How Many Times do I Have to Say It!

I'm Not Irish!

Your Inner European is Irish!

Spirited and boisterous! You drink everyone under the table.

Who's Your Inner European?

Vietnam, Iraq, Bush and the BBC

This must be the week of the liberal press. The BBC provides the classic America/Bush bash veiled as some kind of international news story.

Divisive war still haunts America

The only haunting happens when left wing press organizations and candidates bring it up. Its not America's fault that Hanoi Jane decided to write a book.

‘We interviewed a Vietnamese widow who lived in a village near Hue…Despite her astonishing loss she told me she felt no bitterness towards America and Bill Clinton.’

It is reassuring to know that one old woman speaks for all of Vietnam.

One of the most damaging accusations against John Kerry, the senator who failed to unseat George Bush last year was that he returned from the Vietnam War to help lead the campaign against it.

I can’t seem to remember who brought up the Vietnam thing during the campaign.

Although virtually no one in this country believes that Vietnam was a war worth fighting…

That’s only because of the crummy way in which we fought it. No war without an objective is worth fighting.

So lets use the occasion to slam Bush once again…

He also hoped that people would contrast his medals with the fact that George Bush was at best flying circles over Alabama in the Air National Guard or at worst a coward who shirked his responsibility.

And remind us all that he really isn't the US President...

The American election was still being disputed in the courts

Toss in the obligatory homage to Bill Clinton...
(While never bringing up what he was doing during the war)

The process of normalisation started about 10 years ago and I well remember one of its highlights: the visit by Bill Clinton to Vietnam in 2000.

And then compare Vietnam to Iraq…

Iraq is far from becoming another Vietnam. But today the ghosts of the jungle are busy getting resurrected in the sands around Baghdad.

These people are so predictable.

I have a question. Why is a British reporter that was born in Germany writing this article? It gives me a warm fuzzy to know they are so concerned about US/Vietnam relations.

AP Forgets About Term Limits

A Rocky First 100 Days for New Bush Term

One hundred days into his second term...

Nobody cares about the first 100 days of a Second Term. Why was this article written? Why does the press keep acting like Bush is running for president again? Why does the AP expect anyone who reads this to believe they are more than political hacks for the Democratic Party?

'Now he's trying to sell a Social Security plan that would cut future benefits for all but low-income retirees' No one is counting him out, three months into his second term. He has time to recover and opponents have learned not to underestimate him.

Recover from what? In time for what? He’s not running. His numbers are down, so what? His opponents are in much worse shape. Did I mention that he is not running for office again?

Democrats in Congress have proven to be a more effective force than anyone expected, standing united and combative in opposing Bush's judicial nominees and his plan to create private investment accounts under Social Security.

Oh yea, thank you Democrats for looking out for me. Retirement? We don't need no stinkin retirement. But lucky for you, the Associated Press is right there to cheerlead for you and call it news. Why is the AP allergic to the word filibuster? This is written as though Democrats have done something valiant. How hard can it be to invoke a rule?

In contrast with the Democrats' unity...

That’s just funny.

Hey, since we are all beating up on Bush today, why not me?

Kids, We're Goin' to the Foreign Debt Museum!

I'm thinking we could use one of these here, maybe as a wing of the Smithsonian.

Three years after staging the largest debt default in modern history, Argentina Thursday opened what may be the first Museum of Foreign Debt to teach people the perils of borrowing abroad.

I'm surprised a government is willing to highlight its own ineptness like this. Then again I've never been to the Clinton library.

The Philippines and Terrorism

The Philippines has long been an example of how not to run a country. The systemic corruption has all but destroyed a country of hard working and, despite it all, good natured people. As I have stated in the past, the United States bears a special responsibility for the problems there, as it was the US that colonized the country and ushered in the era of thugery and corruption that plagues it today. But now, an old concern is growing.

Anti-U.S. Terror Threat Grows in Philippines

After his arrest, Baharan told authorities he took scuba lessons so that he could learn to attach explosives to the hull of a ship.

his orders came from someone outside the Philippines who spoke Arabic.

"All I know is, they hate America," Baharan said of his superiors.


(AP)

"In many ways, Mindanao, if it's not paid attention to ... if we don't focus … it could turn into another Afghanistan," said Joe Mussomeli, charge d'affairs at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.

The people of the Philippines had better get over their fear of re-colonization as their own military cannot protect the territorial integrity of the country. What this article does not talk about is the collapse of the economy. People are getting hungry. Hungry people, at least among the non-Catholic minorities, make for willing and eager terror recruits.

"We're all fighting all over the world," … "All of us are doing this for one reason: for Islam."

The Philippines is not going to ask for US help in any form other than monetary. It is up to American leaders to bring pressure on the Philippines while offering assistance. That is, more pressure than is currently being applied. A couple of anti-terror task forces aren’t going to do the job. And the Filipino military is in no position to do anything about it.

"We don't have a good maritime operation; the navy is helpless. The air force is nothing. We have the air, but we don't have the force,"

Military and counter-terrorism spending in the Philippines by the United States is now approaching $100 million per year.

Obviously this approach has not worked, and more money is not going to work. We are no longer dealing with a few Communist guerilla factions hidden in the jungle. It is going to take boots on the ground, most likely American boots. I know most of us don’t have the stomach for more US military action. I, however, don’t have a desire to witness another 911.

In Sports:
Nats 5, Mets 1

Disclaimer:
I have noticed that todays Quote of the Day (4/29) was by Lou Holtz, and I apologize sincerely.

Some Studies 'Could' be Wrong

But some could be right.

Study says earth-penetrating nuclear weapons 'could' kill more than a million people

Or maybe they couldn’t! I’m writing my own study called ‘Some People Who Write Studies Could be Clueless’

"For attacks near or in densely populated urban areas using nuclear earth-penetrator weapons on hard and deeply buried targets (HDBTs), the number of casualties can range from thousands to more than a million, depending primarily on weapon yield," the report said.

Or they can range from 1 to 1999. Or the number could be 2000 to infinity, as the study states. And this somehow differs from other nuclear (or should I say nucular) weapons? Here I was thinking we were trying to build bunker busters. It never dawned on me that the real intention was to develop non-nuclear nukes.

