View on the News

Why Political Parties Lose Elections...

2006-02-25T21:57:00.000-05:00

State GOP strives for unity in 'turning point' election year

The article is about the GOP in California, but it could just as easily be about almost any political party in any state. The storyline goes something like this: one faction of the party isn't happy that the rest of the party doesn't agree with them totally, so they're going to muck it up for everyone else.

This is why parties lose elections. No matter what your differences within your own party, there's no doubt that someone from the opposing party is going to be even less inclined to hear your point of view. Principle is nice: but principle doesn't win elections, politics do. Often in politics, the best choice is between the lesser of two evils: standing behind your party in order to prevent what you consider as the greater of two evils from taking office would make sense.

Unless, of course, you prefer to stand on principle...For all of you who think this is a perfect world and you can hold out until the world comes to agree completely with you: stay away from politics. You're only setting yourself up for repeated disappointments. If, on the other hand, you want to shape policy and get something done, then make sure someone from your party takes the office...It's not really any more complicated than that...

Abortion Bill Passes in South Dakota

2006-02-23T18:49:00.000-05:00

South Dakota Legislature Passes Bill to Ban Abortion

It's probably one of the most "red" states on the map, so if a bill banning abortion was going to be passed anywhere South Dakota was as likely a candidate as any. Given the precedent established already, I doubt it's going to be able to withstand judicial review; but it's guaranteed to put the issue of abortion on the front burner for the upcoming election cycle. Pro-abortionists will be screaming that "days of coat hangers and back alley abortions" are coming back, so count on hearing a lot about that over the upcoming year...

European press split over Irving

2006-02-21T10:14:00.000-05:00

European press split over Irving

I'm just wondering how anyone who denies the Holocaust can call himself a historian with a straight face? And how can anyone else take his claim seriously?

I agree that handing out criminal sentences is probably a heavy-handed penalty for what is, essentially, the crime of being a moron. If we're going to start locking people up for being stupid, then I've got a list of people who should be wearing handcuffs by noon...at the latest...earlier if possible...

What's So Bad About 'Teaching to the Test'?

2006-02-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

Let's Teach to the Test

Ever since the words "No Child Left Behind" entered the public consciousness, the rallying cry of the opposition has been that it makes teachers "teach to the test." Umm...that's exactly the point!

The problem that has been going on in this country is the lack of a standard so we can say definitively "This child has sufficiently mastered the material for this grade level and is now ready to move ahead." Instead we've been left with subjective judgements which unfairly favor or disfavor children based on each teacher's individual self-imposed standards. So it is that bad teachers who simply pass students along without teaching have been allowed to remain in the profession. After all, no one could prove they were doing a bad job. It could always be blamed on someone or something else. Not any more...

Now there's a standard to tell us exactly how the school is or is not serving its clientele: the students and their parents. And, not surprisingly, they don't like having their failings held up to the light and exposed for all to see.

If you're teaching children properly, they will pass the tests without special preparation. If a teacher finds him or herself having to make wholesale changes to lesson plans in order to make sure that their students pass the test, then the problem wasn't the test: it was the lesson plan.

No more lesson plans drawn from out of blue by teachers with agendas to cover topics beyond what they're assigned to teach. Too many teachers use their classroom time to force their political agendas onto their students rather than focus on the reading, writing and arithmetic they're being paid to teach. And now they're mad that their attempts at brainwashing are going to be curtailed by being forced to actually teach the required curriculum.

I, for one, couldn't be happier that some standards are being enforced. I'll be happy when it comes down to annual testing and students aren't allowed to progress to the next grade if they don't pass...No exceptions...

Islamofascists Continue to Kill Despite Apology

2006-02-19T20:58:00.000-05:00

Danish apology fails to quell Muslim anger

..and this is exactly why you never, ever negotiate with terrorists...Supposedly, they wanted an apology, but it turns out they just wanted to an excuse to be violent and now you look weak. And so it is with all terrorist demands.

Those who look for "root causes" and all sorts of OTHER bleeding-heart excuses may never understand that sometimes people are just bad people and need to be dealt with accordingly. If someone is willing to kidnap, burn and kill because they're so violently passionate about their point of view; even considering the idea that they might be up for an open-minded debate on the topic is bordering on insanity. They will never be satisifed with anything other than complete domination: if you're not willing to accept their domination, then you better be prepared for a fight because a conversation ain't happening...

All that issuing the apology has done is tell the Islamofascists that the Danes can be cowed into submission. It was a huge mistake...

NY Times Discovers Third World Corruption

2006-02-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

Chad's Oil Riches, Meant for Poor, Are Diverted

Much to the chagrin of the NY Times, they have discovered that the government of an oil-rich country is corrupt, mistreating its populace...and there are no Republicans to blame!

I know it comes as a shocker to the good people at the NY Times, but they could have written this very same story about pretty much any Third World country. With few exceptions, the primary reason most of these countries remain "Third World" is because the money that industrialized nations pour into them winds up in the pockets of those in charge.

Believe it or not NY Times (and those who share their willfully blind world view): this is the primary reason that so many fiscal conservatives don't want our tax dollars being spent on huge foreign aid packages. It's not that there aren't people in those countries who need help: it's that until the government changes, the money isn't going to get to them anyway, so why are we busy filling the pockets of corrupt strongmen?

I liken it to alcoholics: they won't do anything about their problem until they hit rock bottom. The people of these countries would demand change if the situation gets bad enough, and we stop giving these strongmen the financial resources they need to keep a strangehold on them. You can't fund a private army if no one will give you the money to keep it fed. You can't support roving bands of thugs by robbing a populace that is devoid of money. Eventually the strongmen will be tossed out by a popular uprising. Our foreign aid money would be better spent funding education through Peace Corps-style on the ground programs and supporting rival pro-democracy movements in those countries rather than paying to perpetuate the problem as we do today.

It may feel better to toss a huge sum of money at a country and pat yourself on the back for being a caring nation, but all policies like that do are ensure that things will never change. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

It's time to change our foreign aid policy...

Democrat Hypocrisy on Patriot Act Exposed

2006-02-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

Patriot Act moves ahead despite opposition

For the last few years the news has been filled with one Democrat after another decrying how this administration bullied the Patriot Act through Congress and is using it to trample on Americans' civil rights. So when it came time to renew it, you'd think they'd filibuster, hit the streets in protest, stomp their feet - do whatever it took to make sure that this civil rights atrocity came to end, right? If they truly believed all the horrible things they've been saying, they'd stand up to protect American citizens from these abusive practices the Patriot Act is responsible for, right?

Wrong.

96-3 Wrong.

That's right. Only 2 Democratic senators - Russ Feingold, who is pretty much against everything anyway, and Robert Byrd, the former Klansman. When it came to stand up and be counted, the Democrats sat down and whimpered instead.

Why? Because they know they've been lying all along. They know that the provisions of the Patriot Act - for the most part - only give the government the same rights to go after terrorists that it has to go after every other type of criminal. All their lies about civil rights being trampled have been just that: lies. Lies to fire up their base. Lies to make people hate Republicans. Lies to make people distrust the president. Lies. Lies. Lies. And the vote proves it.

A few Democratic senators, aware of the hypocrisy of their position, have justified their votes saying that "important provisions" were changed that made it more palatable. That's a bunch of hooey: superficial changes were made to certain parts of the act, but it is essentially the same piece of legislation they've been decrying. It's just a poor attempt to hide from the hypocrisy of their dirty and deceitful tactics.

The next time anyone tries to use the propaganda line that the administration is using the Patriot Act to trample civil rights in this country, just tell them:

"96-3 says you're a liar"

and walk away...

Admitting the Truth About WMD

2006-02-15T16:15:00.000-05:00

The First Step – My Statement Of Admission

I'm with Lorie over at PoliPundit. I too still believe that Saddam Hussein had WMD. I have believed for a long time that the convoys spotting going across the border to Syria before we invaded were carrying those munitions and that we were remiss in not pursuing those convoys.

I don't know what to make of the latest rumors circulating about secret tapes from Saddam. I have no idea what's on them, and quite frankly it won't matter a whit to the political debate here. To Bush's detractors, they'll just claim that the tapes are fabrications because to admit they've been wrong all along would require too much courage and honesty: courage and honesty that I just don't feel that they possess. To those of us who still support the effort, I don't need the tapes to know that Saddam was a dangerous man who's ambitions would have left us vulnerable sooner rather than later.

I do hope that the tapes contain evidence that the WMD were shipped to Syria. It would be a good reason to start a crackdown on Syria that should have begun long ago. Along with Iran, they are the biggest instigators of trouble in the Middle East. Removing Saddam Hussein was a good start to ending the instability that has plagued that region: removing the Syrian government is a good next step (unless, of course, you prefer to start with the Iranians).

Katrina Report Ignores the Facts

2006-02-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

Instapundit

Glenn points to an analysis of the House report on preparedness for Hurricane Katrina and finds that it ignores pretty much every single fact in order to reach what were evidently the conclusions they had already decided upon.

I remember the run-up to the hurricane, and there were no warnings from anyone that it would wreak the sort of devastation on New Orleans that it did. It's a good thing too, because they all would have been wrong: the hurricane did only superficial damage to the city. It was the breaking of the long-neglected levees that did all the damage.

You can argue till you're blue in the face that the federal government didn't do enough, but if your argument doesn't start with the words: "The city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana were primarily to blame for everything that happened there as a result of Katrina" then you don't know what you're talking about.

I've pointed out elsewhere on multiple occasions that the levees which failed were under the direct control of the city and state: there was no federal jurisdiction over them. The source of the problem is there: not the response. That's like trying to blame the cowboy for not rounding up the herd fast enough after you refused to fix the fence they escaped through - even though everybody who passed by told you there was a huge hole in it and that it was just a matter of time before the herd got loose.

For decades, they had been warned that a direct hurricane hit would overwhelm the levees - even when they were in their original condition. But instead of taking the billions of tax dollars they earned from oil and natural gas revenues as well as the tourism taxes and investing it for the safety of their citizens, they blew it on wasteful spending. Louisiana has long been known for its corrupt political culture, and when Katrina hit the chickens came home to roost. A problem they had intentionally ignored for years was suddenly real and they needed a scapegoat...so they all blamed the federal government in general - and President Bush specifically - for not rescuing them from their own stupidity fast enough.

I try to have sympathy for the people of New Orleans, but I find it difficult. The day before Katrina hit, no one was trying to get the levees fixed. They continually voted in politicians they knew were doing nothing about the threat, and then when their own decisions left them under water they decided to blame everyone but themselves. Great evil is done by the negligence of good men. And even if they were good men before the hurricane hit, their actions afterward have left me mostly devoid of sympathy for their plight: they have behaved as cowards and fools trying to avoid any admission that they did anything wrong while smearing the good name of everyone who tried to help them.

Americans Stay Happy

2006-02-14T18:08:00.000-05:00

A Study Finds Americans Unrelentingly Cheerful

A survey from the Pew Research Center came out yesterday on how Americans are feeling: for the most part, we're a pretty happy bunch.

Taking all the data together, we can put together a profile of the person who is most likely to be happiest: white, married, an annual income of $150,000 or more, Republican, churchgoing evangelical Protestant, living in the Sunbelt, over the age of 65.

Who would be the unhappiest? African-American, unmarried, low income, Democrat, living in the Northeast, agnostics between 18 and 29.

