Moyer's Madness

I got away from everything this weekend and was determined NOT to watch or listen to the news or get on the internet. I accomplished it pretty well until I happen to be flipping through the channels and came upon Bill Moyer's last appearance on his PBS show "Now." I had never watched the show, but I have seen Bill Moyers before and knew he was very liberal. I tried really hard not to watch it because I promised myself I would watch movies (which I never get to do) and relax. But as soon as Moyers began by speaking of a 'rightwing media headed up by Fox News." Well, I was stuck. This I had to watch.

To sum it up for you, Moyers basically said that the rightwing conspiracy Hillary talked about it is real and growing like nasty green mold on the walls of our democracy. He spoke of the "outright lies" of the rightwing media. He gave 2 examples, which I will get to in a moment. He had several guests to prove his point including David Brock, the recovering gay Republican (recovering from being a Republican, not from being gay) and Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the ALCU.

Ironically Moyers began his program with an outright lie and took it to the end. First he called Sean Hannity of Fox News an "anchor." A total lie. As we all know, Hannity is a partisan commentator and has a liberal counterpart on the show, Allan Colmes, which Moyers conveniently never mentions.
Brit Hulme, Chris Wallace, and Shepard Smith are "anchors." They give us the hard news, the "fair and balanced" news. Moyers was obviously not able to come up with any indication of those anchors being partisan though, so he used Hannity to make it look as if he were an anchor. This wasn't a small mistake either. It was deliberate. He put clips of Brit Hulme and Sean Hannity side by side. Then he goes on to show Hannity on his tour before the election being all "partisan." As if it were like Peter Jennings going out before audiences and telling people to vote for Kerry before the election.

It floored me that Bill Moyers was doing EXACTLY what he was accusing Fox News of doing, distorting the story to make it look a certain way. So I made popcorn and settled in for "Night of the Living Dead Democrats."

One of the "outright lies" that Moyers came up with in the show was the Swiftboat ad controversy. He claimed that while Fox News jumped on the story, the other news organizations waited so they could "get the facts." (oh well, that explains it then) Moyers said that the swiftboat guys were lying because all the military papers supported Kerry's version and to top it off, a rich republican funded the ads. He failed to mention that the 250 guys were of all political stripes, and the main guy, John O'Neil voted for Gore in 2000. Leaving the impression that they were all just a bunch of Republicans out to get Kerry. Also, the swiftboat guys never said the military papers didn't support what Kerry said happened, they said that the papers were wrong. Most of the problem the vets had were their belief that he didn't deserve his medals and that he had a political agenda from the start and that he betrayed them by telling lies to Congress about atrocities committed by the vets themselves. Where is the lie? I have asked several of my liberal friends where was the lie? It was these guy's opinion that he didn't deserve them. That is not a lie. That is what they felt. Besides, the most harmful ad was the one showing Kerry himself speaking in Congressional hearings. Hardly a lie.

During Moyer's soft reasonable sounding rant of the "fair and balanced" Fox New's" panel, he shows clips of Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, but never mentions liberals on the panel like Juan Williams, Mara Liasson, and Cissy (whose last name I can't remember, someone give it to me please and I'll put it in) or moderates like Mort Kondrake (although Kondrake is a democrat). He also tried to paint O'Reilly as some kind of anchor as well, but no mention of Susan Estrich or Gret Van Susteren or Linda Vester.

Moyers 2nd supposed lie put out by the rightwing was that Saddam was somehow connected to 9-11. He had no clips to show because that, of course, was never said nor implied by Fox News or Bush for that matter. Moyers proves it though by saying that 41% of those surveyed thought Saddam had something to do with 9-11. I hate to break it to Moyers, but 41% of the American people can't tell you where Poland is or who is the Sec. of State. Not because they are ignorant, but because they just don't care. How he figures it is Fox's fault that people believe that is beyond me.

His last guest, Anthony Romero of the ACLU was so sickening I can't even go into it. Maybe later I will tell you why I was so sickened other than the obvious. But they bantered on about Rush Limbaugh (showing only fat pictures of him by the way) and Rupert Murdock, rightwing talk radio, rightwing internet, and the popularity of Fox News and how it is ruining democracy. No mention of Michael Moore and his anti Bush political ad dressed up as a major motion picture. No mention of Air America or the bias of Dan Rather shown quite clearly at the end of the election with the fake memo, which we all know would have been taken as truth if not for Fox News. No mention of the last minute news story of the missing weapons in Baghdad that had to be dumped by 60 minutes when soldiers there started disputing the story.

Liberals need to start asking themselves why people like Rush, Hannity, and other rightwing radio is so popular. They need to ask themselves why people love Fox News who has actual conservatives on, instead of the fake or moderates called conservatives on CNN and the rest. Why are people listening? Because it makes sense. Because, starting with Reagan, the conservative message was finally being heard and we liked it. We learned that being conservative wasn't about hate, or discrimination, homophobia, or greediness as the liberals led us to believe. It was about moral values, smaller government, regulating spending, fighting socialistic programs, helping the poor in such a way that did not get them caught in a vicious cycle of poverty. It was about everything we thought and believed and finally someone was saying it for us.

Liberals have the same right, the same airwaves, the same voice as we do. Heck, they have the most powerful industry out there in their pocket, Hollywood. They have the biggest newpapers and the 3 main nightly news networks. So please don't whine to me about how conservatives are "brainwashing" people everyday with Rush and Hannity.


Bill Moyers ended his career condemning the very thing he was doing, distorting a story to spin it in such a way to make a certain thing or person look bad and pretending to present it in a fair way.

I am going out of town tomorrow. I have tons to do today. Everyone have a great weekend!! I'll leave you with a Christmas story.

Illegal Alien Has Illegitimate Birth Baby Expected To Be Charged With Treason

By Harold Kitchenmouse

BETHLEHEM -- It was rumored today that an unmarried couple from Nazareth stopped in a manger owned by Alfredo Pinchi, a notorious local slumlord, and a baby was born.

"There was no running water, and the place was filled with straw," commented local public health authorities. "We even found a donkey inside!"

"The mother gave birth under extremely questionable circumstances," offered Pontius Pilate, Judean candidate for District Attorney. "She claims to have been a virgin."

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Roman authorities are investigating the baby on charges of sedition and treason. "There are a bunch of people running around alleging that the baby is the son of God," explained Pilate, "and that he will have some radical ideas about religion in the future."

Three Kings from the Orient were caught on the outskirts of Bethlehem by the Roman Border Patrol, carrying illegal contraband. "We caught them red-handed with frankincense and myrrh," explained an official with the Border Patrol. "And they didn't have any papers."
The Kings were promptly arrested and deported to Syria.

At virtually the same time as the baby was born, a bright star was sighted over Bethlehem. "This is an omen that things are about to radically change in the Empire due to Global Warming," commented Al Gore.

I had this a while back, but for all my new readers (and you know who you are) , it's true....it really is.
This is for you. (click on the red button at the top)

My favorite joke of the week.

Little Melissa comes home from first grade and tells her father that they learned about the history of Valentine's Day.
"Since Valentine's Day is for a Christian saint and we're Jewish," she asks, "will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine?"
Melissa's father thinks a bit, then says "No, I don't think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a valentine to?"
"Osama Bin Laden," she says. "Why Osama Bin Laden," her father asks in shock.
"Well," she says, I thought that if a little American Jewish girl could have enough love to give Osama a valentine, he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and sent valentines to Osama, he'd love everyone a lot. And then he'd start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn't hate anyone anymore."
Her father's heart swells and he looks at his daughter with newfound pride. "Melissa, that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard."
"I know," Melissa says, "and once that gets him out in the open, the Marines could blow the @#*@ out of him."

