Eureka!

I've got a simple single solution that the government could use to solve at least three big problems facing our country:

• Allow petroleum refineries to be built on the sites of the military bases closed by the BRAC commission.
• Relocate all hurricane refugees to the abandoned housing around these bases, and give them jobs at the new refineries (or in other support businesses).

The cost of these tasks should easily offset by:

• lower long-term energy costs,
• not having to pay for massive infrastructure repairs in the parts of our country adjacent to the ocean and below sea level, and
• not having to subsidize anyone living in those ultimately untenable locations.

Seems logical to me...

(I found this related set of posts just after I wrote this)

update 1: looks like several other people are discussing these topics...

update 2: porkopolis asks the question (in comments here), "How many of the displaced actually have the skill set needed to work in a refinery?"

You're right, it's not an complete solution. They wouldn't all have the exact skills, but there's likely a higher proportion of those workers with some experience in the petroleum business than in many other places. Plus, a large enough proportion of displaced workers would have related skills - such as general construction, repair, plumbing, even truck driving - that reeducation should not be too difficult.

unprecedented?

The current flooding disaster is terrible, but they are not unprecedented in history. In fact, it has been less than 80 years since other catastrophic floods covered large portions of the Mississippi River states. And it has been less than 60 years since there was a severe flood in my hometown.

relief

Varifrank has some things to consider about who is more "caring and compassionate".

(...and while you're there, go ahead and read the previous half-dozen posts too.)

Camp Crawford Infiltration

You're a braver man than I, Curt Loftis.

gas prices

Hugh Hewitt has some things to remember each time the price at the pump goes up.

Able Danger, continued

Captain's Quarters is staying on top of continuing Able Danger developments. These posts and others make me ask "What did the 9/11 Commission ignore, and when did they ignore it?"

Racism

Proving that the peace-at-all-costs crowd is racist, Jim Forsyth at WOAI says.

...I presume they would favor that the Iraq war end the same way the war in Vietnam ended. I also presume that this means they would not oppose the same fate for the people of Iraq that befell the people of Vietnam and Cambodia after the end of US involvement there, which was one of the more horrible in the sorry annals of twentieth century tyranny. But in 1975, we were told by the anti war crowd that, after all, they were only Asians, they probably couldn't understand democracy anyway, and knew it wouldn't work 'for them.' Its sad to see the same attitude repeated today, that its not worth the blood of white Americans like Casey Sheehan to win freedom and democracy for 'those people,' in this case, brown skinned Arab Muslims.

Oil Prices and Freedom

Real Clear Politics has two related posts that should be remembered every time anyone mentions 'price controls':

"Make no mistake about it, there are many people out there just itching to tell us what to do - and make us do it. That is why the word "crisis" gets used so much, and not just about oil, in order to soften us up for their taking over our lives. That is a bigger problem than the so-called "oil crisis."

Also, here's a secondary but interesting point:

"Many of the same people who cry "No blood for oil!" also want higher gas mileage standards for cars. But higher mileage standards have meant lighter and more flimsy cars, leading to more injuries and deaths in accidents - in other words, trading blood for oil."

Constitution Day

Facing opposition to his original Constitution Day proposal from Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson, et.al., Kleagle/Senator Byrd has now proposed to set aside three-fifths of a day for African-American students to study the Constitution.

"One will not protect what one does not value. And one cannot value what one does not understand," Byrd, D-W.Va., said when he introduced the provision.

SPEAK TRUTH TO COWARDS!! pt.2

No Oil For Pacifists found this excellent smackdown of the anti-Bush idiots. (warning: profanity, which is not entirely inappropriate in this case...)

disclaimer: there are some people out there who disagree with our president on certain topics which they can articulate clearly and logically. this is not directed at them.

chicken . . . hawk

Rich Lowry at NRO on the chickens that use the chickenhawk argument:

The chicken-hawk line is the “Oh, yeah? Your mama!” of antiwar arguments...