There are a few things here that bear mentioning:

1) Money matters. It may not be able to buy happiness, but having it sure can prevent a lot of unhappiness. If you want to increase your income, you need education and a willingness to take an entrepreneurial risk. If you're not willing to get educated and take a chance by competing in the private sector, then you've made a choice that you're not interested in money and you need to accept that your choice has placed certain limitations on your income potential. If you want to make more money, you know what you have to do: sitting there and complaining about things isn't getting you any sympathy and isn't changing a thing.

2) Climate matters. It's hard to be happy when every day is overcast and cold. On the flip side, you've got to really work at it to wake up angry when every day is sunny and warm.

3) Relationships matter. Can you be happy single? Sure, but life just isn't the same without someone special to share it with. That means the good and the bad times. Bad times aren't as bad when there's someone there to go through it with you.

4) Personal responsibility matters. Those whose outlook involves a sense of entitlement: that the world or the government owes them something or that someone else is responsible for taking care of things tend to be unhappy because they will never "get what they deserve" or "what is right." It's a road to perpetual unhappiness. Until you understand that you and you alone are responsible for pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and that you are responsible for what happens in your life, you will be doomed to a cycle of depression and failure.

5) Having faith matters. Whether your faith is Christian or otherwise, having faith can help you ride out the inevitable rough patches of life - whether it's a 'divine plan' or 'karma' or whatever you choose to call it. Those who believe in nothing get nothing in return.

6) Experience matters. Experience and wisdom bring perspective. When you're young, every crisis is the end of the world. When you've been around the block a few times, it's just another day on the job. With age comes the ability to take a step back and evaluate a situation with more than just emotion and hormones. To quote again: "If you're not a liberal when you're twenty you have no heart. If you're not a conservative at thirty you have no brain." And while many aging hippies will violently disagree with that truism, it's because they still allow their emotions to hold sway over objective reason.

I don't know if any of this applies to you: maybe you're already in that lucky group of folks who's found perpetual happiness. If not, maybe reviewing some of the points above and making some changes in yourself is a good place to start on the road to getting there.

Bode an Olympic Disappointment

2006-02-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

Bode DQ'd in combined, loses shot at medal

Bode Miller was disqualified for straddling (having one ski on either side of) a slalom gate in the Olympic Alpine Skiing Downhill. Now I'm not a huge skiing fan, but this actually bothers me because I watched the interview he gave before the Olympics started and the guy just doesn't care.

Ordinarily when a professional athlete has a bad attitude, it doesn't bother me. But when your country selects you to represent it at the Olympics, you owe the country your best efforts - not some lackadaisical "who cares" attitude about the event. If he wasn't going to give it his best shot, he should have had the decency to step aside so that someone who actually did care could have his shot.

I don't care if that other person doesn't have his natural talent. I'd rather see my countrymen give it a 110% and fail than give it 50% and laugh it off...

Gore Lied, People Died...

2006-02-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

Iraq Remembrances

Ankle Biting Pundits is starting a new series as a public service for all those stricken by memory loss...especially Democrats who claim that they were deceived or misled by President Bush running up to the Iraq War now that it's not as politically popular to be for it.

The first installment features Al Gore, who as we all know was Vice President, and therefore had access to all the intelligence data up until he left office in 2001. He didn't get info from the Bush administration, he got it firsthand. So if Bush was lying, then he would be the person to know for sure what the intelligence *REALLY* said, right?

Stay tuned for future installments by pretty much every national level Democrat who all made similar statements but now want to play politics with the war...

Does he have the right to break up with her?

2006-02-13T19:08:00.000-05:00

Female convict wins right to nicer presents

What's a woman to do if she's "dating" a man and he doesn't give you nice enough presents, the natural response is to...sue him, of course! That is the surefire way to win the heart of a man when you're behind bars...

I'd like to think this couldn't happen here in the U.S. because the case would be laughed out of court, but in my heart I know it hasn't happened here only because no one has actually tried yet...

Good thing her last name wasn't 'Smith'...

2006-02-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

Lovelorn Canadian tracks down his Sabine

It doesn't say how many letters he ended up writing, but it seems to me that he was far more interested in her than she was in him. Here's a hint, fella: if a woman doesn't make it a point to give you a way to contact her, the odds are pretty good that she wasn't nearly as thrilled with the experience as you were...

Try the pills next time...

2006-02-13T18:57:00.000-05:00

Pencil in penis backfires

Umm...OUCH!

French Advise Free Speech Surrender

2006-02-13T11:30:00.000-05:00

¡No Pasarán!: Islamic Protestors in Paris Come Face to Face with an Unexpected Counter-Protest

Ahh...the French...What can we say about them that would not convince them to surrender to us immediately? Not much, sad to say.

So it was when Islamic protestors were marching in the streets came upon two free speech supporters and prepared to lynch them, the French police took swift action...to quickly run away. Rather than stand up to the protestors who were clearly preparing to engage in some highly illegal beatings rather than face free expression, they chose to spirit away the protestors and chastise them for having the nerve to stand up the Muslim bullies.

I'll grant that it wasn't the smartest move ever by these two, but the proper response by the French police would have been to protect their right to make their peaceable protest by defending them and arresting the entire Muslim mob if need be.

And people wonder we mock the French?

The Myth of Brokeback Mountain...and other Liberal Tall Tales

2006-02-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

Brokeback and the Bogus Breakout Meme

So you've heard about how Brokeback Mountain is sweeping the nation? Even in the Red State heartland? Just like Fahrenheit 9/11 did, right? Before you get carried away, take a read of Mickey Kaus' latest offerings and get a heady dose of reality.

The truth about most liberals (most specifically the readers of such frothing-at-the-mouth sites such as Daily KOS and DemocraticUnderground) is they believe that since everyone they know shares their beliefs, it is a nationwide trend that will sweep their side to victory tomorrow. To them, it's not a measure of the insularity of their lives and the lengths to which they have innoculated themselves against anyone and anything capable of challenging their world view: it's the way *EVERYONE* thinks. It's not that they're too narrow-minded to see the possibility of any alternative outcomes: it's that *EVERYONE* thinks that way too.

So liberals find themselves repeatedly crushed emotionally after each defeat. You can read the anguish in the blogs: people breaking down in tears, throwing their computers, and cursing their very existences after each and every loss. Why? Because they never saw it coming. To them it was inconceivable that they could lose. Hence, their capacity for new and inventive conspiracy theories since *EVERYONE* they knew was for their side, only a sinister cabal of evildoers could have sabotaged their success. It never occurs to them that there exists a wide world who doesn't agree with them or allow for the possibility that they might be wrong in their singular perspective. So the cycle repeats...and repeats...and repeats...

This is the very cycle of liberal self-destruction that Kaus is writing about today. It's a strong reminder to avoid the cocooning so obvious in the internet's liberal community: get out in the world and challenge your opinions on a subject by engaging in debate. The best way to sharpen an argument is to have one with someone who disagrees with you....

No Sympathy for Smugglers

2006-02-13T10:14:00.000-05:00

No mercy as Bali pair learns grim fate

A couple of Australians are learning the hard way that going to foreign countries and breaking their laws is no laughing matter. After getting caught trying to smuggle heroin, the first two of the so-called 'Bali Nine' will be sentenced to either life (and they mean until you're dead, life) or death by firing squad.

A lot of folks are upset that Australians are facing death by the Bali courts, but - as the old saying goes: "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." Each of these people knew the risks of what they were doing but figured they were above the law because they were Australian so they went for the quick cash. It's not against Australians per se, but it's an important warning to all foreigners outside their own borders: you will be subjected to the laws of that country.

The article focuses a lot of attention on the whining of one of the defendants that she didn't get a break for cooperating with authorities, to which we say too bad. I don't feel bad for people who think they can come into other countries, violate their laws, and then expect special treatment because they're not citizens. It's like the child who kills his parents then pleads for mercy because he's an orphan.

Tough luck, Bali Nine...Hope your example serves as a warning to everyone travelling abroad anywhere: if you're a guest in someone else's home, there's a stiff price to pay for violating that hospitality...

An Alien View of Global Warming

2006-02-12T11:54:00.000-05:00

Global Warming With Pancho the Alien

Sticks and Stones has a special guest for the day, Pancho the Alien, and together they review an article from the 'The Globe and Mail' on the subject.

It's a fun read no matter where you stand on the issue, but a deeper read shows that even the smallest bit of analysis - even when it's done with a smile on your face - causes the "proof" of global warming to fall apart.

I go back to the 1980's when "many scientists" (probably the very same ones) were absolutely certain - using the very same historical data - that we were pushing the planet into an impending Ice Age that would wipe out all life as we know it. So they used to think it was an Ice Age and now we're cooking the planet: seems to me that the median position between the two is that we can pretty much expect not much to change one way or the other. When all else fails, try common sense...

Bottled Water Theatens Evironment

2006-02-11T18:07:00.000-05:00

Bottled water, a natural resource taxing the world's ecosystem

Irony thy name is bottled water...

Catch almost any "environmentally conscious" activist these days and odds are good that they'll either have bottled water in their hands or at least nearby. It's the ultimate drink of the politically correct crowd. Yet a new study shows that these people are committing as much environmental damage as the evil people they claim are "destroying the planet."

A quick read through the article yields some interesting statistics:

1) You could power 100,000 automobiles a year with oil consumed making those bottles.

2) That 86% of those plastic bottles wind up in landfills, and they'll take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.

3) Bottling water is leading to water shortages in some of the most impoverished areas of the world - thereby contributing to Third World poverty.

For what? As the article points out, the bottled water they're drinking is no safer than the tap water they're eschewing.

So the next time somone has something to say about your Humvee, remind them about how much damage they're doing with their bottled water...

Intolerant Muslims Burn for Valentine's Day

2006-02-11T17:41:00.000-05:00

NEXT, THEY CAME FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

So burning Valentine's Day cards is regarded as peaceful, moderate Islamic protest?

Here's a clue: if you're setting ANYthing on fire that wasn't specifically intended to be torched, it's not a peaceful protest. But this is what passes for "moderation" in the Islamic world today.

I know that the politically correct thing to say is that we are not at war against Islam, but as story after story makes clear: those "peace-loving Muslims" we hear so much about are the minority not the other way around.

Those minority Muslims are living in as much fear of the rest of Islam as everyone else. They are under the same death sentence for dissent as non-Muslims.

Michelle nails it on the head when she brings up dhimmitude because that is their end goal. This is a fascist political ideology masquerading as theology, and the world needs to wake up to the fact that politically correct "multi-culturalism" is dead unless you're willing to accept eventual dhimmitude.

There is such a thing as right and wrong, and to call a thing by its true name is not "prejudicial" or "intolerant": it's the first step to addressing the problem that threatens the entire non-Muslim world.

The majority of the world's Muslims have no desire to live side-by-side with Christians and Jews with a mosque across the street from a church and a synagogue. There is a minority who are willing to do so, but they are denounced as unclean traitors every bit as vulnerable to the riotous masses as the unbeliever.

Read the websites of even so-called moderate clerics such as Ayatollah Sistani, and you'll find directives declaring non-believers to be the equivalent of urine, feces and the like. Does this sound like the kind of person who'd be happy to be your neighbor and be a constructive part of your multi-cultural neighborhood?

The irony of this card-burning protest is that Islam has been proclaimed as a "religion of peace," yet even cards to celebrate a day of love aren't safe from destruction. Just saying a religion is peaceful doesn't make it so.

A couple of old saws come to mind: namely that actions speak louder than words and that none are so blind as those who will not see...

It's time to stop listening to the words, take blinders off, and actually see what's going on...

