A letter from a friend

Dear President Bush:

I'm about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family, and I would like to ask you to assist me. I'm going to walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few arrangements. I know you can help with this.

I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here.

So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Vicente Fox, that I'm on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.
2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.
3. All government forms need to be printed in English.
4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.
5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.
6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.
7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.
8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.
9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won't make any effort to learn local traffic laws.
10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from Pres. Fox to leave me alone, please be sure that all police officers speak English.
11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.
12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and don't enforce any labor laws or tax laws.
13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place on the economy.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all the people who come to the U.S. from Mexico. I am sure that Pres. Fox won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

However, if he gives you any trouble, just invite him to go quail hunting with your VP Cheney.

Thank you so much for your kind help.

Sincerely, Dr. Ken

Way ahead of the curve...as usual

Finally, a politician that is reading this blog...or acting as if he is anyway.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has proposed a 60 day suspension of the federal gas tax. Hmm..wasn't that suggested here a couple days ago?

Oh yeah, it was. I rule.

But I digress. Other plans include oil companies sending consumers (not sure how that's going to work, since there's no way to differentiate between who has paid for gas and who hasn't) checks for $100, extending the tax credit for businesses who purchase hybrid vehicles, and drilling in ANWR.

WHAT?!?! Drilling in that pristine, beautiful, moosefilled, virginal, wonderful, gardenofedenlike place?
Yep, I told you, politicians are grasping at straws and nothing is out of bounds to address the problem. Luckily, we have some people on the Republican side of the aisle who have proposed addressing the supply side(FINALLY) and hopefully we can get it done.

But do we really expect that any out of touch, limosine riding, party punk from DC will be able to actually 'fix' anything for us? Nah. We have to do it ourselves. Per usual.

Typical politician hypocricy

The Washington Post, which I usually find is a good source for wiping my muddy boots on, actually had a somewhat useful article today.
They talked about how various politicians had shown up to a press conference in front of a gas station where prices were sitting around $3.10 a gallon to complain that since President Bush took office, oil prices have doubled, and whine that he's too cozy with 'big oil'.
Of course, the amusing part for me (or really sad part) is how they got there and left.
Chucky Schumer (D-NY)showed up in a Hyundai Elantra (Nice to see that 'buy American' isn't just a slogan for ya Chuckie), which gets relatively good mpg, at 27/34.
However, Diane Feinstein(D-CA) showed up in a Chrysler LHS, which rates 17/24 (not so good Di). Maria Cantwell, D-WA had a staffer waiting for her in an idling Jetta, until she decided to get some sushi and sent the staffer on her way. Idling...nice....Also good to know that these staffers also believe that buying American is best.
Oh, and not to exclude the Republicans, who were at their weekly caucus. The parking lot was jammed with Suburbans (14/19), and others, some of which were left idling during the caucus.

Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) hopped in a GMC Yukon (14 mpg). Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) climbed aboard a Nissan Pathfinder (15). Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) stepped into an eight-cylinder Ford Explorer (14). Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) disappeared into a Lincoln Town Car (17). Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) met up with an idling Chrysler minivan (18).

Next came Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), greeted by a Ford Explorer XLT. On the Senate floor Tuesday, Menendez had complained that Bush "remains opposed to higher fuel-efficiency standards."

Also waiting: three Suburbans, a Nissan Armada V8, two Cadillacs and a Lexus. The greenest senator was Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), who was picked up by his hybrid Toyota Prius (60 mpg), at quadruple the fuel efficiency of his Indiana counterpart Evan Bayh (D), who was met by a Dodge Durango V8 (14).

And of course, let's not forget that most of these events were less than three blocks away from the Capital building.
Three blocks. But of course, a politician can't be expected to WALK anywhere right? God no. He/She may actually be expected to INTERACT with a real person then, and we can't have that.

Jenny from the block is here to help

State of Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, is hosting a petition on the state of Michigan website that urges President Bush to do something about gas prices. Not only does this display Jenny's complete lack of any sort of economic knowledge, but it also shows her desire to make a quick bit of political hay, all the name of 'caring for Michigan families'.

Instead of this stupid political gesture (paid for by tax dollars, by the way), perhaps Jenny can do something that really DOES help Michigan families.

I propose that she, in cooperation with the Michigan legislature, suspend the state of Michigan gasoline taxes for the summer driving season. That would not only help Michigan families keep some of their hard earned money in their pockets, but ALSO help our number two industry, tourism. Visitors to our state could be able to drive a lot less expensively than other states, and enjoy much more of the bounty that IS Michigan. If you think this is a good idea, go here and tell her. In fact, go to Dick DeVos' site and suggest he start supporting it as well.

Think it'll happen? Yeah, me neither.