By the same token, we could say to proponents of leaving Saddam Hussein in power: “That’s an illegitimate position unless you yourself are willing to move to Tikrit to live for the duration of Saddam’s regime.” Or to supporters of “containing” Saddam: “You’re a hypocrite until you go help patrol the no-fly zone.” Or to advocates of inspections: “You can’t support them unless you don a baby-blue cap and sniff around his suspected chemical-weapons sites yourself.”

Why should this line of argument be limited to Iraq? “You think we should help fight AIDS in Africa? Well, go work in a clinic in Lavumisa, Swaziland.” “You oppose land mines? Go clear them from the Korean DMZ.” “You think there should be a new U.N. protocol in favor of [insert fashionable cause here]? Then spend interminable hours helping negotiate it yourself.” “Support jobless benefits? Become a clerk at an unemployment office.”

The Prophetic Seuss?!?

Nickie Goomba found some interesting cartoons by Dr. Seuss that seem strangely modern again...

foo-bah

Even though I'm a Native Texan, I'm not much of a football fan (it's a long story...), but this quote was both funny and enlightening:

Wide receivers are often the best athletes on the field. They routinely accomplish something that is almost unthinkably difficult. They travel 50 yards at Olympic-class speeds, leap in the air to NBA-class heights, and while falling backwards, first touch and then, while hyper-extended and dragging two defensive backs, catch something that isn’t much larger than a hamster, traveling about 60 miles an hour, thrown by a lesser athlete who just happens to be running for his life at the point of origin and moment of launch.

The Never-Ending Pasta Bowl

As Time approaches zero, I become infinitely hungry.

gah!

Case: Terry Schiavo, Housewife in coma.
Judgement: prevent doctors from providing any food or water.

Case: John Allen Muhammad, Mass Murderer on death row.
Judgement: allow guards to force-feed him.

What the *%&^*&^( is wrong with these judges?

Roe and Doe

Here is an article which explains many of the historical factors that went in to the deadliest Supreme Court decisions ever.

"Though Roe got all the attention, I think it is fair to say that Doe, decided on the same day, was the more ominous of the two decisions. It was Doe that signaled the doom of legislative efforts to provide even modest protection of unborn life."...

"Who but a madman or a prophet would have imagined, as novelist Walker Percy did, that a whole industry of profitable “Qualitarian Centers” would spring up, where... doctors would "respect the right of an unwanted child not to have to endure a life of suffering"?

Go read the whole thing - at least it ends on a hopeful note.

rap

"If you think this is funny, I can't help you."

migrations

It seems that the American white pelicans are moving to Canada, but the Hollywood yellow loons are not.

two questions for the left

What was that you said about WMDs?

What was that you said about supporting the troops?

SPEAK TRUTH TO COWARDS!

alternate speech

Scrappleface always has great satire, but this proposed speech for President Bush is even better than usual.

Tropical Storm Update

update: I apologize to those of you who found this site by searching for "Katrina Hattiesburg" or something similar. More timely information about the town may be found at the Hattiesburg American website.

---

Tropical Storm Katrina Forms in the Atlantic Ocean

Can we please refrain from making any "Katrina and the Waves" jokes?

dealing with moonbats

Although he doesn't like the word "moonbat", Lileks deals with their mails quite nicely:

Some recent pieces I wrote on Cindy Sheehan brought an unusual amount of angry mail, nearly all of which seemed to miss the point. One correspondent, for example, asked if I was serious when I accused anyone who disagreed with the Administration’s Middle East policy of “moral cretinism.” What I had written was that anyone who could not see the distinction between Israel having nukes and the mullahs of Iran having nukes was a moral cretin. Not an insignificant distinction. Is there any point in writing back? Nah.

Stephen Vincent

Here is the only thing that needs to be said about Juan Cole's insipid comments.

wow

my car can go faster than the speed of light, without getting a ticket!

gospel

Intolerant Elle found some good news and bad news.

space adventure

Space planes such as SpaceShipOne are one thing, but spacediving?!?

hmmm...

