The 2006 election in perspective

Which of these folks would you like running the US House?

"I would not make a big deal of this," said Pelosi, D-Calif.

Ron Bonjean, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., responded: "How many officers would have to be punched before it becomes a big deal?"

It really is instructive isn't it

John @ RWN goes off on Illegal immigration

And covers here many points I have covered before. But I want to stress one point of his because it does bare stressing.

7) Isn't it practically impossible to deport all the illegal aliens? There is no bigger straw man in the whole debate over illegal immigration than the idea that you have to round the illegals up, one by one. There's actually a much easier way to do it.

You see, the majority of illegal aliens are coming here to get jobs. If you crack down on the employers who are hiring them, then the jobs will disappear, and the majority of illegal aliens will self-deport.

Will every illegal alien go home if they can't get a job? No, but the vast majority of them will and having, let's say, a a few hundred thousand illegals in the US, as opposed to 8-20 million, would be a vast improvement.

Verifying your employement status isn't very hard today. So INS going in and throwing people in jail at the employer level for hiring Illegal aliens would stop the problem at the source.

If employers know hiring an illegal alien means going to jail it will drastically reduce the number of illegals in the job market. If the people who allow them to violate the law in other ways (like getting illegal home loans and the like) go to jail to you will stop the flow in and many will flow out.

BWahaha

Those of you who know me know I tend to enjoy webcomics. A webcomic I read that I often wonder -why- I read it has merited a bit of exposure on my blog today. Why the mention of This superosity strip? Because it mentions the one story that really sold me on Art Bell and his show being a tad of a fraud. First go look at the John Titor website so you can like Einstein know "The Dumbest thing I've ever heard"

In 2036, I live in central Florida with my family and I'm currently stationed at an Army base in Tampa. A world war in 2015 killed nearly three billion people. The people that survived grew closer together. Life is centered on the family and then the community. I cannot imagine living even a few hundred miles away from my parents.

as part Of John Titor's story that is really so ignorant he claims a Nuclear war hits florida but doesn't destroy tampa which is the location of...you know CENTCOM. Why because his entire story of Nuclear War and survivors in Florida ( I won't get into details here of his entire kooky story) seems strikingly Familiar

Although Alas, Babylon is not widely acclaimed as a piece of literature, it was one of the most thoughtful novels dealing with the practical effects of nuclear war. It was notable for depicting fallout and radiation as an invisible threat, rather than a roaming "cloud of death" as in other novels such as On the Beach. Its theme was "You can survive if you are ready and willing to adapt." Civil Defense officials used the book to guide local officials in ordering supplies.

Alas, Babylon is considered by some to be an inspiration for John Titor's claim of time travel and description of nuclear war in the 2010s.

Some more along that line

Dr. Robert Brown, a physicist at Duke University analysed the science involved in Titor's time travel explanations and states it is impossible, both in theory and practice. He alludes that Titor's story plagiarizes older science novels such as Alas, Babylon and Michio Kaku's Hyperspace to construct his time travelling stories. He concludes his critique by suggesting that people are extremely gullible to believe the plausibility of Titor's time travel and stories of a post-apocalypse world.

Titor's story also shows similarities to the plot of the 1995 movie 12 Monkeys, and to a fictional timeline for a role-playing game (see external links).

John Titor is one of those things in the world of Kook's and Nuts that its fun to learn about to see how big a sucker people are

It is my own fault

Ok…

I am listening to the O’Reilly factor. That is the problem

So some tool from NPR said that people who want to get border security and control the flow of illegal immigrants are doing this because they are brown people.

*ahem*

Was their a time in this country when you could be opposed to something and not a bigot?

Some one please remind me

George Lucas is a tool

But we knew this already. He keeps giving new proof.

VADER VENDOR: Director George Lucas is worried about American "cultural imperialism." In a speech to the World Affairs Council in San Francisco on Wednesday, he cited the lifestyles portrayed on "Dallas" as an example of how Hollywood irresponsibly infects the minds of poor people overseas. "They say, 'That is what I want to be'

A rich oil Billionare?

Seriously George....

But the Opinion Journal does a good closer with this.

Marketers, too, presumably, since a lot of poor people in other countries probably see Mr. Lucas's "Star Wars" line of products and think: "That is what I want to have."

Crazy Moonbat from Georgia still Crazy

Moonbat McKinney has decided to take it to The Man swinging.

Sources say that the officer was at a position in the Longworth House Office Building, and did not recognize McKinney, nor saw her credentials as she went around the metal detector.

The officer called out, “Ma’am, Ma’am,” and walked after her in an attempt to stop her. When he caught McKinney, he grabbed her by the arm.

Witnesses say McKinney pulled her arm away, and with her cell phone in hand, punched the officer in the chest.

Hopefully a little A&B will finally keep this woman out of congress

From the "Why is this news" file

Crazy Cat terrorizes town

Animal Control Officer Rachel Solveira placed a restraining order on him. It was the first time such an action was taken against a cat in Fairfield.

In effect, Lewis is under house arrest, forbidden to leave his home.

Solveira also arrested the cat's owner, Ruth Cisero, charging her with failing to comply with the restraining order and reckless endangerment.

A Cat is under house arrest

good grief

Things you only see in a college

People on the campus in common areas (Non students) with Placards as big as they are strapped to a hard harness on their back

and these folks are going on about Jesus and how you make him sick....

-and sadly to these are not fred phelps people.... sounded Very Jack Chickish though-

The fourth picture on this slide show is telling

When we look at this and read the caption, we are given a slight glimps by the media of what is really going on. (H/T Michelle Malkin)

Michelle Marquez(left) a student at Lamar Middle School in Irving, was criticized for having a U.S flag during an immigration protest at Kiest Park in Dallas. "My heart is with the Mexican flag and Mexico but I'm standing on American ground and I'm a Mexican-American," she said.

and thi, the most Pro-Us voice isn't really with the US in her heart. And she got boo'd

I Haven't linked to The Moderate Voice in a while

But This article was just to good to ignore.

America. You will see a new phenomenon: legal alien residents like me will be trying to find ways to become illegal immigrants just so we can join the same line to citizenship that is denied to us as legal productive alien residents … And it will be the best $3000 we’ve ever spent – a small fraction of what’s it’s already cost me to conduct business here for just a year. I wonder if I’ll have to learn Spanish to fill in the forms? post on Illegal Immigration has brought it back out on me.

Once the word is out that America has created a line to citizenship for a cool 3000 bucks, it won’t just be America’s southern border that you’ll need to worry about. You’ll have tens of millions of Europeans and Asians flooding in (on airplanes, of course) and looking forward to the expiration of their tourist visas to join the new line as illegal immigrant guest workers, waiting for citizenship. Then watch out: the Europeans, at least, will be white, so no one will notice when they take the good jobs that upstanding Americans do want to do.

I think this may be a real unitended consequence that can occur. So will Asian and European immigrants get discriminated against if they do this?

Well I'll be.....

It turns out the Protests for Illegal Immigrants were far from Random though the Protests didn't follow the dance card 100% either.

(AP) LOS ANGELES The marching orders were clear: Carry American flags and pack the kids, pick up your trash and wear white for peace and for effect.

Many of the 500,000 people who crammed downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to protest legislation that would make criminals out of illegal immigrants learned where, when and even how to demonstrate from the Spanish-language media.

The English language Media has nothing on the Spanish Language media it seems when it comes to bias

Sharon Stone is on a Rampage

Not content to damage us with Basic Instinct II, Not content to run around telling little girls to give a blow job if they can't get out of sex (after their parents leave) Our Girl Sharon has taken to some political commentary.

She says: "I think Hillary Clinton is fantastic. But I think it is too soon for her to run. This may sound odd, but a woman should be past her sexuality when she runs. Hillary still has sexual power, and I don't think people will accept that. It's too threatening."

(H/T ACE)

John McCain-Political manwhore

Johnny Boy carried the Water with Teddy Kennedy to pass yet another bill which will doom him in the Presidential Primary. Much as John McCain didn't have the stones to call out Bob Jones University (it took Alan Keyes a man who later went Bat Skite Crazy to do that)

Well he is now sucking up to Jerry Falwell.

