Best Of Homespun Bloggers October 31st, 2004

Yelling at the Windshield

Top Ten Reasons to Vote For Bush--Number 4

Democrats gave into basest instincts. And in doing so, they put themselves in the awful position of actually siding with and defending Saddam, of actually rooting for casualties and failure on the battlefield, of cheering when unemployment numbers rise, of cackling with glee when CEOs of major corporations do the perp walk, of denying that there's a war going on at all. It has been a shameful, divisive chapter in our history, and the people responsible for it, the Democrats, do not deserve your vote.

Tim's Webpage

Those Terrorists Sure Are Organized

Terrorists stumbled across a warehouse full of explosives. Then they rounded up about a hundred people and a few forklifts. They packed about 237 pallets of explosives onto 13 semi-trucks that can carry about 30 tons each, and transported them to their gigantic hidden warehouse that they keep empty for situations exactly like this...and they did all of that right under the nose of a hundred thousand troops.

The Terriorists

Cute House Horrors

Anyway, while AHM and me were walkin' and drivin' around the town, we started noticin' something curious--Halloween has become a big house-decoratin' holiday. Now most places just stick a themed wreath on the door or maybe a pumpkin or two on the stoop. Then there are The Others…

The Unmentionables

Already Looking Past the Election

In today's Washington Post, Richard Cohen has fired the first shot--and perhaps set the stage for the liberal left's future endeavors.

"I do not write the headlines for my columns. Someone else does. But if I were to write the headline for this one, it would be "Impeach George Bush." Of course, I realize there's no chance Congress would impeach the president at this point or under almost any circumstance. It somehow reserves its outrage for lying about sex under oath and not, as now seems clear, the making of war under false pretenses."

A Physicist's Perspective

Terror connection

A relatively recent news story which has received very little mainstream coverage indicates that Saddam Hussein's regime really did have connections with terrorists and terrorist groups.

Weapon of Mass Distraction

James Baker's Double Life

Here's a question: How can James Baker, President Bush's envoy to the world for Iraqi debt relief, expect any cooperation from Iraq's creditors when he's pushing a secret deal to make Iraq pay what it owes Kuwait?

Here's another: What are George Soros and Madeleine Albright getting out of this deal?

MuD&PHuD

More On Abortion

Continuing my thoughts from before...

I've been trying to decide what I learned from the What is Choice? panel. Beforehand, I already knew their stances on abortion and the 'right' to choose. I did, however, learn two things. The first thing I learned added to my understanding of the 'other side' in a quantitative sense.

2 3 4 New Bloggers

Editors in Pajamas
kellipundit
pawigoview
Mover Mike

Best Of Homespun Bloggers October 24th, 2004

Little Red Blog

A Divided World | A Divided Nation

It appears the entire world has an opinion, or a candidate, in the race for the White House. This is not by chance. A straightforward analysis of the world today reflects that the world is divided sharply, just as this nation is, hence the willingness of political leaders from around the world to state their beliefs about the proper man for the Oval Office. We are apt to pin the divide both at home and abroad on one issue. When we do so, we are wrong.

Yelling at the Windshield

The O'Reilly Mess

Fact 11 of his accuser's lawsuit, which declares that O'Reilly has used his show "to preach the principles of the so-called 'compassionate conservative' espoused by George W. Bush and the Republican Party...[and] to preach their belief in family values and to bemoan the moral decline of politicians and others in positions of power." The use of the word "preach" is clearly freighted with negativity. But I'm a bit puzzled as to why the lawyers saw fit to include this comment: It seems like they're trying to have O'Reilly convicted of hypocrisy--last I checked, it was still legal to be a hypocrite and a phony.

The Southern Conservative

An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy

After three years of flagrant, shameless and unlawful cohabitation, Wendy and I made it legal today. We were married in a small, informal ceremony at a local state park. We’d wanted an outdoor autumn wedding for the foliage… and although Mother Nature helped us out with the colors, we also had heavy cloud cover and an off-and-on rain mist… so it wasn’t sunny, but it was still an all-around lovely day.

