Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Romney leads in all three early states
The American Research Group has released new surveys of the GOP presidential race in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina:
Iowa: Romney 27 percent, Huckabee 19, Giuliani 16, McCain 14
New Hampshire: Romney 30 percent, Giuliani 23, McCain 17
South Carolina: Romney 29 percent, Giuliani 23, McCain 13, Thompson 10
Analysis: "Mike Huckabee is in second place in Iowa. Rudy Giuliani is in second place in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Fred Thompson has dropped 8 percentage points in Iowa since September. Romney leads among men in all three states, and he leads among women in Iowa and South Carolina. Romney is tied with Rudy Giuliani among women in New Hampshire."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
RUSH to excellence!
I was in third grade -- in a skating rink, if memory serves -- when I first grooved to Rush's "Tom Sawyer." I've been a fan ever since.
I can't begin to tell you how excited I was when I read this:
"Micol Marotti of PlaybackMag.com reports that boutique distributor Grindstone Media is hoping to have a hit on its hands with Rush: The Documentary.
"The $1.5 million feature doc about the famed rock band is produced and directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn -- the creative team behind the 2005's Metal: A Headbanger's Journey -- and executive produced by Grindstone president Paul Zimic.
"McFadyen -- currently in Helsinki, Finland with Rush's Snakes & Arrows tour -- finds it ironic that despite the band's influence on groups as diverse as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica, that this will be the first in-depth look at its history and influence. ...
"The doc will include new interviews with some of rock's biggest names -- including members of Metallica, Nirvana and Iron Maiden -- plus never-before-seen footage shot by singer Geddy Lee himself."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Pegging Hillary Rodham (Clinton)
Florence King - National Review's preeminent misanthrope - had Hillary Clinton way-pegged back in 1992:
"Hillary Clinton, that little female gnome standing next to Skeezix, that wolfish dominatrix of the Dem's den, that smiling barracuda waving her arms off, is none other than an updated version of my old college nemesis from the Fifties, the 'great girl.'"
Best line from Miss King's piece:
"If [!!!] Bill Clinton is an adulterer, I don't blame him. As Alice Roosevelt Longworth said of another Democrat: "He deserved some fun — he was married to Eleanor."
God help us if Hillary's elected. That's my best peg ... for now.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Nutbuckets on parade!
An anti-war rally/march took place in Boston on Saturday. The usual nutty suspects were on hand (pics courtesy of Daniel's public gallery):
Conspiracy theorists
Conspiracy theorists
Commies
Certified nutbuckets
Israel-haters
Ron Paul supporters
And, finally, this dude
Why would a marchin'-for-peace dude tote a sword to an anti-war rally?
Perhaps there's a Ron Paul supporter out there who can 'splain it to me.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 29, 2007
Quote of the day
"The purpose of marriage is not to sanctify the intense feelings people have for each other. The purpose is to harness men's predatory biological impulses into a paired heterosexual relationship directed toward raising children. Mankind has never concocted a better scheme for civilizing men than marriage. And while we're on the subject, animalkind has never developed a better mechanism for destroying civilization than liberalism."
-- Ann Coulter, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans
-- Ann Coulter, If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Open letter to Ron Paul
Radio host/author Michael Medved has posted an open letter to Ron Paul at TownHall.com:
"Dear Congressman Paul:
"Your Presidential campaign has drawn the enthusiastic support of an imposing collection of Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists, Holocaust Deniers, 9/11 'Truthers' and other paranoid and discredited conspiracists.
"Do you welcome- or repudiate – the support of such factions?
"More specifically, your columns have been featured for several years in the American Free Press – a publication of the nation’s leading Holocaust Denier and anti-Semitic agitator, Willis Carto. His book club even recommends works that glorify the Nazi SS, and glowingly describe the 'comforts and amenities' provided for inmates of Auschwitz.
"Have your columns appeared in the American Free Press with your knowledge and approval?
"As a Presidential candidate, will you now disassociate yourself, clearly and publicly, from the poisonous propaganda promoted in such publications?
"As a guest on my syndicated radio show, you answered my questions directly and fearlessly.
"Will you now answer these pressing questions, and eliminate all associations between your campaign and some of the most loathsome fringe groups in American society?
"Along with my listeners (and many of your own supporters), I eagerly await your response.
"Respectfully, Michael Medved"
Reckon Ron Paul will respond? Don't hold your breath.
"Dear Congressman Paul:
"Your Presidential campaign has drawn the enthusiastic support of an imposing collection of Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists, Holocaust Deniers, 9/11 'Truthers' and other paranoid and discredited conspiracists.
"Do you welcome- or repudiate – the support of such factions?
"More specifically, your columns have been featured for several years in the American Free Press – a publication of the nation’s leading Holocaust Denier and anti-Semitic agitator, Willis Carto. His book club even recommends works that glorify the Nazi SS, and glowingly describe the 'comforts and amenities' provided for inmates of Auschwitz.
"Have your columns appeared in the American Free Press with your knowledge and approval?
"As a Presidential candidate, will you now disassociate yourself, clearly and publicly, from the poisonous propaganda promoted in such publications?
"As a guest on my syndicated radio show, you answered my questions directly and fearlessly.
"Will you now answer these pressing questions, and eliminate all associations between your campaign and some of the most loathsome fringe groups in American society?
"Along with my listeners (and many of your own supporters), I eagerly await your response.
"Respectfully, Michael Medved"
Reckon Ron Paul will respond? Don't hold your breath.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Sunday, October 28, 2007
Truly illegal behavior
I'll bet you a grand - hell, I'll bet you ten grand - that Katie "I Empathize, Therefore I Am" Couric won't talk about this on tomorrow night's CBS Evening News:
"Six illegals stole food and water that was provided for those fleeing fires in California.
"The latimes.com headline, sidelining political correctness for one word, actually called the robbers 'illegals' in this read : 'Six illegal immigrants arrested at Qualcomm.'
"However, having enough of truth, reporter Anna Gorman then resorted to political correctness brain-dead parlance by throughout her piece referring to the lifters as 'undocumented Mexican immigrants.'
"I truly desire that the PC troops vacate America so that bald reality may return. These thieves are not undocumented Mexican immigrants. They are ILLEGALS. What is that the liberal press does not get about the term 'ILLEGAL?'
"Dispatched from San Diego, the article reads: 'San Diego police responded to a call about alleged theft from the evacuation center and encountered six people in a van who didn't speak English and didn't have California driver's licenses, Foreman said.'
"There you have what should be daily front page coverage throughout this beleaguered nation. All of us into thinking know that what these six did is but the tiny tip of this horrific iceberg. And to think that the President and cronies actually endorse the whole law-breaking flock as legitimate citizens who should be embraced by the Statue of Liberty."
"Six illegals stole food and water that was provided for those fleeing fires in California.
"The latimes.com headline, sidelining political correctness for one word, actually called the robbers 'illegals' in this read : 'Six illegal immigrants arrested at Qualcomm.'
"However, having enough of truth, reporter Anna Gorman then resorted to political correctness brain-dead parlance by throughout her piece referring to the lifters as 'undocumented Mexican immigrants.'
"I truly desire that the PC troops vacate America so that bald reality may return. These thieves are not undocumented Mexican immigrants. They are ILLEGALS. What is that the liberal press does not get about the term 'ILLEGAL?'
"Dispatched from San Diego, the article reads: 'San Diego police responded to a call about alleged theft from the evacuation center and encountered six people in a van who didn't speak English and didn't have California driver's licenses, Foreman said.'
"There you have what should be daily front page coverage throughout this beleaguered nation. All of us into thinking know that what these six did is but the tiny tip of this horrific iceberg. And to think that the President and cronies actually endorse the whole law-breaking flock as legitimate citizens who should be embraced by the Statue of Liberty."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Sunday, October 28, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
I don't ♥ Huckabee
The Associated Press says Mike Huckabee is making waves with quite a few Iowa Republicans:
"[T]he former Arkansas governor has a message that resonates with many Iowans. He is an ordained Baptist minister whose opposition to abortion and gay rights appeals to social and religious conservatives, and he has a personal story of losing more than 100 pounds that has helped form his stand on health care."
I've never been all that impressed with Mike Huckabee. Oh, sure, he's pro-life and he plays a mean bass guitar, but he's strayed from the Republican ranch way, way too many times over the years (witness his hiring of a Friend o' Don Sundquist, Chip Saltsman, as campaign manager).
But don't just take my word about Mike Huckabee's deficiencies as a true Republican. Check out John Fund's devastating article from yesterday's Wall Street Journal:
"Mr. Huckabee attributes his support to the fact he is a 'hardworking, consistent conservative with some authenticity about those convictions.' He is certainly qualified for national office, having served nearly 11 years as a chief executive. I have known and liked him for years; on the stump he often tells the story of how we first met outside his boarded-up office in the state Capitol, which had been sealed by Arkansas Democrats who refused to accept he had won an upset election for lieutenant governor in 1993. But I also know he is not the 'consistent conservative' he now claims to be.
"Nor am I alone. Betsy Hagan, Arkansas director of the conservative Eagle Forum and a key backer of his early runs for office, was once 'his No. 1 fan.' She was bitterly disappointed with his record. "He was pro-life and pro-gun, but otherwise a liberal," she says. 'Just like Bill Clinton he will charm you, but don't be surprised if he takes a completely different turn in office.'
"Phyllis Schlafly, president of the national Eagle Forum, is even more blunt. 'He destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles,' she says. 'Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a compassionate conservative are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee.'
"The business community in Arkansas is split. Some praise Mr. Huckabee's efforts to raise taxes to repair roads and work with an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature. Free-market advocates are skeptical. 'He has zero intellectual underpinnings in the conservative movement,' says Blant Hurt, a former part owner of, and columnist for, Arkansas Business magazine. 'He's hostile to free trade, hiked sales and grocery taxes, backed sales taxes on Internet purchases, and presided over state spending going up more than twice the inflation rate.'
"Mr. Huckabee told me yesterday he also cut some taxes, and has taken the Americans for Tax Reform no-tax pledge. Former GOP state Rep. Randy Minton is not impressed. In 1999, he was urged by the governor to back a gas-tax increase. 'I'd taken a pledge against higher taxes, but he sniffed that my constituents didn't understand what we have to do in state government to make it work,' Mr. Minton says. 'His support for taxes split the Republican Party, and damaged our name brand.' The Club for Growth notes that only a handful of the 33 current GOP state legislators back their former governor."
Read the rest here.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Saturday, October 27, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Them delusional Dems
I've been saying for a long time that it is impossible for a Democrat in a contested statewide election to win unless he or she can make inroads into East Tennessee. Ned McWherter famously did well in upper East Tennessee in 1986; Sara Kyle did very well in East Tennessee in 1994 when she ran successfully for the now-defunct Public Service Commission; and Phil Bredesen campaigned hard in the counties in an around Knox County in 2002 and was elected governor as a result.
If we look at the county-by-county map from last year's U.S. Senate race, we see that Harold Ford, Jr., aka Junior, did well in the state's Yellow Dog areas, i.e., urban Davidson and Shelby Counties, the counties near the Plateau, and the "My great-great-great-great grandpa was a Democrat and I am, too" counties near the Tennessee River in West Tennessee.
