The "New" France

Dost mine eyes deceive me? This statement by the French foreign minister is quite a change from their past policies.

Democrats have a new whipping boy

There's a new Attorney General. Let the Democrat character assassination begin.

My apologies.

Friends, I'm sorry I haven't been blogging lately. I have recently started a new job and I am still trying to find out how to squeeze in time to blog. Bear with me and I'll try to do better.

Please keep coming back and post comments!

MTV: Saudi Arabia

Not quite like the American version of the music video channel, but closer than they have been before. Saudi Arabia strictly adheres to Sharia and they do not allow normal music videos that might show women in sexy clothing or saying things that might not be congruent with Islamic law.

Obama causing international crisis?

President Musharraf of Pakistan has pondered whether or not to issue a state of emergency for his country due to danger foreign and domestic. Partly due to Barack Obama's statements made a week or so ago. It doesn't look like he will, but he's certainly under a lot of pressure right now.

An interesting editorial details possible issues related to Obama's comments.

Banning the Koran in the Netherlands

Check out this story. If I was this guy I'd be afraid for my life.

Facebook mourners

This is a great piece by Travis Kavulla at the National Review.

I have been faced with a similar situation. It is interesting how the Internet and social networking sites have changed our lives in every facet.

Russia reengages

Russian long range sorties have been resumed...could this be shades of the Cold War? You be the judge. I just wish that Russia would just concentrate on their own country and leave the rest of the world alone.

Bible saves GI

Yeah you heard me right. I'm talking about The Bible. This is one of those stories that you wouldn't believe if it didn't happen. Read and enjoy.

Fake boobs lead to suicide

No, that's not a typo. There is a new "study" that shows that women who have fake breasts commit suicide 3 times more often than women who do not have them.

I thought fake boobs were supposed to make women feel better about themselves. This just goes to show that when men say "you're fine just the way you are," you should probably listen.

Worker status, what does it mean?

I am getting so fatigued trying to figure out all of the terminology associated with illegal aliens and what is politically correct at the time. This WSJ article makes some sense of what is going on in the legislative side of things.

I remember when I was younger living in Northern Ohio my parents would point out migrant workers that used to come all the way up from Mexico to the Midwest to help harvest the bountiful Ohio crops. Then just as soon as they came, they left. There was something about the fact that they traveled so far and long that made you respect those people. What ever happened to migrant workers? I wonder if they still exist.

Iran helping Iraq...yeah right

This is a funny story. It's not meant to be, but it is. Iran has pledged to help Iraq with security issues. Their pledge and the security of Iraq is of course contingent on the "American occupying forces" leaving Iraq (at least, according to Iran).

Iran is so delusional.

Some political tidbits

Some interesting stories from David Miller at CBS News:

The Latest Newt-O-Meter Reading: Every time former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks, political observers sift through his words to figure out whether he plans to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Lately, the odds of such a run seem to have fallen. But a Gingrich speech on Tuesday at Washington's National Press Club may set off a new round of speculation.

According to inside-the-Beltway publication The Hill, Gingrich said there's still a chance he will enter the race — and still a chance that the front-runners in the Republican race will falter. "I try to remind people, three weeks before the Iowa caucus in 2004 the Democratic front-runner was Howard Dean. He had raised more money, he had gotten more magazine covers — everybody though he was the front-runner," Gingrich said. "He had the biggest online contributor base."

Gingrich also flatly said he was "candidate material," which is a little more bold than the former speaker has sounded lately. It's possible that the delay in the launch of Fred Thompson's campaign — now expected in early September, less than a month before Gingrich says he'll make up his own mind — and Thompson's reported fundraising and staff troubles have renewed some of Gingrich's vigor.

Sensing An Opportunity: Republican Rep. Ron Paul raised some eyebrows when his second-quarter fundraising put him in fourth place in the money race against his fellow GOP candidates. Now, with the Iowa Straw Poll only days away, the candidate whose libertarian views have won him a significant Internet following is putting that money to use on a more traditional medium: television.

The campaign is airing its first ad in Iowa this week. The spot notes that Paul has never accepted a congressional pay raise, never voted to raise taxes and is running to "protect our liberties and save our Constitution."

It's unlikely Paul would spend money on the ad if he didn't think he had a chance of pulling off an Ames surprise. Conventional wisdom says that if anyone is going to benefit from the bickering between Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney, it will be former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But for now, Paul is the only Republican candidate, aside from Romney, on TV in Iowa. It's possible it's too late for the ad to have any impact on the poll results, but it shows that Paul is a candidate who deserves attention heading into this early test of GOP strength.

The truth from Newt

I hate the current presidential campaign process. I don't hate many things in life, but I hate how the campaign process works. It is the most convoluted, corrupt and unhelpful period of time in American politics.

Newt Gingrich spoke to this recently at a National Press Club event. Read, enjoy, understand.

We need major campaign reform. The sooner the better. The US government cannot function much longer the way it is right now. Do you realize that we elect people on how they look and what they said in 10 second soundbites? We are in serious trouble.

The check's in the mail

Fewer Mexicans are sending money back to Mexico from the Estados Unidos. Some say it's because of increased border security, some say it's because of anti-immigrant sentiment, some say it's because they are unsure of their futures.

I don't know what it is, but it's an interesting trend.

Shiite pilgrimage to Baghdad

The Shiite pilgrimage in honor of an 8th Century Imam is pretty much over and there were no real terrorist attacks. Could this be a good sign?

The reason why I write about these events is because I want to let everyone know that there are positive things going on in Iraq. I am optimistic and I will continue to be that way because our troops and our country deserve that from American citizens.

Newark murders

You have probably heard about the execution-style murders of three college kids in Newark, NJ. They have arrested a 15 year old that was picked out of a line up by the lone survivor of the attack. This is an awful chain of events.

The thing that surprises me the most out of this whole thing is that some of the residents of Newark are not that surprised. Remind me not to live in Newark.

McDonald's tastes better than...

A "study" has just come out that shows that children prefer food from branded fast food restaurant packages rather unbranded. The study put the same food in bags that had logos on them and then in other bags that had no logos. The kids thought the branded food tasted better.

No wonder our kids are fat. We need to start branding some Brussels sprouts or something.

Rudy, Barack and Caroline

In case you haven't heard the big news Caroline Giuliani was once a supporter for Barack Obama on Facebook. OH NO! Since it was reported, she has left the Facebook group and changed her profile, but apparently the damage has been done.

You do know this means nothing to his campaign of course.

The UK state of mind

As I wrote about before, it seemed as though the United States and the UK were going to be getting along quite well in the Gordon Brown era. This continues to be true, but Mr. Brown continues to try to distance himself from the USA and his predecessor.

The UK government just asked the USA to release some of the detainees at Guantanamo who were not citizens, but legal residents of the UK prior to their capture on the field of battle.

This has also allowed UK liberal MPs to start talking about what an egregious breach of democracy Guantanamo is. I hope this is not the beginning of something more.

Sean Penn, just plain awful

Wow, this guy is just pathetic. He has on more than one occasion visited our enemies and turned his back on our country. Now he's meeting with Hugo Chavez. I wrote about the American traitor in Al Qaeda, well Sean Penn is skating on thin ice. Apparently, libs in Hollywood are also thinking what Penn is doing is wrong. That says a lot. Thank goodness no one takes this guy seriously. It's just too bad that our enemies can use him as a propaganda tool.

The truth about Al Qaeda in Iraq

This Michael Yon article was also featured in Glenn Reynolds' blog Instapundit.com, but I figured I would link it here as well (for those of you who do not frequent his site). It is a graphic and seemingly truthful picture of what Al Qaeda is capable of and willing to do in Iraq to try to defeat freedom.