Why are some men so stupid?

Did someone forget to tell the NY Times that Bernard Kerik is no longer nominated for the position of Homeland Security Chief? This is the lead story linked on Drudge. Don't bother to read it, it is just a juiced up story of Kerik having an affair with Judith Regan of Regan publishing who published his book in 2002. The NY times tries to make one think that Kerik used an apartment to have his affair that was used and paid for by NY taxpayers for ground zero workers to rest. But the thing is, Kerik did use the apartment to have an affair. But only after it was no longer being used for the purpose of workers to rest. Kerik asked to rent the apartment and he did and THEN he had the affair.

Now if you think I am going to defend this man for having an affair, I am not. I am disgusted and disappointed, but not surprised. Power tends to corrupt unless you have a strong faith to fight against the temptation of that power.

Interestingly, I had just finished reading an article on Judith Regan in Vainty Fair and it was not a glamorous piece. They portrayed her as the queen of ruthless sharks in the publishing world where sharks are commonplace. She has been married to rich and ruthless men as well. She went through a very nasty public custody battle with her last husband. All in all, she doesn't seem to be exactly the most wonderful person in the world and has a track record with rich powerful terrible men. I guess her and Kerik deserved each other.

Many other reporters are scrambling to find other pieces of dirt on Kerik because lets face it, to the NY Times having an affair is just not that big of a deal, which is why the NY Times article tries to juice it up a bit to make it out like he used the apartment that should have been used by the guys working at ground zero. They were trying their best to make it sound worse. They do point out that Kerik rented it, but that part kinda gets lost as they also hint about using influence and the cost of the apartment, which they obviously were not able to get information on.

Why are they still all over this guy even though he withdrew his nomination? Because he is a famous part of the administrations post 9-11 activities and the NY Times will not rest until it can ruin and destroy as many Republicans as possible.

I suppose I could say that I don't care what Kerik did in his personal life, and that all I care about is that he keep this country safe as Homeland Security Chief. And I did feel that way as long as none of the allegations were proven. But I have to back down on this one. I do care what people do in their personal lives. I think it speaks volumes of who they are, what values are important to them, and a whether to put them in a position of trust.

Perhaps Kerik was the best choice professionally, who knows? I don't expect people to be perfect. I understand mistakes, we all make them. But knowing what I know from Kerik, in his own words, and what I know of Regan, from her own words, these two people show no self control or self discipline and certainly no moral values. Those things mean something to me. I want people in leadership to have those kinds of values. Kerik clearly doesn't have them after all. It is especially maddening that he misled the Bush people about his background. He realized what would come out and he withdrew, but the leeches came anyway, he never had a chance. Not that he deserved one.

No one wins here. From the dirtfinders to Kerik to Regan, they all expose themselves for what they are, self involved selfish people willing to do anything to get what they want.

It is a shame for someone like Kerik who went through so much to achieve all that he did, that he would give in to the most basic temptation man is presented with... Cheating. It may not be enough for the NY Times to be done with him, but it is enough for me.

Merry Birthday.

I had another child's birthday last night! Yes, I had 3 of my 4 kids in Nov. and Dec. and the other in Feb. I Guess I was just frisky in the Spring...;-) I also have 3 other close family members in Dec. I am birthdayed out! My lucky little guy got something that I always wanted....a black Hummer! Noooo, not the real thing, but almost as big! It is a remote control one about 2 feet long. The inside looks like a real Hummer too with seatbelts and everything. The doors, hood, and trunk open and it has running lights and a LOUD engine and that sucker can fly too. Anyway, we had a lot of fun with it and the rest of the presents last night, but we stayed up too late and I am tired, so I am going back to bed. (don't hate me) I will try to get back to yall. Give me some interesting comments to come back to, ok?

The real problem in Iraq. Chris Muir's cartoons are just the best. via Mudville.

Sarah also gives us an e-mail from a soldier on the same subject. via Mudville again.

Glenn shopped for Christmas like I did. Really, it doesn't get any better.

Jeff gives us his usual unusual look a the Holiday spirit.

Bad news for Blue staters. Red Staters are having more children. According to this article Blue staters have just as much sex, just not as many kids.

"...as the children of the children-oriented fill up the vacuum left by the childless. To be sure, some kids born into even the reddest states turn out to be "blue" spontaneously, becoming Midnight Cowboys. But if demographic destiny keeps grinding on, blue-state bohemias are destined to shrink. And so the red states will grow larger, culturally as well as politically."

I think we have already seen this occur. I think one of the big surprises of this election was the high number of the youth vote going Republican despite the HUGE effort of MTV and movie stars pushing the youth to vote Democrat.

I know Russell Simmons of 'Rap the Vote' and P. Diddy of "Vote or Die.' said after the election that they were disappointed at the lack of turnout. But then I read that actually more youth did turn out to vote, just not the way Simmons or Diddy wanted them to.

It seems the "family values' crowd tends to actually have families. Those kids grow up and vote. Now I am not saying that democrats don't have families, sure they do. But we seem to be having more kids for varied reasons I won't get into here. My oldest kids certainly show no signs of rebelling and are very conservative in their politics.

I did change from my politics of birth, but my entire family did as well, so it really was more of the Democrats leaving us, than a child rebelling from it's parents beliefs. We changed together.

It will be interesting to see how the youth of today grow into the poltics of tomorrow. Will they stick with their parents beliefs? If so, the Democrats do have something to be worried about for the future.

Plantation Politics?
Mimes, Minstrels And Miscalculation
by S. Jeffrey Jones

Do you really need to read the article to know it is a slam piece on Condi Rice? Doesn't the title say it all? (not to mention the usual racial insult?) Imagine someone writing an article on Charles Rangel with that title. The hypocrisy is astounding really.

SUPERSPARKLE HAS SUPERHERO FRIENDS! AS THE COMMISSAR REVEALS!

Poor MoveOn.org, after spending so much on the election they don't even have enough money now for those little sticky notes. They have to write on their hands to remember things.

Washington Post Classifieds.

WANTED: Highly motivated and intelligent individual with formidable educational background for important and critical government positions that must be confirmed by the House and Senate. One must be willing to give up millions being made in the private sector and open yourself up to intrusive questioning by self important hypocritical pompous congressman. In addition you also must be willing to have journalists with political agendas dig into your personal life dating back to birth to find any sort of dirt they can find, however indirectly it may apply. Therefore, you must be almost perfect, without a hint of wrongdoing. Divorces are permitted if they were done amicably. If you have children we would prefer you have had a wife that stayed home with them. Please, no nannies.
Once the position is filled, there will be a large drop in your income and you will have to continue to deal with shady politically motivated journalists determined to trip you up with tricky questions and quoting anonymous sources revealing something untrue. All this being done in the glaring light of the public arena.*
If interested please call 1-888-iwouldhavetobeanidiot..ext. 666

This latest "news report" from Iraq is HILARIOUS! (click on the 'play ad') via Mudville

I don't want to make anyone feel bad or anything, but today it is 78 degrees and beautiful. My palm trees out back are swaying in the breeze.
God, I love Texas.

Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik had to withdraw his name for consideration for Homeland Security Chief due to "nanny problems." The same problems that Zoe Baird and Linda Chavez encountered with employing illegal aliens.

I know I will get a lot of flak for this, but I feel the whole issue is ridiculous. We are losing a good man for this job over someone his wife probably hired and he didn't even know about. Even with Zoe Baird during the Clinton administration I felt that way.

Living in Texas and in a large city near the Mexican border, employing illegal aliens is commonplace. I know what your going to say...it is still illegal. Which is one of the reasons this guest worker program should take affect. A lot of Republicans have a problem with Bush's immigration policies, but I understand where he is coming from. I know we have a security problem now, but Mexicans are not the ones we fear. This guest worker program will at least identify those here and coming in.

Just like Hillary Clinton, I too see mexicans standing on corners in the morning waiting for someone to pick them up to work. Unlike her, I feel they should be given a chance in the guest worker program. These people work hard at jobs that you and I wouldn't do for a high wage. I don't many people who would get up at 5am everyday and wait for a backbreaking job that no one wants. At least with the guest worker program the employer will be alot less likey to take advantage of these workers with extremely low pay and such.

I know there are scores of people out there who think the border control thing is out of control. But just like the middle east situation, you might not like what Bush is doing, but at least he is doing something.

As President Bush said when he introduced this program:

"Reform must begin by confronting a basic fact of life and economics: some of the jobs being generated in America's growing economy are jobs American citizens are not filling. Yet these jobs represent a tremendous opportunity for workers from abroad who want to work and fulfill their duties as a husband or a wife, a son or a daughter.
Their search for a better life is one of the most basic desires of human beings. Many undocumented workers have walked mile after mile, through the heat of the day and the cold of the night. Some have risked their lives in dangerous desert border crossings, or entrusted their lives to the brutal rings of heartless human smugglers. Workers who seek only to earn a living end up in the shadows of American life -- fearful, often abused and exploited. When they are victimized by crime, they are afraid to call the police, or seek recourse in the legal system. They are cut off from their families far away, fearing if they leave our country to visit relatives back home, they might never be able to return to their jobs.
The situation I described is wrong. It is not the American way. Out of common sense and fairness, our laws should allow willing workers to enter our country and fill jobs that Americans have are not filling. We must make our immigration laws more rational, and more humane."

Many of us living near the border have seen what these people go through to have a better life. Just like Cubans, they risk their life to come to this land of opportunity. If your problem is the flooding of the schools and the teaching in Spanish instead of English, and the free healthcare we provide, then lets deal with those issues in a fair way. But allowing Mexicans to work within legal guidelines also allow them to report income, buy insurance, or get jobs that provide healthcare.

President Bush has lived where I have lived. He has seen what I have seen. He has known these people who strive to better their lives. Knowing a problem on a personal level allows one to have a better understanding of it.

When I lived in Dallas I had the same Mexican housekeeper for 11 years. I helped her to become a citizen and she allowed me to understand what life was like for poor immigrants.
One time I remarked on what a great job she did. Almost as if she loved what she did. (something I cannot begin to understand since I HATE cleaning) She told me she did like what she did. She said to me:

"I use to work in the fields picking beans. In Mexico I worked hot long days into the night until my hands bled, sometimes for nothing more than something to eat. I now work in beautiful airconditioned homes. I touch beautiful things and dream of owning something beautiful one day. I learn English better so I can speak to my daughters in English. The day my husband and I bought our first truck was one of the most exciting days of our lives. We owned our very own truck! Cleaning isn't a chore for me, it is a dream job."

Bush has known people like this. He has known those who took advantage of our educational system and became professionals. He knows what America means to them.

This is what drives President Bush. This is at the heart of it all. Disagree all you wish, but you can't argue the sincerity from which it comes.

Finally, we have lost what probably would have been the best Homeland Security Chief we could have asked for.

And that is just a crying shame.

SuperSparkle Reloaded

Thanks to Jeremy I sparkle!!

Just Walk Away.

While reading an article from Vainty Fair I suddenly understood completely this whole anti war crowd thought process.

If you remember in October before the election there was a big 'Vote For Change' concert at Cleveland's Gund Arena. R.E.M and Bruce Springsteen were the headliners. All the leftie baby boomers could hardly wait to hear the music and the anti Bush bashing. But the opening act was a young band called "Bright Eyes" that this crowd didn't care about hearing.....until he started playing. The band started with a song called "Landlocked Blues," a song that references war and fame. Then the band got to these lines:

"We made love on the living room floor/ With the noise in the background of a televised war/ And in the deafening pleasure I thought I heard someone say, / 'If we walk away, they'll walk away.'"

The crowd went wild. It personified exactly how they feel. First, let us have our pleasure and not be bothered by this war, and second, the ridiculous idea that if we walk away from Iraq, then the terrorists will walk away. This is at the heart of it all.
I can hardly believe that reasonable people really think that if we just back out of the middle east the terrorists and insurgents will just go back to being the butcher, the baker, and the candle stick maker they obviously were before the big bully America came calling. (Although butcher may be the appropriate career for them.)
Do they not stop to consider that the first trade center bombing and 9-11 were the only successful terror attacks on our soil?? I read somewhere that since 9-11 we have thwarted over 250 attacks.
The bottom line here is that the terrorists (in all their forms) will not stop attacking us or trying to attack us here or anywhere in the world we are as long as they are alive.
Walking away will not deter them, nor settle them down. The lefties have got to start understanding this. Some of my liberal friends argue that they don't believe that there could possible be a major attack from the terrorist on our soil. The scenerio of a nuked Washington D.C. and Islamic fanatics declaring Islamic law might seem like a hollywood movie, but that is only because none of us have actually experienced what WMD or biological attacks would be like, nor even believe they are possible. It sounds too out there. But is it possible? It is. Is it Probable? No. But if we walked away the likeliehood increases. As the food for Oil Scandal unfolds we find that Saddam was shopping all over the world for weapons like Paris Hilton shops for clothes and no amount of sanctions were working.
Which brings me to the second point that my liberal friends always seem to forget. Americans are not just on American soil. We have military bases, embassies, private companies ect., all over the world. As the terrorists have proven before, if they can't get us here, they will easily get us somewhere else.

Walking away is just not an option, no matter how well it is sung.

Science Projects and Christmas

I won't be blogging much today, I have to finish my science project...Oops, I mean I need to help my son with his science project. Him not being here shouldn't pose a problem. His project is the ocean floor with deep water fish. He told me yesterday that they will have 'viewing' of the projects tomorrow morning. I told him, "Are you kidding? I never want to see this project again as long as I live." Can you tell I have 'helped' on one too many freakin science projects?

My oldest son and I did a swamp once. I used green food coloring on pudding for the swamp. The thing looked great, but after a few days in the classroom, well lets just say it became a whole other science project.

This Christmas season has been crazy for me. There are 5 family birthdays in Nov. and Dec. as well, and I tend to go all Martha Stewart over holidays and birthdays. (pre prison Martha) Every year I make my kid's shop for each other and for a present for the "NEED" project at Church. This year was a little different. My 26 yr old housekeeper was killed 2 months ago in a car accident and left 4 little girls. So I decided that my kids would buy for the girls and their Dad and the Grandmother. That proved to be a challenge. I am trying and have always tried to teach giving to my kids. I'm not sure when it is gonna take though. My 16 yr old daughter might as well have been raised in Beverly Hills by all indications of her behavior starting at 14.