More Reason Not to Burn Flags

2006-02-11T17:03:00.000-05:00

Warning to protesters from Welsh flagmaker

This could make the issue of whether or not to protect American flags from burning with a constitutional amendment completely irrelevant. If trial lawyers get a hold of this issue, they could make burning flags illegal (or at least prohibitively expensive) on safety grounds alone..

Government Cutbacks Get Serious in Romania

2006-02-11T12:47:00.000-05:00

Toilet roll falls foul of cutbacks

You know things are bad when the government can't afford toilet paper for its employees....

Come to think of it, maybe we should hire this guy to tighten some belts in government here in the U.S....

RU-486 + Bacteria = Death?

2006-02-11T12:25:00.000-05:00

Government Calls Conference to Study 2 Deadly Infections

That's the question that a scientific conference is going to investigate. I have no idea whether the RU-486 is causing the bacterial infections that killed four women. My question is why RU-486 isn't being pulled off the shelves until we know one way or other as we do to pretty much other drug we suspect of having deadly side effects?

The answer is, of course, politics. Abortion activists have a lot invested in the success of RU-486. They will keep it on the shelves until they actually see a woman die in front of their eyes - and perhaps longer.

They don't care about women's health, despite all their protestations. They care about their politics and winning. If there is a link established between RU-486, all the activists who pressured the FDA for so many years and who made so many assurances about its safety will have not only egg on their faces, but blood on their hands. The politics of abortion and public opinion would change, and the pill's defenders know it. So they resist even taking ordinary precautions in a case like this.

I'm going on record as saying that the pills should be pulled off the shelves until we know for sure one way or the other. I only hope that no more women wind up dying in the name of abortion politics...

Hilary Clinton and King Kong..

2006-02-10T01:28:00.000-05:00

Separated at Birth 26: King Kong and...

Y'know...I had never really thought about it before, but....

But I Thought Homosexuality Wasn't a Choice?

2006-02-09T23:54:00.000-05:00

Shy Swedes fail to seduce gay penguins

At Bremerhaven Zoo in Germany, they have too many male penguins, and at a zoo in Sweden they have too many females. Not a big problem: just bring some females from Sweden and even up the odds, right? That's what zookeepers thought too. Unfortunately the penguin gals are more the shy types and didn't manage to find any mates.

Here's where the story got a little funny to me: homosexual "militants" protested the Bremerhaven Zoo for "interfering in the penguins' freedom of sexual orientation." Really. No kidding.

According to the homosexual community, homosexuality is something you're born with - it's not a choice. So if that's the case, how can introducing females "interfere" with the male penguins' same-sex pairing? Could it be that the "militants" were afraid that the male penguins - given a choice - would choose a female over a male?

That's exactly what they feared. It tells me that they themselves believe that homosexuality is not necessarily an in-born trait over which the individual has no control: that it can be an adaptive or learned behavior subject to reversal in at least some circumstances.

So why should I buy into their argument that homosexuality is always and in every case an uncontrollable genetic trait when their own actions prove that they don't buy into it either?

Democrats and Colleges Fight Diversity

2006-02-09T22:52:00.000-05:00

Measure promoting intellectual diversity approved by House

Democrats and college boards are incensed that there should be diversity on campus if that diversity means that they should have to compete on the field of ideas.

A bill pending in South Dakota would require colleges in that state to report on what they are doing to ensure that ideas from across the political spectrum are encouraged on campus - to which colleges respond that the government should keep its nose out of their institutionalized discrimination against conservatives.

Liberals have worked for many years to create an insular environment on college campuses in which to brainwash the youth by systematically excluding, demeaning or dismissing opposing points of view. Across the country, professors are using their positions to intimidate conservative students into liberal conformity by giving low grades to any work that expresses a conservative bias, embarrassing students who deviate from standard liberal dogma in class, and denying teaching assistant positions to those who hold differing political views. The boards use the same ideological discrimination to deny conservative professors the tenure, department chairs, and grants they would have otherwise earned if they held the "correct views."

Now the professors' little kingdoms are being threatened. They're scared to death that they can't compete on the field of ideas: that students free to disagree without fear of reprisal will actually do so. How will liberalism survive?

Here, here, South Dakota. It's high time colleges that are the recipients of so many millions of tax dollars are forced to play fair and actually broaden their students' minds instead of narrowing them....I only hope that the national Republicans are paying attention and enact something similar at the national level for all colleges receiving federal tax benefits or federal grants. It's time to level the playing field...

Spelling Bee Judge Can't Spell

2006-02-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

Parents Protest Child's Spelling Bee Loss

Ordinarily the first thing that comes into my mind when I see headlines like this is that there's some crazy parent out there who can't deal with the fact that their child isn't the next Einstein.

That's not the case here, however. It turns out the young lady correctly spelled the word she was given, but the judge incorrectly said she didn't. This is the sorry state our education system is in today.

Over and over again, we hear how important the teaching profession is and how teachers are heroes, etc., etc. And for good teachers, that's all true. I had some great teachers to whom I'm very thankful.

But I also had some lousy ones, and so has everyone else. The teaching profession has lots of lousy teachers who can't pass the very same proficiency tests they're supposed to be giving our children, but the NEA - the national teacher's union - won't admit to there being even one bad apple in the bunch.

In this case, I fully support the parents of this young lady. Not because the spelling bee is such a huge deal, but because this school district won't admit that they screwed up and the teacher was an incompetent who had no business judging spelling skills.

If the school district would stand up and say this person doesn't belong in front of students because they lack even basic spelling skills and we're going to remove them from the classroom until he/she can learn them, then I would say a lawsuit would be going overboard. I would even settle for: hey we screwed up big time, but they won't even admit they did. Instead they want to stand on a technicality that the protest wasn't immediately lodged: though I'm sure they never told anyone ahead of time that those were the rules.

The school district's tactic is to vilify the parents by implying that they're wasting precious dollars pursuing a lawsuit. Hey morons, if you'd admit you screwed up no one would be filing a lawsuit, so who's the one wasting the money? You are...

These are the cowards and fools in charge of teaching our children. Am I scared about the future? You bet...

Strip Club Waitress Back on the Streets After Attempting Mass Murder

2006-02-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

Woman Accused of Mailing Condom Explosives

A 40-year old mother of two tried to blow up a TV station, a radio station, a biker club, a college, and the 2 strip clubs where she was formerly employed. No, she's not tied to al-Qaeda: she's a strip club waitress with an axe to grind.

She says she "did not think they would explode." Yeah, right. She just happened to mix Drano and gasoline and mail these packages because she thought they made a nice gift? Whatever.

She uses the incredibly lame excuse that she was supposedly "mistreated by men." Ummm...you worked in strip clubs, honey. If you work in a strip club, you know the calibur of the clientele and you know what they're there for. If you don't like it, there's always waitressing somewhere the clients don't expect women to get naked. But since when did mailing bombs become a viable alternative to finding a new job?

She fully planned to kill a whole lot of people, and - I hope this makes you sleep better tonight - she's free on $10,000 unsecured bail. Basically, they let her walk out on the promise that she would come up with $10,000 if she skipped town. What????

That's the part of story that incensed me. I'm not particularly surprised that a woman who works in a strip club isn't exactly of sound mind. What does surprise me is that she gets busted trying to commit mass murder, and they let her back on the streets.

This happened in Boston: ancestral home of the bleeding-heart liberal, so I really shouldn't be too terribly surprised by the lenient treatment, but I figured that even Bostonians have enough common sense to keep a close eye on their mass murderers. I guess not.

And people have the nerve to wonder why no one trusts Democrats when it comes to their safety?

Democrats Admit to Being the Party of 'No'

2006-02-08T16:04:00.000-05:00

Some Democrats Are Sensing Missed Opportunities

The article highlights the sorry state of today's Democratic Party. Beset by infighting, lack of a message, and no worthy national leaders; Democrats are already starting to whine about missing an opportunity to take control of Congress.

If you're a Democrat, the article highlights some of the very real problems with your party. It can't decide what it stands for because so many of its most vocal and activist members are so far out of the mainstream in their political views: a situation that does not lend itself to winning over centrist and independent voters.

One of the reasons Democrats hated Newt Gringich is because he was a real threat to their political power. He knew what it would take to return Republicans to power: a clear and positive message appealing to a broad range of voters that the party could call its own. He put together a platform that gave voters a reason to vote FOR Republicans instead of just AGAINST Democrats. The result was the 1994 election in which Democrats were swept from office in record numbers.

For several years now, Democrats have defined themselves only as what they are against. Until Democrats find their own Newt Gingrich, they will remain wanderers in the wilderness...

Media Cowardice Causes Staff Walkout

2006-02-08T15:20:00.000-05:00

NY Press Kills Cartoons; Staff Walks Out

The NY Press lost its entire editorial staff in fell swoop by refusing to run the Danish cartoons that have set the Muslim world aflame.

I complained about the media cowardice last week, and others have made similar complaints throughout the blogosphere. Questions about the media's willingness to offend Jews or Christians but tiptoe around Muslims are starting to be raised and the media is being challenged on their obvious religious bias.

Bravo to the editorial staff who took a stand for their journalistic integrity and actually walked off the job rather than comply. It was an act of courage which they admittedly took with some degree of reluctance, but I can't blame them: giving up your income voluntarily is never an easy decision to make.

Hopefully, their walkout will raise the profile of the religious bias issue to a level that even the media won't be able to ignore.

Media Tells Only Half the Story About Bus Accident

2006-02-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

Teen Using Restroom Falls Out Bus Window

As is so often the case, the most interesting part - or even most relevant part - of the story are the parts that the article *doesn't* mention. And as is so often the case, it's a political decision for them to withhold the information.

The first significant point: no mention about any safety problems with the bus. If there were a defect which would allow someone who was using the restroom properly to simply fall out of a window, it would have been the headline. But not a peep. No matter how severe the lane change, it would have to be a pretty glaring defect for something like this to happen, but not a peep. Interesting.

They say the teen fell out of the window while using the restroom on the bus. Just close your eyes and imagine what the teen would have had to be doing and in what position he had to have been for it to have been possible to fall out of a window when the bus swerved to change lanes.

He may have been in the restroom, but there's no way he was just an innocent victim. He was doing something stupid that involved him hanging out of the window, and as a result he wound up falling out of it. My guess? He wasn't alone in that restroom...

The end of the article states that he had been at the Capitol "to lobby with a group on the issue of AIDS." When a newspaper fails to mention the name or political alignment of a group, you can bet it's a group that the media wants to protect in some way: if it's a conservative or Republican group, it's always mentioned front and center. So we have an unnamed "group lobbying about AIDS." Add to that a desire by the media to protect the identity of the group...Hmm...Could it be that it was a gay group and that this teen was engaged in illicit activities in the restroom?

Bet money on it...

"Native Americans" Not Living Harmoniously With Land

2006-02-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

National Review had an interesting discussion in "The Corner" today that brought up several points I've been making for years:

1. Native Americans aren't "native" at all. The ethnic group that calls itself Native American are, in fact, immigrants just like everyone else. Unlike Europeans who came over by boat, these folks originated near what we now know as Mongolia and essentially walked over the land bridge between Russia and Alaska - eventually settling across North America.

I have no problem with them not wanting to be called "Indians" because they are not originally from the Indian sub-continent, but I refuse to call them "Native Americans" just because they happened to get here first. If we must assign a name, then they are more properly "Mongolian Americans," but they are most definitely not "Native." They're immigrants just like everybody else with no inherent claim to the continent.