Chris Berg

Telstra's Regulatory Waltz

Allan Fels would like to increase the already innumerable regulations to which Telstra is held. Telstra is already responsible to its customers, its shareholders, the government, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Australian Communication Authority, not to mention self-regulation groups like the Australian Communications Industry Forum.

The New Fifth Column

From the BBC's website we learn of a new documentary to be broadcast tonight

The Power of Nightmares
Wed 20 Oct, 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm 60mins

In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares. The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just as the dreams weren't true, neither are these nightmares.

This series shows dramatically how the idea that we are threatened by a hidden and organised terrorist network is an illusion. It is a myth that has spread unquestioned through politics, the security services and the international media.

The Terriorists

Mr. Peabody - Time Traveling Hero

C'mon. Who else would I choose?

Yeah, I know I’m too late for the Truth Laid Bear Heroes for Bush blogburst, but AHM was workin' a lot these last two days and, well, I can't type by myself. But since I wrote this I'm makin' her post it even tho' it is kinda' long.

Peabody's Improbable History The Lost Episode - John Kerry

Considerettes

"Disenfranchisement"

The mainstream media needs to get its definitions straight (you'd think that shouldn't be a problem with them). In the 2000 election, they parrotted the Democrats' incorrect use of the word, and today they're doing the same thing. Not getting your way is not disenfranchisement.

The Unmentionables

2,500, 1,300, and 2,300

Remember those numbers.

Saying it could do more harm than good, a federal judge last night denied a Bush administration request to force Pennsylvania counties to send new absentee ballots to thousands of oversees voters and to count the results up to two weeks after Election Day.

2,500, 1,300, and 2,300. Those are the minimum number of "invalid" absentee ballots sent to overseas U.S. citizens including numerous soldiers now serving in Iraq. If Bush loses Pennsylvania by less than 6,100 you can trace the reason directly to those missing votes--and those disenfranchised voters.

A Physicist's Perspective

The real problem with our country, and the world

Politics is often very heated, and we certainly see that in this presidential election. But why is it so heated? It's quite likely that it's because we all recognize the world, and our society, has a lot of problems. We come to believe that there are particular reasons for those problems -- such as a wrong government policy in a certain area, etc. So when we see someone who disagrees with us politically, it's quite easy to see them as the origin of all our society's problems. The only problem with this is that the Bible teaches where the problems come from -- and it's not from politics.

Bunker Mulligan

Battle or Diversion?

I heard someone on the radio yesterday say something to the effect that Dubya views Iraq as a battle in the war against terrorism, and Kerry sees it as a diversion from the war. I thought that summed things up nicely, although I believe it was a Democratic Party supporter who said it. I'm not sure he meant it in the same way I perceived it.

MuD&PHuD

Iraq --> Syria

Interesting info from Mr. Duelfer:

"A lot of materials left Iraq and went to Syria," Duelfer said. "There was certainly a lot of traffic across the border points. We've got a lot of data to support that, including people discussing it. But whether in fact in any of these trucks there was WMD-related materials, I cannot say."

If I were a bettin' man I'd put my money on 'We're going to find out that WMDs were transported from Iraq to Syria.'

David M

Serial plagiarism exposed

Following is a day-by-day list of the posts which "Dave's Blurbs" has plagiarized this month, and my best guess as to the source of the material. Each post below is fully or largely "borrowed," and in none of these cases is appropriate attribution given. Where I have noticed any potentially mitigating circumstances, I have noted them next to the link. In some cases he has combined two other blogger's posts into one of his posts; in these cases he leaves each post intact and just puts one after another.

Weapon of Mass Distraction

The Official Ex-Cub Factor

Author Ron Berler, the man who discovered the Ex-Cub Factor in 1981, sent me a note to explain how it really works:

1) Any team with three or more ex-Cubs will lose the World Series. (As I'm sure you're aware, the 2004 Cardinals have three ex-Cubs.)

