California Conservatives for Truth

NEW SITE LOCATION

2005-04-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Okay so the site design isn't in yet, but I am going to publish the new web address. My site can now be found at www.cc4truth.com. The new address is easier to remember and the site is 100 times more stable. Rachel should have the design up by tonight, but head over and check out today's posts. There are some interesting ones. Please make sure to update your links to www.cc4truth.com.

Please Bear With Me

2005-04-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of converting to a new host. I actually have started posting at my new site, but don't want to give the address until I have the design up. I expect to have the new site up and running by tomorrow. Once it is up you can expect many more posts (since Blogger never works, I haven't been able to post as much as I would like) and better quality. Check back often as I may get the site up before the end of the day.

2005-04-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Let me welcome one of my favorite blogs to the California Bear Flag League. Three Knockdown rule regularly discusses two of my favorite topics, politics and boxing. Please take a moment to stop by and check out his site.

This Email Was Entertaining

2005-04-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

I received this email from Peter (email and full name excluded to protect the innocent). Peter seems to think that socialism protects human rights better than we do it here in the United States.

Peter Subject: help find a cure for neoconservatism The Pope was a strong critic of Western materialism and militarism. He was an advocate of peace and social justice. The greatest threat to world peace are the twitchings of US imperial arrogance run amock. Please join me in a prayer for the ascendency of peace over war, reason over nationalistic fervor, and democracy over neoconservatism. namaste __________________________________________________________________ Tired Of Liberal Bs Examples please. __________________________________________________________________ Peter Well, what we have in this country is not a true democracy but an oligarchy masquarading as one. I do feel really bad about the soldiers, because with all their talk about defending "freedom", their sacrifice -- which is very real -- is upon the alter of the ruling oligarchy. I guess freedom by their definition is the freedom of the Morgans, the Fricks, the Fords, the Whitneys, the Hearsts and all the other scions of the guilded class to continue to never have to work a day in their lives. So it would appear that just as some ancient civilizations worshipped the sun, and would even perform human sacrifices to this end, our culture worships extreme wealth, and is also willing to perform human sacrifices to that end. I believe it was Smedley Butler who explained how modern warfare is a racket designed to benefit an industrial elite. All I'm saying is that I prefer true democracy and socialism, because they respect human rights.

I love the inclusion of a comment by Left Winged Extremist Smedley Butler Please share with Peter your thoughts.

California School Expells Citizens, Leaves Illegals

2005-04-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

SUNNYVALE (KRON)-- Some 300 students heading into one of the five high schools in the Fremont Union High School district were sent home early and for good Monday. "We asked them to come to the office, we called their parents and told them they don't go to school here anymore," said Superintendent Steve Rowley. The school district is enforcing a policy that limits enrollment to only those students who can prove that they live in the district. In the past, looser enforcement has allowed parents from as far away as Milpitas, Fremont, and South San Jose to do whatever they could to enroll their kids in the district. Many of them are drawn to the academic excellence of the district's five schools. "We've heard of parents renting apartments for two months, moving clothes into other people's homes, renting post office boxes for $500 a month," Rowley said. But the school district says it now has a budget crisis and can no longer handle the extra students. Parents who do live in the district support the district's actions. "The people who are supposed to be here are getting deprived of the education they are supposed to have," said Ronald Dews. One Lynbrook High School student says his friend was kicked out of school Monday after the school discovered he did not live where he said he lived. "My friend lives far away but lists his mom's address. The district found out and he was kicked out," said Khoa Dinh. But some students say there must be another alternative. "I think there should be a way how people not in the district can pay and still go to this school," said Lynbrook High School student Tony Perez. High school seniors are exempt from the new enforcement policy. Those students who do have to leave will be able to transfer their credit to other schools.

I can understand this in principle. However, how is it that our schools expel the children of U.S CITIZENS who are only looking to improve their children's education, while allowing illegals to attend. This makes absolutely no sense to me.

Can Someone Explain To Me?

2005-04-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Why is requiring someone to show identification to vote such an issue? We are required to show ID for just about every other aspect of life, yet when it comes to one of the most important acts we perform, we cannot require it. WHY? An Arizona Governor seems to have her reasons I really want comments on this one.

Who Will Be Called To Replace Him?

2005-04-02T23:55:00.000-08:00

With the unfortunate passing of Pope John Paul II who will be called to serve as the next leader of the Catholic church? Read about the potential candidates here

Health Care For Everyone

2005-04-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

By TREVOR KAVANAGH Political Editor TONY Blair yesterday faced a woman who pulled out SEVEN of her teeth after failing to find an NHS dentist. Great-grandmother Valerie Halsworth, 64, removed them with her husband's pliers. She pulled out a seventh tooth over the weekend before meeting the PM in Coventry yesterday. The cleaner, from Scarborough, North Yorks, has a gum disease that causes her teeth to loosen. Mr Blair told her: "I can't suddenly just produce more dentists. We have to train them. I can't force them from the private sector into the NHS." Valerie said: "Mr Blair didn’t seem as though he had an answer." "The ten teeth I have got left are OK. But in another month or two I'm going to need a dentist." "It would be nice for somebody to take them out properly for me." She added: "The only way to get rid of the pain from my teeth was to pull out the infected ones. "I had a few pints of lager then screwed up my face, put the pliers against the tooth and yanked. It's lucky I like milk pudding and mashed potato." "My husband can't stand to watch. But he's lucky — he had all his teeth pulled out 30 years ago and got a set of false teeth for about a fiver." Sun Newspaper

AMERICA - This is socialized health care. Be careful what you wish for libs.

Great Way To Relieve Stress

2005-04-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

How I spent my Saturday afternoon.

Went up in this 1944 T-6 from WWII. We left from French Valley airport. There was no way I could have asked for a better day. The weather was perfect. Took a few spins around the Temecula Valley. Even performed a half dozen rolls and 3 loops over Diamond Valley Lake. After a hard week this was exactly what the doctor ordered. Thanks to Paul and the Warbirds. Also, a very special Thank You to my wife who arranged this.

2005-04-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

Pope John Paul II Has Reportedly Passed Away

His Holiness Pope John Paul II (Karol Jozef Wojtyla) (born May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland), served 24 years as the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church. He is also the Sovereign of the Vatican City State, an independent state.

In March 2005 John Paul, then aged 84, fell seriously ill, and by the end of the month speculation was growing that he was near death. On March 31, he was given the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (the last rites).

John Paul II was chosen on October 16, 1978, becoming the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first pope of Slavic origin in the history of the Church. Pope John Paul II has crusaded against communism, unbridled capitalism and political oppression. He stands firmly against abortion and defends the Church's traditional approach to human sexuality.

His more than 100 trips abroad have attracted enormous crowds (some of the largest ever assembled). With these trips, John Paul has covered a distance far greater than that traveled by all other popes combined. They have been seen as an outward sign of the efforts at global bridge-building between nations and between religions that have been central to his pontificate. Pope John Paul II has beatified and canonized far more persons than any previous pope. It is reported that as of October 2004, he has beatified 1,340 people. Whether he has canonized more saints than all his predecessors put together, as is sometimes claimed, is difficult to prove, as the records of many early canonizations are incomplete or missing.

On March 14, 2004, his pontificate overtook Leo XIII's as the third-longest pontificate in the history of the Papacy (after Pius IX and St. Peter). The length of his reign is in marked contrast with that of his predecessor Pope John Paul I, who died suddenly after only 33 days in office (and in whose memory John Paul II named himself).

As of March 2005, John Paul II is in poor health and has been in and out of the hospital, unable to speak and at times requiring a feeding tube: according to CNN, he has received the Anointing of the Sick following a serious infection.

However, he has continued to bless the daily crowds in St. Peter's Square. A number of men have been mentioned as possible successors, including Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger, Jorge Bergoglio, Francis Arinze, Christoph Schonborn, and Angelo Sodano. Although John Paul II's successor has not yet been named, people have long said that "He who enters the conclave as pope, leaves it as a cardinal."

On April 1, 2005, the Vatican reported that John Paul II had suffered "cardio-circulatory collapse" and shock. His condition was said to be "very serious".

Italian media reports that the Pope had slipped into a coma, but the Vatican has denied the claim.

Study Shows Colleges Ran By Libs - No S#$O

2005-03-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 29, 2005; College faculties, long assumed to be a liberal bastion, lean further to the left than even the most conspiratorial conservatives might have imagined, a new study says. By their own description, 72 percent of those teaching at American universities and colleges are liberal and 15 percent are conservative, says the study being published this week. The imbalance is almost as striking in partisan terms, with 50 percent of the faculty members surveyed identifying themselves as Democrats and 11 percent as Republicans. The disparity is even more pronounced at the most elite schools, where, according to the study, 87 percent of faculty are liberal and 13 percent are conservative. "What's most striking is how few conservatives there are in any field," said Robert Lichter, a professor at George Mason University and a co-author of the study. "There was no field we studied in which there were more conservatives than liberals or more Republicans than Democrats. It's a very homogenous environment, not just in the places you'd expect to be dominated by liberals." Religious services take a back seat for many faculty members, with 51 percent saying they rarely or never attend church or synagogue and 31 percent calling themselves regular churchgoers. On the gender front, 72 percent of the full-time faculty are male and 28 percent female.

Exactly the reason why our kids are all jacked up... kidding... Maybe we should use the liberal method of affirmative action to bring more conservatives into the educational field.

Don't Think Our Border Is A Security Threat - Think Again

2005-03-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

Seems like more and more Mexican Nationals are expressing their hatred for the United States. Mexicans screamed "Osama, Osama" and booed during the playing of our National Anthem at the World Cup game yesterday. After the game fans burned and trampled an American flag in a celebratory demonstration. I wont make a blanketing statement that all Mexicans hate the United States, but there are enough that may be willing to help Al Queda and other to penetrate our borders. oh and don't forget this Gang will target Minuteman vigil on Mexico border

Where's Janet Reno When You Need Her?

2005-03-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Just out of curiosity, why was it okay for the Federal Government to supercede a court on the Elian case and not now on the Schiavo case? Oh that's right, because back then the Dems were in charge. Hey Libs do you Remember Elian Gonzales, the 6 year old Cuban boy pulled out of choppy seas from the arms of his dead mother? Do you Remember the Elian that was originally given a year of immigration "parole" by the INS so that his case could be heard? Do you Remember the Elian who had his immigration status reversed (about a month later) by the INS after Casto's regime yelled out in disapproval? Do you remember the INS that interviewed Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzales? Who told him that even though he had abandoned Elian and his mother for another woman, he was to once again have custody of his child. It didn't even matter that Juan may have been advised of what to do by the Communist regime. And do you remember when your liberal administration ignored the courts and took action?

Judge Rosa Rodriguez of Florida Family Court, complying with the original INS ruling, ruled in early January 2000 that her court had jurisdiction over the boy and gave Elian's great- uncle legal authority to represent him. Her order contravened an INS ruling that only Elian's father could speak for the boy and that he should be immediately returned to Cuba. Attorney General Janet Reno than promptly declared that Judge Rodriguez's ruling had "no force or effect." At the same time, INS officials assured reporters that under no circumstances did they intend to seize Elian by force. The stalemate continued for another three months. On Thursday, April 20, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals - the same court that rejected the pleas of Terri Schiavo's parents last week - turned down the Justice Department's request to order Elian removed from the home of his Miami relatives. Moreover, the court expressed serious doubts about the Justice Department's reading of both the law and its own regulations, adding that Elian had made a "substantial case on the merits" of his claim. It further established a record that Elain, "although a young child, has expressed a wish that he not be returned to Cuba." The Reno Justice Department acted the next day to short- circuit a legal process that was clearly going against it. On Good Friday evening, after all courts had closed for the day, the department obtained a "search" warrant from a night-duty magistrate who was not familiar with the case, submitting a supporting affidavit that seriously distorted the facts. Armed with that dubious warrant, the INS's helmeted officers, assault rifles at the ready, burst into the home of Elian's relatives and snatched the screaming boy from a bedroom closet. Many local bystanders were tear-gassed even though they did nothing to block the raid. Elian was quickly returned to Cuba; because he was never able to meet with his lawyers a scheduled May 11 asylum hearing on his case in Atlanta became moot. [1]

Where is Janet Reno when we need her? She could have used armed officers to overcome the Pinellas police and assume custody of Terri. (Then again it took her more time to overtake the Waco compound then it took our soldiers to take Baghad) Funny how there seems to be a double standard. [1] You can read a great piece on this in today's Opinion Journal

How Cesar Chavez Felt About Illegal Immigration

2005-03-25T07:41:00.000-08:00

Res Ipsa Loquitur has a great post on how Cesar Chavez felt about illegal immigration.

Why the ACLU is full of crap

2005-03-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

The ACLU has applauded the Supreme Court's decision to allow the murder of Terri Schiavo. Yet in December they filed a "friend of the court" brief that challenged the state's method of lethal injection. Why? Because the drug Pavulon would paralyze the condemned and keep them from signaling whether or not they were in pain. So it is okay for a paralyzed woman who can't communicate the pain she is in to be killed over several days but it is not okay for a condemned murderer to die painfully in a matter of minutes. I keep hearing that dehydration is painless, however, in every case I have seen in the field, patients are suffering. When someone is severly dehydrated their skin begins to dry out and crack and they get sunken eyes. Their muscles cramp and they get acute pain in their joints. Headaches are common. They get constipated as colon attempts to hold back whatever moisture it can (including waste). As a result they get infection or diverticuli in their intestines. Their kidneys fail and their body begins to be toxified. Eventually they fall into coma and eventually die. Amazing how they will fight to keep a murderer from suffering yet applaud a ruling that allows an innocent woman to die in pain. Bastards! See what else the ACLU is up to Madtech, Patriots for Bush, Stop the ACLU, American Patriots, and Kender's Musing all have pieces on the ACLU's idiotic stance on drug legalization.

Chilling Similarities

2005-03-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't classify myself as an expert in the word of the Bible, but following a conversation with my wife I was reading through Revelations and came across this in chapter 3. The chapter is a letter written by John to the city of Sardis.

2'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3'So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

I found that a little chilling in light of what is happening with Terri. So I decided to compare Sardis with Pinellas.

Sardis
The name, the message, and the subsequent history of the city and church indicate a good start, but a bad finish - a change for the worse. Sardis was a prominent city and obtained its wealth from manufacturing and trade. Generally speaking, the city was pagan with many individual mystery cults. Five hundred years before John wrote this letter Sardis was one of the richest and most powerful cities in the world. It became ethically complacent and morally degenerate, but to all appearances it had every reason to be proud and boastful.
Pinellas
More than 33,000 businesses make their home in Pinellas County, a 280 square mile peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay.
Pinellas County leads Florida's 21-County High Tech Corridor with 34% of medical technology employment according to 1st quarter 2004 ES 202 Data from the University of South Florida.
Two of the top five beaches in the United States are located in Pinellas County, according to America's Best Beaches List, and our average annual temperature is in the 70's.
Pinellas County is #2 in manufacturing employment and #3 in manufacturing firms in the state of Florida, according to the University of Florida 2003 BEBR Data.
Pinellas County's labor force is over 517,000 and the employment is approaching a half-million.
Pinellas County is the most popular tourist destination on Florida's Gulf of Mexico with over 12.9 million visitors in 2003.

Now I guess based on that, Pinellas sounds like "one of the richest cities in the world". That has become "ethically complacent and morally degenerate, but to all appearances has every reason to be proud and boastful".

I'm not saying one has anything to do with the other. Just freaky.

2005-03-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

The folks at "Sharp as toast" have came up with a new line of sharp wit T-shirts. Wear a Ronald Reagan "Kick A Commie For Ronnie T-shirt" to your next Protest Warrior event. These shirts will surely make for great discussion. They also sell outerwear and some neat accessories. Stop by and check them out and tell them CC4T sent you.

Quite Your Lying DEMS

2005-03-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

Today my wife asked me what I had heard about President Bush signing a 1999 law allowing hospitals to pull the plug on patients whose families couldn't afford the treatment. The law apparantly allowed the hospital to "pull the plug" regardless of how the family felt. Well contrary to what the Libs will tell you, we here at CC4T seek out the truth through research. I started by pulling the actual 1999 Health and Safety code pertaining to this. The section that the libs are all talking about states

Health and Safety Code 166 - Advanced Directive When an attending physician refuses to comply with an advance directive or other request for life-sustaining treatment because of the physician's judgment that the treatment would be inappropriate, the case will be reviewed by an ethics or medical committee. Life-sustaining treatment will be provided through the review. You will receive notification of this review at least 48 hours before a meeting of the committee related to your case. You are entitled to attend the meeting. With your agreement, the meeting may be held sooner than 48 hours, if possible. You are entitled to receive a written explanation of the decision reached during the review process. If after this review process both the attending physician and the ethics or medical committee conclude that life-sustaining treatment is inappropriate and yet you continue to request such treatment, then the following procedure will occur: 1. The physician, with the help of the health care facility, will assist you in trying to find a physician and facility willing to provide the requested treatment. 2. You are being given a list of health care providers and referral groups that have volunteered their readiness to consider accepting transfer, or to assist in locating a provider willing to accept transfer, maintained by the Texas Health Care Information Council. You may wish to contact providers or referral groups on the list or others of your choice to get help in arranging a transfer. 3. The patient will continue to be given life-sustaining treatment until he or she can be transferred to a willing provider for up to 10 days from the time you were given the committee's written decision that life-sustaining treatment is not appropriate. 4. If a transfer can be arranged, the patient will be responsible for the costs of the transfer. 5. If a provider cannot be found willing to give the requested treatment within 10 days, life-sustaining treatment may be withdrawn unless a court of law has granted an extension. 6. You may ask the appropriate district or county court to extend the 10-day period if the court finds that there is a reasonable expectation that a physician or health care facility willing to provide life-sustaining treatment will be found if the extension is granted.

So at face value, it looks as if Bush did in fact sign a bill allowing hospitals to "pull the plug" against family wishes. However, what the libs are failing to tell you is that the bill Bush signed actually extended the life of such individuals by 10 days. Prior to this, hospitals could pretty much "pull the plug" as they wish. They also fail to mention that Bush vetoed another Advanced Directive Bill that would have given specific legal sanction to such involuntary denial of life-saving treatment. The Anchoress has a great post on this subject. Needless to say the MSM and liberal bloggers are spinning this like the Teacups at Disneyland. Bush in fact made a compromise that afforded these families more time to save the lives of their loved ones. Not only that, there is specific language in this H&S code that Terri Schiavo does not meet. Therefore I see nothing that can be used to form an opinion that Bush is a hypocrite. Continue with your BS libs, it just gives me more to write about.

What Are Our Legislators Up To?

2005-03-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

Decided to look at what vital activities our wonderful State Legislators are up to and came across these gems.

Democrat Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn (24th) has introduced AB103 which would allow licensed Health Care facilities to dispense contraceptives on a school site. (Status - In committee).

Funny how we can't give them aspirin but we can give them a Trojan.

Looney Democrat Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg (45th) has introduced AB13 which prevents the use of "offensive" nicknames such as "Redskins" or "Indians" for school mascots. (Status - In Committee)

I actually find it offensive that we use the names of "Great Americans" on schools that have a 50% drop out rate.

A ton of liberal Assemblymembers have introduced AJR3 which petitions Congress and the President to uphold Roe V. Wade. (Status - sent to Senate)

We wouldn't dare want the State to decide on issues such of life.... unless of course it involves Terri Schiavo.

Democrat Assemblyman Jerome Horton (51st) wants to make sure that we classify home beer making as "brewing" not "manufacturing" and limit it to 100 gallons per person per year in AB1661 (Status - Fresh off the printer)

Thank God our legislators are working on such vital regulation.

Tax, Tax, Tax Democrat Assemblywoman Betty Karnette wants to charge every 5 year old $7 to buy a new bike in AB1103. Her argument is that our landfills are stacked miles high with bikes that should be recycled. So let's charge $7 for every new bike purchase throughout the State so that we can set up a recycling plan. (Status - In committee)

This would make the tax on a new bike as high as 22% (including sales tax). I thought Democrats were known for helping the poor. Wouldn't this increase the burden on those people they "supposedly" serve? How about we put a new tax on paper used to introduce stupid bills in the Assembly. I went to the dump this weekend and didn't see a single bike frame.

Democrat Assemblyman Mark Leno (13th) has introduced AB19 which would essentially legalize Gay Marriage. (Status - In committee)

Doesn't matter what the voters say, we will try and push this through either way.

And finally we have the oh so important Snow Mobile training requirement bill AB1209 that was introduced by Democrat Assemblyman Leland Yee (12th). This bill would require anyone who rents a snowmobile to attend a mandatory training program. (Status - In committee)

Now I can't say I totally disagree with this one, what with the 1000's of snowmobile deaths in California each year. Maybe we should look at requiring a training class on childrearing before parents are allowed to get pregnant too. That one seems to be more of an issue than snowmobile rentals.

