reaction was "What a jerk". Period. I would wager that their need for a press conference, their little pity party about how their joy has been stolen and how offended they are was ginned up by other people who cajoled them into a false sense of outrage.
If someone calls you a name, what do you do?
Most likely, you remember what your parents told you when you were a kid: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Of course, parents probably don't teach that to kids any more. Now it may go something like this: "Anything I can possibly construe as 'hate speech' may grant me fame and fortune, so ALWAYS be looking for ways to be offended. There might be a big fat paycheck in it!"
Whether or not "all women of color" were, or even could be, offended by Imus' remarks, does this mean he should lose his career? Whatever happened to the concept of letting the punishment fit the crime?
If Imus offends you, you have the power to force him to either (a) change his ways or (b) change his job by NOT LISTENING. Ratings keep radio hosts on the air, period.
So now, a guy who raises awareness and millions of dollars for Autism and kids with cancer, who champions "green" cleaning products, who was a driving force behind the Center for the Intrepid in San Antonio... this guy has to lose his career for saying something stupid?
WHO'S NEXT?
Will anyone demand that the contracts (and the CDs in stores) be pulled from the rappers who made phrases like "Nappy-headed hos" a part of the "urban vernacular"? Don Imus never would have had those words bumping around in his previously drug-addled brain if it weren't for the "Hip Hop Community", which continuously savages women in its words, videos, actions, and attitude.

Incidentally, just when did "Nappy-headed" become a racist, derogatory phrase anyway? The first time I ever heard it was in Stevie Wonder's "I Wish": "Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy..." and this was said in fond reminiscing of his childhood. Black women today say "Nappy is Happy" in explanation of wearing their hair naturally. So don't cry to me about it being racist. It isn't.

Let's see if every talk show host, black, white, Democrat, Republican, Christian, Atheist, Jewish, Muslim, male, female, gets held to this new standard. They won't. You know they won't. George Bush and Republicans will still get called Nazis, our troops will still get called terrorists, whites will still be called oppressors, Christians will still be called (oh, just pick anything here!)...

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Don Imus should have apologized to the Rutgers girls, and that is the end of it. A suspension, sure. Make him feel some pain so perhaps he'll think twice before touching the third rail of comedy for white people (black comedians, commentators, sports celebrities et al have no such boundaries). But "offending" someone is not grounds for losing one's career. Especially when you have made your name by being offensive and controversial. Billy Graham didn't suddenly break out with the comment. Brian Williams didn't suddenly spill it. Tim Russert didn't. The President didn't. It was IMUS, for Pete's sake. Ray Nagin didn't pay with his career for his racist "Chocolate City" comments (no, he got reelected!). Kanye West didn't pay with his career for accusing the President of racism. Spike Lee didn't pay with his career for calling Trent Lott a "card carrying member of the KKK" (that isn't offensive?????). Of course not. So why Imus? I shudder for the future of free speech.

Monday Blahs

2007-04-02T20:05:00.000-05:00

So, it's Monday.
And it feels like a Monday.

The news of the day is depressing, the UK is claiming that we (the US) started the mess in Iran by trying to seize some high-up security guys in a covert raid (we didn't get them - haven't we figured out yet that when we take helicopters into Iran, bad things happen? They could have asked Jimmy Carter...) and Iran has retaliated by seizing the British Navy Sailors and Marines. Great.

Also, I see that nearly everyone running for President is raising RECORD amounts of money, especially dear old Hillary. But wait! What about the constant whining from Democrats about how bad the economy is? I thought everyone was broke! The evil rich people are getting tax cuts while "working families" (someone define that, would ya?) are starving! Guess those tax cuts are working for the very same Anti-Bush, anti-tax-cut morons who are giving HUGE amounts of money to someone who will raise their taxes!

Not to mention, if the Dems have their way, we are in for the LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN US HISTORY. But, fear not... somehow "working families" must benefit, right? I mean, surely the tax increase is only on rich white male Republicans. Oh, wait... it's going to affect everyone? Wow, I thought Democrats were "fighting for working families"... I mean, that's what I've heard for the past 20 years or so... it must be true! Alas, the tax increases will increase the marriage penalty (that doesn't seem "pro-family"), lower the child tax credit (wow, that doesn't seem "pro-family"), increase the death tax (only a democrat would try to get more money out of a dead person), and raise marginal rates, capital gains rates, and dividend rates. Wonderful! If anything can reverse the incredible economic growth we've seen over the last 15 quarters, the unbelievably low unemployment rate (check the numbers!), job growth, investment growth, and stock market gains, a big fat tax increase, compliments of the "I feel your pain (but let me REALLY MAKE IT HURT)" party will!

But, I digress. Washington is messed up on both sides of the aisle, up in the White House AND at the Supreme Court. Why would I be surprised at the idiocy of the newly elected jerks. I guess Economics 101 and the success of ALL previous tax cuts (by JFK, Reagan, and Bush) are just too hard to learn from.

So, I can't wait to get out of here (still at work), get back in the car and listen to "The Doorpost Songs" - that will fix my mood in a hurry. Thank goodness I was at the church today and was able to pick up a new copy (I keep giving it away!).

Monday. Who needs it.

An Actual Botched Joke?

2007-03-03T06:31:00.000-06:00

So, Ann Coulter is speaking at the American Conservative Union's Political Action Conference, March, 2, 2007 in Washington, D.C. and at the end of her speech, she says something pretty stupid:

I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I - so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards.

Now, Howard Dean is demanding that anyone who shared the podium with her that night denounce her, the Edwards campaign has the video on his campaign website saying that she's taken hate-speech politics to a new low, etc.
This was truly a foot-in-mouth moment. While obviously a reference to "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington's recent remarks about a co-star (and his subsequent "getting help" to save his career), this one went over like a wet leaf. After some gasps, you hear some nervous laughter and muted applause after people had a minute to figure out what she was talking about.
The use of the (new?) "f" word was just idiotic, and a blunder that will probably fire up the gay rights community, etc. However, I doubt that Ann truly thinks that Edwards, by all evidence a dedicated family man, is actually gay. So, this would be a prime example of "botched joke" - as it was clear that she was going for laughs with this one.
I'm sure the feigned outrage about her comment has barely begun. But I encourage Ann to use the "botched joke" excuse, since as soon as John Kerry uttered those words, the press fell right in line and dismissed all criticism of his belittling of our troops as needless "partisan politics" and killed the story as fast as they could. Let's see if they give her the same kid glove treatment.
Want to take any bets?