2. They weren't the great caretakers of the land that the politically correct crowd would lead you to believe. They used the land differently than Europeans, but they wreaked devastation on the landscape they found, hunted animals to extinction, and generally did as much ecological damage as they deemed fit without regard to renewable resources or any of the other environmental awareness for which they are credited.

3. European immigrants were not always fair to the people they met here, but it was a two-way street. History is replete with unprovoked massacres of European settlements and double-dealing by this group.

4. They were not universally peaceful or living in harmony with each other before the white man's arrival. Friendly relations between competing tribes was the exception rather than the rule with tribal warfare not being at all uncommon.

I say these things not to trash-talk those who call themselves Native Americans. I say them because: a) it's the truth whether you like or not, and b) because the European settlers have been unfairly vilified for doing no worse than they did to and for themselves.

It's time to get off the "blame the white man" train that so many people have hopped on in recent years. An objective reading of history ultimately reveals that no group of people has an exclusive right to either the "morally superior" or the "victim" cards.

I'm sick and tired of those who claim that white men are evil because of this or that historical "fact" that upon closer examination turns out not to be nearly as factual as they would like you to believe.

Enough's enough...You treat me with respect, and I'll treat you with respect. I don't care where your ancestors came from; but don't try to say I'm evil because you don't know your history well enough...

"Yes, there are problems...but there is also freedom"

2006-02-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

Laura's Iraq Journal

Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham is over in Iraq making the rounds with the troops. The title to this post is a direct quote from the mayor of one of the Iraqi towns she has visited thus far.

It's probably the best summation of the current situation in Iraq, and an important reminder of the what Bush-haters would like you to forget: Because of our actions, more than 20 million people are free.

Do yourself a favor and bookmark her journal. Put your politics aside. Read her daily postings from the scene and decide for yourself if we're doing a good thing in Iraq or not...

Wellstoning the King Funeral

2006-02-07T20:26:00.000-05:00

Wellstoning the King Funeral

Democrats seem to have completely lost the capacity for shame and embarrassment. Even after losing a Senate seat because of their shameless politicizing of the Paul Wellstone funeral, they were determined to repeat their mistake by doing the same thing at Coretta Scott King's funeral.

I was living in Minnesota when the Democrats turned Wellstone's funeral into a political rally, and the excuses for their distasteful behavior coming from the Democratic camp are almost word-for-word replays of the post-rally excuses offered in Minnesota at the time.

It's a sign of deep desperation that they should use the occasion to play politics during a ceremony which was supposed to honor Mrs. King's memory. Year after year they target Bush and the Republicans, and again and again he beats their pants off. Like an undisciplined and poorly coached team that is getting blown out by halftime, the team is losing their cool and getting into confrontations at inappropriate moments - making matters worse by incurring penalties at crucial moments in the game.

Democrats could have used the opportunity to align themselves with King's cause, remind people that these are values they share. Instead, they chose to take potshots.

The average Joe knows that you don't start a fight at a funeral: it's disrespectful to the deceased. Behavior like this is going to ensure that the Democrats are taught another lesson in basic manners at the ballot box.

Rock the Vote Rocked by Failure

2006-02-07T19:59:00.000-05:00

Rock the Vote Is Stuck in a Hard Place

It's not surprising that the L.A. Times would completely miss the real story of Rock the Vote's failure: it lied to its target audience by taking sides, and it picked the wrong one to boot.

When Rock the Vote started, it was supposed to be a non-partisan effort to register young people to vote. Certainly a noble goal worthy of support from both sides of the political aisle.

What Rock the Vote quickly became is an advocacy group that focuses its efforts on promoting liberal causes. So the donations from the deep pockets on the other side of the political aisle dried up: what kind of fool would pay to support the opposition? That only left liberal donors to keep the group afloat, and those donors were already giving money to every other leftist advocacy group and political campaign under the sun. There simply wasn't enough money to go around because no one had built making up Rock the Vote's donor deficit into their budget.

Was there mismanagement? No doubt there was, but that isn't the real reason that Rock the Vote is hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. They're in debt because they thought they could spend a fortune bringing out young liberals to defeat Bush in the 2004 election. The thinking was that they would make it all back when grateful donors credited them for John Kerry's electoral success because they would claim that they were responsible for turning out the youth vote. Unfortunately for them, John Kerry lost in a big way and the anticipated donations to make up the shortfall never arrived.

The old saying goes that you reap what you sow, and what Rock the Vote has sown is turning out to be nothing more than rocky soil...

A Note to Canadians

2006-02-07T19:09:00.000-05:00

A commenter to this post said,

"That's why Canada don't get attacked or receive as much threats."

It's an old argument from Canadians which Americans get tired of hearing. So let me answer it for all Canadians who think this way. You may not like what I'm going to say, but consider it tough love:

The reason Canada doesn't get attacked or receive as many threats is because, in the greater scheme of things, Canada doesn't matter.

If you're trying to strike a blow against an important social, cultural, economic, or political target, you're not going to think about Canada...at all...ever.

Canadian culture amounts to a cross between British, American, and French (depending on where you live). So why would anyone go after the mish mosh you present when they could go straight to the source in America, Britain or France?

Your economic system and political systems are also a kind of "me too"-ism with Britain and the USA - so, again, you're not the tempting target, we are.

Like it or not, Canada is pretty much "America Lite." Whether it's by design or by indifference, Canada has no significant military presence, its economy is almost wholly dependent on trade with the U.S., and most of its culture is imported across its southern border. If not for the United States Canada wouldn't know who or what it was, and it would be a sitting duck for any who chose aggressive action toward it.

The smug attitude of so many Canadians who enjoy the protections of the United States while enjoying lifestyles enabled by thriving off our economy and then turn around and act as if they know the better way to "get along" annoys and angers all thinking Americans.

Only because we are the stronger, wealthier, more influential target does Canada escape notice. In a world without the U.S., Canada would have been overwhelmed while its citizens sat around and watched with studied indifference.

Canada has never, not once in its history, been the pre-eminent power in anything - except maybe hockey. Neither its government nor its people could possibly offer any useful advice to those who are because you have never experienced either the responsibilities or demands it places on a country. What do you know about it? It's like asking a the doctor's receptionist about neurosurgery...She's been nearby when the doctor performed it. She might even have an opinion on how it's done. But her opinion is completely worthless when it comes to operate.

Do some decisions by Americans or our government upset people? Yes they do...Around the world, countries depend on the U.S. to be there, to take the lead when crisis strikes. Inevitably some people aren't going to be happy about how we handle things, but unlike Canadians, we don't have the choice to stick our heads in the sand at the first sign of trouble. Who would protect us - or them - if we followed your lead? Canadians? Yeah right.

The United States has been the undisputed leader of the free world for more than half a century while Canadians did what? Grew fat and happy, disdainful of the guardians of their safety like ungrateful and spoiled children who think they know better than their parents the ways of the world - more than happy to offer the benefits of their vast inexperience and call it advice.

I'm glad for Canadians that hiding behind the collars of their shirts works as a foreign policy - wouldn't the world be a much simpler place if every threat could be scared away by taking such bold stands. You can stand back and criticize America and American decisions all you want, but I don't see Canadians volunteering to take over the reins. It's all Monday morning quarterbacking and second-guessing: the worst kind of cowardice.

When Canadians are ready to do their part, I'll listen to their suggestions. Until then, shut up and sit down...

Cigarettes the Secret to Long Life

2006-02-07T11:52:00.000-05:00

Dog, 22, on 10 cigs a day

Not smoking them...eating them...Maybe that's what we've been doing wrong all these years...

Google Bans BMW website

2006-02-07T00:56:00.000-05:00

BMW falls foul of Google 'web spam' rules

This is kind "inside baseball" website stuff, but it has deep implications for how you'll find information on the internet into the future.

BMW, like many companies, employed what are called "doorway pages" on their website: pages which search engines can find which cause those websites to appear high in search results when users type in certain search phrases. Visitors who click on the link found by the search engines are redirected to an entirely different page. If you've ever used a search engine and found yourself looking a page which doesn't have anything to do with the link that you thought you were clicking on, this is probably what happened to you.

Needless to say, this sort of thing makes search engine owners very unhappy. Engaging in so called "black hat" (because bad guys wear black hats) techniques is grounds for being removed completely from the search engine, and Google has been aggressively going after this and other kinds of trickery that webmasters use to get their sites listed more highly in search results than they otherwise should.

Google has been warning webmasters for a long time not to engage in these practices, but evidently BMW thought being a major corporation granted them immunity from the rules everyone else is expected to play by. Google didn't care about BMW's status, and on Saturday they removed BMW's German language site for engaging in these shady practices.

So what does this mean to you? What it means is that hopefully Google, and other search engines, are getting better and weeding out such trickery - no matter who's engaging in it. It also may mean that you might not be able to find some familiar brand name websites in search results if their parent companies don't heed search engine warnings.

Conservatives Take Symbolic Lead of Candian Government

2006-02-06T13:03:00.000-05:00

Conservatives sworn in as Canada's government

Stephen Harper is taking over the Prime Minister's job in Canada today after his Conservative Party stunned the Liberals in the latest election. But if you're looking for major change to come as a result, you're likely to be sorely disappointed.

His party controls barely a third of the legislative seats, and the rest of the legislature is unlikely to go along with any serious reform. What is likely to result is that there will be less harsh anti-U.S. rhetoric coming from the Prime Minister's office, but pretty much business as usual otherwise.

It'll be interesting to see if the Canadian people really want change from the anti-U.S. stance that the Liberal government had pursued or if they were just looking to make some cosmetic changes.

Given what I've seen so far, it's probably just going to amount to just putting a new shade of makeup on the same old pig and teaching it some manners...

Yemen Allows Terrorists to 'Escape'

2006-02-06T00:47:00.000-05:00

Cole Attack Planner Escapes Yemen Prison

Everyone who believes that Yemeni officials didn't purposefully allow these al-Qaeda operatives to 'escape' raise your hands? Anyone? That's what I thought...

There's little doubt that there was official involvement in the "escape" of the planner of the USS Cole bombing and other convicted terrorists. Yemen has long been a safe harbor for terrorists, and despite paying lip service to turning over a new leaf this latest episode is all the proof necessary to show that they haven't changed their ways at all. It's the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, and it looks like not much has changed since he left home to wreak havoc on the rest of the world.

This cannot stand, and Yemen needs to be held responsible. Yemen has been the beneficiary of a ton of U.S. foreign aid in exchange for their cooperation - cooperation which evidently was not real in any way. All aid needs to be stopped immediately and we should demand repayment of all sums paid to date until they hand over these "escapees" to American justice. I don't really care if their citizens would object or if other countries would be upset. That was our ship that was bombed: he should never have been in a Yemeni jail in the first place.

It's time to stop pussyfooting around with these little countries who think it's absolutely fine to say one thing publicly while supporting al-Qaeda and similar groups privately.

Super Bowl Ads Terrible

2006-02-05T22:27:00.000-05:00

The Super Bowl just ended, and I have to say: this was the worst year ever for commercials.

Every year people tune in as much for the new and inventive commercials as much for the game, and this may have been even more true than ever with so many people not caring one way or the other whether the Steelers (yawn!) or Seahawks (double yawn!) came out on top.

Even this soon after the end of the game, I can't say there was even so much as a single ad which stands out in my memory. ABC spent as much time promoting their schedule as they did the game, but that's what they paid the big bucks for the privilege of doing.

The Steelers won because the Seahawks kept shooting themselves in the foot not because they were the better team today, and the commercials were uninspiring and boring.

