hotelsierra

Making sense out of something odd...

2010-05-15T21:28:00.002Z

The people in one of the buildings across the way have about a dozen empty liquor and liqueur bottles in their kitchen window. The only rational purpose that I can determine for doing this would be for them to serve as a navigational aid for the police during disturbance calls.

On Sustainability

2010-05-13T16:19:00.003Z

Sustainability.

That's supposed to be a good thing, right? I looked on Google and it suggested the following terms:

"sustainable agriculture", "sustainable architecture", "sustainable business model", "sustainable communities", "sustainable design", "sustainable development", "sustainable energy", "sustainable foods", "sustainable living", "sustainable packaging", "sustainable products" and so forth.

The idea is that you can preface just about anything with the word "sustainable" and it's supposedly better, more environmentally friendly and less wasteful of the earth's resources than the Old Ways.

What you're not supposed to notice is that all of these ideas involve social pressure to conform to top-down ideas being pushed at you in order to inch you towards acceptance of a Third-world standard of living (in exchange for getting to feel morally superior.)

There is one idea that those pushing sustainable solutions have never considered: SUSTAINABLE GOVERNMENT.

After all, it logically follows that if other aspects of society are wasteful and excessive, then government must be as well.

Try mentioning the concept of sustainable government to a liberal/statist in conversation sometime. I promise you they'll be stumbling over the conceptual contradictions you've thrown underfoot and it'll be fun to watch.

ARE YOU BETTER OFF THAN YOU WERE 44 DAYS AGO?

2009-03-07T02:33:00.001Z

Shades of Carter.

Squared.

The Classics Club - Looking for list of titles

2009-01-26T01:05:00.006Z

Some years ago, I subscribed to an "on approval" book club called The Classics Club, originally published by Walter J. Black in the 1940s.

I've got over thirty of the titles, and have found a number of others, but have never been able to locate a complete list of titles for this series.

I AM SEEKING THIS INFORMATION AND WOULD LIKE TO COMPLETE THIS COLLECTION AS LONG AS THE NUMBER OF VOLUMES IS REASONABLY FINITE.

Alas, Walter J. Black went out of business in the 1980s.

Here is the list of titles and authors that I either have or have confirmed are in the series:

Own?	Title	Author
true	A Tale of Two Cities	Charles Dickens
false	Autobiography	Benjamin Franklin
true	Discourses	Epictetus
true	Essays and New Atlantis	Francis Bacon
true	Essays, Poems, Addresses	Ralph Waldo Emerson
true	Fathers and Sons	Turgenev
true	Five Great Dialogues	Plato
true	Gulliver's Travels	Jonathan Swift
true	Henry Esmond	Thackeray
false	Lives of the Saints
true	Meditations	Marcus Aurelius
true	Old Goriot	Balzac
true	On Man In The Universe	Aristotle
true	On Politics And Education	John Locke
true	On The Nature Of Things	Lucretius
true	Paradise Lost and Other Poems	John Milton
false	Pride and Prejudice	Jane Austen
false	Progress and Poverty	Henry George
false	Robinson Crusoe	Daniel Defoe
true	Selected Essays	Montaigne
true	Selected Lives And Essays	Plutarch
false	Selected Plays	Henrik Ibsen
true	Selected Poems	Horace
true	Selected Poems	Walt Whitman
true	Selected Poems	Robert Browning
false	Selected Stories	Anton Chekov [ADDED]
false	Selected Tales and Poems	Edgar Allan Poe
true	Selected Works	Cicero
true	Thaïs/Sylvestre Bonnard	Anatole France
true	The Beginnings of Modern Science	Boynton
false	The Canterbury Tales	Geoffrey Chaucer
true	The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Vol. I, Comedies	William Shakespeare
true	The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Vol. II, Histories	William Shakespeare
true	The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Vol. III, Tragedies	William Shakespeare
false	The Golden Treasury	Palgrave
true	The History of Plymouth	William Bradford
true	The Iliad	Homer
true	The Law of War and Peace	Hugo Grotius
true	The Odyssey	Homer
true	The Praise of Folly	Erasmus
false	The Rubiyat	Omar Khayyam
true	The Way of All Flesh	Samuel Butler
true	Two Years Before The Mast	Richard Henry Dana
true	Utopia	Sir Thomas More
true	Walden	Henry David Thoreau

VanDerLeun Has "The Name In The Stone" Up Again

2008-11-11T12:54:00.002Z

Gerard VanDerLeun can write.

If you don't believe me, then go read this, and come back and tell me that.

Who is "Buckhead" for the WBEZ tapes?

2008-10-29T14:33:00.003Z

Remember 2004, Dan Rather, the "fake but accurate" memo, and a poster on Freerepublic.com named "Buckhead" who was the first to spot the fact that something was not quite right about that memo?

Well, now we have the tapes of Obama, Ayers, et al., in the WBEZ (Chicago National Proletarian Radio) archives that, as far as settling the issue of Barack 0bama being a socialist, are like the punchline to the old joke, the one where the guy asks the girl if she'd sleep with him for a million dollars, and she says, "Sure!".

Then he asks her if she'd sleep with him for a quarter, and her indignant response is, "What kind of a girl do you think I am?"

He replies, "We've already settled that question, now we're just negotiating the price."

But I digress.

I first saw this on one of the PUMA blogs, but the problem with the blogosphere is frequently in trying to figure out just where something viral originated.

So I'm asking, "Who found this first?"

BTW, I still maintain that we haven't seen youthful enthusiasm like this in a political campaign since McGovern in 1972.

And we all know how well *that* worked out, don't we?

I predict McCain/Palin will win big.

And many, many thanks to the PUMAs.

They are more high-spirited now than a good number of rather dour Republicans are at this point.

Palin hits another one out of the park (Henderson, NV)

2008-10-22T06:11:00.001Z

I posted this on reclusiveleftist and thought it worth putting up here.

Violet:

Thank you.

Palin hits one outta the park. Again.

Methinks the 0bamaBots have “misunderestimated” Sarah Palin.

Either she wrote it herself or somebody’s writing for her who *really* knows her “voice”.

Frankly, I think that the McCain campaign has finally “turned her loose” as either they think they have nothing to lose by so doing, or [here's what I *really* think]:

The internals are telling *both* campaigns something different that what we’re seeing in the publicly released results.

Obama is expending resources and travelling to states that supposedly he has “locked up”.

McCain and Palin are going to states that have supposedly fallen into the “solidly blue” category.

Either both campaigns have suddenly gone stupid or something’s up, which, from the looks of things, doesn’t look good for the 0-man.

I said months ago regarding the 0bama campaign:

“I haven’t seen this much youthful enthusiasm since the McGovern campaign of 1972.”

And we *all* know how well that one worked out…

Thanks again, and best regards,

YZ

Memo to Sen. McCain

2008-10-15T01:31:00.001Z

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

--- H.L. Mencken

The time is now.

SNL is doing a few Really Funny Political Sketches.

2008-10-05T16:47:00.002Z

On the bailout.

I was amazed.
They actually put blame on the Democrats, and named Frank as a culprit.

The Vice-Presidential debate.

I swear, Fey does a better Palin that Palin does.

It's almost eerie.

The sketch knocks both Biden and Palin-- Palin a bit more, but that's to be expected.

I don't usually do this: SIGN THIS PETITION

2008-10-03T14:40:00.002Z

Asylum from Rape Petition

Feminists all over the world need to be pressuring governments to define rape as torture and persecution. Please sign this U.K. petition, and then post or email the link to help spread the word:

Hat Tip to The Reclusive Leftist.

And a heartfelt thank you to my friend [I guess I can say that as she hasn't banned me yet, hehehe], Ms. Violet, who runs the place.

My take on the Vice-Presidential debate

2008-10-03T06:59:00.002Z

IMHO Advantage Palin.

Whether she whupped his ass or not, depends upon whether you read Democratic Underground or Free Republic.

I noticed a five-minute period in the middle of the debate where Palin had Biden either so upset or so flustered that he couldn't complete a sentence.

I believe that the reason she didn't bring up the things that could have eviscerated Obama/Biden with: Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac/Dodd/Frank/Waters; Obama/Wright/Ayres/Wright/Davis- was that her coaches instructed her not to do so, as that would have given an entirely new and possibly interpretable as "bitchy" to her persona, which they were in dire need of resurrecting.

I regret saying that because it sounds sexist, but that's what I think.

The only thing that really impresses me about the Obama campaign is their amazing ability to find new and innovative ways to piss people off.

2008-09-27T21:17:00.001Z

What else can I say?

Rusty Shackelford has found something very interesting that may sink the Obama campaign.

2008-09-22T07:04:00.003Z

It appears that a professional PR firm with multiple ties to the Obama Campaign has been "astroturfing" slime videos about Sarah Palin on YouTube. And doing it under their own names, the arrogant dumbasses.

I'm not going to post part of it here as you've got to really read the whole thing twice to really get the gist of not only how sleazy it was, but how stupid they were in how they went about it.

More fingerprints left behind than in an ink and paper factory.

Been re-reading Wei Jingsheng's "The Courage To Stand Alone"

2008-09-21T23:11:00.005Z

This is an astonishing book, and one of the finest examples of Chinese dissident literature that I can think of off the top of my head.

Anyway, I came across the following paragraph. Does some of what he writes about sound familiar?

Fatheadedness has so reduced everything but politics into matters of such insignificance that the sole factor determining human existence in China is politics. Therefore, people have little choice but to waste most of their energy on politics, which has been blown way out of proportion for far too long. This has served to increase both the intensity and complexity of political disputes, and caused the vulgar ruthlessness of politics to infect and disease science and culture as well. To use political standards to judge science and culture, not to mention people of talent, is as worthless as breeding a donkey with a thoroughbred. It blurs the lines between right and wrong, and good and bad in science and culture, and breaks down the natural process of weeding out the inferior and choosing the superior. This is chaotic enought in the short term, but in the long term you will find that science and culture lag behind.