It was in East Tennessee, however, that the 2006 Senate race was decided. Indeed, East Tennessee was a sea of Corker red. Junior made a fine showing in Hamilton County, but he was handily dusted in the East Tennessee counties north of Chattanooga. Such was Junior's undoing. See this.
Fast forward 11 1/2 months.
Tennessee Democrats are hoping to bump off U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander next year. Their preferred candidate - as near as I can tell - is a feller named Mike McWherter. Mr. McWherter is the son of a former popular governor (who left office a dozen years ago), but he'll be making his first run for elected office if he decides to jump into the 2008 U.S. Senate race.
If Democrats were so sure 'bout their chances in '08, you'd think they'd be able to talk U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon or U.S. Rep. John Tanner - supposed conservative Democrats, both - into making the race. The fact that Democrats seem intent on nominating another Houston Gordon/Jeff Clark-style candidate shows that they really do not expect to defeat Senator Alexander next year.
All that said, please check out the polling info listed below. If the Democrats' preferred candidate for U.S. Senate loses East Tennessee 70 percent to 22 percent, tain't no way he's gonna go to Washington ... unless he books one of those "See D.C." tours!
Here's the polling info (HT: TN GOP):
"A statewide poll conducted earlier this month by a national firm shows Senator Lamar Alexander with a 60 percent to 29 percent lead on possible Democratic challenger Mike McWherter.
"Pollsters Ayres, McHenry Associates Inc. surveyed 800 Tennessee voters - Democrat, Republican and Independent from Oct. 8-11 with a margin for error of plus or minus 4 percent. Senator Alexander leads in all three of our state's grand divisions, 45 to 41 in the West, 60 to 27 in Middle, and 70 to 22 in the East."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
From Stones River to Chattanooga
I know of a half-dozen loyal Creeder Readers who will disagree with this:
"One of the great misconceptions of the Civil War arising from the century-long dominance of the Lost Cause School is the idea that Confederate generalship was superior to that of the North. According to the Lost Cause narrative, Confederate generals performed better than their Union counterparts until the emergence of leaders such as Ulysses S. Grant, who understood that he could employ Northern superiority in manpower and material to crush the South.
"In fact, there was only one successful Confederate army: the Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee." [Emphasis mine]
"One of the great misconceptions of the Civil War arising from the century-long dominance of the Lost Cause School is the idea that Confederate generalship was superior to that of the North. According to the Lost Cause narrative, Confederate generals performed better than their Union counterparts until the emergence of leaders such as Ulysses S. Grant, who understood that he could employ Northern superiority in manpower and material to crush the South.
"In fact, there was only one successful Confederate army: the Army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Robert E. Lee." [Emphasis mine]
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 25, 2007
A real American hero
Once upon a time, books were written, and movies were produced, in which Congressional Medal of Honor recipients were profiled. These days, a soldier who receives a Medal of Honor is lucky if his award is even mentioned in the papers or on the nightly news.
A damn shame, if you ask me.
Earlier this week, Navy (SEAL) Lt. Michael Murphy was posthumously awarded a Medal of Honor for his brave actions in Afghanistan. Lt. Murphy is the first American serviceman to receive the Medal of Honor for combat in the Afghan theatre.
I searched high and low looking for a newspaper that mentioned Lt. Murphy's Medal of Honor on the first page. I couldn't find one.
Again, what a damn shame.
You may agree or disagree with how the War on Terror is being fought. You must agree, however, that Lt. Michael Murphy was one brave soul. To wit:
"Murphy, [Lt. Marcus] Luttrell and two other SEALs were searching for a terrorist in the Afghan mountains on June 28, 2005, when their mission was compromised after they were spotted by locals, who presumably alerted the Taliban to their presence.
"An intense gun battle ensued, with more than 50 anti-coalition fighters swarming around the outnumbered SEALs.
"Although wounded, Murphy is credited with risking his own life by moving into the open for a better position to transmit a call for help.
"Still under fire, Murphy provided his unit's location and the size of the enemy force. At one point he was shot in the back, causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in.
"He then returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle. A U.S. helicopter sent to rescue the men was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all 16 aboard.
"By the end of the two-hour gunfight, Murphy and two of his comrades were also dead. An estimated 35 Taliban were also killed. Luttrell was blown over a ridge and knocked unconscious. He escaped, and was protected by local villagers for several days before he was rescued. ...
"Murphy, who died before his 30th birthday, is the fourth Navy SEAL to earn the award and the first since the Vietnam War. Two Medals of Honor have been awarded posthumously in the Iraq war: to Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, who was killed in 2004 after covering a grenade with his helmet, and to Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, who was killed in 2003 after holding off Iraqi forces with a machine gun before he was killed at the Baghdad airport.
"Murphy's heroics have been widely recognized on Long Island, where he graduated in 1994 from Patchogue-Medford High School."
God bless Lt. Murphy and his family ...
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 25, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
"[T]he King Daddy of dumbass letters ..."
There've been a lot of dumbass letters published in the Tennessean over the years. However, Ms. Carolyn Dobbins' letter to the editor in this morning's paper just might be the King Daddy of dumbass letters.
According to Ms. Dobbins, parental involvement vis-a-vis education is highly overrated. To wit:
"I have witnessed the wonders [of excellence in public schools(!)], and they are not connected to parental involvement or diversity.
"The wonder of it all occurs when the brilliance of gifted teaching bumps up against obstacles of all kinds and wins. Victory comes when opposing forces find themselves irresistibly drawn to the other side because the general in charge skillfully offers that intangible something I choose to call the "want-to."
"When students possess the desire to learn, a passion for loving to learn, nothing can stop them. Their attitude becomes one of "bring it on." They then go forth and quite naturally pass it on.
"What's missing from our nation's classrooms are strong armies of well-equipped teachers who can lead reluctant soldiers to battle against all that would keep them small and weak. Identify these gifted, well-equipped teachers. Support them. Listen to them.
"Learn from them. Let them lead."
To borrow a line from my colleague Mr. Jimmy, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!
If I were a betting man, I'd be willing to bet that Ms. Dobbins is a teacher. No, let me rephrase that: Ms. Dobbins is a teacher who's so steeped in National Education Association propaganda that she can no longer think clearly. (God help the poor students who find themselves in a classroom with this teacher who longer controls her most important faculties.)
Only a true idiot would suggest that a parent has but a minor role to play in his or her child's education. Indeed, parents are THE MOST important factor in determining whether children learn, mature, and, as my grandfather might say, act like they have some *@#%$! sense.
When I was in college, I thought I might like to become a teacher. Thus, I took just enough - three, I think - classes to know that I did not want to teach high school for a living. At some point during my education education, if you will, I was tasked to interview a teacher and ask him/her this question: What is the most challenging aspect of teaching?
I fully expected the teacher whom I interviewed - a lady who'd been teaching high school Spanish for almost 10 years when we spoke - to tell me that she was most challenged by paperwork, poor facilities, substandard texts, long hours, no money, no respect, etc., etc., etc. I fully expected wrong 'cause, well, here's how our conversation began (I still have my notes):
Q: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of teaching?
A: Lack of parental involvement.
Ms. Teacher went on to tell me about parent-teacher meetings at which she'd have 8 or 10 parents show up - when she had 60+ students in her classes - and none of the parents had kids who were failing or struggling. She also told me about placing a call to a failing student's home, only to have a parent tell her to "never" call him at home again.
While it is possible for gifted, well-equipped teachers to reach students whose parents don't want to be bothered on the phone, the students who're reached are the exceptions rather than the rule. As any honest teacher will tell you, it's well nigh impossible to teach and/or inspire a student whose parents don't give a crap. I mean, very rare is the kid who can make something of himself when his whims and impulses aren't tempered by a caring, loving parent.
Most teachers know that. It's a shame that Carolyn Dobbins does not.
According to Ms. Dobbins, parental involvement vis-a-vis education is highly overrated. To wit:
"I have witnessed the wonders [of excellence in public schools(!)], and they are not connected to parental involvement or diversity.
"The wonder of it all occurs when the brilliance of gifted teaching bumps up against obstacles of all kinds and wins. Victory comes when opposing forces find themselves irresistibly drawn to the other side because the general in charge skillfully offers that intangible something I choose to call the "want-to."
"When students possess the desire to learn, a passion for loving to learn, nothing can stop them. Their attitude becomes one of "bring it on." They then go forth and quite naturally pass it on.
"What's missing from our nation's classrooms are strong armies of well-equipped teachers who can lead reluctant soldiers to battle against all that would keep them small and weak. Identify these gifted, well-equipped teachers. Support them. Listen to them.
"Learn from them. Let them lead."
To borrow a line from my colleague Mr. Jimmy, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!
If I were a betting man, I'd be willing to bet that Ms. Dobbins is a teacher. No, let me rephrase that: Ms. Dobbins is a teacher who's so steeped in National Education Association propaganda that she can no longer think clearly. (God help the poor students who find themselves in a classroom with this teacher who longer controls her most important faculties.)
Only a true idiot would suggest that a parent has but a minor role to play in his or her child's education. Indeed, parents are THE MOST important factor in determining whether children learn, mature, and, as my grandfather might say, act like they have some *@#%$! sense.
When I was in college, I thought I might like to become a teacher. Thus, I took just enough - three, I think - classes to know that I did not want to teach high school for a living. At some point during my education education, if you will, I was tasked to interview a teacher and ask him/her this question: What is the most challenging aspect of teaching?
I fully expected the teacher whom I interviewed - a lady who'd been teaching high school Spanish for almost 10 years when we spoke - to tell me that she was most challenged by paperwork, poor facilities, substandard texts, long hours, no money, no respect, etc., etc., etc. I fully expected wrong 'cause, well, here's how our conversation began (I still have my notes):
Q: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of teaching?
A: Lack of parental involvement.
Ms. Teacher went on to tell me about parent-teacher meetings at which she'd have 8 or 10 parents show up - when she had 60+ students in her classes - and none of the parents had kids who were failing or struggling. She also told me about placing a call to a failing student's home, only to have a parent tell her to "never" call him at home again.
While it is possible for gifted, well-equipped teachers to reach students whose parents don't want to be bothered on the phone, the students who're reached are the exceptions rather than the rule. As any honest teacher will tell you, it's well nigh impossible to teach and/or inspire a student whose parents don't give a crap. I mean, very rare is the kid who can make something of himself when his whims and impulses aren't tempered by a caring, loving parent.
Most teachers know that. It's a shame that Carolyn Dobbins does not.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Why I'm for Mitt (update)
I'm a man who likes his meatloaf. Nay, I'm a man who freakin' loves meatloaf. No other foodstuff on earth gives me greater pleasure than a juicy hunk of well seasoned, onion-filled ground beef.
My Granny Hobbs could turn out a mighty fine meatloaf. Since I learned to cook in her kitchen, I can make a mean meatloaf myself. But don't take my word for it; simply check out what the Nightly Daily's Chris said 'bout my culinary skills a few months back:
"Joltin' Django makes good meat loaf. I know this first hand."