This folks is why McCain will never be elected President. He just doesn't grasp it

Sharon Stone Frightens me mommy

An actress I rarely Liked Sharon Stone says something which confuses and Frightens me

"If you're in a situation where you cannot get out of sex, offer a blow job. I'm not embarrassed to tell them."

Huh? are teen age kids on a casting directors desk or something? I mean.... When can you not get out of sex. And If you don't want to have sex but can't get out of that isn't that rape?

more scary she had this conversation by luring the Kids mother away to go look for something else

I was in the store the other day and I watched a young girl trying on clothes, showing her abdomen. "Her mother was trying to talk to her about not being inappropriately luring. I said, 'Gee that would look much nicer with a camisole under.' "Her mother walked away, and I said to the girl, 'I'd like to give you a two-minute conversation about sex.'

So people If you see Sharon Stone in the store, she is going to talk to your kids about Sex.

alert Mall Authorities

New Technorati features added

Including one to Add this blog to your favorites list

;-)

So I went to Technorati

And I noticed me something. Not just Wil Wheaton, Michelle Malkin, and the like can make a favorite Blog list... I can to.

So I made a list of the top 50 Blogs I read (not link to ..not source... but read on a regular basis)

So check out my top 50 people

Red Ken rides again

While awaiting appeal on his suspension due to his racist comments to a Jewish reporter Red Ken decided “Hey I can embarrass myself and my office again”

Mayor Ken Livingstone has been quarrelling with the U.S. embassy since last year, when it announced it would not pay the "congestion charge" fee imposed on cars entering the city center.
The embassy says the charge is a tax and that diplomats are immune under treaty. Livingstone says the charge, one of his flagship policies, is a road toll which diplomats have to pay.
"It would actually be quite nice if the American ambassador in Britain could pay the charge like everybody else and not skive out of it like some chiseling little crook," the mayor told a television reporter.

Ken booby I am sorry you are mayor of a National Capital. That means diplomats are going to skid out of paying bills. Deal with it.

But I missed some other of Red Ken’s greatest hits

Since then, he has already angered Jewish groups again by saying two Indian-born Jewish billionaire property developers should "go back to Iran and try their luck with the Ayatollahs."

I know I liked Yeltsin for a reason

In a related bit of interweb reading I got turned onto this old book review about Boris Yeltsin's life story

The same demotic spirit aroused his outrage when he discovered the privileges available to the power elite. He writes that ''full communism'' has been achieved only for those who climbed ''to the top of the establishment pyramid.'' And: ''In using the word 'communism,' I am not exaggerating. It is not simply a metaphor for an overbright Communist future: 'From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.' ''

It has literally been realized for those at the top. ''I have already mentioned their abilities,'' he writes, ''which, alas, are not outstanding. But their needs! Their needs are so great that so far it has only been possible to create real communism for a couple of dozen people. . . .''

It is a shame that man is dead

The Hilton Clan

A book came out by bernie goldberg that talked about the 100 people that are Screwing up America.

Paris Hilton's folks came in togther at #100.... well here is evidence that they may go up in a later edition.

Also Paris's younger brother is lying about his age on Myspace......

how soon till some one tells myspace and his profile gets yanked? (soon hopefully)

And more on the Road to Mecca....

Lots of Islamic theme'd posts. And this one is doing some intresting things for me. Its going to an Article by Al-Guardian. which is usually a bloody communist rag. But the Guardian has pointed out something which I think needs to be repeated. AlGore and other American politicos when they go to Saudi Arabia and other areas of that sort bash America. Prince Charles the man described as "proof of what happens when cousins marry" has done something on his trip to Saudi Arabia that is proof that he may some day become less of a douche.

The most important speech of the prince's visit came on Saturday, however, at the Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, a conservative institution with 24,000 male students - most of whom will end up as preachers, judges in Islamic courts or members of the notorious religious police.

Focusing on the interpretation of religious texts, Charles told his audience: "We need to recover the depth, the subtlety, the generosity of imagination, the respect for wisdom that so marked Islam in its great ages ...

"What was so distinctive of the great ages of faith surely was that they understood, that as well as sacred texts, there is the art of interpretation of sacred texts - between the meaning of God's word for all time and its meaning for this time."

Prince Charles is speaking to the sense in the Muslim world of their great civilization being in decline, and he is pointing to the lack of a great vision which encourages a greatness as its cause.

This is simply inspiring and should be something you hear out of the likes of Bill Clinton and Al Gore when they touch down in the sandbox. You should hear Senators and Congressmen saying that when they discuss political issues regarding the region...

and heck It'd be great if the President could actually say that to. But we have such a failure of imagination that people are afraid of seeming bigots to speak those kinds of words.

Now... Prince Charles has a unique relationship with the Islamic world (he is even rumored to be a Muslim) and some may argue only he could say what he did... But I really don't think thats the case.

The words however -according to the Media..getting the leg work from Saudi Sources no doubt- was less then well recieved.

Initial reactions to the speech from students interviewed by Reuters were far from encouraging.

"Charles and the west don't understand the true Islam," said one student, Maher al-Sehili.

"There's nothing to change," said another.

"Islam can adapt to any era and any place, but there are no two interpretations to its sacred texts," said a third.

A 21-yer-old student called Abu Dijana added: "He (Charles) should remember that the Qur'an is sacred. I don't trust them (westerners) and the Qur'an says it clearly - Jews and Christians will not be satisfied until you follow their path."

But Charles spoke the words that needed to be said, and he bridged a multiculturalist's sensitivity with a realistic view of the Islamic world today

A spin through Global Voices online

Always gives some neat stuff. This particular section is all about Bloggers from the Arab world.... my translation skills being a tad thin, Global Voices has a hook up.

The parts I am going to be quoting? Just how moderate and tolerant of opinion Islam is.

first from one of the bastions of conservative Sunni Islam Al-Azar University

I discovered during the first investigation that being a student at Al Azhar University means I’m a slave owned by the University, just like that, no exaggeration. I found out that Al Azhar internal regulations and laws tie the student hands inside and outside and forbid students from freedom of expression that goes beyond the frame of drawn red lines.

Should I be sad because I reclaimed my freedom?? Would a slave get depressed when he succeeds in extracting his freedom forcibly from the hands of his masters??

Kareem's crime? Speaking his mind about Islam....

And on to Kuwait for more hot tolerance action

We claim that our religion is a one that calls for forgiveness, toleration and equinoctial and respecting others, and we repeat like parrots “you have your religion and I have mine”, this is what we do, if a request to build a mosque in America or Europe get rejected, you will notice that we would be first to disgrace their claims of religion freedom and respecting others religion.

What caused this problem in Kuwait? over the fact the catholic church can't get land and the Kuwaiti government would never tolerate a catholic nation banning them from building a mosque...

So the story isn't as simple as Islam is Peace or Islam is war... and the voices in the middle east online show the actual range of colors

Yark

man Blogger is really fragged

Dean Esmay is slumming

Dean Esmay has worked his Islamic apologism and has decided to go out and attack some one in the general LGF mold. (Pink Flamingo Bar and Grill)

So let’s first go with what has Dean’s knickers in a mess….


So then I guess Dean Esmay and his apologists would say that Iran is misinterpreting the Koran?

First thing first, if you are arguing misinterpretation of the Koran you are not even in the right ball park. Its more then Just the Koran… There are Hadith’s and writings of other Islamic scholars as well as social/political traditions unique to each area. Dean does tend to go a bit soft on this and give to much benefit of the doubt to people’s faith choices…. But lets go on.

Yet another victim to the benevolence of Islam. Somehow I know that either Dean Esmay will ignore the story as he did for the most part in regards to the Christian in Afghanistan or declare that this is all a big misunderstanding of the Peaceful Religion of Islam. Those of us who are skeptical of the claims regarding the religion of peace will be declared stupid and all the moderates will move on to their next apology of Islam.

Ok here is the thing that gets me… Dean is a B or A rated blogger. This material (no disrespect Pierre) is hardly A game material. Why Dean is giving this guy a slice of his site confuses me greatly…… But lets roll some further bean footage.

The fight we have with Islam is not a fight using weapons other than our mind, yet. We can exist with Islam, but it must be willing to allow others to exist as well. It has shown no history of that yet. But there is always hope. The first item on the agenda is to make clear where the line in the sand is that Islam cannot cross. This won't happen while we are all singing KUMBAYA, shouting that Islam is the religion of peace regardless of the evidence of the last 1,400 years.