The subjects of two separate posts at Patrick Ruffini seem related to me:

red shift phenomenon and the ever-expanding (virtual) universe

coincidence? yes!

i just need to venti

Starbucks has a campaign called "The Way I See It", the alleged goal of which "is to create a fair and balanced forum for discussion" by printing various quotes expressing various viewpoints on their cups.

Cheat Seeking Missiles wrote a letter of complaint about this pro-homosexual message on one of the cups:

The Way I See #43

"My only regret about being gay
is that I repressed it for so long.
I surrendered my youth to the
people I feared when I could have
been out there loving someone.
Don't make that mistake yourself.
Life's too d*** short."

and received this response:

Thanks for taking the time to write about "The Way I See It." Starbucks has long been dedicated to creating a unique "third place" between home and work. We also draw on the centuries-old tradition of the coffeehouse as a place to gather, share ideas, and enjoy delicious beverages. We see this program as an extension of the coffeehouse culture - a way to promote open, respectful conversation among a wide variety of individuals.

Because this program is meant to encourage discussion and the exchange of ideas, your feedback is very important. In fact, it's a vital part of the conversation.

I can understand that you do not appreciate it when political speech that you disagree with appears in "The Way I See It." Our goal with "The Way I See It" is to create a fair and balanced forum for discussion. To do this, we have invited authors representing a wide range of views. Not everybody we have invited has chosen to participate, but we will continue to make this program an inclusive one.

We also invite all customers to contribute their own quotes for consideration, and to give us feedback in our "letters to the editor" section on the website. If you would like to contribute a quote for the cup, or to respond to a particular cup you've seen, please feel free to do so!

Here are some previous customer submissions, none of which are as controversial as the first.

I'm not much of an organizer, but it would be a great idea for Christians to contribute Bible verses. So Starbucks would either have to print at least a few of them, or admit that they're not really as "fair and balanced" as they would have you believe.

I'd especially like to see them print Genesis 1 - the six days of creation...

sad news

Synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog died on Monday.

better late than never

Go read Lileks' screed on the Gaza pullout from a few days ago. Put on your waders - the sarcasm is deep:

Perhaps it was a waste of resources to defend 8500 settlers living next to 1.5 million Muslim refugees; unfortunately you can’t give up the land without the sweet lads at Hamas claiming victory and wishing to press their momentum. I have no doubt that Gaza will be a launch pad for more attacks, and I don’t doubt that whatever economic conditions exist there today will exist in 10 years – and they’ll still be blamed on occupation. Should the rockets continue to fly out of Gaza in a year – and they will - it’ll be blamed on occupation of the West Bank. And if they give up the West Bank, they’ll be hammered for having occupied them in the first place. And so on until the tender moral sensibilities of our betters are salved with the destruction of Israel by Iranian nukes, which, while contrary to the spirit of international law, certainly does put a period to this vexatious interval.

Victories in Iraq

Power Line found this story of a new church in Iraq.

details, details

maybe hybrid cars aren't 'all that'

Kids Died! Cindy Lied!

T.Bevan makes it real clear:

There is not, nor has there ever been, a single shred of evidence suggesting that Cindy Sheehan's son died to make Bush's oil buddies rich. Lest this come as some sort of shocking news, Bush's oil buddies were plenty rich before the war, and the suggestion Bush would send young American men and women to die in a fit of crony capitalism is so odious and farfetched it calls into question the intelligence and motives of anyone who accepts it as reality.

strong words

Ben Stein is back, and has some great words about our President. I only found one incorrect word in this line:

"How unbelievably lucky we are to have him, and how grateful we should be."

It wasn't "luck", it was "divine providence".

I Don't Like Lucy...

...but Babalu rocks!

Evolution Battle

I look forward to the day our kids can read about Richard Sternberg in a similar light as Martin Luther or St. Telemachus.

VDH on "Biteback"

"Every time one hears a strident censor bring up a purported American sin, expect that he'll be bitten right back by proving the opposite of what he intended — and looking foolish in the bargain."

Unemployment Gap

it's there in black and white.

Cartoons for the Hard of Hearing

Heeheehee!

also, read the fine print.

actually, just go read all the current posts over at Rightwingsparkle's...