I will echo Mr. Reynolds' sentiments: read the whole thing.

Why drinking is good before you are shot into space

This Charles Krauthammer column is just plain hilarious and it makes sense. Read it.

Treason

Any American citizen who joins up with Al Qaeda should be found and tried for treason and then given the maximum punishment for treason during wartime. Death. This guy, Adam Gadahn, who is also known as Azzan al-Amriki should be found and put to death. By the way there's a $1 million reward...so go out and get 'em.

Where is my AK?

Well apparently the US Government doesn't know either. There are 190,000 weapons missing from the arsenal bought for the Iraqi military. Umm that can't be good.

Shuttle launch...with shades of the past

The Space Shuttle Endeavor will be heading up to space this Wednesday and will carry with it a school teacher. I think it is great that once again NASA will be sending a teacher into space. The Astronaut Barbara Morgan was the backup for Christa McAuliffe who was the teacher who died in the Challenger disaster.

Ms. Morgan is finally getting her chance to go to space. Even though Americans are no longer enamored with the space program it still provides a very useful service to our country's science community. And I am personally proud of the brave men and women who explore the Final Frontier.

Godspeed to our astronauts.

Lebanon and the future

Lebanon has for many years been a melting pot of sorts in the Middle East. A country that has as its citizens members from many different religious and ethnic groups. And for the most part they have lived together in relative harmony. This is to say that it was not the citizens that were starting the wars, but politicians in Lebanon and Syria.

Now Lebanon is facing an interesting and potentially dangerous future. While Iraq and Israel and the Palestinian Authority are making progress, Lebanon is teetering tenuously on the edge of breakdown. A series of political assassinations have led to political unrest and a shift in power. Half of the country is pro-Syria, the other half is anti-Syria. Even the Christians in the country (who were at one time a group of great solidarity) are starting to split into groups.

Lebanon could be a great ally in the Middle East if they would just get their act together. President Bush has issued a warning to those that might interfere with Lebanese politics and I can only hope that the country that used to be one of the most visited and beautiful countries in the world can return to its former glory during my lifetime.

Peace in the Middle East?

Not yet, but as far as I can tell Israel and the Palestinian Authority are meeting together without a direct request or help from the USA. This is extraordinary development and is good news for both sides.

Good things are happening in Iraq (on the military side) and good things are happening in the Holy Land (on the political side). If only both sides were working in both places.

Killing their own

It is just morally confusing to me to see what is going on in Iraq right now. There was a bombing this morning that killed 19 children. The fact that the followers of the "religion of peace" are killing their brethren is somewhat disturbing. What I don't think they understand is that it is not the US Military bearing the brunt of casualties anymore, it is the Iraqi people, and they are starting to get fed up with being killed by their own countrymen.

Political progress is needed now more than ever.

Just stop eating food

There is nothing left that is safe. Now it's green beans. I happen to like green beans and now I have to worry about getting botulism. Great, just another thing to worry about. At least this doesn't have to do with China...yet.

Space travel is still cool

Traveling to Mars was, is and continues to be cool. Well NASA is going to send a new probe to Mars to study the polar region there. And that is awesome.

Money in freezer

Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson, the guy that was keeping money in his freezer just got some good news. Apparently, when the FBI took a bunch of files out of his office on Capitol Hill it was against the law because executive and legislative branches are supposed to run equally without being intimidated by law enforcement run by the other branch.

Okay fine, I understand that, but the best part of this Reuters story is what Jefferson's lawyer said at the end of it..."We are confident that as this case moves forward, and when all of the facts are known, we will prevail again and clear Congressman Jefferson's name". HOW DO YOU CLEAR THIS GUY! He has been accused of accepting bribes and they found $90,000 in HIS FREEZER!!! What person keeps money in his freezer in different food boxes and foil. This guy is SO GUILTY.

As you can see, I feel pretty strong about this. I hate corruption and there is no shortage of it in Washington...Democrats and Republicans are both guilty.

21st Century voter fraud

Just what we need...voting machines that are susceptible to virus attacks. This is what "hanging chads" got us. 'Nuff said.

Iraqi political failure?

I want Iraq to succeed. I want Iraq to be a successful Arab state in the Middle East. I want Iraq to act as a beacon and a template for what other Arab states can achieve. I understand that making this happen is not an easy task. Defense Secy. Gates just came back from a tour of the Mid East and was not too impressed with the progress of their government.

When you compare what is going on in Iraq to what happened in the USA prior to independence and the ratification of the Constitution, you can get a true feeling for how (politically) difficult what they are doing really is. Admittedly, I am not that informed on what is going on over there, but I can see why there would be problems. These are people who have different ideas on how Iraq should be run post-Saddam. This is a revolutionary process. These politicians are having to create from scratch a secular Arab state that still adheres to Islamic principles. No easy task given the Islamic whack jobs killing each other and civilians all over their country.

He's been called a wunderkind

This story is the same old, same old from the Congress witch hunt on the US attorney firings, an "investigation" that seems to continue on with no end. This guy, J. Scott Jennings is a 29 year old White House staffer and he was called in yesterday to participate in the hearing. He of course refused to answer certain questions and invoked executive privilege on several occasions.

I just think it's crazy that these young people (many of those who have testified have been young) are so involved in what is going on. Or it might be that they are allowed to testify because they're not that involved. Who knows. What I do know however, is that firing US attorneys is something that the President can do at anytime for any reason because they serve at his discretion.

Two very rich guys

Presidential candidate and former senator John Edwards has attacked Rupert Murdoch and his company News Corporation for becoming too powerful. Edwards thinks that the acquisition of Dow Jones by Murdoch's News Corp. is media consolidation gone too far.

So Senator Edwards has challenged his fellow presidential candidates to refuse and return any money they might have received from News Corp., or their employees. Edwards was even quoted saying that he would never ask or accept money from Rupert Murdoch.

So why is it that Mr. Edwards took money from Mr. Murdoch's publishing company HarperCollins? In fact he took $800,000 from HarperCollins for his 2006 coffee table book "Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives".

Now this whole thing has been blogged out of control (evidenced from two of the links above (NYT and D.C. Post), so I'm not going to go too overboard on this, but this is hilarious. Is he clueless or does he just not care. For a guy who made MILLIONS as a weasel trial lawyer (don't get me started on tort reform), you'd think that he would be pretty smart. So he must not care right?

To come out and rip on Senators Clinton and Obama for taking money from News Corp. execs...that might be a little hypocritical. Now I understand he was being paid for his book and not for his campaign, but he said "John Edwards will never ask Rupert Murdoch for money — he won’t accept his money". So that is where the hypocrisy comes in play. Poor Edwards can't catch a break.

Chinese toys not so fun

Mattel the toy manufacturer we all remember from our childhood, has announced they are recalling 83 types of preschool toys that were made in China. No kidding. Something made in China that isn't up to USA standards. That is so rare.

My sarcasm drips from this post, but we really need to get involved in this epidemic. Stuff from China is just not really working out for Americans recently. There needs to be some sort of oversight of imports from China and it needs to start now.

Lead based paints on preschool toys...umm are you joking? What is the first thing little kids do when they get a toy? They try to eat it. Lead paint on preschool toys...not a good idea.

Whoopi on "The View"

I don't care about this, but it's an FYI for when you're around the watercooler. Whoopi Goldberg has joined female chat show "The View". I'm sure that someone somewhere will mention this to you and you will not care, but at least you will know. Yay.

The Sunni saga continues

Today the Islamic Dawa party, the party of Iraqi PM Maliki issued a statement asking the Sunni majority party the Accordance Front to reconsider their withdrawal from the cabinet.