2) The Ex-Cub Factor takes effect ONLY in the Series.

3) In Series where opponents have two or fewer ex-Cubs, the winner is determined on merit.

Shining Light in Dark Corners

If Bin Ladin Were Endorsing, He'd Pick Bush

The fact is Iran and very likely Bin Ladin want to see Bush re-elected because he has played right into their hands. Their future efforts at recruiting terrorists, political supporters and pan Islamic political movements have been enhanced far beyond their greatest dreams. The next generation of terrorists can now be recruited in greater numbers than ever before. Hatred for America has metastasized all over the world.

Meanwhile, the Bush Administration has no plan to deal with it. Other than standing so close to war criminal Sharon that he shares the stain of blood on his hands. We can't afford four more years.

Musing

You tell me…

You tell me why nearly identical economic numbers are considered a boom
for Clinton and a bomb for Bush.

2 New Bloggers

Niner Charlie
The Royal Flush

Best Of Homespun Bloggers October 17th, 2004

Musing

Warren Kinsella - My hero

Seems that the much vaunted and ever so highly esteemed Canadian lawyer Warren Kinsella is threatening a few bloggers with legal action for posting something that made him very angry. Bad bloggers! BAD!!! Donÿt you know that Warren is a very important and highly influential man. Donÿt you know that the multitude of misdirected policy decisions the Chrétien crowd made regarding military funding could not possibly have anything to do with the Canadian Navy buying a fleet of rickety, aging, anchors, like the Chicoutimi? Donÿt you know that no one in the Canadian government or the legions of well-paid bureaucrats they surround themselves with should ever be held accountable for this kind of misallocation of funds or the loss of life that might be associated with them?


Yelling at the Windshield

"Anti-family demons"

I don't know which is worse: that Andrew and Kerry and those who would try to make political hay out of the gay marriage issue actually believe that much of middle-America thinks gays and lesbians are 'anti-family demons' and that they actually believe that they might, by some oh-so-clever reverse psychology hidden within a debate comment, move that group to vote a certain way, or that Andrew and Kerry and the rest know better, but are keeping alive the notion of a vast intolerant homophobic populace as a rhetorical straw man. Either way, I don't like what it says about their view of America's heartland, and I think it's yet another reason to reject them for a leadership role.

The Southern Conservative

A Blog Headrush

Considering the libertarian ideas held by many of the bloggers I read regularly, I’m surprised that this is the first time I’ve come across the topic of marijuana legalization. I’m going to come out of the closet on this topic right here and now: I’m not sure it’s a bad idea. In fact, I can see more benefits to it than detriments. Sure, there are a lot of questions to be answered before we plunge headlong into legalization…all I’m saying is that it’s time serious people started asking those questions.

The Harmful UN

I used to describe the United Nations as "Useless", as in "The Useless UN". Although the titles rhymed and sounded nice, a more apt description is of that organization is harmful.

We will recall some years ago the knashing of teeth over the failure of the failure to stop the genocide in Rwanda, where some 800,000 Tutsi's were slaughtered. "Never again", we said, would we let such a tragedy occur.

The Unmentionables

Vote Democrat and Die

[...]

Why are we relying upon a company out of England--or Canada--to provide our vaccines? Look no further than Hillary Clinton's Vaccines for Children program.

From a 2003 report

"The panel of doctors and economists issuing a report on vaccines last week identified as a fundamental cause of the problem the fact that the government purchases 55 percent of the childhood vaccine market at forced discount prices. The result has been "declining financial incentives to develop and produce vaccines."

MuD&PHuD

War Or Crime

Those of us on the Right side of things tend to think that Terrorism is a force against which we are at War. Those on the Left seem all to often to classify Terrorism as a Crime. Obviously, I think the Left is wrong.

The Terriorists

Since we're close to the election that's got everyone howlin' and yowlin', I'll start off with some votin' monkeyshines.

"Critics of the Diebold touch-screen voting machines turned their attention Wednesday from the machines themselves to the computers that will tally the final vote, saying the outcome is so easy to manipulate that even a monkey could do it.