The Super Bowl was a total snoozefest all the way around...

Unions Guilty of Hypocrisy

2006-02-05T21:41:00.000-05:00

Do As I Say . . . II

The Art of the Blog has caught unions doing exactly what they complain about employers doing. It goes to show once again that unions have long ago outlived their usefulness to society.

First they have pretty much singlehandedly destroyed the American auto industry. Through ridiculous union work rules, outrageous salaries for even the menial jobs and the virtual impossibility of firing incompetent workers, they have made it impossible for American car companies to produce a quality car at a price point that is competitive with imports.

Second, unions have a long and storied history of crime and corruption in their leadership. Does the name Jimmy Hoffa ring a bell? It's become a cliche that the leadership regularly embezzles from its membership, and many unions are still under federal supervision because they were found to be under the virtual control of the Mafia.

Third, they steal money from members to support Democratic candidates in violation of member wishes and the law. They long ago became simply yet another special interest group that forms a part of the Democratic party machinery. The law requires that if a member requests a refund of their dues which were spent for political purposes, a union must comply. Try being a Republican and doing that. Between the virtual impossibility of actually getting your money back and the physical intimidation that often accompanies any request, the unions are blatantly flouting the law by illegally spending members on Democratic political causes.

Fourth, they use illegal tactics to enforce their strikes. It's not even unusual any more to hear about union members attacking replacement workers hired during strikes. The unions condone and encourage the intimidation by their members. Last I checked, that's assault and battery, and in some of these cases, aggravated assault.

Now this...If it's OK for them, then they have no argument that it's not OK for their employers. It's time to get rid of unions and the blight they cause.

Republican Leadership Leads to Crime Reduction

2006-02-05T21:12:00.000-05:00

Meth Busts Down

Brian spotted an article highlighting a report from Virginia State Police pointing out that ever since a new policy by then Governor Warner was implemented meth busts have been reduced by about 70%.

It's one of the things that Republican leadership has always been better than Democrats at doing: reducing crime. The most notable example is Rudy Giuliani cleaning up New York from the crime-infested cesspool it was under Dinkins and Koch by cracking down on even minor street crimes.

I think it's probably because Republicans understand, that "root causes" are a bunch of liberal bleeding heart claptrap.

Poverty doesn't cause crime: poor character causes crime. If you want proof, look at Appalachia. It is *the* most impoverished area in America; yet it is virtually crime-free. Why? Because the people there take character, honesty and integrity seriously. They don't make excuses about "root causes" and "bad childhoods" for criminals when they break the law, they ostracize them and demand punishment.

I don't have much hope for further reductions in Virginia crime under the new Democratic governor. His liberal base would never let him take the tough steps required to actually do something to address the issue.

AOL and Yahoo Contemplate Suicide

2006-02-05T18:03:00.000-05:00

AOL and Yahoo take lead in putting price on e-mail

In what may be the dumbest move yet on the internet, both AOL and Yahoo are looking at trying to charge companies to send their customers e-mail. The end result: people are going to desert the free e-mail services of Yahoo in droves and AOL is going to lose even more of its customer base.

This is an utterly ridiculous plan which - according to the PR people - is designed to reduce spam, but it's really just a thinly veiled plan to increase the bottom lines of these companies. Evidently they feel that their users are too stupid to figure that out.

The article barely touches on the potential downside for their customers: that unless a company is willing to pay, their mail won't make it through as everything from registration and order confirmation e-mails to newsletters and coupons that the customer has requested will be routed to their spam filters.

Given the number of other choices available either for free or at significant discounts to what AOL charges, why would anyone continue using their services? If I place an order or register for something online I don't want to have to wonder if I'm going to get my confirmation because the company I order from hasn't paid AOL or Yahoo's extortion fee. Answer: I won't, and neither will most other people. We'll simply find another free e-mail service that doesn't have their ridiculous charges attached.

AOL has made so many ill-advised moves since the early days of widespread internet use when they were the dominant player (remember that?) that this would be just another in a long list. Yahoo should know better, but their moves of late haven't exactly inspired confidence in the long-term strategy there either.

It'll be interesting to see how long this lasts. My guess is that it'll be dead in the water not long after they implement it as soon as they see how people react to e-mail extortion...

Middle Eastern Governments Exploit Cartoons

2006-02-05T17:43:00.000-05:00

Some See Gov't Roles in Cartoon Protests

The Syrian, Iranian and Egyptian governments are being implicated for blowing up the current cartoon kerfuffle into a full-fledged violent episode which has so far resulted in street riots, embassies being set afire, gunmen seizing offices, and threats of further violence against Western interest around the world.

When do we say enough is enough for these governments? How much is the rest of the world supposed to tolerate before we say "You are the weakest link" and remove the cancer they spread?

Chronic Drunk Gets Light Sentence

2006-02-05T17:38:00.000-05:00

Notorious Bad Driver Gets Year in Prison

This guy has been convicted more than 40 times of drunk driving or driving without a license and all he gets is a year in jail. One year. That's it.

There ought to be some serious questions asked of the authorities and courts in North Dakota why he hasn't been jailed for longer periods of time much, much sooner.

He says he has a "drinking problem." Ya think so, Craig? Duh! It took you 40 convictions to figure that out? Evidently drinking is as big a problem as low IQ for this guy...I understand that he has an addiction which is now classified as a "disease," but it's a disease of choice. He chooses to keep drinking. You can talk to me about it being a "disease" when you show me the person who can make the choice to have cancer.

His mother and lawyer are, of course, claiming that he's a changed man. Sorry, you get a chance to be given credit for being a "changed man" after first or second conviction...After the 40th plus conviction, you just need to be locked up and put away for a long, long time.

Iranians Like Nazis

2006-02-05T12:09:00.000-05:00

Iran threat like Hitler: Merkel

It's good to see that someone other than the U.S. is taking the threat of Iran seriously, and ironically enough it's Germany who is comparing the dangers of appeasing Iran to the appeasement of Hitler and the Nazis before WWII.

Merkel is absolutely correct, though about 4 years behind President Bush in understanding that state sponsors of terror like Iran and Syria are a threat to global peace.

I have said for many years that history will be much kinder to President Bush than his current critics will allow. He stood up against Islamo-fascism when the whole world said he was a crazy cowboy - much the same as Ronald Reagan when he faced the USSR.

Mark my words: his opponents will come crawling back and pretending that they never said the hateful things they have said and that they were with him all the time exactly as the very same people did after Ronald Reagan successfully defeated the Soviet Union...

But we will be here to remind people that once again they were on the wrong side of history and fought against doing the right thing every step of the way...

Internet Predators a Massive Problem

2006-02-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

'To Catch a Predator' III

I watched this episode of Dateline NBC as well as the previous predator episode. It was eye-opening to say the least.

You hear an occasional story about a young boy or girl being victimized by a predator they met on the internet, but the stories here are an indicator that this a much larger problem than has either been admitted or realized.

The group Perverted Justice is doing laudable work in trying to help root out these predators before they can harm children, but the truth is that this is work that should be performed by law enforcement at all levels: federal, state and local.

Dateline was able to arrange meetings with 50 predators over the course of three days...50!...Let me say it again: 50! And it was in just one city for just three days. That's an astounding number of men who are looking to victimize young boys and girls.

I hope these exposes on Dateline NBC lead politicians and law enforcement officials to authorize, fund and run task forces designed specifically to hunt down, prosecute, and ensure that these perverts receive lengthy prison sentences.

These disgusting animals need to be taken off the streets permanently and how we, as a society, need to do more to ensure that they never see the light of day again. The best advice I can give you is to urge you to read the article for yourself and forward it to your representatives: from city council to county government to state delegates to federal legislators.

Something needs to be done...

Something's Fishy in Ferry Sinking

2006-02-05T00:47:00.000-05:00

British help for ferry rejected

Something's seriously fishy about the ferry that sank off the coast of Egypt earlier this week. My suspicions were first aroused when I heard that the fire initially broke out when it was still close to shore yet the crew decided to continue the trip anyway. Why?

Now the article makes it clear that help was offered almost immediately by both the British and U.S. navies but was refused. Why?

The article also details other highly suspicious activities by the crew such as locked cabin doors to keep people off the deck. Again, why?

There are lots of unanswered questions, and given the history of honesty inquiry in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia I doubt we'll ever know what really happened here.

One thing *is* clear however: it didn't have to happen at all...

Media Only Willing to Offend Christians

2006-02-04T04:51:00.000-05:00

A media dilemma: The rest of a story

As a non-practicing Catholic, you can usually count on me to stay out of most discussions about anti-Christian bias; but this is so egregious that it's worth starting an argument over.

For several days now, much of the world has been caught up in Islamic protests around the world based on cartoons which depict Mohammed in an unfavorable light. The media dutifully reports about the outrage of Muslims, but will not show the public what it is that is so incendiary that it should justify Muslims threatening to create civil war in Europe and elsewhere around the world.

Let me get this straight: you can offend any number of Christians you want, but if you risk offending a Muslim then you must censor yourself to protect their fragile egos? This is the ridiculous position of most major media outlets in the U.S.

As the article points out, almost no American media outlets have had the tiniest bit of courage required to reprint or show the cartoons which have gotten the Islamo-fascists so upset. Oh sure, you can show a hostage being beheaded or air a bin Laden tape preaching hatred and intolerance toward even moderate Muslims if it makes that evil Bush administration looks bad; but if it might upset Osama bin Laden or his fanatical followers, then you have to protect the public from the offensive image.

How can these people manage to walk a straight line while being twisted up in the pretzel logic required to justify both positions at the same time and still claim they're "objective" with a straight face?

These are the very same newspapers that regularly publish editorial cartoons making fun of Jesus, God and Christians. Why? Because the majority of Christians tend to vote for Republicans while the majority of journalists - and Muslims - are Democrats. It has nothing to do with the sensitivity they're pretending to possess, it's all about politics...their politics and a driving need to insult their opponents at every opportunity while protecting their political allies from even an imagined slight.

Every day, more and more, the media is showing that they don't care who they side with as long as it isn't anyone who might vote Republican....

U.N. Drags Israel Into Iran Weapons Dispute

2006-02-03T17:38:00.000-05:00

Dispute Over Israel Delays Vote on Iran Nuclear Resolution

This sort of thing is exactly why the U.N. is so impotent. The issue before them is whether Iran should be allowed to develop nuclear weapons: it's really a yes or no question. So how do they handle it? By dragging Israel into it, of course.

I doubt very much that the Bush administration would be willing to include any language that has any mention of Israel in it. As they've already said, putting any such language in there would give Iran the excuse to continue developing weapons.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the U.N. isn't going to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Even if a resolution is adopted, the Iranians - like the Iraqis and others before them - will promptly ignore any imposed sanctions and there will be plenty of corrupt hands waiting for their oil money to help them skirt the rules.

They're wasting time while the clocks ticks down....

Cartoon Follies in the Islamic World

2006-02-03T12:33:00.000-05:00

Cartoon Crisis?

Squiggler has an excellent round-up of the stories and columns about the latest Islamic "outrage." I'm not even going to try to duplicate it, just recommend that you go there for the whole deal.

For my part I have to ask, would it be such a bad thing for this to be "it": the moment when the Islamic-fascists give up the pretension to taking part in society and reveal their pseudo-religion in all its ugliness?

It's a conflagration that's coming. We can either take it piecemeal or swallow the whole thing in one mouthful. Personally I think it would be better to have it all in one fell swoop.