Oil companies: $.11/gallon, Feds: $.60/gallon

So, the grandstanding asspirates that make up the government are now calling for an investigation into gasoline prices, saying that the 'windfall' profits that they're making are unfair when the average American worker has to pay nearly $3.00 a gallon for gasoline.
So, let's take a good look at it for a second. According to several studies, oil companies make on the average of anywhere from $.07 to $.11/gallon of gas. How much does the federal and state governments make on each gallon of gas? Of course, that depends on what state/county you live in, but it ranges between $.30 to $.60 a gallon. And of course, is anyone calling on an investigation into the preening showboats that swear to every TV camera they can get in front of that they'll get to the bottom of the 'price gouging' that's going on, and when the cameras get turned off, drive off in their taxpayer funded motorcade, to a waiting jet that takes them to a fundraiser, where they'll do some more sucking at the taxpayer funded teat, along with some prancing for the cameras again.
We also note that there hasn't been a new refinery built in the last thirty years in the US, but during that same time our gasoline/oil consumption has increased by at least 35%, merely due to the expansion of our economy and population. Who would be responsible for the complete lack of addressing the supply side of the 'supply/demand' equation? Oh yeah, the same slimy little weasels on the Sunday morning talk shows whining about the Exxon CEO's retirement package (don't get me started on their retirement package).
How about all these varying blends of gasoline that have to be created in order to meet local regulatory needs for pollution control? Yep, that's worked out really well, considering that one of the additives that the tree-hugging, whalesaving, jackasses made oil companies add has been proven to cause cancer. Thanks morons.
This isn't a political issue, unless you count governmental interference in the supply chain, and the overtaxation on the demand side. Then, maybe the weasels should be investigating someone...they're just too stupid to realize that it should be themselves.

Hu is Wenyi Weng?

So everyone knows who the psychobabbling mother of slain soldier, Casey Sheehan is, right? I mean, she was on the cover of magazines, on the front page of every stupid media outlet from here to Timbuktu. Mostly because she shared the same opinion, politically, as the left-wing dominated rag-media.
But does anyone know who Wenyi Weng is? Do you know what she did? Do you know why?
Since you're reading here, I'm expecting that at least some of you are well-informed enough to know, but I'm sure there are others of you who are looking at this and thinking "Dude, you spelled 'who' wrong"....
Wenyi Weng is a Falun Gong member who heckled the Chinese president last Friday during a White House ceremony with President Bush.
President Bush had just finished a statement where he urged Chinese president, Hu Jintao to "let the Chinese people speak freely", when Weng began to heckle Hu, yelling "stop the killing" and "free Falun Gong". Despite the fact that we do value free speech here in America, she was dragged from the site by secret service officers, since such actions are against 'protocol'.
Is she being celebrated in the little bit of media that is writing about her?
Nope. She's being portrayed as a nutbag member of some whackjob cult that's brainwashed her into doing these nutty things.
An interesting point of view, considering that same media was celebrating Cindy Sheehan as the second coming of christ almighty.
I don't know why I continue to point this stuff out to folks...heck y'all oughta be able to notice this stuff yourself. I can't tell you the last time I watched the news on TV, mostly because their bias is so overt that it disgusts me. But I still find myself arguing with people who get all they know about the world from 30 minutes (17 after commercials) with Katie Couric, Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, or Dan Rather (yes, I know that one is dead, one is stupid(or all of them), and two are retired .....you figure out which is which)

The mass media blows

Once again a story that would make the Dimwitocrats look bad, but is being buried on the back pages of most of the major newspapers, IF it's being published at all.
Jon Rutherford, a major contributor to the Michigan Democratic party, Jennifer Granholm, Kwame Kilpatrick, and the Democratic National Committee, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit for evading income taxes and concealing $750,000 in political expenditures.
A twenty two count indictment, including conspiracy tax evation, failing to pay tax witholding to the IRS, and false statements to the IRS.

Now, if this was Jack Abramoff, who has contributed, or funneled millions to Republicans (and Dimwitocrats, as I've shown in previous posts), this would have been front page news on the NY Slimes. A search on their site for Jon Rutherford shows NO results. Shocker!!
How about the Washington Post? Same result.
Boston Globe? Nope

Maybe there's a geographical issue, since those papers are in the Northeast and this is a Michigan problem. Well, the Free Press covered it. How about the Chicago Tribune, since Chicago is notorious in their machinations for the Democratic party. Amazingly, they DID have the article on their site. However, going to the home page of the site, and looking for a link to it, I was completely unable to find the story. While it's on their site, there's no link to it anywhere. So basically an orphan story.

Typical crap, but as long as there are bloggers, the stories will get out there....

It's the economy stupid.....

-Unemployment is at 4.7% nationally, as low as it was during the "Roaring 90's" that Clinton got so much credit for, but didn't deserve.
-Home ownership is at an all time high, with more people owning their homes than EVER in the history of this country.
-Inflation has been held in check, despite huge increases in home heating costs and gasoline.
-Interest rates have remained affordable, despite some minor increases over the last two years.
-GNP is up every quarter for the last three years
-The stock market (and as such, the 401k's of damn near every American out there) is up for the last two years
-Businesses owned by black Americans grew at a rate 4x higher than average (45% versus 10%). Hispanic owned businesses grew at 3x the rate (31%) and women owned at 2x (20%).