That said, I heard Mitt Romney on Sean Hannity's radio program yesterday. During a discussion about preferred campaign "road foods," Governor Romney announced that his all-time favorite entrée is ... MEATLOAF!
We all know great minds think alike. Looks like great minds eat alike, too!
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
When Democrats don't know **** 'bout economics
I recently sent the following letter to Tennessee Democratic Party chief Gray Sasser. When I hadn't received a reply after, oh, about 14 days had passed, I sent a follow-up e-mail. "What's the matter? Cat got your, er, keyboard?" I asked. He still hasn't responded.
Dear Mr. Sasser:
In the 4 October 2007 Nashville Scene, you were quoted as saying: "The Republicans in Washington have run this country into the ground. Look at the price we're paying for gas to run your (sic) car or fill up your (sic) lawn mower or your (sic) boat for the weekend."
Any first-year economics student can tell you that the price of crude oil is easily the most significant factor in determining gasoline prices. So, what have Republicans done to increase the worldwide price of crude oil?
If you intend to answer my question with platitudes or DNC-supplied talking points, don't bother responding. If you can explain to me, in detail, how the GOP is able to manipulate crude oil prices, then I eagerly await your reply.
Cordially,
Joltin' Django
Nashville, Tennessee
Dear Mr. Sasser:
In the 4 October 2007 Nashville Scene, you were quoted as saying: "The Republicans in Washington have run this country into the ground. Look at the price we're paying for gas to run your (sic) car or fill up your (sic) lawn mower or your (sic) boat for the weekend."
Any first-year economics student can tell you that the price of crude oil is easily the most significant factor in determining gasoline prices. So, what have Republicans done to increase the worldwide price of crude oil?
If you intend to answer my question with platitudes or DNC-supplied talking points, don't bother responding. If you can explain to me, in detail, how the GOP is able to manipulate crude oil prices, then I eagerly await your reply.
Cordially,
Joltin' Django
Nashville, Tennessee
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 23, 2007
A man's gotta eat!
Here's what's been what at A Man's Gotta Eat:
Ce weekend
Real men don't eat tofu
Seoul Food
Whitt's sucks!
"It's ALWAYS chile weather at Varallo's!"
I'll take my steak with lime and jalapeños!
Roselli's rules!
Ce weekend
Real men don't eat tofu
Seoul Food
Whitt's sucks!
"It's ALWAYS chile weather at Varallo's!"
I'll take my steak with lime and jalapeños!
Roselli's rules!
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
A view askew, indeed
According to the November 2007 Esquire magazine, The View co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck has "just-left-of-Goebbels" political views.
If that's the case, I wonder if Esquire thinks it fair to say that Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi's political views are just-right-of-Stalin?
Inquiring minds want to know.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 22, 2007
Catch a political rising star
Forget B. Hussein Obama, Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal is the most impressive political rising star in America:
"U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal easily defeated 11 opponents and became [Louisiana's] first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction, decades after his parents moved to the state from India to pursue the American dream.
"Jindal, a 36-year-old Republican, will be the nation's youngest governor. ...
"'My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American dream. And guess what happened. They found the American dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana,' he said to cheers and applause at his victory party."
What's so great about Bobby Jindal, you ask? Check out this impressive résumé:
"In 1996, two years after graduate school at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, he was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH). There were many issues that needed resolving during his tenure, not the least of which was the growing deficit in Louisiana's Medicaid program. Focusing his attention on the problem, Jindal led the effort to revamp the system.
"In 1998, Bobby was appointed Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, a 17-member panel under the chairmanship of former U.S. Senator John Breaux (D-LA) and Congressman Bill Thomas (R-CA). As Executive Director, Bobby was responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Commission. The Chairmen's recommendations continue to be the driving force behind much of the ongoing debate on how to strengthen and improve Medicare.
"Bobby returned to Louisiana state government in 1999, when he accepted an appointment to become President of the University of Louisiana System. The system, which includes Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, is the 16th largest higher education system in the country. In any year, the system oversees the education of 80,000 individuals.
"After serving in that capacity for two years, Bobby was appointed Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This Presidential appointment made Bobby a senior health policy advisor to President George W. Bush."
Furthermore, Jindal has represented Louisiana's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2004. During his three-year stint in Congress, Jindal has many notable legislative accomplishments, with none more important than these post-Hurrican Katrina laws:
● Passage of legislation to keep the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from taxing recovery grants as income.
● Passage of a bill that protects Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens during times of disaster.
● Passage of legislation to require Louisiana to create a unified levee board in order to receive $12 million towards Category 5 hurricane protection.
● Passage of legislation to ease financial commitments for state and local school districts recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
● Passage of legislation containing several provisions crucial to reforming FEMA.
Pretty impressive, n'est-ce pas?
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 22, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Current Events 101
Vanderbilt University's student-run radio station, WRVU 91.1, features a show each Saturday entitled "College Music 101." I was listening to said show yesterday afternoon and heard the host uncork this petite gemme of anti-Bush nitwittery:
"[President Bush] probably doesn't know who the Dalai Lama is."
It's been a long time since I've been in Vanderbilt's main library. I can only assume, however, that Vandy's library still stocks dozens of newspapers from around the world. If'n Mr. College Music 101 had read just a few of those papers last week, he wouldn't have made the above-mentioned dumbass statement. To wit:
"Expressing hope that the future of Tibet and China will move beyond mistrust, the Dalai Lama accepted the Congressional Gold Medal from President Bush Wednesday during a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda.
"'I am deeply touched that this great honor has been given to me, a Buddhist monk born of a simple family,' he said. ...
"Though Bush said the ceremony was not meant to antagonize the Chinese, he made repeated references to religious oppression.
"'Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away,' Bush said.
"Calling the Dalai Lama a 'universal symbol of peace and tolerance, a shepherd to the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people,' Bush presented the medallion to the Dalai Lama."
Methinks Mr. College Music 101 needs to stop relying on MoveOn.org and fellow college shipdits to stay attuned to current events.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Why I'm for Mitt
This is the most sensible thing yet uttered by any of the folks who're currently running for president:
"Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney called the United Nations a failure ... and said he would support a new coalition of the free nations of the world.
"The former Massachusetts governor said the U.N. Human Rights Council has repeatedly condemned Israel while taking no action against nations with repressive regimes. ...
"'We should develop some of our own -- if you will -- forums and alliances or groups that have the ability to actually watch out for the world and do what's right,' Romney said."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Saturday, October 20, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Back tomorrow ...
Joltin' Django underwent some medical tests this morning which were no fun. One of the, ahem, administered chemicals during one of the tests've made me feel like crap on a cracker. I'll be back tomorrow ...
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
New Zealand rules!
If I ever get a terminal case of wanderlust, I'm gonna head to New Zealand:
"A new survey has shown that Kiwi women are the most promiscuous in the world, with an average of 20.4 sexual partners.
"The survey, by condom-maker Durex, questioned 26 thousand people in 26 countries, and found that New Zealand women’s promiscuity average was way above the global average of 7.3.
"The poll showed that Kiwi women are up there with Austrian men, who have 29.3 sexual partners. New Zealand emerged as the only country where women have more sexual partners than their men."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 18, 2007
When rock stars start thinkin', God-awfulness ensues
While I agree with just about every entry on John Frusciante's list of the "15 Most Ill-Advised Career Reinventions in Rock Music History," I can't go along with his assertion that the Red Hot Chili Peppers' One Hot Minute is a crappy CD. Indeed, it's my second-favorite Chili Peppers CD (after Mother's Milk, of course).
That said, I cannot in any way argue with this:
"After a career of lead-singer drama, Van Halen decided to go in a completely different direction by hiring Gary Cherone. The former Extreme front man tried to distance himself from his 'More Than Words' days by adding a little bit of grit to his voice, to much comic effect. Along with giving VH fans something they've never asked for in politically-minded songs like 'Ballot or the Bullet,' the songs here were stripped of any kind of edge and the whole thing fell just a few steps short of being new-age.
"Somehow, inexplicably, Eddie Van Halen decided to take what was broke in the band and make it even more broken by singing lead vocals on one track, sending a message of, 'Hey, it could be worse,' to the many fans dissatisfied with Cherone's performance.
"Bassist Michael Anthony appears in only three tracks on the album, marking what were either tensions within the band or forward-thinking wisdom on his part. Cherone was quickly dismissed from the VH lineup, and fans did their best to pretend he was never there in the first place."
Read the rest here.
That said, I cannot in any way argue with this:
"After a career of lead-singer drama, Van Halen decided to go in a completely different direction by hiring Gary Cherone. The former Extreme front man tried to distance himself from his 'More Than Words' days by adding a little bit of grit to his voice, to much comic effect. Along with giving VH fans something they've never asked for in politically-minded songs like 'Ballot or the Bullet,' the songs here were stripped of any kind of edge and the whole thing fell just a few steps short of being new-age.
"Somehow, inexplicably, Eddie Van Halen decided to take what was broke in the band and make it even more broken by singing lead vocals on one track, sending a message of, 'Hey, it could be worse,' to the many fans dissatisfied with Cherone's performance.
"Bassist Michael Anthony appears in only three tracks on the album, marking what were either tensions within the band or forward-thinking wisdom on his part. Cherone was quickly dismissed from the VH lineup, and fans did their best to pretend he was never there in the first place."
Read the rest here.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 18, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Latest poll from Iowa: Romney leads; Fred trails Huckabee
Here's the latest Iowa GOP poll from Strategic Vision:
Mitt Romney, 27 percent
Rudy Giuliani, 13
Mike Huckabee, 12
Fred Thompson, 10
John McCain, 5
Mitt Romney, 27 percent
Rudy Giuliani, 13
Mike Huckabee, 12
Fred Thompson, 10
John McCain, 5
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Mitt Romey's SC evangelical coup
At this time last year, I would've never guessed that Mormon Mitt Romney would find favor amongst folks associated with Bob Jones University.
This is a big boon for Romney's South Carolina campaign:
"Bob Jones III, chancellor of the Christian fundamentalist school named for his family, is endorsing Republican Mitt Romney for president. ...
"'We're proud to have Dr. Jones' support and look forward to working with him to communicate Governor Romney's message of conservative change to voters,' Romney spokesman William Holley said in a statement."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The beginning of the end of the USA?
In case you haven't heard, the baby boomers' stampede for Social Security benefits has begun ...
The government's long-term fiscal outlook is, well, bleak. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid already consume nearly half of all federal spending; and many economists predict that these three federal programs will consume more than 75 percent of federal spending within a generation.
This year's crop of Democratic presidential candidates have been crawling over one another to see who can propose the biggest expansion of the American Welfare State. Not a damn one of 'em have come up with a plan to reform Social Security, or any other entitlement program for that matter. Methinks they should cogitate upon the statistics listed above, and then ponder the quote listed below. If'n they can still stand by their Mo' Money for the Masses platforms, they're are not worthy of holding elected office, indeed.
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back again into bondage."
-- Professor Alexander Tytler, describing the fall of the Athenian Republic -- prior to the American War for Independence
The government's long-term fiscal outlook is, well, bleak. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid already consume nearly half of all federal spending; and many economists predict that these three federal programs will consume more than 75 percent of federal spending within a generation.