AQ goobers

Some punks in Jordan prove they can hit the broad side of a barn - but fortunately not two US Navy ships larger and closer.

honor among thieves...

...just isn't what it used to be. At this rate, we may need another nickname to replace "Taxachusetts".

Science News

Via Yahoo: Scientists Claim To Create Life From Scratch.

Reminds me of the old joke:

One day a group of scientists got together and decided that humans had come a long way and no longer needed God. So they picked one scientist to go and tell God so.

The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you; We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't You just go on and get lost."

God listened very patiently and kindly to the man. After the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well, how about this? Let's say we have a man-making contest." To which the scientist replied, "Okay, great!"

"But," God added, "we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam."

The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt.

God looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt."

now i have an excuse...

...to avoid salads

...and grilled cheese

new math

sixteen
x
point five
=
funny!

the 16th carnival of comedy is here.

warning: the surgeon general has determined that the title graphic may cause cancer in blog rats.

alternatives to energy

Wizbang has a quick summary of alternative energy sources.

Able Danger coverup

Discerning Texan found a perfect picture and summary of Clinton's Legacy. More on the story at RedState and Captain's Quarters.

Ah, if only Clinton had paraphrased Reagan's famous line, "Ms. Gorelick, tear down this wall!"

---

update: Wuzzadem has a much more amusing version.

Border Security

The governors of New Mexico and Arizona have declared a state of emergency on their borders with Mexico. Quoth the Fox:

In Mexico on Tuesday, President Vicente Fox, visiting the state of Sonora across the border from Arizona, urged United States officials to do more than sound alarms about the crime plaguing both sides of the border and to work with Mexican authorities on solutions. Mr. Fox called the crime problem a "shared responsibility for both governments."

"Instead of each of us working on our own sides," he said, "we must work together. That's the only way to win."

"There is organized crime here," Mr. Fox said, "and there is organized crime there. On this side and that side, there is drug consumption. The only solution is to work together."

Oh I see - now "working together" should be taken to mean "publishing guidebooks to help immigrants enter the United States illegally, and steal benefits away from honest American taxpayers".

With friends like that, who needs a foreign invasion?

14:59 has long passed

Talentless hack Sean "Piddy Puff Diddy P Puffy D Daddy Paddy" Combs extends his fifteen minutes by changing his name again. Tell me again why we are supposed to care?

So the next time he asks "Diddy", the correct answer is "No!"

Al Jazeera's Hot Hits

Blaring from towers across the middle east, here are this week's most requested songs by and for Islamofascists:

"Suicide Blonde" by Snoop Goaty Goat
"You Can Call Me Al" by Al Hurt
"Rock The Casbah" by Insane Clown Posse
"Iran So Far Away" by Throwing Stones
"Allah My Love" by Fatwa Boy Slim
"My Shari'a More" by Burqa Back-Iraq
"Every Mullah Wants To Rule The World" by Bad Religion

The winners will be included in a compilation to be titled "How To Assemble An Atomic Bomb".

(you can include your suggestions for next week's winners in the comments...)

food-related inventions

two stories at gizmag:

good idea - water purifier
questionable idea - factory-grown meat

Good News from Iraq

Winds of Change has what should be a regular feature in the national news coverage: Good News from Iraq.

I know it's already been instalanched, but it's worth another link just to bring some kind of balance to the gloom-and-doom drumming of msm.

coincidence?

That's odd - I ate a package of Ton-Sized Strange-Quark Nuggets while watching "Attack of the Killer Strangelets"...

linkfest

Discerning Texan has lots of 'less than encouraging' links about Iran.

Mark Steyn shows us the links in UN corruption.

hope the trend continues

First Governor Pawlenty stands up to PETA, then UND President Charles E. Kupchella stands up to the NCAA's insensitive sensitivity. It's good to see people in leadership roles not caving in to leftist boondoggles.

Crawford Protest

Parents gather to spit on their children's graves, and invite drug addicts and cult members to dance there as well.

update: Molten Thought's new title for the event - Traitorpalooza

smells fishy to me

Some flatheads at PETA started carping about fishing in Minnesota, and without any debait, Governor Pawlenty blew them out of the water, hook line and sinker. Holy mackerel! Is he angling for reelection?