So why is it that the major media isn't giving Republicans credit for the economy? Why are they not mentioning the economy at all, other than huge layoffs scheduled for GM, Ford, or other companies?

Oh yeah...I forgot...in Whoared Dean's back pocket.

SeeBS, CommieNewsNetwork, NYSlimes, et al: Sucking at the teat of the Donkeys since 1900

Exxon

So the retiring CEO is getting a $400 million retirement package.
Anyone have a problem with this? Other than the liberal media that LOVES to throw these sorts of numbers out of context in front of everyone without ANY analysis or looking into what the numbers really mean. Or the politicians who see this as an opportunity to make hay and stir up people's class envy?
Look inside the retirement package and you'll see that it includes a lot of long term stuff that will go for some time. In addition, it's indexed to the amount of growth that Exxon has experienced while he's been at the helm. Remember that Exxon bought Mobil, effectively doubling the size of the company during his tenure. That increased the market capitalization considerably.
In addition, Exxon has performed relatively well (not even counting the last year) over his tenure as well, the stock going from $28/share in July of 03 to the 60's over the last several months. (Full Disclosure- I bought XOM at 32, sold it at 59 over the last couple years). They've paid dividends, and showed a profit almost every quarter since he took over.
The company has performed well, he should be paid well as a result.
The retirement plans that irritate the bejesus outta me are the ones where the company has been driven into bankruptcy by piss poor decisions, and the CEO's and VP's get millions to leave.
The funniest thing about this though, are the politicians who are whining about this sort of thing. Like they have ANY room to talk about cushy retirement plans. But let's take a look at the proposal on the table by Senator Byron Dorgan. Dorgan said he will push to win passage of his legislation that would impose a windfall profits tax on big oil companies and rebate that money to consumers, unless the companies used their earnings to explore for and produce more energy.
Now think about that....explore and produce more energy. So, kinda like drilling in ANWAR? Or off the coast of Florida? Or in the Gulf of Mexico? Let's see where Senator Dorgan falls in the votes for that sort of thing....Ah, not so much. Yeah, Senator Dorgan voted against exploration in ANWAR. How about removing the EPA limits on refineries, making it easier to build new ones and expand capacity? Nope, fought against that as well.
So, Senator Dorgan, what exactly are you wanting here? Oh yeah, headlines. Forgot we're talking about a politician here.

It's all about supply and demand. The liberal, treehuggers, who have an agenda, limit the supply, the price goes up, and they blame the oil companies, who are operating at 100% refinery capacity. Not much they can do, other than raise the price. A strong economy requires consumption of energy and not only is the US economy charging forward with strength, but China, India, and other places with large populations are doing so as well. This obviously increased the demand, worldwide, which drives up prices. Standard supply and demand, it's not difficult to figure out.
What Senator Dorgan COULD do, as a politician who's obviously concerned with protecting the American public (whew, barely able to type that), is offer to remove federal gas taxes from the cost of gasoline. That is approximately $.40/gallon right there. I don't know about you, but that's over $8/fillup for me. I'd take that.
But you know how it is with Dimwitocrats....they've never met a tax they didn't like. Don't plan on seeing that happen. Ever.

PS

Just a postscript as to my previous job....
Yes, I was fired. To this day, I've not been given a reason other than 'It was time for us to part ways', which I readily accepted, since the following week I had planned on giving my two week notice anyway. However, speaking with former coworkers, friends, and the like, for some reason that I'd not been able to figure out until yesterday, it just stuck in my craw, and irritated me.
Yesterday, while talking to Double-J, I finally figured it out.
Most guys will understand, and some ladies as well:

I'm sure that most of you have been involved in a relationship that was great at the beginning, but as it went on, it became more and more lame. Perhaps she packed on some pounds, wasn't that great in the sack, wasn't overly attractive anyway, but you'd overlooked that initially because of other things that attracted you. Every once in a while, she'd try something cool to spice things up, but it always would go back to where it was. And as you go forward, you find yourself disliking her more and more as days go by. Then you meet someone else who is interesting, challenging, attractive, and you think will be a definite connection. So you get ready to break up with the beast that you've been dragging along for all this time, and before you can do it, she says "I think we need to stop seeing each other, it's just not working out".