Inquiring minds want to know.

YZ

I try not to reprint entire articles. Here's why.

2008-09-21T05:20:00.002Z

Orson Scott Card is one of the most brilliant writers with whose works I am acquainted. He just wrote an essay. And I'm not going to say what it is about.

Tell ya what. Go over and give it a read. If you don't think that going there was worth a mouse click, then you're welcome to come back and tell me why.

Then again, if you DO think that going there was worth a mouse click, then you're welcome to come back and tell me why as well.

Just don't call my daughter a fartling.

Some commenter unwisely did that on another thread-- I'm fairly certain it was meant maliciously, and I was, well, Trumanesque in my response. For you younger folks, that's Harry Truman, not The Truman Show's Truman Burbank.

Oh, yes- forgot. The reason I like to make you go to a blog and read someone's article on *their own site* is because you can look around, perhaps check out a couple of posts or discussion threads.

And I think that introducing people to good writing and good blogs gets you good Net karma.

Hope so, anyway.

I *know* you get good karma by changing tires for people on the roadside and things like that.

Chatty tonight, I guess. Have no idea why.

Y'all enjoy the rest of your weekend.

liberal or conservative?

2008-09-18T00:37:00.015Z

This was a questionnaire my daughter got in her U.S. Government class.

There are already too many government regulations protecting the environment. Many of these new regulations are unnecessary and should be eliminated (for example, not allowing companies to cut down trees because they may endanger certain birds>
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

People should be required to pay taxes to pay for government programs. Programs (like welfare and Medicare) are good things that help out people in need. We all need to pay our share.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Education should be left up to the states and to local school districts. Each school district should set its own standards because the school district knows what is best for its students. The federal government should stay out of education.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Handguns are very dangerous. We need to have a national system of gun control to make sure that no criminals can get guns, even if this makes it more difficult for ordinary people to get guns.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Abortion is wrong and should be illegal. (If you feel there should be cases when abortion is allowed, like if a woman is raped of if her life is in danger,if she has the child then choose "agree."
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Prayer should be kept out of the public schools. Schools shouldn't have anything to do with religion.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Programs like welfare and food stamps are a waste of the taxpayers' money. No one should be forced to pay taxes to support other people.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

The government spends to much on the military. There is no real threat to the United States from other countries. We already have more than enough nuclear weapons and other military equipment.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Laws that set the minimum wage, safety regulations, and other regulations have gotten out of hand. Business should be left alone so they can make a profit.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

People should be free to marry members of the same sex. These couples should also be free to adopt children. As long as the two people love each other, that's what matters.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

We pay way too much money in taxes Everyone deserves a tax cut now. The government takes more of our money than it really needs.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Because schools in inner cities are so much poorer than schools in the suburbs, they cannot offer their students as good an education as suburban students get. Therefore, the federal government should use tax dollars to help poorer school districts provide better education. It is unfair that rich children should get better education than poor children.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Guns don't kill people, people do. Anyone who wants to buy a gun should be able to do so.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

The decision to have an abortion is up to a woman and her doctor, period.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Religion is a positive influence for kids. Schools should give students a few minutes of silence each day to pray if they choose to.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Government programs like welfare and food stamps are the best way to help the poor in this country. Charities are good, but they do not do enough to help the needy.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

A strong national defense is most important function of government. The U.S. needs a strong military and we should continue to spend a lot of money on the military. This is one of the best investments our country can make.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Government regulations like the minimum wage and safety regulations in factories are the only way to protect workers. Without these laws, employees would have a hard life.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman. People of the same sex should not be allowed to marry or to adopt children.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

The environment is our most precious resource. The government needs to protect it from businesses and people who might pollute it, even if that costs money and time.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Are you liberal or conservative? Part Two.

2008-09-18T00:37:00.013Z

This was a questionnaire my daughter got in her U.S. Government class.
And here are her answers.

There are already too many government regulations protecting the environment. Many of these new regulations are unnecessary and should be eliminated (for example, not allowing companies to cut down trees because they may endanger certain birds>
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

People should be required to pay taxes to pay for government programs. Programs (like welfare and Medicare) are good things that help out people in need. We all need to pay our share.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Education should be left up to the states and to local school districts. Each school district should set its own standards because the school district knows what is best for its students. The federal government should stay out of education.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Handguns are very dangerous. We need to have a national system of gun control to make sure that no criminals can get guns, even if this makes it more difficult for ordinary people to get guns.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Abortion is wrong and should be illegal. (If you feel there should be cases when abortion is allowed, like if a woman is raped of if her life is in danger,if she has the child then choose "agree."
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Prayer should be kept out of the public schools. Schools shouldn't have anything to do with religion.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Programs like welfare and food stamps are a waste of the taxpayers' money. No one should be forced to pay taxes to support other people.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

The government spends too much on the military. There is no real threat to the United States from other countries. We already have more than enough nuclear weapons and other military equipment.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Laws that set the minimum wage, safety regulations, and other regulations have gotten out of hand. Business should be left alone so they can make a profit.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

People should be free to marry members of the same sex. These couples should also be free to adopt children. As long as the two people love each other, that's what matters.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

We pay way too much money in taxes Everyone deserves a tax cut now. The government takes more of our money than it really needs.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Because schools in inner cities are so much poorer than schools in the suburbs, they cannot offer their students as good an education as suburban students get. Therefore, the federal government should use tax dollars to help poorer school districts provide better education. It is unfair that rich children should get better education than poor children.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Guns don't kill people, people do. Anyone who wants to buy a gun should be able to do so.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

The decision to have an abortion is up to a woman and her doctor, period.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Religion is a positive influence for kids. Schools should give students a few minutes of silence each day to pray if they choose to.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Government programs like welfare and food stamps are the best way to help the poor in this country. Charities are good, but they do not do enough to help the needy.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

A strong national defense is most important function of government. The U.S. needs a strong military and we should continue to spend a lot of money on the military. This is one of the best investments our country can make.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Government regulations like the minimum wage and safety regulations in factories are the only way to protect workers. Without these laws, employees would have a hard life.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Marriage is supposed to be between a man and a woman. People of the same sex should not be allowed to marry or to adopt children.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

The environment is our most precious resource. The government needs to protect it from businesses and people who might pollute it, even if that costs money and time.
A-Strongly agree B-Agree C-Neutral D-Disagree E-Strongly disagree

Malkin gets the story behind the Palin e-mail hacking

2008-09-18T00:37:00.003Z

It, like most so-called "hacks" was more on the lines of what is called "social engineering"- the use of publicly available information to obtain the password recovery answers that most websites have.

The best comment in the earlier post she made about this is as follows:

On September 17th, 2008 at 7:06 pm, The Master said:

Is the irony pretty ironic? Obama slams McCain for not using email and Palin’s gets hacked when she does.

You know the news business has gotten bizarre when...

2008-09-17T00:18:00.001Z

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert seem to be the RATIONAL segment of the business...

Just a thought.

Sarah Palin on feminist issues

2008-09-16T12:13:00.002Z

NOTE: This is from a website called ""The Reclusive Leftist" where the quality of the intellectual discourse is nothing short of outstanding.

Sarah Palin calls herself a “pro-life feminist.” Basically, that’s feminism minus abortion rights.

Obviously that puts her at odds with modern American feminism on a crucial issue. But to hear tell from the many feminist writers now publishing furious editorials, Sarah Palin isn’t just out of step on that one issue. She is, according to them, the antithesis of everything feminism means.

Really?

I thought I’d start a collection of Palin’s own statements on feminist issues. I post these for now without comment; that’ll come later. From what I can tell, the feminist writers who are attacking Palin are doing so with an astonishing disregard for the truth. I’m still trying to sort out why.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah Palin on combining motherhood with a career: “To any critics who say a woman can’t think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I’d just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave.”

Sarah Palin on her ability to govern Alaska while raising children: “My answer would always be … that I’m going to do the job just as well as any male governor who had kids, you know, I think we can handle this.”

Sarah Palin on raising her children to embrace gender equality: “Because I have both boys and girls I have a greater respect for equality and making sure that gender is not an issue and that everyone is treated equally.”

Sarah Palin on being a “pro-life feminist”: “I believe in the strength and the power of women, and the potential of every human life.”

Sarah Palin on contraception and sex education: “I’m pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues. So I am not anti-contraception. But, yeah, abstinence is another alternative that should be discussed with kids. I don’t have a problem with that. That doesn’t scare me, so it’s something I would support also.”

Sarah Palin on whether she would support an abortion ban in Alaska if Roe v. Wade were overturned: “It would be up to the people of Alaska to discuss and decide how we would like our society to reflect our values.”

Sarah Palin on a woman president and endorsing McCain instead of Hillary (March 2008): “But I have to admit a little bit of guilt there for not being able to jump on Hillary’s bandwagon, because I would so love to see a woman president. I think our nation is overdue there. So, I’ve said along, ‘Heck yeah, America’s ready for a woman president.’”

Sarah Palin on being the first female governor of Alaska: “I’m the first female governor in Alaska, so that’s brought with it kind of a whole new chapter in Alaska’s life. Like my husband — up here they refer to him as the ‘first dude,’ not the first gentleman. And Todd… A whole new chapter here when Todd is asked to do things like — and he graciously complies and he has a good time doing it — hosting, as he did a couple of weeks ago down in Juneau, our capital city, the former first ladies tea party. And he does just great at things like that, as well as working in oil fields, with snow machines and in commercial fishing. That’s a dynamic here that’s of interest to others.”

Sarah Palin on Title IX, sports, and growing up with gender equality: “You know I grew up with Title IX, and sports were so big, and in my upbringing very instrumental in shaping my character and a need to compete and really to win. So because of a very athletic background and growing up in a family, a busy large family, where gender never was really an issue there. My dad expected us to be back there chopping wood and snowmachining with the rest of them, hunting and fishing and doing all those things that are quite Alaskan.”