Just wanted to make sure that my readers are kept up to date on the outstanding service that our legislators are providing here in California. It is no wonder that our State is the utopia that it is with such hard work been done.

Crime does pay

2005-03-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

A teenage criminal who received £567,000 in compensation after falling through a roof while trespassing boasted about his wealth yesterday, saying that he was looking forward to buying "a few houses and a flash car". Link for more

Was it what Terri wanted?

2005-03-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

On Larry King Michael seemed to change his story a bit.

Michael Schiavo gave contradictory stories about whether disconnecting his estranged wife from feeding tubes was his wish or her wish in a Larry King interview on CNN. Asked why he has persisted in his decade-long effort to end his wife's life despite the wishes of Terri Schiavo's parents and others who love her, Schiavo said: "Because this is what Terri wanted. This is her wish." Shortly after saying his determination to end Terri's life was about her wishes, Schiavo changed his story in the King interview. Asked if he understood her family's feelings, he said: "Yes, I do. But this is not about them, it's about Terri. And I've also said that in court. We didn't know what Terri wanted, but this is what we want. ..." The interview aired Friday.

Now do you see why I am so unsure about this whole thing?

And Libs Say Republicans Censor

2005-03-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

According to Drudge, PLAYGIRL editor-in-chief Michele Zipp has been stripped of her duties after she revealed how she voted Republican in the 2004 election. Click Link for whole story.

The Lighter Side Of Stupidity

2005-03-19T10:36:00.000-08:00

Received this in an email today. Thought everyone would appreciate the humor.

The sad thing is, you may actually know some of these type people!!! 1. Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?""That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets 2. I was checking out at the local WalMart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those "dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "divider", looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her "I've changed my mind; I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened. 3. A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy." 4. I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?" "Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk." 5. Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?" "Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies. 6. I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in "Twister." I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich. 7. My neighbor works in the operations department in the central office of a large bank. Employees in the field call him when they have problems with their computers. One night he got a call from a woman in one of the branch banks who had this question: "I've got smoke coming from the back of my terminal. Do you guys have a fire downtown?" 8. Police in Radnor, Pa., interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed. 9. A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and should be fine, the mother says, I just gave him some ant killer.....Dispatcher: Rush him in to emergency! Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid.

2005-03-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

Staying informed on Terri Schiavo

2005-03-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

Until recently I have pretty much stayed away from discussing the Terri Schiavo controversy. Mainly because I hadn't read up on it and felt unprepared to discuss. Well with the recent Congressional actions and court cases I thought I would look at both sides. So I read through a few hundred comments, looked at about 3 dozen news reports and read some court documents. Then I came across the Terri's Fight website and watched videos and read testimonials. I still don't believe I am 100% informed on the subject, however, I do now have an opinion on the matter. It appears that there are some significant discrepancies in what the husband is saying and what other "experts" and family members are saying. Instead of providing you with my thought, I am including a "myths about Terri" post to let you form your own opinion. I will say this though. I cannot support removing a feeding tube from a patient who exhibits some of these characteristics. I believe it is barbaric to allow someone to die by starvation and/or dehydration. I think that the husband has conflicting priorities. I believe that if the mother and father truly want to take full responsibility for Terri they should be allowed. I also believe that the crap about Michael not being able to remarry because it is a sin is ludicrous. It is also a sin to conduct euthanasia on someone and the Pope himself has called out against this. I believe that the arguments that everyone used to promote stem cell research should be used here. If there is a hope, then give it a chance. I believe that Terri is more than a vegetable and while I do recognize that she has very minimal brain function, it is evident from the videos that she has cognitive thought (however minor). I believe that there is a difference between someone dependent on a ventilator to stay alive and someone who cannot feed themselves. I have resusictated patients in much worse condition than Terri (some repeatedly). Finally, if it is decided that Terri is to be killed. Then I am 100% against starving her to death. It is evident from the swab video on the site that she has sensory functions and can feel pain. If we must kill Terri then it should be done as humanely and quickly as possible (such as lethal injection). I also think that before people speak out about it you should read as much as possible. Take the time to look at the Terri's fight website and then look at opposing arguments on it. But take the time or stay out of it.

FAQ's If Terri hasn't recovered after all these years of therapy, why not let go? Terri hasn't had meaningful therapy since 1991, but many credible physicians say she can benefit from it. Why can't Terri just divorce? Terri's husband/guardian speaks for her. She cannot divorce without his permission Does Terri have an advanced directive or any wishes about her healthcare? Terri never signed any directive or living will and there is no evidence that she foresaw her present situation. Why do Terri's family fight to keep her alive? Shouldn't they let her husband decide? Terri's husband has started another family and probably has gone on with his life. Terri's family want to provide her therapy and a safe home. Is Terri receiving life support? Not in the traditional sense. Terri only receives food and fluids via a simple tube. Isn't removing her tube a natural and dignified way to die? No. Dehydration and starvation cause horrific effects and are anything but peaceful. Read more here. Most common misconceptions MYTH: Terri is PVS (Persistent vegetative state) FACT: The definition of PVS in 2003->Ch0765->Section 101">Florida Statue 765.101: Persistent vegetative state means a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is: (a) The absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of ANY kind. (b) An inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment. Terri's behavior does not meet the medical or statutory definition of persistent vegetative state. Terri responds to stimuli, tries to communicate verbally, follows limited commands, laughs or cries in interaction with loved ones, physically distances herself from irritating or painful stimulation and watches loved ones as they move around her. None of these behaviors are simple reflexes and are, instead, voluntary and cognitive. Though Terri has limitations, she does interact purposefully with her environment. MYTH: Terri does not need rehabilitation FACT: 2003->Ch0744->Section 3215">Florida Statute 744.3215 Rights of persons determined incapacitated: (1) A person who has been determined to be incapacitated retains the right (i) To receive necessary services and rehabilitation. This is a retained right that a guardian cannot take away. Additionally, it does not make exception for PVS patients. Terri has illegally been denied rehabilitation - as many nurses have sworn in affidavits. MYTH: Removal of food was both legal and court-ordered. FACT: The courts had only allowed removal of Terri's feeding tube, not regular food and water. Terri's husband illegally ordered this. The law only allows the removal of "life-prolonging procedures," not regular food and water: 2003->Ch0765->Section 309">Florida Statute 765.309 Mercy killing or euthanasia not authorized; suicide distinguished. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to condone, authorize, or approve mercy killing or euthanasia, or to permit any affirmative or deliberate act or omission to end life other than to permit the natural process of dying. MYTH: Many doctors have said that there is no hope for her. FACT: Dr. Victor Gambone testified that he visits Terri 3 times a year. His visits last for approximately 10 minutes. He also testified, after viewing the court videotapes at Terri's recent trial, that he was surprised to see Terri's level of awareness. This doctor is part of a team hand-picked by her husband, Michael Schiavo, shortly before he filed to have Terri's feeding removed. Contrary to Schiavo's team, 14 independent medical professionals (6 of them neurologists) have given either statements or testimony that Terri is NOT in a Persistent Vegetative State. Additionally, there has never been any medical dispute of Terri's ability to swallow. Even with this compelling evidence, Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, has denied any form of therapy for her for over 10 years. Dr. Melvin Greer, appointed by Schiavo, testified that a doctor need not examine a patient to know the appropriate medical treatment. He spent approximately 45 minutes with Terri. Dr. Peter Bambakidis, appointed by Judge Greer, spent approximately 30 minutes with Terri. Dr. Ronald Cranford, also appointed by Schiavo and who has publicly labeled himself "Dr. Death", spent less than 45 minutes examining and interacting with Terri. MYTH: This is just a family battle over money. FACT: In 1992, Terri was awarded nearly one million dollars by a malpractice jury and an out-of-court malpractice settlement which was designated for future medical expenses. Of these funds, less than $50,000 remains today. The financial records revealing how Terri's medical fund money is managed are SEALED from inspection. Court records, however, show that Judge Greer has approved the spending down of Terri's medical fund on Schiavo's attorney's fees - though it was expressly awarded to Terri for her medical care. Schiavo’s primary attorney, George Felos, has received upwards of $400,000 dollars since Schiavo hired him. This same attorney, at the expense of Terri's medical fund, publicly likened Terri to a "houseplant" and has used Terri's case on national television to promote his newly published book. MYTH: Michael Schiavo volunteered to donate the balance of the inheritance to charity. FACT: In October, 1998, Schiavo's attorney proposed that, if Terri's parents would agree to her death by starvation, Schiavo would donate his inheritance to charity. The proposal came after a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem cited Schiavo's conflict of interest since he stood to inherit the balance of Terri's medical fund upon her death. This one and only offer stated "if the proposal is not fully accepted within 10 days, it shall automatically be withdrawn". Naturally, Terri's parents immediately rejected the offer. MYTH: Terri's Medical Trust fund has been used to care for her. FACT: The following expenditures have been paid directly from Terri's Medical Trust fund, with the approval of Judge George Greer: Summary of expenses paid from Terri's 1.2 Million Dollar medical trust fund (jury awarded 1992) NOTE: In his November 1993 Petition Schiavo alleges the 1993 guardianship asset balance as $761,507.50 Atty Gwyneth Stanley $10668.05 Atty Deborah Bushnell $65,607.00 Atty Steve Nilson $7,404.95 Atty Pacarek $1,500.00 Atty Richard Pearse (GAL) $4,511.95 Atty George Felos $397,249.99 Other 1st Union/South Trust Bank $55,459.85 Michael Schiavo $10,929.95 Total $545,852.34

2005-03-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2005-03-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

St Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland. True, he was not a born Irish. But he has become an integral part of the Irish heritage, mostly through his service across Ireland of the 5th century. Patrick was born in the later half of the 4th century AD. There are differing views about the exact year and place of his birth. According to one school of opinion, he was born about 390 A.D., while the other school says it is about 373 AD. Again, his birth place is said to be in either Scotland or Roman England. His real name was probably Maewyn Succat. Though Patricius was his Romanicized name, he was later came to be familiar as Patrick. Patrick was the son of Calpurnius, a Roman-British army officer. He was growing up as naturally as other kids in Britain. However, one day a band of pirates landed in south Wales and kidnapped this boy along with many others. Then they sold him into slavery in Ireland. The was there for 6 years, mostly imprisoned. This was when changes came to him. He dreamed of having seen God. Legend says, he was then dictated by God to escape with a getaway ship. Finally, he did escape and went to Britain. And then to France. There he joined a monastery and studied under St. Germain, the bishop of Auxerre. He spent around 12 years in training. And when he became a bishop he dreamed that the Irish were calling him back to Ireland to tell them about God. The Confessio, Patrick's spiritual autobiography, is the most important document regarding this. It tells of a dream after his return to Britain, in which one Victoricus delivered him a letter headed "The Voice of the Irish." So he set out for Ireland with the Pope's blessings. There he converted the Gaelic Irish, who were then mostly Pagans, to Christianity. He was confident in the Lord, he journeyed far and wide, baptizing and confirming with untiring zeal. And, in a diplomatic fashion he brought gifts to a kinglet here and a lawgiver there,but accepted none from any. Indeed, Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. Through active preaching, he made important converts even among the royal families. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times,but escaped each time. For 20 years he had traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion. He developed a native clergy, fostered the growth of monasticism, established dioceses, and held church councils. Patrick's doctrine is considered orthodox and has been interpreted as anti-Pelagian. Although he is not particularly noted as a man of learning, a few of his writings remain extant: his Confession, a reply to his detractors, and several letters. The Lorica ("Breastplate"), a famous hymn attributed to Patrick, may date to a later period. By the end of the 7th century Patrick had become a legendary figure, and the legends have continued to grow since then. There are many legends associated with St Patrick. It is said that he used the three-leafed to explain the concept of the Trinity; which refers to the combination of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Hence its strong association with his day and name. Legend also has that, Saint Patrick had put the curse of God on venomous snakes in Ireland. And he drove all the snakes into the sea where they drowned. True, these are mostly legends. But, after some 1500 years, these legends have been inseparably combined with the facts. And together they have helped us know much about the Saint and the spirit behind celebration of the day. Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for over 20 years. He died on March 17, AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since. The day's spirit is to celebrate the universal baptization of Ireland. Though originally a Catholic holy day,St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday. Or, rather, "be an Irish Day ". And the Irish has borne it as part of their national tradition in everywhere they populated and prospered. The Catholic feast day for this most loved of Irish saints has become a holiday in celebration of the Irish and Irish culture. The leprechaun, a Celtic fairy, has become entrenched as a chief symbol for this holiday, as is the shamrock, an ancient symbol for the triple goddess Brigit. It is fitting that this holiday should fall at the time of the year when the return of spring begins to seem at hand. But why the icons likethe green color, the tri-leafed shamrock, the leprechaun, or the pot of gold and Blarney's stone -all came to be associated with the celebration of this Day? And what do they all mean? Click Here to learn info from Holidayspot.com

I have my corned beef brisket stewing in the Crock pot as I write this. Later I will fix up some Irish potato soup and while my beer may not be green, I will more than likely have a few.

Enjoy today in your own way before the ACLU get's it outlawed as well. Next thing you know we wont be allowed to have St. Patrick's day parades because they offend someone.

California Never Let's Me Down

2005-03-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A judge ruled Monday that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional, saying the state could no longer justify limiting marriage to a man and a woman. In the eagerly awaited opinion likely to be appealed to the state's highest court, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer said that withholding marriage licenses from gays and lesbians is unconstitutional.
"It appears that no rational purpose exists for limiting marriage in this state to opposite-sex partners," Kramer wrote.
Never fails. California has to always lead the nation in dumbasses. Is there any rational purpose for limiting poligamy in the state? Hell we know there are more females than males. Poligamy would ensure that no one is without. Oh and what about incest. Why not? What rational purpose limits siblings from getting married? Is it because they shouldn't have kids? I will be honest, I am not all that passionate about this topic, but jeez. What actually defines "rational"?

Unions to Marine's - "Pack Sand"

2005-03-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Marines driven out of UAW lot The union says Marines in foreign cars, displaying Bush stickers unwelcome. By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- The United Auto Workers says Marine reservists should show a little more semper fi if they want to use the union's parking lot.
The Marine Corps motto means "always faithful," but the union says some reservists working out of a base on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit have been decidedly unfaithful to their fellow Americans by driving import cars and trucks.
So the UAW International will no longer allow members of the 1st Battalion 24th Marines to park at Solidarity House if they are driving foreign cars or displaying pro-President Bush bumper stickers.
"While reservists certainly have the right to drive nonunion made vehicles and display bumper stickers touting the most anti-worker, anti-union president since the 1920s, that doesn't mean they have the right to park in a lot owned by the members of the UAW," the union said in a statement released Friday.
Shocked and disappointed, the Marines are pulling out.
"You either support the Marines or you don't," said Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge, commanding officer of the battalion's active duty instructors. "I'm telling my Marines that they're no longer parking there."
At a time when U.S. armed forces are fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, quibbling over parking privileges is "silly," Rutledge said.
The UAW has a long history of barring foreign-made cars from its parking lots. The subject is touchier than ever as Detroit's Big Three loses market share, driving down union membership. The pro-Bush bumper stickers are another sore spot after last year's election.
UAW President Ron Gettelfinger opposed President Bush, accusing him of ignoring calls for labor law reform and failing to combat unfair business practices in China -- a growing threat to U.S. manufacturers.
The dispute arises as the UAW, using laid-off workers for labor, is building a $300,000 home for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The home in Eaton Rapids will operate a residential program for children of veterans who don't have parents, or whose parents can't care for them.
"We do not think it is unreasonable to expect our guests to practice the simple principle of not insulting their host," the UAW statement said.
Rutledge is unmoved.
"I don't see it as a snub against them," he said, adding no conditions were set when the union first began allowing the Marines to park in the lot several years ago. "We're appreciative of what they've done, but you don't come into my office and say, 'OK, we're not going to support some of your Marines.' I don't know what a foreign car is today anyway. BMWs are made in South Carolina now."
You can reach Eric Mayne at (313) 222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.

Funny how all I hear from Libs is that Conservatives censor free speech. Yet the largest pro-Democrat organization "the Unions" do it repeatedly.

And to the point about not knowing what cars are foreign, I got my wife a Ford thinking it was "American Made" and the entire thing was built in Mexico. However, my old Honda was built in Ohio. Talk about confusing.

For all of you union people. This is where your hard earned money is going.

2005-03-12T21:27:00.000-08:00

Today I learned how to edit comments and ban people and decided that I am far to sensitive :) to continue listening to the rants of some of my famous intellectual readers. You know the ones that called the majority of my readers Kool Aid drinkers and accused you of not being able to think for yourself. However, I recognized that some of you got a kick out of such comments so thanks to Sean Gleeson I have added the Autorantic Virtual Moonbat to my site. Now you can see what the bats are saying at the click of a button. Oh and for my far left knucklehead readers, I figured this would save you some time. Your comments are already captured in Autorantic's head. THANKS!

Appeasement - What It Equates To

2005-03-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler shake hands at the Munich Conference in 1938. This resulted in the pact, signed 29 Sept, which recognized the German annexation of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in return for a promise that there would be no further aggression. This policy of appeasement failed to prevent the outbreak of World War II

EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE

Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer AG

A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.

Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.

Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe where for decades, inhuman, suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.

Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace-movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush...even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program.

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement...How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany.

I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists.

One cannot help but recall all Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolf Hitler, and declaring European "Peace in our time".

What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.

It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be, taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness.

Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.

His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.

In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.

On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why?

Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass. (Feeble perhaps?) For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on theAmerican economy - because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizeswhat is at stake - literally everything.

While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our SocialWelfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation...or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive".

These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house. Appeasement? Europe, thy name isCowardice.

"All that is necessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing."

Now all you have to do is replace Europeans with Liberals and you have the same story.

Democrat Filibusters Of The Past

2005-03-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to remind everyone of a a previous filibuster put on by Democrats. Oh and Byrd is still around.

June 10, 1964 Civil Rights Filibuster Ended At 9:51 on the morning of June 10, 1964, Senator Robert C. Byrd completed an address that he had begun fourteen hours and thirteen minutes earlier. The subject was the pending Civil Rights Act of 1964, a measure that occupied the Senate for fifty-seven working days, including six Saturdays. A day earlier, Democratic Whip Hubert Humphrey, the bill's manager, concluded he had the sixty-seven votes required at that time to end the debate. The Civil Rights Act provided protection of voting rights; banned discrimination in public facilities—including private businesses offering public services—such as lunch counters, hotels, and theaters; and established equal employment opportunity as the law of the land. As Senator Byrd took his seat, House members, former senators, and others—150 of them—vied for limited standing space at the back of the chamber. With all gallery seats taken, hundreds waited outside in hopelessly extended lines. Georgia Democrat Richard Russell offered the final arguments in opposition. Minority Leader Everett Dirksen, who had enlisted the Republican votes that made cloture a realistic option, spoke for the proponents with his customary eloquence. Noting that the day marked the one-hundredth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's nomination to a second term, the Illinois Republican proclaimed, in the words of Victor Hugo, "Stronger than all the armies is an idea whose time has come." He continued, "The time has come for equality of opportunity in sharing in government, in education, and in employment. It will not be stayed or denied. It is here!" Never in history had the Senate been able to muster enough votes to cut off a filibuster on a civil rights bill. And only once in the thirty-seven years since 1927 had it agreed to cloture for any measure. The clerk proceeded to call the roll. When he reached "Mr. Engle," there was no response. A brain tumor had robbed California's mortally ill Clair Engle of his ability to speak. Slowly lifting a crippled arm, he pointed to his eye, thereby signaling his affirmative vote. Few of those who witnessed this heroic gesture ever forgot it. When Delaware's John Williams provided the decisive sixty-seventh vote, Majority Leader Mike Mansfield exclaimed, "That's it!"; Richard Russell slumped; and Hubert Humphrey beamed. With six wavering senators providing a four-vote victory margin, the final tally stood at 71 to 29. Nine days later the Senate approved the act itself—producing one of the twentieth century's towering legislative achievements.

2005-03-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

Found myself a new daily read.

And They Wonder Why They Are Losing Elections

2005-03-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

John Stewart interviewing former Clinton Aide Nancy Soderberg on the Daily show.

