March of Fascism

Washington Post: "The administration's proposal contains two pieces.
First, it would empower a government agency to take on the new role of systemic risk regulator with broad oversight of any and all financial firms whose failure could disrupt the broader economy.

The Federal Reserve is widely considered to be the leading candidate for this assignment. But some critics warn that this could conflict with the Fed's other responsibilities, particularly its control over monetary policy.

The government also would assume the authority to seize such firms if they totter toward failure.
Besides seizing a company outright, the document states, the Treasury Secretary could use a range of tools to prevent its collapse, such as guaranteeing losses, buying assets or taking a partial ownership stake.

Such authority also would allow the government to break contracts, such as the agreements to pay $165 million in bonuses to employees of AIG's most troubled unit.
The Treasury secretary could act only after consulting with the president and getting a recommendation from two-thirds of the Federal Reserve Board, according to the plan. "

The arrogance of power being displayed by the treasury department over the past decade is astounding. After repeated failures and increases in the federal expenditures of Olympian proportions, this department and this administration pursues even more power. Power truly has corrupted. 10 people would be able to create a seizure.
(1 Tres. Sec + 1 POTUS + 8 Fed. Rsv. Members)

The end result of this proposal would be disastrous. Where Eisenhower warned of the rise of the Military-Industrial complex, this would be an order of magnitude worse. Creation of a Federal-Industrial complex is little different from that of a centrally planned economy, which has been shown time after time to be a dismal failure, lashing the freedom of man to the will of the state, fermenting a toxic brew of equal poverty floundering in corruption and brutality.

Free corporations are free. They are not to be owned by the nation, but to serve the people in a market that thrives on competition. When the real and legitimate threat of federal take over exists, it only exacerbates the hostile business climate that Washington DC seems so intent on creating. When a climate is hostile, business move. An example of unyielding weight can be found in the States of America, most obviously California. Those seeking success will find else where to operate.

It is obscene, literally obscene that any United States President would consider it a right and proper action to seize control of corporations for 'the public good'. When the negative incentive of failure is removed, there is no reason to avoid drastic risk. When these risks perpetuate more failures, the government will comply and again seize and nationalize even more corporations. This only leads to more risks which will necessitate even more nationalizations, as a vicious, snarling tornado of nationalization and free market destruction ensues.

I can find no other explanation for this variety of economic policy other then an intentional attempt at irrevocable damage to the freedoms the United States were based on. As the lackeys in Washington applaud, the liberty of our fathers vanishes before the very eyes of a apathetic public.

The giants upon whose shoulders we stand are in very real danger of being knee capped by the neo-fascist policies of Obama and his rotating pack of liberal wolves.

World Baseball Classic

Those of you old timers know I love watching baseball. So this year, I had a blast following the World Baseball Classic, which is essentially the World Cup Soccer for baseball, except the USA team is actually pretty good.

USA was knocked out quite handily in semifinal round.
Last night, Japan continued to win the championship, besting South Korea 5-3 in Los Angeles.

The game was over at 1am after the 10th inning, and it was a spectacular finish. Worthy of the somewhat presumptuous title 'Classic'.

The strangest thing was at the end of the game, when all the Japanese players celebrated in the same fashion as my Cardinals in the World series, with one crucial difference. It was in Japanese, not English (or espanol, this being LA).

Then it struck me... we're all people, the same basic needs, wants and desires. Victory is victory, triumph is triumph, failure is failure, hope is hope, and baseball is baseball. Made me smile and the world was a little brighter in my late night vigil.

Here come's the real problem

This is ridiculous.

Numerical Perspective

www.xkcd.com

President on Leno

So, the band just played a nice mix between Dixie and Hail to the Chief... wow.

EDIT: AIG was just a regular old insurance company???
EDIT: A securitized credit market? Government lending on a large scale???
EDIT: Obama is pluging Plug in hybrids??
EDIT: Obama rolled a 129. Last time I went bowling, i was beat by some pretty blonde girl on crutches.
EDIT: "If you want a friend in washington, get a dog!" (I like it!)

AIG Bonuses, Impending Inflation, Teleprompters... and awesomeness.

I think the employees of AIG have earned their bonuses. The company should be under water right now, liquidating amongst the capitalists of the world. Rather, they managed to swipe billions from the USA. From a corporate view, they've earned their bonuses.

The administration is looking to conjure a bogyman so it can perpetuate a sense of crisis. In the words of Rhambo, never waste a good crisis.
And the printing of $1,000,000,000,000? Three cheers for rampant inflation. It'll be a joy when gas is hitting $5 a gallon, if only because the consumer price index rises due to inflation. You simply cannot just print more money, that is one economic lesson that the chronicles of history scream incessantly.

As for our Fearless Leader Barak H. Obama, he was a busy man on Tuesday.
"Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen was just a few paragraphs into an address in Washington when he realised it all sounded a bit too familiar.

It was. He was repeating the speech President Barack Obama had just read from the same teleprompter.

Mr Cowen stopped, turned to the president and said: "That's your speech."

A laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium to take over but it seems the script had finally been switched and the US president ended up thanking himself for inviting everyone to the party."

In other news... 1000 posts.
Didn't figure I'd break 4 figures this soon. Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm terribly blessed to have grown up in an age where the Internet has come into its own, and it's really amazing how like minds that are thousands of miles apart can still come together in the blogosphere.

Obama and Brown

Newsbusters: "As the visit of the national leader of our closest ally began, the President informed the Brits that he wouldn't be attending the joint press conference that was planned to be held once PM Brown's plane touched down.