Sarah Palin on sports, scholarships, and the beauty pageant: “Graduating high school in 1982 there weren’t a whole lot of high-school athletes, females going on to college to play sports yet. That’s what I was looking for, a scholarship in athletics. I didn’t get one, the next best thing would be the Miss America scholarship pageant where at least you had to show that you had a talent. I played the flute and was really into music so, you know I won a couple of titles there, and it paid tuition through four, five years of college. So, that was OK, it wasn’t really my thing, I was never really comfortable with it, but it paid for some college, though.”

Sarah Palin on the challenge for Hillary and other women candidates to appear “tough”: “I recognize that Hillary seems to be trying real hard to be tough, but I say, more power to her. I think she’s had to do that. It’s unfortunate that she’s had to do that, but she comes across to me as tough, capable. I can respect that in her, that she is that tough, capable and experienced and all that….I recognize that’s what she’s trying to do and I think it’s unfortunate that maybe a woman candidate feels that she has to go there. You don’t see male candidates doing that.”

Sarah Palin on dealing with the double standard applied to women candidates: “Fair or unfair—and I do think that it’s a more concentrated criticism that Hillary gets on so many fronts; I think that’s unfortunate. But fair or unfair, I think she does herself a disservice to even mention it, really. You have to plow through that and know what you’re getting into. I say this with all due respect to Hillary Clinton and to her experience and to her passion for changing the status quo. But when I hear a statement like that coming from a women candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism or a sharper microscope put on her, I think, man, that doesn’t do us any good. Women in politics, women in general wanting to progress this country, I don’t think it bodes well for her, a statement like that. Because, again, fair or not fair it is there. I think it’s reality and it’s a given, people just accept that she’s going to be under a sharper microscope. So be it. Work harder, prove to yourself to an even greater degree that you’re capable, that you’re going to be the best candidate.”

Posted by Violet under Election 2008 on September 15, 2008, 4:11 am EST

Feminist blogger weighs in on Gibson-Palin interview

2008-09-14T18:43:00.002Z

Evidence Gibson Was Prejudiced Against Palin: Comparison of Palin and Obama Interviews

Excerpt:

I compared Charles Gibson’s interview of Palin with his interview of Obama and there is much evidence that Gibson was prejudiced against Palin. He interviewed Obama right after he became the presumptive presidential nominee and he interviewed Palin shortly after she became the vice presidential nominee. So the situation of the interviews is similar. And because the situation of the interviews is similar Gibson’s extreme prejudice against Palin is very obvious.

Hollywood director brings up another "angle" on ABCgate.

2008-09-14T18:04:00.004Z

This blogger has just started, and his first post is GOOD.

He makes interesting points about the use of camera angles and lenses to control how one "sees" an interviewee. Palin, Obama and HRC are compared.

So go check it out, and leave him a comment to encourage him to keep pointing stuff like this out.

SNL: Fey/Poehler as Palin/Clinton THE UNEDITED TRANSCRIPT

2008-09-14T06:49:00.003Z

We have obtained, through confidential sources, the UNEDITED transcript of tonight's Saturday Night Live opening sketch:

FEY:
When I was told that Senator Clinton and I would be addressing you tonight...[audience laughs]

POEHLER:
And I was told that I would be addressing you alone...[audience laughs]

FEY:
Now I know it must be a little bit strange [audience laughs] for all of you to see the two of us together, what with me being John McCain's running mate...

POEHLER:
And me being a fervent supporter of Senator Barack Obama...as evidenced by this button (touches button) [audience laughs]

FEY:
But tonight we are crossing party lines to address the now very ugly role that sexism is playing in the campaign...

POEHLER:
An issue which I am, frankly, suprised to hear people suddenly care about...[audience laughs]

FEY:
You know, Hillary and I don't agree on every...

POEHLER:
ANYthing. [audience laughs] I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy.

FEY:
And I can see Russia from my house. [audience laughs, applauds, cheers]

POEHLER:
I believe that global warming is caused by man...

FEY:
And I believe that it's just God hugging us closer... [audience laughs, applauds]

POEHLER:
I don't agree with the Bush Doctrine...

FEY:
And I don't know what that is... [audience laughs, applauds]

POEHLER:
But Sarah, one thing we can both agree on is that sexism should never be allowed to permeate an American election.

FEY:
So please, stop Photoshopping my head on sexy bikini pictures... [audience laughs]

POEHLER:
And stop saying I have "cankles". [audience laughs]

FEY:
Don't refer to me as a MILF. [audience laughs, hoots]

POEHLER:
And don't refer to me as a flurch- I Googled what it stands for and I do not like it... [audience laughs]

FEY:
Reporters and commentators, stop using words that diminish us, like pretty, attractive, beautiful...

POEHLER:
Harpy, shrew...boner-shrinker... [audience laughs, applauds]

FEY:
While our politics may differ, my friend and I are both very tough ladies [audience laughs] ...you know, it reminds me of a joke we tell in Alaska...

POEHLER:
Oh boy... [audience laughs]

FEY:
What's the difference...

POEHLER:
Lipstick.

FEY:
between a hockey mom... [audience laughs]

POEHLER:
Lipstick. [audience laughs]

FEY:
and a pit bull...

POEHLER:
Lipstick. [audience laughs]

FEY:
Lipstick.

POEHLER:
There ya go. [audience laughs, applauds]

FEY:
Just look at how far we've come. Hillary Clinton, who came so close to the White House, and me, Sarah Palin who is even closer. [audience laughs] Can you believe it, Hillary?

POEHLER:
(sits with tight-lipped grimace, shakes head, no) [audience laughs] I cannot. [audience laughs]

FEY:
It's truly amazing and I think women everywhere can agree that no matter your politics, it's time for a woman to make it to the White House...

POEHLER:
(spoken as a two-year-old would say it:) NOOOOO! MINE! [audience laughs] It's supposed to be mine. [audience laughs] I'm sorry, I need to say something. I didn't want a woman to be President, I wanted to be President, and I just happen to be a woman.

And I don't want to hear you compare your road to the White House to my road to the White House. I scratched, and clawed, [audience laughs, applauds] through mud and barbed wire, (Fey makes gesture of cocking a lever-action rifle) and you just glided in on a dogsled wearing your pageant sash and your (Fey holds up imaginary rifle) [audience laughs, applauds] (shrill voice) Tina Fey glasses (Fey puts elbows on podium and strikes cutesy pose) and ... [audience laughs, applauds, cheers]

FEY:
What an amazing time we live in-- to think that just two years ago I was a small-town mayor of Alaska's crystal meth capital. [audience laughs] And now I am just one heartbeat away from being the President of the United States. [audience laughs] It just goes to show that anyone can be President...

POEHLER:
Anyone...[audience laughs] anyone... [audience laughs]anyone (laughs)

FEY:
All you have to do is want it...

POEHLER:
(cackles, laughs maniacally) [audience laughs] Oh my God. (laughs maniacally) Yeah. You know, Sarah,

looking back, if I could change one thing, I probably should have wanted it more. [audience laughs] (laughs maniacally again, tears piece off of podium) [audience laughs, applauds]

FEY:
So, in the next six weeks, I invite the media to be vigilant for sexist behavior...

POEHLER:
Although it is never sexist to question female politicians' credentials- please, ask this one (gestures toward Fey) about dinosaurs. [audience laughs a little] So, in conclusion, I invite the media to grow a pair. And if you can't, I will loan you mine. [audience laughs, applauds, cheers]

FEY:
And as we say in Alaska...

POEHLER:
We say it everywhere...

FEY, POEHLER:
LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAAAY NIIIIGHT!

Personally, I thought it was great. Fey did Palin spot-on.

Poehler's Hillary wasn't quite as good as Fey's Palin, but then again, the physical resemblance wasn't quite so striking as Fey to Palin, either.

And it was almost even-handed- they got digs in at everybody.

Want to complain to ABC about the Palin interviews?

2008-09-13T23:06:00.003Z

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

DISNEY EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Robert A. Iger
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Thomas O. Staggs
Senior Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Alan N. Braverman
Senior Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Wesley A. Coleman
Executive Vice President
Chief Human Resources Officer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Christine M. McCarthy
Executive Vice President
Corporate Finance and Real Estate and Treasurer
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Kevin A. Mayer
Executive Vice President
Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Technology
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Zenia B. Mucha
Executive Vice President
Corporate Communications
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Preston R. Padden
Executive Vice President
Worldwide Government Relations
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Ronald L. Iden
Senior Vice President
Global Security
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Brent A. Woodford
Senior Vice President
Planning and Control
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

PRINCIPAL BUSINESSES

Media Networks

George W. Bodenheimer
Co-chairman, Disney Media Networks and
President, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Anne M. Sweeney
Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks and
President, Disney•ABC Television Group
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Disney Consumer Products

Andrew P. Mooney
Chairman, Disney Consumer Products Worldwide
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Walt Disney Internet Group

Stephen H. Wadsworth
President, Walt Disney Internet Group
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Susan E. Arnold
President-Global Business Units
The Procter & Gamble Company
One Procter & Gamble Plaza,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

John E. Bryson
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Edison International
2244 Walnut Grove Avenue
Rosemead, CA 91770

John S. Chen
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
Sybase, Inc.
One Sybase Drive
Dublin, CA 94568

Judith L. Estrin
Chief Executive Officer
JLabs LLC
890 Santa Cruz Avenue, Suite B
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Steven P. Jobs
Chief Executive Officer
Apple Computer, Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014

Fred H. Langhammer
Chairman, Global Affairs
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
767 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10153

Aylwin B. Lewis
Chief Executive Officer and President
Sears Holdings Corporation
3333 Beverly Road,
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179

Monica C. Lozano
Publisher and Chief Executive Officer
La Opinión
700 S. Flower St., Suite #3000
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Robert W. Matschullat
Former Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer
The Seagram Company Ltd.
c/o The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

John E. Pepper, Jr.
Chairman of the Board
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Orin C. Smith
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Starbucks Corporation
c/o The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

One little word about discourse between the right and the left

2008-09-09T19:50:00.007Z

One little word about discourse between the right and the left

I hang out at both right-wing and left-wing sites as I enjoy seeing a broad range of opinion and having reasoned discourse not only with people with whom I agree (at both types of sites) but also people with whom I disagree (again, at both types of sites). And frequently the latter discussions are more fun, not to mention more interesting.