Stewart: But what do you make of--here's my dilemma, if you will. I don't care for the way these guys conduct themselves--and this is just you and I talking, no cameras here [audience laughter]. But boy, when you see the Lebanese take to the streets and all that, and you go, "Oh my God, this is working," and I begin to wonder, is it--is the way that they handled it really--it's sort of like, "Uh, OK, my daddy hits me, but look how tough I'm getting." You know what I mean? Like, you don't like the method, but maybe--wrong analogy, is that, uh--? Soderberg: Well, I think, you know, as a Democrat, you don't want anything nice to happen to the Republicans, and you don't want them to have progress. But as an American, you hope good things would happen. I think the way to look at it is, they can't credit for every good thing that happens, but they need to be able to manage it. I think what's happening in Lebanon is great, but it's not necessarily directly related to the fact that we went into Iraq militarily. Stewart: Do you think that the people of Lebanon would have had, sort of, the courage of their conviction, having not seen--not only the invasion but the election which followed? It's almost as though that the Iraqi election has emboldened this crazy--something's going on over there. I'm smelling something. Soderberg: I think partly what's going on is the country next door, Syria, has been controlling them for decades, and they [the Syrians] were dumb enough to blow up the former prime minister of Lebanon in Beirut, and they're--people are sort of sick of that, and saying, "Wait a minute, that's a stretch too far." So part of what's going on is they're just protesting that. But I think there is a wave of change going on, and if we can help ride it though the second term of the Bush administration, more power to them. Stewart: Do you think they're the guys to--do they understand what they've unleashed? Because at a certain point, I almost feel like, if they had just come out at the very beginning and said, "Here's my plan: I'm going to invade Iraq. We'll get rid of a bad guy because that will drain the swamp"--if they hadn't done the whole "nuclear cloud," you know, if they hadn't scared the pants off of everybody, and just said straight up, honestly, what was going on, I think I'd almost--I'd have no cognitive dissonance, no mixed feelings. Soderberg: The truth always helps in these things, I have to say. But I think that there is also going on in the Middle East peace process--they may well have a chance to do a historic deal with the Palestinians and the Israelis. These guys could really pull off a whole-- Stewart: This could be unbelievable! Soderberg:---series of Nobel Peace Prizes here, which--it may well work. I think that, um, it's-- Stewart: [buries head in hands] Oh my God! [audience laughter] He's got, you know, here's-- Soderberg: It's scary for Democrats, I have to say. Stewart: He's gonna be a great--pretty soon, Republicans are gonna be like, "Reagan was nothing compared to this guy." Like, my kid's gonna go to a high school named after him, I just know it. Soderberg: Well, there's still Iran and North Korea, don't forget. There's hope for the rest of us. Stewart: [crossing fingers] Iran and North Korea, that's true, that is true [audience laughter]. No, it's--it is--I absolutely agree with you, this is--this is the most difficult thing for me to--because, I think, I don't care for the tactics, I don't care for this, the weird arrogance, the setting up. But I gotta say, I haven't seen results like this ever in that region. Soderberg: Well wait. It hasn't actually gotten very far. I mean, we've had-- Stewart: Oh, I'm shallow! I'm very shallow! Soderberg: There's always hope that this might not work. No, but I think, um, it's--you know, you have changes going on in Egypt; Saudi Arabia finally had a few votes, although women couldn't participate. What's going on here in--you know, Syria's been living in the 1960s since the 1960s--it's, part of this is--

Isn't it funny how so many liberals are hoping we fail?

2005-03-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Paul Revere Rides Again To Warn Of the Liberal Invasion

The Liberals Are Coming, The Liberals Are Coming

2005-03-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

It has been brought to my attention that several Liberal Bloggers are linking to my site with whining about me calling them terrorists and commies. Funny how they spin everything around. I don't think all liberals are terrorist or commies, only some. But let me be the first to welcome all of my new readers. Dear Liberals, Welcome to the truth. I know that some of your friends have called me a liar and a right winged nut. But the funny thing is that none of them can provide proof that I lie about anything. They may not agree with me, but oh well "Que Sera Sera". Now let me lay down a few ground rules and tell you how I will be responding to your B.S. First off, please don't use offensive language (and I am not referring to liberal terms). No terrible foul language please (F bombs and such). Also, please don't use my site as a platform for bashing President Bush (the person) or Conservatives or those that don't agree with you. I do welcome you to express your opinion and disagree with any policies or arguments being made. I can bash whoever I want, but it is my site. Bash people on your own site. Next, I am a stats and numbers guy. Please provide me with facts (not liberal media articles) that show research you actually did, when you are challenging me or looking for a debate. If I am willing to look it up, you should be too. Finally, I reserve the right to basically ignore you. I actually have very little time to commit to this site, but will take up any challenges that I feel are appropriate. Basically, what I am saying is that I am not going to spend hours each day researching stuff to debate you when you don't have an open mind and are not willing to change opinions ever. Oh and if you are going to link your site to mine, try to be accurate in your description. Also, to the 3 new readers that emailed me, thanks! I know each of you found me from some of my liberal friends sites and are glad you came to the truth. I appreciate your comments and support. Obviously, it would be better if you shared your comments on here, but I understand your hesitation. Oh and I call you my friends. Believe it or not I don't really hate too many people. You may piss me off from time to time, but I probably would put my life in risk any day to save yours. Oh and for definition sake. When I call someone a liberal terrorist, it is because I feel they are terrorizing the fabric of our country through their hate speech or actions. You know people like your friend Churchill or the Pearcy's. I know most of you liberals are actually good people that are trying to look out for the good of all. You may not know what you talking about in my opinion, but your still good hearted. Sincerely, TOLBS

Why I Don't Support an Election Holiday

2005-03-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

One of my new angry liberal friends has challenged me to back up my post on Clinton and the other nut jobs interests in making election day a federal holiday (see my Feb. 17 post). My point was that the impact to business would be significant with little to no return. I made a comment that those who are working are showing up to vote anyways and that the lazy are the ones not voting. While I will retract my generalizing statement about the lazy not voting (because I can't prove that they are actually lazy statistically) I decided to put together some numbers for him. Oh and by the way, I don't plan on playing this "prove it" game with Mike or Umpire on everything I post. I plan on focusing my attention on those individuals who are worth the effort. These gentlemen are obviously set in their ways and I don't forsee changing their opinions any.

So here goes. Mike commented;

Early voting, extended hours, absentee ballots are all steps in the right direction, but just because you're headed in the right direction doesn't mean that your trip is complete.
"Besides, statistically those that are voting are career folks and the retired. The lazy asses aren't voting anyways. So I am not sure how this will increase voter turnout."
Surely you're not pulling something from your butt just then. I challenge you to document a non-partisan statistical study on the voting habits based on occupation.

Based on the non-partisan U.S Census data (I'm not providing the link, look it up yourself) in regards to the 2000 Presidential election (I didn't want to use 2004 data because it is based on estimates instead of actuals) my theory that those who are working or retired show up to vote more was statistically accurate. According to the Census there were 202 Million Americans who were able to vote in 2000. Of that 202 million, 138 million of them were in the "labor force", while 4.9 million were unemployed.

Now of those 138 million "workers", 64% were registered to vote and almost 55% actually voted. Meaning that without a holiday these individuals still showed up to vote. By the way the estimates for 2004 were about the same on all of these.

Well how about the people who were already "off" that day because of unemployment? Of the 4.9 million who were unemployed, only 46% are registered and only 35% showed up to vote. Interesting. So there were almost 3.2 million people out there who weren't working and still didn't bother voting. Oh but I can hear it now "but maybe they were disabled and couldn't vote". WRONG! These 4.9 million that I am refering to are those who actually filed for unemployment. Meaning that they are work capable and not currently employed. There actually are 64 million plus individuals who are not in the labor force for other reasons (retirement, disability, students, ect). Funny thing is almost 55% of them showed up to vote.

But let me give you more detail about my statistical analysis.

Let's say we were to offer a federal holiday to allow people to vote. Who actually would benefit from it? Well first off we know government employees would benefit most. Surely, there must be a low turnout in this sector and we need to offer more of them the day off so they will show up and vote. Let's see what the stats say. WOW! Nearly 72% of all government employees (registered or not) showed up to vote in 2000. In fact nearly 80% of them are registered. Pretty impressive numbers I must say.

Well how about the private sector. All of the individuals in this sector are working 7Am to 8PM and couldn't possibly find the time to vote. Well not as impressive but we still see over 50% of them showing up at the polls. So we truly must need a holiday for them. Except! Private sector jobs include everything from Citibank to McDonalds. Not only that, there is no federal statute that I am aware of that requires private corporations to honor federal holidays. But let's say that our wonderful legislators were to require that to be a day off. How many people would take the day off without pay? Roughly only 55% of those employed in the private sector are paid for their time off (according to a Fast Company magazine report). Meaning that of the 104 million people in the private sector, over 45 million would go without pay for that day. And here I thought liberals were out for the workingman.

So back to the main point. In the private sector we allow 104 million people the day off to vote and we hope to drive the voter turnout up. Only one small problem. Only 60% of them are actually registered to vote. So we may need to actually have a holiday earlier in the year to register people.

What about those who would be hardest hit, the self employed. Surprisingly, 61% of those who classifly themselves as self employed actually voted in 2000. So basically, the only group that I would actually see working the long hours that the polls are open are actually showing up to vote anyways. On the flip side I wonder how much revenue loss a small business or self employed business person would suffer if they were required to take a day off.

But what about the minorities. Republicans are always holding the minorities down and disenfranching them, right. I'm sure that is what is coming next.

Well according to the same Census bureau report there were roughly 24 million blacks who were eligible to vote in 2000. Of that, 16 million were in the labor force and 62.2% of them showed up to vote (74% of those in government sector jobs showed up). While only 41% of the unemployed and 50% of those not in the labor force showed up. Again, those that worked showed up and those who don't work didn't.

Maybe the Hispanics will prove me wrong. Nope. While Hispanics have a low overall turnout rate (27.5%), 36% of those in the labor force showed up and almost 60% of those in the government sector cast a vote. While only 15.5% of those on unemployment hit the polls. So once again, those who would have traditionally worked that day showed up to vote while those who were off already didn't.

I love being right. Oh I forgot to prove that seniors show up. That's right, I researched that too and guess what I found out. Nearly 68% of all eligible persons 65 and up showed up to vote. While only 32% of those considered to be college age made it. They must have been at school. Oh but wait 54% of those in a four year institute showed up to vote while only 25% of those not in school showed. Hmmmm..

So statistically my theory was right on target.

But guess what else I learned while doing this research. I learned why people didn't vote in 2000. And here are those results;

Reason for Not Voting (registered voters only)

Illness or disability (own or family's) 14.8%
Out of town or away from home 10.2%
Forgot to vote (or send in absentee ballot) 4.0%
Not interested, felt vote would not make a difference 12.2%
Too busy, conflicting schedule 20.9%
Transportation problems 2.4%
Did not like candidates or campaign issues 7.7%
Registration problems 6.9%
Bad weather conditions 0.6%
Inconvenient polling place or hours or lines too long 2.6%
Other reason, not specified 10.2%
Refused or don't know 7.5%

Let's look at some of those factors. First for your benefit, let's assume that the 20.9% of those who were registered to vote and couldn't because of schedule, were too busy because of work. Is that really an excuse though? You confirmed in your comments that absentee, early voting and other alternative means help. So I would have to tone that number down quite a bit. Let's meet in the middle and say that because of work schedule, 10% or 1.8 million reqistered voters couldn't vote. Now how many of those 1.8 million wouldn't even benefit from the federal holiday. To be honest with you I didn't dig down that deep, but let's say for the sake of argument that 40% of them didn't benefit. So by forcing this holiday we could possibly gain 1 million new voters. That was if every single person that is registered to vote and couldn't because of schedule showed up. Even more telling is the fact that since government employees would be the only ones guaranteed the day off, if even 20% more of them voted we would only see an increase of 118,000 new voters on election day.

But let's look at some of the other factors. 10% of those who did not vote, didn't because they were out of town. I don't know about you, but I know a lot of people that use their holidays to travel. So we could probably make a safe assumption that that number would increase as well.

Oh and don't forget the assumed increase in transportation problems. Because remember those who drive buses and taxis would have to be off too. So we would probably have an increase in that number as well.

Needless to say, my point is proven statistically and unless you can present a significant argument as to why a holiday is needed to improve voter turnout, this case is closed.

Oh and on your other comments.

Furthermore, given that statistical analysis, I challenge you to show that low voter turnout among any group is tied to laziness.

I already gave in on this comment. I can't prove that and really wouldn't try. I was being a smartass in that comment. I would never make a true general statement that everyone who is unemployed is lazy. But I will say that if I wanted to support that claim, from what I showed you there might be a case.

And come to think of it, I challenge you to document exactly how much a day-long federal holiday would cost a small, medium, and large business and then explain why that expense wouldn't be justified if there is even the slightest possibility that it would increase voter turn out. Let's see what else?

I am not going to put the effort into this other than to say I know of one large corporation that took a 21 million dollar per day hit in just the southwest region of the U.S as a result of lost production when employees couldn't work because of a natural disaster. That coupled with the reported billions that were lost per day because of the September 11th closures. Needless to say every day off those employers are forced to provide costs the U.S ecomony a lot. I am just not willing to put the work into proving that to you.

And one of your other comments

Oh yeah, why are Republicans so bent on taking away a person's right to vote for the rest of their life without regard to the nature of their crimes? Should all felons be allowed to vote? I think I could probably think of a group or two that shouldn't (someone who has taken action against the government perhaps). But every last felon should be prevented from voting ever again?

I would be somewhat open to debate on this one. I wouldn't say I was 100% for or against this. Right now it is just my opinion that it stays the same. But like I said I would be willing to hear an argument for allowing them to vote. In fact weighting the crimes as you seemed to imply actually might not be a bad idea.

oh and your final comment...

You seem to really have it out for those who aren't rich in America. Why is that?

That is a pretty weak generalizing statement. You know absolutely nothing about me or what I do or feel for people. I don't know much about you Mike either, except that you are in the military (which I actually respect you a lot for that). But I would venture to guess that I have committed more time to helping others in poor communities then you ever will. In fact, while I don't report my community activities on my site like some (not you), I do more than a fair share of volunteer work in stricken communities. Also, I am not even close to rich. I came from a background that isn't close to rich and I live in a very humble neighborhood. Also, I know very few people that make over 100K a year. But I do recognize that those with money are the ones that are carrying our country financially and socially. 80% of our tax revenue comes from the "rich". While they take almost nothing back in the way of social programs. Not only that, everyone in this society has the same chance to make it rich. It all depends on how much effort you want to put into something. Just ask Whoopi Goldberg (a liberal icon), she reports that she came from the project and is now rich.

Come to think of it, I challenge you now to prove that the Republican Party is the party of the rich and not the Democrat party. Statistically of course.

And once again I present to my readers my reason for being tired of liberal BS.

2005-03-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

Without a doubt, blogging has changed the way we receive information. Whether your on the right or the left, the information afforded to you is outstanding. Not only that, because of bloggers, mainstream media outlets are being held to the fire for their output. No longer can they B.S their viewers/readers without the scrutiny of bloggers ripping them apart. One way you can show your love for blogging is by wearing it on a T. So far this is the best one I have seen.

Oh and Umpire ... P.S

2005-03-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

I don't recall calling you a liar. But I noticed on your blog you referred to me as one. Please show me ONE. Just ONE lie that I posted. I don't think that you are lying at all. Confused, ignorant, delusional and EXTREMELY LIBERAL... yes..but not a liar.

Umpire Think About This

2005-03-03T20:58:00.000-08:00

I read through the source data that Umpire sent. Not a lot of support outside of the few news sources. Especially the Washington Post article that sourced the Washington Post (maybe I will start sourcing myself). Also, some of the torture items were in 2000 and 2001 (interesting since we hadn't arrested anyone at that point). But I will say this. If there were actual abuses that include cutting off fingers, then no I don't agree with it. But I want you to think about something. Would you be defending these animals if Nick Berg was your brother? If Paul Johnson was your father? If Daniel Pearl was your brother in law? I had some pictures I was going to share with you of these three gentlemen. But for the sake of my other readers, I will refrain. This point isn't for the sake of debate. It would actually make a poor argument and I wouldn't justify any true abuse on our part. But what you sent me was a lot of accusations. The only true examples were those that have already been addressed criminally. But I guarantee that Nick Berg would have much rather had his penis laughed at than his head severed with a knife.

Why Catholics Should Be Republicans

2005-03-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

I was raised in a Catholic home. I even went to Catholic School and was an Altar Boy. My family attended church every week and we listened attentively as the Priest spoke to us about moral values, the commandments, mortal and venial sins. We then typically went out for breakfast and eventually returned to our home, our Democrat home. It's interesting to think that my parents who were both staunch practicing Catholics would register themselves as Democrats. Supporting a political party that didn't support the teachings of the Catholic Church. But it wasn't confusing. Why? Because a large portion of Catholics register as Democrats as they believe they are suppose to. The Ten Commandments Let's look briefly at the Ten Commandments. Often called The Commandments, Commandments of God, or The Decalogue (Gr. deka, ten, and logos, a word), these ten statements are the moral and religious obligation of every man, woman and child. Provided to us by our creator, these rules dictate how we as humans are to live. Failure to abide by these rules results in damnation (according to the Bible). 1) I am the Lord Thy God, thou shalt not have strange gods before me. 2) Thou Shalt not take the name of the lord thy God in Vain 3) Remember Thou keep holy the Sabbath Day 4) Honor thy Father and thy Mother 5) Thou Shalt not murder (different from killing) 6) Thou Shalt not commit adultery 7) Thou shalt not steal 8) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor 9) Thou shalt not covet they neighbor's wife 10) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's good I'm not trying to make a point that Republicans are without sin, or that Democrats are consistent sinners (though there are a few). Instead what I want people to consider is that Republicans are working to protect the very fibers of these commandments while Democrats are working to protect those who violate them. Let's look at the first four commandments, which have regard to God and his representatives on earth. Liberals have continually forced the belief in God out of our classrooms and away from all institutions. Liberal extremists have filed suit to remove God from the pledge, legal symbols (such as the LA County Seal), courthouses, and even restricted the celebration of Christmas because of it's reference to Christ and the celebration of his birth. Liberal causes have fought to eradicate religion in the open and have attempted to restrict any and all reference to God in public and government. Liberal organizations like the ACLU fight hard to remove God from everything. They have fought to keep creationism out of public schools, removed the Ten Commandments from public courthouses and continually protected blatant violators while slamming those of faith. The next six commandments deal with the fellow man. The most obvious violations deal with murder. Abortion is the staple of the Democrat party. They stand on the basis of pro-choice and some even advocate abortion as a method of birth control. Don't believe me, look at their voting records. Even the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion is protected by the likes of Kerry and Kennedy (both proclaimed Catholics). Now the liberal argument is that Republicans are war mongers and kill for sport. This couldn't be farther from the truth. The use of our military to protect the rights of others and defend our country could hardly be considered murder. Now if the practice of applying the Death Penalty is your argument, then I could make a case either way. However, let's be real. Nearly 800,000 abortions are performed annually (256 for every 1000 live births or basically 1 in 4 pregnancies) while less than 100 persons are executed. The other commandments deal with moral issues like adultry. Gay marriage, protection of groups like NAMBLA (North American Man Boy Love Association) as well as legal guarding pornography to the point where even Child pornography is protected all are in conflict with the Ten Commandments.

"As legislative counsel for the ACLU in 1985, Barry Lynn told the U.S. Attorney General's Commission on Pornography (of which Focus on the Family President Dr. James C. Dobson was a member) that child pornography was protected by the First Amendment. While production of child porn could be prevented by law, he argued, its distribution could not be. A few years later (1988), Lynn told the Senate Judiciary Committee that even requiring porn producers to maintain records of their performers' ages was impermissible."If there is no federal record-keeping requirement for the people portrayed in Road and Track or Star Wars," he said, "there can be no such requirement for Hustler or Debbie Does Dallas."

Why are so many Democrat then?

It seems odd that in light of what I just mentioned, so many people of faith are still Democrats. My guess is that there are liberal elitists who exploit them just as they do minorities. For example, the ultra-liberal National Catholic Register, published an article casting doubt upon the GOP's claim to be closest to Catholic teaching. Catholic sociologists and political analysts stated that, apart from "the Republican Party's anti-abortion stand and its support for educational vouchers and funds for Catholic schools, the party's claim to best represent Catholic voters is greatly exaggerated." Democrats, with their willingness to spend to aid the poor and middle class, more closely reflect Catholic teachings "over the broad spectrum," the experts said [1]. But is it really exaggerated? The Reporter used the lobbying group the Network for their information. A lobbying group that focuses on distribution of wealth rather than the true moral issues. Seems that our Bishops would prefer a socialist society. But did they not learn anything from Stalin, Mao, Hitler or Pot? I mean really what society has provided more for the poor? Compare socialist/communist Russia to pre-Beijing Hong Kong. One society (Russia) is loaded with poor and helpless souls, while Hong Kong (prior to the Beijing take over) provided jobs for everyone. But the Bishops stand by the belief that capitalism doesn't produce enough richness for everyone. Granted there may be a divide between the poor and rich, but without the rich there is no one to donate to such worthy causes, such as the Catholic Church. I am sure there is a study out there suggesting that any time taxes are increased, donations decrease. Besides, history has shown Socialism as a failure. Not only that, who truly is the party of the rich. When you get down to it Democrats on average are made up of two parties (the rich and the poor). It should have been apparent in the most recent elections when Hollywood and the Elites stood by Kerry (who himself is quite wealthy) and used a tremendous amount of money advertising in inner city communities trying to attract the poor. So let's look at Republican Values for a moment. Republicans stand for;

1) Strong National Defense 2) Better jobs and Business Environment 3) Educational choices for all 4) Lower Taxes 5) Homeland Defense 6) Options for health care 7) Protection of life 8) Traditional Family Values 9) Smaller government 10) Hard work 11) Supreme Court Justices who apply the law not make it

While the Democratic Party stand for

1) Abortion rights (even partial birth abortion of a viable fetus) 2) Gay Marriage 3) Relaxed laws on pornography and profanity (including child porn) 4) Activism in the Supreme Court 5) Larger Government 6) Higher Taxes 7) Hand outs 8) Taking God out of everything 9) Weak National Defense

I think that it is important that one look at their values closely and see what party they line up with. If you truly are a practicing Catholic or any Christian denomination for that matter, you really should consider what it is your supporting. Also, Republicans have to walk the talk. We can't stand by condemning Democrats for supporting these violations and yet participate in them at the same time. I'm not suggesting that we move everything to the extreme right. But we definitely don't want to move it to the extreme left. Look what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Also, this post is directed at Catholics and Christians in general. I am not looking to convert others to Christianity or to condemn others for not having this value system. I am directing this at proclaimed Christians and Catholics that believe deeply in these moral values and I am suggesting they rethink whom they support. Others can work on the non-believers.