This threw the visiting delegation into a tizzy leaving them scrambling to explain the sudden change in plans to the folks back home. Still, meetings were had and things smoothed out. Eventually the visit seemed to right itself... then came the Obama's gift gaffes.

It is well understood that visiting diplomatic delegations come bearing gifts and gift giving is returned in like fashion by the host country. It is an ages old human practice in diplomacy after all. Usually the gifts are valuable, representative of the products of the nations involved, or at least symbolic of the history of those nations.

For his part, PM Brown gave two symbolic gifts and one that expressed national pride. Brown came bearing a pen holder carved from the timbers of the sister ship of that which gave the wood to create the famous "Resolute Desk," the desk that has been in America's charge since 1880. He also gave Obama the framed commission for that famous ship, the HMS Resolute. His third gift was a seven-volume biography of one of England's greatest leaders, Winston Churchill.

So, what did President Obama give the British PM? 25 movies on DVD. Yeah, that's it. Brown gives a symbolic gift like the pen holder fashioned from a famous British warship and Obama responds by sending a staffer to WalMart to pick up a few quick movies.

... Not to be out done in tastelessness by her husband, Michelle got into the act, too. Mrs. Brown came bearing two outfits for the Obama girls from Topshop, one of Britain's trendiest and expensive women's wear retail outlets.
In return, Michelle apparently had a staffer run down to the White House gift shop and grab two toy Marine One helicopter models for the Brown's boys."

This is quite frankly revolting. It would be ill treatment for many Heads of States, but especially so for one of the United Kingdom, a nation which is undoubtedly our staunchest ally in this world.

There absolutely has to be something going on here. For a president who based his foreign policy on winning friends to reject the friends we have makes little sense, especially considering the profusion of appreciation for United States. How can a group of politicians so competent on the campaign trail become so amazingly imbecilic once they are in the White House?

Oh, and the White House response to the situation?
"...The President noted that the pen set is being displayed on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office and the books are in the Presidents personal study adjoining the Oval Office.... "

Monkeying around in Iran

Guardian UK:
"Live television is hardly the most convenient setting in which to be reminded of the age-old proverb that only children and fools speak the truth.

So the father who nicknamed his child's toy monkey after Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, must have been mortified to have his private joke cruelly exposed when the youngster took part in one of the country's most popular TV phone-ins.

The embarrassing disclosure was made on Amoo Pourang (Uncle Pourang), a programme watched by millions of Iranian children three times a week on state TV. It came when the unsuspecting presenter, Dariush Farziayi, asked the name of the toy animal his young caller had been given as a reward for good behaviour. "Well, my father calls him Ahmadinejad," the child replied.

Now the father's discomfort has spread to the programme-makers after the state broadcaster, IRIB, responded by withdrawing it from viewing schedules. The final episode will be screened next week after a successful seven-year run.

A conservative website, Jahan News, quoting "reliable sources," said the decision was prompted by the "high financial and spiritual damage" inflicted by live broadcasts. "

Heh. This made my day.

Senate Dives into Omnibus Earmarktacular Budget

It passed yesterday, much to the consternation of all thoughtful citizens.

It also passed on a voice vote, providing little accountability for those elected by the people. Rather then actually taking the time to file a vote on this, we just had 100 old people shout at each other. It was all very civil.

There is a semi-record of the vote, in that there was a Roll Call vote before the vote came up.
Look for your senators, both of mine from Texas voted no.



Meanwhile...
"Absolutely, we need earmark reform. And when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely"
-Our Fearless Leader Obama, 1st Presidential Debate:

The sad fact though, is that the largest waste is by far the federal spending itself, not the earmarks attached. They really are little more then ears upon an ugly beast.

The Obama Effect

Seattle Times: "The Dow Jones industrial average has fallen 21 percent during Obama's first seven weeks in office. Count back to Election Day and the results are even bleaker: That afternoon, the Dow closed at 9,625. Now it stands at 6,547, a loss of 32 percent.

...

Before Obama, the worst Dow performance for the first seven weeks of a new administration was an 18 percent plunge in 1974 after Gerald Ford was sworn in, during a severe bear market triggered by the Arab oil crisis.

Ronald Reagan presided over a Dow decline of more than 20 percent from April 1981 through the end of the 1982 bear market. And in 2001, George W. Bush's first year in office, the Dow plunged from a peak above 11,000 to a low below 8,300 after the Sept. 11 attacks."

If I can understand this, I know you can understand this, then Washington understands this.

It's increasingly difficult to see why we continue with Fascist government policies. Since the victory of Big Government in the twilight days of 2008, the market has responded as it should. Shrinking away from that which seeks to hurt it, a larger federal government.

More Taxes? Bad Business. More Subsidies? Bad Business. More Protectionism? Bad Business.

On a Personal Note, here's whats been going on.
Mexico went very well, we finished the house in 4 days, fastest I've been a part of yet. Even though we were in the hot spot of the drug war called Reynosa, we saw very little activity. Its there, but we weren't threatened by it.
This time though, I had the good fortune of snagging ol Montezuma's Revenge this past week, so I was out of commission for a few days. I should be back in action as we rapidly approach breaking 1000 posts.

We saw this coming

Obama and his advisers are idiots.

I have to take a shower, but I'll get back to this later.

EDIT:


I can't really do the magnitude of this new proposal justice. It just absolutely boggles the mind. The amount of blithering idiocy, nay, the raw, unvarnished calculating wolves of Fascism have reared their ugly heads in plan view of America and the world.

It is a budget expansion of biblical proportions, and only means a further economic fall from grace for the world's greatest nation. As the bastion of the world economy, when the US has a cold, the world contracts pneumonia.