And, of course, we must state the reverse.

"For attacks on HDBTs in remote, lightly populated areas, casualties can range from as few as hundreds at low weapon yields to hundreds of thousands at high yields and with unfavorable winds," it said.

So in lightly populated areas, the casualty count can range from 200 to 999,999 if I am reading that right. But this also means it can range from 1 to 199. Or it can range from 1,000,000 to infinity.

"It is beyond me as to why you are proceeding with this program when the laws of physics won't allow a missile to be driven deeply enough to retain the fallout which will spew in hundreds of millions of cubic feet if it is a hundred kilotons," said Senator Diane Feinstein, a Democrat, told Rumsfeld Wednesday.

Finally, someone who knows what the laws of physics won't allow, as well as what these nukes will do. I think she missed the point though. Someone slipped her the memo on non-lethal nukes.

Rumsfeld replied: "It seems to me studying it makes all the sense in the world."

I knew it could lead to more studies! Or maybe it couldn't. Who knows. No wonder no one could ever figure out what the definition of is was, or is.

What a Joker

Air America’s Year of Decline

The new Arbitron figures for Winter 2005, which covers January, February, and March, show that WLIB, the station which carries Air America in New York, won a 1.2-percent share of all listeners 12 years and older. That is down one tenth of one point from the station's 1.3 rating in Winter 2004, the last period when it aired its old format of Caribbean music and talk.

Between the hours of 10 A.M. and 3 P.M., for example, the daypart that includes Al Franken's program, Air America drew a 1.4-percent share of the New York audience aged 25 to 54 in Winter 2005. That number is the latest in a nearly year-long decline.

That last number surprised some observers because it showed Air America faltering in October and November 2004, the period when the presidential election was reaching its finish and political passions were presumably at their highest. But even then, Air America's decline continued.

One may be tempted to discredit this article since it is the National Review. But Arbitron numbers are Arbitron numbers, no matter who reprints them.

The Franken adventure in radio is failing miserably. I have a theory as to why. Most hard core lefties, as well as Air America, have only one message. Bush is corrupt. Even for those that subscribe to this view, who wants to listen to that message all day? Or maybe its the face paint and green hair.

In Sports:

BCS Wants New Poll to Replace AP Rankings

'Beginning in the 2006 season, there will be a new game to determine the BCS national champion, a contest separate from the four existing BCS bowls — the Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and Rose. In essence, it means that two more schools will qualify for a BCS contest.'

Alright guys, you are one step from doing this right. Just wait to make the final decision on who plays in the new Championship Game after the other four BCS bowls are played. Please, I am begging you. Anytime an SEC team is undefeated and can't play for the Championship, it shows the whole system to be a sham. You are so close. Just make that final leap. I might even watch it this year if you do.

Nats 0, Phillies 3
Braves 8, Mets 4

What's an Innocent Democracy to do?

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Stokes has some interesting things to say in the Washington Times today. His comments are reprinted in a Bill Gertz article and originally published in an article from the Taipei Times.

Taiwan needs weapons to counter China buildup

"Since 1999, the People's Republic of China has embarked on a concentrated and aggressive campaign to diversify its options in order to force Taiwan's political and military capitulation in an increasingly brief period of time,"

'Taiwan once was able to resist a mainland attack for months or weeks, but now has only days to survive, he said.'

"No one should expect the United States to enthusiastically risk the lives of its own young sailors, airmen, soldiers and marines to defend a Taiwan that is not willing to take the steps necessary to provide for a strong defense,"

Here is my question. If you are Taiwan, do you declare independence sooner, later or never? Waiting only gives China time to build up for an eventual invasion. However, such a move goes against the wishes of Taiwan's main benefactor, the United States. It would be a gamble as to whether or not the US would help defend Taiwan under such circumstances. But waiting assures eventual assimilation into Communist China, save some dramatic change of heart in Beijing.

In other news:

Rights Group Condemns U.S. Over Guantanamo

Some European Bureaucrats have condemned us again. Alright, thats not really news, but I found this interesting:

'"The situation of prisoners at Guantanamo is very far from acceptable international standards," said Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the Russian Duma's international affairs committee and member of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.'

Come On! A Russian lecturing us on Human Rights! They should have at least let the French do it.

Other Stuff: I'm just full of questions today.

Russian Rocket Lifts DirecTV Satellite

Does this mean my play by play is going to be in Russian now?

In Sports:

Nats 3, Phillies 1
Braves 4, Mets 3

LA Times Gets a Clue

If there is one issue that should stretch across party lines, it’s our illegal immigration problems. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one railing against illegal immigration and the lack of a federal response to it. I just never thought it would be the LA Times.

Illegal Immigration Fears Have Spread

'across the country there is a growing populist movement also taking matters into its own hands.'

'In Washington, Colorado, Virginia and elsewhere, grass-roots organizations are forming to pass initiatives and pressure politicians into enacting laws denying benefits to illegal immigrants.'

"The reason for this movement is that people have lost hope that the government is going to do its job," she said. "The people in Washington are listening to their contributors who are businesses, and businesses, almost without fail, want illegal immigration."

I find the following statement perplexing. What is this, a membership drive?

'The Catholic Church will begin a public relations counteroffensive next month against those calling for tighter border controls.'

I think the LA Times is reading this blog. I think I’ll toot my own horn.

'Though Democrats have traditionally held more liberal views on immigration, the issue is splitting the Republican Party.'

I have heard it’s a sign of mental instability when one starts quoting himself. So be it.

McCain’s Boneheaded Immigration Plan

'Immigration is the one issue that can potentially split the Republicans. These guys had better get it together come election time.' -- Tran Sient

Sometimes it's nice to have company.

In Sports
Nats 4, Phillies 5
Braves 4, Mets 5

China is a Threat, Not a Partner

Many in this country are under the mistaken impression that China is somehow reforming. It’s not, and I will beat this drum until my arms fall off.

China’s Hu tightens party’s grip on power

Chinese President Hu Jintao is emerging as an unyielding leader determined to preserve the Communist Party's monopoly on power and willing to impose new limits on speech and other civil liberties to do it

Hu has placed particular emphasis on tightening the party's control over public opinion, presiding over a crackdown to restore discipline to state media and intimidate dissident intellectuals.

