Sunday, October 31, 2004

 
Could Someone Explain to Me Why This Isn't Being Reported?

If the American people elect John Kerry, they will be placing in office a man who worked directly with the leaders of an enemy government in a time of war, to bring about the defeat of his own country: Kerry’s October surprise.

Verified documents from Texas Tech’s Vietnam Center tell the damning tale, yet mainstream media, in their Stalinesque disinformation campaign to oust Bush, completely ignore the evidence of Kerry’s illegal, seditious activity.

 
Similarities Between Bin Laden and Leftist Talking Points

 
Happy Reformation Day

Today in 1517, Martin Luther postes his theses on the door in Wittenburg thereby starting the Protestant Reformation.

The Reformation for all its successes and for some of its failures should be remembered for a few things theologically.

One of the simple biblical truths recovered is the truth of justification by faith alone. We have right standing before God, not because of anything good in us, but because of faith in Jesus. This truth gives us true peace which cannot be taken away by any storm.

Soli Deo Gloria


 
Trolling for Votes In Prison?

The channel in question is channel 3 in Philly, which is a CBS affiliate.

I'm listening to WPHT, 1210AM. Dom Giordano is interviewing PA Congressman Curt Weldon (from Pennsylvania's Delaware County). Weldon caught four women who visited a prison and they were filmed running from the prison with absentee ballots from the prisoners. It was filmed by a Philly TV station (not sure which one). Weldon caught these women red-handed, allegedly college girls, who should not have been inside and involved in this absentee ballot process. The women somehow went inside to "assist" the prisoners in filling out the ballots. These four women were untrained, they didn't know who was a felon and who was not. There was no one supervising what they were doing. The warden was filmed denying it happened and then he was shown a ballot and he put his hand to his mouth and told his prison staffer to "be quiet and not say anything". Curt Weldon and State Represetative Steve Barrar were eye witnesses to the fraud and there was a television station there. Weldon has taken legal action to [ensure] that ALL the absentee ballots from prisons be verified. But he did say that it's probably too late because most of the ballots have probably already arrived at the polling place of the criminal's hometown. This is a result of Gov Rendell's 9-page memo to all the wardens to make sure the jailed criminals get absentee ballots filled out.


Thursday, October 28, 2004

 
Cats Suffer From Stress

Rivalry with another cat is the biggest source of feline anxiety closely followed by moving home or the arrival of a new member of the owner's family.


My second cat, Libby, is the sweetest cat you'll ever meet. She is utterly tortured by the oldest cat, Daphne. She is stressed out. Daphne loves me a ton, but she hates all other cats.

If anyone can tell me how to get Daphne to chill, I'm all ears.

 
Many Black Voters Going Republican

White liberals have been indulging their fantasies of violence against conservatives lately – physically attacking conservatives, ransacking Bush-Cheney headquarters (though not any NRA headquarters, I note). The white wife of vice presidential candidate John Edwards recently warned of riots unless Kerry is elected.

In the midst of this rash of violence by white liberals, this week Al Gore admonished a group of blacks not to engage in violence over the election. Perhaps Gore should have saved that speech for a convocation of Moveon.org members.

And Democrats wonder why they have to ask white people to hold "African-Americans for Kerry-Edwards" signs at their rallies – as happened in St. Petersburg, Fla., last Saturday. The Kerry campaign is hemorrhaging black voters like teenaged girls fleeing an R. Kelly house party. None of the Democrats' top black leaders – Jesse, Al, Bill Clinton – has been able to stem the tide.


 
So Apparently Russia Moved the Weapons in Iraq Before the War Even Started

This would make Kerry look like bad on two counts. First, he goes off on a charge that may turn out to be false. It makes him look like he would be a bad commander. It makes him look like an opportunist.

Secondly, when a Security Council member is actively helping the Iraqis I think we can cut Bush some slack about lack of alliances.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

 
Al Qaeda Wants to Attack America Because Bush Attacked the Taliban and Al Qaeda

I've noticed a pattern from Islamic terrorists from a very long time and it has always puzzled me.

Al Qaeda, who were harbored by the Taliban, attack us many times over a number of years. We respond. They are now upset we responded.

Now, I know looking for sanity with terrorists is asking a bit much, but isn't this confusing? If you were a homicidal maniac wouldn't you justify your initial attack and then expect a response?

I've noticed this pattern with Israel as well. Likewise with the Crusades. Yes, for all the problems and flaws of the Crusades, it was partly a defensive action against the aggressive Islamic empire.

 
Kennedy Daughter Upset Bush Invoke's Father's Name

I hate to break the news but JFK was a tax-cutting anti-communist. Would he be a tax-cutting anti-communist today? I have no idea. But he was a pro-military, tax-cutting, anti-communist. He was also a Democrat.