In the same way the man with a millstone around his neck drowns in the icy depths of the north Atlantic, this 3 stage expansion of the Federal Government and its borrowing off the back of my generation and our offspring will continue to wreak havoc for years and years to come.

Mr. KnightWing, I do trust you are happy with an update.

In Mexico. Again

Just so ya'll know, I'm in Reynosa Mexico on yet another trip. This is for another house, I'll be back saturday night.

In the mean time, i'm liking Bobby Jindal more and more.
" "The way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians," Jindal said. The plan will "grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt."

"It's irresponsible," Jindal said. "
-Link

Obama's weekly address

2/21/09: Your Weekly Address from White House on Vimeo.

CO2 as a pollutant? EPA to sally forth with decree

International Herald Tribune: "If the environmental agency determines that carbon dioxide is a dangerous pollutant to be regulated under the Clean Air Act, it would set off one of the most extensive regulatory rule makings in history. Jackson knows that she would be stepping into a minefield of congressional and industry opposition and said that she was trying to devise a program that allayed these worries.

"We are poised to be specific on what we regulate and on what schedule," Jackson said. "We don't want people to spin that into a doomsday scenario.""

I'm sure the trees would disagree most vehemently. As will I.
There's an odd juxtaposition, tree huggers and the right wing of the nation joining hands.

I doubt it happens though, I think the environmental movement has sacrificed its soul upon the altar of political expediency and hyperbole for financial expediency.

Composition of the Earths Atmosphere:

• Nitrogen - 78.084%
• Oxygen - 20.95%
• Argon - 0.934%
• Carbon Dioxide - 0.036%

The concept of humans creating pollution with our very breaths is ludicrous, and yet, this is where we find ourselves. Seeing as government agency are merely political hack jobs of whomever is in office, this travesty of ecological and economic management will proceed.

Blackwater changes name to Xe

UPI - "The North Carolina security contractor Blackwater Worldwide has changed its name to Xe, a company memo says.

Company President Gary Jackson said in a memo that the company has been reorganizing for several months to "create unique brand identities for its products and services," The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Sunday.

As part of its rebranding, the company is jettisoning the name Blackwater and its red-and-black bear-claw logo."

Makes sense. A company that has earned as much ill will in its home country should probably rebrand itself. Just didn't want this to pass without ya'll noticing.
A company called Xe will start showing up on the news soon enough, and now you can impress your posse with this knowledge.

California Burning

Or at least, the budget is.

Rueters: "California, which is on the brink of running out of cash, will notify 20,000 state workers on Tuesday their jobs may be eliminated...

The layoff notices will affect about 20 percent of state workers, McLear said, adding the cuts would extend to every part of state government.

The positions would be eliminated in June in preparation for California's next fiscal year, which starts in July.

California, America's most populous state and the world's eighth biggest economy, has experienced a dramatic fall in revenues because of the housing downturn, rising unemployment and a sharp pullback in consumer spending."

Who has been running this state for the last two decades? Far left democrats.

Great work, Captain Socialism.

Serious?

"The 1,071 page, 8-inch-thick measure"

It passed the house today.

Every Democrat, sans 7 with a modicum of intelligence voted for it.

Not a single republican voted yes. Well done GOP, well done.

Washington Stock Yards

The Washington DC Stockyards are full of swine.

The House, and Democrats of the Senate, for crafting legislation as non-kosher as an Oscar Mayer Wiener.

The Senate Republicans, for voting in a fowl manner and becoming chickens when the vote came. (I'm looking at you, Arlan Specter and the rest of your ilk.)

And for America? We're going to be chewing the cud on this bill for generations to come. Thank you Mr. Obama for your change and the consequences my generation and my kids are going to be paying for this.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Washington Times: "An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border.
...
The lawsuit said he then called his wife and two Border Patrol agents arrived at the site. It also said Mr. Barnett acknowledged that he had turned over 12,000 illegal immigrants to the Border Patrol since 1998.
..."This is my land. I´m the victim here," Mr. Barnett said. "When someone´s home and loved ones are in jeopardy and the government seemingly can´t do anything about it, I feel justified in taking matters into my own hands. And I always watch my back.""

I hope this case looses. To bad it's in Arizona. If it had been in Texas, Mr. Barnett could have shot them all and been done with it.


Apologies for the sporadic posting (I'm in computer science lab right now), the laptop I ordered 3 weeks ago has yet to run through UPS systems. I do not recommend using CompuDirect for ordering anything. Ever.

Hyperbole and High Hopes

Reuters: ""The Obama numbers are unprecedented and speak volumes to the global fascination with the new American president, his wife and young family," Payack told Reuters. "Obama is the biggest story of the century so far."
...

That surpassed media interest generated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the global financial meltdown in 2008, the Iraq War in 2003 and the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, Payack said."

Obama's inauguration is the biggest story of this century?

Bigger then September 11? I simply cannot believe that. It certainly will not have as big an impact as the terrorists hijackings.

This kind of excitement and exuberance towards the new administration may wind up being harmful politically to the democrats. There's really no where to go but down from this high, and that kind of crash hurts. The blows will be softened as the mainstream junk journalists provide cushion.

Back-ish

Here's what is going on, and why I haven't posted in a while.

About 20 minutes after I posted the previous announcement, I dropped my laptop and the screen broke. Now, don't mock me because it fell out of my lap while i was trying to catch a remote control for the TV, because it was very important I could press unmute to watch the Dallas Mavericks.