And one thing I've noticed recently is the fact that all too often, when a poster is trying to discuss a position, they tend to overgeneralize.

People on the right post "Liberals think this" and people on the left say, "Conservatives think that". Republicans post "Democrats say this" and Democrats post "Republicans say that". And both of them say "Libertarians say the other".

Do you see what's wrong here? When we make generalizations about our opponents, of whatever stripe, well, that's what's called bigotry, plain and simple. It tends to raise the hackles of the members of the group that is being discussed, and leads to a deterioration not only the quality of the discussion, but of the civility of that discussion as well.

I'm going to suggest one word that not only get past this this problem, but could also lead to a difference in the way that people think. And that word is SOME.

If you say "Libertarians are closet anarchists", well, you probably just irritated the heck out of all Libertarians, whether Big-L or small-L, orthodox or economic. If you say Republicans are anti-feminist, well, you've just created a whole lot of "women scorned". And some men "scorned", too.

When you paint with too broad a brush, you become a sloppy painter.

Remember the old tongue-in-cheek quip that "All generalizations are false".

I hope I've made my point.

To SOME of you, anyway.

WaPo on Franklin Raines, former CEO of FNMA

2008-09-09T04:53:00.003Z

The Washington Post has a puff piece entitled "On the Outside Now, Watching Fannie Falter" on Franklin Raines, former CEO of Fannie Mae and Obama advisor "on mortgage and housing policy matters"- he of the 6.3 BILLION dollar accounting scandal.

One quote in particular stood out to me:

"It's like a Dickensian novel," Raines said, who insisted he broke no laws in settling with the government last April.

That was so finely parsed as to be almost minced:

It's not against the law to settle with the government. DUH.

Didn't any of you people go to camp?

2008-09-07T23:07:00.002Z

The song that the [large] crowds that are greeting McCain and Palin should be singing:

Okay folks, repeat after me:

"We love you Sarah, oh yes we do;
We don't love anyone as much as you;
When you're not near us, we're blue;
Oh Sarah, we love you."

UPDATE:

I hope that most of you realized that my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I posted this. This was what I would call a "Kool-Aid Test".

And, with one exception, y'all passed it with flying colors.

The campaign and the VP

2008-09-07T06:21:00.004Z

I watched the live video of today's speeches; she basically repeated all the best lines from all of the two speeches she gave at the RNC.

Note to the McCain campaign:

Don't try to stage-manage this woman.

She's a natural.

She proved, when the TelePrompTer failed in the middle of her speech, that she can speak off the cuff and hold her own.

Turn her loose, unscripted, and she'll do more damage to the Obama campaign than ten "spokespeople".

After all, it's a known fact that hunters hunt better when the restrictions are fewer.

And this woman is loaded for bear, both figuratively and literally.

Nancy Pelosi bio from official House website: Five WHAT?

2008-09-04T14:44:00.003Z

Source: http://www.house.gov/pelosi/biography/bio.html

Y'all can skip to here if you want...

Biography

Since 1987, Nancy Pelosi has represented California's Eighth District in the House of Representatives. The Eighth District includes most of the City of San Francisco including Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, and many of the diverse neighborhoods that make San Francisco a vibrant and prosperous community.Overwhelmingly elected by her colleagues in the fall of 2002 as Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in American history to lead a major party in the U.S. Congress. Before being elected Leader, she served as House Democratic Whip for one year and was responsible for the party's legislative strategy in the House. On January 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Legislative Record

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pelosi fought for America's families. She has been a leader in increasing educational opportunity, protecting workers, and promoting health care, including women's health and the creation of a nationwide health tracking network to examine the links between environmental pollutants and chronic disease. She has been a strong proponent of increased investments in health research, and has secured funding to double the budget for the National Institutes of Health. Pelosi also has successfully defeated repeated attempts to reduce funding for international family planning programs.

One of Pelosi's first legislative victories was the creation of the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program. She has also worked to accelerate development of an HIV vaccine, expand access to Medicaid for people living with HIV, and increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative and other programs vital to people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS.

Pelosi also successfully increased access to health insurance for people with disabilities by ensuring continuation of their health care coverage. She was instrumental in passing legislation to assist nonprofit organizations in the creation of affordable housing.

As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for 10 years (the longest continuous period of service in the committee's history) including two years as the Ranking Democrat, Pelosi worked to ensure that policymakers and military commanders are provided with the timely and accurate intelligence necessary to guide diplomatic initiatives, succeed in combat, and protect U.S. military forces.

In meetings around the world with U.S. and foreign intelligence leaders, Pelosi has urged for greater attention to the threats to international security posed by the proliferation of technologies associated with the weapons of mass destruction and global terrorism.

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Pelosi led congressional reviews of the U.S. intelligence and security agencies and authored legislation to create an independent national commission to assess the overall performance of the federal government before, during, and after the attacks.

Pelosi has long been an advocate for human rights around the world. She has fought to improve China's human rights record, attempting to tie trade to increased human rights standards. She has also been a leader on efforts to free the people of Tibet.

A leader on the environment at home and abroad, Pelosi secured passage of a provision in the International Development and Finance Act of 1989 which requires the World Bank and all the regional multilateral development banks to review the potential environmental impacts of development projects for which they provide funding and to make these environmental assessments publicly available. Known as the "Pelosi Amendment," it has become a significant tool for indigenous, nongovernmental organizations around the world.

Pelosi has also served on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics) and the Banking and Financial Services Committee. She has chaired the Congressional Working Group on China and has served on the Executive Committee of the Democratic Study Group.

Personal Story

Pelosi hails from a strong family tradition of public service. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., served as Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years, after representing the city for five terms in Congress. Her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore.

Pelosi graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. in 1962. Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, a native of San Francisco, have five children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul and Alexandra, and seven grandchildren.

Heard anybody in the Media or on the Left ask HER any questions about whether a woman with five kids can or should hold a high-level political office?

THE SPEECH, PART 2

2008-09-04T05:01:00.002Z

Now that I've had time to catch my breath and settle down a bit, I thought I'd write a bit more about tonight.

For historical reasons, my political heroes are Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill. Two rather ordinary individuals, who happened to be in particular places at specific times, and, when faced with extraordinary challenges, rose to greatness in order to deal with them.

History would be very different had either of these individuals not been where they were, when they were. And our lives are incomparably better because of them both.

Tonight I had the funniest feeling that we may have just watched the beginning of another person in the right place, at the right time, with the right character to rise to the occasion.

Because if Sarah Palin becomes Vice-President, I fully believe that she will be President after that, given her dynamism, principles and authenticity.

And she could change the entire direction of the Republican Party: Away from being "Democrat-Lite" and back to the principles of smaller and less intrusive government-- what would be termed "small-l" libertarianism in today's terms, and classical liberalism in formal political jargon.

(See "The Road to Serfdom" for a book which uses liberal and liberalism in that manner- it was written in 1942 and I consider it to be one of the most significant books of the Twentieth Century.)

In other words, what damn near everybody else in the Republican Party has forgotten about.

Don't worry about the slings and arrows of outrageous journalists. She proved once and for all tonight that Sarah Palin can take care of her-own-self.

And a special note to the PUMAs: I hope you were just as delighted with tonight's speech as I was. Category Five to say the least.

As we'd say in the South: She done us proud.

THE SPEECH. (Do I really have to say which one?)

2008-09-04T03:42:00.003Z

She simply field-dressed Obama, Biden and the media-- and she never dropped her smile the whole time she was doing it.

I laughed, I cried, I was touched and in awe of her rhetorical skill.

Lightweight, my ass! Bet they drop that meme REAL quick!

If the Obama minions and the MSM were scared of her before, they've got to be reduced to quivering masses of jelly after this.

Wonder if Biden will withdraw before he gets on a stage with this woman...

Thank you, Gov. Palin.

Masterfully done, ma'am.

Thoughts on the Left and the vitriol they've been directing towards Governor Palin

2008-09-02T21:55:00.004Z

And I preface by quoting Larry the Cable Guy: "Lord, forgive me for this one but it's just too good to pass up":

"Let he who is without stones cast the first sin."

And let me quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, for this one really nails the reaction of most people to what the MSM is doing:

"The more he spoke of honour, the faster we counted the spoons."

I will say no more.

Dear Governor Palin:

2008-09-01T17:02:00.005Z

Before I posted this, I tried searching for your email link on the State of Alaska webservers.

Unfortnately it appears that said webservers have collapsed underneath the hitload.

I wish to congratulate you on your selection as John McCain's running mate, and state uncategorically that although I disagree with you on some issues, I have the utmost respect for your courage and the principled stands you have taken in connection with the situations that you have faced to date.

The Founding Fathers would be pleased. You are the type of citizen-leader that they anticipated; this is patently clear to anyone who has read their writings.

The career politicians, the beneficiaries of the status quo, those who nurse upon the teat of government, the statists, those who hate individual liberty and responsibility and those who would prefer to consider themselves citizens of the world first and Americans second are all terrified: not only terrified of you but also terrified of what you represent.

They are terrified of you because you, and the principles by which you have lived your life, are illustrating with the brilliance of a thousand arc lights not only their utter hypocrisy but also the corruption and filth in which they are immersed.