This is really as oversimplified as some of the defenses that Dean has put out.

There is a good point, Islamic reformation –is- needed. But this is not a way to remotely present that agenda.

A Daily Briefing on Iran: Another Iranian woman on the brink of execution Haghighat-Pajooh was originally scheduled for execution in 2002 however due to international pressure the execution was stayed. Once again however, the Islamic Republic of Iran's high tribunal has reinstated the ruling and has every intention of seeing the execution through.

Ok now here is what the man quoted. And here is the thing… you THINK this is religious, but it is entirely political. In 00-02 Iran was on a quest to get snuggly and cuddly with the nations of the world, so it tossed this bone to try to get everyone into the Iranian Sexy Party Boat…. Iran wants no part of that now. So this person is going to die…. That’s why it aint religion, it is politics.

Now onto Dean’s article which kicked the whole mess off and the meat of where I think Dean loses things.

Still, there were those who said this entire case is illustrative of how evil Islam is, and how awful the intervention there has been. What utter nonsense. Had this poor bast*rd been caught by the Taliban, he'd have been summarily executed by a kangaroo court. We likely wouldn't even know his name, or we would have had to find it out through Amnesty International rather than the Associated Press.

Ok Dean here is the problem. In Egypt people have been locked up, beaten, and forced to convert with none of this media pressure. Its terror as a tool of state control and nothing more. Religion and the State in the Muslim world, and the Arabic world especially do not naturally divide, taking the example of the Prophet Muhammed. Afghanistan couldn’t try this guy do to the unique politics they were in so he was “insane” and “a lack of evidence” existed. I like the folks we have working to make Afghanistan a civil society, but to try and say it was anything other then that and this was merely some improvement based on a change of heart makes Dean look almost as foolish in doing this hit piece.

Instead, while we may not approve of putting someone on trial for his religious beliefs, at least this guy got judged by a real court, in full public scrutiny, with a defense attorney, AND, the elected government of Afghanistan felt that it should answer to not just its nearby theocratic neighbors, but, also to its fellow democratic nations, including governments from places like France, Germany, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Dean man he would have had a real court (such as they were) In Afghanistan. Because the Islamic system likes to ensure that attempts were made to be just. It has to do with the desert culture and the needs of ensuring positive outcomes there. Throughout the Middle East real trials punish people who convert all the time. So a real court taking a political out because this made news coverage isn’t an improvement…. Its just a nicer paint job.

And now with this I show you the Post of Dean’s which makes me shake my head because not only –is- Dean better… Dean is just plain wrong.

Hatemongering Bigot Exposes His Own Ignorance, Makes Laughingstock Of Himself
Dean
Ladies and gentlemen, Pierre Lagrand!
(Pierre is amply answered in this earlier discussion, which he linked but obviously didn't read. Pathetic troll that he is.)
Related Posts (on one page):

1. Hatemongering Bigot Exposes His Own Ignorance, Makes Laughingstock Of Himself


2. Abdul Rahman Freed?

Dean Man, you are much better then this

Blogger is sketchy again

Who knows why?

If an Illegal Immigrant Nanny keeps you out as Attorney General....

Does an illegal immigranty chauffeur keep you out as first dude?

NEWARK, N.J., March 27 (UPI) -- An embarrassing hole in security surrounding former U.S. President Bill Clinton turned up when one of his chauffeurs was found to be a wanted man.

Shahzad Qureshi, 42, was in one of three cars awaiting Clinton at Newark Airport last week when a Port Authority policeman happened to check license plate numbers.

The computer came back showing the Pakistani national had skipped a residency-status hearing in 2000, and a deportation order had been issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the New York Post reported.

Qureshi was still in jail Monday awaiting immigration processing, the report said

have to wonder who botched that security check?

Olde School LJ action

You Are 76% Open Minded

You are so open minded that your brain may have fallen out! Well, not really. But you may be confused on where you stand. You don't have a judgemental bone in your body, and you're very accepting. You enjoy the best of every life philosophy, even if you sometimes contradict yourself.

How Open Minded Are You?

I figure why not join the Blog Burst

My Guillermo Fariñas Blogburst post

From Babalu Blog (down in the land of Miami...or North Cuba if you prefer)

Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is a Psychologist. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is a journalist. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is a Cuban. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez is, for all intents and purposes, the David to fidel castro's Goliath.

And Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez will most certainly die because fidel castro's government can only stay in power one way: by keeping the Cuban people deaf, blind and dumb. Allowing Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez access to the internet is allowing him access to the truth and for a regime built on lies and deception, the truth is a cancer.

The last MSM report on Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez was March 17. Ten days without food have gone by since and the man is just that much closer to death.

Let's not be like the MSM who are undoubtedly waiting for Dr. Fariñas' demise before they publish their next report on his courageous and dignified stance against his oppressors.

Patrick Henry stated "Give me liberty, or give me death" when facing tyranny from his own Goliath. Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez has done the same.

You and I can be that man at the window, who, upon hearing Henry's cry shouted "Let me be buried on this spot!"

Cuba is a very bad place, this man is trying to make it better. And he is willing to die to do so. I may not be able to do a whole lot to support him but this little bit will so I will do what I am able.

Join the Blogburst folks

Here is a question about this country.....

Is something wrong? Is something broken? A member of the government, their top spokesman who not only committed the most base of human rights crimes but gave safe harbor to those people who committed the worst act of terror against this country gets admited to Yale in the words of Malalai Joya; it is simply "an unforgivable insult to the Afghan people that he is here...."

But when a man stands up for his faith and wishes to die for it, where is our government?

"He will be released," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "I understand now that the details of his release and any potential onward travel are being handled as a private matter."

This is simply not right. We should take Abdur Rahman into this country. He should become a scholar at one of our nations universities. Not a man who participated in the rape and brutalizing of his nation.

One man has shown clearly what he can provide to this country, and another has shown why no country should put him up at the bar.

But what makes me weep, is the minds that are at Yale that say things as utterly foolish as this

"Before I was like, who cares if the guy was Taliban or not?" Yigit Dula, a sophomore from Turkey, told the Yale Daily News. "But it means a lot more to [Afghans] to have someone like Hashemi educated at Yale." Aisha Amir, a physician who fled war-torn Afghanistan, told me she sympathized with the difficult choices people had to make to survive under the Taliban, but added that "there are so many more deserving Afghan students who belong in Hashemi's place."

"Who cares if this guy was a Nazi or not?"
"Who cares if he committed ethnic cleansing or not?"

You shouldn't hear those two phrases, nor should you hear some one says who cares if he was a Taliban. But the Opinion Journal Article really shows the moral and ethical cowardice of the Yale faculty, and their realy empty position of a organizational soul.

Makai Rohbar, an Afghan student whose family legally immigrated to New Haven in 2002, served as Ms. Joya's translator for the evening. After Ms. Joya's speech, I asked Ms. Rohbar what she was studying. She told me she was taking classes in chemistry and biophysics in the hope of someday becoming a physician. I then inquired how long she had been at Yale. She blushed. "I don't go here," she said. "I attend classes at Gateway Community College," also in New Haven. She had never imagined that she could be accepted into Yale or ever find a way to pay for it.......

As The Wall Street Journal reported in an editorial Friday, Ms. Nirschel sent a letter to Yale in 2002, asking if it wanted to award a spot in its next entering class to an Afghan woman. Yale declined, as did many other schools. Today, the program enrolls 20 students at 10 universities.

Shame on Yale. and Shame on America if we let this rot into our collective souls.

(H/T Michelle Malkin)

I forgot how Random and amusing things can be

But in Globalization Mexican Immigrantion (legal and illegal) was the issue De Jour.

The one thing from my fellow students that really got under my skin? the notion of "well europeans know more languages so we should learn spanish"

a notion even the Professor partially rejected.

I do wish I got to talk about some of the under-class issues as they relate to immigration (legal and illegal) because while I may not agree with all of it ...its neat

The lesson of my foot tap into the world of student government

Its a mess

The ERC was also accused of bias in favor of student body President-elect Frank Harrison and his Vice President-elect Faran Abbasi, but the Court did not find in favor of that charge.

Chief Justice Kristina Lawrence declined to comment on specifics of the decision-making process. The Court's official full explanation is due to be released by the end of the week along with the dissenting opinion.