That, in a nutshell, is pretty much how I felt when my former co-worker told me that he was going to pay me six weeks severance to go away. Heck I was grateful for the severance, since it gave me the ability to be a complete and utter slack-ass the entire month of December, but it gnawed at me. And I finally figured out what it was.....
Had to share here, since I still have a lot of friends from my old company that read this, and that I've discussed this with. Hope they get out while they can, and if they don't, they learn to play the system so that they don't get screwed.
Speaking of playing the system:
Bearded wonder: Eventually someone will realize that you don't really accomplish as much as others due to your anal retentiveness, you bitch too much, and that you actually are much more of a negative influence on the team than the value you bring. You also aren't respected by ANYONE technical(lucky for you, that works for you where you are currently) You'll eventually run out of people to tattle on, or you'll run into a boss that really dislikes that sort of character trait. At that point, you better be in the same situation as I was, otherwise you'll be singing the "I got shitcanned blues" as well.
Flamerboy: Sucking up, pretending you're technical, and spouting buzzwords will only carry you so far. Concentrate on your strength, sales. Stick with that, and you'll do ok. Trying to speak technical jargon that you only recently read in E-Week will just make you look like an idiot
Mojo: Get that porn off your PGP drive. That shit will make you go blind..and grow hair on your palms.
JacksGirl: Ditto on the Flamerboy rant. Although you're not even good at sales, or project management....heck, I'm not sure what exactly you're good at, other than getting promoted because you're female.

What kind of dumbass would do this?

This jackass is here on a student visa, has been for 10 friggin years, and has the balls to advocate killing my president, VP, and other Republicans?

Oh hell no. Give me a reason, I'll go pay him a visit, with my scope fully sighted in, and one round. That's all I need.

Explain to me how it is that it takes you ten friggin years to get your degree. Don't we review those damn things? Ohhhhhh...yeah, I forgot. That's why the libs/dems/RINO's have been whining over the last several weeks. We can't POSSIBLY build a wall, keep track of people here on visa's, or set up a decent bureaucracy to handle the legal immigrants, making it much less desirable to be here illegally. That would be a violation of their human rights.

I say violate 'em. Either that, or put 'em in prison, and let them get violated there.....

Gutless Cowards

Hamas. Palestine. Egypt government. Fatah. Iranian government. Anyone who condones the latest suicide bombing in Israel, where 20 people were killed in a restaurant, is an idiot. I'm not just name calling, I'm truly establishing a position where we examine their mental faculties. I mean, seriously, can you really talk about Israel being the 'occupying' force when it's been in the area since 1948, and before that the British were in control? After you 'occupy' an area for a certain length of time, isn't it pretty much an assumption that it's yours? Do we want to talk about the Palestinians being occupiers of Ottoman land? Or even Roman land, considering that area belonged to the Romans WAAAAY before it became Palestine. Or how about the Greeks? Or even the Africans. According to most anthropologists, life started in Africa, so theoretically, every piece of land not occupied by Africans, is subject to this same arguement. Thus, in actuality, Australia is 'occupied' land. I demand that Australia start making plans to move their people off the island immediately and allow the African people to move back to the area that they've civilized, developed, and turned into a proper country. Luckily no one lives in Antarctica, otherwise I'm sure someone, somewhere would get pissed off and demand that the penguins leave their land, as defeated occupiers.
You lose a war, you lose. I completely disagree with the movement of the Israeli settlers off the lands that they've owned since the Yom Kippur war. Israel was attacked by Egypt and Syria, not the other way around. It wasn't like Israel was sitting there thinking "yeah, we need some more DESERT to try to settle, secure, and inhabit". No, they were attacked, and as a result of kicking the ASS of the Egyptians and Syrians, they got to keep some of the lands they won. Get over it.
While everyone would also like to make this not about Islam vs Judaism, everyone knows it is. Who else really thinks that once given their 'land', the Palestinians will say "Oh, well, thanks, now we'll build our country and leave you alone"? Ya think? Yeah, that and monkeys will fly out of my ass....

Nutcase....

Yep, I think it's safe to say 'that boy ain't right'.
First he goes on Oprah, jumps on the couch, generally acts like a fool, whilst his movie (War of the Worlds) bombs like a Palestinian.
Then he argues with Matt Lauer (whom you'd think nutjobs would get along with just fine) that anti-psychotic drugs are all a big conspiracy and that crazy people don't need them, along with ADHD kids saying something along the lines of "You don't know psychiatry, I do" (yeah, Tom, I bet you do). Then he criticizes Brooke Shields and her use of anti-depressants during her bout with post-partum depression.
Then of course there are his intellectual rants about Scientology, like: "Some people, well, if they don't like Scientology, well, then, fuck you. Really. Fuck you. Period."

Now he and Katie are expecting what I'm sure will be the perfect child (although the rest of us hope that it's ADHD, Dyslexic, and that Katie suffers from postpartum depression), and he talks about the whole Scientology thing about having a 'silent birth'. The women aren't allowed to talk during the birth because it has a 'negative effect' on the baby. My wife is an OB/GYN and agrees with me that it's pretty obvious that a man invented this silly-assed religion.
And now, finally, this jackass is talking about eating the placenta afterward.
Ok, I realize that in some cultures, that's perfectly normal stuff. But dammit, don't be yapping about it in a national/international print. No one wants to hear about that kinda stuff.See, that's where I think folks in Hollyweird are disconnected. They think that people like us actually want to know this stuff about them. We don't. Really Tom. We don't. Thanks for the update, but next time, keep it to yourself, you nasty, nutcase.

