Snooze Alert!

First, a link to the article:  http://townhall.com/columnists/GreggJackson/2008/08/07/15_questions_rick_warren_should_ask_obama_and_mccain

Now for what Rev. Warren had to say:  “Since I’m their friend, I’m not going to give them any gotcha questions,” Mr. Warren said, adding that a typical query would be, “What’s the most difficult decision you’ve had to make, and how did you make it?”

Snooze alert.  'Gotcha' questions.  It's gonna be softball...no...T-ball. 

Granted, most of the questions that Mr Jackson would like to ask inclued homosexuality and abortion, but there are other things to ask.

Mr Candidate - do you believe in moral equivalence?  Is it OK to steal money if you do good with the money that is taken?  How about if you buy alcohol with it?

Mr Candidate - we know, from various polls, that many Americans do believe in moral equivalence.  Do you see this as a problem?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

Is it OK to plagarize? 

What are your plan(s) to fix the education system?  Give specifics.

What are your thoughts on 'unfunded mandates?'

Those are a few of the questions I'd ask...but given that this is CNN and given that Rev. Warren is a friend of both gentlemen, I expect the questions to be along the lines of "If blue were a number, what number would it be?" (which is an actual question from TERC Investigations.  (Honestly.))

I can safely say that I'll be doing something else while the snooze-fest is played out on CNN.  Pity, too.  They used to be the world's most important network.  And while I can now think of plenty of words to describe them, 'important' ain't one of 'em.  But in keeping with the "I"....  how about ... irrelevant? 

Republican Revolt

(Entry edited at 15:12hrs on 7-AUG-2008 to correct spelling of cojones.)

First, yes, I am groggy.  I had to take Benadryl because I'm out of Claritin.  So yes, I'm groggy.  Can you imagine me trying to drive in this condition?  *I* wouldn't want to be on the road with me.  Thankfully, I have nowhere to go today. 

Here's a link to an article:  http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=99463

“My message to Democratic lawmakers is this: if you’re really for increased American energy production, then prove it by putting it in writing.  Sign the discharge petitions House Republicans are circulating that will force votes on energy legislation Speaker Pelosi refuses to bring to the floor.

OK....something wrong here.  Mr Boehner missed a few things on this.  But he is a politician, so I expect him to miss a few things.  First, do you really seriously expect that other politicians in Ms. Pelosi's party are gonna have the cojones to stand up to her?!?  You know how powerful she is.  All you have to do is grow a pair and admit it.  They stand up to her and they'll be blacklisted in .00000000028 seconds.  They know it.  So do you.  Of course, you won't admit that you too are grandstanding.  Yet another example of politicians being out of touch with reality.

“This cynical strategy is disgustingly dishonest.  Without any real solutions to help Americans who are struggling with record-high gas prices, it appears the Democratic leadership has hit on a new plan: deceive.  Deceive the press, deceive its members, and deceive the American people.  Democratic members have a ‘pass’ from their leaders to talk about drilling at home, while the liberal Democratic leadership – which is beholden to special interests that want higher gas prices – plays ‘rope-a-dope’ back in Washington, ensuring there is no vote to help the American people before November.  It’s cynical, dishonest, and wrong – and it won’t work.”

1)  Strategy is dishonest.  Yes it is.  But we expect that from our politicians ... from both sides of the aisle.  I do wish the American People would wake up and vote everybody there out.  And out of a pension, too.  I do an honest day's work every day I'm at work and get paid a fraction of what you do.  Yet I've got more integrity in my toenail than you have in your entire body.

2)  Dem leadership has a new plan - deceive.  Son, this isn't a new plan.  This is what the Dems and Reps always do.  When they're not grandstanding.  You just noticed this now?  You really are out of touch.

3)  Dem leadership is beholden to special interests.  Well ... duh.  You, I take it, have never noticed how the ELF (Earth Liberation Front) votes?  Hell, the FBI lists them and the ALF (Animal Liberation Front) as "terrorist groups."  Oh, they also list them as "left-wing domestic groups."  Far far left.  But left.  ie - Democrat, since "right" is Republican.