According to Dean of Students Tom Miller, the Court's ruling isn't necessarily the final word in the situation, but rather one opinion to take into consideration.

"We have two conflicting views," Miller said. "The ERC says the election is valid, and the Court says it's not valid."

Next election I probably won't vote

I was injured during Spring Break and then some

But this guy gets added to the Pantheon of my personal Hero's because he spent his spring break.... at Wal-Mart

Here is the end of his saga

By Tuesday morning, not even halfway through the great experiment, the store was on to him.

"I noticed the greeters pointing at me," he said. "Somebody got on the intercom and announced a meeting of the department managers. One of the shift managers came up to me and asked, very politely, if I needed anything. I could have told him where everything was."

His debit account was frozen. He was exhausted and paranoid. Game over. His med-student brother picked him up and took him away.

Bartels now regrets the early exit.

"I should have stuck it out, at least to see what the meeting was about. It never got tedious at all, which was surprising. But isn't that how it works in real life? Don't we do pretty much the same thing every day?"

RINO SIGHTINGS

Get your RINO sightings here as Yer Hmble Correspondent starts getting back to the swing of things

Empathy, Youth, And Crutches

I had a fun start to the day, making in what would be called barely on time when I could walk left me getting to my first class today heavy duty late and on a test day ( and I thought I put all the tests in that class on my calander.... such is life)

But today and yesterday I've been out drivin/walking/Maneuverin and I've come to see something rather intresting.

When I went down to yee old 11-7 People saw me and asked "are you ok"..."Do you need help with that"..."let me get that door for you."

Today at school the only people who seemed to show concern on their faces are the teachers and the staffers (and two of my fellow students, one whom i waved a crutch at and one who saw me sneak in the class door.)

I am at a school a bastion of "progressive" thought and I am struck by the fact most of the folks I've walked around don't show empathy to my condition... they don't even show inquisitive nature.

It really gives much validation to my opinions about their neo-marxist belief structure and its superficial nature

Do you like to Worship Antient Greek Gods

But say "Gosh the greeks won't let me worship in Ancient ruins" well this news story is for you.

Greek court allowed association of worshippers of ancient Greek deities to be set up, Radio Svoboda informs.
At the moment Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athens, Hermes, etc. are being worshipped by 100,000 Greeks.

Greece has been a bit of an anomoly in the modern world when it comes to religous standards now its getting more into the norm

I have mixed feelings on Abortion

But I don't have mixed feelings about things like this. I think what the Natives are doing up in South Dakota is Brilliant.

Oglala Sioux Tribe President Cecelia Fire Thunder says a clinic on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation could provide abortions if South Dakota’s new abortion ban goes into effect.

“We’re working on it,” Fire Thunder said in a telephone interview Friday. “This is a free-choice issue. If I were in that situation, I’d want somewhere to go where I’d be taken care of.”

The new South Dakota law bans all abortions except to save the life of the mother — with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Fire Thunder said the state law would not apply to the reservation. “We’re a sovereign nation,” she said.

I support Federalism, and I support Tribal Soverignty

and I support how those two great tastes taste great togther

UN: UN-Smart

Over on the Brussels Journal I saw this lovely headline.

UN Report: Danes are Racists

The kind of Hyperbolie I've come to expect from the B-J on some issues. But i decided to go dig a little deeper over on this site named agora (which seems to be dutch) where some folks decided to translate a naughty UN report that isn't in English

“Judicially, the Danish government ought therefore, especially considering its international obligations, to have, respecting Freedom of Speech, taken a position not only on the consequnces of the caricatures for its community of 200.000 Moslems but also for the protection of peace and order.”

In other words our UN overlords have decided to say "Freedom of Speech is ok but only so long as it isn't a threat to public order" Isn't that great? take a deep breath in. Now of course I will show I am not just hyping this up

“Their uncompromising defense of a Freedom of Speech without limits or restrictions is not in accordance with the international rules which are based on a necessary balance between Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion, especially to combat calls for racial and religious hatred, and which all the member countries of UN have decided are the basic rules for Human Rights.

Ok lets take a look at Freedom of Speech:

pretty basic that within reason you get to say whatever the heck you want to say.

Ok lets take a look at Freedom of Religion:

Pretty basic also you get to practice or change your faith at a whim.

HOW IN THE HECK did these cartoons prevent some one from practicing their Muslim faith?

Ok now on to the second issue

Religous Hatred:

Did these cartoons say "hate muslims" no they didn't. They happened to lampoon a particularly violent batch of muslims out there in la la land. Now could that get shoehorned onto all muslims by people who want to be bigoted? But the folks who take things and shoe horn them into bigotry tend to be bigoted already so unless the UN decides to start regulating the conduct of human thought this is just ludicrous.

but more idoicy from the UN

hus the newspapers strengthen the connection between Islam and Terrorism which arose after September 11th and which is the most important reason for Islamophobia being on the rise in the world at large and in their own countries.”

Ok lets review. The Vast majority of Terrorist movements in the world (at present) have a Islamic foundation, or were based upon the shoulders of a Muslim nation. So you see that established the connection between Islam and terrorism far before September 11th.

And the link between Muslims=Terrorists and the cartoons only exist if you want it to.

And as we saw with the burning of buildings and rampaging in the middle east many people clearly wanted to.

But now lets get to where the UN is getting the right to poke its nose in the Dane's business.

From Jyllands-Posten’s article on the case, we learn that the government is accused of breaking its international obligations by not conforming with the following three articles in the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights:

Article 18, paragraph three:
Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.

Article 19, paragraph three:
The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:
1. For respect of the rights or reputations of others;
2. For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.
Which limits certain rights in paragraph two:
Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

Article 20, paragraph two:
Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law.

They are accused of Violating article 20 which seems to violate Article 19

end result? The UN is full of inconsistant documents.

and oh yeah the UN seems to think this treaty suplants the Danish constitution

so continue supporting Denmark, and continue to view the UN as the sick old man of the global system

More Illegal Immigrant Boogie

I want to start off with some comments by Instapundit and work from there, because he has a point and it bares repeating.

I'VE GENERALLY FAVORED OPEN IMMIGRATION, but I find myself feeling less and less that way in the face of mass rallies by illegal immigrants like this one.

Illegal immigrants as individuals just trying to make a better life are sympathetic. Illegal immigrants as a mass movement making demands on the polity are considerably less so.

I'm not the only one to get this impression, as Mickey Kaus's report on the rallies in Los Angeles indicates. I think that these marches just made passage of strict immigration laws much more likely.

I can sympathize with illegal immigrants who can't make it into the US through the front door so they sneak into the back door. What I can't sympathize with is their demand to have their illegality honored. And I think its pretty clear others do to. And in perspective the rallies over this weekend will have some major impact on the US political scene.... lets see who tries to go after this hay as Bill Bradley takes us back to a time in the 1990s which I can certainly see the validity of the comparison.

Last summer, I discussed this with one of those 1994 marchers who today spoke at the rally, then labor organizer/now California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.

"“I know I come from an advocacy background,” says Nuñez. “But I learned a lot about negotiation with Miguel (Contreras, the late Los Angeles labor chieftain) and the labor movement. It wasn’t all protest. You know when we had the big march in L.A. against [the anti-illegal immigrant] Proposition 187 in ’94, Miguel tried to talk me out of it. ‘Are you guys crazy?’ he said. But I wanted to march.”

"Nuñez acknowledges that the march, notoriously replete with Mexican flags (which he opposed), may have helped fuel 187’s landslide victory. “But it was the right thing to do. And we mobilized people who had felt powerless under attack,” he notes, arguing that it sowed the seeds for future victory."

So by this logic taking a big loss is better if you get a string of small victories from it? This seems to be the mindset of the folks behind the protests and that shows why we are going to have some problems.

Mickey Kaus however pulls this gem from the L.A Slimes which also puts elements of the big picture into focus.

Many of the marchers were immigrants themselves — both legal and illegal -- from Mexico and Central America. Some had just crossed the border ...

Michelle Malkin however pulls up some stuff I was listening to on C-Span yesterday on my sick bed.