 
No Self-Respecting Red Sox Fan Will Skip the Parade

I don't care if you get fired.

You will no longer be special. You will no longer get sympathy even though your other major sports teams have won several times in the last 40 years. No more stupid talk about curses.

Just don't become arrogant or boastful. Even against Yankee fans.

Enjoy your moment. It has finally arrived.

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

 
Thomas Sowell Breaks Apart 'Tax Cuts for the Rich'

Differentiates between wealth and income.

 
Hanoi Approved of Role Played By Anti-War Activists

Let me give you a big hint. This is pertinent to one of two Presidential candidates.

 
Kerry Sticking to Weapons Cache Story

...as the blogosphere rapidly debunks it. Hey, guess what? The document this is based on comes from the ever-so-reliable United Nations.

I wonder how long it will take the press to drop the October surprise. I'm not holding my breathe. But the Bush campaign should get off their duffs and say something about it. It would make a great joke on the campaign trail.

Edit: Kudos to CNN

 
NY Times Goes In the Tank For Kerry

That missing explosives story? Apparently they went missing before the Americans got there.

If I'm using the logic of anti-war liberals, they never existed in the first place.

Monday, October 25, 2004

 
Doubts About Dems in War on Terror

Many of the doubts that hover over Sullivan's case for Kerry are rooted in the value system widely shared among Democrats: Most people are basically good; wars are caused not by evil motives but by misunderstandings that can be talked out; conflict can be overcome by more tolerance and examining of our own faults or by taking disputes to the United Nations. As a personal creed, these benign and humble attitudes are admirable. As the foundation of a policy to confront terrorists who wish to blow up our cities, they are alarming.


Maybe it is my Reformed Christian heritage showing (ok, it is that), but any belief system predicated on the inherent goodness of man is not a good idea.

 
Why Did Kerry Claim He Met with the U.N. Security Council?

Bizarre behavior.

 
Current Problems with Yankees Mirror Problems with Big Government

 
80% of Computer Users Unaware of Spyware on Their Machine

If you don't have it already, I would recommend downloading Spybot(it's free) and running it.

 
Hatred of Bush Parrels Hatred of Reagan

When I think I think of liberal activists, I think of those nice, caring people so consumed with hatred they wish you never born.

Sunday, October 24, 2004

 
Dogfish Head and Heavyweight Mentioned in Slow Food Article

 
Philly Inquirer Lavishes Well-Deserved Praise on the Heavyweight Brewery

Saturday, October 23, 2004

 
Vote For Your Favorite Democrat Meltdown of the 2004 Season

Apparently Lawrence O'Donnell had a meltdown on MSNBC last night.

 
Bush's New Ad: Wolves

Bush's new ad makes one amazingly important point. Weakness emboldens our enemies. That is the historical record of the last 25+ years with dealing with Muslim extremism.

And I think this recognition is not a liberal/conservative thing. Liberals like Ed Koch and Joe Lieberman understand this.

People who have had a concern with Israel will recognize the pattern much more readily. The peace process of the 90s was dashed by those who saw Israel's willingness to make peace as an opportunity to ratchet up the violence.

Likewise, those who view Israel's unwillingness to commit suicide as the main problem in their dispute (by that I mean the land for peace process) also see America's problem with militant Islam as self-inflicted due to foreign policy, etc.

Overlooked is the history of how perceived weakness caused an escalation in terrorism. I would go as far as to say that making tactical mistakes in the war on terror is less damaging than appearing weak.

And appearing strong, by overthrowing the Taliban and not taking Saddam's thumbing his nose at the world community ad infinitum, is extremely important to the success on the war on terror.

Friday, October 22, 2004

 
Garrett Oliver Coming to Philly

If you've read my blog for long enough, you've probably run into Garrett Oliver's name. He's probably the world's foremost authority on matching beer and food. And his book on the topic is fabulous.

As luck would have it, I'm already going to a cheese event that very night. How weird?

If anyone can go, I highly recommend going. It's being held at a restaurant which specializes in wine, beer and cheese.

From the website:
We tend to think of wine and cheese as the perfect couple, but beer and cheese is an amazingly tasty combo. In fact, some would argue that beer naturally goes better with cheese than does wine. This tasting will be conducted by Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery, author of The Brewmaster's Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food, and likely the world's leading authority on matching beer with cheese.

 
Philly Inquirer Highlights Hometown Yards Brewing

 
Largest American Jewish Newspaper Endorses Bush

That is definitely not something I expected.

 
30 Anniversary of PASCAL

Oh the memories of undergraduate bubble-sorts ... (from slashdot)

Funny story about bubble-sorts. A friend from college, Joe, was in our intro Computer Science course. One of the questions on the test was to do a bubble-sort in a program. Joe writes down code which calls "bubble sort". That was it. He got partial credit.