In a recent comment often cited as a clue to his thinking, Hu wrote in an instruction to propaganda officials that though the economic policies of communist allies Cuba and North Korea were flawed, their political policies were correct.

Check out what the official media mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party has to say about America and it's allies.

America's three doors...

The pets' door, facing the Chinese mainland across the Taiwan Strait, is guarded by the Taidus under the Lee-Chen-Lu lackeys, who most inexplicably are paying exorbitant sums of money to protect their master.

Chinese protesters' egg-throwing defiance has already been spinned into mob violence in the Western and Japanese press. Who knows for certain if a Japanese spy is not amongst the demonstrators throwing firebombs? That's why the Chinese government took pains to control the crowds so that they would not be manipulated or misguided by agents with ulterior motives.

Propaganda at its finest. I’m sure our government, and other governments in the world will continue to stick their heads in the sand, but I won’t. Even though this small site can’t really make much difference, at least I will be able to look back and use my four favorite words; I told you so.

In Sports:
Nats 11, Mets 4

Ted Kennedy’s Hole in the Ground

Federal Gov't Investigates Big Dig Leaks

"While the authority has said its contractors, and not the taxpayers, will pay to fix all the leaks, we are not entirely confident of this,"

The project was originally estimated to cost $2.5 billion and be completed by 1998. This hole in the ground ultimately cost taxpayers $14.6 billion. Now the tunnel is falling apart and federal taxpayers will be asked to pony up again! How many times can they go back to the well? When money for the Big Dig was debated on the Senate floor in 1991, Senator Edward Kennedy stated,

“There is no intention of repeating or coming back for additional resources.”

In the mean time, the combined forces of Maryland, Virginia and DC have to beg and plead for $900 million in federal funding for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project, before this ancient artifact falls into the Potomac. Its only the main north/south artery on the East Coast.

Thanks Ted

In Sports:

Nats 5, Mets 10

Casualties in Iraq

The AP once again must give us our weekly dose of death in Iraq.

A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

I thought I would stack it against a few other numbers to put it in perspective.

WWII(US) -------------------------300,000
Asian Tsunami -------------------220,000 (Minimum)
Car Accidents (US) ----------------42,800 (2004)
Obesity (US, Revised Down) -----25,814 (2004)
American Casualties in Iraq -------1,564 (Since 3/19/03)
in Combat ---------------------------1,214

Toss in Iraqi Casualties ----------23,005 (Civilians, high end)
For a Grand Total of --------------24,569 (Americans and Iraqis)
Iraqis Murdered Annually ---------25,000 – 50,000 (1979 - 2003)

The Iraq post-war stats are according to the most left wing site I could find.

Casualties in Iraq

I just get tired of the horrors of war story. Every hero that dies is a loss. Everyone that dies is a loss.

Update: In our discussion regarding Iraq deaths, a request was made regarding comparisons with Vietnam. The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler has a nice numbers comparison here. The first half of the post is dedicated to blowing some leftist blogger out of the water, so scroll down about half way to get to the numbers.

McCain's Boneheaded Immigration Plan

Under their proposal, illegal immigrants would get three-year visas that could be renewed once. After completing six years of work, the immigrants would be eligible to "get in the back of the line" to apply for permanent legal residency, McCain said.

McCain, Kennedy to Propose Fining Illegals

You are in violation of American law. Here's your fine. Welcome to America.

This has got to be one of the more idiotic immigration proposals I have seen. Once you give an illegal immigrant a visa, he/she is no longer illegal. It’s amnesty with a stupid fine.

‘Deporting the 10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the country is not practical, McCain told midshipmen during a guest lecture.’

Well, if you are able to give them a fine, they must be in some sort of federal custody. Thus, they could be deported. Throwing out a number like '10 million to 12 million illegal immigrants’ is dishonest, since we are only talking about the ones that have been caught. I can almost forgive Ted Kennedy since he is from Massachusetts, and after all, he is Ted Kennedy. But a Republican from Arizona ought to know better.

Bush’s plan is a little better in that illegal immigrants are to return to their home countries at the end of 3 years. It too falls short. All it does is make them legal for three years before they become illegal again. (Say, my three years are up, which way is Tijuana?)

Hold on to your sombreros: Below is an immigration position I can agree with.

"I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants."

"Clearly, we have to make some tough decisions as a country, and one of them ought to be coming up with a much better entry-and-exit system so that if we're going to let people in for the work that otherwise would not be done, let's have a system that keeps track of them," --Hillary Clinton

Immigration is the one issue that can potentially split the Republicans. These guys had better get it together come election time.

In Sports:
Nats 1, Braves 2

EU Should Claim Western China

Based on the Chinese propensity to claim every island within 1500 miles of the Chinese coast as Chinese territory justified by ancient artifact finds, it would be in keeping with their standards. I suspect the French will move on this within the next week. This new information is indeed interesting.

Genetic testing reveals awkward truth about Xinjiang's famous mummies

‘The research, which the Chinese government has appeared to have delayed making public out of concerns of fueling Uighur Muslim separatism in its western-most Xinjiang region…’

That’s not what bothers them as the Uighurs only appeared on the scene in the 9th Century AD. It’s the insult that a bunch of guys that could pass for locals in an Irish pub were passing pints around 1000 years before the Chinese showed up.

"From the evidence available, we have found that during the first 1,000 years after the Loulan Beauty, the only settlers in the Tarim Basin were Caucasoid."

'Yingpan Man not only had a gold foil death mask -- a Greek tradition -- covering his blonde bearded face, but also wore elaborate golden embroidered red and maroon garments with seemingly Western European designs.'

Not mentioned in this article is that one mummy was 6’6”, and could have played small forward for the Celtics.

Disclaimer: Having received two emails berating me for advancing western aggression on China, I can only state that sarcasm doesn't translate well. I am not advocating any aggression on China, at least not until they invade Taiwan, which is still a good five to ten years away.

In Sports:
Nats 2, Braves 0
Zach Day pitches 7 scoreless innings. That should improve that 9.00 ERA.

Who are the Fanatics? (You Decide)

A review of the DNC and RNC sites is telling.