It's a myth that the U.S. economy "needs" more poor immigrants. The illegal immigrants already here represent only about 4.9 percent of the labor force, the Pew Hispanic Center reports. In no major occupation are they a majority. They're 36 percent of insulation workers, 28 percent of drywall installers and 20 percent of cooks. They're drawn here by wage differences, not labor "shortages." In 2004, the median hourly wage in Mexico was $1.86, compared with $9 for Mexicans working in the United States, said Rakesh Kochhar of Pew. With high labor turnover in the jobs they take, most new illegal immigrants can get work by accepting wages slightly below prevailing levels.

First they aren't a majority. Even when you throw in legal immigrants they are not the majority. The presenter on C-Span said that during the Reagan Amnesty their was only a 5% increase in their pay so legal status wasn't that much of a factor.

President Bush says his guest worker program would "match willing foreign workers with willing American employers, when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs." But at some higher wage, there would be willing Americans. The number of native high school dropouts with jobs declined by 1.3 million from 2000 to 2005, estimates Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors less immigration. Some lost jobs to immigrants. Unemployment remains high for some groups (9.3 percent for African Americans, 12.7 percent for white teenagers).

Center for Immigration studies does have an axe to grind. But I think their numbers on the job market problem for low skilled/no skilled/Low Education/No Education workers and how they've been impacted by illegal immigration have to at least be factored into the puzzle of how we are going to deal with this situation.

I think it is very clear though that these people aren't filling jobs no one is willing to take. So as such I think that right there defeats the entire logic of a guest worker program.

Uggggh

My ecosystem raiting is taking a shot. Well folks I just want to say once I start back into the school week and into the week after the normal pace and tone of blogging here should continue and return to normal.

I know recovery blogging isn't everyones cup of tea but its all i've felt up to writing for the moment.

So now big step again today

We had company pop in so I am going to be back to sleeping in my own bed.... lets hope I don't have to get out of bed to much in the night...

Well made my drive

I got out and made my drive. Muscle weakness tapped me out a bit but I am getting stronger

Alan Moore is still the MAN

Alan Moore the viking looking magus of a comic book creator whose politics I do disagree with has come out talking about the V for Vendetta movie... and its not good for them (High 5 to Ace)

Hollywood, which has heretofore adored Moore's work and turned three of his creations (the graphic novels "From Hell" and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," as well as the supernatural investigator John Constantine) into very bad movies. Moore's densely complex 1987 graphic novel, "Watchmen" (illustrated by Dave Gibbons), has been banging around Hollywood for years (director Terry Gilliam was once attached to it), but has yet to be made. "V for Vendetta," however, the '80s series he did with artist David Lloyd, has — and Moore is not happy about it.

First I want to work in this lead off to put things into perspective. Every Hollywood attempt to do Moore's work has been horrifically botched.

MTV starts it off with a question.

MTV: But couldn't there ever be an exception? And since you haven't seen it, couldn't "V for Vendetta" be that exception?

And here comes the shot across the bow

When I wrote "V," politics were taking a serious turn for the worse over here. We'd had [Conservative Party Prime Minister] Margaret Thatcher in for two or three years, we'd had anti-Thatcher riots, we'd got the National Front and the right wing making serious advances. "V for Vendetta" was specifically about things like fascism and anarchy.

Those words, "fascism" and "anarchy," occur nowhere in the film. It's been turned into a Bush-era parable by people too timid to set a political satire in their own country. In my original story there had been a limited nuclear war, which had isolated Britain, caused a lot of chaos and a collapse of government, and a fascist totalitarian dictatorship had sprung up. Now, in the film, you've got a sinister group of right-wing figures — not fascists, but you know that they're bad guys — and what they have done is manufactured a bio-terror weapon in secret, so that they can fake a massive terrorist incident to get everybody on their side, so that they can pursue their right-wing agenda. It's a thwarted and frustrated and perhaps largely impotent American liberal fantasy of someone with American liberal values [standing up] against a state run by neo-conservatives — which is not what "V for Vendetta" was about. It was about fascism, it was about anarchy, it was about [England].

I may see it still for gun and explosion porn but this is a huge black mark on the film's soul

"Guest Worker" My Aunt Petunia

In my state of injury I've not been much for blogging (except when I had the lesiure of easy access to a lap top) but thankfully Drudge has his big focus right now on something that motivates me to work through the pain.

We hear these folks just want to be part of the country.....well if thats the case explain these chants from a protest.

The atmosphere was festive as 500 Huntington Park High School students waved Mexican flags, held balloons colored green, white and red, and periodically broke into cheers of "Mexico! Mexico!"

Why Cricky they seem to be out there expressing some Mexican Nationalism... and this is from US HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS......

Had this been a mob of illegal aliens, then ya know what... I might let that go.

A Montebello High School student, Jeannette Garcia, 15, said she participated to "make sure the Mexicans get their freedom, their rights."

Again. Not "give the Mexicans an oppertunity to become part of America."

This protest seems to make it pretty clear, give Mexicans rights but don't expect them to become part of the US. This story sums up some of the very clear language used by the protestors.

About 200 people converged on the steps of the Georgia Capitol, some wrapped in Mexican flags and holding signs reading: "Don't panic, we're Hispanic" and "We have a dream, too."

again in direct contrast to McCain-Kennedy (or why John McCain will lose in 08) these people are showing quite clearly they don't want to be part of the US they just want our jobs.

They want Jobs, and they want a Visa system that gives them all the advantages and none of the costs of participating in this country.

This is the kind of reaction which at an instinctive level puts me much more into the tancredo camp then not.

Saturday Limping Along

Today's big attempt in my healing process is going to be first walking out to my car. And then depending on how I am feeling at that point possibly driving.

Friday Progress

Well I've been moving around without the brace on all day today. The big jumps I made were walking braceless up my stairs and into the bathroom.

I did find out in the progress of being injured I am in dutch with my boss and I have to tend to that

Still limping along

I've made some good progress today. I was able to climb the stairs up to my room. Now I have to wonder how going down will work.....

Recovery day: tuesday

Well i can walk around real good on the crutches and I can make some limited weight on my feet. I need to figure out if I am going to go into class tonight

So back to Tampa

Did my RnR here in Sarasota and am going to get my last accupuncture treatment and expecting to get shuttled back up to Sarasota.

My leg feels better and seems to move better now. I just really hope nothing to serious happens.

Dick Cheney says he won't resign

So of course as we hear stories about Bush needing a shake up....
Rove stays, Rumi Stays, Etc. Stays, and of course Cheney says he is staying

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney, a lightning rod for criticism about administration policies, on Sunday rejected the notion of resigning and said he would serve out his term.

"I made sure both in 2000 and 2004 that the president had other options. I mean, I didn't ask for this job. I didn't campaign for it. I got drafted," Cheney said on CBS television's "Face The Nation."

So I don't get what political game book they are playing in the White House. No Vice President running in 08 will lead to further chaos for the party.

But I see Bush and his team don't seam to care

Putting it all in perspective

I saw this site when I went over to Michelle Malkin today and it puts both the Islamic cartoons and "trapped in the closet" in their proper place. It also seems to be the best argument against multiculturalism

I propose that Hollywood is out of touch with itself. Double-standards actually reveal no standards for a standard should apply to all things equally...that's why it's a standard. But to apply religious tolerance to just Scientologists or Islamic Radicals (by not printing insensitive comics) reveals that Hollywood's "standard" is really a bias......
But if Hollywood does continue to discriminate against Christians, conservatives or Southerners, they must give up the label of tolerance, progressive, or even "Liberal"..

Lets ask a question

Are polls right? About the war on Iraq are the polls close to right.

If the polls are right then the number of protestors should be increasing yet that isn't the case at all.

So are more people against the war in Iraq, or are more people against the way we are running the war in Iraq.

Those are two very different things.

St. Pete times gets it right

In their column where the chances of a donkey 06 gets poo poo'd

Then comes the hard part. Democrats will have to do something that requires political backbone, which has been sorely lacking in Washington. They need to throw away their "talking points" script, forget about focus groups and engage voters in some straight talk about what they would do to end the war, restore fiscal sanity in Congress, improve homeland security and repair the damage Republicans have done at home and abroad. Voters might like to know exactly what Democrats would do differently.

If Democrats don't know what they stand for by now, then it should be obvious that they don't stand for anything except what the pollsters and focus groups tell them is politically safe. What good is a message if it is not braced with principle and conviction?