Should We Kill James Cameron?

2007-02-25T16:33:00.000-06:00

According to a Discovery Channel.com article, famed filmmaker James Cameron claims that he has discovered the tomb of Jesus Christ. Not an empty tomb, mind you -- a family tomb with bodies.

Now, I'll leave the reading of the article to you.

The implications, of course, should this "prove" to be the real tomb of Jesus, complete with body, would pretty much negate Christianity (for those of you who don't know, Christ's resurrection is the cornerstone of our belief).

So, here's my point. Are Christians mobbing the streets of (insert any city here), demanding that James Cameron be put to death? Have the "streets run with blood"? Has anyone issued a, err... umm (what's an English word for Fatwa?) against Mr. Cameron and his associates? After all, here's a guy who basically has come out announcing that he has proof that believers in Christ are at deceived, followers of Christ are liars, and blaspheming the name of Jesus by indicating that He is not who He claimed to be.

Umm... no.

Why not? I don't think I'll go down the list of reasons why not. Suffice it to say, that in contrast with another religion dominating the news these days, the one who calls a murdering homicide bomber a "martyr", the one who burns down buildings and carries out death threats against cartoonists and their employers who dare to "make an image of" their prophet, the one who sees no problem with an "honor killing" by a male against his own sister, wife, or mother, the one who says to convert by the sword... well, we are commanded to love our enemy, pray for and endeavor to reach the unsaved, and are to leave vengeance to the Lord God Himself.

So, you probably won't see much outrage directed at James Cameron. I will, however, bet that the National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel, or a Peter Jennings or Tom Brokaw "special report" will give this "discovery" a lot of airtime, trying to call into question the fact of The Resurrection. I base this on the breathless reporting of the "Gospel of Judas" and the avalanche of programming based around "The DaVinci Code".

Funny, I can't recall seeing the special that looks at the historical Mohammed. The likely epileptic. The bloodthirsty conqueror. The "do as I say, not as I do" leader of a ridiculously oppressive, dogmatic religion worshipping a deity that was a minor moon god in Mecca until Mohammed decided to elevate him to Supreme status when starting his religion. OH wait. That will get you into trouble. And it might offend.
And offended Muslims have: put a knife in the heart of Theo Van Gogh, shot up Jewish Community Centers, flown planes into skyscrapers and government buildings, murdered millions in the name of their god, blown up thousands of innocents in Israel, Indonesia, Egypt, (Oh man, this list gets long...), kidnapped and beheaded "infidels" who dared try to rebuild Iraq, torched and defiled the bodies of US servicemen, hung more burned bodies of contractors from bridges in Fallujah...

So... I guess James Cameron is lucky he didn't discover, for instance, some of the original 'scribbled down' bits of rantings eventually compiled into the Koran (since it would disprove the tenet that it was handed down, 100% complete, to Mohammed), eh?

America The Beautiful (or is that Ugly?)

2007-02-25T16:12:00.000-06:00

So, there's this way cool, "Film Independent's Spirit Awards" show. Oh yes, let's get together and celebrate the "real" films, the independent films that fly under "Big Hollywood's" radar. Let's gather up a bunch of hip, cool directors, actors and producers of such films. Let's have them deliver the corny award presentations. So far, I'm OK with all of this... I tend to enjoy independent films more than the big studio releases (even though I love the megabucks special effects of the big boys).

Anyway, what does any of this have to do with America? Or politics?

Well, one of the hip, cool presenters this year was America Ferrara (star of the TV sitcom "Ugly Betty" and the independent film "Real Women Have Curves"). Now, here is a lovely latina (ironically portraying an 'ugly' character on tv - why didn't they have the cajones to cast someone actually unattractive?), whose parents named her "America"... succeeding wildly in America... bashing our President and minimizing the freedoms that she and all of us enjoy in America!!

Her comment was that America will be the land of the free once Bush leaves office (or at least I think that's what she meant... she said "it will be again in 2008"... Bush won't leave office until 2009).

Sure, she was probably only pandering to the all-too-eager Bush-hating left that dominates the film industry. Sure, she didn't think it was anything but a funny little comment. But for pete's sake, here's a triple minority (in Hollywood, anyway): Female, Latina, "curvy" (read: not anorexically thin). AND SHE'S SUCCEEDING IN AMERICA. Succeeding beyond the wildest dreams of 'normal' Americans. And yet, America isn't the land of the free? There's a baseball bat with her forehead's name on it somewhere. When will this"Winner of life's lottery" (some ridiculous Democrat's words, not mine) ever realize that she, were it NOT for our freedoms, fiercely defended by people such as George W. Bush & our entire military, might well be illiterate, oppressed, right-less, status-less, and unprotected from discrimination, degradation, and even violence?!

Unbelievable. Now, I don't know why miss America's parents named her "America". However, I would wager it was in gratitude for all this country has afforded them. If I'm right, then she has not only spit in the face of our commander-in-chief and the armed forces he commands, all of those who have DIED defending her right to be an idiot... she's also spit in the face of her parents. For someone who stars in a show that puts family above all, this is the worst kind of irony. Boo, traveling pants girl, boo.

Note the date (1963) - Prophetic and Scary

2006-09-16T21:23:00.000-05:00

This doesn't get much press, but it's in the congressional record. If it were not, I'd say someone made it up, because it's practically word-for-word a playbook of today's Left. Please copy and distribute as you see fit:

Communist Goals for American Takeover

Communist Goals (1963)
Congressional Record--Appendix, pp. A34-A35
January 10, 1963

Current Communist Goals
EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. A. S. HERLONG, JR. OF FLORIDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, January 10, 1963

Mr. HERLONG. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Nordman of De Land, Fla., is an ardent and articulate opponent of communism, and until recently published the De Land Courier, which she dedicated to the purpose of alerting the public to the dangers of communism in America.