Anyway, they argued over which gifts to buy, then they argued over the proper age toys. Then when we had finally finished they felt they deserved candy for all their effort. And while waiting in line we had to listen as every person walking in and out had to pass a hanging Santa face that sings 'Jingle Bells' over and over and over. Why do the stores put these out? I'm trying to get into the Chrisimas spirit here and all I can think about is punching Santa in the face.

Once home, getting the kids to help me wrap the presents was akin to asking them to scrub floors. In the end, in order for me to truly get into the spirit of giving, I had to make a vodka tonic with a candy cane to stir it with. It was actually very festive looking. And it did give me much needed holiday warmth.

I will end this with this hilarious true story about my darling little 7yr old. He was suppose to dress as Joseph in a Church school project. He was suppose to know one fact about Joseph. So I told him to say that Joseph was Mary's husband. He had several questions to me about Joseph's role in Jesus's birth and all. But the husband part was all he was suppose to say. When it came his turn. He said, " Joseph was Mary's husband when she was pregnant with Jesus, but it seems he wasn't the father." LOL!!!
Everyone cracked up. It was great.

SUPERSPARKLE'S FIRST ANNUAL BLOG AWARDS!!!!!!

I am about sick of hearing about these blog awards but Unpopulist had the great idea of giving his own awards. h/t to Protein Wisdom

So I decided to give my own awards as well:

Blog Most Likely to make me laugh so hard I pee in my pants:
Protein Wisdom!

Blog Most Likely to make me fantasize about a soldier:
2Slick!

Blog Most Likely to make me think AND laugh and look at commies in a whole new way:
The Politiburo Dikit!

Blog Most Likely to make me miss my theatre friends:
Beautiful Atrocities!

Blog Most Likely to be all over a juicy story until I want to scream but I keep reading and reading:
Little Green Footballs!

Blog Most Likely to be read by really smart people:
Big Dogs House!

Blog Most Likely to make me want to be best friends with her:
SondraK!

Blog Most Likely to make me cry:
Mudville!

Blog Most Likely to make me feel dirty (but in a good way):
Mother, May I sleep with Treacher! (PW was a close 2nd)

Blog Most Likely to make me think of my father:
Small Town Veteran!

Blog most likely to make me miss my high school friends:
Resurrection Song!

Blog Most Likely to make me think of my brothers:
McGeheezone!

Blog Most Likely to make me feel like I need to act better:
La Shawn Barber!

Blog Most Likely to remind me of guys in my hometown in Mississippi:
Cold Fury!

Blog with blogger most likely to become my poolboy:
Digger's Realm!

I feel so much better! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

Dean and the DNC/O'Reilly's Factor for adults and kids.

Howard Dean just announced that what is needed is a "new version" of the democratic party. via Fox News. (TV)
Dean seems to have his eyes on the DNC chair. He basically said that the democrats need to stop focusing on certain states in the Presidential election, and bring their message to all states. (oh I think that all states DID get the message Mr. Dean). But the most laughable quote was this:

"If moral values were what decided this election , then the democrats would have won."

Oh yeah. Right.

You Big Mouth, You! has a neat post on an American Soldier. Although I am not a believer in women being in combat at the front lines, this chick truly rocks.

NRO has this take on Bill O'Reilly's recent defense of Dan Rather. h/t to Treacher.
The thing the article and many other blogs have failed to mention is the obvious reason he was defending Rather and it had nothing to do with Rather. With O'Reilly it is always about him. don't get me wrong. I enjoy watching him and I agree with him most of the time and love his blunt style, but the whole phonefootsie thing just blew it with me.

When O"Reilly wrote "Any accusation can be dumped on the Internet and within hours the mainstream media will pick it up," writes the Fox News star. "A click of the Internet mouse can wipe out a lifetime of honor and hard work...."
"Dan Rather did not get what he deserved in this case.
He made a mistake, as we all do, but he is not a dishonest man. Unfair freedom of speech did him in. This is not your grandfather's country anymore."

Notice he said "as we all do." He was talking about himself, not Rather. He couldn't give an Irish ass about Rather. O'Reilly is the most straight talker there is. If he did not do what his producer said he did, he would flat out say it.
I don't think he harassed her, I think they were both enjoying the sexy talk, but he could hardly say that, could he?

I'm not judging him, he is right, we all make mistakes. I just don't like him using this Rather thing to covertly defend himself.

What got me to thinking about this was a present my 12 yr old got for his birthday from his aunt. It was "The O'Reilly Factor For Kids."

I should have known something was up when he was engrossed in reading it on a Friday night usually reserved for non stop video gaming. The next night when I found him reading in his room, I decided it was time to investigate.

It was the sex chapter, of course! Now keep in mind this book is suppose to be aimed at 10-16 yr olds. Not only does Bill write about his waiting to have sex unti he was 20, he does it in such a way as if to say, "Can you believe it?? A stud like me?? If I can wait, you can wait." I teach my children to wait until marriage and I really don't like them reading a "conservative' telling them that really it is 'great' just wait until you are older.

I admit that I shelter my children. I try to keep them as innocent for as long as I can. Although I feel 12 is an age where my son is ready to discuss sex ( and we have ) There are some aspects that I feel need to be held off a bit. O'Reilly gets right into safe sex, STD's, slutty behavior, and birth control. Needless to say, I was answering a lot of questions.

Yeah, yeah, don't be telling me it's time to discuss all those things. I am the one who knows my child and I know when it is time to discuss these things. I have been through this twice already and every child is different.

It kinda ticked me off that this was in the book because I had heard a lot about it didn't occur to me that he would get so explicit with sex. (He discusses how boys use girls sexually and then drop them for example). It is fine for him to write this, but a little bit of a warning would have been nice.

I admit that I should have looked the book over. But it was a gift. I had heard about it and heard nothing controversial. So it just didn't occur to me to look. My bad.

Guess I should be glad he didn't have a chapter on phone sex.

I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. 

Maybe some leftie celebrities get it and some do not.

Jon Stewart weighs in on the aftermath of the election in Rolling Stone. Even though many of his comments are tongue in cheek, he makes some good points. I will say that I have always enjoyed watching him and think he is hilarious. He always made it clear that he was for Kerry and even made the effort to make fun of Kerry sometimes too, so you have to give him that. Here are some excerpts:

"When you're on the losing side, the first thing to do is consider the concession and conciliation speech -- and then blame systematic voter fraud. First you reach out, then you put on your tinfoil hat, talk to the black helicopters and try not to swallow the fact that more people agreed with the other guy."

He is making the obvious point that many lefties just can't get their mind wrapped around the fact that more people voted for Bush.

"The electoral map looks almost exactly as it did in 2000, and yet you would imagine, from the expert post-election media "analysis," that there was some cataclysmic shift, that somewhere out of the ground in Idaho and Montana a mass of survivalist fundamentalist End of Days Christians appeared from Middle-Earth to vote."

This is so true. The media wanted to make this out to be some sort of Christian revolution, when in fact the same ole church goers voted as they did in 2000. And they didn't come from middle earth or their heavily stocked bomb shelter beneath their house.

"So the one truism that emerges from all of this is that there continues to be zero accountability in the press. There is not a profession in the world where you can be that wrong, that consistently, and still continue to practice your job with greater job security than before."