But the editorial sums it up better here

Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., recently told the Washington Post: "The comment I hear is, "I'd really like to vote for you guys, but I can't stand the folks I see on TV.' "

People see what is going on, and thats why they aren't going to win in 2006

Things that make ya feel loved...

Not seeking pitty and all but I have posted two posts on my health and gosh darn it no one posted a comment of "get better"

esssch

Today's inexplicable article

comes from the DFW Star-Telegram

Atheists put their faith in ethical behavior
By MELISSA FLETCHER STOELTJE
San Antonio Express-News

Today we get to Fisk some key sections of Melissa's article. And we are going to fisk them because its well utterly ignorant and pre-tarded.

Atheists, they lament, are the last minority in this nation that is fair game for bigotry. Experts who study religion in public life concur.

"Atheists are not very well-thought-of in America," says John Green, a senior fellow with the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. "It's still acceptable to criticize atheists in a way that's not polite. People may harbor negative views about Jews, Catholics, Muslims and evangelicals, but they know they're not supposed to voice those views, so they don't. But it's still OK to say anything bad you want about atheists."

I hear as many negative comments in the public spaces about Atheists as I do about all those groups. Now in private spaces how many people curse about bible thumping christians to friends and family.

How a "Objective" journalist could right this is funny.

And yet at the same time a compelling undercurrent is at work. A study done by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York found that the percentage of the population that describes itself as "nonreligious" more than doubled from 1990 to 2001, from 14.3 million to 29.4 million people. The only other group to show growth was Muslims.

Lets take that first part.

What is Non-Religous in a poll/Study? Its not told here. Now for example people who may identify as non-religous may still attend high holy days. Well.... then that sure as heck doesn't make them non religous now does it. Is that Atheists? Agnostics? Non Practicing? so with the same sloppy claim that atheists get a bumb rap we see embracing some data which is confusing and unclear to show atheists are growing.

Now of course we go over an 11 year period of non-religousness. thats less then 10% growth in members. which when compaired to muslims whose growth is largely fueled by immigration is questionable.

Also how they sampled those numbers is another dubious question

"Right now, the fastest-growing religious identity in America is the nonreligious," says Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a Madison, Wis.-based group that champions church-state separation and works to educate the public on nontheism.

hmmm might he have a bias since he is from a pro-atheist group....noooooooo no bias there.

A study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 16 percent of Americans (about 35 million) consider themselves "unaffiliated" -- a category that includes "unaffiliated believers," "secularists" and atheists/agnostics.

Ok so lets look at these numbers. if the pew study is to believed Unaffiliated believers and secularists are no more then 6 million people -if- the other number is to be believed to be solely atheists

so in her own story she doesn't even tie the elements togther.

they in the pew study define atheist and agnostic in such a way that many atheists and agnostics fit outside their home category

The latter terms -- atheists and agnostics -- are lumped together, says Green, because they share so many similarities. But there is a subtle difference: Atheists forthrightly affirm that there is no God; agnostics simply say as humans we can never know. Together, they constitute about 3 percent of the American population.

So a blow back on "values voters" shows a sloppy and incoherent way to try to say "us to" about atheists.

Its hard to blog when injured

I have my leg proped up right now and I've seen plenty of things on the interweb that I'd be want to blog on but i have a gimp leg and am waiting for it to heal so I can get on with my life.... Its frustrating for this my favorite hobby watching the viewerships tinkerdown.

But being Injured allows you to put some things and some people into perspective

But then again when you are at your lowest you get to see who is there for you and whom isn't

If you thought "Who's the Man" was great

Then you'll love Snakes on a Plane

(not really)

Hail Xenu

Matt and Trey respond to Comedy Central's pulling of the anti-scientology episode.

I fully endorse this statement

While the "South Park" creators didn't directly comment on Comedy Central's decision to pull the episode, they issued an unusual statement to Daily Variety indicating the battle is not over.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun! Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!"

The duo signed the statement "Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu."

Hail Xenu!

Screw you scientologists

Tom Cruise used his clout to keep this episode off of T.V and Issac Hayes walked away from mad insane south park money over what happened in this episode.

So... Screw you scientologists here it is.

So its my birthday and I am laid up

Well here I am on my mothers sofa with a leg brace on "enjoying" my birthday. The best the doctor at the ER could tell me was that I didn't break my knee (unless I have a microfracture) and it doesn't seem to have any tears or breaks in the soft tissue but he couldn't really tell that either

So what did I learn

#1) I am almost 30... probably shouldn't do that sort of thing anymore
#2)If i ever accidentally do something that stupid bend my legs
#3) Doctors are morons..... More on that later

Bring out the gimp

Ever do something real real stupid?

I did. I tried to jump over the pool fence and banged up my knee. So I am starting off my official spring break gimpishly.

So my posting may be erratic

You a workaholic?

Some eggheads from the college sector have an idea for you.

Workaholism, he says, has been linked to a variety of health problems, including exhaustion, stress and high blood pressure, and can take an emotional and mental toll on a worker's family.

Unlike cigarette excise taxes, which are highly regressive (those with lower incomes pay a greater proportion of income in taxes), the appropriate corrective policy for workaholics—who tend to make more money—might involve a more progressive income tax burden (those with higher incomes pay a higher proportion of income in taxes) than otherwise, Slemrod says.

They also consider postponing retirement something else worthy of a punative tax

More Plame Games

More details on just how not secret Valerie Plame's life was have come out. All I have to say is Scooter Libby's people best use this in their defense.

When the Chicago Tribune searched for Plame on an Internet service that sells public information about private individuals to its subscribers, it got a report of more than 7,600 words. Included was the fact that in the early 1990s her address was "AMERICAN EMBASSY ATHENS ST, APO NEW YORK NY 09255."

A former senior American diplomat in Athens, who remembers Plame as "pleasant, very well-read, bright," said he had been aware that Plame, who was posing as a junior consular officer, really worked for the CIA.

According to CIA veterans, U.S. intelligence officers working in American embassies under "diplomatic cover" are almost invariably known to friendly and opposition intelligence services alike.

So not only was this woman married to an Ambassador who worked for the NSC but she was also a known CIA agent at the start of her career. So again I have to ask just how could this woman have possibly been a secret agent? Did she work against the dumbest countries and enemies of the US government in the world? But just how blatant her work for the CIA in europe was gets worse

Plame's true function likely would have been known to friendly intelligence agencies as well. The former senior diplomat recalled, for example, that she served as one of the "control officers" coordinating the visit of President George H.W. Bush to Greece and Turkey in July 1991.

So their is no reasonable way this woman should have been viewed as a NOC whatsover. Then came her work with her NOC cover company which was perhaps one of the most idiotic attempts the CIA has ever made.

Brewster-Jennings was not a terribly convincing cover. According to Dun & Bradstreet, the company, created in 1994, is a "legal services office" grossing $60,000 a year and headed by a chief executive named Victor Brewster. Commercial databases accessible by the Tribune contain no indication that such a person exists.

Another sign of Brewster-Jennings' link to the CIA came from the online resume of a Washington attorney, who until last week claimed to have been employed by Brewster-Jennings as an "engineering consultant" from 1985 to 1989 and to have served from 1989 to 1995 as a CIA "case officer," the agency's term for field operatives who collect information from paid informants.

and of course this adds insult to injury

After Plame was transferred back to CIA headquarters in the mid-1990s, she continued to pass herself off as a private energy consultant. But the first CIA veteran noted: "You never let a true NOC go into an official facility. You don't drive into headquarters with your car, ever."

So lets forget the fact under the law the woman couldn't qualify as a secret operative. Its very clear that if the CIA classified her as such the folks in langley who did it need their head examined.

So I think that aspect of the Plame game needs to be answered. Why was a CO turned into a Noc in such a foolish manner as this

Nail one for Johnny Mac

Thanks Johnny Mac

Not only did your stunt backfire it looks bad now

UPDATE: Frist finished first with 36.9% in the straw poll. Romney finished second with 14.4%, just under half as many votes as Frist. Activists rejected the McCain campaign shenanigans with Allen tying Bush at 3rd.The president received numerous standing ovations - he is still very popular among activists despite bad poll numbers. Mccain finished 5th. Developing...