By the way, my parents have switched. They recognize that the Democrat party no longer supports their values and has moved to the extreme left.

[1] paraphrasing an article by Tom Bethel

2005-03-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

A new blog that my heart is found of.

Insurgents In Your Backyard

2005-02-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

From Indepundit

Before last year, I could never have imagined that I would ever get involved in street demonstrations. Like most people, I just didn't see the point. What could anyone hope to accomplish by marching up and down a street, carrying a sign? The closest thing I had ever experienced to such an event was when I attended a large rally for John McCain during the 2000 election - but I didn't carry a sign, or even wear a button. That all ended eleven months ago, when a morbid sense of curiosity (and, frankly, a desire to find some good writing material) prompted me to attend an anti-war rally in Balboa Park. What I saw and heard that day changed me forever. I want to talk today about how we're actually going to stop the occupation. I don't have a plan, but I think there's some key strategies that we need to adopt, that are gonna make this more successful. And the first thing is that we need to support the resistance of Iraqis in Iraq. These are people who are risking their lives to get the United States out of their country. And we have to see them as our allies. We have to see them as our main allies. Similarly, we have to support resistance in the US military. Soldiers, and you know, anyone - families who are actually opposing the war, we need to be on their side. If you recall, there's one time in the last 30 years when the US military machine was brought down, during Vietnam, and it was brought down because there was a fierce resistance in Vietnam, and because the soldiers were refusing to fight.. The "Iraqi Resistance" had assassinated my college roommate just a few months earlier. He was shot in the back of the head, in broad daylight, when the civilian SUV he was riding in stopped at an intersection in Baghdad (his assassin was later apprehended by Iraqi police, and eventually was convicted of his murder). My brother also lost one of his best friends in the war.

These terrorists are planning another anti-war rally in San Diego on March 19. This is our opportunity to counter their viscious attacks. Visit Indepundit for more info http://www.lt-smash.us/

Are Public Schools Grounds For Communism?

2005-02-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

Any parent with a child in a public school has likely discovered our education system is little more than a means by which liberals indoctrinate children with socialist ideology. If this seems a radical assertion, I assure you it is not. In fact, examples abound indicating its accuracy.
Take the "community box," for instance. How many elementary school kids across the country show up the first day of school, only to have their brand-new supplies pilfered by their teacher and thrown into one big box, to be distributed henceforth as said teacher sees fit? (Karl Marx also had very little regard for private property rights.)
read the entire editorial http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20050226-101212-8072r.htm

Hat tip to the Pirate for bringing this to my attention.

Now I Remember Why I Hate Hollywood

2005-02-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

It took Hollywood all of 5 minutes for Rock and the rest of his applauding idiots to make the Academy Awards a political soapbox. Well it only took me 6 minutes to change the channel.

Dem Sanchez Makes A Fool Out Of Self Again

2005-02-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

Blue State Conservatives has captured an interaction between Congresswoman Sanchez and Rumsfield. Well worth the read. http://www.radiobs.net/thebluestateconservatives/

I'm A Racist?

2005-02-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Previously I posted a message asking for help in reviving the Riverside Chapter of the Republican Hispanic Assembly. I also sent out a series of emails on the subject. One individual decided I was a racist and sent me this.

Sir, Please don't send me any more emails about your Racist organization. As a long standing registered Republican, I believe America was founded on Diversity of all races, black, white, asian, hispanic, middle eastern, and native american. To think I would support an organization like yours which only imbraces hispanics and excludes others is offensive! The only way we as Americans will survive is if we stop identifying ourselves as black, white, hispanic, whatever, and start identifying ourselves as Americans and only as Americans! No, I will not support your Racist group!

Of course I replied advising him that he was out of line and that the intent isn't to form a seperate group of special interests, but to work on engaging those inviduals who are exploited by Democrats. In my invitation I even mentioned that it is open to everyone and to date 50% of those who joined are caucasion. He then replied.

Since you obviously don't see my point and feel the need to play the part of some kind of victim, let me assure you ,that doesn't work on me. Let me try to make my point clearer. How would you like it if there was a forming of a California Republican Caucasian National Assembly? Oh! then that would be racist, wouldn't it?! How about encouraging Hispanics to join the main stream Republican party instead? Again, unless all races in our beloved nation stick together as one,we are doomed to fail! I enjoy receiving information from the GOP and the mainstream of our party but for a second time I am requesting that I receive no more email from your separatist group.

Now I am a victim. Did I ever say that I was a victim? Did I ever indicate that I felt exploited? In my opinion it is ignorance like this that has kept the party down in this state. My intent is to bring more Hispanics into the Republican party through education and awareness. If they don't trust us then calling them and asking them to joing the CRP is probably pretty far fetched. What do you think?

Democrats Have Completely Lost It

2005-02-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

Sen. Clinton Pushes for Voting Holiday
WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites), a possible White House candidate in 2008, joined 2004 nominee John Kerry (news - web sites) and other Democrats Thursday in urging that Election Day be made a federal holiday to encourage voting.
She also pushed for legislation that would allow all ex-felons to vote.
Standing with Massachusetts Sen. Kerry and other Democrats who had alleged voting irregularities in the 2004 contest, Clinton said, "Once again we had a federal election that demonstrates we have a long way to go."
"I think it's also necessary to make sure our elections meet the highest national standards," said the New York senator.
She and Kerry, both considered contenders for the 2008 nomination, were joined by Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (news, bio, voting record), D-Ohio, and Sen. Barbara Boxer (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., who forced a highly unusual House and Senate debate Jan. 6 on the presidential election results.
Kerry, who lost the national contest by 3.3 million votes nationwide, and 118,000 within Ohio, denied the bill was an attempt to discredit the 2004 results.
"This has nothing to do with me," said Kerry. "It is not partisan, or shouldn't be." Clinton echoed those comments, though her senatorial re-election committee, Friends of Hillary, is pushing the bill hard.
Visitors to the group's Web site are greeted first with a full-page form asking people to endorse the Count Every Vote Act.
"My Web site has information about everything I work on. This is one of my biggest priorities and obviously I hope that people who share our goal of making sure every vote counts will support us," said Clinton.
In addition to creating a federal holiday for voting, the bill would:
_Require paper receipts for votes. _Authorize $500 million to help states make the changes in voting systems and equipment. _Allow ex-felons to vote. Currently an estimated 4.7 million Americans are barred from voting because of their criminal records. _Require adoption of the changes in time for the 2006 election.
Boxer said the bill "is meant to ensure the election debacle of 2000, and the serious election irregularities of 2004, never ever happen again."
Both parties have called for changes to ensure a more accurate vote count. Republican efforts have centered on reducing voter fraud, while Democrats have called for making access to the ballot box easier and simpler.

Here we go again with the "We only lost the election because they cheated". Then they want to allow Felons to vote and to make it worse, make election day a federal holiday.

Let's think about this a little. Do they even care about the impact to business. Government offices and anyone else that chooses to follow the federal holiday schedule will have to pay people to have ANOTHER day off work. These group of bungling idiots should move to Europe and govern there.

The really must have sharpened their shovels, because the hole they are digging themselves into is getting deeper than the eye can see

CARNHA looking to revive Riverside Chapter

2005-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

The California Republican National Hispanic Assembly is looking to revive it's Riverside Chapter. Information about the CAFNHA can be found at www.carnha.org Hispanics are recognized as the driving force in California politics and there is an intense interest in bringing more Hispanics into the Republican party. The beliefs of the party are ideal for Hispanics and it is now a matter of awareness and education. The CARNHA Philosophy is as follows I believe the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person's dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored. I believe in equal right, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability. I believe free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity. I believe government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn. I believe the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations and that the best government is that which governs the least. I believe the most effective, responsible and responsive government is the government closest to the people. I believe Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet hte challenges of changing times. I believe Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to extend peace, freedom, and human rights throughout the world. Finally, I believe the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government. To join or for more information contact AngelSanchezGOP@aol.com The group is looking to start meeting this spring.

2005-02-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

Brown Vs. Black

2005-02-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

The Press Enterprise yesterday reported a near riot at the Castle amusement park in Riverside. A large fight broke out between two groups and officers got caught up in the middle. Unfortunately, several of them were hurt. While the little bastards that started the fight and specifically the ones that struck the officers should receive significant punishments for their actions, there was one little bit that bothered me. "It was black on brown -- brown versus black," said Riverside police Lt. Mark McFall. I'm assuming that the "brown" is for the Hispanics that were involved. But is "brown" an appropriate term for a Police Lieutenant to use to describe Hispanics? I wouldn't want to be called "brown". In fact I am a little offended by it's use. He could have called them little P.O.S for all I care, but to characterize their race with brown. Is that really an accepted term? I'm not looking for any protests and I don't think the officer meant it maliciously, but for some reason it irked me. Am I being to sensitive about it? I guess it is no different than saying the "black" youths, but "black" is an accepted term. Leave comments and let me know what you think. The more I think about it the more ridiculous it seems that it bothered me.

Social Security Reform

2005-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Squiggler has captured some in detail info on Social Security Reform. It makes for a good read. http://pal2pal.bravejournal.com/index.php

And the award for sexiest job goes to.....

2005-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

According to a poll conducted by AOL and Salary.com, Firefighting is the sexiest job in America. DUH! That means that firefighters are the sexiest and best driving people in the U.S.

How Similar is Liberalism and Communism?

2005-02-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

I took this directly from the Communist Party of the United States Website. Came by it doing research on Che'.

Communist Party Immediate Program for the Crisis It is shameful and unacceptable that any child should live in poverty, and that anyone should go hungry, homeless, without medicine, or without a living wage in our nation of such great wealth. Meet the Needs of Working, Unemployed and Farm Families - Raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour. -Unemployment insurance for all workers. - Moratorium on farm foreclosures - Labor law reform to remove barriers to workers who want to join a union. - No privatization of Social Security. Increase benefits. - Universal prescription drug coverage administered by Medicare. Universal health care system. - Restore social safety net. Welfare reform that includes job training, supports and living wages. - Full funding for equal, quality, bi-lingual public education. No vouchers. Make Corporate Giants Pay - Repeal tax cuts to the rich and corporations. - Close corporate tax loopholes. - Restitution to workers' pensions. - Strong regulation of financial industry. - Regulation and public ownership of utilities - Prosecute corporate polluters. Public works program to clean our air, water and land - Aid to cities and states. Federally funded infrastructure repair and social service programs Foreign Policy for Peace and Justice - No to war with Iraq - End military interventions - Repeal Fast Track and NAFTA, stop Free Trade Area of the Americas(FTAA). No secrecy. - Save Salt II Agreements, reject Star Wars and Nuclear Posture Review -Abolish nuclear weapons - End military interventions. - Cut military budget and fund human needs. Defend Democracy and Civil Rights - End racial profiling. - Repeal the death penalty. - Enforce civil rights laws and affirmative action. - Repeal USA Patriot Act. - Legalization and protection of immigrant's rights. - Public financing of elections. Overall election law reform including Instant Runoff Voting. - Youth and student bill of rights. Guarantee youth's right to earn,learn and live.

Doesn't this remind you of something else. Had I changed the heading to "Democrat Party Immediate program for the crisis" would you have known the difference. Seems to me like the left is 100% in line with Communist thought. Something to think about. Oh, something else for you to think about USSR 52,977,000 China 39,611,000 German 20,946,000 Japan 5,964,000 Cambodia 2,035,000 Turkey 1,883,000 Vietnam 1,670,000 Poland 1,585,000 Pakistan 1,503,03 Yugoslavia 1,072,000 North Korea 1,563,000 Mexico 1,417,000 Portugal 741,000 Indonesia 729,000 These numbers represent the number of civilians killed by their government during the 1900's [1]. Each of these governments were either socialist or communists or held striking resemblance to them. Now show me a democratic, capitalist society that has numbers even close to this. In fact show me one that has numbers in the 100's. Even our great depression had no measurable increase in death rates (with the exception of a few stock brokers who jumped out of windows). On my left sidebar I have a picture of "Death by Government" by RJ Rummel. It's something I think everyone should consider reading. Let me leave you with one last thought

Click to Enlarge

[1] Stats and picture from RJ Rummel website http://www2.hawaii.edu/powerkills/welcome.html

Turning The Tables

2005-02-15T07:25:00.000-08:00

Someone sent this to me today. Couple of things I don't agree with, but I think it makes a damn good point.

Down Mexico Way Try crossing our southern border; try going the other way, To enter Mexico illegally for an extended, unlawful stay. Ignore immigration quotas, all their visas and their fees, And quietly slip their border, anytime you damn well please. Just sneak in past the policia, ignoring Mexican laws; You've a desperate need to improve your lot; you have a righteous cause. With Evil Bush in power now, destroying your liberal order, You've a right to seek asylum, to trespass their northern border. Once there, speak English only and demand it in their schools; Forget assimilation, make Mexicanos change their rules. What right do these Latinos have to make you learn their lingo? Tell those churlish campesinos you've the right to remain a gringo. Move right on in, live your own way, ignore their cultural norms, And demand the use of English on all their official forms. Free healthcare is, of course, your right; let poor peones² pay, For bilingual health providers throughout your border-bending stay. Be sure to have a baby just as quickly as you can; A citizen in the family helps legitimize your clan. Then have another three or four, or maybe six or eight; Don't worry how you'll feed them, just demand help from the state. Paisanos paying taxes may resent your reckless breeding, And protest loudly to their states about your gringo kids they're feeding; 'But it's just our way,' is your excuse, 'Brought from our Yanqui land." How dare they question gringo ways they'll never understand? So defend your Anglo ethos; yield not your Yanqui essence; And demand a driver’s license to legitimize your presence. Just so you know what you've done wrong in case of policia stops, Insist the Federales must teach English to all cops. Make Mexicans accept your ways, make them your pliant fools; Demand a Yanqui culture course be taught in all their schools. So what you paid no taxes; when you're an old gringo who will care? File for your Seguridad Social, after all, you're due your share. If all this sounds preposterous, an irrational expectation, Dems are demanding it for Illegals now in our multicultural nation. Russ

Buckley Prays For Pope to Pass

2005-02-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, while I believe that the Pope should consider retiring if his illness is truly impacting his decision making, this is going a little too far. Buckley is wishing for the Pope to die. That is like asking for a key to hell. http://www.nationalreview.com/buckley/buckley200502091428.asp

House Finally Deal With Illegal Immigration - And Mexico Hates It

2005-02-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

Feb 10, 8:42 PM (ET)
By SUZANNE GAMBOA
WASHINGTON (AP) - The House voted Thursday to make states verify that they're not giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and to grant judges broader power to deport political asylum seekers they suspect may be terrorists.
The legislation, passed by a 261-161 vote, also would allow the completion of a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border south of San Diego by waiving environmental hurdles.
States would have three years to comply with the new federal standards dictating what features driver's licenses must have. They could still issue special driving permits to illegal aliens, but those permits would not be recognized as identities for boarding airlines or allowing entry to federal buildings.
Republicans said the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers had multiple driver's licenses that enabled them to slip through security and board the planes they flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and that crashed into the ground in Pennsylvania. "There was a time when identification fraud was a matter of concern, principally, to bouncers and bartenders. But that was before Sept. 11, 2001," said Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. Ten states now don't require license applicants to prove they are citizens or legal residents: Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Utah. Tennessee issues driving certificates to people who cannot prove they are legal residents. "Today there are over 350 valid driver's license designs issued by the 50 states," said the bill's author, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis. "We all know it's very difficult for security officials at airports to tell the real ID cards from the counterfeit ones." Governors, state legislatures and motor vehicle departments protested the bill, calling it a costly mandate that forces states to take on the role of immigration officers. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would cost local, state and tribal governments $120 million over the next five years. "The federal government can't seem to track the people it lets in the country, so it wants to put that burden off onto the states," said Cheye Calvo, a policy analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures. A similar measure was rejected by Congress and the White House in December when it was part of a bill reorganizing intelligence agencies. It won the Bush administration's support this week but still faces stiff opposition in the Senate. The bill is drawing criticism from Mexico as well, particularly its call to complete the building of a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border south of San Diego. "We oppose those measures and that our migrants be denied driver's licenses," said Interior Secretary Santiago Creel. "We're against building any wall between our two countries because they are walls that increase our differences." Democrats tried but failed to strip the bill of provisions that would let judges deport asylum seekers if they find inconsistencies in their claims rather than let them remain in the country until appeals are exhausted. "We might as well say, 'If you are being persecuted or you are being abused as a woman or raped as a child, don't come to America.' They are raising the bar beyond the abilities of the individuals that are fleeing persecution," said Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla. --- The bill is H.R. 418

Do we really give a rat's butt what Mexico thinks about our interest in protecting ourselves? I am glad to see that we are finally acting in a sensible matter to address the illegal immigration cancer. As far as Meek's comments, if I am not mistaken, the bill calls for deportation if there are inconsistencies in an individuals story. If they can't keep their story straight, then they are lying. DEPORT THEM.

Liberal Terrorists At It Again

2005-02-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

A Sacramento Couple have decided to protest the war by hanging this simulated Soldier by a noose. http://www.thekcrachannel.com/news/4180042/detail.html

Public Outcry Over Shooting Of 13 Year Old - But For Wrong Reasons

2005-02-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

Reaction Mounts To Fatal Los Angeles Police Shooting Of 13-Year-Old
GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Angry residents and community leaders in South Los Angeles questioned why police shot a 13-year-old boy suspected of stealing a car.
Police fired 10 rounds into a car driven by Devin Brown, who was unarmed, after he led them on a 3 1/2-mile chase and then backed into their cruiser early Sunday.
The boy, an eighth-grader at a magnet school for gifted youth, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 14-year-old passenger was arrested and booked on charges of grand auto theft.
"I know he was wrong for stealing a car, but what I really don't understand is the police have had so much training,'' said Carmen Dorsey, 38, a church youth leader who visited a memorial Monday honoring Brown.
Dozens throughout the day had gathered at a memorial of flowers, candles and balloons on a street corner near the spot where Brown was shot.
Some visitors said Brown loved to play football and basketball and was interested in history, his favorite subject at Audubon Middle School, where he was enrolled in a charter program for the gifted.
Signs were displayed, criticizing police for the shooting. One read, "LAPD ... Thank you for giving us yet another reason to dislike your services. We have seen enough deaths caused by you and do not agree with your execution of yet another young black male. You are a cancer to the community.''
Police declined to comment on the case beyond a printed statement that summarized the event and another that identified the officers involved in the shooting. They are nine-year veteran Steven Garcia, 31, who fired the shots, and six-year veteran, Dana Grant, 26. Both have been assigned to desk duty during the investigation.
Police initially said Brown was a suspected gang member, but a spokeswoman said that investigators couldn't immediately confirm a gang affiliation.
Friends and neighbors said the teen had recently begun skipping school and spending time with gang members after his father's death last year. They insisted, however, that he wasn't in a gang.
"It's a bad crowd he was starting to hang with but he wasn't a gang member yet - and I say yet,'' said Kevin Mitchell, a gang prevention specialist who knew Brown and himself a former gang member.
"He was headed that way soon,'' he said. ``God called him before the gang bangers called him.''

While I will agree that there are times that officers may be too aggressive (see my Florida posts), this isn't one of them. A motor vehicle is a very deadly weapon. How many officers have been rundown or killed by a vehicle? While it is tragic that a 13 year old was killed, there was no way for the officers to know who they were dealing with. To them, they were dealing with a male occupant fleeing in a possible stolen car who decided to use their vehicle as a weapon. While I will wait for the final report to pass complete judgment, it appears to me that they had a right to protect themselves. Now had this been an former felon adult, would there be this outcry? I doubt it. The outcry is over the loss of a child. However, what should be asked is.... Why was this kid out joyriding in the middle of the night? Why did this child run from the law? Why did this have to happen? Parental responsibility should not be overlooked in this tragedy. This loss could have been completely prevented. Not by Mayor Hahn's Monday Morning Quarterbacking policy changes. By changes in the home. Hahn, whoring for votes is not the way to go. Without full understanding of this incident you should have kept you mouth shut and just promised a full investigation. I hope you find your butt on the streets come the next election.

Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan, Great American Hero

2005-02-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

Today would have been Ronald Reagan's 94th Birthday. May your well deserved place in Heaven have a great bash for you today. Jackson's Junction has a great piece on him at http://www.treyjackson.typepad.com/

The Real Civil Rights Party

2005-02-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

In consideration of Black History Month, there are a few things that I want to remind people of. To stop the Democrats' pro-slavery agenda, anti-slavery activist founded the Republican Party, starting with a few dozen men and women in Ripon, Wisconsin on March 20, 1854 In 1860, Republicans swept to victory in the White House and won majorities in both houses of Congress. Just six years after the party's founding, the Governor of every Northern state in America was Republican. Despite Fierce Democrat opposition, Republicans passed constitutional amendments banning slavery, extending the Bill of Rights to the states, guaranteeing equal protection of the laws and due process to all citizens, and extending the right to vote to persons of all races and backgrounds. Republicans enacted the first Civil Rights act. Republicans led the fight for women's rights, and most suffragists were Republicans. Susan B. Anthony was Republican (voted a Republican ticket illegally in 1872) as were co-founders of the NCAAP Ida Wells and Marry Terrell. A Republican, Aaron Sargent wrote the women's suffrage amendment in 1878. Democrats who bitterly opposed equality for blacks founded the Ku Klux Klan. Every African American in Congress until 1935 was Republican. The first Black House Representative, Black Senator and Black Governor were all Republicans. The First Hispanic Governor of California was Republican. Brown vs. Board of Education was written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, a Republican. The first African American (J.C Watts) to hold a leadership position in the house was a Republican. Republicans overrode the Democratic President Andrew Johnson veto granting voting rights to African Americans in D.C. On February 3, 1870 Republicans voted 98% for while Democrats voted 97% against the 15th Amendment granting voting rights to all Americans regardless of race. Republican federal judge Frank Johnson authorizes Martin Luther King's protest march from Selma to Montgomery, overruling Democrat Governor George Wallace. Republican President Richard Nixon makes Rear Admiral Samuel Gravely the first African-American to achieve Flag Rank in the U.S Navy. Booker T. Washington was a Republican. Henry Flipper, the first African American to graduate from West Point was nominated by Republican Representative James Freeman. The nations first African-American Lt. Governor Oscar Dunn (who was once a slave) was Republican. President Reagan promoted the nation's first African American Four Star General, Roscoe Robinson. Republican Justice Department official Joan Doar escorted James Meridith to register as the first African-American student at the University of Mississippi (in defiance of Democrat Governor Ross Barnett).

Republican George H.W Bush appointed the first Hispanic Surgeon General. Jackie Robinson was a Republican. President Ronal Reagan made Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday. Martin Luther King and Ralph Abernathy both voted Republican. The first and second African-American Secretaries of State (Colin Powell and Condeleeza Rice), were nominated by Republican President George W. Bush. Abraham Lincoln was a Republican.

Who is the real party for minorities?

some information obtained through the Republican Freedom Calendar.

Florida Has Their School Justice System All Jacked Up

2005-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Wrestlers Accused of Hog-Tying Teammate, Zapping Him With Grill Igniter
DELTONA, Fla. -- Three high school wrestlers face expulsion based on accusations they hog-tied a learning-disabled teammate and zapped him with a grill igniter.
Officials call it a hazing prank that went too far.
None of the boys were arrested but Volusia County's sheriff's office filed felony complaints with prosecutors, seeking felony charges of aggravated battery and false imprisonment.
The three and two other wrestlers, including the 17-year-old alleged victim, also accused of hazing, have been recommended for expulsion. School officials suspended all five.
School officials said two hazing incidents occurred in a wrestling practice room at the high school Tuesday. Officials learned of the hazing incidents when the 17-year-old, who deputies say participated in the first incident, told a physical education teacher about the second.

and another story

10-Year-Old Accused Of Raping Classmate POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- A 10-year-old boy has been suspended from a Pompano Beach elementary school amid allegations he raped an 8-year-old classmate. The alleged attack happened last Friday at Sanders Park Elementary School. A school spokesman said an investigation began Monday and the decision was made Wednesday to suspend the boy. Counseling is available to both the boy and girl. The Broward Sheriff's Office is also investigating the incident.

Wait, let me get this right. You hog tie and shock someone and you get suspended (maybe expelled) but not taken away in handcuffs. You RAPE someone and get suspended but not taken away in handcuffs. Yet you draw a cartoon with stick figures in a violent confrontation and you get suspended, handcuffed and hauled away to jail charged with a felony. HOLY CRAP! Florida really is jacked up. If only the young rapist had drawn a picture of a boobie or something, then we would have him on death row. If you dont know what I am talking about read through my other stories. Can we ask for a little common sense and consistency here. What I will admit is that maybe I was wrong about tasing the 2nd graders.. Sounds like kids in Florida need some serious action. What are they putting in the Lunchables down there?

Letter From A Great American To A Commie Dim-wit

2005-02-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

Dear Carl, I will try to show a bit of restraint here.
I'm tired of the bullshit.
We will set aside the fact that you believe in communism. Let's just address the bulk of you in sweeping generalizations, since that seems to be the only way in which you see those of us who believe in Democracy. Fair is fair, right?
You came here asking how the people of Iraq could possibly be free and you wanted examples. As I expected, all you offered as your proof that they are not was an opinion piece written by someone from the Anti-War and International Action Center. A very biased source if ever I saw one.
Again, I'm tired of the bullshit.
Since September 11, 2001, you and the many groups with whom you associate have contended that George Bush and the Republican party were behind the attacks on American citizens on American soil. It was either that or the evil empire that capitalism built that brought the attention of the terrorists unto us.
I've listened as you and many other protesters insist that people around the world hate us because we are a nation built on dreams of a better life, of Liberty, of determining our own fate as long as we act within the guidelines that we call laws.
Time after time, I have listened as protesters claimed that everything this country stands for is wrong. I've listened and read how our ideals are flawed. I've driven past people holding upside down American flags painted with swastikas and signs claiming that we are little more than murderers.
I'm tired of the bullshit.
You and the other protesters claim to be interested in the basic needs of people around the world. Yet, I have seen you do little more than stand around yelling angry slogans. I have seen no one reaching out a helping hand.
Over a year ago, I became involved with an organization called Spirit of America. It's a non-partisan group of individuals interested in helping those in need. Specifically the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. People who have lived in fear, under brutal regimes, terrified to utter a single word of dissent against those who led their countries into poverty and despair. Through Spirit of America, I was able to help those people. We sent school and medical supplies. We raised money to help them build water treatment facilities, homes, education centers, hospitals, businesses, and the basic infrastructures for their cities so that they might live in places where they could access whatever they required to lead better lives.
Where were you? Where were the people who dress up in costumes and burn flags? Where were the hands that could have helped lift up the oppressed and guide them safely to their destinies - whatever they may be? Where?
I'll tell you where you were.
You were standing on the streets here in the good ol' United States of America. Safe from firing squads that the people in Afghanistan and Iraq would have had to face should they attempt the same.
You'll still be standing there next week, next month, next year. Because you refuse to accept reality.And meanwhile, my friends and I were working to send REAL PEOPLE REAL MATERIALS to improve their existence. We came together to do good and to bring hope.
I also became involved with Protest Warrior as a means of providing a voice to all of my fellow countrymen and women who felt that they dare not speak out because they didn't want to face your taunts or threats. I wasn't afraid to speak out and I'm not afraid to speak out now. In America, all voices have the right engage in free speech. You and your friends claim that we are attempting to deny you your right to speak, but that's so very far from true. We're simply taking the opportunity to offer another perspective because, frankly, we've spent the last three years listening to the same stale complaints from protesters.
I am so very tired of the bullshit, Carl.
As I read through the opinion piece that you posted in my comments, I wasn't surprised by anything contained therein. I've heard it before and I know I'll hear it again. You have offered nothing new. I hear from you, verbatim, whatever it is that International A.N.S.W.E.R. or the International Action Center has deemed to be their official statement. You follow their script to the letter. You blindly mouth whatever they tell you, selfishly focused on your own agenda, doing nothing to actually help anyone. Heaven forbid you should see an ounce of good in anything.
From you and the other protesters, we get nothing but complaints and negativity. I have seen no effort on your part to do anything more than stand angrily and sneer at those who have actively sought to bring about change in the world.
Freedom was made possible in Afghanistan and Iraq by those willing to think beyond themselves. We may not be perfect in our attempts, but at least we're doing something. From the men and women in our military who give their time and their lives, to those of us who work here, on the home front, we're DOING - actively, physically, doing - something to ensure that others might know the sweet taste of hope and Liberty. We don't merely give lip service to our beliefs, we act on them.
Instead of sowing the seeds of discontent, we sow the seeds of freedom. We're willing to work to improve the lives of others. And where are you? Still on the corner with your mean-spirited signs and your angry faces. We seek to unite, you seek to bring division.
Sorry, but I'd much rather look at the smiling, happy, and hopeful faces of those who are waking up to freedom.
None of these groups you rally with want to see anything positive coming from the Middle East. No matter what happens, you will pick at the fiber of the happiness of the Afghanis and Iraqis, because it doesn't fit your agenda.
We who believe in Democracy are not so noble that we don't see the loss and the anguish that comes before the joy. We just happen to accept that change often comes from deep sorrow. We know that the innocent lives of those murdered by tyrants and despots can never be brought back to life by the casting of ballots. We know that the blood of our fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters sent to foreign lands is red and real. And yet, they were willing to go. So we accepted their decisions. We chose to accept their selfless sacrifices were worth the dream of eventual peace and Liberty. To claim anything less is to dishonor their spirits and to deny their families the legacy of true heroes.
Call me brainwashed and mindless. You've done it before. But you know what? At least I don't speak the same words that everyone else I know is speaking. I don't walk around with a scowl fixed to my face 24/7. I can smile, knowing that my actions have brought joy and hope to the lives of many. I can hold my head high, knowing that Iraq (and Afghanistan) is rising, like a phoenix, from the ashes of tyranny to the golden promise of Liberty.
I look forward to the day when you can think beyond yourself and your agenda, Carl. I just won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

Amen! Why are there so many like Carl out there? Such fools that support Communism and Socialism. How can they deny so many years of history? History has proved to us that big government is good for absolutely no one. Millions have suffered because of those who believe as Carl does. Communists and Socialist governments have slaughtered their very own people repeatedly for the sake of the whole. In the 20th Century alone such governments killed at least 170 million. Communist N. Korea is starving their own people and depriving them from any and all liberties even in this day and age. Stalin killed nearly 54 million citizens in his attempt to secure a Communist state. China went on to kill nearly 35 million citizens in the development of their Communist Anthill. Essentially, 1 of 20 were killed in Mao's attempt to create a Marxist state. The Socialist party of Germany (also known as the Nazis) slaughtered close to 20 million for their absurd Socialist agenda. Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge wiped out close to 40% of the Cambodian Population in less than 5 years. All to support "the Angkar" or the government. Communism and Socialism present strong governments that go unchecked. The governments are corrupt in ways Americans have never seen and their overzealous attempt at perfect societies has never resulted in anything other than death and destruction. People like Carl protest when the state tries to execute people like Kevin Cooper. Cooper who slaughtered an entire family in Chino is still alive after 20 years. Yet in Communists governments thousands are killed annually without any due process and for no reason at all. Also, as a final thought. With the exception of our own Civil War, when have two Democracies ever gone to battle with each other? When have two Democracies attacked each other? When has a Democracy invaded and occupied another country? And don't use Iraq as an example because you are extremely wrong about that. We did not invade to occupy. We invaded to liberate. We didn't invade for oil (otherwise why am I paying 2.40 a gallon for gas). We invaded to give the Iraqi people freedom from oppression and freedom from tyranny. Keep studying W.E.B Du Bois and Herbert Marcuse Carl. Keep distorting the facts and living the lie. Keep on your rabid path to self-destruction. And those of us out here will keep attacking your ideology at ever corner. Those of us out there who are Tired of Your Bullshit!

Best Liberal Editorial I have Ever Read

2005-02-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

What if Bush has been right about Iraq all along? BY MARK BROWN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Maybe you're like me and have opposed the Iraq war since before the shooting started -- not to the point of joining any peace protests, but at least letting people know where you stood. You didn't change your mind when our troops swept quickly into Baghdad or when you saw the rabble that celebrated the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue, figuring that little had been accomplished and that the tough job still lay ahead. Despite your misgivings, you didn't demand the troops be brought home immediately afterward, believing the United States must at least try to finish what it started to avoid even greater bloodshed. And while you cheered Saddam's capture, you couldn't help but thinking I-told-you-so in the months that followed as the violence continued to spread and the death toll mounted. By now, you might have even voted against George Bush -- a second time -- to register your disapproval. But after watching Sunday's election in Iraq and seeing the first clear sign that freedom really may mean something to the Iraqi people, you have to be asking yourself: What if it turns out Bush was right, and we were wrong? It's hard to swallow, isn't it? Americans cross own barrier If you fit the previously stated profile, I know you're fighting the idea, because I am, too. And if you were with the president from the start, I've already got your blood boiling. For those who've been in the same boat with me, we don't need to concede the point just yet. There's a long way to go. But I think we have to face the possibility. I won't say that it had never occurred to me previously, but it's never gone through my mind as strongly as when I watched the television coverage from Iraq that showed long lines of people risking their lives by turning out to vote, honest looks of joy on so many of their faces. Some CNN guest expert was opining Monday that the Iraqi people crossed a psychological barrier by voting and getting a taste of free choice (setting aside the argument that they only did so under orders from their religious leaders). I think it's possible that some of the American people will have crossed a psychological barrier as well. Deciding democracy's worth On the other side of that barrier is a concept some of us have had a hard time swallowing: Maybe the United States really can establish a peaceable democratic government in Iraq, and if so, that would be worth something. Would it be worth all the money we've spent? Certainly. Would it be worth all the lives that have been lost? That's the more difficult question, and while I reserve judgment on that score until such a day arrives, it seems probable that history would answer yes to that as well. I don't want to get carried away in the moment. Going to war still sent so many terrible messages to the world. Most of the obstacles to success in Iraq are all still there, the ones that have always led me to believe that we would eventually be forced to leave the country with our tail tucked between our legs. (I've maintained from the start that if you were impressed by the demonstrations in the streets of Baghdad when we arrived, wait until you see how they celebrate our departure, no matter the circumstances.) In and of itself, the voting did nothing to end the violence. The forces trying to regain the power they have lost -- and the outside elements supporting them -- will be no less determined to disrupt our efforts and to drive us out. Somebody still has to find a way to bring the Sunnis into the political process before the next round of elections at year's end. The Iraqi government still must develop the capacity to protect its people. And there seems every possibility that this could yet end in civil war the day we leave or with Iraq becoming an Islamic state every bit as hostile to our national interests as was Saddam. Penance could be required But on Sunday, we caught a glimpse of the flip side. We could finally see signs that a majority of the Iraqi people perceive something to be gained from this brave new world we are forcing on them. Instead of making the elections a further expression of "Yankee Go Home," their participation gave us hope that all those soldiers haven't died in vain. Obviously, I'm still curious to see if Bush is willing to allow the Iraqis to install a government that is free to kick us out or to oppose our other foreign policy efforts in the region. So is the rest of the world. For now, though, I think we have to cut the president some slack about a timetable for his exit strategy. If it turns out Bush was right all along, this is going to require some serious penance. Maybe I'd have to vote Republican in 2008.

Considering the recent actions of Pelosi, Reid, Boxer and Kerry you my not be the only one Mark. Democrats are leaning so far left that their base is shrinking. While I am without a doubt a conservative, I never want one party to have too much control. But to prevent this, Democrats have got to go through an extreme makeover. Their ideologies are not in accordance with most Americans. Conservative support among Hispanics, blacks and Catholics is on the rise. Democrats are losing their traditional strongholds. Keep choosing the Howard Deans of the world to represent your party, keep ignoring the ills of Social Security and other entitlements, keep denying that freedom is contagious and the recent vote in Iraq is the dawn of a new age. Because if you do keep this up, then I wont have work so hard in the next election. Safe seats will be common in Republican districts and extinct in Democrat ones.

Germans Struggling To Find Work

2005-02-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

European Economies: German Jobless Rise to Record Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- German unemployment jumped to the highest since World War II as new rules added welfare recipients to the jobless register, clouding the outlook for Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in elections this month. The number of people out of work in January rose by 227,000 to 4.71 million in seasonally adjusted terms, including 230,000 new jobless claimants, the Nuremberg-based Federal Labor Agency said today. The adjusted unemployment rate rose to 11.4 percent, a seven-year high, while the unadjusted jobless total passed 5 million for the first time since the war. Schroeder's government had cut jobless benefits and forced claimants to take low-paid jobs in an attempt to get more people into work in Europe's largest economy. The chancellor was campaigning today in Schleswig-Holstein, where his Social Democratic Party is trying to hold on to power in the Feb. 20 state elections. ``The psychological significance of 5 million unemployed could be very damaging for the government,'' said Hans-Juergen Hoffmann, managing director of Hamburg-based opinion-research company Psephos GmbH. ``The rise in unemployment will make the campaign more difficult.'' Schroeder told reporters in Husum in Schleswig-Holstein that today's figures were ``depressing, but they are honest.''

Here we see a government that truly borders on socialist with their Social Democrat Party showing exactly why it doesn't work. Now to all of you that were out there threatening to move to Europe, especially Germany here is your chance. I don't think you wanted to work anyway.

IRAQI'S VOTE BY THE MILLIONS

2005-01-31T17:48:00.000-08:00

Iraqi citizen 83-year-old Shukria Abdul Kadir, casts her vote in the Iraqi general election - the first time she has ever voted

Terror Has Been Defeated Says Iraq PM

Iraq's interim leader has called on the country to unite following the weekend's historic elections and says terrorists have been defeated.Speaking in a televised address for the first time since the election, Interim Prime Minister Ayd Allawi said: "I call upon those who cast their ballot and those who did not to unite.

"The terrorists have been defeated."

Votes cast in Iraq's first democratic elections for half a century are being counted today as officials estimated at least 60% of Iraqis defied militant violence to go to the polls.

Earlier Prime Minister Tony Blair said the elections had dealt "a blow to the heart of global terrorism", while US president George Bush hailed them as "a resounding success".

Foriegn Scretary Jack Straw said the elections were a blow against the violence and intimidation carried out by the insurgents.

He said the elections "went better" than many had anticipated.

Iraqi election officials said turn-out among the 14 million eligible voters appeared higher than the 57% that had been predicted, while United Nations officials described the process as "representative and fair".

The Shia-dominated south and Kurdish north hailed the election as a spectacular success, claiming a turnout of as high as 70%.

But these relatively peaceful areas proved a stark contrast to the rebel towns of Fallujah and Ramadi, where violence stopped all attempts at polling.

In a brief statement at 10 Downing Street, Mr Blair said: "Democracy in Iraq is not just good for Iraq itself. It is also a blow right to the heart of the global terrorism that threatens destruction not just in Iraq but in Britain and virtually every major country around the world."

Speaking at the White House within hours of polling stations closing, Mr Bush said: "The world is hearing the voice of freedom from the centre of the Middle East.

"In great numbers and in great risk, Iraqis have shown their commitment to democracy." Polling officials counted ballot papers into the night and delivered them by armed guard to regional centres. The papers will be sent on for recounting in the capital.

It is still unclear when final results will be declared, with some estimating it could be weeks until those elected to the new 275-member national assembly are named.

The assembly will draft new laws and pave the way for further elections in December, when the people will decide on a fully constitutional government.

Where is the massive bloodshed? Where is the low voter turnout? Where is the corruption? There voter turnout was as good as or better than ours. Now what do you have to complain about?

Time To Stop Illegal Immigration Nonsense - Help Needed

2005-01-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

February 11th is the last day to send in your signed petition to Save the future of our state. Gil Cedillo and his band of misfits have introduced a number of laws seeking driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Including SB1160 which became AB2895.