"And they showed video of a monkey hacking the system to prove it. In the minute-long video produced by Black Box Voting, Baxter the chimp is shown deleting the audit log that is supposed to keep track of changes in the Diebold central tabulator, the computer and program that keeps track of county vote totals."

Tim's Webpage

And the winner is...

I swear, if everything Kerry says about Bush is true, then Bush sure is
a jerk. And if Bush is that big of a jerk, then Kerry is the worst
politician in the world for not running away with this race.

Bunker Mulligan

Left vs. Right

I've spent a little time thinking about the concepts of left/right, and decided to do some research on the web to find out why we define people one way or the other, and what that really means. I've come across a couple of discussion groups weighing the different things that determine where one sits on some graph. And everyone wants to have a graph.

A Physicist's Perspective

More on the Mexican border and terrorists

I posted before about the potential for terrorists to cross the Mexican border, and concerns some already have. Now, there are reports that a group of 25 Chechens wearing backpacks and with connections to the Islamic terrorists who have fought against Russia have crossed the Mexican border illegally. I discuss the need to improve border security, and several suggestions on how to do so.

Shining Light in Dark Corners

Bush: Believes He Follows Commands From God

This man is so scary. I find it incredible that he could get into this powerful a position. Anyone who is so sure of himself, so sure God commands him to act, cannot use any level of reason in his decisions. Given that too many of his advisors are from a similar belief, this Administration is truly on a crusade.

2 4 5 New Bloggers

The Running Conservative
Eric's Random Musings
Cave News
Pete's Journal
Donkey Eggs

Best Of Homespun Bloggers October 10th, 2004

Considerettes

The Danger of Swing Voters

As part of an E-mail exchange about the first Presidential debate, my brother wrote about swing voters. I liked his response so much I asked if I could post it here. He agreed, and he's fleshed it out a bit more, so here it is.

"Swing voters are among the top five things of greatest threat to this country...."

Musing

Not terribly surprising

How surprising would it be for a group of European, big government, pro-labor, social democrats to produce a paper that claims Sweden and its socialist ways makes unionized workers happy?

How much less surprising would it be to learn that the International Labor Organization, a wing of the UN, had published the report and was spreading it around the world as a means of showing that Swedish workers were the ´happiest in the world¡.

The Therapy Sessions

My silly life

I gripe a lot on this blog. One would think that I am quite unhappy. But in reality, things are pretty good in my life, and this blog is just a way of letting off steam.

When I think about it, I live like a king.

Right now, a farmer somewhere is tending the calves that will make the milk for my refrigerator and the beef for my table. There are teams of doctors waiting to serve me should I fall sick, and engineers are ensuring that whenever I turn on a light, I will see light.

The Unmentionables

Voter Fraud

I kept trying to figure out how someone who registered twice--once as themselves and once as a dead/fictitious person--could actually get away with showing up at the polls and voting without getting caught. Part of my problem was that I have lived most of my life in relatively small cities and communitites where everyone was at least acquainted with one another and the odds of meeting up with someone you knew were great.

Then I received this e-mail from the Democrat Party.

Roosevelt Lied, People Died!

October 7, 1946
United States Senate

"Fellow members of the Senate, I have the duty to report to you that Franklin Delano Roosevelt lied to us about his reasons for initiating the Manhattan Project. Yes, the project that developed the atomic bomb was all based on a lie.

The Terriorists

Kibbles 'n Bits®

One day last summer Buck Wolf of ABC News decided to paw through all the stuff out there designed to make us canines happier and spiffier--or not, as the case may be. 'Course I don't need any extras, but for those less fortunate--or for those whose Alphas have bouts of Omega silliness that get crossed with their momentary lack of financial prudence--here's what's available.

Naturally heading off the list is what I like to call the "Kerry Enhancers" otherwise known as "Neuticles" for the anatomically altered. Now you can buy 'em with little microchips inside so when your candidate--er--companion--flips and flops, wanders in rhetorical circles, and generally can't figure out which way he's headin', you can find him again. If you want to.