So instead of a strong vote for the President you make the President look bad and –you- Look bad

I call this as his first 2008 nail

More wrongology from Pat Hynes

The man, The myth, The Legend that is Pat Hynes has over on Ankle Biting Pundits has continued with his career record in utter wrongology. But before I get into Pat’s continual wrongology lets start of with a serving of Al-Drudge

Facing a loss at a 2008 straw poll event this weekend, Senator John McCain of Arizona told his supporters to write in President Bush [?] as a sign of support, leaving many sputtering. "For the next three years, with our country at war, he's our president and the only one who needs our support," McCain told nearly 2,000 party activists from 26 states gathered in Memphis. McCain, realizing the national political media had descended on the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, moved to discredited the straw poll by asking delegates to vote for Bush, insiders claim.

Are the “Insiders” Frist people since Frist set it up to run the table in his own home town? Sure… I will freely give that point away. But does it make them wrong? Lets face it Bush is getting beat up on in the media like he is facing the LAPD. But Frist ran the table on this, so if you want a chance to be a viable candidate in 08.

This way you show you back the boss, who is still popular with the party faithful (for reasons *I* can’t fathom –if the polls are right-) without damaging your own credibility.

And who would the Frist folks have to blame to derail this? Why John “I’m ready for my close up Mr. Blitzer” McCain. If this Write-in-Bush campaign had worked the story would be “McCain gives the president a shot in the arm” but what adds to the ammo for the Frist team is McCain isn’t perceived as a true believer by the many out their in GOP land.

From the NYT article

"Straw polls are entertaining, my friends, even extremely early ones," Mr. McCain said in remarks that were prepared for delivery Friday night and that aides distributed with undisguised glee. "But I think we have bigger things to worry about. So if any friends here are voting for me, please don't. Just write in President Bush's name. For the next three years, with the country at war, he's our president, and the only one who must have our support today."

These remarks show McCain striking out against the straw poll. If he really was doing this to be pro Bush he needed to say this:

So if any friends here are voting for me, please don't. Just write in President Bush's name. For the next three years, with the country at war, he's our president, and the only one who must have our support today. There will be time for politics and debating over the heart and soul of our party, but now we as a party need to show our solidarity with the President.”

The bolded part was mine. McCain showed his phoniness as he often does when he tries to play politics and gets a media pass.

But back to the side of Al-Drudge for a moment

One activist said, "McCain voted against all the Bush tax cuts... maybe he should have voted for the president then, instead of waiting for a political stunt to try and distract."

If McCain had let some of the other leaders (southern leaders) of the party taken the point on this effort he’d have been fine. But as this shows he was more often a boil weevil to the party faithful and this stinks to them.

Now off to the PMSNBC

Now had McCain wanted to preserve himself he would have done what Rudy did

The missing manAnd there’ll be a key missing man at Memphis: former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who according to a CNN/USA Today/ Gallup poll last month, is a favorite of Republicans, getting 33 percent with McCain right behind him at 28 percent and other GOP contenders trailing in single digits.
Whether Giuliani would play as a GOP primary candidate remains for now only an intriguing speculation. But for his future rivals’ “opposition research” teams, there’s a wealth of material, especially on one of today’s hot button issues for GOP base voters: immigration.
Had Rudy and McCain not shown up it would have sucked far more hot air out of the Frist fest in the eyes of the Media. So we know Johnny Mac went there to win and found out he couldn’t…. but now to what I intended to do

Kick Pat’s analysis of the events.
But why is Frist lashing out at McCain? I first reported this story based on information I received from conferees who were not McCain partisans almost 12-hours before Sen. McCain endorsed the measure. And why not lash out at Gov. Barbour and Sen. Graham, both of whom are mentioned as presidential aspirants?No matter. The movement has gripped Memphis. And it appears the only thing holding the Southern Republican Leadership Conference back from a powerful vote of confidence in President George W. Bush is Sen. Bill Frist’s petty ambitions.
I already addressed Frist kicking McCain but let’s go to Pat for a moment

Pat has been one of the “Pundit class” members who have been massaging conservatives about McCain. The “Only McCain can beat Hillary” stuff has come from some camps but Pat has gone in with the almost insider coup that has McCain nuzzling up to the Bush campaign money list. So I think Pat has gotten sucked into the McCain Zone as opposed to some of the earlier folk he has talked up (Senator Brownback). You notice Olde Venerable elephant Haley Barbour is jumping in as is Lindsey “Johny McCain of the South” are on this like white on rice. Trent Lott who well….. Trent has plenty of reason to want to see Frist get a solid political beat down.

But Pat went further to embarrass himself in his pro-establishmentistaism
According to my sources, the Hotline folks have colluded with representatives from Sen. Bill Frist's organization to alter the straw poll ballots to allow attendees at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference a second choice. Why? Because the “write in Bush” vote of confidence campaign had apparently gained so much momentum that it became clear a majority of voters would indeed write in the president’s name.
Of course he did Pat, but that’s because Frist isn’t as foolish as McCain was. He and Johnny Mac have both put the president under the train. This way Frist gets to advance his presidential chances and get a big warm fuzzy cuddly going on. McCain wanted to play games so Frist has gone and took it up a notch.
I am told lots of MSM types -- no fans of President Bush -- are scratching their heads at Hotline’s rather un-democratic move to deny the president a show of support from his fellow Republicans.
BS pat don’t use the University definition of “democracy” lets use a real one. A straw poll about a race George Bush CANNOT run for …it frankly is Undemocratic to write him in. It suppresses the democratic system the straw polls are designed for. Guiding the party to find a new leader for the new elections thus writing in some one who can’t run is undemocratic.
What would be the “democratic” solution? Put up a vote of confidence in the Presidency of George W. Bush and then go on to the Straw poll….or maybe Frist knows Bush would lose a vote of Republicans on something real, so give him a vote on something fake which is meaningless…. Yes clearly that is a good idea to.
Pat stop being so establishment and grip reality. Frist invited everyone to his house to watch him showboat. Then the king of Showboating Johnny Mac decided to out showboat him. Other people jumped on because they know Frist is the guy in a circle of friends no one likes. So Frist found a way to win in the showboating contest while saying “me too guys”
And Rudy was the smart one by saying “forgetaboudit”

Slobo is Dead

Thank God he is Dead.

Slobo is dead, and I have to say “God what took you so long.” One of the greatest monsters of the modern age is dead, but his death sadly ends up the better for him then those who sought to bring him to justice.

Slobo was responsible for the mortal wound to the Westphalian system, but at the same time he showed that a pluralistic multilateralist system isn’t going to fill the void of the Westphalian system. Because of its soft power nature their will be no final chapter in Slobo’s history because he took that with him to hell.

A man who was a vet of the communist system knows show trials, he knows the way propaganda molded the Serbian people. He directed that propaganda and he played that wonderful instrument. Putting him in jail was never what was important, putting the system he made in hell…making it unspeakable to any right thinking people was. But the tribunal didn’t focus on that. And to that end he won the ultimate Victory.

With his relatives decrying the tribunal from Russia saying they killed him by not sending him to doctors in Russia has given him the satanic victory. Another generation of Serbs will have in their hearts the warm empty spot that such hatred needs.

The International System shows its weakness here. Sadly no one is going to fix it.

And that is the due of the devil, who called his good and loyal servant home

James Earl Carter...

A Presidential Embarassment? No... attempting to demolish US foriegn policy while abroad? Not Jimmy Carter

ok yeah...yeah it was. (H/T Ace of Spades)

While the media in Pakistan has twisted the words of Bill Clinton in the past, Some how these words seem totally Carter

The pre-eminent obstacle to peace is Israel’s colonisation of Palestine.

Jimmy Carter does it again

Why let the Arab Media beat you to it.

When you can do it to yourself

A group of Israeli Jews decided to beat the Arab media with the only real kind of protest that will work.

Making their foes look absurd.

Thanks to The Big Pharoh for hat tip and Barry at Enrevanche for the hat tip before I posted the story ;-)

While you wait for the blogging have a moment of chuck norris

I have some Errands to run

So I'll get into the Dubai ports deal and some other things after that

I spent some time with the girl my Roomie is dating

yesterday.... twas veryyyyyyyyyy intresting. I hope this whole thing ends up working out well for both of them. I am still struck by how amazingly polite this girl is, and how she worked to dodge me on trying to be chivalrous

John Edwards

The man who in the 2004 campaign brought us one speech now brings us one blog/news site. I think he is running in 08... so lets see if he has some Joementum

Illicit drugs and porn (in china)

Instead of political debate on china, the police allow sites that share such wonderful information as this. Freedom of speech China style

• A Web site advertises the sale of gamma hydroxybutyrate, a drug that acts as a relaxant and is thought to reduce inhibitions. Sometimes called a "date rape" drug, it is sold on the Web in China with instructions about how to use it to assault women.

and why does the PRC goon squad not crack down on it?

