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Showing posts from April 16, 2006
West Coasters are now realizing that they can get East Coast cellphones and really rack up the free nights and weekends. Steven Den Beste's comment carries weight as he made lots of money in the cell phone industry. See the thread here .
Reid blasts Bush during Reno visit : "The Bush administration is relying too heavily on other countries in the international effort to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, according to Sen. Harry Reid." So...let me get this straight: Bush is a warmongering, go-it-alone unilateralist who is not being criticized for being too multilateral. Right. Seems the entirety of Democratic thought is reduced to sniping.
This would be an ideal Halloween costume to terrorize the kids in the neighborhood. I can't imagine what it costs.
From media to we-dia . Remarkable. 57% of teenagers create internet content. If the MSM thinks they have a firm grip on the national conversation, this ought to be a wake-up call. They have been sidestepped and the don't realize how much. This is only going to increase as these begin to dominate the coveted 18-49 demo.
The Volokh Conspiracy points to the latest idiocy from the 9th Circuit court. Reformation of the 9th circuit is long, long overdue. They should have broken this court up 50 years ago. I would love for someone to explain this to me with a straight face.
Seeing red over 'green scare' Jonah Goldbberg talks about alarmism in the Environmental movement. Hype, hysteria and fear mongering are not theirs alone but their entire movement is predicated on it. I'm old enough to remember the "Next Ice Age" hysteria gripping the country. We were warned of doom and gloom and how we'd all die off b/c we couldn't grow anything in the soon to be frozen hinterlands of middle America. If Green Hysteria follows other trends we'll be hearing about the next ice age sometime soon. Oddly that would lead to the Greenies clamoring for an increase in greenhouse gases to prevent us from freezing to death. Maybe not. I've always suspected that this is the heart and soul of the environmental movement.
Reliving my childhood online. Yes, I'm showing my age....
Sully's blog seems richer, not poorer in his absence.
Why would CAIR need emergency phones during times of crisis? Given the number of people in their organization PNG as well as being convicted of terrorism supporting offenses, this makes me very nervous.
More meta posting. This page has so many nuggets it's hard to know where to start. Skip over the lead story. Kidman is Catholic, big deal. She stayed married to Spaceboy Cruise for 11 years. That's much more interesting. Thandie Newton reveals her complete idiocy. Vandalism and/or stickers determine her position on global issues and determine what vehicle to drive. She believes the X5 is safe in traffic but global warming is so scary and imminent that it doesn't matter if she drives and SUV or not. I wonder if she dictated the letter to her assitant from a private jet or a mansion the size of Fenwick Island. Shakira proves herself to be surprisingly normal. No word on how long this will last. Kmora Simmons is an awful person. She lives near where I grew up and she was (and is) famous for being one of those "Don't you know who I am?" people. Few things set my teeth on edge more than that phrase. My immediate reaction is to look for the nearest Lo
Give her a medal .
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You Are Guinness You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around. What's Your Beer Personality?
Two quick links to show why I love WRC. 2003 WRC and 2002 WRC highlights
Jeff Foxworthy has a joke that the last words spoken by many a redneck are "Hey y'all watch this! I don't think this guy is laughing now.
Patterico explains about Three in One: Michael Hiltzik, Mikekoshi, and Nofanofcablecos . Sad, sad sad. Old School Journalists have no idea what they're up against. They don't have the tools in their toolbox to mess with people like they used to. In the past, there was no discourse, only monologue. They dictated the news to us and we talked amongst ourselves. Distributed information put an end to that and now journalists have to put up with and endless stream of fact checking and yes, hectoring by opponents. The difference is, we can hold their feet to the flames now. They don't have anywhere to go and it can be seen by all and captured for all eternity. This isn't a new revelation but it seems the lesson must be taught again and again before people will realize it. MSM reporters dismiss bloggers as hacks and blowhards. Do you know one blogger that could keep his credibility if he had done the above? Even here in our tiny Delaware blogosphere, we have more i
On this day, April 19 , lots of not so good things happened. Oklahoma City bombing, The Waco Fiasco et al. There's one good thing that did happen that isn't on this list. Can you guess what it is?
Key Evidence Supports Alibi in Potential Rape Defense for One Indicted Duke Player . Sounds like this case is headed off the rails. I think this is a case of a District Attorney desparate to fend off the impending attacks and rushed to a Grand Jury. Sadly, the guys involved are forever tarnished. This is a prime example of why rape shield laws need to be in place for both accuser and victim. Once they are convicted, release their names. If not, keep them sealed. Would the press be so adamant about publishing the name of the victim if the police found no crime had been committed?