This year's crop of Democratic presidential candidates have been crawling over one another to see who can propose the biggest expansion of the American Welfare State. Not a damn one of 'em have come up with a plan to reform Social Security, or any other entitlement program for that matter. Methinks they should cogitate upon the statistics listed above, and then ponder the quote listed below. If'n they can still stand by their Mo' Money for the Masses platforms, they're are not worthy of holding elected office, indeed.
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back again into bondage."
-- Professor Alexander Tytler, describing the fall of the Athenian Republic -- prior to the American War for Independence
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Will Virginia voters pick up the Pace?
Looks like Virginia voters may have an opportunity to atone for Jim Webb - whose personality would have to improve immeasurably for him to be considered an ***hole - by sending a true Military Man to the U.S. Senate ...
"Virginia Republicans will hold a convention instead of a primary to choose their candidate to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. John W. Warner," GOPUSA reports.
"The state party's central committee voted 47-37 on Saturday in favor of a convention. No date or location was decided. ...
"Supporters of a convention argued that it's more economical and that the party would avoid a divisive public squabble between GOP rivals in a primary. Republicans locked in a bitter primary, they said, would spend millions of dollars tearing each other down while the Democrats stockpiled contributions."
This is welcome news to conservatives in Virginia who are trying to convince retired General Peter Pace to enter next year's Senate race. Pace would be at a decided disadvantage - in terms of both name i.d. and money - in a conventional primary campaign against U.S. Rep. Tom Davis and/or former Governor Jim Gilmore. A convention will allow him to play to his advantage: a well-organized grassroots campaign full of committed-to-the-cause conservatives.
What's so attractive about Gen. Pace? The October 22 National Review tells us about him:
"Gen. Peter Pace has stepped down as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired from the Marines. Virginia Republicans should try to draft him for a new mission: a Senate campaign. Republican John Warner recently announced that he won’t seek a new term in 2008. Pace would be an attractive candidate. He is a social conservative with impeccable military credentials. He’s certainly more appealing than either of the two major Republicans who are preparing to run, Rep. Tom Davis and former governor Jim Gilmore. Neither Davis nor Gilmore is pro-life. On Iraq, both are actually to the left of Warner, whose own position on the war has been far from resolute. Moreover, either one would be a serious underdog to Mark Warner, a popular former governor who is the Democrats’ likely nominee. Pace would be an underdog as well, but his candidacy would have the potential to excite conservatives. And our troops need more champions in the Senate."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Quote of the day
"Al Gore has certain Jimmy Carter-esque personality traits including truly believing he is superior to the rest of us which is sort of antithetical to what your average voter in Storm Lake, Iowa might be looking for in a candidate."
-- Rich Galen
-- Rich Galen
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Democrats need to bone up on Adam Smith and Art Laffer
Practically every Democratic presidential candidate wants to raise capital gains taxes. By doing so, they think they're going to have new piles of money for statist social programs. Today's Wall Street Journal takes their asses to school (you'll need a subscription to read the entire editoral):
"For the past 40 years, capital gains tax increases have been associated with a decline in tax revenues. Rate cuts have generated more tax collections. One reason is that higher rates give investors an incentive to hold their assets to avoid paying the tax. The capital gains rate was last raised in 1986. Revenues from the tax tripled in the year before the increase, as investors cashed out of assets before the window of the lower tax rate slammed shut. But in each of the five years after the rate jumped to 28% from 20% capital gains revenues remained below the pre-1986 level, according to a study by the National Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
"Conversely, the 1997 capital gains tax cut had a stock market unlocking effect. Congress's consistently mistaken Joint Committee on Taxation predicted that the government would collect $195 billion from 1997 to 1999 from capital gains payments. The actual amount was $279 billion. In other words, the lower tax rate raised $84 billion more than expected -- which is one reason the late 1990s produced budget surpluses. Most recently ... the 2003 tax produced a doubling of tax receipts to $97 billion in 2005 from $47 billion in 2002. That's twice what Congress predicted.
"Every generation or so, it seems that the American political class has to re-learn these tax policy lessons the hard way. What's striking about this year's Democratic economic proposals is how little any of them mention economic growth. Their message is "fairness," inequality and income redistribution. They seem to think taxes can be raised with ease, and no one's behavior or investment choices will change." (Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of economics knows better.)
"For the past 40 years, capital gains tax increases have been associated with a decline in tax revenues. Rate cuts have generated more tax collections. One reason is that higher rates give investors an incentive to hold their assets to avoid paying the tax. The capital gains rate was last raised in 1986. Revenues from the tax tripled in the year before the increase, as investors cashed out of assets before the window of the lower tax rate slammed shut. But in each of the five years after the rate jumped to 28% from 20% capital gains revenues remained below the pre-1986 level, according to a study by the National Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
"Conversely, the 1997 capital gains tax cut had a stock market unlocking effect. Congress's consistently mistaken Joint Committee on Taxation predicted that the government would collect $195 billion from 1997 to 1999 from capital gains payments. The actual amount was $279 billion. In other words, the lower tax rate raised $84 billion more than expected -- which is one reason the late 1990s produced budget surpluses. Most recently ... the 2003 tax produced a doubling of tax receipts to $97 billion in 2005 from $47 billion in 2002. That's twice what Congress predicted.
"Every generation or so, it seems that the American political class has to re-learn these tax policy lessons the hard way. What's striking about this year's Democratic economic proposals is how little any of them mention economic growth. Their message is "fairness," inequality and income redistribution. They seem to think taxes can be raised with ease, and no one's behavior or investment choices will change." (Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of economics knows better.)
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 15, 2007
Hillary "Hyena" Clinton
"[Hillary] has the world's best laugh."
-- Bill Clinton, quoted in the October 15 New Yorker
If you like shrill, hyena-like laughs, then you, too, will agree that Hillary Clinton has the "best laugh." Check it out:
-- Bill Clinton, quoted in the October 15 New Yorker
If you like shrill, hyena-like laughs, then you, too, will agree that Hillary Clinton has the "best laugh." Check it out:
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 15, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Africa = International money pit
Why, oh, why do Western governments continue to pour money into Africa?
Check this out:
"A report on armed conflict in Africa has shown that the cost to the continent's development over a 15-year period was nearly $300bn (£146bn).
"The research was undertaken by a number of non-governmental organisations, including Oxfam.
"It says the cost of conflict was equal to the amount of money received in aid during the same period."
Check this out:
"A report on armed conflict in Africa has shown that the cost to the continent's development over a 15-year period was nearly $300bn (£146bn).
"The research was undertaken by a number of non-governmental organisations, including Oxfam.
"It says the cost of conflict was equal to the amount of money received in aid during the same period."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Al Gore: Propagandizing hypocrite (oh, and he's a Nobel Laureate)
I shall say a few words about the worldwide left's successful lobbying effort that today resulted in Al Gore's winning the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize -- if only because Al Gore is one of about a dozen braying jackasses I'd like to see disappear from the planet. Chuck Schumer, Keith Olbermann, Jimmy Carter, Noam Chomsky, and Rosie O'Donnel are also on my list.
We can expect to see Al Gore on a great many network and cable "interview" shows in the next few weeks. I would give anything if Gore would emulate his fellow Nobel Laureate Doris Lessing when asked about his peace prize:
"Doris Lessing pulled up in a black cab where a media horde was waiting Thursday in front of her leafy north London home. Reporters opened the door and told her she had won the Nobel Prize for literature, to which she responded: 'Oh Christ! ... I couldn't care less.' ...
"Surrounded by members of the international media in her flower-packed garden, Lessing was dismissive of the Nobel -- calling the award process graceless and saying the prize 'doesn't mean anything.'"
Of course, the only thing larger than Al Gore's waistband these days is his ego. Thus, we're more likely to see Haley's Comet return than we are to hear Gore poo-poo the Peace Prize's importance or learn that he's turned down an interview request.
That said, I'm still trying to understand how a prize that's supposed to be awarded to an individual or individuals who've made a discernable impact on mankind can be snatched up by someone whose main peace-making claim to fame is a propaganda film. (It's important to note that Mr. Gore has turned down each and every challenge to debate the merits of said propaganda film.) When you look at the sacrifices made by former Peace Prize recipients, Gore's list of accomplishments look quite - nay, incredibly - puny by comparison. For example:
● Mother Theresa (1979) lived most of her life in the slums of Calcutta feeding, clothing, and comforting people who, as she stated in her acceptance speech, were being "shunned by everyone."
● Aung San Suu Kyi (1991) fought for democracy and human rights in Burma despite mass arrests and killings directed by the country's military junta. She lived under house arrest, without charge or trial, from 1989-1995, and her movements within Burma (Myanmar) have been restricted ever since.
● Médecins Sans Frontières (1999) has sent doctors into war-torn nations (Sudan, Sierra Leone, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, etc.) to provide medical care and water to "populations in danger."
Besides making a "scientific" film with profound inaccuracies, what's Gore done to help his fellow man? Let's see:
He's made a fortune serving on various corporate boards (of course, he needs a small fortune to heat and light his mansion); he's hob-knobbed with Hollywood celebrities, Upper East Side dilettantes, and other titans of conspicuous consumption; and he's traveled the world in chartered jets and gas-guzzling SUVs, with a retinue of Secret Service agents in tow, preaching a message of "shared sacrifice."
Call me cynical, but I will never cease to be amazed that a man who's availed himself of every opportunity to lecture others on how their materialistic ways are contributing to the destruction of the planet can live like a French aristocrat.
Now that a Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a propagandizing hypocrite, I shudder to think who's going to win the thing next year ... and the year after that ... and the year after that. To borrow a line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I weep for the future.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, October 12, 2007
Quote of the day
"Federal receipts have climbed by $785 billion since the 2003 investment tax cuts, the largest four-year revenue increase in U.S. history. The overriding lesson here is that the best antidote for deficits is faster growth, not tax increases.
"The budget deficit has declined more rapidly this decade in the wake of the Bush tax cuts than it did in the 1990s in the wake of the Clinton tax increases." [Emphasis mine]
-- Wall Street Journal editorial (HT: Rich Galen)
"The budget deficit has declined more rapidly this decade in the wake of the Bush tax cuts than it did in the 1990s in the wake of the Clinton tax increases." [Emphasis mine]
-- Wall Street Journal editorial (HT: Rich Galen)
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, October 12, 2007
Thursday, October 11, 2007
NASCAR fans = Diseased crackers?
If I were a NASCAR fan, this would make me really, really mad:
"NASCAR fans might seem rabid, but are they actually contagious?
"Getting a hepatitis shot is standard procedure for travelers to parts of Africa and Asia, but some congressional aides were instructed to get immunized before going to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord and the racetrack in Talladega, Ala.
"The House Homeland Security Committee planned a fact-finding trip about public health preparedness at mass gatherings and decided to conduct the research at two of the nation's most heavily attended sporting events, NASCAR's Bank of America 500 event this weekend and the UAW-Ford 500 last weekend.
"Staff who organized the trips advised the NASCAR-bound aides to get a range of vaccines before attending -- hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria and influenza.