Getting partial credit when you don't know the answer is both an art and a science.

 
Real Audio Link of Me Asking Green Party Candidate a Question (Real Audio)

Around minute 20. If you want the proper context, listen to the first 20 minutes.

 
White Horse Inn Series on Religion and Politics

I highly recommend this series.

We all hold tightly to our political and religious beliefs. As a highly opinionated person myself, this series was a healthy reminder during a heated political season.

We have direct, divine revelation in the Bible about certain matters. Beyond those things which are contained clearly in Biblical revelation (the Resurrection, the need for belief in Jesus, etc.), we should fully expect people to disagree with each other. People come with different perspectives, different facts, etc. I know many Christians who I would describe as politically liberal. Are they still my brother or sister in Christ? Absolutely. The bad tendency in modern politics is to say that those you disagree with aren't just wrong, but have some character flaw. That isn't always the case. I know godly Democrats and godless Republicans and vice-versa.

My problem is that I argue these two realms equally. Although I would have to say my political views are subject to change more frequently (my view on the war on drugs, modification of my economic libertarianism being the two examples that come readily to mind).

The more important thing to take away from the series for Christians is the two kingdoms. There is a kingdom of God and the kingdom of man. In the midst of the kingdom of man, politics is not our salvation. Our guy may or may not get elected. Things don't necessarily go to pot if our guy doesn't win. Conversely, things could get worse if our guy wins. To think one man, even the most powerful man in the world, can control the course of history is silly. He can affect it for sure. But the grand sweep of history is in God's hands. The cummaltive choices of the populace aren't necessarily within the President's control.

Audio is in Windows Media or Real Audio.

 
Cardinals vs. Red Sox

Let me describe my feelings as a Phillies and Yankees fan, of which the Phillies fan is stronger.

As a Phillies fan, I feel the pain of the average Red Sox fan. As a Yankees fan, I expect them to take this to Game 7 and lose in some horrible fashion.

As a Phillies fan, I am dumbfounded that Terry Francona got another job as manager, let alone is in the World Series. I hate the thought of that guy winning the World Series.

As a Phillies fan, I like and am annoyed with Scott Rolen at the same time. He properly understood that Phillies ownership weren't winners, but he was wrong that they weren't going to spend money. They were going to spend money, just not wisely. But my major beef with Scott Rolen is with how he reacted to Dallas Green when Green challenged him to up his game in public. He could dish out criticism but not take it. I don't respect that at all. He may be a nice guy, but I will always think he is a little bit soft, mentally speaking of course.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

 
San Francisco Chronicle Writer Makes Good Point

If Kerry thought the war was wrong, he voted for the war because it was the popular thing to do. No wonder his mother, on her death bed, had to remind him to be honest.

 
Deulfer Says Iraq's WMDs May Have Gone to Syria

And another article still making the case for WMDs.

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

 
The Moon and the Anthropic Principle

There was a very good special last night on Discovery's Science channel about how life would be next to near impossible without the moon.

The scientist mentioned how it was fortuitous that the object which hit Earth to produce the moon came hit at the right speed, at the right angle, with the right mass. (I believe that was what she was referring to.) It's more than luck my friend. I'll argue it was design.

As Hugh Ross has argued the laws of physics are so fine-tuned to allow life, it is utterly amazing. So much so, that some have postulated multiple universes rather than to accept what is plain. The universe was designed. But that's the human heart...and I digress.

Without the moon, the Earth wouldn't have a stable rotation around its axis. Therefore, its climate would be erratic. I know plate techtonics need oceans, so I wonder if that would be possible as well (also needed for life). And of course, don't forget the tides.

A very good special.

 
Got to Talk to the Green Party Candidate Today

So I called the local NPR station as I was driving home from work early, because I wasn't feeling well.

I got to ask the Green candidate (who we'll call Mr. Not Nader) why he supports the U.N. given the fact it is a vast pit of corruption. I also said that I can't support him or other socialists because they fundamentally misunderstand human nature. I stepped over the line when I said he probably supports the U.N., despite their corruption, because there are many socialists in there like him. I hereby apologize for the comment publicly. He means well, even if his views about relying on the U.N. is very naive.

But as I was feeling bad about my comment, the Green Party candidate decided to say that the Iraq War was all about oil. Ahh yes.

 
Spider-Man Can't Wait For Sequel


 
La République des Bananes

Kofi Annan's lack of concern about the oil-for-food scandal is absolutely mind-boggling.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

 
Pearl Jam Was Right

I may not support the liberal politics of Pearl Jam, but in the spirit of Adam Smith, who supported regulating monopolies, I can't stand Ticketmaster.