The Islamo-fascists have no idea what they're up against. They think that they struggle only against a small majority of Americans who are willing to stand up and fight, but having lived in Europe for the majority of my childhood I can tell you that getting on their bad side is nothing to laugh at either.

For years, they have been able to preach their hate while protected in the West by governments too weak-kneeed with multi-culturalism to stop them by saying "this has gone too far." So the industrialized world has slowly been infected with their disease.

Better to force it out in the open and to start a conflict which will force governments to choose sides: either for Islamo-fascism or against it. They will soon find that their particular brand of intolerance is not welcome when it's an all or nothing proposition.

Would it be uncomfortable for a while and would there be bloodshed? Yes to both questions. But it's discomfort and bloodshed that's on our doorstep anyway. Even they think it's inevitable, but they wait until they have gathered enough strength to tip the balance toward them. Better now when the scales favor civilization over primitive hate...

How prophetic will Bush's ultimatum from 2001 that "you're either with us or against us" appear when the looming conflict arrives, and how foolish will those who mocked him be proven?

NAACP Engages in Racism for Profit

2006-02-03T04:50:00.000-05:00

Yet They Wonder Why Bush Doesn't Come To Their Convention

I wonder if it's possible to nail down the exact point that the NAACP stopped being about fighting for racial equality and turned into a "hate whitey Republicans" profit machine?

Once again Julian Bond has called Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell "tokens" - essentially saying that any white person who would hire them is doing so only to hide their racism, not because they were 4 Star Generals or ran the University of Stanford or anything that might be considered actual qualifications for the job.

He also said that Republicans are Nazis. Nice. That's beyond politics and well into "hate speech." It's interesting that a group of people who profess to be so sensitve about the use of the "N" word would so casually toss around a word like "Nazi" to describe those who have committed the egregious sin of not kowtowing to his Racism-For-Profit organization.

What angers me most about this kind of rhetoric is Julian Bond is a liar. He's not the backwards redneck or the project dweller who hates because he's ignorant. He doesn't even hate: he just talks the talk to make money for his organization.

If he, or anybody in his organization, REALLY believed that Republicans were Nazis would they ever have issued an invitation for them to speak at their convention? Of course not! No self-respecting organization would ever invite a Nazi to give a key-note address - let alone one which existed for the ostensible purpose of promoting racial equality and understanding.

It would be unthinkable to do so, yet that's exactly what the NAACP does over and over again. Actions speak louder than words: and their own actions call them liars and profiteers.

So why does he call these people tokens and Nazis? Because without the overheated rhetoric no one would pay attention to him or his organization. The donations would stop flowing, and Mr. Julian Bond would have to find a real job.

So instead he and his staff sit down to find ways to keep the coffers overflowing with cash by setting up Republicans as false bogeymen. He then tells his potential donors how they need to keep giving to the NAACP so it can go on protecting them from those evil Nazis who, evidently, would otherwise have sent them off to death camps to be annhilated with the Jews.

The only noble cause Julian Bond is fighting to protect is Julian Bond's pocketbook and that of his cohorts at the NAACP....

If He's Not Wagging His Tail, You're Sick...

2006-02-03T02:37:00.000-05:00

Canine Scent Detection of Cancer at Nerac Blog

Just another one of the ultra-cool things that dogs can do that we can't, and yet another reason why dogs are a man's best friend.

One thing I know for sure, I'd rather have a dog smell my breath than have to go through the prodding and poking involved in an annual checkup.

Where Do They Find These People?

2006-02-03T02:27:00.000-05:00

A Mama's Rant: WIFE SWAP

Ever wondered (like I do) where they find the people to participate in these reality shows? A Mama's Rant received an e-mail from ABC for their show "Wife Swap," and I thought you'd like to see how they go about promoting their show to prospective participants.

Iran Plays For More Time While U.N. Dallies

2006-02-03T00:20:00.000-05:00

Iran 'will face Security Council'

Ooooh...I'm sure the mullahs in Iran are absolutely quaking in their boots at the prospect that they are being referred to the Security Council. So what? Saddam Hussein spent over a decade in power after being referred to the Security Council and was only removed from power ultimately by the determination of an American president fed up with the impotence of United Nations action.

All of this is wasting precious time while Iran works behind the scenes to develop a nuclear bomb. Once they have a bomb, then there's nothing anyone can do to stop them and they know it. So they play for time. More time for diplomacy means more time for research and development. They know it, and they mean to play it out as long as it takes....

Bush Gets Medicare Drugs Right

2006-02-03T00:06:00.000-05:00

Federal Costs Dropping Under New Medicare Drug Plan

According to this article in the New York Times, federal costs for Medicare drugs will be 20% lower than expected this year. For anything in government to beat cost expectations by 20% is a stunning achievement, for that drop to occur in Medicare and specifically in drugs is nothing short of a miracle.

Why the huge drop? Why, the Bush administration's Medicare drug plan, of course. Despite the Democrats' best efforts to derail it, downtalk it, and generally do everything they could to get in the way of seniors getting Medicare drug coverage; it is on track to provide significant cost savings to the government while allowing seniors access to drugs that they otherwise could not have afforded.

Despite every single prediction they had about how the Bush plan would fail, the best they can do is complain there is too much choice out there. Are you kidding me? Try taking that one to the electorate: Bush plan gives you too many choices, elect us and we'll take your choices away!

Score a huge one for the Bush administration. When even the New York Times has to grudgingly admit that a Republican plan is working as advertised, then you know you've really hit a home run.

High School Bullies Break Basketball Record

2006-02-02T23:53:00.000-05:00

High school star's 113 are points of contention

I have to agree with the coach of the losing team on this one: I'm not impressed with this "record" at all.

High school athletics is about sportsmanship and team play. There's nothing to be gained by beating up on a bad team. It's like the 6' bully beating up the 4'5" guy: yeah you beat him, everyone already knew you could, what exactly did you prove by doing it?

A good coach would adjust his school's schedule so that he was always challenging his team by playing against worthy opponents. Playing against a team that's not even half as good as yours and then trying to claim some kind of accomplishment because you did exactly what everyone knew you could do before the game started is the act of a bully scared of real competition not that of a sportsman.

High school athletics is as much about teaching a kid how to handle defeat gracefully as it is about how to be gracious winner. This coach has gone out of his way to teach his students neither lesson.

The player already had her college guaranteed, so there was nothing riding on the game. This was purely about rubbing the other team's face in their inability to keep up.

Congrats, coach...you taught your players how to be bullies, but taught them nothing else...Too bad they won't know how to handle it later in life when they're getting their butts kicked because now their opponents aren't half their size with half their skill...

Apple Faces Frivolous iPod Lawsuit

2006-02-02T23:39:00.000-05:00

Turn Down iPod Volume: Suit

You can count on it like clockwork: whenever there is a wildly successful product being sold, there will be a lawyer ready to file a stupid suit to get his piece of the money.

This time it's the iPod and some moron in Louisiana who evidently needed to be told that if you listen to anything at high volume for long enough you can cause hearing damage.

This ranks up there with the "I didn't know hot coffee was served hot" lawsuit against McDonald's for lawyer malfeasance. There is no way that this guy didn't know it could be a problem. No one who has ever been subjected to loud noise and been left with the ears ringing can't figure out on their own that loud noises can harm your hearing. On top of that, the iPod ships with a warning that listening to it at high volume can cause damage. Is it Apple's fault that this guy can't or won't read?

I am absolutely disgusted with a legal system that allows stupid people to extort money from anyone with a deep pocket who stands close enough to them. If ever there was a case that screamed out for tort reform, this is it...

When Incest and Marriage Collide

2006-02-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

Man forced to marry four wives in six months

When your family tree has no branches because you keep marrying inside your own family, is there any wonder that you wind up in a mental hospital?

This is the kind of thing that burns me up when people say we need "honor other cultures." This culture involves taking multiple wives from within their own family trees. Even if you disregard our own social prohibitions against that sort of thing, that's a recipe for all sorts of genetic problems - like insanity, for example.

The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice. Many African cultures practice female genital mutilation. The list goes on. Just because a native culture exists doesn't mean that it deserves to keep existing despite what many bleeding-hearts say.

There is such a thing as cultural extinction - whether it's natural or forced on it by another culture. It's not always a bad thing, and I think this article is a perfect illustration of a culture in serious need of extinction.

Republicans Given Credit For Democratic Failure

2006-02-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

Republicans Were Masters In the Race to Paint Alito

This overlong "analysis" article contains typical wrongheaded analysis by reporters too blinded by their ideology to see what's really going on.

They go into intimate detail how the process went forward, yet miss the overarching message of the nomination process: the Democrats already lost two elections because the judges issue and not enough of them were willing to risk re-election to make a point the public wasn't buying.

The Democrats have been crying wolf over every move made by the Bush administration, claiming that every nomination or proposed program will bring the sky crashing in on the country. People aren't buying it. After five years of Bush's presidency, they see that all of the apocalyptic talk from the other side of aisle has meant very little to their daily lives.

This president has faced more outrageous propaganda and outright slander than any in history, yet still his opponents fail to understand the obvious: their message has failed.

There might be a great number of people who are dissatisfied with the way things are. But they also recognize that the Democratic party and their army of special interest groups is not a viable alternative. No one is listening to them any more. They're even losing the most liberal to the Green Party and other splinter political factions.

While it may feel good for Republicans to gloat and read articles about how smart they were, they would be wise to understand the truth: they won because the Democrats lost before they ever took the field.

Bush Defies Expectations in SOTU

2006-02-01T13:51:00.000-05:00

Bush extends terror war to all tyranny

Every time his critics think they've pounded President Bush into submission and forced him to pare back his agenda into something more acceptable to the Left, he comes back with bigger and bolder plans. Last night's speech was no exception.

Despite all the criticism of the war in Iraq, he hammered away at the regimes in Iran and Syria most especially with veiled threats and encouraging revolution from within.

My favorite moment was when he embarrassed the Democrats after their shameful show at having stalled Social Security reform during the last session. After setting them up and allowing them to put on their partisan display, he slammed them with the statement that the problems aren't going away and that it's no time for partisan politics. Ouch, Democrats. Not such a good idea to try to horn in the President's time. Expose the Left has the video.

And as for the Democratic response. When the best you can do as a retort is to rehash an old movie line, you know you're playing a weak hand...'nuff said...

News Puts Out Feeds: Now Cries Foul

2006-01-31T22:57:00.000-05:00

Search engines challenged on "theft"

The companies that report the news have now found a new scapegoat for low readership and ratings: Google.

What really is happening here is that they want a piece of the revenue Google gets for doing exactly what they made possible by distributing their own RSS feeds. The ironic thing is that most news is put together by the wire agencies - AP, UPI, etc. - and the newspapers, et al. are only re-publishing the same story as every other publisher who subscribes to that news agency.

In essence, they're mad because Google is re-aggregating what they aggregated from other sources in the first place...and making money on it that they think belongs in their pockets instead.

Since it's their own RSS feeds that Google uses to aggregate their news, the publishers are going to be hard-pressed to make their case stick. I think the end result of the case will be a judgment that this is nothing more than sour grapes because someone else found a way to do the publishers' job better than they did it...

Democratic Plan to Tar Republicans Hits a Snag; But Plan Moves Ahead Anyway

2006-01-31T19:00:00.000-05:00

The Money Trail

While the Democratic spin doctors were licking their chops to try tarring Republicans with the Abramoff scandal, they forgot to make sure their own hands were clean in the matter.