Clueless

From Webster.com:
Pronunciation: 'klü-l&s
Function: adjective
1 : providing no clue
2 : completely or hopelessly bewildered, unaware, ignorant, or foolish

I'd say that's a pretty good description of Republican party leadership right now. Floundering, spineless, gutless, leaderless, and other four-letter words would fit as well. Last week I received a telephone call from someone at the national Republican party, asking me to give money. In the past I've given various sums of money, mostly during election years (like this one), and in support of specific candidates. Hey, I put my money where my mouth is...
I advised the young man this year that "When the Republicans stop spending money like drunken sailors on shoreleave, aka Dimwitocrats, I'll start supporting them with my money. I'm already supporting their dumbass Medicare drug plan, illegal aliens, and various pork throughout the transportation bill and others with my taxes and I feel that's good enough".
His response was obvious to me that he'd heard that, or something like that already, and he had a well-scripted response: "Well sir, you know that to get anything done in Washington, it costs money". Touche', I thought, but of course, I wasn't done: "It may take money to get things done in Washington, but everywhere else it takes budgeting, and fiscal restraint. You'd be good to note that and make sure you tell Mr. Mehlman, Mr. Lott, Mr. Frist, and Mr. Hastert that as well". He continued talking about tax cuts, blah, blah, and I gave him the opportunity to end the call politely. Unfortunately he kept talking like Al Gore at a Buddhist temple...so he was hung up on.
Sir, if you're reading this, I apologize. It's rare that I hang up on people, especially my fellow Republicans, but I've grown tired of being preached at by Republicans that the reason they've turned into Dimwitocrats is because "that's they way things get done in DC".
That's a lie, copout, and complete and total crap. Things don't get done in DC. They get done in the rest of the country. DC just gets in the way of things getting done, and worse, influences things in the rest of the country to NOT get done.
Despite my negativity on the Republican party, you won't be seeing a donkey sticker on my pickup truck ever. But I guarantee that there are others out here across the fruited plain who aren't so loyal, and the Republican leadership better recognize that. The sooner the better.

Save Fran O'Briens

Mudville Gazette, one of my favorite Milblogs, has a piece about Fran O'Briens and their tradition of offering free dinners on Fridays to wounded veterans (and their families) recuperating at nearby Walter Reed.
Well, the Hilton Corporation, proud company that they are, especially due to their affiliation with such high end skanks as Paris and Nikky, is not going to renew the lease of the restaurant, citing liability issues.
So, I guess having the daughters of the owners prancing around the world, spreading STD's with the speed of light is perfectly fine, but treating the occasional veteran, who was wounded defending the right of these tramps to jet-set, well, that's just too much to handle.
Just a little reminder, if it were up to the people that we are fighting, these two chickies would have been burned alive, or buried and stoned.
I'm done with travel, but if I did, I wouldn't be going to a Hilton owned property.
And if any of you actively would like to speak to someone at the Hilton Corporation to express your displeasure with them, here's the info I've stolen from some other sites:
Information provided for contacting people with influence in this matter is below:
Dan Boyle (212) 838-1558

daniel_a_boyle@hilton.com

Brian Kellaher (202) 393-1000

Be nice, but express your opinion. Remember what mom said: You attract more flies with honey than vinegar. 'Course she also said that I was always full of piss and vinegar, so I'm not sure what to make of that.......

It has begun......

The very first declared candidate for the 2008 Presidential election announced today. Mike Gravel(D) Alaska announced that he would run for president. He's 75 and a former senator from Alaska, best known for a one-man filibuster that helped end the draft during Vietnam.
While I like some of his ideas, adoption of the Fair Tax and direct democracy, his anti-Iraq stance is obviously unacceptable to me. He says that's going to be a cornerstone of his campaign, so I'm sure we'll kiss him goodbye relatively early in the process.
So, anyone want to take a guess as to when the others will start declaring? I have to believe after the election in November. Hillary doesn't want to declare and then lose her Senate seat in NY, that'd be a doubly fatal blow to her presidential hopes. I seriously think that Al Gore will run again, as well as Kerry. I don't see Lieberman running, mostly because he has too much sense, and the far left wing of the Democratic party wouldn't support him in the primaries. Evan Bayh would be a decent candidate, but again, would have a tough time winning the left. Lyin' Joe Biden is obviously running, based upon his increased visibility on the Sunday morning news shows over the last year or so.
I think that the majority of these folks are going to have a tough time with the far left wing of the party, given that they all supported the war in Iraq. But for the most part, it's the same cast of characters, who will shrilly declare that they're going to save Washington from the 'insiders' and then turn around and make sure that their 'insider' status doesn't change.