Road trip went very well, came back home with the ladies without a hitch. I'm also back in school this semester as well as working, so my posts may (nay, will) be more sporadic as the spring rolls in.
So, when I reclaim my piece of the computer world with a new laptop, I'll let ya'll know.



In other news, the best political T-shirt I've seen in a while crossed my radar on immaculation, er, inauguration day.
'Rosa Parks Sat so King Could Walk so Obama Could Run'

Road Trip!

So, I'll be gone until Monday morning from the blogosphere. Early Wednesday morning, I'm flying out to Florida with a friend to pick up my girl friend, MaryKate. We're moving her back to Texas. Should be fun, we'll be back Sunday night.

If you remember, pray for a safe drive on the way back.

And now for the imporant stuff:
Steelers win over Baltimore, 17-10
Arizona continues defensive domination, beats Philadelphia 34-23

America...

Famous DC: "Here’s how it went down. [Congressman] Massa drove one fuel cell car while a hybrid SUV towing an additional SUV followed along. Once he got half way, he switched to new fuel cell car. The empty fuel cell was then towed back by the first SUV. As he continued on his journey, the second SUV followed. Once Massa arrived in DC, the second SUV then towed the second fuel cell car back to NY." Environmentally speaking, that makes about as much sense as setting someone's backyard ablaze with 20 gallons of gasoline.


WSFA: "the head of the Alabama NAACP, however, wants Mobile's Azalea Trail Maids to stay home on Inauguration Day, claiming the group reminds him of slavery.

"These are not just regular costumes. These are the costumes that remind someone of the plantation in Gone with the Wind," Edward Vaughn said in a phone interview."

Actually, I agree with this stance. There really is no other time period this goes back to then the Antebellum south, who's wealth was often built upon the backs of black slaves. Whoever set this up for the presidential inauguration wasn't thinking.

FOCA & Hysteria & Reality

(Hat tip to MaryKate for bringing this up)

Email forward: "For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sick chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law then all limitations on abortion will be lifted...
...
Perhaps most importantly the government will now have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (rape, down syndrome babies, etc) and could even regulate how many children women are allowed to have."

After reading that, I had my interest piqued. Any time there is mass hysteria amongst the Christian Right, its often times disproportionate to the issue at hand.

A bill of this caliber is simply too hot to pass both houses and be signed into law, its like shooting your own political kneecaps.

After spending nearly a quarter hour finding any useful information on FOCA, I found this article from the Wall Street Journal:
""Our No. 1 concern would be the FOCA bill," said Connie Mackey, senior vice president of Family Research Council Action, a conservative group that focuses on social issues. "We have to appeal directly to the American public."

The opponents of this legislation appear more eager for a debate over it than the proponents do, perhaps knowing it is a strong way to rally their supporters early in the administration....
Among them is the "right of conscience" regulation that is expected to be published this week. It will take effect 30 days after being issued. That means that if the Bush administration issues the regulation this week, it will become final before Mr. Obama's inauguration on Jan. 20, and his administration won't be able to undo it easily.

For decades, federal law has said that doctors and nurses can't be compelled to perform abortions. The new regulation broadens that to make clear that all health-care workers may refuse to provide information, such as a referral, to patients looking for an abortion. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates the regulation would affect 584,000 hospitals, doctor's offices, pharmacies and other entities."

So for the time being, the Pro-life forces have the upper hand, courtesy one last favor by W. I think FOCA will remain a bill tabled in congress to placate the ornery proponents of murder on the left, while being entirely to controversial to ever pass the bi-cambial legislature.

Employment news

AP: "For all of 2008, the economy lost 2.6 million jobs. That was the most since 1945, when nearly 2.8 million jobs were lost, although the number of jobs in the U.S. has more than tripled since then. ...

Even with a new government stimulus, the unemployment rate is expected to keep rising this year. Some think it could hit 9 percent or 10 percent at the end of this year."

So, the perceived downside to refusing the Economic Stimulus plan? Jobs would be lost. The potential upside to accepting the Economic Stimulus plan? Jobs would be lost. Would the masters of mediocrity please step forward. I'm talking to you, National Republican Party and George W. Bush.

Admittedly, this isn't even that bad in historical terms. In recent history it is, but its been a while since we had a bust phase in our economy. Normally these phases clear out the fetters of industry, and the surviving companies are more efficient and productive with their capital.
Not so this time. In the wisdom of Washington, we are keeping bungling companies afloat to garner votes.

Why the World Needs Jesus

UK Times (Matthew Paris)"

Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid efforts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people's hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is good.

I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It's a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it.
...
In the city we had working for us Africans who had converted and were strong believers. The Christians were always different. Far from having cowed or confined its converts, their faith appeared to have liberated and relaxed them. There was a liveliness, a curiosity, an engagement with the world - a directness in their dealings with others - that seemed to be missing in traditional African life. They stood tall...."


This is one of the themes that is lost in the streams of the rise and fall of civilizations, the pathway of Christianity through mankind. It's a faith that simultaneously takes the individual and removes him from the equation, and yet instills freedom and a sense of direction in any circumstance.
To be like Christ, to stand tall and apart in a world that is filled with Darkness is what Christianity is about.

Its not really a surprise then, that even those who wrongly believe in the absence of a deity would recognize the benefits of Christianity. At its roots, it truly is a 'Religion of Peace', propagated not by the sword or the spear, but by the love and communication of Christians.

What is the main difference between the Western school of political thought, and the rest of the world? Men have rights endowed by God for Life & Liberty, and are not owned by the state.
That is the natural outgrowth of Christianity, where the power to choose life and death rests in the hearts of each and every man.
At it's core, freedom is the ability to choose. This choice is the ultimate expression of freedom, and that gives men reason to stand tall in the face of a fallen world.