Two almost 40 dollar tickets for Velvet Revolver (Thurs., Nov. 11th Hwang!) came to almost one hundred dollars. 3 25 dollar Nickel Creek tickets came to almost one hundred dollars as well. Emailing the tickets and printing them out myself cost more than having them mailed.

How has Ticketmaster escaped regulatory notice? And how can a monopoly justify their fees?

 
More on the Vaccine Shortage

Weekly Standard examines the effects of liability and a little bit about price controls.

A blogger sums up the reasons he's found in the news media.


  1. For starters, it's a pretty small market. The total vaccine market (for all vaccines, that is) is about $6 billion out of a market of $340 billion for drugs of all kinds.



  2. The flu vaccine business is risky: some years you sell out, but other years you make 50 million doses and only sell 20 million. That makes it fairly unattractive, especially since....


  3. It's a commodity market, so profit margins are thin to begin with.


  4. What's more, the biggest buyer is the government, which buys in bulk at a very low price. So profit margins are even thinner than they might be.


  5. FDA regulations have gotten tighter over the years, and vaccine makers have had an increasingly hard time meeting them because it requires expensive plant upgrades.


  6. But nobody wants to invest a lot of money to upgrade their flu vaccine plants because there's new technology coming down the road in a few years that will render the current manufacturing technique (which uses chicken eggs) obsolete.


  7. Finally, huge awards in liability lawsuits have scared vaccine makers out of the market. About 50-70% of the cost of most vaccines is taken up by the cost of liability insurance.


 
What If George Bush Never Invaded Iraq?

Democrat Presidential nominee John Kerry delivered a speech today condemning President Bush for failing to invade Iraq in the follow-up of military action against the Talaban and Al Qaeda in Afghanastan. "Leaving this tyrant in power in contravention of numerous United Nations resolutions is unconscionable," Kerry told the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "He has left available a base of operations and a source of supply and money."

Kerry went on to criticize the war against terror as "stalled" while the real threat to America, "Saddam Hussein’s Iraq goes untouched." Kerry said, "People are murdered daily in Baghdad and throughout the country. Rape rooms are a tragic reality. Torture chambers are full as Saddam’s sons carry out their sadistic impulses on the helpless and hapless victims of this regime. President Bush has done nothing as this brutal dictator takes the money from the Oil for Food to build palaces while his people go without food...

 
Is Kerry a Demogogue Or Does He Simply Not Understand Economics?

"We'll crack down on the price-gouging that's putting vaccines out of reach for people who need them today."

By every account I read, the profit margins for vaccines are low. So low in fact, that is the most likely reason for the lack of vaccines. Companies have little incentive to produce the stuff.

If most people could get their minds around the laws of supply and demand, there would be less Democrats.

Monday, October 18, 2004

 
New York Times Magazine Has Article About Bush's Faith

Bartlett, a 53-year-old columnist and self-described libertarian Republican who has lately been a champion for traditional Republicans concerned about
Bush's governance, went on to say: "This is why George W. Bush is so
clear-eyed about Al Qaeda and the Islamic fundamentalist enemy. He
believes you have to kill them all. They can't be persuaded, that
they're extremists, driven by a dark vision. He understands them,
because he's just like them...


To this comment I could only think of one thing:
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor 1:18)

 
Putin Confirms That Terrorists Back Kerry

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that terrorists are aiming to derail President Bush's chances at re-election through their attacks in Iraq. [snip]"I consider the activities of terrorists in Iraq are not as much aimed at coalition forces but more personally against President Bush," Putin said at a news conference after a regional summit in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. "International terrorism has as its goal to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term," he said. "If they achieve that goal, then that will give international terrorism a new impulse and extra power.

 
Kerry Remarks Spark Violence in Haiti

The BBC reports that the commander of U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti is complaining that remarks by John Kerry have contributed to the recent upsurge in violence there. Kerry has said that he would have sent American troops to protect Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was ousted from power in February. The U.N. commander, Augusto Helena of Brazil, contends that Kerry's words in support of Aristide, coupled with the viabililty of Kerry's candidacy, have offered "hope" to Aristide's supporters, thus helping to spark violence in areas loyal to the ousted tyrant.

Notwithstanding his criticism of the U.N. officer, Kerry's position with respect to Haiti flows from his "global test" for determining when U.S. military intervention is appropriate. When the U.S. intervenes for reasons having nothing to do with protecting its national security, that's good because it proves to the world that we are selfless. When the U.S. intervenes to promote its national security interests, that's bad (unless we can prove, in lawyer-like fashion, that we face an imminent threat) because the rest of the world will see us selfish and arrogant.

 
Should I Go to My 10-Year Reunion?