This is starting to get interesting and I am truly curious to see whether or not Maliki and the others in the Iraqi government can convince the Sunnis to come back to the cabinet. If they do, it could signal a positive move toward some serious legislation and political improvement. If Maliki fails things will either stay status quo or disintegrate into complete political gridlock.

Complete political gridlock...where have I heard that before...oh yeah, right here in the USA.

Democrats stalling

The Democratic leadership in Congress is holding off on votes for spending bills until after their traditional summer break. President Bush unloaded on Congress today explaining his side of the story.

The bottom line is that the Democrats are being just as bad as the Republicans have been at playing partisan politics and "surprise!" nothing is happening in Washington. Yet another example of our representatives ignoring what the American public wants.

Honest to everyone?

I saw this guy on Fox News Channel the other day and I was really intrigued. The theory of Radical Honesty is interesting, whether or not it works has yet to be seen. Apparently it works for Brad Blanton, Ph.D. and I think it is worth looking into (if for no other reason than curiosity).

I think that being completely honest all of the time could be quite liberating. The problem I see with it is that if the people you are around are not being completely honest...then you're in trouble. In that case the, "Yes honey, you look great in that dress" comment should be a trusty stand-by in your arsenal.

Important step for Darfur

The commitment of 20,000 UN troops to the Sudan is an important step to try to stop all of the killing there in Darfur. It is also interesting to note that it is African countries committing a large amount of troops to help in the effort.

This kind of help is something that the African continent has been trying to focus on for many years. African nations have been trying to to break the bonds of colonialism by dealing with continental problems "in house" if you will. I believe that this is a positive way of doing things and that the increased communication and help between African nations will be good for the continent as a whole.

Rummy sticking up for himself

I think we can all admit that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has not always had the best of luck. Nor has he always made the best decisions. But I think that ultimately he is a pretty decent guy. A US House panel questioned Rumsfeld along with some other generals involved in the Pat Tillman screw-up yesterday.

According to accounts, Rumsfeld was pretty calm during the whole thing except when Rep. Kucinich (D, OH) decided to accuse him of a "cover up". That seemed to upset Mr. Rumsfeld, who adamantly denied any such accusations.

It was indeed a big screw up with the whole Pat Tillman situation. But dragging this out as long as it has been is starting to tarnish the memory of a great patriot.

Bridge collapse

I don't believe that you can turn on the news today without seeing something about this story. The bridge in Minneapolis, MN that collapsed yesterday evening has killed anywhere from 4-11 people so far (according to preliminary reports). Unfortunately, authorities are expecting to find more as today's recovery effort continues. This is truly a tragedy. We can only hope that it was a structural problem and not a terrorist attack.

Sunnis in...and back out

Sunni members of al-Maliki's cabinet have "withdrawn" from their posts. This means that there are now no Sunni members of al-Maliki's cabinet. This is not a good thing, but it is not the end of the world either. The 44 Sunni members of the Iraqi parliament are going to stay on. It is good that the parliament is staying intact because it was not so long ago that I wrote about the Sunni representatives rejoining the legislature after their "protest".

We shall see if this government defection snowballs and creates a problem (both in Iraq and here at home). I believe that this issue will come to a head in September when the progress report on Iraq is due.

Obama's tough talk

Grrrr...says Barack Obama. In a speech today Senator Obama announced that he would not hesitate to attack terrorists in Pakistan if the situation warranted. Okay, I'm with him there, I think that is a good idea...in theory.

But as you have most likely heard the act of invading Pakistan in pursuit of terrorists would be devastating to the Musharraf presidency. And with the few allies we have in that area of the world, it would probably be best to keep the current moderate regime in place. The conventional wisdom says that Obama is talking tough to Pakistan to try to take a strong stance in foreign affairs, an area he has recently been criticized as being unqualified.

Castro's Cuba...that's Raul Castro

Fidel Castro, despite his lack of public appearances claims that he is still consulted on "every important government decision". Umm...news flash Raul is the new boss of Cuba. There must be something very wrong with the health of Fidel to keep him sidelined for more than a year now. His days must be numbered.

The question now turns to what will happen to Cuba after Fidel's death. Will Raul open up the government? Or will he continue in his brother's footsteps leading Cuba further into despair.

Bidding adieu to Adu

I'm probably not the first nor will I be the last to use that headline, but it's clever and I made it up, so I'm unapologetic about it. Freddy Adu, the US soccer phenom will be heading to Portugal to play for Benfica. I say good for him. I hope he gets a lot better there and is soon able to help the USMNT in a quest for the World Cup. It is somewhat of a loss for MLS, but honestly with Beckham here they have sort of traded talent with Europe.

An end to pork and special interests?

Well probably not, but I guess it's a step in the right direction. The US Senate is mulling over a bill to make what they call "earmarks" (a euphemism for what used to be called "pork-barrel" spending) a little bit more difficult to pass. There are some serious deficiencies in the bill including giving oversight to the majority leadership rather than the Senate Parliamentarian. We shall see how this ends up.

As the WSJ aptly points out, it will be hard for Republicans who are dissatisfied with the content of the bill to vote against something called the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act".

USA-GB, still friends

As I wrote yesterday, the Bush-Brown meetings at Camp David went well and it seems as though the good relationship between Great Britain and the USA continues. This is good news for both countries as well as the world.

News Corp finally gets DJ

The Bancroft family has apparently finally accepted Rupert Murdoch's $5 billion offer to buy Dow Jones. Personally I'm glad, because I was tired of hearing the family bellyache about how they weren't sure if they wanted News Corp to own the WSJ. I can see why they would be apprehensive, but if they didn't want to sell it they shouldn't have put it on the market.

American oil

Marathon Oil is buying a Canadian oil company for $5.5 billion.

I don't know how significant this is, but it's good that American oil is acquiring more rights to oil across the world.

Vick is screwed

His buddy just decided to testify against him. That is really bad for Michael Vick.

US House getting a lot done

The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution demanding that Japan apologize for their part in creating a wartime sex slave ring during WWII. This is just another good example of what our Congress is doing for us.

This is a joke. As revolting as a sex slave ring is, the US Congress should not be demanding apologies from allies for things that happened over 50 years ago. I also find it interesting that our Congress is spending time dealing with the really important domestic issues of the day.

Another health tip

A new "study" at Rutgers University has determined that in mice the combination of voluntary exercise and caffeine can help prevent...you guessed it...skin cancer.

This is just another in a long line of "studies" that prove nothing. Except this one explains that coffee is good for preventing skin cancer...and there's probably twenty other "studies" that claim that coffee causes cancer. So it's really not very conclusive. I chalk this one up there with the milk is bad for you "study".

A NYT editorial you have to read

This might be one of the most important editorials written in the New York Times this year.

You should read it in it's entirety. And you should note that the authors of this editorial are both from the Brookings Institution...a liberal think tank.

Tax poor to help poor

That is the theory that many liberals believe and it doesn't make much sense, but it is something that occurs more often than you think everyday. The Democratic Congress is trying to get a new expansion of Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This is a program that helps to get children health care for little or no money. This is a good thing...in principle.

The problem is that they are trying to expand the program with money from tobacco taxes. Umm...guess who smokes more...rich people or poor people? You guessed it, poor people smoke more than rich people. So guess what, that health insurance is being paid for by the poor people for their own kids that they couldn't afford to insure in the first place. Sound convoluted? It is. But this is how our government works. It's all about ideals and helping people (and in turn getting re-elected), but never about what the effect of the government "help" will be.

Our politicians seem to lose all sense of logic when they reach their offices. Maybe all of the "global warming" scientists should start to study that phenomenon...

Global warming causes hurricanes

The "scientific community" continues to engage in "studies" that focus on "global warming" which they are now calling "climate change". This time a new study says that "global warming" is causing all of the hurricanes in recent years.