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I had to Google both Barth and Sprong but it's interesting nonetheless. You scored as Roman Catholic . You are Roman Catholic. Church tradition and ecclesial authority are hugely important, and the most important part of worship for you is mass. As the Mother of God, Mary is important in your theology, and as the communion of saints includes the living and the dead, you can also ask the saints to intercede for you. Roman Catholic 89% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Neo orthodox 54% Emergent/Postmodern 46% Classical Liberal 39% Modern Liberal 39% Fundamentalist 39% Reformed Evangelical 29% Charismatic/Pentecostal 21% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com
Amid troubled times, Hollywood finds religion . The "troubled" here is not worldly troubles, rather, it's Hollywood bottom line troubles. "We really haven't marketed to that group," Silver says. "I'm not sure why. I can tell you. Hollywood looks down on people of faith unless its a powerful cult like Scientology or a fad that people don't take too seriously like the Kaballah. They live in a world so foreign to Middle America they cannot begin to either connect with them or create films they want to see. Everyone laughed at Mel Gibson and derided him as nuts until the receipts came in. Now greed has finally trumped derision. I still don't think they'll be able to make movies that put faith in a positive light featuring major stars. The film mentions Hillary Swank as a missionary who loses her faith. Will it show her returning to that faith as a conscious choice or show it as a crutch for a weak person? My bet is on the latter n
This article reads like a one up-manship of craziness. Tom says that Scientology cures him of all sorts of things and then Mary J. Blige tops him by saying that God wants her to have expensive jewelry and such. Apparently she worships the great American God of Materialism. She may be crazy but at least she's honest about it. Not to be outdone, Kevin "the human tick" Federline says the media forced him to become a rapper. Well, at least now we know who to blame.
The mechanics of evil: Inside a terrorist bomb recounts the abject evil that is suicide bombing. Read well how these bastards use rat poison to maximize death. Tell me again about how we need to negotiate with people like this.
Remember the professor in Florida who wailed and moaned about being a victim of Chimpy Bu$hitlers Dissent Squashing Brigades? Well, now he admits his role in Jihad . The deafening silence from the MSM/Democrats/Leftists is palpable. We endlessly rehash Abu Gharib but nary a word for a 5th columnist in our midst. The Right is endlessly carping on about anti-Americanism being rife in academia. This story is proof in spades so we won't hear word one about it from Katie Couric or her ilk. To do so would only fuel anti-academic, anti-Muslim, anti-free speech forces and we can't have any of that now, can we.
A fascinating article about the environment around you and how it affects your brain . A few years ago, I made a conscious decision to remove negative people and influences from my life. I stopped talking to, and being around, people who were either very negative or simlply not good people. I lost a good number of acquaintances and even a few friends but I've never regretted my decision. Looks like there's research to bear out my decision. I love when science agrees with me.
Judith Klinghoffer is no fan of thhe President but she's no fan of the latest spate of retiring Generals either. She correctly points out that these guys are supposed to be tough as nails warriors. If they're so afraid of losing their jobs, they're in the wrong job. In From The Cold explains what realy military leaders do and have done in the past. They stand up to the civilian leadership in warfighing matters, not policy matters. They risk the consequences because their first responsibility is to their men, not politics. It seems there are too many that have forgotten. I think we need a greater number of retirements to get rid of the old guard. They do have valueable experience and institutional knowledge but that same legacy is hampering our ability to adapt to low intensity conflict. How many times can we refight World War 2? Large set piece battles are anachronistic. Massed troops equal mass casualties. Massed armor and even massed artiliary is a recipe fo
Which is it General? Either you were lying then or your're lying now. Not a good place to be. I was going wobbly on Rumsfeld on this until the facts started coming in. Now it's just political posturing and it's dangerous. If the officer corp starts selecting the Sec Def or having even a modicum of control over who fills that post we are in a heap of trouble. We have civilian mastery of the military for very good reason and we abandon or diminish it at our peril.
Further proof that the illegal labor problem is more complicated than you think. Illegal aliens recruit workers . These guys already have jobs before they arrive. One of them flatly states if he's caught he'll try again and again until he gets to where he wants to be. Wall first then guest worker program. No amnesty. Ever.
Tony Blankley goes out on a limb here and it's dangerously close to breaking. I strongly agree that the retired generals speaking out is in poor taste and curiously timed at best but in the end, it's legal and something we're just going to have to live with. Treason, mutiny and sedition are very strong accusations to sling and he ought to have more sense than to smear these guys with so little evidence.