I was watching Grosse Point Blanke last night, which is about a hitman going back to his 10 year reunion. I remember watching that movie in the theater in college. It's now eight years later. So I'm getting old, and this is one of the first milestones of getting old.

I remember one of my math teachers talking about whether to go back. It seems a lot of people, when the time arises, try to figure out whether to go.

I'm just wondering why they scheduled it for the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

 
Analysis of Kerry's Mary Cheney Remark

Regarding evangelical Christians:

Would they prefer for Mary Cheney to be a happily married mother of five? Sure. Do they think she is a sinner? Probably. Will that keep them from voting for Bush and her father? Heck, no.

 
Canada Deals Blow to Importing Drugs

Canada realised that their price controls would break down if they became a drug store for the United States. Let me break this down for you.

We are subsidizing Canadians with our higher prices. But if we used their drugs, the laws of supply and demand would catch up with them.

The good news will be that drug companies will still have the incentive of making new drugs. One of those may actually save your life one day. Or a socialist Canadian.

 
Please, No More Tony Siragusa

I've never met Tony Siragusa. He may be a fine man. I wouldn't mind having a pint with him. But I'm also an Eagles fan. And he has been the field reporter on almost every Sunday game.

I can't take it any more. His jokes aren't that funny. His pieces (looking at the cool cars of players for 20 seconds) don't do anything for me. He doesn't add all that much. Granted, Fox is trying something different out, but the field reporter will generally give you very little.

All I want is reports on injuries. Maybe the 15 seconds of "what I talked to the coach about at halftime". Well gee, sideline reporter we need to stop stinking and win the game.

 
Regarding the Yankees and Red Sox

The Yankees are their Daddy for reasons unknown. As one New York fan on the Manhattan subway following Boston’s loss in Game 2 put it, “You take those players, put pinstripes on them, and they win the World Series.”

And he’s right. We don’t know why he’s right, but he is.

 
Blogger Feels Polls in September Were Being Messed With to Help Kerry

This would make sense. Where is Bush campaigning? Traditionally Democratic states like New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. If he is campaigning in states he didn't win in 2000, his internal polling must be showing him to be doing well. That doesn't mean everything is in the bag, but it's a good sign.

 
Jonah Goldberg Takes On John Kerry's Statements About Faith

But what does offend me is the selective invocation of God. George Bush is basically consistent. He says God guides him in everything he does. John Kerry says that, too, but it's hard to see how he's not lying. His faith is clear on abortion. It's pretty darn murky on, say, affirmative action.

It seems to me that you shouldn't pick and choose at all. You shouldn't infringe on, say, the property rights of citizens out of religious convictions about a clean environment and then conveniently fall back on the argument that it would be outrageous to invoke religion when it comes to abortion. Either your faith informs your views or it doesn't.

Saturday, October 16, 2004

 
What's Going on With Nightline?

So Nightline goes to Vietnam and confirms Kerry's account of one of his medals. However, they overlook the testimony of the Swift Vets, and account by the Boston Globe, and his official war biography "Tour of Duty". Should we trust these Vietnamese, since Kerry's anti-war activity is praised because it helped North Vietnam win.

As I said, what was Nightline thinking? Better to leave the issue alone.

 
Good NY Times Article on Belgian Saisons

How to describe Belgian Saisons? Very good with food. Spicy, but they have a good complexity. A very good beer style.

They also go over the related French beer style, bière de garde, which Garrett Oliver says is absolutely a perfect match for Thanksgiving dinner.

 
Try a Pumpkin Ale for the Fall Season

Friday, October 15, 2004

 
Paralyzed Conservative Takes Kerry-Edwards to Task for Unprecedented Demogoguery

 
What Are The Causes of the Flu Vaccine Shortage?

Whenever you hear the word "shortage" immediately think "government intervention" as the cause. In other words, Hillary Clinton price controls.

From yesterday's Wall Street Journal:
Where's My Flu Shot?

A few weeks from now, when the country has run out of flu vaccine and people want to know why, we suggest they knock on the doors of Senators Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Lincoln Chafee. Perhaps the three Republicans can explain when they intend to honor their promise to hold an open debate about the tort liabilities facing vaccine makers.

The only two suppliers of flu shots reported Friday that supplies are running out. The Centers for Disease Control is now urging health-care providers to reserve the shots for those most at risk. That leaves millions worrying that someone in their family might be next to die from a bad case of flu.

The reason for today's shortage -- as well as seven previous preventive vaccine shortages since 2000 -- is that there are just five vaccine makers. This lack of suppliers is partly thanks to Hillary Clinton, who as first lady turned government into the majority buyer of vaccines and pushed prices so low as to make business unsustainable. (This price-control approach, we'd note, is what Democrats would now like to inflict on the new Medicare drug program.)