What they don't tell you is that hurricanes have increased in number and power over the past 100 years. I just cannot buy into the whole "global climate change" thing. As far as I'm concerned the Earth is doing what it wants no matter what we think or do. In other words my SUV isn't having a bit of difference on whether or not a hurricane hits the eastern seaboard or not.

You Tube Debates...good or bad?

There has been a lot of talk about the YouTube debates that CNN is putting on for the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates.

Some people say the irreverence of having normal people asking questions as opposed to journalists infused the debate with a new energy and entertained the public. They claim that the more people that are entertained the more people will watch. Point taken...

On the other hand, the argument is that it is beneath the office of President of the USA answering questions from a snowman (as they did during the Dem. debate for a question about global warming).

So now the Republican candidates are reluctant to do the YouTube debate and as far as I'm concerned it is for good reason. I believe it is below the office to answer questions like that. However, I also believe that the idea behind the YouTube debate is a good thing. The candidates should be subjected to questions from the normal people in this country. Most of these men...and women have been insulated from the "real world" for so long they have no idea what is important to the American public. That is why they declare their own agendas like Al Gore did with global warming and John Edwards is trying to with poverty.

As much as I care about taking care of poor people who need our help, sorry, that is not at the top of priorities list. I care more about illegal immigration, the war, Social Security reform, tax reform and a slew of other things that the current politicians won't touch with a ten foot pole due to special interests and lobbyists and the like. I'm getting pretty tired of the inaction and ignorance of the US government.

Bush and Brown, new allies

This weekend, the PM of Great Britain visited G-Dubs at Camp David. They spoke about many things and seemed to be getting along well. They are continuing the meeting today. In fact according to the Forbes article I linked to they are going to be having cheeseburgers and fries for lunch in an hour or so.

I am curious to see what comes of the new relationship between the USA and GB that has so often been defined by the leaders of the two countries.

Obama vs. Clinton: The battle begins

Well it was bound to happen sometime and we'll see if it actually continues, but Obama has taken some swings at Hillary Clinton about her view on diplomatic relations with "Axis of Evil" countries.

Who would win in a street fight between Hillary and Barack? Whew...that's a tough one...if you have an opinion post it on the comments board.

Is that an appropriate subject to discuss about two US Senators...probably not, but it's fun to think about.

Ford, where "Quality is Job 1"

Does anybody remember that slogan Ford had in the 80s? Well I do and I always thought it was a good slogan. But that really has nothing to do with this news story. Ford Motor Company after 2 straight years of profit losses has turned a profit in 2Q.

Even though North American sales for the company still lag, I'm glad that an important American company is making some money again. Hooray Capitalism!

Fidel or Raul...

Today Raul Castro, Fidel's younger brother is leading National Rebellion Day festivities in Cuba. This is not very noteworthy except for the fact that the last time that Fidel was seen in public was at the last commemoration of his attack on Santiago one year ago today.

Some have thought that Fidel's failing health and Raul's subsequent ascension to power might lead to a more open government and economy in Cuba. So far this has not been the case. I can only wonder what might have been had Cuba never become a communist country. Maybe the 51st state? We'll never know.

Tour de Drugs

Not the most clever headline, but appropriate nonetheless. The Tour de France has become a drug fueled race across the French countryside. Many European papers are even calling for this years race to be canceled. I don't really care since there are no Americans in the running and I didn't really care that much about the race anyway, but it's a shame that one of the great sporting events in the world has been tainted so badly.

No joy in Iraq

It seems as though there is no happiness allowed in Iraq. The insurgents have decided that they are going to keep Iraqis from enjoying their soccer team's victory in the Asia Cup.

Insurgents launched at least two attacks yesterday after the streets of Baghdad overflowed with overjoyed Iraqis celebrating their national team's win. The win, against South Korea put the Iraqi national team in the finals of the Asia Cup (against Saudi Arabia).

The attacks left around 50 people dead and over 100 injured. You know what boggles the mind is that it is their own Muslim brethren killing them. That isn't congruent with what Islam is supposed to stand for. So who are the "real" Muslims? The ones that kill or the ones that don't?

Virtual world for real nerds

Sorry if I just offended you, but I just heard about this website today called Second Life. This website allows you to "live" a second life in a virtual world. You can buy and sell things (with real money) and do pretty much whatever you want. You create your own character, so if you're a skinny loser, you can create a character that is buff and cool. You get the idea.

I'm just thinking that this is certainly a long way from Atari. Check it out for yourself. People are actually making money in this virtual world. It sort of blows your mind.

Professor no more

Professor Ward Churchill has been fired from the University of Colorado...and thank goodness. This guy is not the guy that you want teaching your children. He has in the past written about some pretty awful things including comparing the men and women who died on September 11, 2001 to a Nazi leader (calling them "little Eichmanns"). Man this guy is a class act.

This guy was a tenured professor and therefore almost impossible to fire, but Colorado found a way to do it. They charged the prof with plagiarism and research misconduct. Now he has vowed to fight back. Hooray! This guy has a psychological need to fight the establishment, so I'm sure we'll continue to see him in some capacity in the future. I'm just hoping he never returns to teaching and that eventually he'll become even more irrelevant than he already is.

I'm not going to comment on this...

So here's a link, you can think what you want. This person needs help. Oops, that's a comment...

Weirdos on the Internet? Nah...

Umm...it is guaranteed that there are going to be complete weirdos, perverts, psychos and nutjobs on the Internet. It didn't take the North Carolina Attorney General to point this out.

While I am not in favor of these types of people, I am also not in favor of trying to regulate what people and how people use the Internet. The Internet remains one of the few (maybe the only) place that people truly have free speech. What it really comes down to is that PARENTS need to keep an eye on what their kids are doing on the Web. And that whole issue is for a different day.

Chavez kicking out foreign critics

Well I guess that's better than what he does to domestic critics. "President" Hugo Chavez has decided that if you are a foreigner in his country and you are being "outspoken" in your criticism of his country you will be deported. Well I'm glad he is tolerant of other people's opinions.

This guy is a joke and a serious problem for his country. I find it humorous that dictators in the 21st Century do not act like old time dictators. They act like they're being democratic and sensitive to the needs of their citizens. It makes you question that if being democratic makes the citizenry happy, why not just be democratic? Well that would make entirely too much sense for these power hungry whack-jobs.

Kosovo's long journey

This is probably a story you won't hear about today on the news. Kosovo is fighting (diplomatically) for their independence. You might remember the whole war over there or you might not, but this is an important step for another former Eastern Bloc country. The USA firmly supports the move for independence, but the UN is in control here. We shall see where this goes.

Democrats will not give up

Russ Feingold (D, WI) has decided he wants to censure President Bush again (he tried last year and got 3 Dems to support him).

Congress is becoming quite a dog and pony show. First, they keep everyone overnight debating the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Now, they are proposing a censure resolution during wartime.

I know you and those like you know that is this horribly counterproductive for the country, the war effort and general morale of the voting public. But who are we to argue; we're just lowly citizens. I'm getting really tired of politicians thinking they're more intelligent and have a better moral compass than the American public.

Privacy and the Internet

Privacy on the Internet might have just gotten a boost. Microsoft and Ask.com are teaming up to try to increase privacy when it comes to what you are searching for on their search engines.

This is a good thing and a step in the right direction, but we will see how much of a change this will actually bring. I think one of the big problems is that the Internet hackers and such are light years ahead of the ISPs and other Internet corporations.

Heavenly hot dogs

So while I was thinking about hot dogs, I thought about some of my favorite hot dogs of all time. I will list them (in no particular order). None of these are tainted by botulism.