RNC

DNC

As you would suspect, the RNC site has a lot to say about Republicans. Surprisingly, so do the Democrats. In fact, both sites are entirely about Republicans.

Here are a few headlines from each as of April 19.

RNC:
President Bush Remarks At Dedication Of Abraham Lincoln Museum

President Remarks On Strengthening Social Security

Sign up to host your own GOP House Party! (Trying to imagine this)

DNC:
DeLay makes more excuses:

As Americans Face Record Prices at the Gas Pump, They Continue to Wonder When Bush Will Take Action:

Republicans Continue 70 Year Tradition of Attacking Social Security:

They do have one thing to say about themselves…

DNC Launches Rural Radio Ad In Ohio (Alert the Media!)

Draw your own conclusions.

Sam Mills

I realize I am outing myself as a non-Skins fan, but I have to pay my respects.



Panthers coach Mills dies at 45

"I remember him being the toughest little man I've ever seen in my life" Rickey Jackson

"Sam was one of the finest people you will ever meet." Carolina general manager Marty Hurney

"He's definitely the best coach I ever had" Will Witherspoon

"Sam Mills was not only one of the finest football players that I have ever been around, but above and beyond that he was one of the finest individuals," Dom Capers

"one of the toughest defensive players in pro football pound for pound that I've ever witnessed." Kansas City chiefs president Carl Peterson

"he told us that the way we played inspired him to keep fighting. I think it was the other way around. We were able to draw a lot more from him than he did from us." Jake Delhomme

"Thank you" TWR aka TS

Aljazeera Tossed from Iran

Aljazeera regrets Iran suspension
(Warning, Link to Aljazeera site. If you don’t want to up their traffic, don’t click here.)

How hilarious is that!

"While Aljazeera Channel regrets this unexpected and unwarranted decision, it reiterates its intention to continue to be guided in its editorial policy by its ever present professional ethos 'the opinion and the other opinion' enshrined in its Code of Professional Ethics," Ballout said in a statement.

Oh the Mullahs are going to love that. A search on the site for their ‘Code of Professional Ethics’ turned up nothing. I did, however, find the following job announcement:

Air-condition Technicians Duties: To be responsible for air-conditioning - especially chiller type - maintenance, including control circuits, compressors and operating systems. Good knowledge in chiller mechanical parts essential.

Qualifications & Experience:
1. Diploma in the air-conditioning
2. Minimum nine years relevant experience
3. Experience of air conditioning and electrical systems at TV studios preferred
4. Good spoken and written English
5. Maximum 32-years-old

I’ll have to get them to wave the age restriction. It must not take too long to get a Diploma in the air-conditioning, considering you have to be under 32 and have 9 years of experience.

In Sports:
Nats getting pounded in the 7th. Unless there is a dramatic turn around, we won't be speaking of it again.

Romania to Align with US, Britain

Romania hits back at French ‘lecturing’

Anytime someone tells Chirac to pound sand, I feel a need to highlight it.

‘Traian Basescu says he wants to form a “special relationship” with the US and Britain to improve security in the Black Sea region, and he also aligns himself with London's liberal economic policies.’

‘Mr Basescu's stance has infuriated France’

'“Traditionally we have worked together with London and Washington,” Mr Basescu said, most recently by sending troops to Iraq, and he resented French criticisms of that policy.'

'He said Jacques Chirac, French president, caused offence in 2003 when he told EU candidate countries to “shut up” over Iraq, and that Michel Barnier, French foreign minister, recently compounded the insult when he said Mr Basescu did not have “a European reflex”. '

Asked which economic model he would pursue, he said it would be a “more liberalised” system. “We want to have a state with minimal involvement in the economy,” he said. '

I can't wait to see the French reaction.

Chinese Racism and Nationalism

The Middle Kingdom mentality

It is rare that I agree with The Guardian, but once in a while they surprise me. The above linked article is one of the better critiques on Chinese attitudes towards other races and cultures that I have read. Much of it mirrors my own thoughts on the subject.

On Condoleezza Rice’s visit:

‘describing Rice as a "black ghost", "black dog", "black woman" and "black bitch". One stated, "You are not even like a black ghost, a really low form of life," and another, "Her brain is even more black than her skin." One writer said: "I don't support racism, but this black ghost really makes people angry, the appearance of a little black who has made good."’

On the rest of the World:

‘Chinese people commonly believe they are superior to those of darker skin. The attitude towards whites, as Liu points out in his article, is much more complex. They tend to acknowledge the historical achievements of the west, but at the same time resent western hegemony and despise aspects of western culture, many believing that at some point in the future the innate virtue of Chinese civilisation will again assert itself.’

Please take the time to read the entire article. I am sure it will be eye opening for those not entirely familiar with what is going on in China today.


In Sports:
Nats Complete the Sweep
Nats 7, Diamondbacks 3

Public Against Obstinate Politicians

Democrats Adjust Social Security Stance

'House Democrats have decided to quit emphasizing that they will not negotiate changes to Social Security until President Bush drops his idea for private accounts. The switch in strategy comes after Democrats learned from focus groups that people frown on the lawmakers for being obstinate.'

They needed a focus group for that? I knew they were short sighted, but wow. Hells Bells, I could have helped them out on this one.

"It makes us seem like we're 'typical politicians."

Why yes, it does.

Steve and Phil At It Again

Spurrier stoking Vols-Gamecocks rivalry

I can't escape Steve Spurrier. He followed me to Washington. Now he has moved on to coach the most despicable college football team in the country. However, his banter with Phil Fulmer, (the second most annoying coach in football) is hilarious. I will be tracking it. I apologize in advance to the political junkies, but humor and sports are the first and third tenants of this site, so at least I am keeping true to my mission. Here we go:

Spurrier:
"I guess at one time somebody accused [Newton] of slapping him or something," Spurrier said Wednesday. "But this was not a full-blown fight. If you want to read about some full-blown fights, read about the Tennessee players, not our guys. We've not had any knockdown, drag-out fights amongst our players."

"I like ol' Phil. Phil's all right," Spurrier told The State of Columbia, S.C. "He's a good guy. We get along fine. It's no big deal. ... I'm glad he said something. I'm glad he's listening to us. In the past, I don't think he'd worry about what a South Carolina coach said, do you?"