But just as worrying to manufacturers is an explosion of class action lawsuits. Vaccine makers are supposed to be protected from suits by 1986 legislation, but tort lawyers have found loopholes and filed more than 200 cases. The Republican leadership fixed this by including a liability provision in the Homeland Security legislation of a year ago. That is, until Ms. Snowe, Ms. Collins and Mr. Chafee objected to its "dark of the night" insertion and forced Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist into repealing it.

In return for their victory, the Senators promised an open debate on broad liability reform within six months. That would have been ... June. But the Senate canceled a markup on a reform bill in April and the Senators have gone quiet. Apparently, making sound vaccine policy isn't as politically rewarding as preening before the media by standing up to "special interests" (vaccine makers). So what's your solution for the flu-shot shortage, Senators?


 
Funniest Anti-Kerry Ad Ever (Real, Windows)

Regular Guys for Bush creates an ad based on the infamous cheesesteak incident. Hilarious!

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

 
Bush Can't Refute Some of Kerry's False Arguments Without Creating Massive Damage

This is a must-read article. Kerry has put Bush in a tough spot, and Bush is taking the high road.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

 
Richard Clarke's Boogie to Baghdad

Since Clarke has been critical of Bush, his name may sound familiar.

Before this debating season is over, would someone please, please utter the words “boogie to Baghdad?”

You remember the phrase. It was written by Richard Clarke, the White House counterterrorism chief who in 1999 was so worried about the chumminess of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein that he believed bin Laden, if attacked by the United States at his lair in Afghanistan, would “boogie” on over to the Iraqi capital for protection.

Monday, October 11, 2004

 
Atlanta Fans Still Doing the Tomahawk Chop?

You would think thirteen playoff appearances with only one World Series win would make them drop the chop. Nope. There is nothing I like better than defeating the Braves and then doing the chop on them as they leave the ballpark. Ok, maybe there are a few things I like better, but that's up there.

 
If you watch only one first-person POV video of insane bikers racing through Manhattan traffic this year, make it this one.

Link and text from memepool.com.

Sunday, October 10, 2004

 
Thomas Friedman Discussed "Terror Bubble

The real reason for this war—which was never stated—was to burst what I would call the "terrorism bubble," which had built up during the 1990s.

This bubble was a dangerous fantasy, believed by way too many people in the Middle East. This bubble said that it was OK to plow airplanes into the World Trade Center, commit suicide in Israeli pizza parlors, praise people who do these things as "martyrs," and donate money to them through religious charities. This bubble had to be burst, and the only way to do it was to go right into the heart of the Arab world and smash something—to let everyone know that we, too, are ready to fight and die to preserve our open society. Yes, I know, it's not very diplomatic—it's not in the rule book—but everyone in the neighborhood got the message: Henceforth, you will be held accountable. Why Iraq, not Saudi Arabia or Pakistan? Because we could—period. Sorry to be so blunt, but, as I also wrote before the war: Some things are true even if George Bush believes them.

 
Jonah Goldberg Levels His Wit Against Anti-War Democrats

I'm not saying there are no good arguments against the war. I am saying that many of you don't care about the war. If Bill Clinton or Al Gore had conducted this war, you would be weeping joyously about Iraqi children going to school and women registering to vote... What disgusts me are those people who say toppling Saddam and fighting the terror war on their turf rather than ours is a mistake, not because these are bad ideas, but merely because your vanity cannot tolerate the notion that George W. Bush is right or that George W. Bush's rightness might cost John Kerry the election.

 
Media Underplaying Aspects of Duelfer Report

You know, the part that makes the war seem like a good idea.

But these headlines conceal the real news in the report of Iraq Survey Group head Charles Duelfer. For the report makes it plain that George W. Bush had good reason to go to war in Iraq and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. . . .

Duelfer also reported that Saddam asked subordinates how long it would take to develop chemical weapons once sanctions ended. One Iraqi chemical weapons expert said it would require only a few days to develop mustard gas. Former Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz said that Iraq could have had a WMD capacity within two years after the end of sanctions.

If the weapons inspectors had been given more time to conduct inspections, as John Kerry has on occasion advocated, we now know they would not have found any WMDs. Nor does it seem possible that they would have uncovered Saddam's attempts to maintain WMD capability. There would have been heavy pressure then from France, Russia, and China—whose companies were given kickbacks and windfall profits from the Saddam-administered U.N. Oil for Food program, Duelfer reports—to disband U.S. military forces in the Middle East and to end sanctions. And once sanctions were gone, there would have been nothing to stop Saddam from developing WMDs.