Netty's Chili Dog - Toledo, OH
These dogs are just boiled and topped with chili, cheese, onions and grease. And oh do they taste so good. And they're cheap. Netty's also has great ice cream products.


Tony Packo's Cafe - Toledo, OH
These dogs are not only scrumptious, but they are world famous (watch the TV show MASH). If you're ever in Toledo, you must go to Packo's. I suggest the original store on Front Street on the East Side. As long as you're there you might as well get some extra pickles and peppers as well as some fried pickles and some chili-mac (a Toledo favorite).

Any "True" Chicago style hot dog - Chicago, IL and the World
If you have not had a "true" Chicago style hot dog, you must indulge in one immediately. It is a meal in itself and boy does it taste good. The link above is a really great resource about Chicago style dogs.

Yes, all of my favorite hot dogs are from the Midwest. That's because we know how to make a good dog.

Hellish hot dogs

So I was reading stories this morning and I saw this story about the hot dog chili laced with botulism. If you read down at the bottom of the story it lists all of the brands of hot dog chili that are recalled...then it gives the name of dog food that is also involved in the recall. Does that make you think about the quality of hot dog chili meat?

So I got curious about ol' Potter

I don't read the books, but I've seen the movies and while I am not first in line at the movie theater I have enjoyed them on DVD in the comfort of my home. But admittedly I am curious as to see who dies in the new Harry Potter book. Apparently a lot of other people are too, because there are copies of "Deathly Hallows" being sold on eBay for $1000. You might be wondering why these books exist before the official "publication date". Well an online bookseller accidentally sent out copies of the book to people who pre-ordered them. Oops...now Scholastic Inc. is going to sue you. That sucks.

So being the great blogger that I am, I decided to seek out the truth from my fellow bloggers. Now, there is a great chance that this person is wrong, but it seemed like a plausible ending so, here it is (Spoiler alert). Or you could just wait until July 21.

Pakistan and Iraq parallel

There are some interesting parallels developing between Iraq and Pakistan.

In Iraq, the tribal leaders and their followers are beginning to turn against components of al Qaeda and joining up with the US military to toss out the foreign fighters who have no respect for the tribal traditions and lands.

In Pakistan, it hasn't reached that point yet, but with the recent attacks on Pakistani civilians by radical Islamist wackos I have a feeling that if the senseless killing continues the Pakistanis are going to start getting pretty upset with the terrorists' way of doing things.

It actually excites me that people are starting to get downright tired of the way that terrorists go about executing "political change". We can only hope that this is the beginning of a trend that will slowly change the way people think of terrorism in the Middle East.


I'm not holding my breath.

Hatfields and McCoys...Iraq style

Okay so maybe that headline trivializes a situation that is a little more important than the old Hatfield/McCoy feud, but it does suit what is going on in Iraq right now. HOWEVER...there is good news on the Shi'ite/Sunni front. This week the Sunni Bloc in the Iraqi Parliament has returned to work after their boycott of the Shi'ite majority government.

The Accordance Front, as the Sunni group is called, is the largest Sunni group in the parliament and their return to the parliament is a step in the right direction. We will see if the Iraqi government can get some of the important legislation passed so that their country will have some stability that it so desperately needs. Besides that, it will certainly help the war effort here in the USA.

Tony Blair gets a new job

This week marks the beginning of Tony Blair's official duties as a "special envoy" to the Middle East. I don't know exactly what the difference between a "special envoy" and a "regular envoy" is, but apparently Blair is the "special" type.

Personally I'm glad that Blair is continuing in public service. I think he's a stand up guy and he can be a tough S.O.B. when it comes to the tough decisions. We need more people who will do what is right no matter what the consequences...people like like Tony Blair.

Legislating defeat

The Democrats continue to attempt to legislate defeat in the Iraq War.

I won't get too animated here, but this is enough of this trash. I am so tired of Congress politicizing this war. When September comes around and General Petraeus' report is given I will then allow some conversation about the war, but until then, give the military the respect they deserve and shut up. You're not over there, you're not in danger and you don't know what you're talking about.

Traffic problems in NYC

Mayor Bloomberg wants to start charging tolls for people who drive into Manhattan during peak hours. This is an effort to "reduce traffic and pollution".

Okay, reducing traffic I understand, reducing pollution by having tolls...I don't think so. What a joke. The best way to reduce traffic is to have safe, clean, efficient and available public transit. The best form of public transit are streetcars, but unfortunately it is now very difficult to rebuild the old systems that once weaved through every major city in the USA.

Edwards plan to eliminate poor

John Edwards plan to eliminate poverty pretty much has to do with eliminating capitalism and creating more government programs to "help" people.

Millionaire Edwards understands the poor

Presidential candidate John Edwards is beginning a trek across the USA visiting cities that have a lot of poor people. It is his intention to bring attention to America's poor by traveling around and talking about it.

Now while I think that what he is doing is somewhat noble, I also realize he is hoping that it is also a shrewd political move. That along with the fact that he made millions of dollars as a trial lawyer sort of makes what he is doing slightly disingenuous.

Money is the root of all...elections

It seems as though the media and the candidates care more about how much money the candidates are raising rather than what the candidates are saying. This is nothing new, but it is starting to get tiresome.

It is my humble opinion that the election season(s) are way too long (it no longer encompasses one season, but many). This election season(s) started so long ago that people are already tired of all of the candidates. I know I am. That's why I think that it is a great idea on Fred Thompson's part to hold out as long as he can before he officially joins the race. It is the current lack of media coverage that I think will eventually help him in the long run.

I am a big proponent of election reform and term limits because I believe that government has itself become its own entity rather than being an extension of the people. At this point the government exists for its own purpose rather than the purpose of the people.

Prelim report on Iraq

I am somewhat dismayed today because it is a slow news day...well it's slow when it comes to things I want to post about. This is probably too important to not mention though.

President Bush gave a interim report about what is going on in Iraq with the troop surge. Bottom line...WE SHOULD NOT PULL OUT OF IRAQ! Is anyone else tired of hearing this crap? Actually you don't need to answer that, I know you are.

President Bush said that Americans have "war fatigue". That is not true. Americans have "media fatigue". Americans are tired of hearing about how we are failing in our mission every time we turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper.

Americans don't fail, we win and usually we win big. That is what we are accustomed to and that is what the plan should be in Iraq. Things are starting to go well and we need to stay the course so that we can win this war and create a positive force in the region. And if not for that reason, at least to keep the insane terrorists occupied over there instead of over here.

Becks new leader of the Galaxy

David Beckham will be introduced as the LA Galaxy's newest acquisition this Friday. It is the biggest day in MLS history. I'm not the biggest MLS fan, I mean I want the league to succeed, but this is exciting for US soccer in general. It's gonna be fun to see what happens.

Oh yeah, he's also on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated in the new LA Galaxy jersey (that was to be unveiled in conjunction with his arrival, that's how big this is, he warrants a complete in-season change of jersey). How cool is that.

Gut feeling leads to hysteria

Okay well not hysteria, but Michael Chertoff (Secy. Homeland Security) said that he has a "gut feeling" about the USA being attacked this summer. He said that the "summer seems appealing to them [the terrorists]." I don't know where he's getting his information, but if his gut is that good at predicting things I need to start bringing him to Vegas and we'll see how far we can get on his gut feelings at the sports book.

You and those like you must be wondering what our country is coming to when our head of Homeland Security is speaking about gut feelings. At the same time I'm sure that he is just covering his bases and he certainly didn't realize what a stir such a comment would make, but still not too bright of a thing to say.

Tomatoes are good, but they don't cure cancer

I love tomatoes and I thought that they were supposed to keep me healthy and free from cancer due to their high levels of lycopene an antioxidant that is supposed to be useful in preventing cancer. Unfortunately, the FDA just released a new study saying that the lycopene/cancer prevention connection is not as strong as once believed.