At Mrs. Nordman's request, I include in the RECORD, under unanimous consent, the following "Current Communist Goals," which she identifies as an excerpt from "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen: [From "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen]

CURRENT COMMUNIST GOALS:
AMERICA

1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one, or both, of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture -- education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etcetera.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit, and eventually dismantle, the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use ["]united force["] to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.

Note to Muslims: Learn the Definition of "Irony"

2006-09-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

So, the Pope reads a quote from a 14th century Byzantine Emperor that says (and I'm paraphrasing) "Show me anything new that Mohammed brought us. You'll find only evil, including conversion by sword to the faith he preaches."
So what do "modern" muslims do? Engage in a debate about the dearth of inventions, literature, art, contributions to medicine, etc. from Islamic lands over the past several centuries? Challenge the "medieval" notion that Islam is violent with examples to the contrary? Laugh at the foolishness of an old man?
No, they protest wildly in the streets, burn things, fire off guns and attack churches.
(A side note: Don't these idiots have jobs? How is it that they are always available to protest in furious numbers at the slightest "offense" against their prophet or their religion? I'm sure the Huffington Post readers or Rosie O'Donnells of the world would say they are unemployed because of George W. Bush, since every malaise worldwide, past, present or future is somehow traceable to his administration.
I'd say they've got so much time on their hands because they are not contributing to literature, art, science, industry, or anything else.)

When you're offended by people saying you're worthless, ignorant, and violent... perhaps ignorant, worthless displays of violence aren't exactly bolstering your argument.

PS: Why don't the gun control freaks in this country ever mention the random, wanton firing of automatic weapons out in the streets of these peaceful hamlets while women and children are outside? Are burkas bulletproof? Do Islamic bullets continue heavenward in their peaceful arc, never returning to earth? How is it that hunters, sportsmen, and people who want to protect their families and property from crime are ridiculed as ignorant rednecks (or worse: Republicans), but maniacs in the streets of populated areas firing indiscriminately are merely "disenfranchised", or "righteously outraged", "misunderstood" people? Silly me, I forgot: the gun control freaks are liberals. Nothing has to make any sense, it just has to make them feel superior.

'Easy' Doesn't Enter Into Grown Up LIfe

2006-08-13T11:04:00.000-05:00

That's a quote from Michael Caine in "The Weatherman". And, I believe it's true. No one ever promised anyone anything easy (well, except for some infomercials and televangelists... and communist dictators... and... OK, people promise easy all the time!).
I guess that line jumped out at me as I half-watched, bleary-eyed, the movie a couple of days ago. Overtired, but can't sleep, too many things to do, but not getting them done... great fun.
There's a HUGE happy occasion on the horizon, my parent's 50th Anniversary (8/19), and being able to look forward to that is making the current pile of crap that is my worklife easier to bear. We've had someone quit, and his workload has been "democratically" spread amongst the rest of us. That's just dandy. I already have too much on my plate for one person and have been filling 1-1/2 to 2 job positions for the last 2 years. Hey, what's one more responsibility? I'm sure it will all translate into more compensation -- NOT.
At this point, I hope that we "get over this current hump" (something we've been saying pretty much every week for 6 years now) and life will resume some semblance of normalcy.
And, it ain't just work. I try, when I can, to volunteer with things at church, mostly Sound/Light/Video stuff since that is where my skills lie. I will refrain from the details of the latest escapade, because I can't find the positive spin on it and don't want to blast away at our leadership. I guess people are people, no matter in what walk of life, and being in church leadership does not automatically mean you'll have common sense or take people's physical/emotional well-being into account when you come up with grand plans.
I guess there's one other thing that has made the last few months kind of crappy: The idea that I might (just MIGHT) be interested in someone -- for the first time in probably 4 years... and she (is there any other way) had JUST decided to go 'exclusive' with some guy she'd started dating online. I suppose God intends for some people to remain single, but if I'm one of those people, I sure wish He would give me some peace about it. It screams in opposition to the fiber of my being. I know I'm dealing with consequences of stupid choices made earlier in my life, and I suppose the possibility exists that I'll never get an answer. Shit. 'Easy' doesn't enter into grown up life.

My Guitar Gently Weeps on a Ukelele

2006-07-14T16:26:00.000-05:00


Amazing Ukelele player plays George Harrison's 'My Guitar Gently Weeps' on the ukelele. All I can say is... Unbelievable.

C.S. Lewis sums it up...

2006-04-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

There's a reason why this guy is revered! What a great quote. Anyone who dares posit such an idea these days is dismissed a "NeoCon", "Right Wing Extremist" or a member of the "Religious Right". Which, in other words, will immediately remove such a thought from the forum of public debate, and certainly eliminate it from any media coverage (unless it's accompanied by someone like Rosie O'Donnell or Whoopie Goldberg ridiculing it for having the audacity to "speak for everyone"). Too bad. Mr. Lewis as usual has been prophetic in his assessment. The comment is as timely as anything making the news cycle today.

“The very idea of freedom presupposes some objective moral law which overarches rulers and ruled alike. Subjectivism about values is eternally incompatible with democracy. We and our rulers are of one kind only so long as we are subject to one law. But if there is no Law of Nature, the ethos of any society is the creation of its rulers, educators and conditioners; and every creator stands above and outside his own creation.” —C.S. Lewis

Everything That's Wrong With America

2006-04-05T07:18:00.000-05:00

Cynthia McKinney.

OH, maybe I should elaborate. She's the congresswoman who, upon trying to rush by Capitol security with no credentials and no Congressional pin, was asked several times by security to stop. When she didn't (as I'm sure occurred on a daily basis) acknowledge the security officers at all and kept on going, the security officer touched her arm or shoulder to emphasize the fact that he needed her to stop and show some ID. Her response? No, she didn't say "Oh, sorry, I just assumed you'd recognize me", "Oh, I didn't realize you were talking to me" or even "Jeez! OK, here's my ID"... No, she whirled and slugged the guy.
Now, instead of apologies, she and many willing idiots (Danny Glover, Harry Belefonte, etc.) are out saying she's a victim of "Being in Congress while Black" - see, it's a racial thing.
Of course it is. The only person being persecuted due to his race is the Capitol Police officer who happens to be white.
Haven't the Democrats been bending over backwards to prove that they are "tough on security"? Look no further than this example - they are still the party of victimhood and race-baiting, just as they have been ever since they realized that they couldn't maintain the segregationist policies of the Jim Crow era (please remember, it was the Democrats fighting all Civil rights legislation). So, rather than appreciating the brave and (I suspect) underpaid officers for doing a fine job keeping members of congress safe, she's out beating the "Whitey has his foot on my neck" drum (remember, in 1998 two such officers gave their lives in the line of duty when someone tried to waltz past a security checkpoint and began firing a gun in the lobby).
With people like this in the halls of power, is it any wonder why race relations continue to be a scab that just won't be allowed to heal? Pick, pick, pick...