I ask you to please carry on despite the onslaught of insults and outright lies that have been directed towards you since your selection as the Republican nominee (I *can* call you that now, right? It's just a small technicality at this point.)

Remember that one of the best ways to judge someone's character is by looking at who their enemies are. And you have quite a collection there.

And, to make sure that I'm not painting with too broad a brush: As for some on the other side, such as the PUMAs- they are sickened by what they see, and they are more sickened with each passing day. I read it on their websites.

Most of them are cheering you on; some will vote for you and some will not; I respect them for their principled stands, either way.

In contrast to everyone else playing on the stage this fall, you are one of us.

Quintessentially American.

God bless you and your family.

Carry on despite the onslaught.

Carry on for the future of this country, and for us.

I did some housekeeping...

2008-08-31T23:14:00.003Z

I got rid of all the BS comments and even found a typo or two in the body of some posts.

I'm also moderating posts, not because I expect a slew of them, or I believe in censorship, but because I'd rather y'all have a high signal-to-noise ratio should you happen to wander over this way.

In other words, it's not to control what you say-- unless you're advertising or pushing feelthy peectures on the back of my blog.

Y'all enjoy.

I'm BAACK- And Apparently So Is The McCain Campaign

2008-08-31T19:06:00.003Z

I got fairly burned out on blogging and had a whole lot of changes happen in my personal life, including finding a dream job in a state 500 miles from where I used to live.

I also got fairly burned out on the 2008 presidential campaign; I couldn't support either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama because I have significant philosophical differences with respect to public policy with both of them: Government ain't yer mamma, or, as Lamar Alexander famously put it during one of his ill-fated presidential campaigns, "If you can find it in the Yellow Pages™, government shouldn't be doing it."

I also felt that I could not support John McCain because of McCain-Feingold; anybody who would propose such nonsense has a serious lack of understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

If the First Amendment isn't there to protect political speech, then we might as well edit the page, surround it with <STRIKE> tags, and move on to the Second Amendment.

I also felt that signing that monstrosity into law was one of the times when George Bush played poker and lost: I think that what was going on inside of his head was something like this: "There ain't no way in Hell the Supreme Court is gonna uphold this thing when it gets in front of them, and it's certainly going to get in front of them."

Well, it did, and they upheld it. To their everlasting discredit.

Anyway, McCain's unexpected choice of Palin as his running mate caused a Web-storm that almost equalled Hurricane Gustav.

FreeRepublic.com had a post showing that 44 out of the top 100 Google searches on the 29th were Palin-related and that there were exactly three, count 'em, three that were Obama-related.

Talk about sucking all the air out of the room!

Anyway, Palin is the sort of person that the Founders had in mind when they envisioned people in politics (well, except for that double-X chromosome thing), but the unbenighted among you know what I'm talking about. The citizen-leader.

And there are two more things I'm observing: Her nomination has ELECTRIFIED this race, among Democrats and Republicans alike, and the Democrats are completely confused in terms of how to tarnish her image.

Unlike the standard Democratic modus operandi where everyone recites the "talking points" du jour ad nauseum, their criticisms are all over the map, and they are so befuddled that they make Obama-sans-Teleprompter look positively eloquent in comparison.

And I'm interested in this race again, and even though I have disagreements with both sides, may very well vote for Palin/McCain (because that's really what it's turned into now- a vote for Palin for President in 2012- and that's what would really drive the Democrats crazier- if the first female President was not a Democrat, just like those wacist wepubwicans did with Rice, Powell, etc.)

Anyway, hang on to the straps, because the next sixty days are going to be a bumpy ride.

Cheney to be charged in shooting?

2006-02-14T02:19:00.000Z

While no charges will be filed by the Kenedy County Sheriff's Department against Cheney for assault, the possibility exists that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department may cite him for hunting lawyers without the mandatory Texas Non-Resident Special 5-Day Lawyer Stamp Endorsement affixed to his temporary hunting license.

Cheney will not be charged with hunting lawyers out of season, as the lawyer season is year-round, especially in Texas.

Chinese Autos in US by 2007?

2005-11-20T15:30:00.000Z

From Yahoo News, quoting AFP:

DETROIT, United States (AFP) - General Motors Corp. and its major South Korean subsidiary have reached an out-of-court settlement with China's Chery Automobile Company Limited in an intellectual property dispute over the design of small vehicle, the automaker said.

"GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Company, General Motors Corporation and Chery Automobile Company have reached a settlement Agreement, which has resolved all disputes among GMDAT, GM and Chery. Hence all current lawsuits and related claims have been withdrawn," GM said in a statement.

Malcom Bricklin, Chery's American partner, said the agreement clears the way for a smoother introduction of the newly designed, Chinese-made vehicles in the US, starting in 2007.

Bet the only color they come in is red and the only direction they will turn is left.

So I guess they'll be on the NASCAR circuit, if no place else.

McDonald's to print food facts on wrappers

2005-10-26T16:41:00.000Z

McDonald's to print food facts on wrappers...

A better idea would be for them to make the wrappers *edible*.

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The Rove/Plame Brouhaha: Exactly what DOES the law say?

2005-07-15T01:36:00.000Z

There are two parts you have to look at:

50 USC 421 and 50 USC 426.
(Corrected- I originally posted 15 USC in error.)

I'm going to put them up in reverse order because § 426 is where the term "covert agent" is defined (see (4) and § 421 is the law concerning "Protection of identities of certain United States undercover intelligence officers, agents, informants, and sources" to which these definitions apply.

TITLE 50 > CHAPTER 15 > SUBCHAPTER IV > § 426

§ 426. Definitions

For the purposes of this subchapter:

(1) The term classified information means information or material designated and clearly marked or clearly represented, pursuant to the provisions of a statute or Executive order (or a regulation or order issued pursuant to a statute or Executive order), as requiring a specific degree of protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of national security.

(2) The term authorized, when used with respect to access to classified information, means having authority, right, or permission pursuant to the provisions of a statute, Executive order, directive of the head of any department or agency engaged in foreign intelligence or counterintelligence activities, order of any United States court, or provisions of any Rule of the House of Representatives or resolution of the Senate which assigns responsibility within the respective House of Congress for the oversight of intelligence activities.

(3) The term disclose means to communicate, provide, impart, transmit, transfer, convey, publish, or otherwise make available.

(4) The term covert agent means:

(A) a present or retired officer or employee of an intelligence agency or a present or retired member of the Armed Forces assigned to duty with an intelligence agency:

(i) whose identity as such an officer, employee, or member is classified information, and

(ii) who is serving outside the United States or has within the last five years served outside the United States; or

(B) a United States citizen whose intelligence relationship to the United States is classified information, and:

(i) who resides and acts outside the United States as an agent of, or informant or source of operational assistance to, an intelligence agency, or

(ii) who is at the time of the disclosure acting as an agent of, or informant to, the foreign counterintelligence or foreign counterterrorism components of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; or

(C) an individual, other than a United States citizen, whose past or present intelligence relationship to the United States is classified information and who is a present or former agent of, or a present or former informant or source of operational assistance to, an intelligence agency.

(5) The term intelligence agency means the Central Intelligence Agency, a foreign intelligence component of the Department of Defense, or the foreign counterintelligence or foreign counterterrorism components of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(6) The term informant means any individual who furnishes information to an intelligence agency in the course of a confidential relationship protecting the identity of such individual from public disclosure.

(7) The terms officer and employee have the meanings given such terms by section 2104 and 2105, respectively, of title 5.

(8) The term Armed Forces means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

(9) The term United States , when used in a geographic sense, means all areas under the territorial sovereignty of the United States and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

(10) The term pattern of activities requires a series of acts with a common purpose or objective.

So, let's put this in terms of a table:

(4)(A)	Present/former spook?	YES	1/1
(4)(A)(i)	Identity classified?	MAYBE	2/2
(4)(A)(ii)	Serving outside US or in past 5 years?	NO	2/3

(4)(B)	US Citizen, Intel relationship classified?	MAYBE	1/1
(4)(B)(i)	resides and acts outside US for intel?	NO	1/2
(4)(B)(ii)	Acting for FBI Counterterror/Counterintel?	NO	1/3

(4)(C)	Non US Citizen	NO	0/1
Other (4) sections don't matter

So revealing Plame's identity, regardless of who did it, does not qualify as an offense according to the definitions of § 426.

TITLE 50 > CHAPTER 15 > SUBCHAPTER IV > § 421

§ 421. Protection of identities of certain United States undercover intelligence officers, agents, informants, and sources

(a) Disclosure of information by persons having or having had access to classified information that identifies covert agent Whoever, having or having had authorized access to classified information that identifies a covert agent, intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent’s intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

(b) Disclosure of information by persons who learn identity of covert agents as result of having access to classified information Whoever, as a result of having authorized access to classified information, learns the identify of a covert agent and intentionally discloses any information identifying such covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such covert agent and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such covert agent’s intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(c) Disclosure of information by persons in course of pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents Whoever, in the course of a pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents and with reason to believe that such activities would impair or impede the foreign intelligence activities of the United States, discloses any information that identifies an individual as a covert agent to any individual not authorized to receive classified information, knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such individual and that the United States is taking affirmative measures to conceal such individual’s classified intelligence relationship to the United States, shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(d) Imposition of consecutive sentences A term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment.

A few thoughts upon returning from the Cayman Islands

2005-07-08T00:41:00.000Z

To all my British friends:

You have been on my mind all day; it was difficult to work because of today's atrocities. I believe Mr Blair used the "B" word- barbaric.

Damn right.

Anyway, back to the Caymans:

It was my first 4th of July abroad. It really makes one think. You take all the schtick for granted when you're at home on that date.

The family all had a wonderful time, even the teenager who seems to be striving for a Certified Professional Sullenist designation.