I still love tomatoes though, however I am bummed they don't cure cancer.

Marine found to be innocent

This story makes me feel good because it shows that our Marines are not "murderers" as Representative John Murtha (D-PA) said last year. I am so tired of members of Congress denigrating our military and calling them murderers.

Our military men and women are the bravest men and women in the world and they are fighting everyday for our freedom. That is, not our freedom from another country, but our freedom to walk outside and go to work and take the bus without fear of being murdered by wacko extremists. Thank God for Marines.

Don't smoke...because it costs too much

The federal government is adding another tax to cigarettes. This time it is 61 cents. This increases the total federal tax on cigarettes to $1. If you smoke regularly, I feel for you. You're addicted and the government literally banks on your addiction to pay for their new children's health program.

I do wonder when the cost of cigarettes will finally start having an effect on those that smoke. The average cost per pack right now is $4.54. At what price will the cost of cigarettes stop smokers from smoking? $8, $10, $15...more? It's an interesting question you and those like you might be wondering as well.

Then what happens to the government when they don't get the revenue from cigarette taxes anymore? What happens to the tobacco farmers? And the cigarette companies? That will be an interesting day.

AFRICOM gets a commander

Today President Bush nominated the highest ranking black officer in the Army to head up the new African Command. I think that the AFRICOM is a good idea as well as choosing General Ward to head it up. He's a four-star and he seems to be the right man for the job.

I believe that AFRICOM will become one of the most important overseas command centers for the military in the near future. This is due to the increasing number of Muslims in Africa, the amount of oil now being discovered there, as well as the proximity to the Middle East.

Live Earth...Dead on Arrival

The whole Live Earth thing really isn't worth writing about, but since it was such a stupendous failure I thought I would revel in it.

Live Earth was supposed to bring attention to the global warming crisis. It instead contributed to global warming. It was supposed to be watched by 2 billion people worldwide. It was not. It was supposed to be equal to the Live Aid/Live 8 concerts. It was not.

People don't like to be preached to at a rock concert. I know that you and those like you go to concerts to listen to music, not have people not anywhere near qualified to talk about global warming preach to you.

On a final note I find it interesting how the global warming crew has started to change the name to "global climate change". This could be because of stories like this...enjoy!

US Army...Be all that you can be?

The US Army once again failed to meet their recruitment goals. This could become a problem especially because the months after high school graduation are usually the biggest months for recruitment. The Army is planning on increasing their total number of soldiers by 33,000 and it is going to be difficult due to the way things are going in Iraq right now.

Okay, now for my analysis. I have thought very seriously about joining the US military. I am a college graduate and I am still young enough that I do not have the responsibilities that come with age and family. I have my whole life and the whole world in front of me and yet I still think of joining the military. You might think that is insane. Well I wouldn't blame you.

The reasons that I would join the military have to do with romanticized notions that the military would have us believe in. I am attracted to the service to my country, to the sacrifice to something greater than myself, the showing of patriotism, the historical significance and the camaraderie.

However, I do not join the military (especially the Army) because I do not believe that they would offer me the opportunity to serve in a way that would be most advantageous to both of us. I do not believe that those that join are used in the way that would best benefit all of those involved.

I only wish that the military could find ways to better exploit the talents of the American soldier/sailor/Marine/airman. I am most certainly a fan of the military and I love what they do for our country, but I believe that those in the military right now are being done a disservice by the political wing of the military. The military is being run by politicians and every time this has happened in history of the world it has been followed by great failure.

US naval superiority in the Gulf

The USS Enterprise (my favorite warship name of all time) is going to the Persian Gulf to relieve the USS John C. Stennis. By trading off with the other aircraft carrier group the US will continue its 2 carrier group presence in the Persian Gulf.

Essentially this tells everyone in the Middle East...don't mess with the best...or you'll die like the rest (I'm aware this is not a Navy slogan, but it works out here as well).

China is one tough country

China executed their Food Safety Chief for being a failure. Apparently they were not satisfied with his work. This is some serious stuff.

I am glad I do not live in China.

D.C. Madam names names

We'll see who ends up on the list of the D.C. Madam's phone records of her "escort" clients. So far there has been one high profile name that I have learned about. There are bound to be more.

You and those like you must be wondering why it is that powerful people feel the need to have their "needs" taken care of by people other than their wives. This concept is just so beyond my comprehension. If you are in a position of power and responsibility than people are going to be looking for ways to tear you down. I would think that you would always be on your best behavior right?

I guess the flip side is that if you are so powerful, you figure you can get away with anything. It seems that power corrupts people in more ways than one.

Examples of extreme courage

You and those like you will certainly be proud to read about the stories of our Founding Fathers and their hardships after signing one of the greatest documents of all time.

Could we be so lucky?

Cindy Sheehan has said that she will run for Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat if Pelosi doesn't move to impeach President Bush in the next few weeks. I would love to see this happen if for no other reason than the comedic value.

Big Brother in NYC

You and those like you knew this was coming. New York City is going to begin planning and implementing a closed circuit camera system in Lower Manhattan. And so continues George Orwell's prediction of the future.

US Men's U-20 team

If you don't care about soccer, you don't have to read this, but it is sort of an important international event. The US Men's U-20 team beat Brazil this weekend...that's a big deal.

Arabs and Israelis getting along?

The Arab League is sending a delegation to Israel for peace talks...the USA isn't involved as far as I can tell and neither is any other country outside the region. I find this to be quite encouraging. If the Arabs are willing to step to the table on their own accord, that's a good sign.

British humor

Men and women alike will enjoy this article about how much women talk compared to men.

Al Gore III, no it's not the 3rd Al Gore movie

Sorry, but if this was a Republican's kid this would be all over the news. I'm thinking maybe its a publicity stunt to help his father's Live Earth concert. But in all seriousness, AGIII needs to get some help, this wasn't the first time he's been caught with drugs or driving dangerously. However, it is funny that this time he was caught in a Prius....I mean that's just funny because he was going 100 mph in a Prius...I didn't even know that was possible.

Hot dog champs again

You probably already heard about this, but I like the story, so here it is.

The Clintons are always good for a laugh

This is just comical. The Bill and Hillary came out against the commutation of Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence, saying that "there are guidelines for what happens when somebody is convicted". This is a joke. Read the article. You and those like you will laugh hardily.

About the Toledo leadership...yeah...

Strippers, golf and democrats...it don't get any better than that.

I wasn't going to mention the iPhone...but...

I saw this article about hacking into the iPhone and I thought it was hilarious. There are actually people that are reporting on a crime as it goes on, but no one can do anything about it. Perhaps you and those like you might find it humorous as well.

I'll also throw in this blog about the good and bad parts of the iPhone. I just thought it was interesting and informational.

Stress makes you FAT

Stress makes you fat too. So why don't you chill out.

Fast food...the new plague on the world

Fast food fat has expanded its control on the world. In an attempt to overtake and control the universe, fast food companies and fat producers alike have taken a hold on the Philippines.

You and those like you should stop eating fast food because it is going to kill you. So will milk, eggs with or without the yolk, coffee, tea, red meat, steroid injected chicken and hundreds of other foods. And don't forget the actions that will kill you, smoking, driving, walking, jogging, running, breathing and hundreds of other actions you do everyday. My advice...stay indoors, preferably in a bubble.

Americans=Alcoholics

Alcohol, not just for winos, radio disc jockeys and college kids anymore. According to a new study 30 percent of all Americans will develop a dependence on or abuse alcohol. You and those like you better watch out.