Franken's last laugh

Wall Street Journal: "Mr. Franken started the recount 215 votes behind Senator Coleman, but he now claims a 225-vote lead and suddenly the man who was insisting on "counting every vote" wants to shut the process down. He's getting help from Mr. Ritchie and his four fellow Canvassing Board members, who have delivered inconsistent rulings and are ignoring glaring problems with the tallies.
...
Minnesotans like to think that their state isn't like New Jersey or Louisiana, and typically it isn't. But we can't recall a similar recount involving optical scanning machines that has changed so many votes, and in which nearly every crucial decision worked to the advantage of the same candidate. The Coleman campaign clearly misjudged the politics here, and the apparent willingness of a partisan like Mr. Ritchie to help his preferred candidate, Mr. Franken. If the Canvassing Board certifies Mr. Franken as the winner based on the current count, it will be anointing a tainted and undeserving Senator."

I thought this was wrapped up a couple of weeks ago... figures though, that in a game of dirty politics the Dems will win.

I blame the squirrels

El Paso Times:
"A U.S. Army War College report warns an economic crisis in the United States could lead to massive civil unrest and the need to call on the military to restore order.

Retired Army Lt. Col. Nathan Freir wrote the report "Known Unknowns: Unconventional Strategic Shocks in Defense Strategy Development," which the Army think tank in Carlisle, Pa., recently released.

"Widespread civil violence inside the United States would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities ... to defend basic domestic order and human security," the report said, in case of "unforeseen economic collapse," "pervasive public health emergencies," and "catastrophic natural and human disasters," among other possible crises."

This in conjunction with 20,000 US Troops stationed in the USA on active duty?
Frightening prospect indeed. I'm not one given to hyperbole of fear, but this is likely to have negative consequences.
It was not the barbarians that destroyed Rome, rather the actions by those within. I still thing America's best days are ahead of us, but in no way can a socialist nation with lackluster foreign policy, punishing economic environments and a populace coerced by the military lead the world.

The Blagman Strikes Back

" His choice of Burris, Illinois' first African-American elected statewide, presents senators with the dilemma of saying no to a replacement for Obama, who was the nation's only black senator.

That point was driven home at the news conference by Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago, who said it's a matter of national importance that an African-American replace Obama in the Senate.

"Let me just remind you that there presently is no African-American in the Senate...this is just not a state of Illinois matter," Rush said.

...Burris said he spoke with Blagojevich Sunday night about the appointment.

"I was asked if he would appoint me would I accept and the answer is yes," said Burris, who offered no comment on the governor's legal situation.

Blagojevich praised Burris for his "unquestioned integrity" and "extensive experience," calling him a senior statesman.

"To not fill the vacancy would be to deprive the people of Illinois of their appropriate voice" in the U.S. Senate, Blagojevich said."

And yet, the most telling component to this:
"Burris has given more than $20,000 to Blagojevich's campaign fund on his own and through his consulting and law firms, state campaign finance records show. Burris' consulting company received about $290,000 in state contracts with the Illinois Department of Transportation a few years ago, according to state comptroller records."

Best as I can tell, this is a legit appointment. I hope for no other reason then sheer joy of political folly and historical oddities that it goes through. Really though, I think we'll have a difficult time finding a more liberal senator then Obama to replace Obama in the senate. Might as well the token black man in the house of arrogant politicians bent on socialism.

Say it ain't so...

Merry Christmas Ya'll

Review: Seven Pounds

This is one of those rare movies that leaves me thinking, leaves me in wonder, and leaves me in a state of emotional turmoil.

I say rare, because rarely in my life have I seen film turned it such a remarkably dull, overwhelmingly pretentious, and discombobulated piece of cinema.

The premise for the film is that Ben Thompson (Will Smith) has it within his power to radically alter the lives of 7 people, and he chooses to do so. The story chronicles the end of his quest, in the most curious of fashions.

Opening with Thompson calling 911 for his own suicide, and then proceeding to, without warning, flash across a plethora of timeline and events that have occurred in this mans life. There's lovely beach house, a lovely woman, a career as an Aerospace salesman, car wreaks, jelly fish, moving into a motel, mocking a blind man over the phone, stalking a woman with heart failure, handing out IRS extensions, punishing evil doctors, feeding dogs meat, talking to his brother, dealing with his best friend, falling in love, donating bone marrow, and countless other events.

If that didn't make any sense, don't worry about it. The movie amounts to about the same thing, a sequence of events that hardly seem connected. In the end, it really doesn't matter if they are or not, as the ending was predictable by two of my friends within the first half hour.

That all being said, if you're read to the end of this review, and were remotely interested by anything contained in the above paragraphs, then this has been more entertaining then Seven Pounds.

I do not want to see this movie ever again. Not because it is offensive or horrifying, but because it is a stupefyingly dull film with almost no payoff at the end. I want my 2 hours back.

Auto's bailed

Wall Street Journal: ""Under ordinary economic circumstances, I would say 'this is the price that failed companies must pay' and I would not favor intervening to prevent the auto makers from going out of business," the president said. "But these are not ordinary circumstances."

The deal would extend $13.4 billion in loans to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC in December and January, with another $4 billion likely available in February. It also would provide the government with non-voting warrants, although the exact amount was unclear immediately. Ford Motor Co. has said it doesn't need short-term assistance.

The deal is contingent on the companies' showing that they are financially viable by March 31. If they aren't, the loans will be called and all funds must be returned, officials said."