The bill would have... • Repealed existing law that requires every applicant for an original driver's license or identification card to submit satisfactory proof that the applicant's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law. (So basically if your here ILLEGALLY - that's okay) • Repealed the law that prohibits the DMV from issuing driver's licenses to individuals who fail to provide proof of citizenship. (With each vist to America you get a free license) • Allowed the use of a federal taxpayer identification number or other number approved by the DMV in lieu of a social security number for driver's license applicants. (How about the number to the coyote that brought you over here) • Required the DMV to accept a combination of: Matricula consular cards issued by the government of Mexico, foreign driver's licenses, foreign passports, foreign military identification cards, and foreign birth certificates for applicants for driver's licenses. (In addition they will take ID badges available at Rite Aid. Just add a photo and handwrite your information in the appropriate spots. The best thing is they come with a free plastic badge that says Sheriff) • Required these applicants to submit to the Department of Justice a full set of fingerprints for the purpose of state and federal criminal background checks. (Yes, because we have fingerprint data on all terrorists who cross our border) • Prohibit the department from issuing a driver's license to a person on whom it receives a report indicating that the applicant has been convicted of a public offense, other than the offense of driving without a driver's license. (Just ask the corrupt Mexican Government if they have committed a crime, they will tell you) • Required the department to charge a fee to these applicants sufficient to cover the costs incurred by the Department of Justice, but not more than $60. (Of course we can make a little money off of it) • Required all applications for an original or renewal driver's license to contain documentation acceptable to the department showing the applicant is presently residing in this state. (Have one of your friends take a picture of you dropping your kids off at school, or better yet show them an ambulance and hospital bill - You may have to pull it out of the trash because you hadn't planned on paying it)

California's illegal immigrant population is costing the state's taxpayers more than $10.5 billion per year for education, medical care and incarceration. Even if you took out the tax contributions made by illegals there is still a $9 billion deficit. The cost to you and me, $1,183 per native-born resident household EACH YEAR. Where does the money go?

Education. Based on estimates of the illegal immigrant population in California and documented costs of K-12 schooling, Californians spend approximately $7.7 billion annually on education for illegal immigrant children and for their U.S.-born siblings. Nearly 15 percent of the K-12 public school students in California are children of illegal aliens.
Health care. Uncompensated medical outlays for health care provided to the state's illegal alien population amount to about $1.4 billion a year.
Incarceration. The cost of incarcerating illegal aliens in California's prisons and jails amounts to about $1.4 billion a year (not including related law enforcement and judicial expenditures or the monetary costs of the crimes that led to their incarceration).

State and local taxes paid by the unauthorized immigrant population go toward offsetting these costs, but they do not come near to matching the expenses. The total of such payments can generously be estimated at about $1.6 billion per year.

The fiscal costs of illegal immigration do not end with these three major cost areas. The total costs of illegal immigration to the state's taxpayers would be considerably higher if other cost areas such as special English instruction, school feeding programs, or welfare benefits for American workers displaced by illegal alien workers were added into the equation. [1]

And who is suffering the most? Hispanics and Blacks. Think of it this way. Most illegals are not living in and using the schools, hospitals and roads of Bel Air. Instead they are littered throughout our poorer communities. Communities that are often occupied by other legal hispanics and blacks. Multiple generation hispanics and legal immigrants are deprived of their right because the influx of illegals are overwhelming the system. Our children aren't provided adequate education because of the dollars spent on illegal immigrants. Hospitals are saturated as a result of overpopulation and closing of other hospitals that couldn't fiscally survive. Basic services are being cut due to budget problems yet were are spending at least $9 billion a year on illegals. We are in a time of complete idiotic state. Our legislatures who appear to be more less representatives of the Mexican Government have got to be stopped. Please help by downloading a copy of the petition at www.saveourlicense.com. Any signatures you collect will work towards putting the Save Our License initiative on the November ballot.

The are four major parts to the Save Our License Initiative. 1. The government shall not authorize or provide driver's licenses or government identification cards, in-state college tuition discounts, welfare and other tax-funded benefits to illegal aliens. 2. The State must defend this amendment against any and all challenges in state or federal court. 3. Private citizens have the right to sue the State or local government to insure compliance with this amendment. 4. Government officials and elected officials who willfully violate this amendment may be held personally liable for the costs of litigation. The Save Our License Initiative puts the power back into the hands of the people by giving them the ability to enforce violations of this constitutional amendment, and hold those who violate the amendment personally liable for damages. This initiative specifically exempts any benefits that are required under federal law.

This isn't a matter of race. This has nothing to do with legal immigrants. This has to do with protecting citizens and doing what is right. I am hispanic and am appalled by those that come here illegally. There are millions who are waiting to come here legally and, waiting patiently to do what is right. I welcome those immigrants and look forward to their contributions. But those that cross the border through broken fences are cancers to our society. They are criminals and should not be rewarded. And for those of you in Hollyweird looking to get your nannys licenses. I think it is time for the government to investigate you on charges of hiring illegal immigrants and harboring criminals. You cheap bastards! Pay for American laborers, not discounted illegal labor. Those of you still not convinced see my link to escaping justice. You can hear the story of how one illegal immigrate ripped the life and soul out of Sheriff Deputies wife. I listened to her speak last night and it tears me up knowing that her loss was preventable. I will write about her in a later post, once I get more information. [1] info obtain from Federation for American Immigration reform

Democrat Staffer Arrested For Disorderly Conduct

2005-01-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Inaugural run-in for Reid aide By Geoff Earle An aide to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was arrested on the West Front of the Capitol for disorderly conduct during President Bush’s inaugural address last week. The aide, Nathan Ackerman, is a television producer on the Senate Democratic Communications Committee — an organization that was folded into Reid’s new communications “war room.” About 20 minutes into Bush’s speech, Ackerman, 36, and another man held up a sheet that said “No War.” According to a Capitol Police report, Ackerman and another suspect “were blocking the view of the audience and they were engaged in a verbal dispute with members of the audience.” The report states that Capitol Police officers told Ackerman and the other suspect to relinquish the sign or be arrested but that “neither complied and both were placed under arrest.” The report did not name either suspect, although Ackerman’s identity was confirmed with the Capitol Police. The other suspect had been standing on his chair and “continued to display the banner and argue with members of the audience” before the arrest, according to the report. Ackerman’s arrest was aired on national television by ABC News on Inauguration Day, although he has not previously been named or identified as a Senate employee. The charge, a misdemeanor, carries a $25 fine. But it also brings some unwelcome publicity to Reid, who is trying to mount a unified party opposition to Bush’s policies without resorting to tactics normally employed in the street. Ackerman said that he was acting on his own and that no one in Reid’s operation encouraged him to undertake the protest. Jim Manley, Reid’s communications director, declined to comment, other than to say that Ackerman’s “actions were not anything that Senator Reid condones or supports.” Manley said that he would not talk further about what he called a personnel issue and that Ackerman had Inauguration Day off, as many Senate staffers did. Reid voted for a 2002 resolution granting the president authority to go to war in Iraq, although many Senate Democrats have been increasingly critical of how the administration has executed the war and its toll of casualties. In an interview, Ackerman said that he got his inaugural ticket — which placed him in close proximity to Bush, members of Congress and other dignitaries — from a well-dressed attendee who had extras. He said that when he first acquired the ticket, he didn’t realize what a good seat he had gotten. “I didn’t think I was doing anything illegal,” he said, referring to his sign, which Capitol Police referred to as a banner. “I didn’t yell,” he said. “I did not resist. Other people who had signs were approached and given warnings. I was given no warning. I was immediately shuffled off.” He declined to answer whether he was connected in any way to other protesters who were arrested. As a producer, Ackerman edits video material produced for Democratic senators but does not have a role in developing party strategy. Ackerman, who said he plans to plead not guilty to the charge that he was “disorderly, loud and boisterous,” said that he thought his sign was within size restrictions and that he saw a government placard posting limits on the allowable size of signs at a security checkpoint. But a Capitol Police spokesman, Sgt. Michael Lauer, said the Inaugural Committee clearly prohibits signs and banners. “You’re not allowed to protest on Capitol grounds unless you have permission to do so,” he said. Inaugural invitations issued by the bipartisan inaugural committee listed such prohibited items as explosives, mace, pepper spray, backpacks, coolers, thermos bottles, signs and posters. Mark Goldstone, an attorney representing Ackerman, said Ackerman would probably fight the charge on First Amendment grounds. He said that police allowed pro-Bush signs in the crowd and that there may not have been adequate notice about what items were prohibited. “It’s a political event — it’s not a church service,” he said. Ackerman said that when he held up the sign, he turned his back to Bush so that the crowd could see the sign. After that, Ackerman said, members of the crowd called him a “commie” and began “cursing like I’ve never heard anyone curse before.” Ackerman, who previously worked for ABC News in Los Angeles, described himself as one of a number of Democrats like former Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) who dared to speak out on controversial issues. “Sometimes there’s this persistent notion that if you question the justification of a war, that you are somehow lacking in patriotism,” he said. He said he might defend himself in court next month.“I think it is important at times like this to make people aware … that the country is at an ideological crossroads, and maybe the America being represented by the president isn’t the America that half of us believe in.” He said he is “deeply respectful” of the men and women serving in the armed forces. Ackerman, who was hired by former Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) two years ago, said he considered his activities to be those of a private individual, not a Senate employee. He said he declined opportunities to get tickets to the inauguration through Senate sources and was told by his office that he did not have to come to work on Inauguration Day, although it is not clear whether he reported for work the morning of Jan. 20.Although word of Ackerman’s arrest clearly was not welcomed by Reid’s office, Reid — a former boxer — has advocated a tough political posture. Reid earned media attention around Washington when he created a communications “war room” to launch aggressive attacks on Republicans. “We will use every tool and innovative avenue available to us to get our message out,” he vowed in a November 2004 statement. Asked in December on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about a story in The Hill that outlined his new strategy, Reid replied, “We’re going to communicate with the American people to make sure that they understand the Democrats are in tune with millions of Americans across the country. ”

Can you imagine if one of Gingrich's staff did this during a Clinton inauguration?

Nazis Offering Road Cleanup

2005-01-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

American Nazi Party adopts Salem road The county OKs the group to avoid a free-speech lawsuit Marion County has allowed a Portland-area skinhead group to adopt a rural Salem road as part of a volunteer litter clean-up program. The signs proclaiming that Sunnyview Road NE between Cordon Road and 82nd Avenue is sponsored by the American Nazi Party NSM were installed Monday. County officials say they were legally advised that excluding the organization would violate a constitutional right to free speech. Their choices, they said, were: allow the group to join the program, remove all of the signs from the program or refuse the group and risk a lawsuit. Commissioner Sam Brentano said he wanted to turn the organization down anyway and face whatever lawsuits came. He was outnumbered by commissioners Patti Milne and Janet Carlson. The commissioners did not vote on the issue, but gave staff direction by consensus. Milne said she considers it strictly a constitutional issue that goes to the core of being American. Carlson said she didn't want to end a good program for many volunteers as a way to keep this group from joining. Several local residents, some of them who live on Sunnyview Road, said they are upset that the county would allow the signs or attach its own name to that of a hate group.

Does anyone remember the part about yelling "fire" in a crowded building? Free speech is not unabated. There are limitations and this should be one of them.

Children Greatest Threats In Florida

2005-01-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

Students Arrested Over 'Violent' Stick Figure Drawings Pictures Show Classmate Being Stabbed, Hung OCALA, Fla. -- Two boys, ages 9 and 10, were charged with felonies and taken away from school in handcuffs, accused of making violent drawings of stick figures. The boys were arrested Monday on charges of making a written threat to kill or harm another person, a second-degree felony. The special education students used pencil and red crayon to draw primitive stick figure scenes on scrap paper that showed a 10-year-old classmate being stabbed and hung, police said. "The officer found they were drawing these pictures for the sole purpose of intimidating and scaring the victim," said Ocala Police Sgt. Russ Kern. The boy depicted in the drawings told his teacher, who took the sketches and contacted the school dean, Marty Clifford. Clifford called police, who arrested the boys after consulting with the State Attorney's Office. They were also suspended from school.

COME ON! Look at the bold print Two boys, ages 9 and 10/charged with felonies/taken away/in handcuffs/making violent drawings of stick figures/special education students Does anyone else see this as excessive? Yes, the children should be suspended. Yes, they should have to go to counseling or some sort of diversion. Yes, there is an issue here. But a felony criminal issue, that is excessive. Sounds like Florida has an issue with restraint. Remember this one

MIAMI -- Police have acknowledged using a stun gun to immobilize a 12-year-old girl just weeks after an officer jolted a first-grader with 50,000 volts. Police Director Bobby Parker defended the decision to use a Taser on the 6-year-old boy last month because he was threatening to injure himself with a shard of glass. But Parker said Friday that he could not defend the decision to shock the fleeing girl, who was skipping school and apparently drunk. According to the incident report, officer William Nelson responded to a complaint that children were swimming in a pool, drinking alcohol and smoking cigars on the morning of Nov. 5. http://www.nbc6.net/news/3916509/detail.html

EXCESSIVE!

2005-01-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

Just a brief memo from a friend of mine who was invited to attend the Inauguration. Notice her proudly showing "W" in front of the thousands ...um I mean hundreds....um I mean 6 protestors.

Inauguration 2005 I was lucky enough to get tickets to the 2005 Presidential Inauguration and the Liberty Ball. This was really one of the most amazing experiences of my life. My husband and I arrived Wednesday evening in Washington DC. Not only did banners of red, white, and blue on every building and street greet us, but also every person we met was remarkably friendly. The patriotism in the city was palpable. I was unsure of what to expect. After all negative news coverage urging the President to cancel or “scale down” the events, I was expecting to be showered with Champagne and strawberries on every corner. Instead I saw thousands of Law Enforcement Agents protecting the citizens of this great country. I also noticed a large amount of military personnel of all ranks joining in the festivities. Don’t get me wrong there was a fair share of mink coats but the people wearing them were extremely grateful to the good people who protect them. With the mobs of people lining up to watch the Inaugural Address I didn’t see one fight or argument. And believe me when I say mobs I mean thousands upon thousands of people with frozen feet attempting to get through 3 or 4 small entrances. I would assume that most people were just grateful to be able to witness this history in the making. I was also expecting to see thousands of protestors. In reality, I saw roughly 30 anti-Bush activists. Most of them had vulgar signs and were dressed like homeless people. The best part was they had reserved a park for their conjugation. I think at the peak of participation there were a maximum of 30 people. After this radical left wing group realized they failed in all attempts to override the overpowering support for our President, I noticed that the empty park was littered with trash. So much for environmental friendly protestors! To be fair though when I was getting my hair done for the big evening, my husband decided to watch the rest of the parade. He did see a few more protestors, but nothing like the large scale that the news portrayed. Mostly he saw a sad attempt at Baby Boomers and their children trying to recreate a Vietnam War Peace Rally. I did hear a story of a well-dressed man who was actually spit on while he was trying to get to cross the street. This is yet another example of a classy attempt at getting one’s message across. At the Liberty Ball my husband, a Navy Reserve Lieutenant Junior Grade, was constantly being thanked for his service. People even asked him the best way to donate money, airline miles, etc. to our service men and women. From what I understand Governor Jeb Bush held off giving out Inaugural Ball tickets to some donors so that he could offer tickets to our military personnel first. All in all I am proud to be a part of a party that carries themselves with such dignity and humility, and I am incredibly thankful for this tremendous opportunity.

MOORE SHUT OUT!

2005-01-25T07:33:00.000-08:00

Michael Moore's gamble to hold his hit film "Fahrenheit 9/11" out of the documentary category - to boost its best-picture prospects - backfired. The movie was shut out across the board. Moore won the documentary prize two years ago for "Bowling for Columbine."

And to think, I had given up on hollywood.

But He Says He Was Going To Eat It

2005-01-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

Pet store animals cooked in school Fri Jan 21 2005 08:35:35 ET A Guinea pig and rabbit purchased from a Geauga County pet store ended up on plates at a Cleveland area high school. A 16-year-old student skinned and cooked the animals during a living skills class on Wednesday, prompting student and parent complaints to the Thompson Township Police Department and Geauga Humane Society. Officials at both agencies said they are investigating. Friday editions of the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER detail how the incident may warrant animal cruelty charges. Geauga Humane Officer Sarah Westman said it's illegal to needlessly kill "companion animals" raised for domestic purposes. The student - whose name was not released - described what he did in terms of harvesting meat to fix a dish for classmates, Gage said. The principal described the boy as an active hunter. The Ledgemont district covers the rural communities of Montville and Thompson townships, where killing - and then eating - wild game is fairly common. The hunt, however, usually doesn't take place at Pet Supplies Plus. The boy went to the Chardon store and purchased the Guinea pig and rabbit after coming up empty in the great outdoors.

Peter Singer in enroute already to defend these poor helpless animals. I have a question though, if the guinea pig was 28 days or less old, is it a viable guinea pig? Or is it like a human being? Because Singer says that a human being that is still that young is no different than one in the womb. Both are killable. Well let's hope Singer called in sick to his Professor job at Princeton so he could protest these slayings. Besides, that will get him away from the classroom where he spews hate filled messages of infanticide, late stage abortion, population control, and killing of disabled children. Not only that, I wonder if he will liken this action to that of Jeffrey Dahmer. He seems to make similar comparisons on other issues. Okay, off my high horse. I don't agree with what the kid did either. But I just finished reading all about Singer and needed somewhere to vent my anger.

2005-01-20T23:37:00.000-08:00

I have found the perfect site for educating those intellectual morons out there about the next threat to American Security, Hillary Clinton. Blogs Against Hillary is perfect for sending the message that we cannot afford Hillary in 2008. Even if she is pretending to be moderate. Check out the site soon and often.

Hillary Selling Self For Conservative Votes

2005-01-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

Sen. Clinton urges use of faith-based initiatives On the eve of the presidential inauguration, US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton last night embraced an issue some pundits say helped seal a second term for George W. Bush: acceptance of the role of faith in addressing social ills. In a speech at a fund-raising dinner for a Boston-based organization that promotes faith-based solutions to social problems, Clinton said there has been a "false division" between faith-based approaches to social problems and respect for the separation of church of state. "There is no contradiction between support for faith-based initiatives and upholding our constitutional principles," said Clinton, a New York Democrat who often is mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2008. Addressing a crowd of more than 500, including many religious leaders, at Boston's Fairmont Copley Plaza, Clinton invoked God more than half a dozen times, at one point declaring, "I've always been a praying person." She said there must be room for religious people to "live out their faith in the public square." The issue of faith in politics has been at the center of debate following the presidential election, with some arguing that Bush's strong identification with religious values was a key to his victory over Senator John F. Kerry. The dinner was a fund-raiser for the National TenPoint Leadership Foundation and the Dorchester-based Ella J. Baker House. Both youth outreach programs are directed by the Rev. Eugene F. Rivers 3d, a leader of the clergy-based efforts to stem youth violence in Boston in the 1990s that has become a national model for community-police partnerships. The minister has often criticized established black leaders and liberal politicians, saying they have failed to deal honestly with the problems of youth violence. Rivers said he hoped Clinton's appearance last night would build broader support for an issue on which some Democrats have been skittish. "She is in a position to articulate a progressive vision around this issue of faith and values," Rivers said. "The Clintons, on faith-based solutions, have always been way ahead of the curve," said Rivers, citing President Clinton's support of a 1996 law banning the federal government from discriminating against religious organizations seeking funding available to groups delivering social services. In her speech, Clinton praised the efforts of Rivers and others working to curb youth violence, saying those of faith are often most willing to walk the streets of the country's most dangerous neighborhoods to try to reach young people. Where others "see trouble," she said, Rivers and faith-based soldiers "see God's work right in front of them." Although the senator has insisted that she is focused only on her work in the Senate and constituents in New York (she faces reelection in 2006), talk of another Clinton seeking the White House seems to be a topic of speculation wherever she goes. Mayor Thomas M. Menino got the ball rolling with his introduction of Clinton last night, calling her "the first first lady to be a US senator and maybe the first woman to be something else."

First she attempted to address the immigration issue, now she is stroking the religious vote. Does anyone else see this as whoring for votes? Or has Hillary become a moderate? Yeah Right!

Great Advice

2005-01-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

I picked this story up today from an email and thought it was great. What a perfect way to put things.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee... A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things-your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. "Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

I think it also reminds us that things aren't always as bad as they seem.

Can This Guy Just Get Another Hobby? What An Idiot!

2005-01-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON — The atheist who tried to remove "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to bar the saying of a prayer at President Bush's inauguration.
In an emergency filing, Michael Newdow argued that a prayer at Thursday's ceremony would violate the Constitution by forcing him to accept unwanted religious beliefs. His request has been rejected by two lower courts.
Click here to read the Memorandum Opinion in Newdow v. Bush (FindLaw pdf).
Newdow also asked that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who is designated as the justice to hear emergency appeals for the D.C. Circuit, recuse himself because he is scheduled to swear in Bush and thus has a conflict of interest.
Rehnquist previously has sworn in four presidents since becoming chief justice in 1986. "He has become a fixture in a governmental ceremony that has become infused with sectarian Christian religion and not once — as far as can be determined — has he made the slightest attempt to end that ... violation," Newdow wrote.
If Rehnquist does remove himself, the case will go to the next senior justice, John Paul Stevens, who has the option to refer the appeal to the full court for consideration.
Two lower courts have rejected Newdow's request to ban the prayer, suggesting he couldn't show actual injury in hearing it. In his ruling last week, U.S. District Judge John Bates also said the court did not have authority to stop the president from inviting clergy to give a religious prayer at the ceremony. Attorneys representing Bush and his inaugural committee have argued that prayers have been widely accepted at inaugurals for more than 200 years and that Bush's decision to have a minister recite the invocation was a personal choice the court had no power to prevent. Newdow gained widespread publicity two years ago after winning his pledge case before the San-Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which ruled that public schools violated the separation of church and state by having students mention God. The Supreme Court later threw out the ruling, saying Newdow could not lawfully sue because he did not have custody of his elementary school-age daughter, on whose behalf he sued. Newdow refiled the pledge suit in Sacramento federal court this month, naming eight other parents and children.