"Rep. Robin Hayes, a Republican from Concord, took umbrage when he heard about it.
"'I have never heard of immunizations for domestic travel, and as the representative for Concord, N.C., I feel compelled to ask why the heck the committee feels that immunizations are needed to travel to my hometown,' Hayes said in an Oct. 5 letter to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chairs the Homeland Security panel.
"'I have been to numerous NASCAR races, and the folks who attend these events certainly do not pose any health hazard to congressional staffers or anyone else,' Hayes added."
"NASCAR fans might seem rabid, but are they actually contagious?
"Getting a hepatitis shot is standard procedure for travelers to parts of Africa and Asia, but some congressional aides were instructed to get immunized before going to Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord and the racetrack in Talladega, Ala.
"The House Homeland Security Committee planned a fact-finding trip about public health preparedness at mass gatherings and decided to conduct the research at two of the nation's most heavily attended sporting events, NASCAR's Bank of America 500 event this weekend and the UAW-Ford 500 last weekend.
"Staff who organized the trips advised the NASCAR-bound aides to get a range of vaccines before attending -- hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, diphtheria and influenza.
"Rep. Robin Hayes, a Republican from Concord, took umbrage when he heard about it.
"'I have never heard of immunizations for domestic travel, and as the representative for Concord, N.C., I feel compelled to ask why the heck the committee feels that immunizations are needed to travel to my hometown,' Hayes said in an Oct. 5 letter to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chairs the Homeland Security panel.
"'I have been to numerous NASCAR races, and the folks who attend these events certainly do not pose any health hazard to congressional staffers or anyone else,' Hayes added."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 11, 2007
Friends o' Ron Paul
The blogosphere has been abuzz today with news that Ron Paul has been endorsed by Stormfront Radio, which serves as a mouthpiece for neo-Nazis and white suppremacists (see: Little Green Footballs, Volunteer Voters).
Neo-Nazi enthusiasm for Ron Paul ain't really breaking news. Indeed, regular Creeder Readers will recall that I was talking about Ron Paul's popularity amongst racist kooks almost three months ago:
"Presidential candidate Ron Paul has lined up more kook support. This time, it's the National Alliance:
"'Coming off the great success of the Rally for Life and Liberty in Des Moines last Saturday, Ron Paul now needs to keep the momentum going with a victory at the Straw Poll in Ames on August 11th.
"'It’s time to convert internet energy into real political power. Thousands of Iowans need to vote in the Straw Poll for Dr. Paul. And thousands more need to come from around the country to participate and volunteer at the event.'"
The National Alliance "news" site does not feature permalinks on individual postings. If you want to see the above-metioned story for yourself, you'll have to search the archive.
Neo-Nazi enthusiasm for Ron Paul ain't really breaking news. Indeed, regular Creeder Readers will recall that I was talking about Ron Paul's popularity amongst racist kooks almost three months ago:
"Presidential candidate Ron Paul has lined up more kook support. This time, it's the National Alliance:
"'Coming off the great success of the Rally for Life and Liberty in Des Moines last Saturday, Ron Paul now needs to keep the momentum going with a victory at the Straw Poll in Ames on August 11th.
"'It’s time to convert internet energy into real political power. Thousands of Iowans need to vote in the Straw Poll for Dr. Paul. And thousands more need to come from around the country to participate and volunteer at the event.'"
The National Alliance "news" site does not feature permalinks on individual postings. If you want to see the above-metioned story for yourself, you'll have to search the archive.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 11, 2007
Wanna know what restaurant serves the crappiest BBQ in Nashville?
I didn't get around to reading last week's Nashville Scene until today. I had a lot of stuff to read last week: Baseball America, Baseball Digest, The American Conservative, The New Yorker, Wine Spectator, just to name a few. Thus, the Scene's annual "Best of Nashville" issue made its way to the very botton of my to-read pile.
I was chagrined - nay, I was pissed - to learn that Whitt's Barbeque was chosen as Nashville's "best" BBQ restaurant for the 18th straight year. I posted this last year when Whitt's won for the 17th time; and I just might post it every year until folks in Nashville wise up and recognize that a pile of pork from Whitt's ain't fit to feed to dogs (as my late Granddaddy Hobbs used to say):
"I have a newsflash for the folks who participated in the Nashville Scene's 'Best of Nashville' contest: Whitt's is NOT the best barbecue restaurant in Nashville. The fact that this sad excuse for a restaurant has been chosen as the best in its particular category for over fifteen freakin' years reveals much about the taste(s) of those who read the Scene.
"Whitt's is to barbecue what McDonald's is to hamburgers. That is, Whitt's is cheap and will fill you up in a pinch, but any serious BBQ-eater will tell you that the pork shoulder served there is too dry and mealy to be considered first-class. Furthermore, why is it that in all the years Whitt's has been doing business in Middle Tennessee, the folks there have yet to develop a passable BBQ sauce? Could it be that the owners and operators of Whitt's are reluctant to do away with their one and only condiment, which is 95 percent straight cider vinegar, because it's the only thing keeping customers from choking to death?
"Local barbecue aficionados are well aware that Nashville's best barbecue joints, i.e., Neely's, Pop's, Mary's, and Hog Heaven, aren't chain restaurants, and they're not located in Hillsboro Village, Green Hills, SoBro, or the 'District.' (I hate to pass judgement, but I'd be willing to bet a dollar to anyone's dime that a majority of the individuals who took the time to partipate in the 'Best of Nashville' contest head to, well, Hillsboro Village, Green Hills, and downtown to eat out.)
"Nashville's sidestreets and backroads are filled with restaurants dishing out unique and well-crafted meals. Far too few of these restaurants made their way into the Scene's 'Best of ...' issue.
"Pretty sad, if you ask me."
I was chagrined - nay, I was pissed - to learn that Whitt's Barbeque was chosen as Nashville's "best" BBQ restaurant for the 18th straight year. I posted this last year when Whitt's won for the 17th time; and I just might post it every year until folks in Nashville wise up and recognize that a pile of pork from Whitt's ain't fit to feed to dogs (as my late Granddaddy Hobbs used to say):
"I have a newsflash for the folks who participated in the Nashville Scene's 'Best of Nashville' contest: Whitt's is NOT the best barbecue restaurant in Nashville. The fact that this sad excuse for a restaurant has been chosen as the best in its particular category for over fifteen freakin' years reveals much about the taste(s) of those who read the Scene.
"Whitt's is to barbecue what McDonald's is to hamburgers. That is, Whitt's is cheap and will fill you up in a pinch, but any serious BBQ-eater will tell you that the pork shoulder served there is too dry and mealy to be considered first-class. Furthermore, why is it that in all the years Whitt's has been doing business in Middle Tennessee, the folks there have yet to develop a passable BBQ sauce? Could it be that the owners and operators of Whitt's are reluctant to do away with their one and only condiment, which is 95 percent straight cider vinegar, because it's the only thing keeping customers from choking to death?
"Local barbecue aficionados are well aware that Nashville's best barbecue joints, i.e., Neely's, Pop's, Mary's, and Hog Heaven, aren't chain restaurants, and they're not located in Hillsboro Village, Green Hills, SoBro, or the 'District.' (I hate to pass judgement, but I'd be willing to bet a dollar to anyone's dime that a majority of the individuals who took the time to partipate in the 'Best of Nashville' contest head to, well, Hillsboro Village, Green Hills, and downtown to eat out.)
"Nashville's sidestreets and backroads are filled with restaurants dishing out unique and well-crafted meals. Far too few of these restaurants made their way into the Scene's 'Best of ...' issue.
"Pretty sad, if you ask me."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 11, 2007
Message for James Earl Carter: For the love of God, keep your pie-hole shut
According to Jimmy Carter, Vice President Dick Cheney has been "a disaster for our country." Carter's comment is akin to a baboon calling someone ugly-assed.
For the longest time, former presidents did not criticize their predecessors. Jimmy Carter, however, has become more pompous and self-righteous as he's aged, and he's convinced himself that he's the smartest sombitch on the planet (dementia, perhaps?). Thus, rarely a day goes by during which he doesn't direct a wee bit of jackassery at someone in the Bush Administration.
Here's a portion of a column I posted a few months back. It's applicable each and every time Carter opens his pie-hole:
"Former President Jimmy Carter says President George W. Bush's administration is 'the worst in history.' Oh, really?
"I guess ol' Jimmy's forgotten about double-digit inflation, gas lines, hostages in Tehran, charred helicopters in the Iranian desert, 'malaise,' the Olympic boycott, Soviet encroachment across the globe (Afghanistan, Angola, Nicaragua, etc.), the energy crisis, scandals involving Bert Lance and Billy Carter, Ronald Reagan's 44-state electoral college landslide in 1980, etc., etc., etc.
"Jimmy Carter's presidency can only be described as an abject failure. The only 'achievement' to which Jimmy Carter can lay claim, i.e., the Camp David Accords, was eventually exposed as a hollow accomplishment when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was murdered by a gang of Islamist thugs. Indeed, Islamic fascism might never have become a global threat if Jimmy Carter had authorized a fear-of-God military assault on the then-weak mullahs of Tehran.
"Unfortunately, history's view of Jimmy Carter is slowly being tempered by his post-presidential activities. From the day he left office, Carter has cagily endeavored to make us all forget what a crappy president he was. He's built houses; he's supervised elections across the globe; he's written soupy poetry and prose; and he shamlessly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize until he finally won the freakin' thing (in what can only be described as an orgy of global anti-Americanism). None of Carter's do-good measures, however, can make up for his four-year presidential effort, during which he knocked America's **** soundly into the dirt."
If Jimmy Carter wants to see a U.S. politician who was truly a distaster for his country, all he has to do is look in a mirror.
For the longest time, former presidents did not criticize their predecessors. Jimmy Carter, however, has become more pompous and self-righteous as he's aged, and he's convinced himself that he's the smartest sombitch on the planet (dementia, perhaps?). Thus, rarely a day goes by during which he doesn't direct a wee bit of jackassery at someone in the Bush Administration.
Here's a portion of a column I posted a few months back. It's applicable each and every time Carter opens his pie-hole:
"Former President Jimmy Carter says President George W. Bush's administration is 'the worst in history.' Oh, really?
"I guess ol' Jimmy's forgotten about double-digit inflation, gas lines, hostages in Tehran, charred helicopters in the Iranian desert, 'malaise,' the Olympic boycott, Soviet encroachment across the globe (Afghanistan, Angola, Nicaragua, etc.), the energy crisis, scandals involving Bert Lance and Billy Carter, Ronald Reagan's 44-state electoral college landslide in 1980, etc., etc., etc.
"Jimmy Carter's presidency can only be described as an abject failure. The only 'achievement' to which Jimmy Carter can lay claim, i.e., the Camp David Accords, was eventually exposed as a hollow accomplishment when Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was murdered by a gang of Islamist thugs. Indeed, Islamic fascism might never have become a global threat if Jimmy Carter had authorized a fear-of-God military assault on the then-weak mullahs of Tehran.