Harry Reid, John Kerry, and Hilary Clinton (to name just a few of the bigger Democratic names involved) have all benefitted from association with Abramoff and/or his clientele; so it's going to be very difficult for them to claim that anyone who took money from Abramoff is necessarily corrupt and needs to be voted out of office. It would be seeming political suicide for the 90% of Democratic Senators who did the same thing.

The crazy part is that they're going to do it anyway, and it will probably have some effect. History has shown that they will simply say that sure Democrats took money, but their intentions were honorable while those evil Republicans are despicably corrupt and danced with the devil while they plotted to kill babies with the illicit funds.

Rather than accept that there is deep-seated corruption in Washington on both sides of the aisle, there is a significant portion of their constituency who will believe them - not because it has the ring of truth, but because it helps justify their irrational tin hat anti-Republican conspiracy theories that they can't let go of without destroying their entire world view.

They don't just want to believe Republicans are evil incarnate, they need to because if Republicans aren't evil then the world doesn't make sense for them any more. They forced themselves to repeat 'Blood for Oil' and all the lies of Fahrenheit 9/11 to keep their mental house of cards from falling down, why should they start worrying about facts now?

...Speaking of Art Appreciation

2006-01-31T14:02:00.000-05:00

Art expert fooled by chimp's painting

This just demonstrates once again that most art isn't, and most art experts aren't...

If your work can be mistaken for that of a chimpanzee - even by an "expert," I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's probably not nearly as good as you've been credit for it being.

Personally I think Satscho understands the true value of the painting more than the "expert" does...

But Is It Art?

2006-01-31T13:57:00.000-05:00

Artist paints with her breasts

We've heard of people who paint with their feet, but this is definitely a new one. I can't imagine that there's any true 'art' value here, but if you're in the market for a 'breast painting' my guess is that appreciating fine art isn't exactly your strong suit.

Try Your Ham With a Little Something Extra

2006-01-31T13:50:00.000-05:00

'Dog sh*t' ham

Yummy! This sort of thing makes you want to start reading the ingredient labels on the food you buy from now on.

While it was great fun while it lasted, how do you explain to a prospective employer why you got fired from your last job?

Here We Go Again At Post Office

2006-01-31T12:24:00.000-05:00

Seven dead after Calif. postal shooting spree

It has to be asked at this point: what is wrong with postal workers? Too many shootings have occurred not to wonder what is missing in the interview process that so many people who are willing to not just off themselves, but groups of other people are winding up working there?

I don't care what they say, their work is not so incredibly stressful that it's going to lead people to just snap. Most of the sorting, etc. is done by machine, most stamps are purchased at somewhere other than from a postal employee over the counter, and most priority packages are being sent by private courier services. They're union employees, so it's not like they don't have job security and benefits. There's no good reason other than that the Post Office is going out of their way to hire the mentally unstable.

If there has to be gun control of any kind, it looks like prohibiting any one who works or has worked there from owning one is the best place to start.

Palestinians Demand Handouts

2006-01-31T00:35:00.000-05:00

US urges Arab states to fund Palestinians after Hamas victory

The spokesman for the Palestinians demanded...you heard that right...that the U.S. and E.U. continue to fund their violent regime. The sense of entitlement to our tax dollars is all I need to say that they don't deserve it. They seem to forget that they don't have a right to my money. Never did. And now to *demand* it?

They're protesting the "humiliating conditions" of being required to give up terrorism. Too bad. It should have been done a long time ago. If this is what they consider humuliation, they have either forgotten or never known the meaning of the word.

If they're looking for sympathy for their cause, issuing demands isn't the way to get it.

Saddam to Duck Trial

2006-01-30T15:55:00.000-05:00

Lawyer: Saddam to boycott next session

The show trial of the decade will evidently have to go forward with the presence of Saddam Hussein for a day or two. Aw shucks! Is that supposed to bother anyone because I can't say as I really care whether he's there or not.

Everyone knows at the end of this he's going to be found guilty. The only question is what sentence is going to be imposed. Everything that happens up to the day of sentencing is just showmanship on both sides.

Scientist Lacks Courage of His Convictions

2006-01-29T15:34:00.000-05:00

Climate Expert Says NASA Tried to Silence Him

Over the past few years, the NY Times has become the home for every crackpot and conspiracy theorist who might possibly shed a bad light on the Bush administration, so the fact that this article appears there should come as a surprise to no one. The headline screams about global warming, but it's just another disgruntled government employee story that's only marginally related to global warming.

Hansen evidently is upset that he's just a scientist and not a policy maker and is therefore required by his employer not to make policy pronouncements. Shocker! If that's news, then every file clerk who thinks they can run the company better than the CEO should be immediately placed in charge of company press releases and promoted to the corner office or given their own article in the NY Times about their employer is "trying to stop [them] from speaking out."

If he really thinks his employer is so awful, he should have the courage of his convictions and quit. That's what everybody else does. Instead, he goes crying to the NY Times that there's some sort of vast conspiracy to keep him from speaking out. Sorry James, those are the rules you signed up for when you accepted your job. You don't get the option of unilaterally changing them when they don't suit you any longer.

This whole thing is ridiculous on its face. No one can be forced to keep quiet, but you can be forced to shut up by your employer if what you're doing violates company policy. But even that works only so long as you're willing to play by the rules and keep working there. The wonderful thing about the USA is that you always have the freedom to quit and find employment elsewhere.

But I guess Hansen is more interested in playing the victim than he is serious about the issue he supposedly feels is so vital. If he was serious, he'd quit and make his speeches without worrying about anyone else thought or said.

Since actions speak louder than words, we can only be left with the conclusion that he's either a complete coward or a self-important, disgruntled employee with a serious martyr complex. I'm leaning towards the latter...

Since even he doesn't see any need to do anything about this supposedly serious situation besides whimper and whine without taking any real action, why should anyone else care either?

Palestine To Lose EU Backing

2006-01-29T15:16:00.000-05:00

Hamas faces European aid threat

On the heels of Bush's pronouncement that Palestine would lose U.S. foreign aid if Hamas doesn't disarm, Germany's chancellor is saying that the EU will follow suit if Hamas doesn't renounce violence.

The full text of the statement isn't available, but there's a difference between "renouncing violence" and disarming. If all the EU requires is a pro forma statement that it renounces violence then it gives Hamas and the rest of the Palestinians license to continue the Arafat doublespeak of saying they want peace while turning a blind eye to their own people committing suicide bombings.

Nothing short of requiring full disarmament is going to have any impact on the situation, and I'm still not sure that the EU has the backbone to take it to the limit by demanding it.

Sheehan Considers Becoming Loser

2006-01-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

Sheehan Considers Challenging Feinstein

Cindy Sheehan, (you remember her - the one who dishonored her son's memory by making a spectacle out of herself at the bidding of organized Bush haters despite her entire family begging her to stop?), is now considering trading in her reputation as Figurehead Fool for the title of Big Time Loser by taking on Dianne Feinstein in the upcoming Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate.

Personally I hope she runs because the more people see of people like Sheehan, the more they understand that being on the same side of pretty much any issue as a person like that should be enough motivation to rethink their position immediately if not sooner.

Palestinians to Lose Foreign Aid

2006-01-28T13:25:00.000-05:00

U.S. to cut its aid unless Hamas recognizes Israel

Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it...

For years, the Palestinians have been talking down the U.S. and talking peace while blowing up buses because what they really want is the elimination of the state of Israel. Now, with the election of Hamas, it's time to put up or shut up because it's likely that they're not going to be able to have it both ways any more.

Putting Hamas in power has taken the cover off the facade they've been putting forward of wanting peace while uncontrollable terrorists take rogue action. Well, they're not rogues any more: Hamas is in control, and now they need to decide which way to go.

This is when having a President Bush in power is essential. He's got the backbone to say we're not going to fund terror and cut off their supply of foreign aid: a President Kerry never would have.

So it's time to decide Hamas: do you hate the Jews enough to starve your people? And if you do, why should anyone ever take your "grievances" seriously again?

When Gambling Goes Horribly Wrong...

2006-01-27T22:50:00.000-05:00

Rugby fan tells how he lost his tackle

You think soccer hooligans are sports fans gone nuts? HA! They've got nothing on rugby fans...Especially when those rugby fans have a bet on the game.

I can't even describe what happened, but suffice it to say that I sincerely hope it interferes with his ability to reproduce...Those are some genes the pool is better off without...

British Sex A Costly Matter

2006-01-27T22:42:00.000-05:00

Romping Brits cause 350 million pounds damage a year

Between personal injuries and property damage, evidently the British are doing something very wrong while engaging in carnal relations or they're just plain clumsy. 33% of couples broke something in flagrante, while at least 40% of them injured themselves in some way.

Given the high incidences of injury and property damage, it sounds like their sex education classes need a new curriculum...

Mexico Shamed Into Drug Arrest

2006-01-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

Mexico Finds Drug Tunnel Extending From Tijuana to California

OK...so they didn't really "find" the tunnel: The U.S. DEA "found" the other end of the tunnel and told them where it was. The headline implies that the Mexicans are being diligent about looking for these tunnels, but the reality is that they didn't have any choice but to raid the home after the DEA notified them.

The Mexican authorities don't really have any interest in stopping the flow of drugs into the U.S.: it pours millions - if not billions - of dollars into their corrupt economy. It's not much different than the illegal immigration across the border. they don't have any desire to stop that for the same reason.

The Mexican border is a huge sieve through which security risks, illegal aliens, and tons of drug pass every day. We can't begin to solve our problems here in the U.S. until we stop importing additional headaches from other countries, and the place to start is there...

CBS Spins Its Poll Results

2006-01-27T00:11:00.000-05:00

Bush's Approval Remains Low

CBS is touting its latest poll results with the headline screaming that his approval rating "remains low."

Last month, they said:

In a recent CBS News/New York Times Poll, President Bush's approval ratings climbed 5 percent to 40 percent, but he is still in the midst of his lowest job approval rating of his presidency.

The month before that:

President Bush's job approval has reached the lowest level yet. Only 35 percent approve of the job he's doing.

So his job approval has gone from 35% to 40% to 42% in the last 60 days. I'll help you with the quick math: that's a 20% improvement!

The actual story here is that Bush's approval ratings have significantly rebounded off their lows and the trend favors the president. So how does CBS handle it? By saying his ratings remain low. But there's no bias here...

Personally I'm amazed that after six years his approval rating is as high as it is given the constant barrage of leftist Hollywood propaganda, biased media and outright slander by liberal columnists...

Democratic Senators Consider Reviving Losing Issue

2006-01-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

Democrats Split Over Filibuster On Alito

The usual suspects in the Senate are calling for a filibuster to satisfy the most liberal members of their base even though they know it would be doomed to failure. So basically they're acknowledging that any filibuster is a waste of everyone's time and would amount to simple grandstanding.

Personally I hope they try it because it would revive the courts issue for this year's elections. It's been a complete loser for the Democrats for the last two election cycles, so bringing it to the public limelight can only hurt them at the polls this fall.

High School Student 'Skirts' Stupid Rule

2006-01-26T17:09:00.000-05:00

Male student wins right to wear a dress

A New Jersey high school student wanted to protest his school's ban on wearing shorts, so he decided to wear a skirt - which was allowable under school rules. School officials tried to stop him, but after the ACLU intervened he was allowed back in.

It's definitely an innovative way to force action from the school, but try explaining that high school picture to your kids in 20 years....

Hilary's Candidacy Doomed

2006-01-26T11:31:00.000-05:00

Democrats Are Worrying Over Clinton in 2008

Just as Hilary Clinton is ratcheting up her rhetoric to prepare for a 2008 run at the presidency, the articles are starting to appear which cast doubts on its viability.