Doesn't this guy have something else to work on?

Gay Bomb Being Developed During Clinton Years

2005-01-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Pentagon reveals rejected chemical weapons THE Pentagon considered developing a host of non-lethal chemical weapons that would disrupt discipline and morale among enemy troops, newly declassified documents reveal. Most bizarre among the plans was one for the development of an "aphrodisiac" chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to each other. Provoking widespread homosexual behaviour among troops would cause a "distasteful but completely non-lethal" blow to morale, the proposal says. Other ideas included chemical weapons that attract swarms of enraged wasps or angry rats to troop positions, making them uninhabitable. Another was to develop a chemical that caused "severe and lasting halitosis", making it easy to identify guerrillas trying to blend in with civilians. There was also the idea of making troops' skin unbearably sensitive to sunlight. The proposals, from the US Air Force Wright Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, date from 1994. The lab sought Pentagon funding for research into what it called "harassing, annoying and 'bad guy'-identifying chemicals". The plans have been posted online by the Sunshine Project, an organisation that exposes research into chemical and biological weapons. Spokesman Edward Hammond says it was not known if the proposed $7.5 million, six-year research plan was ever pursued.

I Just couldn't pass this one up.

More Liberal BS

2005-01-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

While reading through the comments left on some earlier posts I came across this exchange of words on my "Still Not Fit To Govern" - January 7th post. While I would typically respond to comments like this myself, this time I will leave it up to the actual writer of the original post.

The First comments come from Matt Breathtakingly hypocritical words from a party that disenfranchised sixty thousand Floridians on mostly invalid bases just before the election involving the brother of the governor of that state."Americans" did not trust their party to govern? As though 49% of this country isn't American because they voted Democratic. Bush wasn't validly elected in the first place (q.v. above) and now, even with the mystique of the presidency on his side, was elected by the smallest margin of any president seeking a second term. And yet you're shouting about how the American people were this and the American people were that. God, and you say WE'RE arrogant. and Darin's response Matt, I realize you make some well-articulated points, but I will defend my article according to the following premises. Doing a basic word search on my 550+ word article would show that the term "American" is displayed a mere three times in reference to voters. I did not imply to say Kerry voters were not American; at the end of the day, there worldviews did not win the election and that's that. Just as Bob Dole and the first George H.W. Bush (1992) were not voted in power; they failed the basic test of statesmanship: get elected. It has been a week since writing this article, and now my reflection is that the Democrats did not do this in hopes of changing the results (removing Ohio's 20 electoral votes would not give Kerry the presidency, given the party composition of the House and Senate), but to de-legitimize this election and give it the same stigma of Florida in 2000 that you speak of. It is not enough for these radicals that even more scrutiny (already two recounts done in Ohio, even though the margin of victory was over 100,000) of Ohio votes would still not merit their candidate the presidency. It is not enough for them to realize that, for the first time since 1988, the winner of the presidential election had a majority (50% + 1) of the popular votes. In 1996, Bill Clinton certainly did not get 51% of the popular vote; that takes out your argument of him being the least popular second-term president. Your comment, "... was elected by the smallest margin of any president seeking a second term" was also worded in a way that would make Bush place above second-term "seekers" such as Jimmy Carter, Herbert Hoover, and his own father. It definitely must rattle your conscience that this President has officially undone the conventional wisdom that there are no coattails in a presidential election. This is the first President since FDR to win election, ushering in a greater number of House and Senate members. That speaks of true mandate-like effects for the conservative agenda. I do not see why you fail to recognize Bush's legitimacy for his first term either. There is no conclusive proof that people have been disenfranchised; name some and turn it in to a Civil Rights Commission if you are that sure of yourself. Long lines and rain do not constitute voter intimidation, neither do "men in suits" as a Congressional Black Congresswoman said on the House floor that day. Even the media, always skeptical of the President, conducted their own recounts of Florida in 2000 and found Bush to be the legitimate winner. The point of my article was to show to readers that this was not the right venue to pursue election-related complaints. In 1877, there was a true discrepancy between electoral vote certificates and the popular vote totals in three Southern states and Oregon. In Oregon (1877), there was also a legitimate complaint to be made, as there was a Postmaster that cast an electoral vote. Under the Constitution, federally-elected officials can not cast Electoral votes. 1877 was solved with a compromise made by a congressional commission, yet Democrats insisted on calling the legitimate winner, "Rutherfraud" (and also took over the South and segregated it after the Civil War, something no Democrat likes to be reminded of). In 1969, there was an issue with a faithless elector that cast a Nixon vote for the racist Democrat Governor of Alabama, George Wallace (another guy Democrats do not like to be reminded of). That is an example of a fair contest. Using the rare contest to electoral votes for a litany of complaints about Ohio's electoral system shows the gall and true arrogance of the Democratic Party (or at least the Congressional Black Caucus and Senator Boxer). This shows that the Democrats contesting had an issue with the way the Ohio electors voted at their state convention (based on popular vote totals); this is where I attach their skepticism and distrust of the common folk to make their own decisions. The Democrats acted foolishly-irresponsibly, and the sad part is, that their candidate John Kerry did not even support a challenge to the votes. In fact, unlike Al Gore, he sent an email message to his supporters to accept the results. However, their stunt last Thursday will probably put into the vernacular "Ohio voting troubles." I am glad they did too, it is bound to make Ohio a red state for the next half-century. This was a poor display of sportsmanship, and ought to be pointed out by folks interested in preserving our finest institutions. I hope I addressed your remarks, and would be just as delighted to receive email from you if you still have any unaddressed issues...

Well put Darin. Let us not forget the ACTUAL disenfranchising of the Military Vote. Also, isn't there a Democratic Governor Elect in Washington who was able to gather 1800 more votes in a county then there were registered voters? Darin is a regular contributor to California Conservatives and can be regarded as one of the great political minds of the future.

THE PERFECT DIET - I'M Starting today

2005-01-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

By Michael Conlon CHICAGO (Reuters) - A study published Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat, and experts said it's time find if more sleep will fight obesity. "We've put so much emphasis on diet and exercise that we've failed to recognize the value of good sleep," said Fred Turek, a physician at Northwestern University. "In fact society emphasizes just the opposite," in work places where billed hours are crucial and long work days are common, he added. Monday's study from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index -- a measure of weight based on height -- increased. Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and obese patients slept less than patients with normal weights, it said. In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights. "Americans experience insufficient sleep and corpulent bodies. Clinicians are aware of the burden of obesity on patients," the study said. AN EXTRA 20 MINUTES "Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary, as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index," it added. "We caution that this study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between restricted sleep and obesity (but) investigations demonstrating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to establish such a relationship." The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (news - web sites) along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research. In an interview with Reuters, Turek said some studies have shown sleep deprivation causes declines in an appetite suppressing protein hormone called leptin, and increases in another hormone that causes a craving for food. In addition neuropeptides in the brain governing sleep and obesity appear to overlap, he said. "It is now critical to determine the importance of lack of sufficient sleep during the early formative years in putting our youth on a trajectory toward obesity ... a trajectory that could be altered if sleep loss is indeed playing a role in this epidemic," the editorial said. Obesity has been rising dramatically in developed countries and reached epidemic levels in the United States, it added, leading to a variety of health problems. "In recent years, a new and unexpected 'obesity villain' has emerged, first from laboratory studies and now ... in population-based studies: insufficient sleep," it said. "However, while there is a growing awareness among some sleep, metabolic, cardiovascular, and diabetes researchers that insufficient sleep could be leading to a cascade of disorders, few in the general medicine profession or in the lay public have yet made the connection," it added.

Now that explains it. Moore is always so busy making up B.S stories that he hasn't slept in years. Time for me to take a nap.

Dirty Harry Vs. Michael Moore

2005-01-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

Clint Eastwood squinted like Dirty Harry Tuesday night as he took aim at Michael Moore. "Michael Moore and I actually have a lot in common - we both appreciate living in a country where there's free expression," Eastwood told the star-dotted crowd attending the National Board of Review awards dinner at Tavern on the Green, where Eastwood picked up a Special Filmmaking Achievement prize for "Million Dollar Baby." Then, the Republican-leaning actor/director advised the lefty filmmaker: "But, Michael, if you ever show up at my front door with a camera - I'll kill you." The audience erupted in laughter, and Eastwood grinned dangerously. "I mean it," he added, provoking more guffaws. Sitting well out of range at a table in back, Moore - who received a special "Freedom of Expression" award for his anti-Bush polemic "Fahrenheit 9/11" - chuckled. What a difference from last summer, when Moore's supporters complained that death threats were arriving almost daily and the director showed up at the Democratic Convention with a security detail. Back then, Moore was outraged when CNN anchor Bill Hemmer suggested during an interview that some folks might want to see him dead. "Can you think of any other interview in the history of television where a politician or a movie director was asked about people wanting to see him dead?" Moore seethed to me at the time. But, in this case, Moore's rep told me yesterday: "Michael laughed along with everyone else, and took Mr. Eastwood's comments in the lighthearted spirit in which they were given."

Wait, there is a glimmer of hope in Hollywood. Gibson, Eastwood, Silver... Maybe Hollywood does have a chance.

Those Crazy British

2005-01-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Prince Harry has apologised for wearing a swastika armband to a friend's fancy dress party. Clarence House issued a statement in response to a photograph published on the front page of the Sun newspaper under the headline, "Harry the Nazi". It read: "Prince Harry has apologised for any offence or embarrassment he has caused. He realises it was a poor choice of costume." But there have been calls for the prince to make his own public apology. Tory leader Michael Howard told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Prince Harry should appear in person, rather than talk through a spokesman. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the costume was in "bad taste". But they were "pleased" he had apologised for the incident. "It was clearly in bad taste, especially in the run-up to holocaust memorial day on the 27th of this month, which the Royal Family will be taking a leading role in commemorating." The picture was taken at the weekend at a friend's birthday party in Wiltshire, which had the fancy dress theme "colonial and native". Prince Harry, 20, appears to be wearing a German desert uniform and a swastika armband. He is also holding a drink and cigarette. Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, of the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain, said: "The fact that the palace has issued an apology indicates that this was a mistake by the prince. "But having been given, the apology should now be accepted." But the Queen's former assistant press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, said: "This young man has got to come up front and be seen in person making an apology." Former armed forces minister Doug Henderson MP said the picture showed the prince was "not suitable" for the prestigious royal military academy Sandhurst, which he is due to attend later this year. "If it was anyone else, the application wouldn't be considered. It should be withdrawn immediately," said the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North. The prince, who is third in line to the throne, hit the headlines last year after a scuffle with a photographer at a nightclub. The Sun reported that Prince William was also at the party - dressed as a lion.

I'm somewhat torn on this one. While it is obviously in very poor taste (especially for someone from the Royal family), I'm not sure how upset everyone should be. I can recall numerous costumes that I have worn that seemed hilarious at the time (though this one isn't really entertaining at all) that I would never today. I matured and so did my actions. However, he is the Prince and I was more of the Pauper so he definitely should be held to a higher standard. Also, had he worn a Stalin, Lenin, Jengis Kahn, or Pol Pot costume would people have been as upset?

Democrats Whitewashing Scandal

2005-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Shelley Probe Bungled 11:46 PM PST on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 The parallels between the scandal that drove Chuck Quackenbush from high state office and the one that envelops Kevin Shelley are uncanny. Both were accused of using their positions improperly - Quackenbush as state insurance commissioner in the 1990s, Shelley as secretary of state now - to raise their political profiles, apparently in hopes of advancing to higher office. Both denied wrongdoing and tried to pin the improprieties, whatever they may have been, on overzealous underlings. And inevitably, the Legislature became involved in investigating what had happened. There is, however, one obvious difference between the two politicians and the allegations that have swirled around them: Quackenbush was a Republican, Shelley is a Democrat and Democrats control the Legislature. Democrats went after Quackenbush with great relish, launching a lavish investigation of his dealings with insurance companies that had been accused of mishandling earthquake damage claims, and staging trial-like hearings. And Quackenbush's fellow Republicans participated fully, playing a central role in persuading him to resign after the facts were laid out. The current Democratic legislative leadership, however, has been dragging its feet on Shelley, despite well-documented newspaper reports about his questionable receipt of campaign funds and his mistreatment of underlings, and a state auditor's report that excoriates his handling of federal voting funds. Democratic leaders finally scheduled a hearing of the Legislature's audit committee on the report, but excused Shelley from making a personal appearance and slated it for the same day this week that Gov. Schwarzenegger was to release his budget - giving the appearance, at least, of wanting to bury it. The committee chairwoman, Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, did not distinguish herself. At first she scheduled Shelley to testify, then let him off the hook, then threatened to subpoena him if he didn't appear, and finally relented again after he sent an aide to explain, as best he could, slipshod handling of the voting money. If Parra and her mentor, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, had simply done the right thing - taking the auditor's report as prima facie evidence of official wrongdoing and conducting the same kind of oversight hearing that the Quackenbush scandal drew - they would have been home free. Instead, Parra and Nunez have drawn negative attention to themselves, rekindled media interest in the Shelley case, and given Republicans grounds to allege a Democratic whitewash. Shelley, meanwhile, makes himself look culpable by appearing to hide in his bunker. The aide that Shelley dispatched to the hearing, Tony Miller, continued the modified-limited-hangout strategy that first acquired that title during the Watergate scandal - admitting that errors had been made, insisting that the man at the top was not responsible for them, and promising to clean up the mess without further intervention. The scandal revolves around allegations, largely verified by the auditor's office, that federal funds meant to improve voting procedures were lavished on political consultants who, at least in some cases, participated in partisan political affairs after receiving no-bid contracts from Shelley's office. Shelley's political career is toast, even if he's not forced to resign. But, as often happens in political scandals, those who get too close to the flames - such as Parra - will also be burned. THE SACRAMENTO BEE

Corruption at every level of the party

Heroism Should Never Be Overlooked

2005-01-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2005, 7:30 a.m.
Sgt. Rafael Peralta,
American HeroEveryone should know his name.
You probably don't know Rafael Peralta's name. If we lived in a country that more fully celebrated the heroics of its men in uniform, you would. He was a sergeant in Company A, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment for Operation Dawn, the November offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Fallujah, which had become a haven for terrorists. What he did on the day of Nov. 15 was an awe-inspiring act of selfless sacrifice and faithfulness to his fellow Marines.
The only way we can honor Sgt. Peralta's heroism is to tell his story and remember his name. What follows is mostly drawn from the reporting of Marine combat correspondent Lance Cpl. T.J. Kaemmerer, who witnessed the events on that day.
Sgt. Peralta, 25, was a Mexican American. He joined the Marines the day after he got his green card and earned his citizenship while in uniform. He was fiercely loyal to the ethos of the Corps. While in Kuwait, waiting to go into Iraq, he had his camouflage uniform sent out to be pressed. He constantly looked for opportunities to help his Marine brothers, which is why he ended up where he was on Nov. 15. A week into the battle for Fallujah, the Marines were still doing the deadly work of clearing the city, house by house. As a platoon scout, Peralta didn't have to go out with the assault team that day. He volunteered to go.
According to Kaemmerer, the Marines entered a house and kicked in the doors of two rooms that proved empty. But there was another closed door to an adjoining room. It was unlocked, and Peralta, in the lead, opened it. He was immediately hit with AK-47 fire in his face and upper torso by three insurgents. He fell out of the way into one of the cleared rooms to give his fellow Marines a clear shot at the enemy. During the firefight, a yellow fragmentation grenade flew out of the room, landing near Peralta and several fellow Marines. The uninjured Marines tried to scatter out of the way, two of them trying to escape the room, but were blocked by a locked door. At that point, barely alive, Peralta grabbed the grenade and cradled it to his body. His body took most of the blast. One Marine was seriously injured, but the rest sustained only minor shrapnel wounds. Cpl. Brannon Dyer told a reporter from the Army Times, "He saved half my fire team."
Kaemmerer compares Peralta's sacrifice to that of past Marine Medal of Honor winners Pfc. James LaBelle and Lance Cpl. Richard Anderson. LaBelle dove on a Japanese grenade to save two fellow Marines during the battle of Iwo Jima. Although he had just been wounded twice, Anderson rolled over an enemy grenade to save a fellow Marine during a 1969 battle in Vietnam.
Peralta's sacrifice should be a legend in the making. But somehow heroism doesn't get the same traction in our media environment as being a victim or villain, categories that encompass the truly famous Jessica Lynch and Lynndie England respectively. Peralta's story has been covered in military publications, a smattering of papers including the Seattle Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune, ABC News, and some military blogs. But the Washington Post and the New York Times only mentioned Peralta's name in their lists of the dead. Scandalously, the "heroism" of Spc. Thomas Wilson - the national guardsman who asked a tough question of Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld that had been planted with him by a reporter - has been more celebrated in the press than that of Peralta.
Kaemmerer recounts how later on the night of Nov. 15, a friend approached him and said: "You're still here; don't forget that. Tell your kids, your grandkids, what Sgt. Peralta did for you and the other Marines today." Don't forget. Good advice for all of us.
- Rich Lowry is author of Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years http://www.nrbookservice.com/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=c6389.

Think About This When Shopping At Wal-Mart

2005-01-12T08:49:00.000-08:00

U.S. Trade Deficit Soars to All-Time High WASHINGTON (AP) - America's trade deficit soared to an all-time high of $60.3 billion in November, reflecting record levels for imports of everything from oil and consumer goods to farm products, the government reported Wednesday. The Commerce Department said the November deficit was up 7.7 percent from an imbalance of $56 billion in October, which had been the previous monthly record. The new record caught private economists by surprise. They had been forecasting a slight narrowing in the November trade gap. "This caught a lot of us by surprise. We had been anticipating a pull back in the November deficit because of a decline in the price of oil," said Jason Schenker, an economist at Wachovia Bank in Charlotte, N.C. The trade deficit through November totaled $561.3 billion, far above the previous annual record of $496.5 billion set in 2003, and put the country on track to record a trade imbalance topping $600 billion when the December figures are added. The November deficit reflected record imbalances with a number of countries including Canada, South Korea and Russia. The largest deficit as usual was with China, although the $16.6 billion gap was down slightly from October. Critics point to the yawning deficits as evidence that President Bush's trade policies are not working. Democrats contend that the administration has not done enough to protect American workers from unfair competition from low-wage foreign countries such as China. The administration counters that the trade gap is primarily a reflection of a U.S. economy that has been growing faster than most of the rest of the world. Private economists are concerned, nevertheless, about whether America will have the ability to continue finance trade deficits at such high levels. If foreigners suddenly decide that they do not want to hold dollars in payment for the foreign goods that American consumers love to purchase, it could put added downward pressure on the American currency, which has been declining in value against a number of other currencies for the past three years. The administration insists it still favors a strong dollar policy although it has done nothing to slow the greenback's decline, a drop that economists believe eventually will help to narrow the trade gap by making U.S. products cheaper on overseas markets and imports more expensive in the United States. U.S. exports, which had been rising for much of the year, suffered a setback in November, falling 2.3 percent to $66.5 billion. It was the first decline in five months and reflected a drop in shipments of U.S. autos and auto parts, civilian aircraft, telecommunications equipment and industrial machinery. Overseas sales of American farm products, for years a star performer among American exports, slipped by 1.7 percent to $4.7 billion with shipments of fruit, soybeans and vegetables all showing declines. The country is on track to record a deficit in farm goods this year as imports are running above exports through November, reflecting a surge in consumer demand for foreign wines, fruits and other foods. Imports in November rose 1.3 percent to an all-time high of $155.8 billion. This increase was led by an 11.8 percent jump in petroleum products, which hit a monthly record of $19.4 billion. The increase in America's foreign oil bill reflected higher volume. The average price of crude oil dipped a bit to $41.15 per barrel, compared to $41.79 in October. With individual countries, the deficit with Canada, America's largest trading partner, hit a record high of $7.3 billion. The deficit with South Korea rose to a record $2.3 billion while the deficit with Russia increased to $1.3 billion. The deficit with Japan rose to $7.3 billion, which was the highest level since October 2000.

Just a small thing to think about when you insist on saving that extra few cents by shopping at some of our low cost establishments.