"Unfortunately, history's view of Jimmy Carter is slowly being tempered by his post-presidential activities. From the day he left office, Carter has cagily endeavored to make us all forget what a crappy president he was. He's built houses; he's supervised elections across the globe; he's written soupy poetry and prose; and he shamlessly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize until he finally won the freakin' thing (in what can only be described as an orgy of global anti-Americanism). None of Carter's do-good measures, however, can make up for his four-year presidential effort, during which he knocked America's **** soundly into the dirt."
If Jimmy Carter wants to see a U.S. politician who was truly a distaster for his country, all he has to do is look in a mirror.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 11, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Britney Spears: Pig
Britney Spears was cute when she was being hit one more time. She was even more cute when, oops, she had to do it again. Now she's a pig. Think I'm being unfair? Check out these pics (from The Blemish):
I once had to go without food for 24 hours prior to a blood test. When next I ate - a big ol' Jersey Mike's sub, if memory serves - I calmly savored each and every bite. Can you imagine what'd happen if Ms. Spears had to go 24+ hours without eating?
Reckon someone'd lose an appendage?!
I once had to go without food for 24 hours prior to a blood test. When next I ate - a big ol' Jersey Mike's sub, if memory serves - I calmly savored each and every bite. Can you imagine what'd happen if Ms. Spears had to go 24+ hours without eating?
Reckon someone'd lose an appendage?!
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Rush Limbaugh, vindicated
Brent Bozell says Rush was right (All emphases mine):
"1. Before reviewing the facts of the case, one has to shake his head in disbelief that anyone would accuse Limbaugh of an anti-military bias. A day doesn't go by when he isn't praising our military on his radio program. He's visited the troops on the battlefield in Afghanistan, and brought comfort to our wounded at the Walter Reed Army hospital. He's raised and donated millions to military charities. It is no wonder that he is the single most popular personality on the Armed Forces Radio Network.
"2. Less than two minutes after uttering the words 'phony soldiers,' Limbaugh elaborated on the subject, explaining exactly what he meant by the term. He named one Jesse Macbeth as an example of a phony soldier. Macbeth had become an overnight darling of the far left, a self-described Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient man who posted a YouTube video denouncing American military atrocities he'd witnessed. Except he was never awarded a Purple Heart. He was never in Iraq. In fact, he was never in the military, period. He was tossed out of boot camp after four months. Macbeth is now in prison serving a five-month term for falsifying Army records and applying falsely for veterans' benefits. Limbaugh was right.
"Limbaugh also pointed that that he wasn't the first to discuss the Macbeth phony soldier story. Brian Ross had filed a report on this man several nights before, on ABC’s World News. Mr. Ross even used the term 'phony soldier' -- and not a soul on the left found fault with that.
"3. So the left returned with another charge: Limbaugh had used the plural, 'phony soldiers,' therefore Limbaugh's sole example -- Macbeth -- was inadequate. So are there any other 'phony soldiers' out there? Jeffrey Sullivan, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, thinks so. Besides prosecuting Macbeth, he's prosecuted another five 'phony soldiers.' Jim O'Neill, the assistant inspector general for investigations at the Veterans Administration, confirms that the federal government is presently conducting another 60 such 'stolen valor' cases. Rush was right, in spades."
"1. Before reviewing the facts of the case, one has to shake his head in disbelief that anyone would accuse Limbaugh of an anti-military bias. A day doesn't go by when he isn't praising our military on his radio program. He's visited the troops on the battlefield in Afghanistan, and brought comfort to our wounded at the Walter Reed Army hospital. He's raised and donated millions to military charities. It is no wonder that he is the single most popular personality on the Armed Forces Radio Network.
"2. Less than two minutes after uttering the words 'phony soldiers,' Limbaugh elaborated on the subject, explaining exactly what he meant by the term. He named one Jesse Macbeth as an example of a phony soldier. Macbeth had become an overnight darling of the far left, a self-described Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient man who posted a YouTube video denouncing American military atrocities he'd witnessed. Except he was never awarded a Purple Heart. He was never in Iraq. In fact, he was never in the military, period. He was tossed out of boot camp after four months. Macbeth is now in prison serving a five-month term for falsifying Army records and applying falsely for veterans' benefits. Limbaugh was right.
"Limbaugh also pointed that that he wasn't the first to discuss the Macbeth phony soldier story. Brian Ross had filed a report on this man several nights before, on ABC’s World News. Mr. Ross even used the term 'phony soldier' -- and not a soul on the left found fault with that.
"3. So the left returned with another charge: Limbaugh had used the plural, 'phony soldiers,' therefore Limbaugh's sole example -- Macbeth -- was inadequate. So are there any other 'phony soldiers' out there? Jeffrey Sullivan, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, thinks so. Besides prosecuting Macbeth, he's prosecuted another five 'phony soldiers.' Jim O'Neill, the assistant inspector general for investigations at the Veterans Administration, confirms that the federal government is presently conducting another 60 such 'stolen valor' cases. Rush was right, in spades."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 10, 2007
When atheists attack
If Ann Coulter showed up at a book-signing drunk, and then proceeded to verbally assault a priest, talking heads at CNN and MSNBC would go on and on about the event for hours on end.
Why, then, have we heard not a peep about über-atheist Christopher Hitchen's drunken exploits in the mainstream media? *
"Eyewitnesses report that Hitchens erupted into a drunken rage at a recent promotional event for his book. Hitchens reportedly descended from the stage, visibly inebriated, approached a Roman Catholic priest in the audience, and began shouting at him, only inches from his face. Hitchens’ manner appeared so physically menacing, witnesses say, that a plainclothes bodyguard on duty at the event rushed in and escorted the drunken scribe from the room. All of this happened four and a half months ago, on May 1. It was never reported in the press. A conspiracy of silence shielded the bestselling author from the negative publicity his behavior seemingly should have earned him. Indeed, the world at large would know nothing of this incident, had Hitchens himself not chosen to mention it in the September 2007 issue of Vanity Fair."
* Because, Virginia, the mainstream media is biased against conservatives. Anyone with an IQ above 80 knows such (which explains why so many Democrats can't comprehend this fact).
Why, then, have we heard not a peep about über-atheist Christopher Hitchen's drunken exploits in the mainstream media? *
"Eyewitnesses report that Hitchens erupted into a drunken rage at a recent promotional event for his book. Hitchens reportedly descended from the stage, visibly inebriated, approached a Roman Catholic priest in the audience, and began shouting at him, only inches from his face. Hitchens’ manner appeared so physically menacing, witnesses say, that a plainclothes bodyguard on duty at the event rushed in and escorted the drunken scribe from the room. All of this happened four and a half months ago, on May 1. It was never reported in the press. A conspiracy of silence shielded the bestselling author from the negative publicity his behavior seemingly should have earned him. Indeed, the world at large would know nothing of this incident, had Hitchens himself not chosen to mention it in the September 2007 issue of Vanity Fair."
* Because, Virginia, the mainstream media is biased against conservatives. Anyone with an IQ above 80 knows such (which explains why so many Democrats can't comprehend this fact).
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Be a vegan, or else!
Vegan screwballs have enlisted the United Nations to help in their crusade to end meat-eating:
"To put it quite simply, unless you and everyone else becomes a vegetarian or adopts the vegan (no animal products, period!) lifestyle, the Earth is going to come to an end or you will probably die from some horrid disease.
"Sound extreme? Sound just a bit nutty? Not according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) or a recent study, 'Food, livestock production, energy, climate change, and health' by Professor Tony McMichael of the Australian National University and Dr. John Powles of the Department of Public Health and Primary Care of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
"If either of these deep thinkers took a moment to contemplate the success of the human race in terms of survival and expansion, they would find that humans have twenty teeth in their mouth designed exclusively to eat meat, but only twelve for fruit and vegetables. Moreover, the human stomach is, in fact, a carnivorous organ designed primarily to digest lean meat. The small intestine, pancreas, and the liver are mainly herbivorous and designed to digest vegetables, fruits, fats and farinaceous (starch) foods. All this has been known for a very long time.
"Why am I telling you this? Because for quite a while, there has been a vigorous campaign by the United Nations agency and by militant vegans to convince people that eating meat is a bad thing. The only way to respond to these 'studies' and claims is to examine and debunk them.
"First, however, one must ask why the FAO would foster a policy claiming that livestock is a major threat to the environment? Like the insidious Big Brother of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, the purpose of the UN’s efforts is to exert control over every aspect of people’s lives."
Read the rest here.
"To put it quite simply, unless you and everyone else becomes a vegetarian or adopts the vegan (no animal products, period!) lifestyle, the Earth is going to come to an end or you will probably die from some horrid disease.
"Sound extreme? Sound just a bit nutty? Not according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) or a recent study, 'Food, livestock production, energy, climate change, and health' by Professor Tony McMichael of the Australian National University and Dr. John Powles of the Department of Public Health and Primary Care of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
"If either of these deep thinkers took a moment to contemplate the success of the human race in terms of survival and expansion, they would find that humans have twenty teeth in their mouth designed exclusively to eat meat, but only twelve for fruit and vegetables. Moreover, the human stomach is, in fact, a carnivorous organ designed primarily to digest lean meat. The small intestine, pancreas, and the liver are mainly herbivorous and designed to digest vegetables, fruits, fats and farinaceous (starch) foods. All this has been known for a very long time.
"Why am I telling you this? Because for quite a while, there has been a vigorous campaign by the United Nations agency and by militant vegans to convince people that eating meat is a bad thing. The only way to respond to these 'studies' and claims is to examine and debunk them.
"First, however, one must ask why the FAO would foster a policy claiming that livestock is a major threat to the environment? Like the insidious Big Brother of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, the purpose of the UN’s efforts is to exert control over every aspect of people’s lives."
Read the rest here.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Romney maintains Iowa lead
Fred Thompson's moving on up in Iowa. However, he hasn't cut into Mitt Romney's lead in the state:
"Mitt Romney is still the Republican to beat in Iowa, maintaining a lead he's held over other presidential candidates for months.
"A poll released Sunday by The Des Moines Register shows the former Massachusetts governor with support from 29 percent of Iowa Republicans. Fred Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator, is in second place with 18 percent.
"Romney has campaigned extensively in Iowa and has aired a steady stream of television ads.
"Thompson scored well in polls of potential caucus-goers even before officially entering the race in September. The Register poll showed him holding onto second place but not cutting into Romney's lead."
"Mitt Romney is still the Republican to beat in Iowa, maintaining a lead he's held over other presidential candidates for months.
"A poll released Sunday by The Des Moines Register shows the former Massachusetts governor with support from 29 percent of Iowa Republicans. Fred Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator, is in second place with 18 percent.
"Romney has campaigned extensively in Iowa and has aired a steady stream of television ads.
"Thompson scored well in polls of potential caucus-goers even before officially entering the race in September. The Register poll showed him holding onto second place but not cutting into Romney's lead."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Monday, October 08, 2007
Paging Steve Cohen
Reckon what Steve Cohen thinks about this?
"In reality, most of the money raised by lotteries is used simply to sustain the games themselves, including marketing, prizes and vendor commissions. And as lotteries compete for a small number of core players and try to persuade occasional customers to play more, nearly every state has increased, or is considering increasing, the size of its prizes — further shrinking the percentage of each dollar going to education and other programs. ...