Fulmer:
He needs to take care of his own house. He's got plenty of issues over there.

"That doesn't bother me one bit," Fulmer said. "He's got plenty to do, I'm sure. Maybe it rained that day and he didn't get to play golf. I don't know."

I have to give this round to Spurrier, only because he got the first shot off.

Update: Nats in Sole Possession of First Place.
(Hey, take what you can, when you can.)
Nats 9, Diamondback 3

Dean Forgets that Schiavo is Dead

Dean, answering questions at an Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality event on Friday, went on to say: "The issue is: Are we going to live in a theocracy where the highest powers tell us what to do? Or are we going to be allowed to consult our own high powers when we make very difficult decisions?'"

Dean: Schiavo Case to Be Used Against GOP

Last time I checked, Terry Schiavo was dead. Dean & Co. succeeded in starving her. I doubt basking in it is going to help their cause. Stand by for the famous 'Overplayed Hand' method of campaigning.

Criminals Should Renounce Citizenship

I was encouraged to read that my tax dollars are doing something useful.

10,000 Fugitives Rounded Up in U.S. Dragnet

‘"Fugitives belong behind bars, and the arrests of 10,340 fugitives translates into safer communities," said Ben Reyna, director of the U.S. Marshals Service.’

What an accomplishment. We really put the screws to the criminals.

And then I read the following:

Authorities free 1 million aliens amid proceedings

‘He said of those people, 465,000 are fugitive aliens who have been ordered deported. About 80,000 of those are criminal aliens who have committed an offense in addition to immigration violations, but he couldn't provide an exact number.’

OK, for you mathematically challenged people, 80,000 – 10,340 = 69660 . That is a net loss of 70k (give or take a few hundred) criminals from the criminal justice system. So if you are a criminal, it’s better to renounce your citizenship as the authorities are likely to let you off the hook. Think I’m joking? Check this out.

Traffic stop yields 12 illegal aliens, authorities say

"The 11 passengers were processed and released. There were children involved, so it was better that we released them," said ICE spokeswoman Ernestine Fobbs. All are expected back at ICE offices on Thursday for a "final review of what will happen."

What this article does not tell you is that the driver, of course, had no license, the van was overloaded and the kids didn’t have child safety seats. It only mentions the illegal U-turn. Now, had I done that, I would probably spend a night in jail, lose my license, and pay multiple fines and penalties.

All are expected back at ICE offices on Thursday for a "final review of what will happen."

Well guess what…they didn’t show. Find me anyone that takes immigration problems seriously, won’t gut the armed forces and won’t jack my taxes through the roof and I’ll be the first one in line to vote for her/him.

Smart Judges Need Not Apply

"It is pretty much the dumber you are, the easier it is to get on the court,"

What may be behind long nominee battles

'Opposition senators of both parties have long emphasized ideology as their key concern - either excessive conservatism or excessive liberalism. Individuals with extreme views generally don't make good judges.'

What he fails to point out is that Democrats now define extreme as anyone who isn't a Democrat.

"It is extraordinary that these court-of-appeals appointments have generated this level of congressional deadlock," says Arthur Hellman of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

"It is not like somebody is replacing Justice O'Connor [on the US Supreme Court], where you can envision dramatic changes in the law," he says. "Yet the way it is being fought you would think it was for a seat on the Supreme Court."

When it is one party's last hold on any semblance of power, you can expect these kinds of battles. The article completely ignores the political aspects of the judicial debates, but otherwise is worth the 2 minutes it takes to read it.

In Sports:

Nats Win Home Opener
Nats 5, Diamondbacks 3

Eat Your Heart Out Peter!

This is a baseball day and I will continue my typical rants in a bit. However, it’s the first Opening Day in Washington in 34 years.

In the year 2000, if you had told anyone in DC that in five years the Wizards would be in the playoffs, there would be Major League Baseball at RFK, and Joe Gibbs would be coaching the Redskins, you may have been committed. Well, these are great days for Washington Sports.

I’ll come clean. I’m a transplant to the Washington area and already had my sporting allegiances set. But the Nats, coming to the city now, have given me something besides soccer that I can cheer for in my adopted town. Perhaps our expectations in DC are low, but I am just happy to be watching baseball. DC can worry about winning another day. For now, I shall just take what I have and be thankful for it. How ironic is it that a former owner of the Texas Rangers (formerly the Washington Senators), the team that deserted DC in 1971, would be throwing out the first pitch for the Nationals?


(AP Photo)

And finally, I should thank Peter Angelos for providing a team for me to hate. Everyone needs a villain, and he was nice enough to volunteer.

AP Helps China Defend Human Rights Record

China is defending its human rights record. Well, who can blame it. Even as the Chinese whine about Japanese actions 60 years ago, and claim that most of the Pacific is Chinese territorial waters, they continue to abuse human rights on an enormous scale. But these facts are nothing new. It’s this article from the Associated Press that bothers me. Shall we dissect it?

China Defends Human Rights Record

First phrase of the story:

Stung by complaints of religious and human rights abuses…

Complaints?! I guess nothing is actually documented.

Beijing has issued a series of such reports in recent years, trying to deflect complaints that it mistreats dissidents, labor and religious groups, ethnic minorities and others.

Ahh, more complaints. Those pesky complainers.

It cited official promises to increase the public's role in government by holding nonpartisan elections for low-level posts and creating a structure for the public to petition China's largely powerless national and local legislatures.

Translation: Communists only can run for Dog Catcher.

The government has promised repeatedly to make courts more responsive to public needs, to stamp out widespread corruption among court officials and to stop torture and other police abuses.

Very generous of them to stop torture.

The report insisted that the "legitimate rights" of religious believers and ethnic minorities are protected.

Whatever.

On Tuesday, two U.S.-based groups accused Beijing of trying to "stifle Islam" in its northwestern region of Xinjiang, where it worries that religion is linked to anti-government sentiment.

The report by Human Rights Watch and Human Rights in China said there have been "vast increases" in the numbers of Muslim Uighurs imprisoned in Xinjiang for independent religious activity.

The Chinese government hasn't responded to that report.