In other words, we were facing a brutal dictator with the capability to develop WMDs and the proven willingness to use them. A dictator whose regime had had, as the 9/11 Commission has documented, frequent contacts with al Qaeda. We have no conclusive evidence that he collaborated with al Qaeda on 9/11—but also no conclusive evidence that he did not. Under those circumstances, George W. Bush acted prudently in deciding to remove this regime. He would have been imprudent not to have done so.

 
Texas Tech 70, Nebraska 10

I would suspect Hwang is loving this.

Saturday, October 09, 2004

 
Soldier in Iraq Says Don't Believe the Media

 
A Strange Bird Indeed


 
Good Article Detailing Oil-For-Food Bribes

Let's just say that you shouldn't trust the U.N.

 
Very Good Article: The Escatic Heresy

...Since the revisionists "honor" Scripture and tradition, they can worship, study, pray, teach, and promote their agenda shoulder to shoulder with the orthodox while holding utterly different conceptions of the faith. Conflict only arises when the church must deal with concrete issues such as revision of our language for God, sexual norms, evangelism to those of other faiths, or who is welcome to take Communion. At that point, real differences emerge...

 
ABC in 1999 Reports on Osama-Saddam Link

Quote: "ABC News has learned that in December, an Iraqi intelligence chief, named Farouk Hijazi, how Iraq's ambassador to Turkey, made a secret trip to Afghanistan to meet with bin Laden. Three intelligence agencies tell ABC News they cannot be certain what was discussed, but almost certainly, they say, bin Laden has been told he would be welcome in Baghdad."

Audio Link

 
ABC Memo Tells Reporters To Be Harder on Bush

No, there not biased at all.

 
South Park Creators Tell Young People It's OK Not to Vote

Especially when you have no idea what's going on. I agree.

 
How Are We Defining Undecided Voter?

Pretty much every conservative worth his salt knew that many of the undecided voters in the debate audience would actually be Democrat voters. I didn't watch the debate but I saw a few seconds and someone asking their normal blather regarding the Patriot Act. The type of question which never mentions any specifics of how all our liberties are draining away.

You would think someone in some debate would ask Kerry about his lackluster Senate career. Maybe even his vist with the VC.

Friday, October 08, 2004

 
Did an AP Reporter Misrepresent Bush's Statement on Report?

This reporter has been quoted as saying it is his mission to see that Bush is not reelected. That's not good.

Being a Republican is like living this Mark Twain quote: a lie travels around the world while the truth is still putting on its boots.

 
Great Article on Duelfer Report

CIA chief weapons inspector Charles Duelfer may not have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but he sure found information enough to blow the lid off the simmering scandal of the United Nations Oil-for-Food program. As it turns out, Oil-for-Food pretty much was Saddam Hussein's weapons program.

As Duelfer documents, Oil-for-Food allowed Saddam to replenish his empty coffers, firm up his networks for hiding money and buying arms, corrupt the U.N.'s own debates over Iraq, greatly erode sanctions and deliberately prep the ground for further rearming, including the acquisition of nuclear weapons. As set up and run by the U.N., Oil-for-Food devolved into a depraved and increasingly dangerous mockery of what was advertised by the U.N. as a relief program for sick and starving Iraqis.

Thursday, October 07, 2004

 
Duelfer Report Shows Futility of Requiring Grand Coalitions

How do we feel about our friends, the French?


The Duelfer Report is a huge vindication for the Bush administration’s decision to remove Saddam Hussein. There can be no more doubt that Saddam was a serious threat to the security of the United States and the world, and that our so-called “allies,” specifically the United Nations, France and Russia, were rotten to the core with corruption and bribery. There’s no mystery why these entities were opposed to our plans. They were getting fat and rich off the misery of the Iraqi people.

 
Powerline Details Iraq's Oil-for-WMD Program

Monday, October 04, 2004

 
Billy Bob Thorton Calls Shakespeare Bullsh**

I give him props for not being a snob. I'm not sure if I'm ready to call the Bard overrated however.

 
Phillies Thoughts

The disaster which was the 2004 Phillies was their most disappointing season since 1964. Was it the manager's fault? The general manager? The players? Injuries? Bad luck?

If the history of disasters has shown us anything it is the fact disasters usually involved multiple failures. Not only does the engine fail. The seat belts fail. The breaks fail, etc.

That was the 2004 Phillies. So much blame to go around that no one ends up looking totally bad.

 
Saddam Possessed WMD, Had Extensive Terror Ties

Iraqi intelligence documents, confiscated by U.S. forces and obtained by CNSNews.com, show numerous efforts by Saddam Hussein's regime to work with some of the world's most notorious terror organizations, including al Qaeda, to target Americans. They demonstrate that Saddam's government possessed mustard gas and anthrax, both considered weapons of mass destruction, in the summer of 2000, during the period in which United Nations weapons inspectors were not present in Iraq. And the papers show that Iraq trained dozens of terrorists inside its borders.