Shining Light in Dark Corners

A Kerry Foreign Policy

Kerry has a much more reassuring view of the world. There are sound pragmatic reasons for that. Terrorism works by scaring a lot of people. Responding to terrorism with a Jihad of our own simply played into Al Qaeda hands. His recruiting depends upon convincing Muslims that America in on a new crusade with Israel to dominate and impose a Judeo-Christian culture on the Middle East. Bush's actions have played right into that view.

The Wandering Mind

The vast majority of Iraqis want freedom.

Like the Palestinians, the Iraqis must understand that freedom is a gift that must be earned. Their tacit support of the terrorists, by their inaction and unwillingness to help stamp out the evil, will disqualify them from participating in the fruits of real democracy and freedom.

Our behavior in dealing with the realities on the ground, is grist for a never ending soap opera. We are being told that the Muslim world need to be 'understood,' their 'feelings' and 'humiliations' are almost too much to bear.

A Physicist's Perspective

Your tax dollars at work -- opposing Bush

This week, I discuss how Planned Parenthood puts our tax dollars to work indoctrinating kids to oppose President Bush. Well, really, it's teaching them to be "responsible youth", which apparently means the same thing. Planned Parenthood also has some scary things it wants to teach our children.

MuD&PHuD

Draft? What Draft?

AAAAAAHHHH! This is the sort of thing that makes my physically angry. As in the people at the LA Times are lucky I'm 3,000 miles away (via The Jawa Report):

Republicans Glad to Lose on Bill to Start New Draft

Let me get this straight. Charlie Rangle (D NY) introduces a bill to bring back the draft. Then it comes to a vote and is defeated with only 2 Yeas. Then the LA Times says that REPUBLICANS are glad to LOSE on the bill to start the new draft??!!

The Southern Conservative

John Kerry's Hometown Blues

When the Lone Star Iconoclast, a local paper in Crawford, Texas, endorsed John Kerry, some saw it as a home-town rejection of the president. However, as KWTX in Waco reports, Iconoclast publisher W. Leon Smith hardly represents the rest of Crawford. In contrast, the Lowell Sun in Massachusetts endorsed President Bush, and a Gary Younge article at The Guardian indicates that Kerry’s hometown agrees with their local paper: Come to Boston now...and you are struck by the blend of ennui and indifference that the local boy is up for the big prize.

Weapon of Mass Distraction

Treatments for ED

Have you noticed that the biotech companies have quit pretending to market their drugs for erectile dysfunction to men with genuine medical issues? Saw an ad for Levitra tonight. It featured a beautiful spokesmodel gushing about a "strong, lasting" experience.

The ad's disclaimer caught my attention, too: "In the unlikely event that an erection lasts for more than four hours, seek immediate medical attention."

David M

John Edwards and dividend taxes

...Finally, for a bigger picture perspective, it is important to look
at
income taxes as well as dividend taxes. While the Democrats would have
you
believe that Bush pushed through a "tax cut for the wealthy," it is
important to keep in mind that the wealthy pay a greater portion of the
income tax pie under the Bush tax cut than they did beforehand. Hence
the
poor and middle classes pay a smaller portion. I do not know why the
Republicans are not trumpeting the point, but they should be.

2 3 4 New Bloggers

And Rightly So...
David M
Hey, Relax...I'm just sayin'
The Bull Speaks

Best Of Homespun Bloggers October 3rd, 2004

Musing

The inevitable words of wisdom about the debate

For those with little to no time, you can read this line. Simply put,
the first debate won't do a thing to change the current race. Neither
Bush nor Kerry scored the proverbial 'knock-out punch'. Bush made
several strong and clear points that debunked Kerry's hyperbole. Kerry
came off as a polished and professional speaker.