Amen brother.

In the same article though, the ever so classy Al Franken weighs in as well. Can you tell who is really the talented one with these two?

Bush won because the Republicans were good at doing what they do, which is to be dishonest.

Oh Please. This from the virtuous Franken.

"he (Bush) was somehow able to tie Iraq with 9/11 in the minds of the people who voted for him. When you ask most people, "Who's going to keep us safer?" they'll say Bush. Even though, leading up to 9/11, he totally f*cked up."

You mean all 8 months leading up to 9-11?? Lets see, Bin Laden tells us that he had been planning 9-11 since 1982. With the 9-11 commission report it is obvious that Clinton dropped the ball many many times in the previous 8 years, yet still, it is a brand new administration's fault.
How many times did Bush say that Iraq was not directly involved in 9-11? Did he EVER even imply that Iraq was involved? No. When asked by the press over and over, he said no. The reasons were varied and mainly of course, as we all know, Bush felt we were in danger. Period.
Who is the one being dishonest here?

Franken ends with this:

"Don't move to Canada: You're exactly who we need. In fact, we need people from Canada to move here. I don't know why they would, exactly. But, please, Canadians: Move to the U.S. For God's sake, help us!"

Why would they move here? I don't know, maybe to avoid being taxed out their whazoo. Maybe not to have to wait 2 yrs for an operation. Maybe to avoid complete socialism. Or maybe just to get away from those idiot frenchies.
You pick.

Tom Wolfe weighs in as well, starting with this amusing tidbit:

"I'm going out to Kennedy Airport to wave goodbye to all the journalists I know. They're all leaving for London, and I think someone should go out there to see them off. They're taking this very hard. These are people who are as overcome as if one of their parents had just died."

You know we have to be SO right when the pansy European journalists ( so objective!) fall into GRIEF over our election.

Wolfe did get one thing right though.

"Not that many people in America who are registered to vote want to be lectured to by Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi and P. Diddy. If you're living in southern Ohio, and you're against gay marriage because you're religious, these guys make you feel like you're being treating like an idiot."

For the sake of Republicans, let us hope the democrats just never GET that.

Arthur Chrenkoff rounds up 2 weeks of good news from Iraq. From the elections to greater rights and freedoms for women to the rebuilding of roads and buildings. The article is CHOCK full of stuff, but I love to read about the humantarian aid. The news can focus on sucide bombings and such, but these stories can give us hope and a feeling of knowing that we are making a difference of giving and changing things for good for the world. Here are a few examples:

"More than eight tons of donated medical supplies will leave Detroit next week bound for a storage depot in Baghdad, Iraq, to help the interim government there resupply war-torn civilian hospitals. . . . The materials were donated by doctors and hospitals. The shipment was organized by local Iraqis.
"Wally Jadan, president and chief executive of the Southfield-based Arabic content radio and television network Radio and TV Orient, hopes to organize more shipments in the coming months along with a mission by Iraqi physicians living in Metro Detroit."

"Six boxes of nursing manuals and medical reference materials collected by Jackson State University and the Mississippi Consortium for International Development (JSU/MCID) were recently delivered to faculty members of the medical, dental and nursing colleges at three northern Iraqi universities." The Near East Foundation, meanwhile, is making its fourth shipment of medical supplies, valued at $890,000."

"On a more personal scale, a 14-month old Iraqi girl, Fatemah Hassan, is returning home from Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where for the past six months she has been receiving treatment for a large hemangioma, a tumor-like dense group of blood vessels that sometimes can restrict the airways. The transport back was courtesy of the U.S. Army."

"Army Captain Erik Archer realized his stations' lacked supplies such as computers, paper and pens. The 25-year-old Mundelein native sent e-mails to Chicago area police departments to ask for help. Mundelein Police Chief Ray Rose responded and told Archer he had 39 old bulletproof vests--valued at 500-dollars each--in storage. The Mundelein police department then started collecting old bulletproof vests from several other departments including the Chicago Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The first of the vests are now on the way to Iraq."

"Firefighters from Portsmouth, N.H., are sending gift packages for American soldiers to give out to Iraqi children. "The idea of sending toys to Iraq came from a letter that firefighter Peter Rice received from former resident Tarren Windham, who is stationed in Fallujah with the First Marine Division."

"Many teenage girls have plenty of shoes, and Niki Streussnig is no different. The 14-year-old from Gastonia has hundreds of pairs.
But they are not for her. "What we basically are doing is collecting shoes, or any other stuff, to help the Iraqi children," she said Friday.
Niki's Little Feet Society is now in full swing, but she needs your help with shipping. And in Muscatine, Iowa, students from Muscatine High School were inspired by the visit of two soldiers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District to collect more than 100 backpacks full of supplies to send to Iraqi children."

There are many more examples, but you get the idea. We are not just sitting back here and hoping for the best. Blessings to all those who find time to give.


Beautiful Atrocities, a very funny naughty blog (But many times serious) I have just recently discovered has some quotes from that oh so great leader Colonel Gaddafi of Libya:

"AIDS, AIDS, AIDS! We do not understand anything other. It is terrorism. It is psychological warfare. The AIDS is a peaceful virus. If you remain clean, there does not have a problem." Again: "If you are straight, you have nothing to fear from AIDS."

He not only speaks like a 1st grader, his knowledge of this disease goes back to when he actually was a 1st grader.
In his medical wisdom he continues:

He told leaders of African Union they should not 'worry about tsetse flies and mosquitoes' [carriers of malaria & sleeping sickness], saying they were 'God's armies' protecting Africa from its enemies, ie, foreigners: "If they come here, they will get malaria & sleeping sickness."

Which also shows great understanding of God as well. Who knew flies and mosquitoes were a part of "God's armies?"
I kinda prefer the thought of Angels and Saints, but that's just me.

What a loon.

Beautiful Atrocities also looked at Choose Blue, the site I mentioned earlier that tells you which companies are Red or Blue in their giving. He went further and made a list. Interestingly enough I shop at all the red ones, and none of the blue ones and I didn't know a thing about who they gave to.
It must be the aura.

Hat tip to Digger's Realm for directing me to the superhero's page. Had some fun putting this together. Click on image for a bit of a bigger image.
I fight ignorance and big government! (When I am not washing, cleaning, cooking, taking care of kids, and shopping) My little cat there is to keep away the moonbats. He eats them for breakfast. My kitty tells me they don't taste too good, but they are filling because they are full of...well, you know.

Can't travel? Go here. It's cool.

This leftie is really really mad about this election and she blames it all on Fox News. the rant is funny enough, but how she gives exact directions to Fox Studios is hilarious. She goes on and on and on until the end when you pretty much know the entire Manhatten region.
I kinda resent this comment she made about Texas though...

"After 9/11 in New York there were no crazed rednecks roaming the streets with shotguns and axe handles. You can be sure there would have been if it had happened in Texas."

How silly. We never use axe handles. And most of us have high power semi automatic rifles that the rednecks can't even afford. We leave the shotguns to the police. Plus, we would never roam. We hop in our trusty Hummers. So, I mean...really.

She has comments, but boys.... you play nice now.


Just when you think you have seen everything...a dog thong.

When shopping for Christmas (or as this site would probably call it..."winter holiday opening presents and got off work day') this site lets you know where to shop if you want to stay true to the democrats. Choose The Blue lets you type in your store and see if they gave to that evil hitler Bush. No. I am not kidding.