"Also, states eager for more players are introducing games that emphasize instant gratification and more potentially addictive forms of gambling."
Speaking of state lotteries, Joseph Knippenberg says something very similar to what I was saying in 2002:
"For me the bottom line is this: it’s ironic that a program often touted as being good for education relies, first of all, on the economic ignorance of its 'core' customer base (quick: what’s the expected value of a dollar 'invested' in a lottery ticket, compared with a dollar put in an interest-bearing bank account?) and, second of all, on an attitude (wishfully thinking that one can get something for nothing) that is antithetical to the connection between hard work and self-discipline, on the one side, and reward, on the other that we’d presumably wish to cultivate."
"In reality, most of the money raised by lotteries is used simply to sustain the games themselves, including marketing, prizes and vendor commissions. And as lotteries compete for a small number of core players and try to persuade occasional customers to play more, nearly every state has increased, or is considering increasing, the size of its prizes — further shrinking the percentage of each dollar going to education and other programs. ...
"Also, states eager for more players are introducing games that emphasize instant gratification and more potentially addictive forms of gambling."
Speaking of state lotteries, Joseph Knippenberg says something very similar to what I was saying in 2002:
"For me the bottom line is this: it’s ironic that a program often touted as being good for education relies, first of all, on the economic ignorance of its 'core' customer base (quick: what’s the expected value of a dollar 'invested' in a lottery ticket, compared with a dollar put in an interest-bearing bank account?) and, second of all, on an attitude (wishfully thinking that one can get something for nothing) that is antithetical to the connection between hard work and self-discipline, on the one side, and reward, on the other that we’d presumably wish to cultivate."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 08, 2007
SCHIP-pery slope
Rich Galen tells us what I already knew: Congressional Democrats' proposed expansion of SCHIP is not an effort to help poor kids ... it's all about screwing President Bush. But screwing President Bush is EVERY Democrats' raison d'être these days, n'est-ce pas?
"President Bush made it clear that he wanted the Congress to send him a re-authorized SCHIP program which he could sign, but Democrats sent up a bill which the White House had warned was veto-bait.
"Why? So they could set up this exact discussion: Bush will argue in favor of tax cuts for the rich, while he vetoes health care for poor children.
"No main stream medium will write this, but the reality of the situation is: Congressional Democrats were willing to trade the health of children to score political points against the President.
"It is also true that if they can expand coverage to families up to 400% of the poverty line and individuals up to the age of 25, Democrats can go to 800% of poverty ($160,000 per year) and individuals up to 65 (when Medicare kicks in).
National. Health. Insurance.
"I told a New York Times reporter when I was called about the political impact of the President's veto that for many - if not most - Republican primary voters, this expansion of the SCHIP program was not a step down the slippery slope of national health care - it was a four man bobsled on an Olympic run."
"President Bush made it clear that he wanted the Congress to send him a re-authorized SCHIP program which he could sign, but Democrats sent up a bill which the White House had warned was veto-bait.
"Why? So they could set up this exact discussion: Bush will argue in favor of tax cuts for the rich, while he vetoes health care for poor children.
"No main stream medium will write this, but the reality of the situation is: Congressional Democrats were willing to trade the health of children to score political points against the President.
"It is also true that if they can expand coverage to families up to 400% of the poverty line and individuals up to the age of 25, Democrats can go to 800% of poverty ($160,000 per year) and individuals up to 65 (when Medicare kicks in).
National. Health. Insurance.
"I told a New York Times reporter when I was called about the political impact of the President's veto that for many - if not most - Republican primary voters, this expansion of the SCHIP program was not a step down the slippery slope of national health care - it was a four man bobsled on an Olympic run."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 08, 2007
Gotta get me one of these
Earlier this year, I went to see a friend's son participate in a play at a local elementary school. Not 10 minutes after the play began, a rather rotund jackass answered his cell phone and proceeded to chat very loudly on said phone for a good three minutes.
If only I'd had one of these:
"Open this cigarette box and push the black button seen in the picture and the jammer jams all cell phones signal within range of 60 feet (no one can make or receive any phone calls within range of 60 ft. from the jammer).
"In other words, no one can use a cell phone in range of 60 feet from the jammer.
"Prevents eavesdropping using cellular telephones in meeting rooms, homes, office etc.
"Can also be used where disturbance from phones are not allowed such as in theaters, meeting rooms, class rooms, libraries, etc.
"Built in rechargeable batteries. Charger included with purchase.
"Solid quality, reliable, super simple to use."
If only I'd had one of these:
"Open this cigarette box and push the black button seen in the picture and the jammer jams all cell phones signal within range of 60 feet (no one can make or receive any phone calls within range of 60 ft. from the jammer).
"In other words, no one can use a cell phone in range of 60 feet from the jammer.
"Prevents eavesdropping using cellular telephones in meeting rooms, homes, office etc.
"Can also be used where disturbance from phones are not allowed such as in theaters, meeting rooms, class rooms, libraries, etc.
"Built in rechargeable batteries. Charger included with purchase.
"Solid quality, reliable, super simple to use."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, October 08, 2007
Saturday, October 06, 2007
End of the Wal-Mart Era?
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Wal-Mart Era is "drawing to a close:
"Today ... Wal-Mart's influence over the retail universe is slipping. In fact, the industry's titan is scrambling to keep up with swifter rivals that are redefining the business all around it. It can still disrupt prices, as it did last year by cutting some generic prescriptions to $4. But success is no longer guaranteed.
"Rival retailers lured Americans away from Wal-Mart's low-price promise by offering greater convenience, more selection, higher quality, or better service. Amid the country's growing affluence, Wal-Mart has struggled to overhaul its down-market, politically incorrect image while other discounters pitched themselves as more upscale and more palatable alternatives. The Internet has changed shoppers' preferences and eroded the commanding influence Wal-Mart had over its suppliers."
If Wal-Mart's in such bad shape, how come each and every time I go there it's like a scene from Laguardia Airport on the day before Thanksgiving?
"Today ... Wal-Mart's influence over the retail universe is slipping. In fact, the industry's titan is scrambling to keep up with swifter rivals that are redefining the business all around it. It can still disrupt prices, as it did last year by cutting some generic prescriptions to $4. But success is no longer guaranteed.
"Rival retailers lured Americans away from Wal-Mart's low-price promise by offering greater convenience, more selection, higher quality, or better service. Amid the country's growing affluence, Wal-Mart has struggled to overhaul its down-market, politically incorrect image while other discounters pitched themselves as more upscale and more palatable alternatives. The Internet has changed shoppers' preferences and eroded the commanding influence Wal-Mart had over its suppliers."
If Wal-Mart's in such bad shape, how come each and every time I go there it's like a scene from Laguardia Airport on the day before Thanksgiving?
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Saturday, October 06, 2007
The poll truth
Insider Advantage has released a slew of early-state GOP primary polls. Can you say "barn-burner?!" Check it out:
Iowa: Romney, 24 percent; Giuliani, 16; Huckabee, 13; Thompson, 13; McCain, 10.
New Hampshire: Romney, 28 percent; Giuliani, 20; McCain, 17; Huckabee, 8; Thompson 8.
South Carolina: Thompson, 21 percent; Romney, 16; Giuliani, 16; McCain, 16; Huckabee, 11.
Florida: Giuliani, 29 percent; Thompson, 19; Romney, 16; McCain, 10; Huckabee, 6.
Iowa: Romney, 24 percent; Giuliani, 16; Huckabee, 13; Thompson, 13; McCain, 10.
New Hampshire: Romney, 28 percent; Giuliani, 20; McCain, 17; Huckabee, 8; Thompson 8.
South Carolina: Thompson, 21 percent; Romney, 16; Giuliani, 16; McCain, 16; Huckabee, 11.
Florida: Giuliani, 29 percent; Thompson, 19; Romney, 16; McCain, 10; Huckabee, 6.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Saturday, October 06, 2007
Friday, October 05, 2007
"Atlas Shrugged" at 50
Robert Tracinski says Atlas Shrugged is a damn fine book. He's right.
"October 10 is the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ayn Rand's classic novel Atlas Shrugged, so in the coming week we can expect to see a flurry of articles about the novel -- many of which will, unfortunately, offer highly inaccurate descriptions of its meaning and significance.
"That's a shame, because Atlas Shrugged is a novel that everyone ought to discover and grapple with, because it succeeds at something too few artists and intellectuals have had the courage to do."
Read the rest here.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, October 05, 2007
Sarah Silverman ain't funny
Proving that there is indeed a fine line between clever and stupid (apologies to David St. Hubbins), Sarah Silverman tackles the abortion issue on The Sarah Silverman Program:
I suspect that the only people on earth who think Sarah Silverman's funny are the Tennessee Go-rilla Wenches, er, Tennessee Guerilla Women.
I suspect that the only people on earth who think Sarah Silverman's funny are the Tennessee Go-rilla Wenches, er, Tennessee Guerilla Women.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, October 05, 2007
Was Al Gore for war (whew!) in Iraq before he was against it?
Interesting post from Little Green Footballs:
"In the dark days before he emerged as The Goracle, he was a raving right-wing nutjob.
"Here’s a 1992 Al Gore speech rescued from the memory hole, in which he blasts George H. W. Bush for ignoring Saddam Hussein’s connections to terrorism and his quest for weapons of mass destruction.
"Undeniable proof that the current Democrat position is a cynical political stance, a grab for power and nothing more, with no concern whatsoever for the security of their own nation."
The vid:
"In the dark days before he emerged as The Goracle, he was a raving right-wing nutjob.
"Here’s a 1992 Al Gore speech rescued from the memory hole, in which he blasts George H. W. Bush for ignoring Saddam Hussein’s connections to terrorism and his quest for weapons of mass destruction.
"Undeniable proof that the current Democrat position is a cynical political stance, a grab for power and nothing more, with no concern whatsoever for the security of their own nation."
The vid:
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Friday, October 05, 2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
"Romney's Religion"
In his latest TownHall.com column, Robert Novak gives us his take on Mitt Romney's religious beliefs. A sample:
"Although disagreement remains within the Romney camp, the consensus is that he must address the Mormon question with a speech deploring bias. According to campaign sources, a speech has been written, though 90 percent of it could still be changed. It is not yet determined exactly what he will say or at what point he will deliver a speech that could determine the political outcome of 2008.
"Romney would seem the near perfect Republican candidate: articulate, handsome, able to raise funds and write his own checks. He has become sufficiently conservative on social issues where he once strayed leftward. He is the only Republican candidate unequivocally opposed to gay marriage and the only one who signed the no tax increase pledge. He is acceptable enough to non-Republicans to have been elected governor of very 'blue' Massachusetts and then, unlike three GOP predecessors, actually governed as a Republican.
"But last year I began to hear from loyal Republicans that they could never vote for Romney because of his religion. When I asked Romney about this in April 2006, he was in denial. I subsequently wrote on April 27, 2006, that Romney must make 'a stronger response than he now envisions' -- a declaration that 'the imposition of a religious test on U.S. politics is unfair, unreasonable and un-American.' That was disputed by e-mails sent to me by self-professed Republicans who insisted Mormonism is a cult."