Art imitating life

In an incredibly ironic twist of fate, the ABC TV show, Commander in Chief is swinging in the breeze, getting ready to be terminated after only one partial season. It was interrupted by the Olympics, World Series, and Christmas, showing mostly reruns or other things during those times, so truly, not even a full season. No one is saying whether it's the fact that the US isn't ready for a female president (of course they're not saying that, because that'd automatically kick Hillary to the curb), but ratings are king, and CinC wasn't getting them, for whatever reason.
Although in a pretty amusing plotline, delving quite close to home for Senator Clinton I'm sure, the presidents' husband gets busted with an intern in the next episode (whenever that is...I'm not even sure when it plays).
I like Geena Davis, but knew this one was headed to the toilet from the beginning. Glad to see that ABC isn't going to keep it around merely for the brainwashing effect.

Oprah: Republican?

Never have been much of an Oprah fan, but never really hated her either. I did take note when she ran her first marathon in the Marine Corps Marathon a couple years ago, which earned her some points, despite the fact that many an entrant into that race are huge libs....
But an interview with her published in People magazine shows that she gets it when it comes to wealth redistribution. People who are rich have no need to apologize if they've worked for it as hard as she has. The dumbass part about this is that it actually made news, or at least, was enough of a 'surprise' to the idiot writing the article that they made it a focus of the article. As well as Matt Drudge, who's Drudge Report I read damn near religiously. I just hope that he was pointing it out to help support the same idea that I'm putting forth here.
It's the Teddy Kennedy's of the world who need to apologize for spewing their blather about increasing the taxes on the super-rich, when all their money is hidden in the Cayman Islands and other places such as that.

Illegal Aliens fired after protesting

I'm reading various articles about these 15 women who were fired for not showing up to work in order to attend the anti-immigration law protests organized by the radical left wing idiots that typically take to the streets and give the media more wood than an old-growth forest. Not one refers to them as illegal aliens.
They're all referred to as 'immigrants', or 'undocumented immigrants'.
If we just accept the wording, we've lost have the battle.
Not only that but I just want to make one thing perfectly clear.
I have no problem with legal immigrants. My relatives were legal, my best friend growing up was a legal immigrant, another good friend of mine is married to a legal immigrant, I work with a ton of legal immigrants. Legal. That's the point. The fact that these people are out there protesting the fact that we're actually going to ENFORCE THE DAMN LAW just shows everyone the type of people they really are. And these fifteen women want people to feel bad for them because they didn't follow the rules at work, didn't show up, and got fired.
If I just didn't show up at work and didn't call in, or didn't have some damn good reason, I'd probably get fired as well.
But hey, feel sorry for them, they've broken the law, and should be shielded from anything bad.

No bloggie long time

So yesterday I went to the 5th annual Western Michigan University IT Forum. One of the keynote speakers was Debbie Stabenow, socialist Senator from Michigan. I've referred to her before
but figured I'd make a quick comment about her again. The forum main theme was 'IT Transforming Health Care' and since I now work at a health care facility, it seemed like a good fit. Stabenow was brought in to discuss the current 'crisis' confronting health care (seems that every time we turn around there's a crisis...there's so many, I'm not sure which one to put first). That crisis is apparently the inability of one practice/hospital to talk to another using electronic medical records, since there is no 'standards' in place that would allow such an interchange. The funny thing is that there are standards in place. Have been for years. It's just that our hospitals are not cooperative. None of them WANT to talk to each other. I live and work in a city that is served by two hospitals. They continuously have to 'one-up' one another. One comes out with free Internet for patients and families, the other has to offer free wireless Internet AND the ability to 'check out' a laptop to access that wireless Internet with. One builds a new hospital, the other adds a huge Neurology Center.
Hell, these hospitals are a mile or two apart, and we can't get them to talk. Not because there aren't standards, but because they hate each other. There's some serious competition between the two to see who's got the biggest wang.
But yet, completely ignoring the reality of the situation, Senator Stabenow, along with her compatriots in the Senate are not proposing a forced cooperation (although I wouldn't put it past her). They're proposing yet another law and federal program that would help subsidize hospitals who want to purchase electronic medical records systems and provide money to those hospitals that need to buy the gear to implement such a program.
Now I'm all for the hospitals going to EMR, since it basically means there's more data out there to be secured, and I'm joe security. However, for the feds to pay for it? Oh hell no.
The funniest thing about it is that much of the current 'crisis' was created by the federal government dicking with health care in the first place. Take HIPAA out of the equation and there wouldn't be nearly the obstacles in place that would allow the folks who WANT to share the data to do so.