Two thoughts:

1. Thank you, Mr. Bush. You can leave now. No, really. It's not a moment to soon.
If now isn't the time for free market capitalism, then you no longer deserve the mantle of Republican.

2. The Federal government is just the organization I want determining the long term viability of a business. Because, ya know. They're good at stuff like that. Nope, its not a porky spending layout at all.

W on his economic strategy

"I feel a sense of obligation to my successor to make sure there is not a, you know, a huge economic crisis. Look, we're in a crisis now. I mean, this is -- we're in a huge recession, but I don't want to make it even worse."

Herbert Hoover, meet your successor. George W. Bush.

I blame global warming

Greece in Turmoil

Times UK: "Police sources said their riot squads had fired 4,600 tear gas canisters this week as rioters torched hundreds of banks and shops and occupied their campuses, where police after forbidden by law from entering.
...The demonstrations started a week ago after a police officer shot dead a 15-year-old boy, claiming he had fired a warning shot in the air as youths threatened him and a fellow officer. The two policemen are in detention, with their defence lawyer claiming that an as yet unreleased ballistics report shows the boy was killed by a ricochet rather than by direct fire.

But the anger unleashed by the killing has acted as a lightning rod for smouldering discontent at a variety of social ills, from unemployment to police brutality and government corruption.

Left-wing demonstrators today chanted “Cops are murderers” and carried placards saying “Bullets in the kids, money in the bank” and “Down with the government of property and privatization”..."

Now, I wasn't around for the Rodney King riots, but for those venerable readers, was it like this?

Reading about this, it seemed to be over-reaction run amok. But that last line sorta highlights the whole thing, people with out minds protesting because they desire their liberty to heisted.
Communist plants? Marxist holdovers? The encore performance of the World Trade meetings in Seattle? (This is Sparta?)

Fraud of epic proportion

Investors scrambled to assess potential losses from an alleged $50 billion fraud by Bernard Madoff, a day after the arrest of the prominent Wall Street trader.

Prosecutors and regulators accused the 70-year-old, who was chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market in the early 1990s, of masterminding a fraud of epic proportions through his investment advisory business, which managed at least one hedge fund.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Madoff-alleged-50-billion-rb-13819411.html

Batteries dying, be back on this later.

Review: The Punisher War Zone

So figuring Marvel was 2 for 2 this year, with Ironman and the Incredible Hulk both being spectacular blockbusters I'll enjoy for years to come, I figured the Punisher: War Zone had a hope of success.

Seeing as Frank Castle is the primary anti-hero from the Marvel stable, I'll give a little of his origin.
In the latest iteration, Castle is a special forces instructor for the US Army, one of the elite commandos on earth. While on leave with his family, they are wittiness to a mob hit job. Once they become liabilities to the mob, they are hunted down and killed, leaving Castle with 7 bullet wounds and a dead family around him. When the District Attorney continues to be incompetent in prosecuting the mafia, he goes on his own tear of vigilante justice, raining what is essentially the wrath of God upon the mob of New York City.

This movie picks up in the middle of that, opening with brutal action at a mafia family get together, where only one son escapes the killing spree Castle engages in. While hunting down the remaining Don, an undercover FBI agent falls victim to the Punisher's rampage, and the rest of the story revolves around his family and Castle's devotion to their safety and well being. The other story line involves the remaining Don who is horribly disfigured in the face by the Punisher. He breaks his insane brother out of prison, and proceeds to raise an army to kill 'The Punisher.'

It's a movie that takes considerable suspension of disbelief to take seriously, but it succeeds on several levels.
The visceral joy of seeing violent criminals who escape justice pay for their crimes, the grim humor throughout, and the fantastic, old school shoot-em'up action, reminiscent of Die Hard or Live Free or Die Hard of last year.

In the end, there's a scene that defines the movie very succinctly.
Castle is in full battle mode, freeing the family of the FBI agent from the mafia searching for a cash stash in the family home. After freeing the family and walking out of the kitchen with the small girl in his left arm, the supervising FBI agent beings to inform the remaining mafia member of his rights. Within a few seconds, Castle returns carrying the girl and wielding a pistol-grip shot gun, and blows the mans head off, and keeps walking past, searching for the remaining enemy.
Was it justified? Probably.
Was it justice? No. Not as we would judge in a court.
Was it Right? Yes.

In the end, I'll watch it again. But there is so much comic book cliche contained within, it'll be difficult to not watch and laugh.
Which is what this boils down to. It's a fun movie, with neither pretensions of greatness nor the trappings of morality discussions. Rather this is the justice of a fictional universe where the good guys win and the bad guy's heads roll in their carnage of their own creation.

Thompson wins again

On the economy and some blasted common sense.

Russia clawing for influence

AP: "Monday's joint maneuvers with Venezuela, which brought the Admiral Chabanenko and the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great across the Atlantic along with two support ships, were widely seen as a show of Kremlin anger over the U.S. use of warships to deliver aid to Georgia after its August war with Russia.

Russian warships tailed U.S. ships in the Black Sea, where Russia borders Georgia, on that mission.

The Russian squadron's voyage to Venezuela was Russia's first such deployment to the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War era, aimed to showcase the Kremlin's global reach and reassert its claim to great-power status. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is a staunch U.S. foe.

The voyage coincided with a trip to Latin America late last month by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who visited four nations in what he acknowledged was an effort to raise Moscow's profile in a region he said it has long neglected.

U.S. officials have mocked the Russian show of force, saying that the Russian navy is a shadow of Moscow's Soviet-era fleet and suggesting that the U.S. retains far more influence in the region than Russia.