Here's my sole entry about PETA's floundering campaign of red herrings.

when the theater gives you lemons...

...write a zesty review!

Able Danger

Why are these liars still covering for Clinton's treacherous ineptitude?

The Sept. 11 commission knew military intelligence officials had identified lead hijacker Mohamed Atta as a member of al-Qaida who might be part of U.S.-based terror cell more than a year before the terror attacks but decided not to include that in its final report, a spokesman acknowledged Thursday.

Al Felzenberg, spokesman for the commission's follow-up project called the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, had said earlier this week that the panel was unaware of intelligence specifically naming Atta. But he said subsequent information provided Wednesday confirmed that the commission had been aware of the intelligence.

More links to the story at Discerning Texan.

Update: Still more links at Michelle Malkin, and a list of Captain's Quarters posts on the "Danger Enablers".

the pot calling the tupperware black

Via Michelle Malkin:

A Washington lobbyist who is a central figure in investigations involving House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was charged on Thursday with defrauding two lenders of $60 million to buy a casino cruise line.

missed it by *that* much

Hugh Hewitt says in this post about upcoming Supreme Court nominations,

"Someone should tell NARAL that the world has changed since 1987, and its outrageous lies will not go unchallenged in this and future SCOTUS nominations."

I disagree, because you should "never interrupt your enemy while he's making a mistake."

Relocate

Based on an idea from this Molten Thought post:

The UN should relocate here.

it's never just a movie

Chris Leland reminds us that all media has an inherent worldview which may or may not be wholesome.

When it comes to the things we read or see or use to entertain us, it’s never “just a book” — or “just a song” or “just a movie” or “just a TV show.” It’s always got something to say about how we think and feel, good or bad. And if we keep reading or watching or listening, it’s liable to affect how we think and feel, good or bad.

I've been improving on the book, movie, and television fronts, but procrastinating about some of the music...

Eddy Grant was thinking small

According to some, it's not just an Electric Avenue, it's an Electric Universe!

drug pushers

Just because I do a lot of anti-left-wing posts doesn't mean I'm totally pro-big-business. Read about some big gangs of pill-pushers.

no you're not!

Varifrank lists what you are not, if...

speaking of profit...

Discerning Texan on Hollywood's leftist agitprop:

"Imagine Leni Riefenstahl cross-promoting "Triumph of the Will" with People Magazine covers and E! Channel specials. That's more or less what Hollywood has in mind."

Death-For-Profit

Blue Goldfish has a must-read post that shows the primary motivation of pro-abortion organizations.

the sky wasn't falling before, but it surely is now!

Once again proving that the only true quagmire is arguing with liberals, Darn Floor notes that environmentalists now say our air is too clean. (At least they were saying it a couple of months ago.)

...and in related news, quitting smoking causes lung cancer, bathing increases body odor, and brushing your teeth causes cavities.

Err America

Captain's Quarters asks "What's the frequency, Al?"

Michelle Malkin has more links & info about Air America stealing from poor kids.

podcast blogdream

I had another blog-related dream last night, which was related to the IMAO podcast.

In the dream, Spacemonkey and FrankJ were auditioning me to do funny voices for the podcast. We were all in a dark recording studio, (something like this) and they were asking me about how much experience I had doing voice work. I told them I had made up funny voices for about twenty years, but didn't have any professional experience in the field. Hearing that, they rolled their eyes and gave each other an "oh-great-we're-wasting-our-time-here" look, so I knew I needed to catch their attention quickly.

Somehow I was inspired to improvise a character based on the Matrix Reloaded movie, and made up a scenario which could be called "Interview with the Replacement Architect".

Using a voice which was a comic nasal version of a cheezy east european movie villain, I said something like this:

"Ya, I are the second Architect. Ze first Architect retired six yearrrs ago, und he trrrained me before he left. He vas verrry hard to please, und it took many years of trainingk until he trrrusted me vith da operrration of da Matrix".