Here is a recipe you can send to your favorite soldier. No joke. And I am thinking it will feed ALOT.

Hat tip to The Biomes Blog for the travel site, dog thong, and Choose the Blue. He is a leftie, but his is not a political site and he's a great guy too.

I think this is hilarious. It is a short tutorial on black phrases and how whites may use them. Basically it is a warning for us to never use them.

Ok, here's a my first Christmas season joke: (warning, NOT spirtual)

Four guys were playing their weekly game of golf, and one remarked how nice it would be to wake up on Christmas morning, roll out of bed and without an argument go directly to the golf course, meet his buddies and play a round. His buddies all chimed in and said, "Let's do it! We'll make it a priority, figure out a way and meet here early Christmas morning."

Months later, that special morning arrives, and there they are on the golf course.The first guy says, "Boy this game cost me a fortune! I bought my wife such a diamond ring that she can't take her eyes off it."Number 2 guy says, "I spent a ton, too. My wife is at home planning the cruise I gave her. She was up to her eyeballs in brochures."Number 3 guy says "Well my wife is at home admiring her new car, reading the manual."They all turned to the last guy in the group who is staring at them like they have lost their minds."I can't believe you all went to such expense for this golf game. I slapped my wife on the butt and said, 'Well babe, Merry Christmas! It's a great morning for sex or golf ' ........ and she said, "Take a sweater..."

Abortion, life and love. No politics, no descriptions, no arguing, no preaching. No matter how you feel about it, just stick with me, ok?

I have avoided blogging specifically about abortion. It has become such a polarizing subject and everyone on both sides just shout at one another and no one listens. And everyone in the middle just wants both sides to shutup. But a commenter sent me this article by Peggy Noonan written in 1994 when she attended the National Prayer Breakfast where Mother Teresa spoke. The article is riveting to read not only because the Clintons were in the white house at the time and sitting right behind Mother Teresa as she spoke, but also because of the words of Mother Teresa. She was one no one could accuse of being selfish. She gave her entire life to the poor and dying.
Noonan gives us a perfect picture of what the room was like that morning filled with powerhouse politicans and rich government leaders. No matter how much you hate this issue, or how much you disagree with me, go read this. It might not change your mind, but you will take something away from it. Something that will make you think, not necessarily about abortion, but about love and giving, and what it means for all of us to care for one another. It is just that kind of thing. Trust me.
Come on. Read it.

Peace and movie stars.

Thailand's version of 'give peace a chance' didn't seem to touch the hearts of mutant monsters. via The Jawa Report

What can I say that hasn't already been put on a t-shirt I wear often? "PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER"

Pundit Review gives us this celebrity news item:

Banking on Kerry Actor Matt Damon tells Diane Sawyer tonight that supporting John Kerry was, "financially, the stupidest thing that [he] could do,"

Forget financially, pretty boy, it was just the stupidest thing period.

"but the election was about more than money. Interviewed with his "Ocean'sTwelve" costars on "Primetime Live," Damon says he doesn't need or want the fat tax break he's getting from the Bush administration. "I personally would like to give millions of dollars back," he says. "This guy -- this president -- is giving me millions of dollars."

Uhh....Matt...sweetie, come here. Here's the thing, he is not giving you millions of dollars, you earned it making movies. (Some good , some bad) but anyway, Bush is allowing you to KEEP some of your money and guess what???? You may do with it as you wish!!! You think headstart is a fabulous idea? Give 'em a million!!! Here is a few projects in the 2004 federal budget that might interest you:

$725,000 for the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
$200,000 for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio;
$150,000 for a single traffic light in Briarcliff Manor, New York;
$100,000 for the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee;
$500,000 for the Montana Sheep Institute; and
$50 million to construct an indoor rainforest in Coralville, Iowa.

Write a check for them all Matt!!! The thing is...WE DON'T WANT TO! See? Your free to! We think they are stupid and local govt. or private donations can and should take care of those things. We don't want to be forced through our tax dollars to fund ridiculous pork barrel projects. (although the Please touch museum does sound interesting)

Don't you just hate it when million dollar movie stars whine about how the govt. is letting them keep their own money? They act like the government is forcing them to buy those mansions and jets instead.

You can take the boy out of the commune, but you can't take the commune out of the boy.

*sigh*

Strange Things.

Well, we have been found out. Kerry really won the election. That's right. Here is the real story. It begins like this:

"Brad Menfil is not my real name. I work for the RNC. I fear reprisals if I'm found out.
The truth about this election is this: Florida and Ohio had to go for Bush in order for him to "win" the election. In reality he lost both states. In fact, he did not even win the popular vote. He lost the national popular vote by at least 1,750,000. This shows you the scale of the fraud.
The exit polls were not wrong. Kerry was the clear winner, but victory was snatched from him."

In Florida, for example, "Brad" says that "Kerry actually won by about 750,000 votes. The numbers were changed by a computer program (in both electronic and scan-tron voting systems) called "KerryLite." "KerryLite" of course is not actual name of the program."

Elvis is alive, The crop circles were made by aliens, and we never went to the moon and all is right with the world.

Hat tip to 'Whatreallyhappened.com' which is a site you will all enjoy that is run by someone whose doctor's have wondered what really happened to his brain after 20 yrs of chronic use of mindbending drugs. For example, did you know that Iran, not Iraq gassed the Kurds? And this, (a tutorial on how to reclaim our democracy.) Well..you just have to see it for yourself.


I just love how Mudville just put things in perspective. This post is on the media's reaction to Rumsfield staying on.


Imagine a world where Teletubbies pack heat and Spongebob goes undercover. That's apparently what US government designers had in mind when they followed President Clinton's 1997 order to add child-oriented Web pages to government sites. Today, the results are bizarre - cryptographic coloring books, drug-sniffing dog cartoons, and spy-satellite sing-alongs. Are they giant inside jokes? Coded messages? Only Uncle Sam knows for sure. via wired.com

So I went looking through these sites. The graphics aren't exactly Halo2, but if you click here and click on Proud to Be An American. You get a short essay written by a child and he says that God watches over him. Shhhh.....don't let the ACLU know,it's a government page you know.
The CIA has a kid's page as well. I don't know who drew the bird, but it looks like he is about to eat the children.
No offense, but don't bother to go through Ginger's adventure through the CIA or the other games. Pretty lame. I may be the only person who has ever visted this page. Clinton should have hired some more interesting people to put together the web pages. The guys on my blogger links would have done a MUCH better job.
The one page I did like was the CIA's K-9 Core page. I love dogs and if you click on their picture they tell you their story. 'Whisper,' for example, can detect 19,000 different types of explosives. THAT is so cool.

Go laugh at Writ of Wisdom again. New pics. He never stops being funny.

Wizbang....Vote or Die.

Guys please go vote over at Wizbang for best blogs. You can vote once a day in the various categories. Protein Wisdom sooo deserves best humour blog. He is a very very bad boy, but he is freaking hilarious. Go vote for him. Politburo Dikat deserves your vote for best top 100 blogs. He's a commie that rocks. Best military blog goes to 2slick because...well...he is too slick. Best Blog Design should go to Cold Fury. Best of the top 100-250 blogs should be blogoSEFERICS cuz he is funny, but serious. Best overall blog to me goes to Powerline. And finally The Kerry Spot for best new blog. Both for all the news before anyone else had it.