NASCAR discrimination

Michelle Malkin published an NBC memo which outlined a possible Dateline story where they would try to display anti-muslim bias by putting 'muslim-looking' individuals in an environment like a football game or NASCAR race and have some hidden cameras filming the reactions of the fans and how they treat the 'muslims'.
Now, there's just so much here to slap these 'yatches' around that I could spend all day. But let's look at it logically:
1. 'Muslim-looking'? This is almost as bad as the 'gay-looking' guy from the Caliber commercial. Is it all about looks? I thought that's what libs and the media keep trying to tell us that we shouldn't make assessments on someone based upon their looks. But let's make a sweeping generalization about someone that just because they have olive skin and dark hair that they are 'muslim looking'. Considering the Chechens are causasians and muslim, I'm thinking that assessment isn't quite on target.
2. Why don't they send someone to a Cindy Sheehan 'peace-lover' rally with a 'TEAM W' t-shirt or a t-shirt (like mine) that says "10 out of 10 terrorists prefer anyone but Bush", and take the hidden cameras to show how violent those scumbags really are?
3. I have two friends/co-workers, one of which is of Puerto-Rican descent, the other is black, and we went to a NASCAR event. Never once was anyone anything less than amazingly polite. People were tailgating, offering us beer, food, talking, giving my one friend crap for being a Jeff Gordon fan, etc. I suppose if you look hard enough for anything, you'll find it, but it would take a considerable amount of work.

I propose that folks attending NASCAR events over the next several weeks, if you see someone who 'looks' muslim, invite them over to have a burger with you. Don't offer them your beer or pulled pork (that alcohol/whole pig thing may offend, and God knows we don't want NBC to have any ammo). Be courteous, polite, welcoming, and show hospitality.

In other words, just act the way you do anyway. I know from personal experience, NASCAR fans are some of the best people out there. They may not have white collars and a liberal pedigree, but if I needed someone to work hard for me, back me up in a battle, or show me some good old fashioned hospitality, they're the folks I'd pick.
Never seen an incident where a fan ran out onto a track or into the pits and tried to kick one of the drivers' asses. If that pansy-assed idiot from the Pistons/Pacers game tried that crap at Michigan Speedway, at least one crew member woulda beaten him beyond recognition.

Wow...you guyth are tho thenthitive

So, I'm dropping the kids off for a swim, reading the Detroit Free Press (cuz that's about the only time I can tolerate that rag), and find an article where a bunch of whiny, gay-rights, liberal, sensitive, 'we don't like anything that even remotely makes fun of us', 'lost my sense of humor when I lost my anal virginity' types are complaining that the latest ad campaign for the Dodge Caliber offends them.
Now, let me give you a background on the ad campaign, done by BBDO Detroit, called 'Anything but Cute':
A fairy (coincidence? I think not) is flying along, using her wand to turn things 'cute'. But she tries it on the Caliber and it doesn't change. She's then thrown to the sidewalk where this big 'tough-looking' guy, walking a rottweiler (or some other tough looking dog) laughs at her and she turns him into a sweater wearing geek, walking these little cutesy dogs.
Allow me to quote someone from the Triangle Foundation: "This guy looks pretty gay to me"- Jeffry Montgomery, Director of the Detroit-based Triangle Foundation (a major gay-rights, pillow-biting, too-sensitive for their own good, group). Now, they're saying that the straight people who made the advert are stereotyping? Are you kidding me?
If you go to the link and look at the guy, gay isn't the first thing that pops into my mind. More like he's a Chip-type that's walking his dogs prior to going to the country-club and sipping cosmopolitans with Muffy and Trish.
I mean, if they woulda put the guy with a feather boa, limp wrist, assless leather chaps, and tight babydoll tshirt, carrying one of those hairless chihuahua's in a pink, rhinestone dog-carrier, I'd buy their complaint, but jeez......Not everything is about you ladies, lighten up.

Aw, feel sorry for me, I broke the law.....

In the online version of Snoozeweek, they profile a couple of Cambodian immigrants who came to the US as a refuge from the violent and genocidal Khmer Rouge regime but were sent back to Cambodia because of a 1996 law that states that any immigrant that is convicted of a felony must be deported. The subject was convicted of armed robbery.
Snoozeweeks' take on it is that we should feel bad for these criminals because they don't know anything about Cambodia, grew up with Big Macs, Ronald Reagan, and MTV, and the law isn't fair.
Of course it's not fair, at least from the liberal media eyes anyway it's not. Anything that actually sets a standard and requires people to actually FOLLOW RULES wouldn't be fair.
Snoozeweek also has a romantic photo-essay at the various immigrant communities around the country and basically a poke in the eye at anyone who actually wants laws to be enforced saying "How dare we break up these communities" (ok, I paraphrased, but I'm sure that was their intention)...
This is why when people start looking at the requirements for the new proposal for illegals and thinking that 'hey, these are pretty tough, I can live with these', they need to think again. Despite the fact that they may be written tough, you know as well as I do that all laws, no matter how toughly written, can be leniently enforced, depending upon the edicts from upon high. If the government says "bah, it's ok if people don't have jobs, or don't learn english, nevermind what that LAW says", that's what happens.
So remember when you start thinking about supporting these new proposals, accepting the people who've broken the law to get here has to also carry an understanding that the majority won't follow the 'eleven year plan' to citizenship, but will probably still get offered it because of the spineless politicians and complicit media who want to see these people in their back-pocket.