That got a few laughs, so I continued.

"Ven I first go to work for him, it vas alvays 'Meester Architect' dis und 'Meester Architect' dat. Only after I passed mein final test did he allow me to call him Lenny".

"Oh ya, I remember mein first assignment. Meester Architect vould not even trust me to rrrun a whole city, even a small one, so mein first assignment was to remodel a bathroom in Peoria using only my mind".

I wish I could remember more details of what I said, becase it got a lot funnier and weirder from there.

The dream ended when my one of my co-workers came in. He started acting disruptive - interrupting me, messing up the settings on the mixer, etc. - because he had already tried out for the part and lost.

---

update: I had no knowledge of the "Matrix" spoof produced for the MTV Movie Awards prior to this dream.

Multiculturalism Uber Alles!

Iowahawk does it again. (At least they're not bussing the students.)

weird cars

This is what happens when:

1) You learn origami at an early age,
2) have excessive disposable income, and
3) sleep in Transformers pajamas as an adult.

(all four pics found here.)

3, 3, 3 links in one!

Dustbury has some posts you should read. Topics include: cultural sensitivity, the woman's right to choose, and SUV drivers "who think the laws of physics are nothing more than a blanket excuse from Montgomery Scott".

I felt the same way in NYC

Iowahawk chronicles reporters' hardships:

...dozens of panicked media professionals wandering the streets of Crawford, searching in vain for alternative weeklies, gallery openings and Peruvian-Vietnamese tapa parlors, only to be met with blank stares and offers of free beer. The experience stunned many.

"I spent at least three hours yesterday hailing a cab, with no luck," noted Frank Bruni, the New York Times' White House correspondent. "I guess I'll just have to take the subway."

"I thought three years living in a rural backwater like Seattle, Washington would prepare me for the primitive conditions of Crawford," added visibly shaken Slate correspondent Bryan Curtis. "That was before I spent six straight mornings without a venti double mocha skim latte."

His eyes welling, Curtis described how he was forced to survive on 89-cent coffee from the Chevron Gas Mart.

Reminds me of the time we went to NYC. We were looking for an Allsup's to get some chimichangas and a 64 oz. Dr. Pepper, and all we could find was some dump charging $60 for a shriveled-up sirloin.

---

update: Blue Goldfish has a nice thoughtful commentary of the ideas in these posts.

Mr. AlGore's Neighborhood

As a matter of fact, no, I will not be your neighbor.

:)

unbelievable

CrosSwords notes that "pro-life" should mean more than just "anti-abortion".

Terror from Tehran

Let's hope and pray that these "mad mullahs" nuclear ambitions are thwarted.

Scum

First Air America steals from some kids, then the NY Times investigates some other kids.

The left continues to prove it has absolutely NO decency or taste, NO morals or ethics, NO intelligence or reason, and (like Russel used to say) NO class.

Suggestions

Dustbury has a great suggestions for dealing with plagiarists and big brother.

Voter Fraud

Even though it's not an election year, don't forget which party is the most fraudulent.

Russian Military News

Here are links to several interesting stories about the Russian military. The first few are (at least mildly) amusing:

• Either the headline and picture don't match on this story, or that's the weirdest ship I've ever seen.
• A Russian Navy flagship was sunk during preparations for a parade.
• Soldiers hijack APC to go buy vodka. (I saw that in an episode of "Mikhail's Navy".)

Each page has links to many of these stories, most of which are more serious, including this one:

• Russia is set to spend the most money on its military since the breakup of the USSR.

who is higgins?

It could be interesting to use this poem by G.K. Chesterton for song lyrics. Does anyone know the "Higgins" he is referring to?

today's 2nd "Princess Bride" reference

Pseudo-Polymath has the wittiest headline I've seen in reference to the Democrat's religious profiling of the most recent Supreme Court nominee: "The Dread Catholic Roberts". If you haven't seen the movie, that is a spoof of a character name in the movie "Princess Bride". When my co-worker saw the headline, he came up with this 'adaptation' of some lines from the movie.