Pull To The Right

2005-01-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

I know there is loads of news to report on, but instead I have been out for the last few days pulling people out of their cars (who did something stupid) and trying to save homes and people from themselves and Mother Nature. So with the hopes of getting a few hours of much needed sleep, I just wanted to remind everyone of a few things. 1. When you see red lights and hear a siren pull to the RIGHT. Don't stop in the middle of the street, pull to the left or keep driving. (Remember we may be responding to save your family member) 2. If the road sign says CLOSED, it is. Don't drive around it. I am getting tired of going after idiots that think the sign doesn't apply to them. 3. If you live in an area that floods and the weather is calling for heavy rain, go to the local fire station and get some of those FREE sandbags and fill them up yourself. Don't wait until the water is knocking at your door and call 911 and wait for someone to come fill them for you. 4. Don't go around admiring the pretty water rushing down the street. Otherwise you might wind up in it and someone (actually many others) will have to risk their lives to save yours. 5. Fire Station personnel do sleep at night. Please don't call the stations at 3AM for a weather report or to ask about road closures. First off providing that news isn't their responsibility. Also, it is very likely that they have been up for 1, 2, 3 or more days and this is their first moment of sleep. 6. Finally, 911 is for emergencies. Water leaking through your roof and causing a small puddle in your bathroom is not an emergency. Put a bucket under and when the weather clears have someone fix your roof. Remember, that emergency equipment that is responding to your house (because you reported a roof collapse) is being taken away from other emergency needs. Also, if you don't need to go for a drive when the weather is bad - DON'T!

Clinton Name = Funny Money

2005-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Hillary Clinton's Former Campaign Finance Director Indicted WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former finance director has been indicted on charges of filing fictitious reports that misstated contributions for a Hollywood fund-raising gala for the senator, the Justice Department said Friday. The indictment, rare for a political campaign, was unsealed in Los Angeles charging David Rosen with four counts of filing false reports with the Federal Election Commission. The charges focus on an Aug. 12, 2000, dinner and concert supported by more than $1.1 million in "in-kind contributions" -- goods and services provided for free or below cost. The event was estimated to cost more than $1.2 million. The FBI previously said in court papers that it had evidence the former first lady's campaign deliberately understated its fund-raising costs so it would have more money to spend on her campaign. While the event allegedly cost more than $1.2 million, the indictment said, Rosen reported contributions of about $400,000, knowing the figure to be false. The indictment charged that he provided some documents to an FEC compliance officer but withheld the true costs of the event and provided false documents to substantiate the lower figure. In one instance, Rosen obtained and delivered a fraudulent invoice stating the cost of a concert associated with the gala was $200,000 when he know that figure was false, according to the indictment. The actual cost of the concert was more than $600,000. Each of the four counts of making a false statement carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines upon conviction. Rosen's attorney, Paul Mark Sandler, did not return a call asking for comment. Mrs. Clinton's lawyer on campaign finance matters, David Kendall, said, "The Senate Campaign Committee has fully cooperated with the investigation. Mr. Rosen worked hard for the campaign, and we trust that when all the facts are in, he will be cleared." The businessman who hosted the event, Peter Paul, has told federal authorities that it cost more than $1 million and that he had been surprised when he saw that most of the contributions were not reported. The money from the fund-raiser went to Mrs. Clinton's successful campaign for a Senate seat from New York, the Democrats' national Senate campaign organization and a state Democratic Party committee. The joint fund raising made the rules more complicated because the gala raised both "hard money" -- funds given to candidates subject to federal limits -- and "soft money" that was unregulated and unlimited under the former campaign finance law. Underreporting the cost of the event allowed the committee to spend less of the coveted hard money, contributions that unlike soft money could be used to cover Clinton's campaigning costs. During former President Clinton's administration, a Justice Department campaign finance task force charged more than two dozen individuals and two corporations with fund-raising abuses from the 1996 election cycle. Many of the charges involved Democratic fund raising. In addition to his Clinton effort, Rosen has raised money for several other high-profile Democratic candidates, including former presidential hopeful Wesley Clark. Most recently, he was named to the fund-raising team of Donnie Fowler, a candidate for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship.

Maybe Hillary in 2008 would be good for our debt. She could just tell people we have a $5 million deficit instead of $5 trillion. Does anyone else see a pattern with the Clintons?

Still Not Fit to Govern

2005-01-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

The Democrats antics yesterday displayed the very reason why Americans once again did not entrust their party to govern. Yesterday morning, a seemingly procedural certification of electoral votes turned into a circus of grandstanding Democrats still in shock that their candidate and his radical worldview did not pass muster with the American people. The conflict in both chambers of Congress over a procedural matter has roots in November's discontentment, but an even greater foundation from Florida in 2000. As mentioned in David Dreier's (R-CA) speech, Michael Moore lamented in "Fahrenheit 9/11" that no Senator would join any House objectors in contesting Florida's electoral votes. In a twist of fate this week, Moore sent out a letter to Democratic senators to join the Jesse Jackson movement of discord growing among Congressional Black Caucus members in the House. Not surprisingly, Barbara Boxer became the lone senator to join Stephanie Tubbs-Jones' futile objection of the will of the American people. The Michael Moore and MoveOn.org crowd have hatched their little chicks and are coming to the Democratic Party to roost. This incredible story of political gall may be another note buried by the press today, but for witnesses of yesterday;s stunts, it shows the malignancy and unsportsmanlike behavior of the Democratic Party. By making this the third instance of the formal objection since the Civil War, the mavericks in Congress decided to put political posturing over faith in our institutions and respect for the Ohio electors. Boxer, Tubbs-Jones, and the CBC are now swimming in very perilous waters. This spectacle missed the pinnacle of the debate over electoral reform. Last time around, Democrats employed rhetoric that suggested that Bush's victory and the Florida mythology signaled the flaws in the Electoral College, an anachronism that ought to be dismissed. Oddly enough, their move in Congress yesterday was to nullify the popular vote and keep the Electoral College vote. With their equivocations and inconsistencies, it comes to no surprise that they have evolved into the party that vows to win at every cost. From denigrating our efforts to bring democracy to Afghanistan and Iraq to embarrassing themselves in the mockery of our Republic, the Democratic Party's obsession with President Bush has led to new lows in courtesy and statesmanship. Democrats found the wrong venue yesterday to file election-related complaints. If the integrity of our voting system, the conspiracy of hacked computers in Ohio put forth by Cynthia McKinney with no matters and even less sense, is the main objection, the Democrats certainly have much more to answer for. As suggested by Candice Miller (R-MI), Democrats should account for the voter registration scandals such as ACORN's disposal of Republican registrations, the exchange of cocaine for phony registrations, and many more. Last October, a manual from the Colorado Democratic Party was leaked, advising members to falsely "cry wolf" despite the absence of voter intimidation. Certainly, it is curious how long lines and rain constitute "voter intimidation" in the Democratic dictionary. Perhaps Alberto Gonzales ought to read their dictionary so we can find their meaning of "torture". What the Democrats attempted to pull off yesterday was the disenfranchisement of millions of Ohioans, and they ought to be remembered for it. What they managed to show is their contempt towards the voters in 2004 and disregard towards our republican ideals and confidence in our elections. Posted by Tired of Libeal BS for DSCHEMMER

Yet Another Example of Injustice

2005-01-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

SAN DIEGO -- A judge in a downtown courtroom sentenced a couple to probation Wednesday for locking the woman's son in the trunk of their car while they celebrated her birthday in a bar. Sarah Marie Powell, 27, locked her 7-year-old son in the trunk while she and her boyfriend, Jake Faria, 31, celebrated her birthday Aug. 23 inside Winston's Beach Club in Ocean Beach. The couple pleaded guilty to two charges of felony abuse. They were sentenced to four years of probation and 500 hours of community service. Powell's attorney, Mary Ellen Attridge, told NBC 7/39 that the plea bargain was made possible because tests showed the child was medically and psychologically sound. Faria and Powell are now seeing the boy daily and are on track to get custody of him in March. Police received an anonymous tip in August that a child was locked in the trunk of her Volvo. A dog was in the car's passenger seat when officer's arrived. Officers found a sleeping bag, pillow and car battery were in the trunk, NBC 7/39 reported. The boy told police he had been put in the trunk about 10 other times.

You have got to be kidding me - Probation! How can you repeatedly endanger a childs life to go drinking and only get probation? What would have happened if the car was stolen, struck by another vehicle or if he injuried himself while in the trunk? Then would it demand a stricter punishment?

Gere Who? Gere represents the world

2005-01-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

He's been a prostitute's rich beau, an officer, a gentleman and a gigolo, but Palestinians can't fathom Richard Gere's latest incarnation as a cheerleader for their elections this weekend. Well known for his vocal support of Tibet's Dalai Lama and celebrated for his captivating good looks, Gere urged Palestinians in a television commercial broadcast ahead of Sunday's poll in the West Bank and Gaza to get out to vote for a new president to succeed Yasser Arafat, who died in November. (Reuters)

Hollywood will never learn.

Earthquakes rattle Southern California

2005-01-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

Unconfirmed reports are emerging that Michael Moore either tripped or fell out of bed (several times) while visiting the Inland Empire in Southern California. A series of small earthquakes have struck in the Fontana area, the largest a 4.4 that struck this morning at 6:35AM. There have been 3 larger than 3.5 magnitude since 4:00AM. The USGS is reporting that there have a been a swarm of quakes in the area over the last few days. Hopefully these aren't foreshocks.

BREAKING - CHILD KILLER CASE OVERTURNED

2005-01-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

HOUSTON A state appeals court has overturned the capital murder convictions against Andrea Yates (search ) and ordered a new trial in the drownings of her children. The Texas First Court of Appeals issued its ruling in Houston today in a 12-page opinion signed by court Justice Sam Nuchia. Click here to read the decision. Yates was sentenced to life in prison in the 2001 deaths of three of her children after jurors rejected her insanity defense. She was not tried in the deaths of the other two. Psychiatrists testified that Yates suffered from schizophrenia (search ) and postpartum depression (search ). In December, her attorneys told a three-judge panel of the appeals court that she deserves a new trial because of 19 errors that were committed in her 2002 trial. Yates' attorney Troy McKinney focused on expert witness Park Dietz (search ), who McKinney said "told a whopper of a falsehood" when he said he consulted on an episode of the TV show "Law and Order" involving a woman found innocent by reason of insanity for drowning her children.
Once again a court overrules a case on a technicality. I'm not saying that it should never happen, but when the overall evidence is overwhelming.... Hopefully someone in her iron bar hotel will deal with her.

2005-01-05T22:02:00.000-08:00

Three storms threaten to strike U.S. at once By Seth Borenstein Knight Ridder Newspapers WASHINGTON — Moisture-laden storms from the north, west and south are likely to converge on much of America over the next several days in what could be a once-in-a-generation onslaught, meteorologists forecast yesterday. If the gloomy computer models at the U.S. Climate Prediction Center are right, we'll see this terrible trio: • The "Pineapple Express," a series of warm, wet storms heading east from Hawaii, drenching Southern California and the far Southwest, already beset with heavy rain and snow. Flooding, avalanches and mudslides are possible. • An "Arctic Express," a mass of cold air chugging south from Alaska and Canada, bringing frigid air and potentially heavy snow and ice to the usually mild-wintered Pacific Northwest. • An unnamed warm, moist storm system from the Gulf of Mexico drenching the already-saturated Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi valleys. Expect heavy river flooding and springlike tornadoes.

Looks like we are in for a little foul weather. I use to live in Sunny California, now it is wet and weary. But I am sure this is all Bush's fault too. Stay dry people and stay off the road when the weather is bad. Especially in California, because Californias can't drive for crap in foul weather. I witnessed that Monday during a freak hailstorm when I responded to a multiple car pileup.

Mexico publishing "Illegal Immigrating for Dummies"

2005-01-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

Mexico publishes guide to assist border crossers Chris HawleyRepublic Mexico City Bureau Jan. 1, 2005 12:00 AM MEXICO CITY - The Mexican government is giving out a colorful new comic book with advice for migrants, but immigration-control advocates worry that some of the tips may encourage illegal border crossers. The 32-page book, The Guide for the Mexican Migrant, was published in December by Mexico's Foreign Ministry. Using simple language, the book offers safety information for border crossers, a primer on their legal rights and advice on living unobtrusively in the United States. Dramatic drawings show undocumented immigrants wading into a river, running from the U.S. Border Patrol and crouching near a hole in a border fence. On other pages, they hike through a desert with rock formations reminiscent of Arizona and are caught by a stern-faced Border Patrol agent. "This guide is intended to give you some practical advice that could be of use if you have made the difficult decision to seek new work opportunities outside your country," the book says. But immigration-control groups questioned some of the guide's advice."This is more than just a wink and a nod," said Rick Oltman, Western field director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "This is so transparent, this is the Mexican government trying to protect its most valuable export, which is illegal migrants." Some migrants from Mexico who have crossed the border illegally in the past said the guide seems to send a mixed message. "On the one hand they seem to be saying, 'Don't cross,' but on the other hand they are saying, 'Cross,' " Humberto Morales, 22, an undocumented immigrant from Oaxaca working as a day laborer in Phoenix, said after looking at a copy. He doubts the guide will keep many people in Mexico from crossing illegally, but he said it could help save lives. "We have lots of programs like this in Mexico, but people keep crossing," Morales said. On getting caught Another section warns migrants not to lie to U.S. authorities or use false identification, and it gives instructions on what to do if caught by the Border Patrol. "Don't throw stones or objects at the officer or patrol vehicles because this is considered a provocation," it says. "Raise your hands slowly so they see you are unarmed." A picture shows a group of migrants running from a Border Patrol sport utility vehicle, though the text urges them not to flee. "It's better to be detained a few hours and repatriated to Mexico than to get lost in the desert," it says. Seven pages are devoted to migrants' legal rights after they are detained and another four to living peacefully in the United States." Avoid attracting attention, at least while you are arranging your stay or documents to live in the United States," it says. "The best formula is to not alter your routine of going from work to home." The Arizona Republic faxed copies of the guide to the U.S. Border Patrol, FAIR and two groups that support stronger controls on immigration. A Border Patrol spokesman said he does not think the book encourages illegal crossers. "If they've already gone ahead and made that decision to cross illegally . . . then anything that helps protect lives is worth it," said Andy Adame, spokesman for the Border Patrol's Tucson sector.

If this isn't complete evidence of the Mexican government's interest in continuing to export their poor and their criminals to the United States, I don't know what is. The most disgusting part is how our border patrol responded to it. We have got to shut down our borders 100%. Not only is our economy threatened by the continued use of illegal workers, terrorist can easily cross the borders with the intent and ability to inflict significant damage.

2005-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Nice to see that our "stingy" dollars are going to rebuild the communities of OBL supporters. Maybe we ought to be selective in where our money goes.

al-Zarqawi reportedly arrested in Iraq - U.S Denies Report

2005-01-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

DUBAI, January 4 (Itar-Tass) - Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, whom the US occupation authorities declared to be the "target number one" in Iraq, has been arrested in the city of Baakuba, the Emirate newspaper al-Bayane reported on Tuesday referring to Kurdish sources. Al-Zarqawi, leader of the terrorist group Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad, was recently appointed the director of the Al-Qaeda organization in Iraq. The newspaper's correspondent in Baghdad points out that a report on the seizure of the terrorist, on whom the US put a bounty of 10 million dollars, was also reported by Iraqi Kurdistan radio, which at one time had been the first to announce the arrest of Saddam Hussein. There have been no official reports about the arrest of the terrorist. Al-Zarqawi, 38, a Jordanian, whose real name is Ahmad al-Khalayleh, aims to turn Iraq into a "new Afghanistan". According to Arab press data, Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad group has divided Iraq into several emirates. The group's independent subdivisions at a strength of 50 to 500 militants operate in the cities of Al-Falluja, Al-Qaim, Diala, and Samarra. The personnel of the group is on the whole 1,500-strong and includes Iraqis and citizens of Arab and Islamic countries. There are demolition experts and missilemen among them. The group has depots of weapons and explosives in various parts of the country. It intends to frustrate the upcoming parliamentary elections that are scheduled for the end of this month. Al-Tawhid Wa'al-Jihad threatens to do away with Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and members of the interim government.

U.S. military and intelligence sources are denying print and broadcast reports that terrorist Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi has been arrested in Iraq, MSNBC reported Tuesday. MSNBC said senior U.S. military and intelligence sources told it the reports are not true. A newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, al-Bayane, reported in its Tuesday edition that the Jordanian-born terrorist had been arrested in Baqouba, Iraq. Iraqi Kurdistan radio also reported the arrest of al-Zarqawi. The U.S. military in December said al-Zarqawi likely is in the Baghdad area.

Let's hope the Emirate newspaper report is accurate.

Financial Help Needed for Tsunami Victims

2004-12-30T10:56:00.000-08:00

Jason provided a link to this site. It houses a good deal of information about the Tsunami disasters in South-East Asia. Please do whatever you can to help financially. This is truly a disaster of enormous magnitude. Check each out before you donate to ensure the money is going to the right place.

Not only Birds Flock South For The Winter

2004-12-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

Holidays Inspire a Rush to the Border By CHARLIE LeDUFF SAN DIEGO, Dec. 20 - Every year at this time, the restaurant kitchens and vegetable fields of California empty out. Prayers are said to San Cristofo, money is removed from mattresses, and Mexicans head home. The United States-Mexico border is broken, say United States immigration and customs officials. And at no time is the stress on the border more visible than the holidays, when immigration and customs officials say they are most overwhelmed. At the San Ysidro crossing here, on one side of the toll gates, immigrants head back to Mexico for the holidays, their pickup trucks and vans packed with washing machines, teddy bears and cheap lawn furniture. On the other side, customs agents probe gasoline tanks and dashboards with mirrors on sticks, while drug-sniffing dogs ferret through the upholstery in search of drugs bound for American cities like Los Angeles and New York to fill the New Year's Eve demand. More than one million Mexicans will go south for the holidays, about half of them exiting through San Diego into Tijuana, officials say. Some are legal residents, but most, border officials say, are illegal immigrants, who in a month's time will pay thousands of dollars to have smugglers sneak them back to their jobs in the United States. The torrent of travel that began in mid-December on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe will peak just before Christmas. Then the travel will reverse back into the United States in mid-January after Día de los Reyes, or Three Kings Day. In the days leading up to Christmas, an average of 180,000 cars will cross the border daily at San Diego, up from a normal day of 140,000, making it the busiest land border in the world. When immigrants make their way to Mexico, they must contend with corrupt Mexican police officers and border guards, who extort, harass and often demand a little Christmas gratuity from those returning home with cash and gifts. United States customs officials say the holiday is a peak for drug smuggling into the United States as crops ripen and drug cartels from Colombia to Mexico rush to get marijuana and cocaine to market. The drug traffic doubles at this time of year, officials say. A ton of marijuana has been confiscated each of the last two weeks in San Diego, along with sundry amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine. Though the street value of the drugs seized is estimated at several million dollars, it is a pittance in a transnational industry pegged at more than $20 billion a year. United States agents say they are simply outmanned. "During the holidays, people up north want their dope," said Dan Burke, a United States customs investigator. "Down south, people want their money. There are employees to pay in Mexico. It's Christmas time, and people have presents to buy." Consequently, as much as $5 million a day flows into Mexico at this time of year through San Diego alone, Mr. Burke said. The cash is carried not only by Mexican smugglers but also by desperate American gamblers who are recruited from local casinos after blowing the Christmas money at the slot machines. Once in Mexico, the money is deposited in local banks or funneled into currency exchange offices established solely to launder the money and wire it back into the United States. Border patrol agents contend that the Mexicans themselves are the biggest problem, and though Christmas is a slow season for human trafficking, it never really stops. A toddler was found last month stuffed in a piñata. The smugglers were let go, border patrol agents said. "The border is broken, Mexico is broken, the immigration policy is broken, and you can see it right now at Christmas time on the border," said George E. McCubbin, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing 10,000 border patrol agents. "These people you see now going home, we'll be chasing in a month," Mr. McCubbin said. "And the smuggling business has gotten so lucrative and ruthless it puts our agents at risk of being killed." Though 2,000 border patrol agents will be added over the next five years, they do not address the reason immigrants come illegally, he said, adding, "We have to have the will to go after the employers." With the Mexican economy faltering and Mexicans believing that the Bush administration will offer blanket amnesty to illegal immigrants, more people entered the United States illegally last year than any other since Sept. 11, 2001. Officials estimate that three million people entered the United States illegally last year, a majority of them Mexican. The business of smuggling people has become so lucrative that drug-style cartels are in the game. As a consequence, murder and kidnapping have skyrocketed in Phoenix, the main hub of the smuggling business. An illegal crossing costs upward of $2,000. "Stand on the border around Christmas and you'll see what a joke the immigration policy is," Mr. McCubbin said. Not all news is bad on the border. In a ceremony on Monday, 90 wild parrots smuggled into the United States were repatriated to Mexico, a gift from the American government. One cynical border official sniffed that the parrots, too, would probably make their way back to Los Angeles after Three Kings Day.

Sounds to me like a perfect time to deploy additional resources to the border to keep them from returning. Troops maybe?