"Are they accompanied by tugboats this time?" U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack joked to reporters in Washington last week ahead of the Russian ships' arrival off Venezuela."

Here's how South America will break up in the coming years:
Those who enjoy trade and good relations with the US will shore up their Americana stances.
Those who decry the freedoms of the bourgeois will grasp desperately for other allies.

Still fun to watch though. Really what it boils down to in diplomatic terms is that the US isn't afraid of Russia, and still considers the Putian run Russian nation to be a friend, if not an ally.

W's last great service to America

Washington Post: "The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials. The long-planned shift in the Defense Department's role in homeland security was recently backed with funding and troop commitments after years of prodding by Congress and outside experts, defense analysts said. ...
Military preparations for a domestic weapon-of-mass-destruction attack have been underway since at least 1996, when the Marine Corps activated a 350-member chemical and biological incident response force and later based it in Indian Head, Md., a Washington suburb. Such efforts accelerated after the Sept. 11 attacks, and at the time Iraq was invaded in 2003, a Pentagon joint task force drew on 3,000 civil support personnel across the United States.

In 2005, a new Pentagon homeland defense strategy emphasized "preparing for multiple, simultaneous mass casualty incidents." National security threats were not limited to adversaries who seek to grind down U.S. combat forces abroad, McHale said, but also include those who "want to inflict such brutality on our society that we give up the fight," such as by detonating a nuclear bomb in a U.S. city.

In late 2007, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England signed a directive approving more than $556 million over five years to set up the three response teams, known as CBRNE Consequence Management Response Forces. Planners assume an incident could lead to thousands of casualties, more than 1 million evacuees and contamination of as many as 3,000 square miles, about the scope of damage Hurricane Katrina caused in 2005."

Passe Comitatus anyone?
"Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. "

The failings of Bush's leadership grow more apparent. Paulson running another socialization program and waxing poetic about the brilliance of social safety nets. a standing Army in the United States of America, and abhorrent failures in domestic policy.

It's enough to get me agreeing with the far right prophets decrying the coming North American Union.

In the absense of leadership

...the idiots will run the show

" White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on Sunday she knew of no talks going on between banking giant Citigroup and the federal government for financial aid.

Speaking to reporters traveling with President George W. Bush, who is returning to Washington after attending the Asia-Pacific summit in Peru, Perino declined to comment on whether the president supported a federal rescue package for Citigroup." - Reuters

This is quite frankly, obscene. Our money is being hosed around with reckless abandon by those on the hill, and the executive branch has entirely sold out to Henry Paulson, the treasury secretary. It's be comedy if it wasn't real.

Pirates of Somalia

So, back from mexico. Good trip, we finished the house in 4 days and wrapped up some unfinished business from this summer when we left early. Great trip, and Lord willing we'll be back again in march.


The stories that caught my eye yesterday concerned piracy in the Indian Ocean, mostly off the coast of Somalia. A Saudi Arabian oil tanker, the Sirius Star, carrying a colossal quantity of oil was pirated this week with a ransom demand of $10 million. To date this year, at least 83 reported pirate instances have occurred.

Times UK: "The International Maritime Bureau has reported that at least 83 ships have been attacked off Somalia since January, of which 33 were hijacked. Of those, 12 vessels and more than 200 crew were still in the hands of pirates. "

Even in the past week, there have been more hijackings.

Times UK: "Since the Sirius Star was captured at least three other ships – one Greek, one Thai and one from Hong Kong – have been seized by Somali pirates."

There is considerable money being made by these marauders as well.

AP: "...But in northern coastal towns like Haradhere, Eyl and Bossaso, the pirate economy is thriving thanks to the money pouring in from pirate ransoms that have reached $30 million this year alone.

In Haradhere, residents came out in droves to celebrate as the looming oil ship came into focus this week off the country's lawless coast. Businessmen started gathering cigarettes, food and cold glass bottles of orange soda, setting up small kiosks for the pirates who come to shore to re-supply almost daily.

Dahir said she is so confident in the pirates, she instituted a layaway plan just for them.

"They always take things without paying and we put them into the book of debts," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "Later, when they get the ransom money, they pay us a lot."

For Somalis, the simple fact that pirates offer jobs is enough to gain their esteem, even as hostages languish on ships for months. The population makes sure the pirates are well-stocked in qat, a popular narcotic leaf, and offer support from the ground even as the international community tries to quash them.

"Regardless of how the money is coming in, legally or illegally, I can say it has started a life in our town," said Shamso Moalim, a 36-year-old mother of five in Haradhere.

"Our children are not worrying about food now, and they go to Islamic schools in the morning and play soccer in the afternoon. They are happy.""

My initial reaction was to blame a news media with little left to report on by dreary economic news for drumming up stories that happen frequently but get little coverage. But looking at the data from years past compared to this year tells a different story.
(Chart source, UN Data)

Since 1991, there has been no functioning government in Somalia. For a short time, a set of Islamic courts were set up, and these radically curtailed piracy in the region, and restored some semblance of a legal system for this impoverished region. When the ICG was destroyed in late 2007, piracy again exploded, and has rapidaly increased to its current level, which is indeed considerable compared to last year.

"Negotiations with ships’ owners can go on for several months and are clouded in secrecy. Fourteen ships with more than 250 crew members are being held as negotiations continue. Among them is the Ukrainian arms ship Faina, which was captured in August with a cargo of 33 battle tanks, hundreds of crates of Kalashnikovs and ammunition""

More naval vessels of the trading nations are being moved into the area, and I imagine this is not a problem that will be ongoing. Simple economics dictate that shipping lanes are more prosperous without piracy.