"No one would fear the Dread Secular Wesley, so I went by a pseudonym."

"Judge Roberts, tell us of your clerking experience with Chief Justice Rehnquist."
"Well, after writing briefs all day, he would say, 'Good work today, John. Sleep well. Most likely kill you in the morning.'"

(p.s. okay, technically the first Princess Bride reference was yesterday, but it was less than 24 hours ago.)

good judge of character

GM's Corner has the words spoken by Judge William Young to attempted shoe bomber Richard Reid after the specifics of his sentencing:

"Let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before...

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it or your attorney who does it, or if you think you are a soldier, you are not. You are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice...

In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and where the TV crews were, and he said: "You're no big deal."

You are no big deal...

We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden, pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. Day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure. Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America, the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done...

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer, stand him down."

air america scam, pt.4

Discerning Texan says:

If Air America were a conservative radio network its corrupt funding trail and cynical abuse of a poverty program would be front page news at the NY Times and full-time mega-scandal at CNN.

Of course, if it were a conservative radio network it might: (1) have an audience and (2) ad revenue...

If this was the Limbaugh show, it would be leading every single network news progarm. In this case the silence speaks volumes more than had the networks actually picked it up. On the other hand, this does not seem to be likely to be a story that the blogs will let go of. It is only a matter of time... and if it follows the usual pattern, the msm cover up will only serve to make the story that much more sensational when it does break.

you say potato

Truth found in a newspaper? Inconceivable!

Bible Marking

Growing up, I was taught not to mark on the pages of books, unless they were specifically designed to be marked on (like workbooks or coloring books). During my teen and college years, though, some teachers at church recommended various ways of highlighting and/or marking bible verses which you found had "special meaning" for you. I knew many of my friends did so, but it still struck me as wrong, in part due to these words found in the last chapter of Revelation.

What do you think?

Optimus Keyboard

This keyboard is so cool, but it looks like you'll have to wait a year to buy one.

"Yes he's only a Bill, sitting there on Capitol Hill"

Via Newsmax:

Hillary Clinton is calling on President Bush to sign legislation that would make a national registry of sex offenders available to the public...

In comments covered by her official Senate Web site, Hillary made no mention of her husband, who was accused by several women of sexual assault before he was impeached for perjuring himself in a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Likewise, reporters declined to ask her about a Clinton era directive that required state Medicaid programs to cover Viagra, which made the impotency drug available to nearly 800 sex offenders nationwide.

In addition to the Dru Sjodin Act, Mrs. Clinton is a co-sponsor of S. 1086, a more comprehensive bill aimed at cracking down on sexual predators.

Hmm, I can't think of any possible reason she would be so motivated to take action about these types of causes.

Murderers say "Oopsie!"

AP News via Yahoo:

A major Palestinian militant group declared on Wednesday that it would fire no more rockets at Israelis through Israel's planned Gaza Strip withdrawal, after a deadly barrage inadvertently killed a 5-year-old Palestinian boy...

Islamic Jihad denied any involvement and called the attack an "unfortunate incident"... Hamas, also denied involvement in the attack...

"This is unfortunately not the first time that Palestinian victims are being killed... We should put an end to this by any means, by force, or by pursuing and convincing"...

What's unfortunate is that more Islamofascist murderers weren't inadvertently obliterated.

Shuttle Replacements

Here is one likely plan for a replacement for the Space Shuttle. Scott J. Horowitz, an aerospace engineer and former astronaut who helped develop the new plan, said:

"The shuttle is not a lemon, it's just too complicated. I know from flying it four times. It's an amazing engineering feat. But there's a better way."

...which are much kinder words than John Derbyshire said previously.

Power Line

The last quote in this post says, "the loon isn't actually going anywhere, he's just showing off." I guess they're talking about the photo of the bird, but it makes more sense in reference to the aforementioned DNC, or the bloated loon from Massachusetts.

air america scam, pt.3

Air America used to get lots of free coverage, why not now?

Operation Olympic or Enola Gay

Regarding Truman's options for ending WWII, Weekly Standard revises the revisionists.