What Part of "Illegal" Don't You Understand?

2006-03-28T22:02:00.000-06:00

"Sí se puede" - Yes, we can... Ummmm you can what?
I am not surprised, however sad that is, that hundreds of thousands of Latinos took to the streets to protest against immigration reforms that would make being in this country illegally a felony. It's already against the law, but it's a civil offense, and our politically correct politicians, lobbied heavily by construction, restaurant, and agriculture interests have pretty much been looking the other way for decades.
Now, the illegals have the misguided idea that somehow they are supposed to be allowed to be here indefinitely - like it is an unalienable right. The thought that we might pass a law with teeth is scaring... who, exactly? The illegals? They are already illegal! How dare we enforce or stiffen our laws.
It doesn't help that some of our own elected officials can't draw the distinction between a legal immigrant and an illegal alien. Senator Diane Feinstein, no genius on any level, actually called them "good citizens" today. Someone drag that woman to a civics 101 class! She's ostensibly representing half of California!! OH wait, half of California is illegal aliens. I forgot.
The idea that actually enforcing our laws is somehow "unfair" or "racist" or "backward" in this day and age of ballooning deficits, a war, and hospitals going bankrupt everywhere illegals are is the perhaps the most stupid idea since "hate crimes".
If you're illegal, you're illegal. Period. If you get caught, you should be thrown OUT. Not in a prison where taxpayers feed, clothe and shelter you. Back to Mexico. The great country that you pour into the streets to chant the name of. The one you carry flags for on Cinco de Mayo. The one whose language you refuse to quit speaking. If it's so great, why'd you leave? If you came here "for a better life for your family", what a great example you set by sneaking in illegally. It's just easier to sneak in (since we won't do anything to stop you) than it is to go through the legal process. Wow. Such perserverance. Touching.
Now, we'll get to watch endless Democrats bluster on about "fairness", "compassion", "understanding" etc. Why? Pandering for the Hispanic vote, of course. Hopefully it will backfire. A lot of Latinos voted Republican in the last election because they are (supposedly) tougher on illegal immigration. Why should they go through all the hard work to actually become a citizen and then all these leeches come through the easy way?
This country is doomed unless people start throwing out encumbent "lifelong" congressmen, and actually hold elected officials to what they promised in their campaigns. And since that won't happen, well, we're doomed.

Holy Haters, Batman, there's no Holy Cities!

2006-03-21T00:30:00.000-06:00

It occurred to me today, on this third anniversary of the Iraq war, that the press seems to be resting on its collective laurels a bit.
When the war got going, and we were seeing video bits of spectacular explosions, lighting up the Iraqi skies, the press constantly referred to every city in Iraq as "The holy city of ..." Now, if this was out of some sort of fawning reverence to all things Islam, or even out of respect for "the people of Iraq", they would still be using those four words in reference to the towns.
Since they have taken, over the last year or more, to merely calling the cities by their name, without the distinguishing preamble, one might ask why. I believe the answer is this:
The press couldn't care less if any city or site, in any country, is considered holy. I've never heard "The holy city of Tel Aviv was bombed today..." The reason they kept tagging on "The holy city of..." was to make it sound that somehow we were the bad guys, bombing "holy sites", not terrorists or the followers of a maniacal dictator (who were 'spiritually sensitive' enough to hide in mosques, often behind children, hoping to avoid their doom). Remember, Bush bad, any other world leader, no matter how murderous, good. So why not fuel the fire by pronouncing every military target "holy"? Now that they've done their job, they've made it look like only bad things happen in Iraq, there's an increasing anti-war (and anti-Bush) sentiment growing, there's no need to mention "holy" anymore. It probably came as a relief to not have to utter that word anymore. Because in America, when someone says "holy" the Judeo-Christian deity springs to mind. And we can't have that, now, can we.

Crash, Pimps, Sheepherders

2006-03-06T22:16:00.000-06:00

Oh, the Oscars.
Had it not been for the fact that I belatedly drove to a friend's party to watch the last half, I probably would have dozed through the show. Partly because I wasn't feeling well, and partly because it was pretty lame.
Jon Stewart was passable, but if you watch The Daily Show then you've seen it all before: The rolling of the eyes, the timely raised eyebrow, etc. He must have brought his writers along so he could remain firmly in his routine.

There were, in my opinion, some pleasant surprises, not the least of which was that "Brokeback Mountain" didn't sweep everything. Hell-bent as Hollywood is to rush to embrace anything 'bold', 'maverick', 'progressive', 'enlightening', (read: anti-family, anti-Christian, anti-American), not even the Academy of the Out-Of-Touch could grit their teeth and take it like a man. So, they split - giving Ang Lee Best Director honors and "Crash" Best Picture. I saw "Crash". It was tough to watch in many places (and I'll never think of Sandra Bullock quite the same again - Miss congeniality? More like Miss Opprobrious), but in the end, a well-done movie with a bit of redemption in the end.
I haven't seen and won't see "Brokeback" - there are plenty of great love story movies out there that don't involve M4M relations. I'm no prude, but the hype surrounding this movie was nothing more than a banner for the homosexual agenda -- the one that says that if you don't want your kid's scoutmaster to be gay, then you're the one with the problem. The one that says that if you define marriage as the union between one man and one woman, then you're the pervert. No thanks.
I've got homosexual friends, and have worked and socialized with several over the years. Fine people. But none of them ever tried to 'convert' me or to bully me into some sort of approval of their lifestyle. To the best of my knowledge, none ever walked in a "pride" parade or wore their proclivities on their sleeve. They kept their private lives private, and it didn't need to be the overarching topic of conversation. They were offended by obnoxious homophobes who called them names (or worse) - but then, who isn't offended by someone belittling you and degrading you. On the subject of that sort of morality, we agreed to disagree and let it lie.
But I digress.