Americans defending Islam! Who’da thunk it. Even if it is HRW.

Way to go AP for really shining a light on the problem.


In Sports:
Nats Plow Braves

Washington 11, Atlanta 4

Cox was tossed when he continued to complain while standing on the dugout steps after the third out.

``I thought the pitch was a strike,'' Cox said. ``It cost us two runs at the start of the game.''

Cox left the dugout but said he continued to manage after he was tossed. Asked if that is allowed, Cox said ``Nope. I just manage the game downstairs. It's not a problem. It's easy. Everybody does it.''

Get em Bobby! I'm glad this series is over. No more cheering for two teams at once.

Problem with Blog

My most humble apologies, but it seems my blog was down most of the day for no particular reason. I went to the Blogger problem page to see what my problem was, but there is a problem with the problem page. I think I found the problem, with the problem page that is. The problem page does not exist. Now thats a real problem.

Blogger Problem Page

In any case, forgive me.

More on Nukes (Filibuster This)

Every politically challenged site on the net seems to have some verbiage decrying the ‘Nuclear Option’. I feel the need to remind them that the first shot was fired by Democrats (In the post-Bork era). Let’s review some history:

Ancient History: The Constitution was drafted in 1789. Article II, Section 2, clause 2 states, in regards to the powers of the president:

‘he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States’

I have provided a link to your right, so feel free to check it out yourself. A search on the word ‘filibuster’ comes up empty. ‘Supermajority’ does not show up either.

The filibuster came about in 1806 and was first used in the 1840s to defend slavery. The ‘cloture’ rule was adopted by the Senate in 1917.

Modern History: During President Bush’s first term, Democrats held the chairmanship of the Judicial Committee as a result of Jim Jeffords defection from the Republican Party. Feeling that Bush was not actually the President (the real president was in exile without a razor) Democrats decided to deny Bush’s nominees a vote on the Senate Floor. It proved an effective method. Safe Democrats could block the nominations while not putting ‘at risk’ Democrats in the position of actually having to vote their obstructionist tendencies. Along came the 2002 elections…most of the ‘at risk’ Democrats proved to be truly at risk.

Having lost all power in all elected branches of government, Democrats turned to the filibuster.

The Nuclear Option: In 2003, for the first time in 214 years (actually 197 since there was no filibuster rule before 1806, but all the cool kids are saying 214, so I will stick with it.) blocked a lower court judicial nomination with a filibuster. It was the first salvo in this political war. In the words of Barbara Boxer:

We have lost all power because we lost touch with the American People on a great range of issues and it is the only thread of hope we have left. Ok she didn’t actually say that, she said:

“Why would we give lifetime appointments to people who earn up to $200,000 a year, with absolutely a great retirement system, and all the things all Americans wish for, with absolutely no check and balance except that one confirmation vote. So we’re saying we think you ought to get nine votes over the 51 required. That isn’t too much to ask for such a super important position. There ought to be a super vote. Don’t you think so? It’s the only check and balance on these people. They’re in for life. They don’t stand for election like we do, which is scary.”

Let me answer her question for you: Because you are in the minority and have no constitutional grounds for your actions. Nor do you have a constitutional defense against Republican actions on this matter. If you don’t like it, win elections and put the rule back in. And remember, you unleashed your nukes back in 03.


Update: Nats Rally

Washington 4, Atlanta 3

Note: This is painful for me to watch, the team of my childhood vs the team within driving distance. I'm referring to the baseball of course. Series at 1-1.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Forget the Nukes, This is Catastrophic

'A middle school for talented students in Pyongyang successfully cultivated a rabbit clone in April last year'

Middle School in NK Cloned Rabbit

What if they clone Kim Jong Il next. We could be stuck with that hair piece for centuries!

Oh, Give It Up

On second thought, keep it up. It hurts your party.

Kerry: Trickery Kept Voters From Polls

"Last year too many people were denied their right to vote, too many who tried to vote were intimidated," the Massachusetts senator said.

I really thought Kerry was smarter than this. If he is running for president again, this hurts him. The only group it helps are the moveon.org types and that in turn hurts the Democratic Party.

In Sports:

Nats Get Drilled
Florida 8, Washington 0

More China Worries

As I stated in an earlier post 'The New Cold War', China is preparing for war. It seems I am not the only one concerned:

Chinese begin to worry U.S. militarily

'Now, the Pentagon believes that China has purchased or built enough amphibious assault ships, submarines, fighter jets and short-range missiles to pose an immediate threat to Taiwan and to any American force that might come to Taiwan's aid.'

Forgive me for harping on this a lot lately, but it should be a huge issue. What bothers me is that in the eyes of most Americans, it doesn't even register.

Specifically, the amphibious assault ships disturb me. A large Chinese army is no threat if it is in China. For anyone not familiar with ships, amphibs have one main purpose...invasion.

And in Sports:

Nats 3, Marlins 2 (Extra Innings)

Guillen's homer in 10th lifts Nationals

United 1, Fire 1

United, Fire tied down at RFK Stadium

Reactionary

Chinese Break Windows at Japan Embassy

Well, at least it’s not our embassy this time. Just another example of rising nationalism in China.

"Boycott Japanese goods!" the protesters chanted. "Long live China!"

Someone should tell this group that Japan is the second leading consumer of worthless Chinese junk in the world. It’s just another installment of a little game the Chinese, Japanese and South Koreans play called ‘Who’s the Biggest Victim”. Japan does have a bad habit of acting as though the only event in world history is the Bombing of Hiroshima. But don’t tell me the Chinese have just noticed. Imagine what they are going to do when someone tells them about the Boxer Rebellion!

Updated:

Well is it the textbook, the Security Council issue or just Spring Break?

Street protests, vandalism highlight growing friction between China and Japan

Blog Satisfaction Declining

Someone help me out here. Last night I spent a lot of time checking out other blogs because Blogger was down and I had nothing better to do. Invariably, I came across many worse than stupid sites. A large percentage of blogs started off something like this…

‘I love the internet. Polly came over today and we talked about how cute Brad is. I think he looks like Justin Timberlake. He’s sooooo cute. My dad hates me. Look this picture of me in my new outfit. I’m sooooo cute. And here’s a picture of my cat.’