Grand Cayman definitely made our list of "places to go back to soon".

As furrin' guests, we were extra careful to be on our best behavior and serve as counterexamples to all those crass stereotypes of Americans abroad.

And, as one would expect, the Caymanians repaid our efforts many times over by being unfailingly cheerful, helpful, pleasant, polite and excellent conversationalists.

Wonderful folks all.

But We Really Don't Understand People Who Take Island-Hopping Cruises.

We watched, with something between bewilderment and bemusement as launches disgorged groups of people who either were to be carted around in buses (apologies to M. Python but it fits) for half-day tours or into shops selling either turista junk or very overpriced designer jewelry. Then the same folks would be rushed back onto the launches so as to not miss the evening buffet

(Perhaps-We'll-Get-To-Sit-At-The-Captain's-Table-Tonight-
Won't-Paul-And-Judith-Be-Jealous?)

Don't get me wrong- there's plenty of top quality merchandise to be found, but you're not going to find it if you've only got a half-hour to do so, unless you get lucky.

How can one possibly expect to learn anything about a country by flitting in and out like that?

My wife and I are the sort of folks who'd rather go the subway/bus pass/Lonely Planet/compass route than be led by the hand all over the place.

It makes for unforgettable experiences.

Case in point: In Hong Kong, the MTR (underground train) stations tend to have multiple exits that can hit the surface as much as five or six blocks from where the station is marked on the map. And if you don't have a compass it can be quite disorienting. A few years ago, we got utterly lost while trying to find the Bird Market Park.

A man (who we now refer to as Green Jacket Man) whose English was as awful as my audio CD Cantonese, asked if we were lost (since we were looking back and forth between the guidebook and street signs it was fairly obvious to all).

He looked at the guidebook, and then walked with us for at least ten blocks, consulting more than once with the police since streets were being closed in preparation for a parade, just to make sure we got to the right place.

During this walk, we figured out that he wanted to know what part of the States we came from.

We tried the Wright Brothers, and several other southeastern references and he didn't understand any of them. This went on and on, and began to get frustrating until we spoke the magic words: Michael Jordan.

His eyes lit up, he smiled and nodded, and we knew that information had been successfully transferred. After getting us to the park, he insisted on taking our picture, and absolutely declined payment for his time.

You don't get experiences like that in a tour group. I won't mention the hole-in-the -wall food shop that had ox penis on the menu. But back to the Caymans-

We always research a place first and we had read that in the Caymans it was considered bad form to wear swimwear except at the beach or at the pool; we also noticed that the prevailing style of dress on Grand Cayman was somewhat modest; micro-bikinis or too-revealing [spousal opinion!] halter tops and short-shorts were almost never seen.

Until the cruise ship folks came in. No wonder so many think that we are uncultured buffoons with too much money and too little taste.

Speaking of buffoons, I managed to drive on the left side of the road all week and didn't even remotely frighten anyone except for some members of my immediate family who shall remain nameless. I saw not one flip-off the entire time I was on the island.

Speaking of birds, splurge for dinner at Pappagallo; it borders a bird sanctuary and they've got quite a number of resident parrots.

They give the rental cars different colored license plates so that the locals know to stay the hell away from the crazy Yanks and also have a little extra patience with us- more than one person stopped and flashed their lights to indicate that I could make a right turn across their lane.

What really plays games with the mind are the roundabouts (or rotaries, as they call them in Boston), where you're not only driving on the wrong side of the road, but going the opposite direction (clockwise) than you'd do in the States.

It was also an experience dodging large black and red crabs trying to cross the road at night to get to the beach at South Sound; The first one I saw gave me quite a start.

This is serious, as a number of Americans are killed each year when their midbrains [or their margaritas] take command and they proceed to drive on the right side of the road in a country where one drives on the left.

As for the island, things are coming along, and lots and lots of places are fully functional, but they're still hurting from Hurricane Ivan.

Rebuilding is more drawn out when you're in a tropical environment and you have to bring all your raw materials in by ship or by airplane.

There are loose [collared, not stray] dogs and roosters running about- the story is that if you still don't have housing, you don't have any place to take your pet back to. Everyone seems to be making an effort to feed the dogs and give them some attention to keep them from going feral- as far as we saw, it seems to be working.

The Humane Society is under a tremendous strain, as one might expect. We looked them up in the phone book and stopped by to give them a donation.

Swimming with the rays was unforgettable, and the best value for money paid of the entire trip. I won't say who we used, but he's got a trimaran.

I sincerely hope that Hurricane Dennis doesn't hit them hard this week.

Humpty Dumpty and the Kolkhoz

2005-06-25T03:51:00.000Z

Apparently the Supreme Court was not satisfied with its definitional convolutions in McConnell v. FEC, where it turned the First Amendment's

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;"

into

"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; However "no law" means that Congress can pass laws governing (1) broadcast ads that (2) refer to a clearly identified candidate for federal office, that (3) are distributed within 60 days before a general election or 30 days before a primary, and that (4) are targeted to the identified candidate’s electorate."

The latest is Kelo v. New Haven

which has turned the Fifth Amendment's takings clause from

"No person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

into

No person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation, unless it is done "pursuant to a carefully considered development plan, which was not adopted to benefit a particular class of identifiable individuals.

The decision also notes that the limitations of the term "public use" were just too restrictive for thousands of city and county petty tyrants and that it has now been redefined as "public purpose", which means "anything that the government wants to do."

When does "public use" not have to mean "public use"?

This Court long ago rejected any literal requirement that condemned property be put into use for the ... public."

Interpreting words in a manner inconsistent with their meaning in plain speech: that's the Humpty Dumpty part of the title.

`When _I_ use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.'

So now, in the first case, the Court has said that restrictions on political speech are constitutional.

Guess what kind of speech the Founders had in mind when they wrote the First Amendment? Hint: it wasn't topless dancing.

And now, the scope of the takings clause has been redefined from a narrow "public use", which, to those of us oldsters who grew up in the days when common sense was common and words had definitions which were agreed upon by all parties, meant things like railroad lines, highways, water, sewer and power line easements and the like, to "if it's yours and we want it, it's ours."

This in effect has turned the U.S. into one giant collective farm where all property belongs to the State (if and when it so desires to take it away from you.) That's the kolkhoz part of the title.

You see, if you look at the cast of characters who signed off on these two doublethink-in-legal-form opinions, you will note that they are those who envision the Constitution as a "living document".

And unfortunately, that, too, is the opposite of what it means.

For the Founders meant for the Constitution to be interpreted according to the plain meaning of its words: "East" does not mean "West", and "shall" does not mean "maybe".

The Founders also intended for the Constitution to be difficult to change by requiring the approval of two-thirds of the state legislatures for any proposed constitutional amendment to become law.

They did not intend for the constitutionality of laws to be determined because of "evolving standards of decency" [ Roper v. Simmons ] or by what the European Court of Human Rights thinks [ LAWRENCE et al. v. TEXAS ]

One would think that the Justices would take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. And the plain meaning of those words would imply that the standard against wich laws should be compared in order to determine their constitutionality should be the Constitution and not some nebulous concept or opinions from a foreign court.

If Justices decide the constitutionality of issues not on the language of the Constitution but on such things as those listed above, well, I was going to say they violate their judicial oath.

However, I can't seem to get a firm answer on just what they do swear to when they are sworn in, and the sites I'm turning up I can't vouch for their accuracy, so I will not reference them here.

If the Constitution isn't composed of words whose meaning is consistent with their use in plain speech, then the Constitution means nothing.

In other words, if the Constitution is a "living document" then it's DEAD.

And to think that some of the most recent appointmees to the federal judiciary were called "extremists" and "out of the mainstream" because they had the audacity to publicly state that the Constitution Meant What It Said.

From the reasoning (or lack thereof) employed in the judicial gymnastics discussed above, I'd say that those are EXACTLY the type of judges this country so desperately needs.

The FCC's Proposed Rules for Political Blogs and Request For Comments

2005-06-10T11:29:00.000Z

Y'all be patient- I'm trying to get this to format and it ain't easy.

Proposed Rules

Federal Register

Vol. 70, No. 63 Monday,

April 4, 2005

Page 16967 [ Department of Agriculture Item omitted ]

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

11 CFR Parts 100, 110 and 114

[Notice 2005–10]

Internet Communications

AGENCY: Federal Election Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

[ REMAINDER OF PROPOSED RULES SNIPPED FOR YOUR PROTECTION ]

I'm sorry, y'all, I just couldn't do it.

And I once worked with trust indentures for a living.

Any law with language that convoluted shouldn't be allowed.

Janice Rogers Brown's speech to the Federalist Society

2005-06-08T23:54:00.000Z

The following is the beginning of California Supreme Court Associate Justice Janice Rogers Brown's speech to the Federalist Society:

One cannot read it without walking away with the impression that Justice Brown is a woman of great intellect, exceptional eloquence, and a dry sense of humor.

"A Whiter Shade of Pale":
Sense and Nonsense —
The Pursuit of Perfection in Law and Politics

Thank you. I want to thank Mr. Schlangen (fondly known as Charlie to my secretary) for extending the invitation and the Federalist Society both for giving me my first opportunity to visit the City of Chicago and for being, Mr. Schlangen assured me in his letter of invitation, "a rare bastion (nay beacon) of conservative and libertarian thought." That latter notion made your invitation well-nigh irresistible.

There are so few true conservatives left in America that we probably should be included on the endangered species list. That would serve two purposes: Demonstrating the great compassion of our government and relegating us to some remote wetlands habitat where — out of sight and out of mind — we will cease being a dissonance in collectivist concerto of the liberal body politic.