Diggers Realm linked to a story that Michelle Malkin did on a sweet and nice obituary written for a man that killed his two kids. Digger's entry was entitled "How Would You Write An Obituary For A Child Killer?
http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/000491.html

This man killed his 2 daughters before killing himself in a nasty custody dispute. It's disturbing to be sure. Digger wanted everyone to know that the little girl's memorial services are today. Keep their mother especially in your prayers.

Sometimes this world just sucks.

Late Night's Top 10 Politically Incorrect.

Among the top 10 list of politically charged words and phrases, issued by the word usage group Global Language Monitor the computer term "master/slave," (referring to primary and secondary hard disk drives) was chosen as the #1 politically incorrect term. It was banned as racially offensive by a Los Angeles County purchasing department. (So there's proof)
Also in the top 10 were "non-same sex marriage" to describe heterosexual unions, "waitron" for waiter or waitress and "higher being" for God, a term some people found too religious. (Seriously, could it get any less religious than "higher being?") Also on the list this year were "Red Sox lover," to use in place of "Yankee hater," "progressive" for classical liberal, "incurious" rather than more impolite invectives for President Bush, (What?? no Bushitler???), "insurgents" instead of terrorists in Iraq , "baristas" for waiters, and "first year student" rather than freshman. via Yahoo News
I'm surprised "moonbat" didn't make it.

Come lay on the couch and tell me your problems...or scream....whatever.

I had heard of the therapy sessions going on in Boca Raton Florida where people had been tramatized by the elections, but I still thought this article was a joke at first. Here's a few excerpts:

"Twenty John Kerry supporters met for their first group therapy session in South Florida Thursday, screaming epithets at President Bush as they shared their emotions with licensed mental health counselors. The first of several free noontime therapy sessions at the American Health Association in Boca Raton was designed to treat what mental health counselors have dubbed Post Election Selection Trauma (PEST).

Robert J. Gordon, AHA executive director, told the Boca News after the session. “It’s no joke. People with PEST were traumatized by the election. If you even mention religion, their faces turn blister-red as they shout at Bush.”

“I’m scared,” said one man. “Democracy is at stake and nobody is rising to protest this president.” “I want to be a patriot, but it’s impossible to be a patriot in an immoral war,” said another participant, a woman. “Bush is breaking up marriages and dividing families by keeping our troops in Iraq.”

“The media outlets, especially Rush Limbaugh and his ilk on talk radio, scare our patients to death,” said Gordon, facilitator for the meetings. “More than anything else, people with PEST tremble physically.”

“In psychology, we call it ‘learned helplessness.’ After you zap a caged dog twice, he stops moving because he knows there is no place to go. That’s what happened with these Kerry voters. They’ve been zapped so many times that they’re on the verge of giving up on politics.”

Cooperman, also a practicing psychic, added, “One person today said he thinks the country is now run by fascists."

Perhaps instead of therapy sessions, these people need reality sessions. For instance....a belief in smaller government, lower taxes, and moral values is NOT FASCIST! (Despite what any highly respected psychic might say)

You know, yelling and cursing at the President of the United States might not be the most mature way to handle your concern. It just makes you look like a loon.

And Rush Limbaugh is not scary. He is just very very rich. Seriously, he is just a voice on the radio, unlike the ones in your head, you don't have to do what he tells you to do.

If mentioning religion causes your face to turn blister red there might be an exorcism in your future. And once we get this whole democracy thing turned around into the theocracy that we plan, you can bet your little beezlebub you'll get one.

Wait....did I say that out loud?..Oops.

Anyway, the only thing more ridiculous than these therapy sessions is the fact that these loonie's insurance companies are paying for it.

I don't know who is hosting for Rush today, but they just read the parody article I posted Wednesday on "Canada busy sending back Bush-Dodgers." (which was e-mailed everywhere) and he could not have read it in a less funny way. Somethings just need to be read, not said.

I guess the President listened to me and picked Bernard Kerik for Homeland Security. I also strongly recommended Condi for the Sec. of State thing as well. What? You don't think he reads this blog? I just got a Christmas Card from him and Laura yesterday..... so there. (I really don't think they send out many of those...;-)

Jeff at Beautiful Atrocities has this on Barbara Boxer's novel "Lucky Bitch." Someone please tell me that is a joke or something because one could seriously be misled into thinking it was a autobiography.

Jeff also has this from Erotrash:

"Every morning I walk along the streets of New York & there are all these women who tie their scarves just so. In exactly the same way. Round the neck once & tucked into the coat. Like they're Jennifer Aniston. Like that's someone you'd actually want to be. They're buffed, toned, entirely hairless, manicured, pedicured, facialed, plucked, waxed, moisturised, walking talking perfectly made-up shiny-haired automatons from hell."

Everytime I go to NY and see these women I feel the same way. They are all Katie Couric/Kathie Lee Gifford clones. I use to listen to Kathie Lee go on and on about her kids on her morning show. Let me tell you, being a former actress, I know what it takes to look that perfect. A HECK of a lot of time. From hair to nails to waxing to facials. Do all that and do your job and you don't have jack time for kids, I can tell you that. Not to mention the constant self promotion that eats up their days. Not to be harsh, but come on. Any one of us who have had little ones knows that taking care of them is wonderful, but also alot of work. How many moms out there reading this can tell me how many times when you were taking care of your little ones you looked at the clock and it was 1:30pm and you realized you hadn't taken a shower or brushed your teeth??? Forget facials and manicures, if I got through the day showered, supper cooked, and with the kids still alive, I called it victory!

When Eurotrash wondered where he could live where things were different, this one commenter struck me as a true optimist.

16: Face it, everywhere's sh*t. It's either beautiful countryside full of ignorant superstitious peasants, brain-sucked suburbs with parents on Valium and kids bored enough to smoke glue, or miserable cities full of needles, sarcasm and tw*ts. There is no "where", this is all you get.
Posted by fridgemagnet at 1:08 pm on 12.01.04

Wouldn't you love to work with this guy? I'm thinking he is a boatload of fun!
I kinda resent the brain-sucked comment, but the Valium is not a bad idea....;-)

The journalism of blogging.

N.Z. Bear has a interesting article at Tech Central about bloggers and journalism. He ends the article with this:

"To the die-hard old-media types who sneer at "blogging as typing" and bloggers as pajama-clad losers, then, we can quite simply say: laugh while you can. Time is not your friend, because before long, people like us will have your jobs -- and people like you will be a fading memory, shuffled away to the same journalistic dustbin as and black-and-white photos on the front page of the Times."

Hat tip to The Asylum who also has his take on the blogging world.

I have been reading alot about bloggers in general and I find it interesting (and I don't know if anyone has really noticed this) but right leaning journalists seem to love bloggers, while left leaning ones are the ones with the sneering comments.

I also never hear left leaning journalists praise left wing bloggers in any way. But I could have missed it, seeing I tend to avoid reading left leaning journalists. Maybe it is because of the Right's love of freedom opposed to the Left's love of knowing what is best for all of us.

I happened upon the blogging world just before the Dan Rather story hit. I watched AMAZED that day as LGF , Hugh Hewitt , Instapundit, and Powerline and others took off with the story that seemed too incredible to be true. Could a mainstream television news network actually be putting out a false document that demeans the President in such a way that it may affect the election? I mean we all understood that a democratic operative would do that, but a highly respected news anchor??? Agree or disagree with Rather, it was astonishing to me what the bloggers were uncovering.
I remember linking them that day and saying ,"It doesn't look good for Rather," and a leftie commenter saying "let it go....you are all going to look like fools."