In my estimation, any voter who chooses to dismiss Mitt Romney because he's a Mormon is a fool. I mean, if large numbers of Americans were so very eager to give props to lyin', philanderin' Bill Clinton, whose single religious conviction was to make himself available for photo ops whilst walking into D.C.-area churches, why can't they appreciate someone who has a deep commitment to his faith and family like Mitt Romney?
If you think I'm cynical, well, I am ...
"Although disagreement remains within the Romney camp, the consensus is that he must address the Mormon question with a speech deploring bias. According to campaign sources, a speech has been written, though 90 percent of it could still be changed. It is not yet determined exactly what he will say or at what point he will deliver a speech that could determine the political outcome of 2008.
"Romney would seem the near perfect Republican candidate: articulate, handsome, able to raise funds and write his own checks. He has become sufficiently conservative on social issues where he once strayed leftward. He is the only Republican candidate unequivocally opposed to gay marriage and the only one who signed the no tax increase pledge. He is acceptable enough to non-Republicans to have been elected governor of very 'blue' Massachusetts and then, unlike three GOP predecessors, actually governed as a Republican.
"But last year I began to hear from loyal Republicans that they could never vote for Romney because of his religion. When I asked Romney about this in April 2006, he was in denial. I subsequently wrote on April 27, 2006, that Romney must make 'a stronger response than he now envisions' -- a declaration that 'the imposition of a religious test on U.S. politics is unfair, unreasonable and un-American.' That was disputed by e-mails sent to me by self-professed Republicans who insisted Mormonism is a cult."
In my estimation, any voter who chooses to dismiss Mitt Romney because he's a Mormon is a fool. I mean, if large numbers of Americans were so very eager to give props to lyin', philanderin' Bill Clinton, whose single religious conviction was to make himself available for photo ops whilst walking into D.C.-area churches, why can't they appreciate someone who has a deep commitment to his faith and family like Mitt Romney?
If you think I'm cynical, well, I am ...
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 04, 2007
Are the Sounds AA-bound?
"A Nashville investment group has agreed to buy the Double-A West Tenn Diamond Jaxx, and the lead partner said they will keep the team in Jackson, Tenn., for at least one more season.
"Reese Smith III, a minority partner in the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, said Monday they hope to close the deal within 90 days. The Diamond Jaxx, which is the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate, confirmed the sale agreement in a statement."
-- Memphis Daily News, October 3, 2007
I think it's safe to say that the city of Nashville has no intention of helping the Nashville Sounds build a new baseball stadium. Indeed, given the rancor that followed last year's failed attempt to build a downtown stadium for the Sounds, it would appear that Mayor Karl Dean will pursue a strategy of passive indifference to issues related to Nashville's minor league baseball team.
So, what's next for the Nashville Sounds? Unless the Sounds find a surrounding county that's willing to build - or help build - an amenity-filled ball park, it looks like the Sounds are stuck with Herschel Greer Stadium.
Minor League Baseball has stated repeatedly that Greer Stadium is not up to AAA standards: the clubhouses are too small, the lighting is bad, and there are not enough luxury suites. Compared to new stadiums that've been built in places like Louisville and Memphis, Greer Stadium is really - and I mean really - showing its age.
That said, a couple of years ago, I attended 2 baseball games at Keyspan Park in Brooklyn. During one of the games, I remember thinking, "If only the Sounds could build something as nice as this!" Keep in mind that Brooklyn's minor league team, the Cyclones, is a short-season A team ... three steps below the Nashville Sounds on the minor league ladder.
I find the sale of Jackson's minor league team to a group of Nashville investors to be quite interesting, indeed Jackson, TN, simply does not have enough baseball fans to support a AA team; and the Diamond Jaxx's new owners might be envisioning a future move to a larger market, i.e., Nashville, perhaps as soon as 2009.
Nashville has had past success as a market for AA baseball; and Greer Stadium, while far from perfect by AA standards, still has a lot of life in it for minor league games below the AAA level.
It will certainly suck if Nashville loses its AAA-affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers (the Sounds have sent several future superstars to the majors in recent years); however, the Sounds might be doing themselves a favor by moving down to AA. For fans, such'll ensure that there will be minor league baseball in Nashville for many years to come.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 04, 2007
Rudy hammers Hillary (good for him)
Rudy Giuliani is not my first choice for president in 2008. Hell, he's not even my second choice. He's winning points with me, however, for being the only GOP candidate who's willing to tell the absolute truth about Hillary Clinton, i.e., that she's a pinko statist whose policy positions are making George McGovern's 1972 platform look like an academic report from the Mont Pelerin Society.
From GOPUSA:
"Republican Rudy Giuliani compared Hillary Rodham Clinton to 1972 Democratic nominee George McGovern on Wednesday and chided his rival for adding a Southern lilt to her voice as he intensified his criticism. ...
"Positioning himself as the one Republican able to thwart another Clinton presidency, Giuliani lambasted Clinton's recent comments about giving a $5,000 savings bond to every U.S.-born baby.
"'It's interesting that Hillary is taking something from the George McGovern playbook,' Giuliani said in Manchester, N.H., likening her idea to the former South Dakota senator's proposal to send $1,000 to every U.S. resident. ...
"Without naming Clinton, Giuliani also alluded to an appearance this past spring in Selma, Ala., in which she slipped into what sounded like a Southern accent before a largely black audience."
From GOPUSA:
"Republican Rudy Giuliani compared Hillary Rodham Clinton to 1972 Democratic nominee George McGovern on Wednesday and chided his rival for adding a Southern lilt to her voice as he intensified his criticism. ...
"Positioning himself as the one Republican able to thwart another Clinton presidency, Giuliani lambasted Clinton's recent comments about giving a $5,000 savings bond to every U.S.-born baby.
"'It's interesting that Hillary is taking something from the George McGovern playbook,' Giuliani said in Manchester, N.H., likening her idea to the former South Dakota senator's proposal to send $1,000 to every U.S. resident. ...
"Without naming Clinton, Giuliani also alluded to an appearance this past spring in Selma, Ala., in which she slipped into what sounded like a Southern accent before a largely black audience."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Thursday, October 04, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
A face only a mama could love
When I was in 6th or 7th grade, one of my best friend's older sister watched the teen-dance flick Girls Just Want to Have Fun every other day. My friend and I watched the movie once, and the only thing either of us liked about it was the fact that Sarah Jessica Parker, who was 19 or 20 at the time, in one short scene stood around in her underwear.
I don't remember if I thought Sarah Jessica Parker was cute at the time; I was probably more impressed by seeing her in her drawers. If I did think she was good looking, however, I can safely say that it was the only time I ever considered her good looking. I mean, look at this (click the pic for the full fugly effect):
The guys at The Superficial sum it up nicely:
"Where’s He-Man? Skeletor’s running around in a wedding dress again. No, hold on, it’s Sarah Jessica Parker on the set of the Sex and the City movie."
I don't remember if I thought Sarah Jessica Parker was cute at the time; I was probably more impressed by seeing her in her drawers. If I did think she was good looking, however, I can safely say that it was the only time I ever considered her good looking. I mean, look at this (click the pic for the full fugly effect):
The guys at The Superficial sum it up nicely:
"Where’s He-Man? Skeletor’s running around in a wedding dress again. No, hold on, it’s Sarah Jessica Parker on the set of the Sex and the City movie."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 03, 2007
New Hampshire nail-biter
A new Zogby poll "shows the Mitt Romney lead in New Hampshire that looked almost insurmountable this summer has blown away with the autumn breezes, turning the state’s Republican nomination race into a cliffhanger featuring a clash of styles and substance."
Romney still leads in the Granite State with 24 percent, but Rudy Giuliani is nipping at his heels with 21 percent. Meanwhile, Senator John McCain has recovered a bit and now wins 16 percent, while Fred Thompson gets a paltry 7 percent.
If Fred Thompson doesn't start lighting some fires under some asses, and fast, his presidential campaign will be but an asterisk when the histories of the '08 campaign are written.
Romney still leads in the Granite State with 24 percent, but Rudy Giuliani is nipping at his heels with 21 percent. Meanwhile, Senator John McCain has recovered a bit and now wins 16 percent, while Fred Thompson gets a paltry 7 percent.
If Fred Thompson doesn't start lighting some fires under some asses, and fast, his presidential campaign will be but an asterisk when the histories of the '08 campaign are written.
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Anita Hill: Still crazy after all these years
Julie Ponzi still doesn't believe Anita Hill (good for her):
"What is ... important ... is that I do not believe--and don’t think any sane person should believe--that any of what Hill described happened as she said it did. Why? The difference in the demeanors of Hill and Thomas says everything to me. Hill says: '[Thomas’ approach] is really so typical of people accused of wrongdoing. They trash their accusers.' Now, if she were accusing Bill Clinton of harassment, she may have a point. That is exactly what Clinton and any other man who was less a man than Thomas would have done. A lesser man than Thomas would not have spared her the condemnation she may deserve (and public opinion might now tolerate) when giving that interview. But Thomas did not ask himself what public opinion would tolerate about Anita Hill -- either in responding to the charges initially, or in reflecting on them in this recent interview and book. Thomas rightly restrained himself; seeing -- not only that she deserved some charity due to her own lack of judgment -- but that the real culprit in what happened to him was not Ms. Hill, but a coarsening manipulation of partisan politics that requires a much more thoughtful and directed attack. He did not waste his bullets. The worst thing he had to say about Anita Hill in that interview was that she was a "mediocre" employee. Beyond that, he showed her pity. And that, I think, was the rub all along for Ms. Hill. Perhaps Thomas’s great sin -- in Anita’s but never the Public’s eyes -- was in being a better man than she deserves and her keen awareness of her own mediocrity combined with his generous pity. At least that’s what it looks like to me."
"What is ... important ... is that I do not believe--and don’t think any sane person should believe--that any of what Hill described happened as she said it did. Why? The difference in the demeanors of Hill and Thomas says everything to me. Hill says: '[Thomas’ approach] is really so typical of people accused of wrongdoing. They trash their accusers.' Now, if she were accusing Bill Clinton of harassment, she may have a point. That is exactly what Clinton and any other man who was less a man than Thomas would have done. A lesser man than Thomas would not have spared her the condemnation she may deserve (and public opinion might now tolerate) when giving that interview. But Thomas did not ask himself what public opinion would tolerate about Anita Hill -- either in responding to the charges initially, or in reflecting on them in this recent interview and book. Thomas rightly restrained himself; seeing -- not only that she deserved some charity due to her own lack of judgment -- but that the real culprit in what happened to him was not Ms. Hill, but a coarsening manipulation of partisan politics that requires a much more thoughtful and directed attack. He did not waste his bullets. The worst thing he had to say about Anita Hill in that interview was that she was a "mediocre" employee. Beyond that, he showed her pity. And that, I think, was the rub all along for Ms. Hill. Perhaps Thomas’s great sin -- in Anita’s but never the Public’s eyes -- was in being a better man than she deserves and her keen awareness of her own mediocrity combined with his generous pity. At least that’s what it looks like to me."
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Wednesday, October 03, 2007
