Quote Of The Day

"How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."
- President Ronald Reagan

Quote Of The Day

"We cannot redeploy from our moral responsibility to the Iraqis. It is contrary to our traditions; it is contrary to our values; and it is contrary to our interests. And yet that is precisely what this Congress will be calling for, if we order our troops to withdraw."

- Senator Joe Lieberman arguing for eliminating Iraq withdrawal language from the supplemental appropriations legislation March 27, 2007.

This is the second quote from Senator Lieberman I have posted in the last two weeks. It has a nice Churchillian ring to it too, don't you think?

To Our Americans Serving In Iraq

Please take ten minutes of your time to watch this great video by Bob Parks. It is a very concise overview of the war - where we have been and where we should be going. Enjoy.



CWCID - Cassandra at Villainous Company.

Peepers and Chicks and Bees, Oh My!

Spring really seems to have sprung around here during the last few days. The grass is greening up and you know what that means; it’s time to change the oil in the garden tractor. The red winged blackbirds are filling the morning air with their beautiful calls which we appreciate all the more since it has been so quiet for so long. The robins are busy hunting earthworms everywhere with their humorous stutter-step stalk. And the spring peepers are singing their lungs out from late afternoon on; at times, their riotous song can be almost deafening.

Add to this gentle chaos our newest arrivals. M’Lady and I are now the proud owners of a dozen Rhode Island Red hens and one rooster. In the next couple of weeks we’ll be adding two more bee hives, for a total of three. Since the bees and chickens are predominantly female as are both of our Brittney’s, I guess it’ll be just me and the rooster against the world.

I Support The Troops But Want To Defund The War

From the creators of “Halp Us Jon Carry” comes what our military will have to do if the Democrats defund the war.

Political Theater

Well, well, well. The House Democrats managed to pass a bill today ordering President Bush to withdraw the troops from Iraq by cutting off their funds. We'll see how that works for them. My guess is not so well. And the president has already promised to veto it as he should under the circumstances.

Savor for a moment the comments from the Democrats as they pat themselves on the back for selling out our country and the Iraqis at the same time:

"The American people have lost faith in the president's conduct of this war," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "The American people see the reality of the war, the president does not."

"If you want peace, stop funding this war," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio.

These politicians are at the forefront of post-modern America. They are divorced from reality to an unbelievable and unprecedented extent. They are also willing to take our country down the drain with them. We can only hope that their nihilism will be exposed before they can do any permanent damage.

300

I went to see 300 the other day with M'Lady and the young squire. Needless to say, two out of three of us enjoyed it immensely as it was a bit of a testosterone-fest.

The CGI used during the movie was very good and CGI, in general, appears to be getting better all the time. The battle scenes were very graphic and highly stylized. The story line is built around the key issues of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.

We all found the movie to be entertaining, if a bit on the bloody side, and the heroic aspect was a much welcomed change of pace from most of the drivel emanating from Hollyweird these days.

Three thumbs up.

Kitchen Confidential

I recently took a break from all of the history and politics I have been reading to breeze through Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. What a wild ride! Sex, drugs and rock n roll is what his kitchen seems to be all about as he tells about the culinary underbelly of New York City. You don't even have to be a "foodie" to appreciate it - but it helps.

Cassandra Strikes Back

Cassandra at Villainous Company had this to say to a commentator that provoked her earlier today:
"Oooh. dgf is out of patience with the war.

Please conceal your shock.

The vast cohort of Americans who aren't doing a blessed thing to contribute to the war effort has been heard from, and so once again we must scurry to "listen" to their concerns. They are "tired"!

No one ever thinks to ask the folks on the pointy end of the spear, the ones doing the work, the ones actually on the scene whether they think it's worth it, whether they've had enough yet.

No - dgf is tired and really really pissed off so for God's sake let's pull out now.

Hey dgf - since you are taking such an active interest, why don't you call all the widows and tell them their husbands died for a country that didn't really mean any of the crap they told their husbands - you know, the "you're fighting for something important to this nation".

Because in the end, it was all bullshit and anyone who puts their life on the line for America is a fucking idiot. Because America has ADD and can't keep an objective in mind for more than 15 seconds."

Victor Davis Hanson

Blog Week In Review for March 3, 2007 has an excellent interview with historian and scholar Victor Davis Hanson. I can not recommend the podcast highly enough as it touches on many current issues from the perspective of the ancient Greeks and Romans as well as providing some great insights.

Please take 30 minutes of your time and listen to this - it's important.

Quote Of The Day

As seen on a church sign:
"Keep your words sweet -
you may need to eat them."

Hillary - 1984

I know this has been out for awhile but I just couldn't resist putting it up:

Bumpersticker Mania

I have to admit that I love bumperstickers. Here is a collection of my favorites from a recent post at Dr. Helen's:

“Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup"

"I'll share the road with a runner, if you'll share the sidewalk with my van."

"PRO CHOICE - about everything. Libertarian Party."

“This Bumper Isn't BIG ENOUGH For What I've Got to Say!”

"STOP GLOBAL WHINING"

“United States Marine Corps: When it absolutely, positively has to be destroyed overnight.”

"If ignorance is bliss, why are most people so unhappy?"

“Maybe if Tibet is really good, in its next life it will come back as a country."