Need I say more? 

Madam Speaker - Enough Politics

First, a link:  http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12304.html

This is the one part of the article I'm going to quote:  "Pelosi’s gambit rests on one big assumption: that Democrats will own Washington after the election and will be able to craft a sweeping energy policy that is heavy on conservation and fuel alternatives while allowing for some new oil drilling."

In other words, politics as usual.  The name of the article should also give you pause - "At-risk Dems back drilling."  So if you're 'at-risk,' "go ahead and say what you need to to get re-elected.  Remember, we'll own Wa$hington after the election and can advance our agenda while ordinary Americans suffer."

No matter who wins - we lose.  I do believe that we really are screwed.

This is NOT What 911 is For

A link to the article is here:  http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D92BL5FO0&show_article=1

42 year old Reginald Peterson called 911 because Subway didn't put sauce on his sub sandwich ... if you can believe that.

I remember hearing on Coast to Coast AM sometime back about a woman calling 911 because her hamburger hadn't been made 'correctly,' but I could never find it on the Web.  Well ... here's Mr Peterson.

Sometimes I think that I've seen it all ... and then something like this happens.  The article goes on to explain that the responding Officers tried to calm Mr Peterson down and explain the correct use of the 911 system.  When that failed, they arrested him for making false 911 calls. 

Paul Harvey Sez

NOTE:  Mr Harvey's website can be found here: http://www.paulharvey.com/

A link to the article I'll be referencing can be found here:  http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,846386,00.html

I can't really quote the article because it's so short, but the gist is that the oil companies were collaborating to fix the petrol prices.  The oil bigwigs said that $1/gallon petrol was an "...economic impossibility."  Of course, now that we're close to $4/gallon (and actually were over $4/gallon recently) $1/gallon seems like a huge bargain.

But that's not the point.  Crude prices have fallen sharply over the last week or so.  But if you've noticed, the pump price hasn't kept up with the decline.  Wonder why?

If they were fixing the price then, is it possible that they're doing the same now?  How many lobbyists do they have in the Di$trict of Corruption?  We know that Mr Bush and Mr Cheney are basically in the oil companies pockets (they, of course deny this.)

But it really makes you wonder.  We know that the oil companies colluded to control the price of petrol back in 1923.  Are you absolutely certain that there isn't some funny business going on now? 

Note that I'm not saying there is.  I've no proof either way.  But with the price of crude dropping like a stone, why hasn't the price at the pump kept up with it?  Of course, the oil folks will trot out their same old excuses. 

Is anybody listening to them anymore?  We really need to get off of oil.

Oh, and Mr Harvey's "Rest of the Story" from today stated that the same report spoke about being beholden to foreign countries for oil.  That was in 1923, folks.  This is 2008.

We haven't learned a damn thing. 

"You've Come the Wrong Way, Baby."

Does anybody remember the Virginia Slims cigarette advert "You've Come a Long Way, Baby?"  The advert was from 1989.  Do a Google search for "You've Come a Long Way" and you'll be able to find photos from the print campaign.  (Sorry, but I don't have permission to post one here.  But you can easily find them.)

That's not the point, however.  The point is that the United States, trying to be "diverse" and politically correct, has come the wrong way.

This is gonna make your blood boil:  http://www.t-g.com/story/1449487.html

The title of the article?  "Tyson drops Labor Day holiday for Eid al-Fitr."

Judging from the comments on the site, many people are furious about this.  So am I.  But if you are, don't just boycott Tyson foods, write to them.  Use their website to let them know what you think.

Michelle Malkin wrote: "I have a feeling it won’t be long before CAIR comes knocking on his paper’s door."

Sadly, she's probably right.  In fact, I'd bet money on it.

Bob Brinker Sez More

It's been a while since my last post, and for that I do apologize.  I really haven't had the motivation to journal, although there have been plenty of things I could write about. 