Toledo in the news

Toledo, Ohio has a special place in my heart and this story involves people I know. Manor Care, one of the nations largest owner of nursing home care facilities has announced it will be bought by private equity giant The Carlyle Group. We'll see what happens to the Toledo based company after the sale is final. Toledo businesses have a strong penchant for leaving Toledo as soon as they can.

I won't get on my soapbox, but Toledo's leadership is old, tired, unimaginative, weak, corrupt, uneducated, overpaid and mean-spirited. The only way for the city to succeed is to break the shackles of their retread government officials.

It is a great city trapped in a fog of delusion. You and those like you should visit sometime...we do still have a world-class art museum (the Toledo Museum of Art) and world-class zoo (the Toledo Zoo) along with some other great attractions. It is a Midwestern city that was at one time on the up and up and while its neighbors (to the north, Detroit, to the west, Chicago and Indianapolis, to the east, Cleveland, and to the south, Columbus and Cincinnati) grew, Toledo was locked in mediocrity. It can change, but only with a sweeping political change. Good luck Toledo, I wish the best for you.

Okay, I did get on my soapbox...sorry.

Japan suffers from political correctness

So admittedly I don't know much about Japanese politics, but I do know political correctness when I see it. Japanese Defense Minister was forced to resign due to comments he made about the use of atomic weapons during WWII.

Now I don't know the feelings of the country about WWII and their past and this guy has apparently made some dumb comments in the past, but I think he was right in what he said. Without the use of atomic weapons the war probably would have continued and it would have become and even more difficult transition to peace.

Ultimately, I just thought that you and those like you would enjoy the story. It sort of parallels how things are going in the USA right now. Misspeak and you better beware...

Scooter out of jail free

G.W. Bush let Lewis Libby off the hook for the jail time yesterday by commuting his sentence, but leaving the $250,000 fine intact. I think this was the right thing to do because in my estimation Libby was subject to politics in the courtroom. Apparently there is a poll out that says that most people think that Libby should serve some time, but my guess is that most Americans don't know anything about the case except that a high ranking official was busted for something and they like that. You and those like you have hopefully read more into the story.

Terrorism does exist...IDIOTS

If you were completely comatose this weekend, you didn't find out about the attempted and successful terror attacks in the UK. Well there were attempted and successful terror attacks in the UK. We're finding out more about the attacks every hour and it seems as though police were close to getting these guys before they executed the attack.

Hopefully these attacks serve as a reminder to those here in the USA that seem to forget that we are AT WAR! Look I understand that sometimes it's hard to realize that we are at war because things here at home are pretty good. It's not like the victory garden, war bond, make serious sacrifices days of WWII. Nowadays, everyone is content and we don't really have to make any sacrifices if we don't want to. That's because our brave servicemen and women who volunteered to be over there are sacrificing for us.

I unfortunately wait for the day we are hit again by the wacko extremists and we are once again thrown into the reality of the world we live in today. I know that you and those like you understand the situation and the sacrifices that have to be made...I challenge you to make sure that others understand as well.

Made in China...not such a good thing

Is it just me or are you and those like you finding that "Made in China" sticker a little less appealing than it used to be. Imported seafood from China is now banned in the USA. Isn't it curious that food coming from China over the past few months happens to be poisoned? This pretty much scares me and I'm not gonna touch any food coming from China anytime soon...if I can help it.

United States of AT&T

You and those like you will someday reside in the USA...the United States of AT&T. They own the world and they continue to buy more. I know that as a conservative thinker I should be against regulation, but since telecom has become deregulated I believe that services have gotten better in some cases and worse in others.

There are arguments on both sides, but where I believe that deregulation has really hurt the USA is in radio and TV. Things have become too homogenized.

Mitt hates animals...so says PETA

You and those like you will find this story hilarious. Guaranteed. I love PETA.

MTV News writes something worth reading!?

You must read this article about Michael Moore's new movie "Sicko" by the venerable Kurt Loder on MTV.com. My jaw literally dropped when I read it.

Young voters...DON'T EXIST!

This NYT blog really got me going. It starts off as a blog about Ann Coulter and Mrs. John Edwards and their tiff on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris "the blatantly biased" Matthews. It continues on as a commentary on how the youth in the USA will vote come election time. I'll tell you right now how they're going to vote...IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THEY DON'T VOTE.

It is the reason why the environment, Social Security and other issues that will effect young people haven't been important in any election (the only reason the environment is "important" now is because of Albert). Young people do not vote. Let me repeat...young people do not vote. I vote, but I'm the exception to the rule. Old people vote, that's why the AARP is so powerful as a lobbying group.

You and those like you might be wondering why young people don't vote, I'll tell you why not...young people are apathetic and they don't care about politics. They like to pretend they are interested in politics, but only to try to show they're smart. They are not.

Big Brother is definitely watching you

The CIA has just released documents outlining some of the stuff that you always thought they did, but didn't know for sure. These recently unclassified docs describe assassination plots, LSD trials and other assorted clandestine goings on.

Michael Moore is fat

Michael Moore needs universal health care so he can afford all of the trips to the doctor due to his obesity. This is a fantastic piece by Amy Menefee of the Business and Media Institute.

Giuliani plays to his strengths

I'm not sold on any candidate yet as far as the presidential nominations go. It has been interesting to see all of the candidates play to their different strengths though. Rudy's strength of course is his leadership and resolve against terrorism. Here's a story about Rudy taking on Clinton's handling of the '93 bombing of the WTC.

Tony Blair, a great Briton

Blair's time as British PM is over. It is indeed a sad day because he was a strong leader for the UK and a great ally for the USA. Here's a good NYT story about his departure.

Muslims in America

There is a great debate between you and those like you about Islam in the USA. Is Islam a peaceful religion? Is it a violent religion? And a lot of people wonder, what the heck is Islam? Well a group in Chicago is coming out with a report on how Muslims in America can fit in better with society.

What I don't understand about the report's suggestions is that all of them seemed to be geared toward non-Muslims. I am all for non-Muslims (or "infidels" for those that believe in the radical Islam) learning about Islamic culture. I think that can be very productive. But for the love of Pete it cannot be the non-Muslims doing all the work. If Muslims want to be better included in society they must begin speaking out against Islamic radicals committing acts of terror across the world. That's the truth Ruth.

Yay for death tolls!

I was flicking through channels the other day and I stopped on CNN (a rare pause on that channel) because I saw something that piqued my interest. While I was watching I of course multi-tasked and read the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen. After the ticker told me the date and how many days we have left in the year it reported the death toll in Iraq. I was stunned and upset.

Why report on such a thing continuously and of all places at the beginning of the ticker (signaling to me that it is most important)? I get really tired of the press counting deaths joyfully like the the Count on Sesame Street. I make a joke, but this is not funny. I understand reporting on these things every once in while, keeping a monthly count or something, but my gosh, then I ran across this article in the Washington Post and it makes me sick. These people are real, they are now dead and they are reporting on it like it's a score on a pinball machine. Maybe you and those like you understand that we're at war and our brave soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines have put their lives on the line for our country. And maybe you respect that.

Heroes of Iwo Jima

This is a very cool story about the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima in WWII and the camera men who recorded the now famous image.

Israel makes an offer to Palestinians

Israel is willing to give up some Palestinian prisoners in exchange for some goodwill. I always like to see some goodwill between these two peoples, but recently it seems as though Israel is doing most of the "goodwilling" with little to no response from the Palestinians.

Israel PM Ehud Olmert met with Arab leaders in Egypt recently and said that there is a possibility of peace talks on the horizon with Abbas and his Fatah crew. This is all being done in the shadow of Hamas taking over Gaza. Does this strike you and those like you as curious? Could it be that the Israelis are seeing a split in the Palestinian government/society between those that are pro-terrorist and those that are anti-terrorist?