It was nice to see Reese Witherspoon win best Actress in a Leading Role. I guess I've just read enough interviews with her to respect the way she and her husband are staying as non-Hollywood as possible. Kudos, and if you need a role model for your "I wanna be an actress" daughter, I think I'd start with Reese.

My favorite "You have GOT to be kidding me" part of the night, however, was a two-fold event. First, the "performance" (using the term loosely) of "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" from "Hustle and Flow"... immediately followed by that song WINNING for best original song from a motion picture... HUH? I don't care if a rap song gets nominated or even wins (Eminem did it with "Lose Yourself" what - 2 years ago?), but "Pimp" is a horrible excuse for even a rap song. Let's look at the lyrics (with some 'editing' by me):

You know it's hard out here for a pimp (you ain't knowin)
When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain't knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain't knowin)
[1] Because a whole lot of b****es talkin s**t (you ain't knowin)
[2] Will have a whole lot of b****es talkin s**t (you ain't knowin)

In my eyes I done seen some crazy thangs in the streets
Gotta couple hoes workin on the changes for me
But I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night
Like takin from a ho don't know no better, I know that ain't right
Done seen people killed, done seen people deal
Done seen people live in poverty with no meals
It's f***d up where I live, but that's just how it is
It might be new to you, but it's been like this for years
It's blood sweat and tears when it come down to this s**t
I'm tryin to get rich 'fore I leave up out this b***h
I'm tryin to have thangs but it's hard fo' a pimp
But I'm prayin and I'm hopin to God I don't slip, yeah

[Chorus]

Man it seems like I'm duckin dodgin bullets everyday
Niggaz hatin on me cause I got, hoes on the tray
But I gotta stay paid, gotta stay above water
Couldn't keep up with my hoes, that's when s**t got harder
North Memphis where I'm from, I'm 7th Street bound
Where niggaz all the time end up lost and never found
Man these girls think we prove thangs, leave a big head
They come hopin every night, they don't end up bein dead
Wait I got a snow bunny, and a black girl too
You pay the right price and they'll both do you
That's the way the game goes, gotta keep it strictly pimpin
Gotta have my hustle tight, makin change off these women, yeah

Seriously now... Oscar-worthy? Nice to know that in the middle of forcing women to sell their bodies, our hero prays to God that he won't slip - so he can get rich. Priceless. Oh, and I have it on good authority that a Snow Bunny is a white girl, in case you're wondering. So... did somehow only men vote for this vacuous assault on women? In order to win, I'd have to say that plenty of female Academy members had to vote for this 'song'. I will wager that the vast majority of those who voted for this 'song' never even heard it - or if they did, certainly didn't understand the lyrics. That's one advantage of rap, rock-n-roll, and other pop music styles -- people don't generally get the lyrics until after several listens, if even that. Now that the song has won, I'm sure there will be some discussion about it... but I won't hold my breath waiting for the feminists to denounce it. They're too busy railing against South Dakota's abortion ban. Hollywood, I'm putting you on notice -- the next time the cops pull the body of a prostitute or a rape victim out of a dumpster, some of the blood is on your hands. You're standing by applauding the glorification of the degradation of God's most perfect creation, all in the name of 'diversity' and 'tolerance'. You sick freaks. I'm not for censorship (people are free to vote with their pocketbook -- don't by the crap, the crap stops flowing), but HONORING such a vile slime-fest is lowly behavior even by the hedonistic bunch that makes up the majority of the film industry today. Nice try with the cute comparisons to other "strange-sounding song titles" by both Ludacris and Queen Latifah (who, before presenting the award for best song actually said "How was I NOT in that performance?" I guess she hadn't heard the lyrics either. Or were all of her in-your-face, pro-woman rap albums just a way to get paid until her acting career took off and she too could leave her principles at the door) - but I will remain offended by "Pimp" and not too upset over "Bibbity Bobbity Boo". You can bet Verna Felton (voice of the Fairy Godmother) didn't have to be on a six-second delay so the producers could catch her profanity.

I don't know if I'll be watching the self-congratulatory, smarmy, holier-than-thou Oscars next year. Things tend to get worse before they get better, and I'll bet we haven't seen the bottom yet.

Live Music - On a Tuesday Night?

2006-03-05T01:13:00.000-06:00

So, Tuesday night some friends from church and I went to see a band called "Family Force 5". I hadn't heard of them except for my friend Rob telling me about them (and showing some of us their "Kountry Gentleman" video). They were pretty hilarious! The most refreshing thing about them is that they are Christians, but not a Christian band. What does that mean? In my little definition, it means that they write songs about whatever they feel like, and in their case, goofy songs. It's not 'praise & worship' music. They don't preach from the stage. To me, that's refreshing. So many (OK, nearly ALL) of the bands purporting to be Christian have to go through the Nashville meat grinder, so that no matter what they used to sound like, they all come out neat, tidy, homogeneous, guitars and drums buried in the mix, etc. Family Force 5 may pass through Nashville, but only as a tour stop. They certainly don't fit 'the mold'. What do they sound like? I'd say... a mixture of Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys... with a fat greasy side of Atlanta Hip-Hop and above all, a wicked sense of humor.
I don't think they (or the opening bands) were appreciated too much by some in our little group for many reasons, not the least of which was everything was way too loud. And I ain't saying that just because I'm getting old! I do sound. I know sound. This was laziness and apathy on the part of the engineer(s). When a room is practically empty, you're not going to "create energy" by slamming everything to 'eleven'. This night was especially egregious because even the opening bands were full throttle. Who does that? You always "save a little something" for the headliner. Thankfully, most of us were packing earplugs. A life-saver, albeit somewhat annoying. I have been threatening for years to get a pair of Sonic II hearing protectors, but never have. And, every time I've got a pair of foam plugs in, I remember -- "OH yeah, these things kill all the highs & high mids so I can't understand anything being sung". Bummer. Every once in a while I'd loosen one or the other for a minute or two, but... ouch. Stupid sound guy. Just because you've lost half of your hearing doesn't mean you need to inflict it on the rest of the world!
Well, anyway, we talked to some of the FF5 for a second after the show - great guys, very humble (hard not to be when only 55 people show up for your gig). I wish them well, and I guess I should mention local band "Type Nine" who went on before FF5. I think they could stand an infusion of energy, but their songs were pretty well-written and their musicianship was tight. A few technical difficulties marred the performance a bit, but they probably had a 0-minute soundcheck.