I could start with the snot-nosed punk at a local grocery store who breezed past my father and said "excuse you," I could start with Little Manager Girl who didn't give an overweight rat's rectum, I could start with the surprised look on the little prick's face as I slammed him against the brick wall, I could start with taking his name tag off and snapping it in half, or I could start with the complaint I'm going to file with their home office first thing Monday. 

But they'll probably side with Little Manager Girl ... "he didn't mean to.  I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose."  Really?  So I was hearing things when the prick said "excuse you."  OK.  You'll excuse us as we don't shop there any more.  But I digress.

If little prick had done it to me ... hey; no harm no foul.  I expect snot nosed teens to have no idea about social politeness.  After all, their teachers were too busy teaching them proper sexual techniques and the global warming hysteria.  If he'd done it to me, I wouldn't have said a word.  But my father has enough trouble trying to walk on a level surface.  If little prick had bumped into him, my father would've gone down.  If he'd apologized, nothing that followed would've happened.

But he said "excuse you."  And then there was Little Manager Girl who was probably sucking on her momma's nipple during the first Gulf War.  Remember that one?  I do.

If you can't tell, I really don't expect much from the younger generation.  My problem is that they keep lowering the bar.  Just when I think they can't possibly get worse, something like this happens.  41 years old I may be, but I can still easily hold my own in a fight against two younger opponents.  I've been trained quite well.

But let's switch gears, shall we?

Today, we were listening to Bob Brinker again, since our local professional baseball team wasn't playing.  And believe it or not but they've actually started winning a few games.  But since they weren't playing, Mr. Brinker was on.

I've written about him before, and I'm not going to take him to task about his comments.  Like I wrote before, he's much more versed in financial matters than I am.  But he said a few things that I wanted to comment on.

He said that a Democrat some time ago had said that "GOP" stands for "Gas, Oil, and Plutonium."  The first two I might give you, given Mr. Bush's and Mr. Cheney's ties to oil, but plutonium? 

If that were true, we'd have a great many more nuclear power plants than we already do.  Mr. Brinker, and one of his callers, said that the lack of new nuclear plants was due to the Sierra Club (mentioned by name) and by "...crazies on the far-left."  I'd go further and say by crazies on both sides of the political divide. 

Nuclear plants can be very dangerous if not handled properly.  I won't deny that.  But it can also be handled safely if you treat the technology with respect.  Because just like the deck of a working carrier, there's nothing in that power plant that can't kill you.  John Burns learned that the hard way in 1961 when central control rod #9 shot up and impaled him on the ceiling of the reactor room.  (Source: Dr. Michio Kaku on Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell on 15-DEC-2003.) 

Louis Slotin turned a screwdriver too many times and created a preventable accident.  The article about him can be found here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin and be sure to read about Harry Daghlian, Jr http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_K._Daghlian%2C_Jr. who also died in a preventable accident. 

So while nuclear power can be dangerous, if treated with respect it can be safe.  But some environmentalists, while blocking the building of nuclear plants, don't oppose the building of coal-fired plants.  Although I do understand their reasoning, it seems counter-intuitive. 

Mr. Brinker also said that he would wish President Bush would call the Congress back into emergency session.  You might've read about the 'revolt' by a handfull of Republicans who want to talk about the petrol prices.  The Democrats don't.  There's our two-party system for you.  One side opposes the other while we suffer.  And while I do wish the President would do this ... I'm virtually certain he won't.  As Mr. Brinker said, Mr. Bush already has "...one foot out the door..." with the other to follow in January.  Frankly, I don't expect much from Mr. Bush at this point.  I don't expect anything from any politician. 

And Ms. Pelosi, who had promised to make the last session of Congress the one with the least amount of pork ... well, it increased.  I've already written about that, too.

We've already known that politicians lie.

I just wish they didn't keep proving it to us.  We do get the point, pols.  You don't care about anything except yourselves.