Sunday, October 03, 2004

 
Blogger Breaks Down Newsweek Poll

 
Still Awaiting Anti-War Explanation: Saddam Bought UN Allies

A LEAKED report has exposed the extent of alleged corruption in the United Nations’ oil-for-food scheme in Iraq, identifying up to 200 individuals and companies that made profits running into hundreds of millions of pounds from it. The report largely implicates France and Russia, whom Saddam Hussein targeted as he sought support on the UN Security Council before the Iraq war. Both countries were influential voices against UN-backed action.

A senior UN official responsible for the scheme is identified as a major beneficiary. The report, marked “highly confidential”, also finds that the private office of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, profited from the cheap oil. Saddam’s regime awarded this oil during the run-up to the war when military action was being discussed at the UN.

The report was drawn up on behalf of the interim Iraqi government in preparation for a possible legal action against those who may have illicitly profited under Saddam. The Iraqis hired the London-based accountants KPMG and lawyers Freshfields to advise on future action.

It details a catalogue of alleged bribery and corruption perpetrated by Saddam under the UN programme, revealing how the regime lined its pockets and those of influential politicians, journalists and UN officials.

 
John Rabe Describes My Frustration with Bush's Debate Performance

 
Is the Media Trying to Push Kerry With the Polls

Worth a quick read.

Saturday, October 02, 2004

 
France, Russia, and China Thwart Oil-for-Food Investigation

For all of those who complained about a lack of a coalition to get rid of Saddam, I would like you to comment on this. I would also like a question on this topic to be posed to Kerry in a debate.

 
How Pat Buchanan Went Wrong

Foreign policy-wise I think Buchanan has failed to understand the true nature of militant Islam. Without getting too deep into theology, militant Islam is primarily concerned with the wickedness which is corrupting the Mulim world and making them weak, where they can't get Allah'a promised victory.

I've always been mystified by his opposing free trade. If there anything that has been seen over the years is that free trade is good economically. I would argue politically as well. I've always felt that Clinton's greatest achievement was passing NAFTA. Having the Democrats as well as the Republicans in favor of free trade was a very good thing. Pandering to unions in the primary season aside.

 
Contemporary Art

I forget where I originally read a very thoughtful art commentary. But the person was making the point that no one has to be told to like Monet or the earlier masters. But we have to be told the collection of dots is a work of genius. That trash, literally, in the middle of the room is wonderful.

Now, in my email inbox I have a commentary about art criticism from Chuck Colson:

"It turns out that a famous portrait of four little girls is really a representation of sexism, slavery, and oppression in general. A religious and deeply moral artist was secretly obsessed with cross-dressing and conflicted about his own gender, as you can tell just by looking at his work. And a simple painting of a man in a boat, surrounded by sharks, is filled with symbols of everything from racism to misogyny to castration.*

If any of these statements sound familiar to you, you have probably been reading contemporary art criticism."

Friday, October 01, 2004

 
What's Going on With Fuller's?

My favorite brewery, Fuller's will be trying to go head-to-head with Bass with their London Pride. Will they be reformulating their London Pride? I couldn't tell from their article.

Their IPA, which I haven't yet tried, won't be around too much longer in the U.S. either. There are just so many great IPA's in this country I haven't gootten around to it. But I will be rectifying it soon.

 
Classic Video: Kerry vs. Kerry

GOP edits what he said in the debate with what he's said in the past. Yeah, that flip-flopping label is just a red herring the converservatives use.

 
Why Kerry Is Dangerous

First off, he is against nuclear bunker-busting bombs because of the message it sends to North Korea. The message? We may just nuts enough to do something about you.

Secondly, he is living in complete Democrat appeasement, learn nothing from North Korea, fantasy land. I actually heard him say we may give Iran nuclear material if they can prove they are using it for energy. Sen. Kerry. THEY ARE AN OPEC NATION. Just wanted to clarify that. Of course they want to explore alternative energies like nuclear.

 
How to Move Public Opinion Subtelty

This is the Reuters article: Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Fails in House

You being against gay marriage isn't about your views about marriage itself or the damage you think will be unleashed on society or anything else. It's about being against gays. Do you see the subtle shift?

If you don't approve and condone, you are against me. Now if a law was passed which called for rounding up gays and putting them in concentration camps or not allowing them to hold jobs, we could call that "anti-gay".

Would we call someone who wants to sepearte church completely from the government, even if we disagree with their reading of the First Amendment, anti-Christian? I wouldn't. Likewise, calling these initiative anti-gay does more harm to the debate than good.

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