2006-01-29T16:45:00.000-06:00

Umm, I don't do this every day.

Why can't I be this eloquent?

2005-12-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

This sums up my take on Democrats completely and succinctly. I wish I'd come up with it myself. Actually, I wish our CURRENT President could come up with something this good.

"[Democrats] are the same people who rediscover poverty every election and promise to cure it. They’ve cured it so often that they’ve now made a profession of it. They thrive on failures, on righting wrongs, aiding victims, and so forth. It must be understood that success in those tasks would put them out of business. No matter how many programs are set up and operating, their proponents never claim success for them. To do so would be to say the problems have been solved, meaning the programs are no longer needed. And the programs, not the problems, are their very reason for being.” —Ronald Reagan

Perfect.

Real Thanksgiving

2005-11-20T21:56:00.000-06:00

God:
Thank you. I don't know how I ended up in a family like the one I have, but thank you. Today was a great day. You've given us all so much -- not cars, boats and iPods, but love, patience, and joy. And good cooking!
When Thursday rolls around and everyone (hopefully) stops to think about what they are (and should be) thankful for, I know that some are going to have to struggle to come up with things. I thank you that not only is my life full of incredible gifts, but that they're blatantly obvious so even a shallow thinker like myself can see them.
Thanks again.

I'm catching up on my bloggin'... can you tell?

2005-11-07T21:35:00.000-06:00

Muslims are trying to take over France.

Extreme statement? Nah. Once you've claimed a land for Allah, if you ever lose it, you are required to take it back. So it's been a few hundred years. The poor, "disenfranchised" (I really don't like that word, sounds like someone took your Taco Bell) youth are rioting, burning cars & shops, shooting at police in an organized fashion... and for what? Because they are "tired of being discriminated against"? That might be what the press is saying, but wake up and smell the Opium. The Muslims have been burning synagogues, Kosher delis, and other Jewish-owned businesses for years in and around Paris (and other European cities). But, hey, it was just the Jews getting it. No one likes them, anyway, right? At least not in our enlightened, secular Paris! Only now that regular Parisians are losing their Renaults to molotov cocktails is it a problem. Too late, Frogs! You should have put down the uprising the minute it started. A curfew, shoot-to-kill orders with Marines (do the French have Marines?) patrolling the streets... it would have stopped in one night. By the way, to any would-be hoodlums out there, don't go into electrical substations. The signs that say "Danger: High Voltage" are there for a reason. Morons. But I digress.
Radical Islam (and I am not so sure the word "radical" really needs to be there) is bent on world domination. It's in their holy book, it's preached (indoctrinated) to them from birth, and the evidence is so blatant that only the worst type of coward would dare couch this as "unrest". They're learning that terrorism works, they're not afraid to die, their religion gives them carte blanche (a French term! How apropos.. Wait, is that another one?) to "Slay the infidels where you may find them" (and conveniently, an 'infidel' is anyone who doesn't believe as you do! Won't be long before George Soros and Michael Moore start using the term for Republicans). What do you expect? Did you think that refusing to support the US invasion of Iraq would buy you some loyalty? Did you think your thinly veiled anti-semitism would keep your chalets safe? Do you really think Muslims are going to "live peacefully side by side" with ANYONE??? What do you think nearly all the major conflicts are about? It's Muslims who can't get along with their neighbors.
The Islamic curriculum in no particular order:
TEST: bomb a bunch of places in Israel. Women, children, worshipper, pizza-eaters, doesn't matter who. RESULT: The USA and other countries tell Israel not to retaliate. Israel listens. PASS.
TEST: bomb the World Trade Center, albeit fairly ineffectively. RESULT: Some people get arrested, no countries get turned into glass. INCOMPLETE.
TEST: Hijack a cruise ship. For fun, throw a crippled Jew overboard. RESULT: People help you escape justice. No countries get turned into glass. PASS.
TEST: Blow a hole in an American Destroyer in Yemen. RESULT: A handful of dead Americans, no countries get turned into glass. PASS.
TEST: Bomb a couple of American Embassies. RESULT: Somewhat of a body count, no countries get turned into glass. PASS.
TEST: Find a disgruntled American & help him take out a Federal building in Oklahoma City. RESULT: Horrific body count on American Soil. FBI/Justice Dept. cover up any and all leads dealing with "Middle Eastern men". Government lays all the blame on Timothy McVeigh and decries 'homegrown terrorism' and nearly demonizes (of all things) talk radio in the process! PASS. A++.
TEST: Burn down Jewish Synagogues and businesses in major European cities. RESULT: Nothing. PASS
TEST: Hijack several American Airliners, crash them into The World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and nearly... The White House? The Capitol building? Thank God we at least didn't find that out. RESULT: America decides to finally strike back. The despotic Theocratic lunatics of the Taliban are routed, Afghanistan is turned towards freedom and democracy. Depose Saddam Hussein, allow Iraq to come up with a Constitution and hold elections in the process. FAIL? Not so fast... test America's resolve. With the help of the international press and America's own enemies within, (that includes you, Cindy Sheehan) watch the stories of only the American body count become news. Ignore the opening of schools, the starting of new businesses, rights and education available to women for the first time in 40 years, power and water restored to hundreds of thousands, the end of the slaughter of political enemies both real and imagined. The end of gang rapes by the ruling party and its military. INCOMPLETE.
TEST: Right before an election, blow up some trains in Spain to spread misery and pain (sorry, had to do it). RESULT: Watch the cowardly appeaser get elected. PASS
TEST: Blow up some subways and a double-decker bus in London. RESULT: a pretty quick roundup of the ones who didn't die in the explosions... BUT watch the tide of appeasement grow! INCOMPLETE
TEST: Use any excuse to start rioting and destroying the self-made ghettos of Paris. Chant "Jihad!", fire up the idiots who are brainwashed into believing this is some sort of holy war. Use your text-message enabled cell phones (OH would Allah approve of this technology? I think not) to coordinate your riots. Shoot at the Police. Heck, even use an abandoned police station as your "molotov cocktail factory"(Irony, anyone?). Chant "We rule this place". RESULT: platitudes as the media stress the discrimination and the impoverished plight of.... Oh yeah, immigrants who refuse to assimilate into the culture of their new country. GEE, no wonder you aren't getting a job. SO FAR... PASS.