How does all this get by the Internet patrols in a country where violators risk 3 to 10 years in prison, or in some cases even the death penalty? Analysts say that the growth in the Internet has simply created too many sites to patrol. In contrast, there are too few incentives to close down sites, particularly when government-owned Internet service providers, telecommunications companies and even state-run Web sites are making big profits from them.

In china it is all about the money

Illinois Nazis I hate Illinois Nazis

Orac came up with this idea.

Some folks decided to set the Holocaust History Museum’s building on fire to shut it down.

Orac says we should put up a link to The Holocaust History Museum to send them a message of Screw You~!

I am down with that.

The Hildabeast strikes again

Instead of trying to work on getting some responsible immigration policy the Hildabeast decides to take the road away from what will be able to peal off mainstream republican voters in 08. Again proof that *I* clearly am smarter then the people working for her.

By Devlin Barrett, Associated Press Writer | March 8, 2006

WASHINGTON --Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a potential White House candidate in 2008, said Wednesday some Republicans are trying to create a "police state" to round up illegal immigrants.

#1) I think this may have been said before but -if- it hasn't let me say it. Hildy illegal immigrants are illegal BECAUSE they have violated numerous laws. That can put them in JAIL and get them deported. So if punishing criminals makes us a police state then sign me up for a Police state. But look at the rhetoric that they are picking on her because she is a woman, how they are obsessing.... this may be DKos material but it certainly isn't presidential.

The senator also sent a four-page public letter to constituents outlining her views on immigration. In the letter, she shied away from specifics but said she does support allowing at least some of the estimated 11 million undocumented workers to earn citizenship.

#2) If you don't have a better solution then criminalizing the folks who are encouraging illegal aliens to come in, then really what good are you?

Such changes should include "a path to earned citizenship for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar for becoming a citizen," Clinton wrote.

#3) They are not respecting the law. Clearly they are in the country illegally, holding down jobs illegally, in some cases establishing bank accounts and lines of credit illegally. They are not respecting the law.

So much for Hillary running to the right on Immigration like the Governors of New Mexico (a possible challenger in 08) and Arizona are doing.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

I may not be a lawyer (*and I know some of the folks who read my blog -are- at least on paper lawyers*) This website and related merchandise seems like protected speech to me. Wal-Mart doesn't think so though. Why isn't this fitting under parody/satire protections for Wal-Mart?

Not for the faint of heart

I present..... the progression of Michael Jackson's visage

Wowzers

I first saw it with Pakistan and now with a story on China... my stories are getting viewed by folks using back-door internet technologies

Thats kind of cool

China getting Smarter with Censorship

I mean why censor materials yourself when you can just bully corperations into an enviroment of fear and repression.

Apparently, this blockage is not done by the government but by the personnels in the Blog Service Providers who consider the three blogs offending and dangerous. Danwei has a story. He aslo compares this with another blogger, who is a member of CPPCC that is having the yearly joint session in Beijing.

So just remember.... Google isn't doing evil by co-operating with the government

Bwahaha

This story warms the heart. Man gets busted in what he thinks is a speed-trap (those of you who may be driving in places like Waldo, and Starke know what this is like). Man decides to protest in a way that is so simple and elegant. This is where the story gets fun.

The motorist, T. Allen Morgan of Nashville, attempted to pay a traffic fine with a check. On the check, he wrote "for speed trap" in bold letters, with stars drawn out around the words.
Crosby refused the check, insisting that Morgan appear to face the charges in traffic court, or write another check without the words "speed trap" on it.

Crosby has been at the center of a controversy over speed limits and traffic enforcement in his town, which gets almost a third of its budget from traffic fines.

The State is investigating the man. And while I'm not a lawyer isn't refusing to accept perfectly legitimate payment a way out of this for the driver?

European Media Vs. Radical Muslims

May be On like Donky Kong (again)~! (H/T Finland for thought)

The footage in I, Muslim shows a reporter pretending to be someone interested in converting to Islam. He conducts several conversations with members of the mosque, located in Černý Most, about Islam, Europe, terrorism and the role of women.

Ovečka says he stands behind his choice to use the hidden camera footage.

"I wanted to get real opinions of the local Muslim community on the issue — find out what the differences are between Czech and foreign Islam," he says.

One Muslim in the documentary compares Islamic terrorists to Jan Palach, the Czech student who committed suicide by setting himself on fire in protest of the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Another says Islamic law should be implemented in the Czech Republic, including the death penalty for adultery, Ovečka says.

"I have to say with 100 percent certainty that by using hidden camera I have learned things that I would never have learned otherwise," he says. "The result was alarming, and if not for the hidden camera, I would have never had any of this footage."

Now to say this documentary -like most political documentaries- Isn't getting some critical rebuke would be well just plain wrong.

Marek Čaněk, a project coordinator with the Prague Multicultural Center, says the documentary was edited in such a way that it fed into pre-existing xenophobia.

Opponents of the documentary cite its footage of the mosque, intercut with images of terrorist attacks, without any proven connection between the two.

They also say the use of a hidden camera makes it seem as though such discussions in mosques are secretive, when in fact anyone can film inside a mosque with permission.

I wanted to start with Marek here first because what he said I think needed to be addressed first.

The whole point of the "Hidden Camera" Method is not that it is ooooooh secret and people can't film there. The point of the Hidden Camera is to get people saying things that they would think better of if they knew they had been recorded.

Would the person have compaired Suicide Bombers and terrorists to people fighting against soviet oppression if a big honking camera was on... no they wouldn't. Would his claim to be a prospective convert have worked without the hidden camera... absolutely not.

They compaired terrorists to Czech disidents because they thought he was a legitimate convert. They appealed to his morals as a way to try to feel him out if he is rejectign squishy soft multi-culturalistic europe.

Now...as for the links. Its pretty clear folks who follow Sharia and glorify terrorists tend to, at best, support terrorists in their hearts. And at worst they go out and kill for their understanding of Allah. So this approach of attacking the credibility of the film maker isn't the best way to go if your plan is -Muslims is good people-

The Council of Arabic Ambassadors to Prague is now renewing its protest about the undercover footage first aired Oct. 7 in the documentary I, Muslim on the public station ČT2.

Members of the Muslim community first filed a complaint with the Czech Radio and Television Broadcasting Council (RRTV) that month, claiming the program is biased, provokes fear and manipulates footage to promote false stereotypes.

And here is the thing....

I totally empathize with the Arab ambassadors. I have to think my second job after advocating for my country is seeing my countrymen and second and third generation expats aren't unduely kicked around by society.

I can also feel for the Muslim community. The guy claimed to be a convert then revealed intimate moments on film that don't look as good as in the mosque they may have felt. It is a total violation and reaks of sliminess

But this isn't the best way to aim a dialouge.

for either side

Focus Gir~!

A while ago I read something how the amazingly curve for creating bio-weapons would soon lead to massive government controls. Well Dean Esmay found another story but on the same theme. The Internet's vast information gathering abilities at the ready for doom

Making DNA turns out to be easy if you have the right hardware. The critical piece of gear is a DNA synthesizer. Brent already has one, a yellowing plastic machine the size of an office printer, called an ABI 394. “So, what kind of authorization do I need to buy this equipment?” I ask.

“I suggest you start by typing ‘used DNA synthesizer’ into Google,” Brent says.

I hit eBay first, where ABI 394s go for about $5,000. Anything I can’t score at an auction is available for a small markup at sites like usedlabequip.com. Two days later I have a total: $29,700—taxes and shipping not included. Nucleosides (the A, C, T, G genetic building blocks) and other chemicals for the synthesizer cost more than the hardware—in the end, a single base pair of DNA runs about a buck to make. Enough raw material to build, say, the smallpox genome would take just over $200,000.

Thats right over EBAY and online purchasing sites you can build elements of the smallpox genome.

Are we having fun yet?