In truth, they need not banish us to the gulag. We are not much of a threat, lacking even a coherent language in which to state our premise. [I should pause here to explain the source of the title to this discussion. Unless you are a very old law student, you probably never heard of "A Whiter Shade of Pale."] "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is an old (circa 1967) Procol Harum song, full of nonsensical lyrics, but powerfully evocative nonetheless. Here's a sample:

"We skipped the light fandango
turned cartwheels cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
but the crowd called out for more.
The room was humming harder
as the ceiling flew away.
When we called out for another drink
the waiter brought a tray."

There is something about this that forcibly reminds me of our current political circus. The last verse is even better.

"If music be the food of love
then laughter is its queen
and likewise if behind is in front
then dirt in truth is clean...."

Sound familiar? Of course Procol Harum had an excuse. These were the 60's after all, and the lyrics were probably drug induced. What's our excuse?

One response might be that we are living in a world where words have lost their meaning. This is certainly not a new phenomenon. It seems to be an inevitable artifact of cultural disintegration. Thucydides lamented the great changes in language and life that succeeded the Pelopennesian War; Clarendon and Burke expressed similar concerns about the political transformations of their own time.

It is always a disorienting experience for a member of the old guard when the entire understanding of the old world is uprooted. As James Boyd White expresses it: "[I]n this world no one would see what he sees, respond as he responds, speak as he speaks,"¹ and living in that world means surrender to the near certainty of central and fundamental changes within the self. "One cannot maintain forever one's language and judgment against the pressures of a world that works in different ways," for we are shaped by the world in which we live.²

Click here to read the entire speech, with much better formatting than this.

Cold War mystery over: Identity of Markov killer revealed

2005-06-05T03:04:00.000Z

The Times
Online reports that the identity of the assassin who killed Bulgarian dissident and exile Georgi Markov in 1978 with a ricin-laced platinum pellet has been leaked.

The Russian and Bulgarian secret services had long been thought to have been behind this assassination, and now this has been proven.

Cbs: Calif. Debates Assisted Suicide

2005-05-26T02:37:00.000Z

Link: Calif. Debates Assisted Suicide

Good. Let them start with the Legislature.

Factcheck.org #319 - A Rigged "Calculator" - Democrats harness false assumptions...

2005-04-16T00:39:00.000Z

Here's a link to the article.

This calculator, according to the article, is on the websites of 16 Democratic Senators and Americans United to Save Social Security.

Look. The Social Security "Trust Fund" is government debt instruments, similar to bonds.

When these bonds mature, the funds to redeem them will come from "federal funds", which, of course, means you and me (assuming we're both still alive.)

The geezers want to screw you over, Gen X'ers and Gen Y'ers.

Your only hope is to let the magic of compound interest on the portion of your Social Security that's in your personal accounts diminish the amount that's going to have to come from your tax dollars that will be used to repay those bonds.

Sandy Berger and two chunks of Title 18, United States Code

2005-04-09T04:03:00.000Z

This is what he's pleading to.

I don't think this is the proper section to prosecute him under because Berger was not an officer, employee, contractor or consultant of the United States Government at the time of the offenses.

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 93 > § 1924

§ 1924. Unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material

Release date: 2004-08-06

(a) Whoever, being an officer, employee, contractor, or consultant of the United States, and, by virtue of his office, employment, position, or contract, becomes possessed of documents or materials containing classified information of the United States, knowingly removes such documents or materials without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.

(b) For purposes of this section, the provision of documents and materials to the Congress shall not constitute an offense under subsection (a).

(c) In this section, the term “classified information of the United States” means information originated, owned, or possessed by the United States Government concerning the national defense or foreign relations of the United States that has been determined pursuant to law or Executive order to require protection against unauthorized disclosure in the interests of national security.

But this section's a lot more interesting.

Ignore the fact that the (a) through (c) are written about espionage-related acts and look at (d) onward.

I think they could have nailed him under (f)(1) and (f)(2) of this section and it wouldn't have been a misdemeanor.

And there are probably some folks at the National Archives who are a bit nervous about how the Department of Justice might view them as targets under (f)(1)...

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 37 > § 793

§ 793. Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information

Release date: 2004-08-06

(a) Whoever, for the purpose of obtaining information respecting the national defense with intent or reason to believe that the information is to be used to the injury of the United States, or to the advantage of any foreign nation, goes upon, enters, flies over, or otherwise obtains information concerning any vessel, aircraft, work of defense, navy yard, naval station, submarine base, fueling station, fort, battery, torpedo station, dockyard, canal, railroad, arsenal, camp, factory, mine, telegraph, telephone, wireless, or signal station, building, office, research laboratory or station or other place connected with the national defense owned or constructed, or in progress of construction by the United States or under the control of the United States, or of any of its officers, departments, or agencies, or within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, or any place in which any vessel, aircraft, arms, munitions, or other materials or instruments for use in time of war are being made, prepared, repaired, stored, or are the subject of research or development, under any contract or agreement with the United States, or any department or agency thereof, or with any person on behalf of the United States, or otherwise on behalf of the United States, or any prohibited place so designated by the President by proclamation in time of war or in case of national emergency in which anything for the use of the Army, Navy, or Air Force is being prepared or constructed or stored, information as to which prohibited place the President has determined would be prejudicial to the national defense; or

(b) Whoever, for the purpose aforesaid, and with like intent or reason to believe, copies, takes, makes, or obtains, or attempts to copy, take, make, or obtain, any sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, document, writing, or note of anything connected with the national defense; or

(c) Whoever, for the purpose aforesaid, receives or obtains or agrees or attempts to receive or obtain from any person, or from any source whatever, any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note, of anything connected with the national defense, knowing or having reason to believe, at the time he receives or obtains, or agrees or attempts to receive or obtain it, that it has been or will be obtained, taken, made, or disposed of by any person contrary to the provisions of this chapter; or

(d) Whoever, lawfully having possession of, access to, control over, or being entrusted with any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it on demand to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it; or

(e) Whoever having unauthorized possession of, access to, or control over any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation, willfully communicates, delivers, transmits or causes to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted, or attempts to communicate, deliver, transmit or cause to be communicated, delivered, or transmitted the same to any person not entitled to receive it, or willfully retains the same and fails to deliver it to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it; or
(f) Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense,

(1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or

(2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

(g) If two or more persons conspire to violate any of the foregoing provisions of this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be subject to the punishment provided for the offense which is the object of such conspiracy.

(h)
(1) Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall forfeit to the United States, irrespective of any provision of State law, any property constituting, or derived from, any proceeds the person obtained, directly or indirectly, from any foreign government, or any faction or party or military or naval force within a foreign country, whether recognized or unrecognized by the United States, as the result of such violation. For the purposes of this subsection, the term “State” includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.

(2) The court, in imposing sentence on a defendant for a conviction of a violation of this section, shall order that the defendant forfeit to the United States all property described in paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(3) The provisions of subsections (b), (c), and (e) through (p) of section 413 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 853 (b), (c), and (e)–(p)) shall apply to—

(A) property subject to forfeiture under this subsection;
(B) any seizure or disposition of such property; and
(C) any administrative or judicial proceeding in relation to such property,
if not inconsistent with this subsection.

(4) Notwithstanding section 524 (c) of title 28, there shall be deposited in the Crime Victims Fund in the Treasury all amounts from the forfeiture of property under this subsection remaining after the payment of expenses for forfeiture and sale authorized by law.

I don't usually think much of speechifyin' lawyers, but...

2005-04-08T01:45:00.000Z

In this case I'll make an exception.

I happen to be acquainted with the honorable Mr. Armor, and place great stock in his writing, his integrity and his wit.

Mexican military put on standby: Newsmax

2005-03-31T19:23:00.000Z

Newsmax reports that Mexican President Vincente Fox has put the Mexican military on standby because of the activity being contemplated by the Minutemen.

Guess we need to call up Texas.
Worked pretty good last time.

Useless Eaters: Disability as Genocidal Marker in Nazi Germany

2005-03-27T14:20:00.000Z

I refer you to the following link:
http://www.regent.edu/admin/ctl/uselesseaters/
It contains a link to a paper of the same name in .pdf format and a Shockwave presentation.

Useless Eaters:

Disability as Genocidal Marker in Nazi Germany

Mark P. Mostert, Regent University

The methods used for mass extermination in the Nazi death camps originated and were perfected earlier use against people with physical, emotional and intellectual disabilities. This article describes the historical context of attitudes towards people with disabilities in Germany and how this context produced mass murder of people with disabilities prior to and during the early years of World War II. Several key marker variabiles, the manipulation os which allowed a highly sophisticated Western society to officially sanction the murder of people with disabilities, are examined. Important implications must continually be drawn from these sad events as we work with people with disabilties at the dawn of a new century.

Terri Schiavo: They're breaking the law.

2005-03-27T00:46:00.000Z

Hat tip: T'wit at Freerepublic.com

To: AmericanInTokyo

This would be a good source. Michael Schiavo and Judge Greer are in clear violation of the animal cruelty laws. Terri does, after all, still qualify as an animal.

- - - - -

Pinellas County Animal Control Ordinance

Sec. 14-32. Cruelty to animals.

a) Whoever impounds or confines any animal in any place and fails to supply the animal during such confinement with a sufficient quantity of good and wholesome food and water shall be in violation of this article.

(b) Whoever keeps any animal in any enclosure without wholesome exercise and change of air shall be in violation of this article.

(d) A person who unnecessarily overloads, overdrives, tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily or cruelly beats, mutilates, or kills any animal, or causes the same to be done, or carries in or upon any vehicle, or otherwise, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, shall be in violation of this article.

60 posted on 03/26/2005 9:47:23 AM EST by T'wit
(Liberals had better stop preaching about quality of life and start worrying about quality of death)

A thought on the Terri Schiavo controversy

2005-03-22T03:11:00.000Z

Many of the people who support the position that her feeding tube should be removed are the same people who would be exploring every avenue possible to prolong her life if she were an inmate on Florida's Death Row.