What's next? They're already chanting "this is our land" in Denmark... Germany is expecting a similar situation as Paris...

Europe, you gave your own continent away. France, you really blew it. Your idiotic immigration policies and greed for cheap servant labor allowed MILLIONS of people WHO HATE YOU AND WANT TO KILL YOU to move in next door. You have turned your back on God, closed your churches by the thousands, decided on a laissez-faire (OH, another one) attitude instead of nationalist pride, and strict policies on immigration (wow, am I yelling at the Eurotrash or my own President here?), and now that your churches are turning in to Mosques, who preach pure HATE in a foreign tongue (makes it easy for them to tell you they are preaching tolerance and peace, huh?), you are surprised at this latest outburst of violence? You let it happen right under your upturned noses. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see our military come in and save your Vichy asses once again, and that's what it will end up taking. Maybe this time we'll get a "merci" out of you.

'tis sad, indeed. If anyone still thinks that Islam is "a religion of peace" -- read some history. The FOUNDING and the tradition of Islam is soaked in blood. NOT the blood of martyrs, lest you start throwing around remarks about atrocities committed by madmen in the name of Christianity (who were clearly acting AGAINST the teachings of Christ). NO, this was the blood of the 'infidel', the ones whose crime was only not being a Muslim. Mohammed was a sick (epileptic) man who appropriated convenient traditions, places and even a god (the moon god, Allah) to create his own religion... conveniently put in "divine instruction" that anyone who spoke against Allah or his prophet should be put to death. Kind of puts the kaybosh on open and honest debate, huh? Oh yeah, and he conveniently added that Islam had to be the GOVERNMENT as well as the religion. Seems like the Liberals here in the US would be a little more leery of such a theocratic ideology, since they work really hard to make sure we have no acknowledgement of religion in any government building here! They sure are in love with all things Islam these days, even Oprah took it upon herself to have an "Islam 101" episode so we could all "understand" this peaceful religion. Oh, it's peaceful, all right. What could be more peaceful than hacking off the head of an innocent bystander with a dull knife, on videotape, while praising your god, claiming that what you're doing is commanded by the same? What could be more peaceful than targeting women and children OF YOUR OWN RELIGION along with your supposed enemy? What could be more peaceful than convincing the dim-witted that strapping a bomb to their chest will give them a free pass to heaven? What could be more peaceful than beating your wife at will, or killing your daughter or sister if she "shames" the family? I guess it's obvious that "Islam is peace". I just wasn't seeing it. Silly me.

Wow. I drove through a shooting scene

2005-11-07T21:21:00.000-06:00

So, I finally get out of work at about 7:45 tonight. Sadly, I am frustrated, afraid I'm not going to make it home in time for "Prison Break". Lame, I know. I am coming down Shepherd and there are a gazillion flashing lights at the intersection of Shepherd and 34th. What the...? Of course, I can't tell what's going on, there's an officer directing me to turn right on 34th (not a big deal, but I had intended on going straight). So I'm mildly perturbed until I realize that they are not tidying up after a "Houston Handshake" (a fender bender to the rest of the world... by the way, I just coined that term. You heard it here first!), because there are too many cruisers spread in 3 directions. I just cruised through, trying not to rubberneck -- didn't seem to be anything but police, no wrecked vehicles, no one getting cuffed, nothing on fire.
Well, I made it home in time to see Prison Break (just barely!). And when Prison Break was over, the local Fox news teaser says "Houston Police kill a woman after a chase" -- and it was what I had driven through an hour earlier. Actually the shooting occurred some hours previous and I drove through the investigation site. Creepy story so far. You just don't hear many stories about (a) DPS employees getting into dust-ups with the police, (b) women weilding guns, (c) Police shooting women, but the wierdest of all -- the woman got shot while pointing the gun at... her SISTER!! What the...? Apparently the sister was in the passenger seat of this pickup (which, by the way had come to a stop in an abandoned Texaco station parking lot after the police had thrown out tire spikes), threw a 9mm pistol out the window... and the driver got out of the truck, ran around to the gun, picked it up and began pointing it at her sister! That's when "officers discharged their weapons" (euphemisms provided by the Houston Police Department). Strange, sad, and... HEY, when is someone going to reopen that gas station? It was the closest one to work!

Busy busy busy

2005-11-07T21:09:00.000-06:00

I guess I didn't really realize how much free time I had until I lost it. Ain't that always the way. I don't know how married people, especially those with children, ever get anything done. When work puts demands on you keeping you at the office until late in the evening, and you have laundry, homework, cleaning and reading to do, and you've got obligations on several nights a week... when are you supposed to sleep?
Maybe I like sleep too much. I'm not one of those people who can get 4 hours a night and be fine. I can pull that off for about 2 days.
Maybe I like 'down time' too much. Sometimes you need to sit and and just surf the web, or draw something. Or play your guitar.
Yep, time is a valuable commodity. I need to figure out a way to keep work from taking so much of it.

Am I a Racist? Part II

2005-04-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

Busing. Or is it Bussing. Either way, I mean the kind where you get put on a bus and sent far from your neighborhood school to another school in the holy name of diversity. I, thankfully, was never bused.

However, one of my older sisters was. She was in fifth grade and got bused to Glen Oak Elementary. To this day I have no idea where in our town that school is. She was quick to make friends and I'm really glad she got exposed to what the kids at Glen Oak were listening to music-wise. She brought home some 45's that opened my ears to stuff I'd never heard before. Sly and the Family Stone's "Family Affair", Diana Ross' "Stoned Love" and "Touch Me In the Morning", The Stylistics "Betcha By Golly Wow", and some others.

SOUL music? In our house?