Just another example of Dimwitocrat hypocrisy

Not sure why this surprises me, but yet another example of Dimwitocrats only believing in whatever it is that is politically expedient today, is Harry Reid, Senate minority leader.
In 1993, in sponsoring the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, Reid said that:

Currently, an alien living illegally in the United States often pays no taxes but receives unemployment, welfare, free medical care and other federal benefits. Recent terrorist acts, including the World Trade Center bombing, have underscored the need to keep violent criminals out of the country.

Where's Reid now in the immigration debate? Solidly in favor of allowing the 11 million or so law-breakers who are in the country to stay. Maybe he thinks that that'll put them solidly in the Dimwitocrat column come eleven years down the road when they can actually become citizens.
Of course what Dingy Harry and the rest of the pandering pro-illegal alien crowd forgets is that a good number of the law-breaking types won't vote in any elections, because they're not the type of persons who would do such a thing. These are the people who sneak over the border under cover of darkness and stay in the shadows.
Mark my words, you'll see this in 10 years (if god-forbid the Senate version becomes law), less than half of the 11 million that are here will have gone through the effort to become citizens, and of that 5.5 mill that are left, a good majority will have committed a felony, not kept a job, and/or not learned english sufficiently to qualify for citizenship. That'll be when the Dimwits will push for leniency when it comes to those qualifications, and what is left of the GutlessCoward party (that's Republicans to you and me) will cave, because that's what they do. Talk a good game, talk tough about BEING tough, but when it comes down to possibly offending a future voter to stand up for a principle? Hell no.

Political correctness gone mad

Guess the title to this is actually redundant, since you have to be insane to actually think that something politically correct is logical or makes sense.
Students at a high school in Colorado were sent home and advised not to wear clothing with any flags or patriotic messages on them. Apparently there were tensions surrounding the illegal immigration debate, and the principal, instead of inviting an intelligent discussion of the issue or perhaps some healthy debate/disagreement, quashed all freedom of expression and patriotism by declaring that clothing with any flags on them, or other display of patriotism was not acceptable wear, including camoflage patterned clothing. He said that it was to 'protect' the kids. Protect them.
Well, I'll be damned, now I've heard it all. Don't let anyone have any sort of political discussion or disagreement. Let's just all hold hands and sing 'kumbaya' around a campfire.
Obviously this guy has spent just a wee bit too much time in the thin air of Colorado, his brain is lacking oxygen.

Points for creativity

I hate cheaters. I figure if you can't play by the rules and win, then you don't deserve to win. That's not to say I won't do everything in my power and within the structure of whatever rules that are in place to win. But to a limit.
That's why I don't like Barry Bonds. I used to like Raphael Palmeiro, but he's a liar and a cheat as well. Anyone who goes up to Capital Hill and lectures congressmen about how he'd never use 'roids, and then turns around and pops positive is not only a liar and cheat, but an idiot. He's even dumber than the congressmen foisting this pretend inquest on the public.
But I'll give props to the San Diego crowd, and whoever it was that threw the syringe at Barry during opening day. Now THAT is funny.
No word whether Barry picked it up and put it in his pocket for later use.....

SeeBS whines about anonymous sources

Life is funny sometimes. The network that gave us 60 Minutes, Mike Wallace, Dan Rather, and whiningWalter Cronkite is now reduced to whining about anonymous sources that leaked the information that Perky Katie Couric may be in final negotiations to take over the anchor desk at CBS News.
Bet they wouldn't blink to accept information from an anonymous source for a story that criticize this administration.

New link!

As some of you may already know, I tend to get a bit opinionated. Yes, I know, it comes as a shock, but you're just going to have to learn to live with it.
One of the things that I'm very opinionated about is the state of our educational system and how screwed up I think it is. There are a ton of reasons why I think it's screwed up and a ton of things I think we could do to fix it. But rather than going on here, check out Gnuteacher. I don't agree with 100% of what he says, but darn near. And heck, what fun is it when folks agree with everything you say anyway?

"United 93"

In what is probably the most powerful trailer I've seen for a movie, 'United 93' definitely elicits a number of emotions. It's generated a good amount of criticism that it's 'too soon' to be making movies about the 9/11 tragedy and that people won't pay $9 to go see it.
I disagree. I think that a good number of people will want to see what purports to be a full story of what happened that day on that flight. Considering that flight was stopped well short of it's destination (which is alleged to be the Capitol building or the White House), it's kind of been the red-headed stepchild when it comes to the overall attention span of the American public.
The interesting portion in my eyes will be the depiction of the military and air-traffic control point of view. That area really hasn't been discussed at any level and I've always wondered what it was like to be in an ATC tower that day. I'd imagine that it wasn't much different than the rest of us, just shock and horror, but probably with a bit more of a personal standpoint, since they were in contact with the planes until the last moments.
Anyway, if it's controversial enough for people to complain that it's too soon and that people don't want to be reminded, it must be something that I want to remind people about.

After all, do we really want to forget the reason we're fighting terrorists all around the world?