Now, I check out other blogs that I specifically like. I leave comments a good bit when the urge hits me. I don’t agree with most bloggers, but I’m open-minded and enjoy conversing with those that are of a different tribe.

How is it that when I go to these moronic sites like the example listed above, I see that they have 20 or more comments per post and a massive number of hits?! It just kills me. Here I thought I had a new forum to unleash myself on the world, and I’ve been outclassed by a hoard of pubescent idiots. What’s the secret? If things don’t improve, I’m going to post a picture of a cat. Don’t think I won’t do it.

Note 1: Prior to yesterday's big crash, I did have something to say. Here it is.

The New Cold War

Note 2: I must apologize for yesterday’s tantrum (see below).

!!!

Updated: It's Good To Know You Aren't Alone

Bloggers Pitch Fits Over Glitches


Please give me a pass this evening. I am having a visual temper tantrum and looking for a new host at the same time.

Blogger has been having some stability issues, causing occasional errors and/or long delays in navigating around the site, especially affecting the Edit Posts page. We are doing our best to improve the performance. Please see our status page for other updates.

Blogger Status
Thursday, April 07, 2005
This afternoon we pushed into production a number of performance enhancements which have improved the responsiveness of the site. Additionally, we have eliminated an automated spam problem which was negatively impacting publish success rates.

From Blogger Status:

Please forgive the strange typos, spelling and other oddities of the below post. Blogger is acting poorly. Pathetically actually. I can only post tonight through Hello, and I can't see what I'm doing. I will fix it once things are working again. Feel free to post your complaints here...oh wait, comments don't work either! What a load of garbage.

The New Cold War

US set to get tough over renminbi

The US will not get tough. We never have. We never learn.

There are times when I wonder what motivates the United States to inflict pain on itself. In January, WTO textile quotas against China expired, effectively killing the last of the US textile industry. So now, if we find out that China has been manipulating its currency, what then? Impose trade sanctions or tariffs? Limit imports? What good does it do an already dead industry? The US should proceed. But we have been killing the textile industry for 20 years. It seems sort of late in the game to worry about it now. Let's act as if China popped up on the radar yesterday so that we feel better about it today.

When polled, Americans believe that terrorism is the #1 threat to the United States. This is false. Terrorism is certainly a threat, but compared to the long term threat posed by China, it is minimal. Americans cannot see more than 5 years into the future. The Chinese think in terms of decades.

China threatens us on every front. Our children will suffer a cold war as we did. China practices capitalism unhindered by the normal competitive rules to which most of the World adheres. The economic threat is large and it is real. Their entry into the WTO is a joke, as the above article shows. It is all about power and pride. A centrally controlled industrial complex bent on expansion and guided by nationalism can be extremely dangerous. See Japan, 1937.

The Chinese see themselves as the regional power in Asia and will project that power eventually. They are patient, claiming victim hood at every opportunity, willing to wait until their power is solidified. They must cross swords with the United States. America is in the way.

And what does the US do about it? Open its markets too every cheap sweat-shop manufactured item that the Chinese can cough up, the profits of which are then pumped back into the Chinese military industrial base. Sell them rocket technology, advancing their ballistic missile capability by 20 years in one swing. Perhaps the strategy is to make the Chinese rich and dependent on their riches, integrated into the World economy and thus create a kinder, gentler China. There will not be democracy in China. We are simply enriching and arming our future adversary.

I grew up in the height of the early 80s Cold War Era. I can remember my elation when the Berlin Wall fell in 89. It saddens me that my children will experience the same fears that I did. And it angers me that it was avoidable.

Quote of the Week

In regards to Johnnie Cochran:

"Without Johnnie running the ball, I don't think there's a lawyer in the world that could have run that ball. I was innocent, but he believed it." OJ Simpson

Gag

Nature at fault for Pollution in Beijing

Nature blamed for Beijing's bad air quality

'Specifically, there has been low air pressure and strong temperature inversion, which is where a band of warm air rests above a band of cold air.

This makes it difficult for air to circulate and so blow Beijing's pollution away.'

See, nature didn't blow the pollution away. Why can't the environmentalist movement see this? It seems logical to me. Thank goodness I hung on to my SUV!

'Besides the weather, the smog is also the result of pollution.'

Now thats some indepth analysis. And all these years I thought Communism was bad.

Pink Outlawed, Yellow on the Run

You've got to be kidding me! And in Arkansas of all places.

Arkansas nixes offensive pink jerseys

'Breast cancer survivors and their supporters often wear pink ribbons and the nationwide Race for the Cure, which raises funds for breast cancer research, uses the color pink as well.'

Um, trying to find the connection here, pink ribbon, pink jersey, pink ribbon, pink jersey...got it. I guess yellow was out too! Can't offend the former hostages. Perhaps baby blue? Nope, might offend the UN. How about tie dye! Yeah, that works.

Disclaimer: The above was not intended to offend breast cancer patients, but Come On!!

Apologies for my third post of the day...I couldn't let this go.

Fire One!

Now this I can't wait to see. I think they should put it on live TV. Having actually read 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' as well as various Thompson articles, I never really understood the huge attraction. Perhaps I'm just too square. That being said, getting your ashes blown out of a cannon is cool.

Thompson's ashes to be shot from cannon

My Career as a Psychic is Over

Alas, my psychic abilities ultimately failed me. With the blowout loss of Louisville, my bracket #1 fell to somewhere around 30th in the final rankings. The experimental bracket (#2) finished somewhere around 40th. Of note, I came in third in total number of games picked, but the points were skewed to the later games in the tournament.

My conclusion: The amount of time wasted on this experiment was equal to the amount of time wasted by the 107 others that did not win. Thus we are all equally losers.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, check here:

My Career as a Psychic

DC Loses, DC Wins!

Philadelphia 8, Washington 4

But there was baseball today and there was a Washington team playing it.

We Win!



And the Evil Overlord falls.

Quote of the Day: (though actually from last October)

"As far as my personal interests are concerned, as far as paying me $100 million or $150 million, all that would do is take care of Peter Angelos. That's not what it is about."

Yeah Right!

Corruption and Imperialism

As all news centers on the passing of Pope John Paul II again today, I would like to take this opportunity to point out a major problem in a place he gave his attention when no one else did.