The Southern Conservative

Underdogs, Fat Boys, and the Roanoke Times

...that’s really a big part of it with me. I just
don’t like Kerry. Personally. As a man. You
know, as much as I was disgusted by Clinton’s public
policies and failures, I kinda liked the guy. I
couldn’t help it. I just saw him as a big ol’ fat
southern boy who liked chicks and cheeseburgers and
thought he knew it all. Sounds like my friends and
much of my family. I always kinda had the idea that
sitting around with ol’ Slick, knocking back a few
Bass Ales, fishin’ and tellin’ lies, would be a lot of
fun.

Chris Berg

McDonald's on the Moon

I really want McDonald's to open up a moon store. Not because those
tasty, tasty burgers would be available to Moonmen, but because of
what it implies...

Liberal Utopia

Relative Levels of Violence

Ten -- count 'em -- ten "9/11s" each year. That's the equivalent of
what the Iraqi people suffered on average during the totalitarian
torturocracy of one Saddam Hussein al-Majid.

Rally in New Jersey for the President!

Where: VFW Post 6255 Cedar Grove, NJ

When: 1pm ~ October 16, 2004

Theme: PROTECTING THE HOMELAND Rally in Support Of
President Bush

Sponsors: Security Moms 4 Bush NJ, W.I.S.P., Democrats
4 Bush, and Vets4Bush

Press release and guest list follows

MuD&PHuD

Answering Orin Kerr

Orin Kerr over at The Volokh Conspiracy has posed three questions to the Iraq hawks in the Blogosphere. Since I count myself among them I have decided to answer his queries, as I think it is a useful exercise for myself as well as acting as a catalyst for wider discussion. Here are his questions and my answers:


Weapon of Mass Distraction

A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request

A moment of silence, please, for the Chicago Cubs' pennant hopes. Thank you. And now an eloquent requiem from the late singer-songwriter, Steve Goodman:

(talking blues)
By the shores of old Lake Michigan
Where the hawk wind blows so cold,
An old Cub fan lay dying
In his midnight hour that tolled
Round his bed, his friends had all gathered...

Bunker Mulligan

Book Review
I finished reading Intellectual Morons yesterday, and have been trying to decide the best way to recommend this book so that it appeals to the sensibilities of those from our entire spectrum of philosophical ideologies. Because, that's what the book is about.

Daisy Cutter

Debate Wrap … What Really Happened …

“Kerry’s “I don’t always talk right about the war” line was a joke. To even the casual observer, it was obvious that this statement would be believable if coming from Pres. Bush.”

Tim's Webpage

And the winner is...

We learned that Kerry thinks that Saddam was a threat, but he wasn't
connected to Bin Laden. We should have removed him, but we shouldn't
have done it so quickly. We should have focused on catching a man
running from cave to cave in Afghanistan rather than wasting our time
on what he called a 'tyrant' who was a 'threat' to our country.

A Physicist's Perspective

Tolerance and "Moral Neutrality"

I want to talk about tolerance and the illusion of moral neutrality. I've been
thinking about this on and off ever since hearing a lecture on it in 2000...
We need to understand the nature of true tolerance, which is not tolerating everything, even if we think it's wrong, but rather tolerating that which ought
to be tolerated. Our society teaches that it's intolerant to make any moral judgment ...

American WarMonger

What do Beslan, Russia and Samarra, Iraq have in common?

No there is no joke.

An estimated 24 children were killed in Summarra Iraq on Friday, October 1st. They were targeted by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and his loyal killers. U.S. Troops were killed as well. The troops were handing out candy to the children when a "martyr" decided to end their young and growing lives. I guess beheadings just weren't making their point anymore.

Shining Light in Dark Corners

We're Dodging the Draft Issue
The War in Iraq can seem easier to justify when volunteers carry the load. Everyone knows American Armed Forces are badly overstretched. What if something else happens and have another regional conflict to jump into? The concept of a draft for our kids brings home the issue of war. Now here is a question people need to be asking themselves before the election: Which Presidential candidate has the ability to bring other major western powers into a coalition to prevent a draft of our children?