The Litmus Test is coming. This film will draw a bright line between the head in the sand crowd and everybody else. Will we remember that this war is not about our foreign policy? Will America realize this is for all the marbles? If we withdrew completely within our own national boundaries and created Fortress America, we would still not be safe. We are in danger not because of what we do but who we are . The Left snorts with derisive laughter at the notion that they hate us for our freedom. They're half right. They hate us for our apostasy. The rest is immaterial. We have three choices, submit, die or live as dhimmi. The
Professional contrarian Christopher Hitchens (as opposed to amateurs like me) gives us the lowdown on The utterly clueless Joe Wilson . Hitchens thinks this cluelessness stems from innocence whereas I do not. Wilson is a partisan who sought to make friends on the Democrat side of the aisle and make the President look bad. He thought the latter would get him the former which would lead to some sweet appointment in the Kerry administration. Sorry Joe, no dice. Sadly, a few outright lies have hardened into "facts" regarding Plame/Wilson 1. Valerie Plame was a covert operative who's identity was carefully guarded by both the CIA and Plame/Wilson 2. The President/Vice President leaked her name to destroy her career 3. Leaking her name caused a black program to be rolled up and probably got some people killed 4. Valerie Plame did not recommend her husband for he Niger job 5. Joe Wilson knew the Niger related documents were wrong. Unless each of these items is refuted
Rise of an Eastern Superpower . I'm getting flashbacks. When I was in high school, everyone assured me we'd all be speaking Japanese shortly and every American company would be owned by Japan. It was not just inevitable, it was already over. Shortly thereafter, they caught the economic flu and stayed in bed sweating and shivering for over a decade. They're just now shuffling about in their bathrobe and feeling that empty hunger in the gut. Likewise, China is now booming. They are voraciously hungry and making great strides. However, that growth is predicated on assumptions that are both changing and uncertain. Nobody knows what China's banking situation looks like. There have been hints that they are in very bad fiscal shape. They own a tremendous amount of American paper but that doesn't belie their problems. If they plan on WTO membership they have to open the books and that could be a major blow to investment and capitalization. Additionally, they are
Eyewitness News Looks at Party Photos and finds indications that all is not what it seems. This is going to get even uglier.
I'd love to get my hands on one of these . It would make commuting so much easier.
Happy Slapper Gets Owned . Possibly the only thing that's going to put an end to this. I assure you, nobody in Red States would be dumb enough to try this. There's a reason everybody in NC was so polite in traffic. One look a the number of gun racks and you'll know why.
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Damn! On the money! You Should Weigh 160 If you weigh less than this, you either have a fast metabolism or are about to gain weight. If you weigh more than this, you may be losing a few pounds soon! How Much Do You Weigh?
Vanderleun unloads a massive broadside against the irreligious and, specifically, the irreligious left with Judas: A Saint for Our Seasons . Merciless and bullseye accurate. Note to self: stay in Vanderleun's good graces.
Whoa. Will this change everything? This is a much more strident document than anything that ever would have come from JP2. Will this take hold? Will it be disseminated within the Church? Will B16's legacy be his resistance to Islamic fundamentalism as Communism was to John Paul? It's too early to tell and I've had a splinter in the back of my mind of late about The Pontiff. I see him and I get the feeling he won't be around long. He's in his 70's and was about to retire but he's still healthy. I really hate to say this, it pains me in fact but I get a sinking feeling when I see him. I watched him on the procession at World Youth Day and I was waiting for the bomb blast to claim him. If he continues to call for a confrontation with the totalitarian strain of Islam, an attack on him personally or the Holy See is all but inevitable. I ferverently pray I'm wrong. Very wrong.
Destruction of property = Free Speech? Really, until the Democrats denounce tactics like this, I don't want to hear another word about "stifiling of dissent."
This article marks the opening salvo against the spate of retiring Generals who are calling for Rumsfeld's head. Naturally, his opponents have siezed on these statements and joined the chorus. They use the Generals' experience as unimpeachable proof that they are right. Further, they believe that officers are apolitical. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There's an old saying in the military that nobody makes it past O-5 without being (or becoming) a politician. That's where turf wars begin. Flag rank spends more time with money, budgeting and programs than anything else. They are warfighters but they are strategic, not tactical ones. Absent any context for the departure of the various Generals, we don't have the ability to judge the case on its merits. Are all of them on point and apolitical conclusions or are they all just a bunch of whiners spewing sour grapes. Like most things, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle. I have no doubt that
Rube Goldberg machines from Japan. Very creative. I wish I had enough time on my hands to make one of these!
Attrition is at record high levels. Wait, don't they know this war is lost? Don't they know it's a quagmire, a war for oil? How did Karl Rove beguile these lumpenproles to re-enlist in Chimpy Bu$hitler's Illegal War? They must have been forced. No other answer fits.