FACTCHECK.ORG and Social Security

2005-03-10T17:21:00.000Z

Factcheck.org has articles up on Social Security:

AARP Says Social Security Needs "Moderate" Changes

03.08.2005

We explore just how "moderate" these reforms are, and what exactly they do to solve the system's long-term deficit.

False Attacks Over "Windfalls" to Wall Street

03.03.2005

We find that brokers netted only 16 cents in fees to manage a $10,000 retirement account under the federal retirement system on which Bush is modeling his private Social Security accounts.

Bush's State of the Union: Social Security "Bankruptcy?"

02.03.2005

That term could give the wrong idea. Bush also makes private accounts sound like a sure thing, which they are not.

MoveOn.org Social Security Ad

02.01.2005

Liberal group's ad falsely claims Bush plan would cut benefits 46 percent.

Does Social Security Really Face an $11 Trillion Deficit?

01.20.2005

Bush and Cheney say yes. But actuaries say the figure is "likely to mislead" the public on the system's true financial state.

Social Security Ads: Risk or Protection?

01.15.2005

Pro-Bush group's first TV ad states the problem correctly. But the AARP uses a misleading photo.

(hat tip: TechCentralStation)

Social Security and tne question that shuts them up:

2005-03-04T18:30:00.000Z

If Social Security is so wonderful, then why is it ILLEGAL for a corporation to structure its pension plan or an investment firm its mutual fund using the same method that Social Security does?

Martha Stewart leaves the slam

2005-03-04T18:22:00.000Z

I have grave concerns for her well-being because of the sharp transition between prison and her estate-- wouldn't it be better for her to spend several months in a "halfway mansion"-- where only some of the food is "haute cuisine" and she can have the benefit of transitional group therapy with the other residents?

John Lott writes about Mark Allen Wilson

2005-03-03T13:41:00.000Z

John Lott, in his article on FOXNews.com, points out that this story was unusual in that defensive gun use got national media coverage. He also points out other ways that anti-gun types blurred their depictions of the recent Tyler, Texas murders.

Althought I suspected that a semiautomatic rifle was used in this incident, I didn't elaborate on whether the rifle used was semi-automatic, selective fire (that's what real assault rifles are) or full automatic in my post because there wasn't enough detailed information in online news articles at the time.

And I figured that the LAST thing the Tyler police department or mayor's office needed was ANOTHER phone call from some pajamadeen.

I get a chuckle out of the fact that Mr. Lott and I both used the term "bullet-resistant vest" for the sake of precision.

And, for the sake of accuracy, I will admit that you heard about the incident from some of the anti-gun folk I mentioned.

And again, for the sake of accuracy, they weren't quite honest with you.

If you haven't figured out that these people lie to you on a regular basis, then you haven't been paying attention.

Another victim of gun violence.

2005-02-26T06:08:00.000Z

Mark Allen Wilson was killed yesterday.
He was a victim of gun violence.

But you won't hear about Mark Allen Wilson from Sarah Brady.
You won't hear about Mark Allen Wilson from Dianne Feinstein.
You won't hear about Mark Allen Wilson from Charles Schumer.
You won't hear about Mark Allen Wilson from Josh Sugarman.
You won't hear about Mark Allen Wilson from the Million Mom March.

One reason that you won't hear about Mark Allen Wilson from any of these well-known members of the anti-gun movement is that Mark Allen Wilson was a gunowner who had a Texas Concealed Handgun License.

Another reason that you won't hear about Mark Allen Wilson from any of these people is that Mark Allen Wilson gave his life yesterday defending David Arroyo, Jr. from his father, David Arroyo, Sr.

David Arroyo, Sr, had just killed his wife, Maribel Estrada, outside the Smith County Courthouse in Tyler, Texas; apparently the two were parties in a bitter child support dispute.

Mr. Arroyo, Sr., who was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and a flak jacket, was eventually stopped and killed by police officers after he fled the scene of the murders.

One last point: It is a known tactic of the anti-gun crowd to direly predict "Wild West scenarios" and "streets running red with blood" whenever concealed carry legislation is proposed in a state legislature.

Concealed carry laws for almost ten years, and in all but a handful of states have proven these predictions to be grossly wrong.

In the vast majority of incidents involving concealed carry, the weapon is never fired; merely displaying the weapon is enough to defuse the situation.

The story of Mark Allen Wilson is the exception to the rule. It is is what used to be known as a "dog bites man" story.

And one last thing:

There's an award for people who save lives under special circumstances. I hope that someone who has first-hand knowledge of what Mark Allen Wilson did today will find these words and nominate him for it.

Hillary Clinton and Iraq

2005-02-22T00:20:00.000Z

While listening to Roger Hedgecock fill in for Limbaugh today he mentioned that Hillary had declared that the insurgency in Iraq was a failure. Belmont Club and Austin Bay discuss her participation in a congressional trip to Baghdad [ABC News].

Roger also had read off a list of positive developments in Iraq (probably compiled from Chrenkoff) one of which was the Iraqi stock exchange, which has been operant for some months now.

The first thing that came to my mind was whether Sen. Clinton would try to repeat her previous market success by trying to turn a quick hundred G's in camel futures.

Nixon's gotta be chuckling about the Eason Jordan scandal.

2005-02-20T15:39:00.000Z

His dislike for most of the MSM wasn't exactly a secret.

The only thing that this scandal hasn't gotten so far is its own graphic.

So I've created one.
Feel free to post on your own blog.

DISPLAYED AT 240 X 162

DISPLAYED AT 120 X 81

Y'all have fun, now.

Now this is an Olson that I'd like to meet.

2005-02-19T06:03:00.003Z

...civilized people go armed to say 'I am self-sufficient. I'll never burden others.' They're also saying 'If you need my help, here I am, ready'- yes, a contradiction, but a pretty noble one, I think. Independence is the source of freedom, the first essential ingredient of mental health....

"Armed people are free. No state can control those who have the machinery and the will to resist, no mob can take their liberty and property. And no 220-pound thug can threaten the well-being or dignity of a 110-pound woman who has two pounds of iron to even things out. Is that evil? Is that wrong?

"People who object to weapons aren't abolishing violence, they're begging for rule by brute force, when the biggest, strongest animals among men were always automatically 'right.' Guns ended that, and social democracy is a hollow farce without an armed population to make it work.

"Wear a gun to someone else's house, you're saying, 'I'll defend this home as if it were my own.' "

Spoken by Clarissa Olson in The Probability Broach by L. Neil Smith.

Evidently it takes a libertarian to write science fiction that isn't set in a totalitarian environment.

This guy's essays are pretty darn good, too.
Don't miss On A Clear Day You Can See Bulgaria - But Who Wants to Look?

Charles Murray and the Three Laws of Social Transfer Programs

2005-02-18T04:24:00.000Z

While reading Toward Liberty - The Idea That is Changing the World, I found the following gem buried in one of the Cato Institute essays:

Law #1: The Law of Imperfect Selection- Any objective rule that defines eligibility for a social transfer program will irrationally exclude some persons.

Law #2: The Law of Unintended Rewards- Any social transfer increases the net value of being in the condition that prompted the transfer.

Law #3: The Law of Net Harm- The less likely it is that the unwanted behavior will change voluntarily, the more likely it is that a program to induce change will cause net harm.

Charles Murray, Losing Ground; American Social Policy 1950-1980

Simply brilliant.

Can America Survive?

2005-02-17T17:15:00.001Z

--- disclaimer: I'm a Ben Stein fan ---

I just finished Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth's ''Can America Survive?'' ISBN 1-4019-0333-9 New Beginnings Press 2004

It's well-researched, written to be entertaining and contains numerous facts which can be used to disconcert one's liberal friends in discussions of contemporary issues.

Two examples:

The United States was not the major slaveholding nation in the Western Hemisphere: that would be Brazil, whose total number of slaves was six times that of the US.

Heard any calls for reparations from Brazil lately?

46% of the people classified as "poor" in the U.S. own their own home which is typically 3 bedroom, 1.5 baths, with garage and porch or patio.

This house, incidentally contains more square footage than the dwelling of a typical [read:middle-class] resident of Paris or London.

The chapter on Phariseeism is worth the purchase price alone.

On the mainstream media and the blogosphere

2005-02-17T17:13:00.000Z

F.A. Hayek, in The Road to Serfdom, proved that central economic planning not only didn't work, but that it must lead to totalitarianism, becuase the only action planners could take when their initial attempts at central control failed would be to implement more strict and punitive measures. If you haven't read it, I personally consider it to be the most important book written during the twentieth century.

It occurred to me last night that the howls of outrage from the MSM about blogs are also manifestations of a failure of central planning/top down control: the central planning and top down control of the flow of information. They are in the process of discovering that to those who are bereft of plumage, the drafts are quite chilly.

Why a blog? (with apologies to Chico Marx)

2005-02-16T03:08:00.000Z

Why indeed?

Why freakin' bother?

To be another low-traffic blog unknown to any except for family, friends and acquaintances?

No.

It has been said that the Web (and Usenet, which preceeded it) can be described as a vast junkyard containing large stacks of flaming Yugo and Lada carcasses; but every now and then, and only to those who search diligently, a Bugatti or a Silver Ghost in mint condition can be found.

That's my goal.

Being imperfect, I'll fall short of that.
A Hewitt I am not. (Yoda am not I, either.)

So little signal, so much noise.
There is much to discuss.

I read voraciously-- and I don't just read new releases.

I am a disciple of Hayek, and think that Thomas Sowell is probably the smartest man in America. P.J. O'Rourke is undoubtedly the funniest smart man in America. Walter Williams is a close second.

Look for a "Currently Reading" sidebar to appear soon.

Look for the list of books in MobileDB format to be posted as well. How I derived it is fodder for another post.

And posters (when you come) don't post anything you wouldn't want your momma to see.

'Nuff said.