The reality of the situation is that if she were to run, it would turn out the Republican base like no other candidate could. Republicans only win elections when their base turns out, and a Hilary nomination would be all it would take to overflow the RNC coffers with anti-Hilary money and ensure what would probably be the highest Republican turnout in history.

I have the feeling that a trained Republican monkey would beat Hilary Clinton in '08 just because she and her Democratic Party sycophants seriously underestimate how many people truly despise her.

Illegal Immigration Hurts More Than You Think

2006-01-26T11:21:00.000-05:00

Earl Ofari Hutchinson: Why So Many Blacks Fear Illegal immigrants Pt.1

I'm not coming at this from the racial standpoint of black men, of course, but this has been my argument against illegal immigration all along.

The argument for illegal immigration has always been that illegals do jobs that "Americans won't do" which is a B.S. argument. There is no such thing as a job that an American won't do as Discovery Channel's show "Dirty Jobs" so neatly illustrates. The difference is that when Americans are asked to do undesirable jobs, they expect to get paid for them.

The real answer is that we couldn't have certain products or services as cheaply as we do now if the employers were forced to pay the workers a decent wage - which they would have to do were their "employees" American citizens. I, for one, would be more than happy to pay twice or triple the price for a head of lettuce if it meant that the work was performed by American citizens earning a decent wage.

It also would mean that many, in the Southwest and in major metropolitan areas especially, would have to give up their uber-cheap domestic help. Somebody hold back my tears! You mean that upper-middle class and upper-class people might have to do with maid service once a week rather than every day? They might be forced to care for their own children? Oh, the humanity!

What do we get in return? We get a class of people who cannot be victimized because reporting crimes against them is no longer going to mean deportation. We get lower insurance premiums because there won't be any more uninsured aliens getting involved in accidents. The benefits go on and on, and if it means more expensive lettuce or forcing the Park Avenue crowd to give up a day to housework, I'm willing to live with it...

More Fiddling in the UN While Iran Burns

2006-01-26T09:53:00.000-05:00

China Warns Against Iran Sanctions

Someone needs to explain to me why we're bothering with this charade at the U.N. over Iran. Neither Russia nor China will ever let their oil supplier suffer any consequences for their nuclear activities and everybody knows it. So this dance at the U.N. is only for the benefit of the uneducated "man on the street" who can't figure that out for himself.

The reality is that most of the problems we're facing from Middle Eastern terrorism can be directly traced back to Iran - whether it's the Palestinians, the Syrians, or Iraqis. They're all sponsored either openly or discretely by the Iranian government. If that government were no more, then both the money and the safe harbor that Tehran provides would be gone and so would much of the instability in the region. So when do we start seriously discussing that option?

Gore has "Indisputable Evidence"

2006-01-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

Gore to publish book on global warming

People say there's "indisputable evidence" of global warming, yet I'm old enough to remember that during the 1980's the "indisputable evidence" was that manmade emissions were going to bring about the next Ice Age. 10 years later, without any explanation, it became "global warming." So which is it? Which set of "indisputable evidence" is actually "indisputable"?

It reminds me of The Princess Bride where one character says to another: "You keep using that word, but I do not think it means what you think it means."

Leftist Hysteria Strikes Again

2006-01-25T23:29:00.000-05:00

Paranoia, the Destroyer

About halfway into the "Best of the Web" column, we get to the item on these loons who think the government has nothing better to do than worry about what they're typing into their computers.

How narcissistic do you have to be to think you're important enough for the national security establishment to watch over what you may or may not be saying in your e-mails? Yes, I know the government does do that; however, they only pay attention to those persons they have reason to believe are actual threats. Even if you were flagged for some reason, if you're not actually doing anything wrong, no one is going to "haul you away."

Liberal apologists for terrorists seem to have forgotten that the only people who have been "hauled away" actually ARE threats to our way of life and the electronic surveillance is not really much more intrusive, in reality, than what digging to find what your average direct mail database probably already has on file about you anyway.

When the government starts making midnight raids and people start disappearing, then we can start worrying. Until then, this is all just hysterical nonsense from people in severe need of some anxiety medication...

British Bombers In Iran?

2006-01-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Iran accuses Britain of involving in bomb blasts

I'm trying to decide whether or not to take Iran's accusations seriously or not. On one hand, the Iranian government will do just about anything to blame a Western government for its internal problems; so any accusations of malfeasance are automatically suspect. On the other, would it surprise me to learn that the British would be doing everything it can to encourage instability in what is arguably the world's most dangerous country? Not really...

For now I'm going to come down on the side of the Brits not having been involved simply because the diplomatic risks of getting caught trying to pull it off are so high.

Overcrowding = Diapers

2006-01-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

Adult Diaper Sales Soar in China

You know you have way too many people living way too close together when the population resorts to adult diapers because there's no way they'll ever reach a bathroom in time...

Man Almost Loses Genitals, But How Far Did He Walk?

2006-01-24T01:39:00.000-05:00

Miffed Wife Reportedly Snips Hubby's Penis

OK...After Lorena Bobbitt, this is hardly an original way to get back at the husband, so in that sense it's not really shocking news.

What caught my eyes was how very specific the article is how about how far to get help: 1,640 feet (For the uninitiated that's about 1/4 of a mile). Who did the counting and why was it necessary for us to know with that level of precision? Seems to me they kind of focused on the wrong details, doncha think?

Zombie Jim Reporting for Duty

2005-08-16T16:26:00.000-04:00

Authors offer immortality in Web auction of names

Authors like Stephen King and John Grisham are auctioning character names in their next novels for charity. No doubt that will be purists who will say they're selling out their art or some other such nonsense, but simply changing the name of a character doesn't affect the overall story.

Right now I'm stuck between the zombie or the good guy...I like both authors, so maybe I'll flip a coin...

9/11 Commission Proves Denial Isn't Just a River in Egypt...

2005-08-14T01:13:00.000-04:00

9/11 commission defends omission of intelligence on hijackers

Once you set up a commission with a key witness (Jamie Gorelick) sitting on the commission and don't think that's a problem, how much stock are we supposed to put into anything they have to say after that?

Admitting that they screwed up (either purposefully or by negligence) is out of the question because it would raise too many questions about the sham political sideshow that was the 9/11 Commission.

They say the witness didn't have documentation to back it up, yet they had nothing to say about Sandy Berger and his escapades in the archives where he had the means, motive and opportunity to destroy whatever documentation might have existed.

This commission was supposed to "get to the truth" about 9/11? Now we have a smoking gun that says they stepped around the truth to avoid placing any blame on Clinton administration officials or their policies.

Truth? Nope...just politics as usual...and anything they have to say should be treated accordingly...

San Francisco Tops the List...

2005-08-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

San Francisco Bay Area nation's most liberal region, study finds

I guess I'm supposed to be surprised, but did we really need a poll to tell us this?

It Needed to Be Said...

2005-08-13T10:11:00.000-04:00

Bush Raises Option of Using Force Against Iran

I know the liberal activists are going to up in arms about this, but truly it needed to be said.

Iran, in my eyes, is the biggest threats to world security in the world. Saudi Arabia can be bribed, Syria is a lot of mouth without much muscle, and North Korea is too impoverished to be much of a threat on its own. *NO ONE* can afford for Iran to have nuclear weapons because they are insane and fanatical enough to use them not just against us, but against their neighbors as well.

The Iranians need to understand that we're serious and that we're willing to take matters into our own hands if they don't back off. I don't think they can even say they need nuclear power for electricity with a straight face, and nobody takes them seriously when they say it anyway.

I hope the Iranians were listening because GWB is not the kind of guy to throw around "military option" without meaning it...

But Officer, I Have Irritable Bowels!

2005-08-13T09:51:00.000-04:00

Cannabis-based drugs might relieve bowel disease

It used to be that pot smokers claimed to have glaucoma when busted for possessing marijuana. Now apparently there's a whole new category of ailments that can be blamed for that joint the officer found in your glove compartment...

HELP WANTED: Short-term Assignment, High Paying Position

2005-08-13T01:34:00.000-04:00

Thieves Tunneled For Months To Pull Off Brazil's Biggest Bank Robbery

$65 million payday for three months of work? Not a bad way to spend your summer...

Bye Bye Bakri

2005-08-12T22:12:00.000-04:00

Radical Preacher Banned From UK

It's about time. I'm sick and tired of people moving to a Western country like the U.K. or the U.S. and abusing their host's hospitality. Would you go to someone's house and insult their wife? Of course not, you'd be tossed out on your can.

Listen up, visitors (of all stripes): If you think it's so awful, then go home. It's not like anyone asked you to come here: you made a choice that living in the Western country was better than where you came from. Hmm...Guess that makes you a complete hypocrite, doesn't it?

One of the biggest problems we face in the war against radical fundamentalism is the fact that the enemy is all too often among us - using our own laws to recruit our own people for their cause.

Enough's enough...If you're not a citizen, then consider your circumstances and learn not to badmouth your host, or go home. It really is that simple. It's like family here: we're allowed to criticize each other, but if you're not part of the family then you're not part of the conversation and your input is neither required nor welcome.

So long and good riddance...Enjoy your stay in the depths of a Middle East prison, and remember that you could have stayed out of them indefinitely if you had just had some decent manners...

IAEA Wastes Time

2005-08-12T17:18:00.000-04:00

IAEA inspectors' visit to Iran is merely routine

I don't want to say what I'm really thinking which "it's routine b&#%SH&^*."

Name me one crisis the IAEA has been effective at averting, or one crisis that the IAEA has successfully mediated. They were dumbfounded by the North Koreans and being blatantly ignored by the Iranians.

If the purpose of the IAEA is to control the spread of nuclear technology, it is a complete failure. So why go back to Iran? Are they just trying to rack up frequent flier miles or what?

Flushing HIV

2005-08-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

AIDS Cure Possible, Study Suggests

This is pretty exciting stuff for everyone living with AIDS: the possibility it will be possible to completely flush the HIV virus completely out of the body. How cool is that?

My only question is: if it could be done for HIV, could it be done for other viral type illnesses such as herpes?

Pious Pierogis

2005-08-12T17:05:00.000-04:00

Polish pastry 'has the face of Jesus'

These people who see the face in God in food items are a little frightening to me. How hard do you have to be looking to find *any* face, let alone that of Jesus, in your food? And why are you looking for faces in your food to begin with? How long have you been off your medications?

Now to the people bidding on these items are eBay: you people are certifiably whacked. It's one thing to believe you see it your own food, but to seek out the face of Jesus in someone *else's* food and to be willing to pay thousands of dollar to possess it. There aren't any books to look in under which you could define that sort of behavior as "normal" or "rational."

Seek help.

Go Away Already

2005-08-12T16:58:00.000-04:00

FAMILY OF FALLEN SOLDIER PLEADS: PLEASE STOP, CINDY!

I think pretty much everyone to the right of Barbra Streisand and co. are feeling the samy way about Cindy Sheehan right now.

She lost a son in Iraq, so she thinks she's entitled to foist her political agenda on everyone else. She was an anti-war activist before the war, so it's not like she's experienced some change of heart because of her loss. She's exploiting her son's death much to the chagrin of the rest of her family.

Sad for her family, just annoying to the rest of us. Today's Best of the Web has her anti-Bush history on full display.

She's got every right to her political opinion, but using her son's death is ugly and distasteful.

Go away, Cindy...your 15 minutes are up...