My guess is no, but I'm sure they're thinking that it is better to deal with Fatah whose stated mission is not specifically aimed at destroying the Jewish country. Hamas...yeah, that's a different story. They want to destroy Israel and it is their main objective to do so.

All of this talking is good, but it does put some of the Arab countries in the Mid-East in a tough position. They don't want to look like they're friends with Israel, but they don't want to lie in bed with the Iranians or other terrorist groups. This is becoming a very interesting story...

SCOTUS and Campaign finance reform

So the SCOTUS just removed some of the restrictions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. It was a 5-4 decision with Roberts writing the majority opinion (brings me back to my days in Comm Law class).

I'm all for free speech, if we didn't have it, I wouldn't have a job (no I'm not talking about writing this blog, but yes, I wouldn't have this either). But the other side of this coin is the fact that there is a major problem in politics today. I'm not saying that this problem hasn't been part of politics from the very beginning of democracy, but it seems to be getting worse as the politicians no longer seem to care to cover it up. The problem you ask? Money.

Money makes our politicians beholden to special interests who are now in control of Washington and maybe in control of your state and local government as well (take a look at Anthony Nownes' books). I have a serious problem with career politicians. I understand that career politicians know what they are doing and therefore can run things better, but it is becoming a joke. Guys like Ted Kennedy, John McCain, etc. they've been in "public service" so long, they don't know what it's like to be part of the public anymore.

Ultimately, (and you and those like you might disagree with me about this), I am for severe campaign reform. Not just finances, but also the length of election seasons and the way that we vote. I'm also for term limits. I cannot stand how politicians are abusing their power. These are some real solutions for fixing these problems.

Bong hits 4 Jesus

This is just an odd story and one that I wish would never happened. You might remember the "rebel" high school students who played this prank in 2002. From the Reuters article:

"In the school case, student Joseph Frederick said the banner's language was meant to be nonsensical and funny, a prank to get on television as the Winter Olympic torch relay passed by the school in January 2002 in Juneau, Alaska."

I think the kid that did this to get attention obviously, but wow, can't get much more tasteless than that. The kid obviously has no class. That's just my opinion, but I'm sure you and those like you feel the same way.

With all of that said...while I agree with the Supreme Court in this one, I am torn because I feel very deeply in personal freedoms. This belief however is tempered by the fact that there is a need for order in society. While I don't believe that this prank was a threat to the order of society I do believe that it was an inappropriate way for a child to behave in public. So I could go on forever because after I read this article my head was exploding with all of the possible implications of the decision to block the case.

Here are some:

• the Supreme Court has way too much power
• I cannot stand that people whine about the court being a political entity (even if it is)
• there are drug implications involved here and I think drugs are a serious problem for today's kids
• public schools are supposed to be run consistently across the nation and that is not the case
• this is all about a 10 day suspension...GET OVER IT

Okay, off the soapbox, there is so much more to say, but it would be overkill.

Time Magazine and Mitt

I just ran across this article about how Mitt Romney is not going to raise as much money as he did last quarter (a blistering $21 million). And I got thinking...I've been reading Time Magazine recently and in every issue I have read there is a negative article or opinion piece on Romney. I wonder what Time has against Romney. Now, I'm not calling him a saint by any means, I don't really trust the guy, but it is curious. Maybe you and those like you might know something about Time Mag's distaste for Mitt?

Faith based charity

President Bush was very gung-ho on starting his faith-based initiatives when he came into office. The Supreme Court just blocked a case from a group that wanted to challenge the constitutionality of giving federal money to faith-based organizations. This is an example of the government doing something for the greater good of the people and not giving in to political correctness. There is no doubt that faith-based charities like churches and religious community groups give a ton of support to those in need here in the USA.

I agree that giving federal money to faith-based organizations is a good thing, but I still don't believe that the government should really be doling out money to charities. You might think that is insensitive of me, but you would be wrong. America is the most charitable country in the entire world (see Arthur Brooks', Who Really Cares) and we don't really need the government giving out money. Americans want to give. You and those like you enjoy giving of our time and our money. It is inherent in our nature. That is what is truly great about this country. We are able to work for what we earn and when we earn it, we remember where we came from and give back to those that are less fortunate. It's the sort of stuff that gives me goosebumps. Americans at their very best.

Illegals, undocumented, unknown

I don't really want to delve into the whole immigration debate, because if you are at all connected to the news cycle you have already been inundated by the coverage of this whole fiasco. But, I wanted to expound on what exactly is going on in government right now.

People in the USA are upset. Liberals, conservatives, republicans, democrats and I'm sure the closet Commies and Green party activists. They're all upset and it is not just about the immigration bill, it's about how our government is behaving. They are behaving like men and women on a "power high". These are men and women we elected to office because we have a trust in the system (checks and balances, federal system, blah, blah, blah, the stuff that our young people aren't learning in school anymore. Civics class anyone?) I do not remember a time when our government has been so unresponsive to the will of the people. You and those like you want the current laws to be enforced (they are not currently enforced). Legislators want new laws on the books (that will not be enforced).

You see right now politicians are so hung up on election politics that they couldn't care less about what we want. You might think that is a contradiction, but it's not. They don't care what you think because most of us Americans don't pay attention to the minutia of what is going on. They are hoping that people will see that something was done about illegal immigration and that that is good enough. For you and those like you, it certainly is not. We shall see if all of the calls and emails and letters to our esteemed congressmen are enough to get this bill defeated and help to get our current laws obeyed by the government who created them.

Unfair and seriously inbalanced

Iran is apparently starting its own 24-hour news channel. Not like we needed another one anyway, but definitely not one from Iran. You and those like you have to be wondering if the channel is going to spew the same propaganda their leader does. My guess is...yes.

Pro baseball in the Holy Land

Israel just had it's first ever professional baseball game...take a look, you and those like you are bound to enjoy this story.

Success in Iraq...nah, couldn't be

Yeah, I ripped this off of Instapundit.com, but it is a great story about our troops and what is going on right now with the troop surge in Iraq.

Could it be that you and those like you are not hearing about the good things happening there because the mainstream media are not reporting them? Of course. Here's the piece from Investor's Business Daily.

The government playing God...sorta scary

I was always reminded by my father while I was younger how much medicine has changed in the past 100 years. We went from a life expectancy of 37 years old at the end of the 19th century to now living an average of 78 years (this is the US average according to Wikipedia, and yeah, I know it's not that reputable). This is all due to modern medicine and the knowledge that has come from the unbelievable progress in medical science.

Now the US government is discussing expanding such things as stem cell research. Some people want to harvest stem cells from embryos and other body parts to try to cure diseases. We also have gene therapy...that's right, in case you haven't heard we are now injecting genes into brains to help reverse the effects of Parkinson's Disease.

I'm honestly torn on the issue until I start thinking of all of the apocalyptic applications of doing such things. When I was younger and I thought of having children, I most certainly wanted genetic engineering...I wanted boys, not girls and I wanted them to be good at sports and have full heads of hair and be ultra smart...etc. Later I realized how scary that proposition really is. We someday might actually have the opportunity to engineer our children...sorta takes the fun out of it doesn't it?

As far as stem cells go, I'm not for the embryonic ones, but if you want to harvest some umbilical cord blood...have at it. That's pretty much all I've got on that because one thing you'll never see me do on this website is talk about...shhhh...abortion.

Bottom line is that there are some things in life that you should just lay off and genetic engineering (which gene therapy is the precursor of) and testing on human embryos are two of them. If I could honestly say that the science will not go further than injecting genes into a brain or using umbilical cord blood to cure diseases than I would be all for these sciences, but I'm afraid I can't. Perhaps you and those like you feel the same way?