My mother listened only to Classical/Opera/Sacred (did I mention this was a Southern Baptist household?), my dad didn't listen to anything but I later found out he was a fan of the big band era. We heard the top 40 station, but it was heavy on Carpenters, Donny Osmond, Cher, and other white-bread drivel. Yeah, you heard Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five and an occasional R&B tune like "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers, but 'really black stuff' didn't cross over too much. My sisters, up until this time, were listening to the Partridge Family (and I remember my oldest sister getting really excited about getting the soundrack to "Oliver!" one Christmas). We also had a copy of "Snoopy and the Royal Guardsmen". So we weren't exactly schooled in soul.

That was the good part. The music, and I suppose some new girlfriends I never met.

The bad part was when my sister and her best friend Sandy were sitting in an outside area after school giggling about whatever it is little girls giggle about, and a young man (in sixth grade but old enough to be in high school) decided that they were giggling about him. He proceeded to beat them both up pretty badly. No hospital, but lots of bruises and a busted lip.

Again, at the time, I didn't think anything about it in racial terms (I was horrified that someone had beaten up my sister) and my folks didn't ever say anything other than express some vehement concern over the safety of their daughter at school. Understand, this was before the days where you sued everyone in sight for the slightest offense, real or imagined. So this experience, retold to by my sister a few times after I was older, was filed away with the others.

And there were others...

Am I a Racist? Part 1

2005-04-23T00:44:00.000-05:00

Let’s see, I started school in about 1969. Didn’t go to kindergarten, because my parents really hated anything with a German name. OK, I’m kidding about that, I didn’t go to kindergarten because my mother, an English teacher, taught me how to read at age 4, and I was pretty darn good with the finger paints, if I do say so myself (and naps, well I had them nailed). Anyway, due to a very-late-in-the-year birthday, I started first grade at age 5. Integration was in full swing in my home town of St. Petersburg, Florida, so I had plenty of black kids in my class. School was probably the first time I had much interaction with blacks (if you’re waiting for me to use the term “African-American”, you’re going to be disappointed. The only person I know who was born in Africa and moved to the US is my cousin Jim, who is white). I had no preconceived notions, so black kids were just kids in my class. Now, at the time, there weren’t any blacks on my block (which was my world at the time) so I never thought about where they might live, and they didn't come over to play (and 'play dates' were some years in the future - and for someone else's kids). My friends beyond school hours were mostly church friends, and there weren’t any kids my age in the surrounding houses (well, not when I was five).
One day at school (I think this was second grade, sorry for the fuzzy chronology – do you remember what you were doing at age five?), we were coming in from recess and everyone was taking turns at the water fountain (no, there weren’t any separate facilities, not even holdovers from the dark ages). We had a stupid thing we’d do where someone would sneak up behind the person drinking and push their face into the stream of water. Ha-ha, water up the nose. Well, I did that to a little girl in front of me, and she giggled about it and I meandered into the classroom. A couple of minutes later, I found myself yanked out of my seat by my teacher and thrust into the hall, where this little girl is crying her eyes out and holding her bleeding mouth. The teacher asks “Did he do this?” and she pointed and nodded through her tears. I tried to plead my case, that I’d barely touched her and she had even laughed about it (I actually really liked this girl) to no avail. Turns out that another kid in my class named Malcolm (he’s the only one who’s name I remember in this story) had seen what I did, came up after I walked off and had SMASHED her face into the fountain apparatus. I don’t know if she just didn’t realize it was someone else, or if he threatened her, or what, but here was a little black girl protecting a little black boy at a expense of the little white boy. I never thought about this in racial terms until very recently when it just popped into my head one day. Was this the germ of an attitude? I was surely upset that I got the blame for something I didn’t do (a pattern that continued throughout my scholastic career), but I never consciously thought she was doing it on purpose, or that there was any sinister motive behind it.

…to be continued

Bad Ideas for the Baptist Book Store

2005-04-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

"Brimstone" brand Charcoal Briquets
Collection Plate cigar ashtrays
30-pc. Silver Service
Crucifix bottle opener
"Hellfire" cigarette lighter
"Lazarus" Air Freshener

Why won't people sing?

2005-04-12T23:03:00.000-05:00

Had a random thought today:
People often will refuse to sing, even a casual setting with plenty of people around also singing (picture for instance the cliche of the campfire). They'll be self-depricating, saying "Oh, I can't sing"... "Can't carry a tune in a bucket"... "Don't want to peel the paint off the wall", whatever. Well, I'd have to say that most people can't speak like James Earl Jones, John Houseman, or Maya Angelou either -- but it doesn't stop them from flapping their gums all day.

Based on what I've seen of American Idol, however, some people probably should be kept from singing outside of said campfire scenarios.

That first entry...

2005-04-06T23:12:00.000-05:00

Naturally, I start this when I really should be in bed.

There are a million people or more trying to see the body of the Pope. Fingernails scraping along the edge of the cliff, hanging on to that last shred of decency, if you ask me.

If the ACLU, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Michael Moore, Al Franken and their pals are on the correct path, the next Pope should definitely be:

Gay if not 'trans-gendered'
an enviromentalist activist
anti-American
an atheist
Well, maybe not atheist but definitely anti-Christian. After all, Christians are an intolerant bunch of bigots.

And those people ARE right, aren't they?

Rob Thomas has a new single out, can't remember the name of it. All I know is that this guy who just wooed the women of the world with his vocal on Santana's "Smooth" has gone Backstreet Boy on us. If I hadn't seen the video first, I would have thought New Kids On The Block had made a comeback record. What the? Wasn't Rob supposed to be a rocker?

Ever been up really late at night and seen the infomercial for "Esteban" and his amazing guitar/amp combo? That's some great TV. I always wondered just how great that guitar really is... well, I saw one in a pawn shop the other day. You know how makeup and lights make haggard movie stars look gorgeous? Well, darned if it doesn't work for guitars, too! That's the crappiest excuse for a musical instrument I've ever seen. That guy should be in jail. Going on and on about the quality craftsmanship (can a robot in Taiwan have 'craftsmanship'?).

Those George Foreman grills are pretty cool. My folks got me the little one a couple of years ago for Christmas and I use it all the time. The newer ones even have removeable grill plates to make it easier to clean. Get one. Really.