"Free Tibet, with qualifying purchase of Nepal. Offer good while supplies last."

“Wag more - Bark less”

“Its God's job to judge the terrorists. It’s our job to arrange the meeting.United States Marine Corps"

"Except for ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism WAR has never solved anything."

“There are 10 types of people in the world; those who understand binary, and those who don't.”

"Global Warming is a faith-based initiative"

“Beware the lollipop of mediocrity, too many licks and you suck for life.”

“Extremists should be shot.”

“A day without fusion is a day without sunshine.”

"186,000 miles per second - Not just a good idea, but the law!"

“I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO, JUST DON'T ASK ME TO PAY FOR IT.”

“Dyslexics of the world - Untie!”

"My blinker is a warning not a request."

“If God does not destroy San Francisco and Los Angeles, He owes Sodom and Gomorrah a real apology.”

"You're Pro-Choice and Your Child Will Never Vote"

"People who think they know it all really annoy those of us who do."

Mean People Suck - Nice People Swallow

"Conservatives hate what people do; Liberals hate who people are.”

“Compost: Because a rind is a terrible thing to waste.”

“Talk is cheap - supply exceeds demand.”

“Tyrants don't listen to reason that's why we have cruise missiles.”

“Give Peace A Chance - Kill Terrorists.”

“Earth First – We’ll strip mine the other planets later”

“I am an escapee of a political correction facility”

“Fight Global Warming – Turn on the A/C”

“Honk If You Voted For Gore – that’s the big button in the middle of your steering wheel”

“The road to Hell is paved with Liberals”

“Peace Had A Chance”

“Welcome To America – Now, Speak English!”

“Celebrate Truth Not Diversity”

18 Doughty Street Strikes Again

Quote Of The Day

"There is something profoundly wrong when opposition to the war in Iraq seems to inspire greater passion than opposition to Islamist extremism. There is something profoundly wrong when there is so much distrust of our intelligence community that some Americans doubt the plain and ominous facts about the threat to us posed by Iran. And there is something profoundly wrong when, in the face of attacks by radical Islam, we think we can find safety and stability by pulling back, by talking to and accommodating our enemies, and abandoning our friends and allies. Some of this wrong-headed thinking about the world is happening because we're in a political climate where, for many people, when George Bush says 'yes,' their reflex reaction is to say 'no.' That is unacceptable. "

- Joe Lieberman speaking at the AIPAC convention March 12, 2007

Los Lobos - Live At The Fillmore

iTunes classifies this as "Latin". But it should only take one listen to "Good Morning Aztlan" to convince you that that this music is just plain, old, scorching rock and roll. Muy Caliente, indeed!

Lincoln At Cooper Union

I just finished reading Lincoln At Cooper Union by noted Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer. Holzer manages to take the occasion of the Cooper Union speech and show how all the surrounding events such as the iconic Brady portrait taken of Lincoln the same day propelled Lincoln to the presidency. Not only that but Holzer makes it all very interesting as well. Lincoln came to New York City at the end of February, 1860 as a prairie politician best known for his debates with Stephen Douglas during the Illinois Senate race in 1858. He left the Northeast two weeks later as a serious contender for the Republican nomination. And Lincoln did not make another speech until his First Inaugural. A little different type of presidential campaign than what we are subjected to these days.

Quote Of The Day

"I been tryin' to enjoy all the fruits of my labor

I been cryin' for you boy but truth is my savior

Baby, sweet baby if it's all the same

Take the glory any day over the fame

Baby, sweet baby."

- Lucinda Williams from Fruits of My Labor on World Without Tears

Al Gore's Energy Usage

Tigerhawk neatly deconstructs Vice President Gore's "carbon offsets" rebuttal to recent criticisms of his energy usage:

"If, as Al Gore would have us believe, investments in carbon-negative businesses offset one's personal carbon footprint, then wouldn't investments in carbon-producing businesses increase one's personal carbon footprint? And, since most businesses spew out more carbon than they sequester in the process of creating wealth, doesn't this mean that under the Gore logic most investments are a big personal carbon "debit"? Doesn't that then mean that rich people -- such as Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, and virtually everybody else with a ticket to the Oscars -- who do not invest all their money in carbon-negative businesses have an even larger personal carbon footprint than is indicated by their electricity bill or frequent trips by private jet?

If you buy Gore's "offset defense," the obvious implication is that all rich people -- no matter how green in their personal lives -- have a far bigger personal carbon footprint than even the most profligate working stiff simply by virtue of having invested their money in the global economy. Is that really the point Gore intended to make? Somehow I doubt he would have been so welcomed on the stage Sunday night if it were."

And as usual, Vice President Gore's supporters are either unwilling or unable to reason through the economic ramifications of their positions - an all too common situation since many of them have little or no idea how our economy actually works. Instead, they frequently labor under the misconception that the economy is at fault because it doesn't work the way they think it should.

Max Boot

Max Boot wrote an interesting article for The Los Angles Times in which he discussed the reasons for perceived American unilateralism:

"Unless the other NATO members are willing to step up their spending — and what are the odds of that? — there is scant chance that their gripes about American unilateralism will ever be rectified. We act alone, or almost alone, not out of choice but out of necessity."