Pope's first visit to the Philippines sowed seeds of People Power revolt
The people of the Philippines cared greatly for the Pope and I believe he cared greatly for them.

US Imperialism: (that ought to get your attention coming from me)

Recently, the US has been labeled by much of the world and some in this country as imperialistic. Most of these attacks are politically motivated hollow banter. I’m still waiting for my cut of the Iraqi oil. There is one case of US imperialism that is consistently ignored. A crisis looms in the Philippines, and in this case, it is our fault.

Though I am not a Filipino, I am connected to the country. Someone with whom I am close recently returned from that country. It was her first trip home in 6 years. She told me that she cried over the state of the Philippines today. The last time I was there (1996) the country was poor, but the people had, for the most part, the staples of life. Today, the poor scrape for food, inflation and unemployment are out of control and the population is exploding. When a country that is this centered around Catholicism begins giving away free contraception, they are desperate.

What was always striking to me was how they could endure coups, earthquakes, typhoons and volcanoes and stay fairly upbeat and happy. Unlike our other ‘friends’ in Asia, the Filipinos almost seem proud of their historical connections to this country. The children are not taught English, they are taught in English. The most popular sports are basketball and boxing. Though they resent being treated as a vassal state and have a somewhat reactionary nationalistic trend when it comes to US relations, overall, they have a high opinion of us. I was consistently debated, but never degraded, while I was there. I cannot say the same for our friends the Koreans or the Japanese. Then again I never went to Mindanao.

To the point: The US acquired the Philippines following the Spanish American War for $20 million, along with Puerto Rico and Guam. We smashed an uprising shortly afterwards, killing around 20,000 Filipinos and at the expense of 7,000 Americans. The country gained its independence (from the US) in 1946. In 1969, Ferdinand Marcos was elected president. In 1973, he decided to elect himself Dictator. The United States allowed this to happen. Perhaps, since he allowed us to keep our bases and was basically an ally, no one cared. Perhaps, with the Cold War and Vietnam both in full swing, we just had other priorities. Marcos spent the next 16 years in power, installing a system of corruption and thievery that set the tone for the Philippines modern history. He topped it off by taking the national treasury with him to Hawaii shortly before his death.

Today, corruption is the system. To get a job, one must pay. What kind of sense does that make? The elected leaders seem to be of two types. Remnants of the Marcos crowd who are connected, or populists that see the presidency as the keys to the kingdom. The Filipinos are not helping themselves on the international front either. The debacle in Mindanao, in which 1000 US Marines were sent to wipe out Abu Sayyaf, only to be told to leave, did not help. Pulling out of Iraq really hurt Arroyo’s standing with the Bush administration.

A crisis is coming, probably within the next ten years. Whether in the form of famine, coup or both, I cannot predict, but its coming. This situation is our dirty laundry. Let me repeat, the United States is responsible. While the South Koreans, who owe us everything, dance in the streets burning US flags, we will let the Philippines rot. As we build our former enemy Japan into the second largest economy in the world, we will let the Philippines rot. At this point, I honestly don't have an answer to the problem. I suspect we will be forced to deal with it in the future.

So the next time you decide to croon about US imperialism, try to use a real example. There is one out there. I wonder what the Pope thought about it.

Party In Arizona

Disclaimer: I know that the Pope passed and I am sure he is in good hands. But every Blog, News, and Home Cooking site is talking about it, so I doubt there is much I can add.

Volunteers to Patrol Arizona-Mexico Border

Quote of the Day"

"We want (migrants) to know we'll be on alert to make sure their human rights are not violated," said Arturo Salinas, Mexico's assistant interior secretary.

Well perhaps if your army didn't violate international laws by participating in cross border drug trafficing and illegal immigration activities, we wouldn't have to worry about it! No one can blame the impoverished for not wanting to be impoverished. The Mexican Government holds the most blame. Besides the corruption that has ruined the Mexican economy, the government actively participates in these illegal activities. In essense, it has created the situation which drives people to leave and then facilitates their leaving.

That does not mean that our own politicians are blameless. And yes, Bush included. Talk about an elephant in the closet. It's more of a Mastodon. Laws are in place in part to deter citizens from participating in mob rules. But when politicians refuse to confront an issue that is obviously on the front burner in the minds of its citizens, what do they expect is going to happen?

But lucky for the illegals, the 'American' Civil Liberties Union will be there to protect Mexican civil liberties.

ACLU to keep tabs on protest


In Sports:
DC United 2, Chivas USA 0

Sandy was Framed...Whatever

Quote of the Day:

“Guilty, your honor”

While everyone has had their eyes on Terry Schiavo and the Pope, something interesting happened…

Berger Pleads Guilty to Taking Materials

I thought it would be enlightening to remember some other Sandy Berger Quotes from the past:

“I inadvertently took a few documents”

"I deeply regret the sloppiness involved, but I had no intention of withholding documents from the commission, and to the contrary, to my knowledge, every document requested by the commission from the Clinton administration was produced," 2004

"To me the great danger is the complacency we have fallen into three and half years after 9-11." 2005

“Mr. Clinton gave the CIA "every inch of authorization that it asked for" to carry out plans to kill Osama bin Laden.” 2004

“I believe the next administration will need to build on what we've done - to take a systematic, sustained, long-term effort to render this international network a far lesser threat to the United States… More people have been killed by bin Laden and his network - more Americans - than all of the wars since Vietnam.” 2001

"The only answer to aggression and outlaw behaviour is firmness. . . He (Saddam) will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and some day, some way, I am certain he will use that arsenal again, as he has 10 times since 1983." 1998

“Its difficult to know exactly, because they are not being inspected… But the scattered evidence arriving sadly shows that they’re back in business, that they’re seeking to extend the range of their missiles, that they’ve recalled the nuclear weapons design team, (and) that they rebuilt the buildings in which chemical and biological warfare substances have been made.” 1998

And he’s not going to see one day of time. Many people are currently serving very long prison sentences for the same offense. And of course I have to take my usual slap at the Associated Press. Here was a July 2004 headline…

GOP’s timing is ‘interesting’ to Democrats
Berger case latest event deemed suspicious