Well, we all know now who looked like a fool and it sure as heck wasn't the bloggers. I have to wonder if and when Fox news would have caught on to this story. (Lets face it, the others wouldn't have even tried) But even Fox might not have, assuming as most did, that someone like Dan Rather would never put out there a completely false document. But even then, by the time Fox News got the typography expert and the story together, would the damage already have been done to President Bush?

I guess we will never know. Would it be too dramatic to say that the bloggers may have stopped the political destruction of Bush and because of that we are not looking at a Kerry presidency?

I know that I am grateful to the bloggers who grabbed onto this story and hung on like a pit bull in a fight. It was a turning point in the way news is made, if only that the MSM now know that there are fact checkers looking over their shoulder, not for a paycheck, but for love of country. The bloggers will make sure the story is true and that it is being told fairly.

I don't think bloggers have much of an influence outside of the computer and journalism world though. Even though the bloggers are getting more recognition, most people I know don't even know what a blog is. The only reason bloggers were able to make an impact, even with the Rather story was because Fox News picked up the story. If there was no Fox News, the story probably would have slowly leaked out into places like National Review and maybe finally U.S. News and World Report. Probably too late.
Who knows ?

The future of blogging will be interesting to watch. Will it grow and become totally mainstream or will it just be a helping hand to journalists? All I know is that I am glad they were there when it was critical to be there.

My top pick for replacing outgoing Sec. of Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge is Bernard Kerik, the former New York police chief during 9-11 who is presently training Iraqi police.

Before becoming NY's police chief, Kerik was a fearless narcotics detective. He went undercover to buy drugs in Harlem, seized millions of dollars of cocaine from the druglords of the Cali cartel, and was awarded the Police Department's Medal of Valor for saving the life of a fellow officer.

He impressed me during 9-11 with his calm but firm demeanor and determined leadership qualities. I read his memoirs, "The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice," a beautifully written story of a tragic life turned around for good.

Any of you who read the post about my father knows that that kind of story truly touches my heart. People who overcome adversity and become great men (or women) seem to always be the kind of person you want in leadership. It is the kind of leader who understands what life can do to us and how to rise above it. In Iraq, he is dubbed the "Baghdad Terminator" for his no-nonsense style in rebuilding the city's police force.

The day before the election Kerik wrote a piece in the NY Post on why he was voting for Bush. Go read it, it will make you even more proud of your vote.


And then in the not so important news category, Caroline Kennedy is once again auctioning off some Kennedy items with Sothby's auction because " I found myself again with more houses and belongings than I could possibly use or enjoy." I feel that way all the time. Don't you? I even have some of the 'stuff' she is auctioning off. Thats right, lil ole me, one of the masses. I never make quite that much for my stuff at my garage sales though. Here are a few of the items:

"A fibreglass kitchen tray, some old suitcases, chipped china and a few tumblers.
A pair of folding suitcase racks described as "mid-20th century" and incomplete sets of crockery ($150-$200) as well as tables with nicks and what the New York Times describes as "painted pieces [that] are missing some of their paint". From The Gardian

The last Kennedy auction earned 7 times what they estimated, netting $34.5m (£18m), earning it the title "the sale of the century".

This recent auction just strikes me as wierd. I don't know why. I just don't see why she doesn't donate to some museum or even give it away. It isn't like she needs the money. And these items aren't the quality stuff her mother had that brought so much money in last time. Oh well, her stuff, her life.

And finally, leave it to Jeff at Protein Wisdom to make a really sick news story into a really sick funny news story as only Jeff can. This is a take on the teacher, Debra Lafave, who had an affair with her 14 yr old student you might not have thought of. (warning---naughty alert).

Sister Support. Not.

Frankly I don't see how Condi Rice stands all that is thrown at her. I hope she doesn't read articles like this from BlackAmerica.com. Once again the smug liberal condescension raises it's ugly head. This from another black successful woman:

"Although I have not been a fan of yours, I offer my sincere congratulations on your nomination to be U.S. secretary of state. What an honor to ascend to one of the most prestigious posts in the world’s most powerful government – fourth in line to the presidency! – and to present “America’s face to the world,” as President George W. Bush put it, as that of a black woman.
Of course, you can expect some tough questioning – especially about your role in thwarting terrorism as the president's national security adviser – a role which, among others, former White House terrorism czar Richard Clarke says you essentially blew. Unless someone slips some sodium pentothal into the White House Kool-Aid, we’ll never know will we?"

Oh, it gets better....

"As you no doubt realize, yours is an amazing opportunity. Not only can you help repair the damage done to our national image by your boss’s intransigence, arrogance and smugness ensconced in his policy of pre-emption and unilateralism, but you can help repair the rift between the administration and 50 million Americans who voted against him.
Having spent the last four years or so cozying up to Bush and carrying his water, you’ve won his confidence and favor."

"...... You can use the political capital you’ve collected over the years to move Bush toward a wiser course. Put that able mind to work for truth and reality, not in service to some pompous ideology based on ethnocentrism, supremacy, hegemony, daddyism – “we know what’s good for you” – or bullyism – “my way or the highway.”

She ends on the usual liberal high note.

Now, I must admit, that I will be astonished if you step up on these matters because, frankly, your record of speaking truth to power is not very good. Certainly, it would come as a surprise to your patron to find that his favorite girl is no longer a yes-woman, willing to go along with ill-timed, ill-informed and perhaps even treacherous plans. But, seize the day. Show ol’ Dick Cheney what’s what.

This was written by Deborah Mathis, who is a nationally syndicated columnist and former White House correspondent for the Gannett News Service. (Yet another example of 'objective' white house news reporting, I'm sure.) She is the author of two books,
"Yet A Stranger: Why Black Americans Still Don't Feel at Home "and
"Sole Sister: The Joys and Pain of Single Black Women."

I can't imagine why she is single. If she talks this way to successful black sisters, imagine how she must talk to the men in her life.

You Big Mouth, You! blog is asking for a blogging challenge to help in raising money for Spirit of America. "This program answers requests by the United States military and civilians for goods and services that will improve the lives of ordinary Iraqis and Afghanis. All funds donated through this blog will go to the Iraqi Project Fund. There's no overhead. 100% of your donation goes to the project."

It seems it is basically helping our soldiers help others. Listed as one of the things provided by this charity is that they contributed equipment to Iraqi-owned television stations to establish a better alternative to Al Jazeera. That alone is worth it to me.

I got this in an e-mail. It may be all over the net, but I thought it was funny:

Canada busy sending back Bush-dodgers.

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration.

The re-election of President Bush is prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray and agree with Bill O'Reilly.

Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors,animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night. "I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota.The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. "He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"

In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk."

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves. "A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though."

When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR.

In the days since the election, liberals have turned to sometimes-ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers. "If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age," an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccolishortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies. "I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history majors does one country need?"

In an effort to ease tensions between the United States and Canada, Vice President Dick Cheney met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the administration would take steps to reassure liberals, a source close to Cheney said. "We're going to have some Peter, Paul & Mary concerts. And we might put some endangered species on postage stamps. The president is determined to reach out."