What on earth is wrong with W?

Ok, so real quick. I'm in mexico again, helping build another house for a fellow child of the King and his family down here, which is why there has been a stark and sudden lack of posts following that debacle of an election (for those with brains, anyways) a few days back.

We're well ahead of schedule on the house, so we may get to some of the work left unfinished by our hasty withdraw due to a hurrican this summer. Thats my prayer, anyways.

So I hit up the Drudge today, and find an absolute horrid mess of a government take over being delt to us by George W Bush and his crony, Treasury Secretary Paulson.

Here it is, and I'll say it.
What a bunch of commies who have masqueraded as republicans over the past 10 years.

Officially, I have almost as much repect for this bunch of mentally vacant chowderheads running the white house as I will for Barak and his coming term.

ABC News:
"When we'll get a list of those dozens of additional applicants which will be getting a piece of the $125 billion in remaining taxpayer case remains to be seen. The original CPP participants were told about the program at a closed-door meeting at Treasury and no minutes have been released on what was said during the meeting.

So, is this the biggest bait and switch in American history? There will certainly be critics who say that Paulson and the Bush Administration were disingenuous when they were selling Congress and the American public on the program back in September. And they’d probably be right. Paulson said today, he knew when the bill was signed the purchase of trouble assets wasn’t the right solution to the problem. But history will judge Hank & Co. on the effectiveness of their response. If the risks to the financial system remain low, the future doesn’t bring bigger bank and financial institution failures, and the recession doesn’t get too deep or last too long, then the quick pivot on this plan will probably go unnoticed."

The Aftermath of the American Electoral Process 2008

First Democrat President in 8 years.
Barack Obama is now president elect, with the million ramifications that brings to bear. But, I think you can take the label of racist off the majority of Americans now, and its about time.

Obama received more of the popular vote then Bush did in either election, and really, more votes then any other man in American history has earned. Think about that for a minute... he managed to unite 62,682,389 65,340,608 people to vote for him.
Mac? He showed up with less then John F. Kerry brought in, at 55,543,527 57,358,053 votes.
(Voter tallys updated 11-8-08)

I attribute this election lost to a lack of conservative energy, and rightly so. The GOP betrayed its principles, and is paying a heavy price for it.

But not too heavy.
The democrats failed to acquire a super majority in either house. Obama was elected on a centrist platform, not one of radical leftist ideology that we know he carries. But, in the first term at least, he will need to stick to the middle of the road for political reasons.

So not all is lost, but little was won.

Its over

This long, civil presidential campaign is over.


Can we get on with the issues now??

Iran hates women.

Times: "Last month police stopped her as she drove on the Modarres highway, Tehran’s main north-south route, supposedly for overtaking. She had planned to leave Iran two days later. Clearly worried, Momeni called Parvin Ardalan, founder of the Iranian women’s campaign, as she was being pulled over. “She was talking to me when they were telling her to stop and was asking me what to do,” Ardalan said. “When I called her 20 minutes later her mobile was switched off.”

Through contacts, Ardalan confirmed her worst fears. “Later that day, I was informed that Esha’s house had been searched, documents seized and her computer had been confiscated. They told me she had been taken to section 209 of Evin prison,” she added. Momeni was allowed only one telephone call from prison, to her father. He said she sounded scared.
...
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have denounced Momeni’s arrest. Amnesty said she was “at risk of torture or other ill-treatment”. Former prisoners in section 209, which is run by the Ministry of Intelligence, have complained of solitary confinement, interrogation and torture. Five years ago Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian photographer, died after being beaten there. "

This is the developing story of Esha Momeni, a US student who was arrested in Iran almost a fortnight ago.
If we weren't in the midst of a head burying US election, this would be dominating the news cycle. But nope, we've retreated to politics within our borders. Maybe this bloody election will be over within the week. By bloody, I mean a political fallout of epic proportions amongst the republican party, as the Democrats take the Administration, the House, and the Senate quite handily.

The Case for McCain 3: Not Possible by this Blogger.

Ok, my objective was to spend the past week making cases for why John McCain should be president. After rifling through his 'Issues' page at www.johnmccain.com, I've come to the conclusion once again, after all the hyperbole and hot air from the desperate republicans, that Mac is simply a democrat with a solid sense of national security.

No, really. Here are the issues listed on McCain's site, and a quick hit of where he stands on them.
Right = Smaller government, more power to the citizens, free trade, defending our nation.
Left = More government, less power to the citizens, protectionism, diplomacy at all costs.

The Economy - Left
Energy - Left
National Security - Right
Health Care -Left
Iraq -Right
Home ownership -Left
Veterans -Right
Immigration -Left
Education -Right
2nd Amendment -Right (Past actions would belie this however)
Judicial Philosophy -Right
Homeland security -Right
Fighting Crime -Right
Natural Heritage -Left
Agricultural Policy -Left
Sanctity of Life -Right
Climate Change -Left
Ethics Reform ?
Space Program -Left
National Service -Left
Technology -Left

Total tally:
11 Left
9 Right

Obviously, that is a misleading stat, because the issues vary in importance. But this man is not a conservative, even less so the W has been. Sad, really, that this is considered the best and brightest the republican revolution has to offer.
I'm not sure which way I'll mark in the booth, but if its for McCain, its only going to be begrudgingly so.

The one place I take solace? My mind keeps hearkening back to Fred Thompson at the GOP convention this year,


"John McCain's bones may have been broken but his spirit never was.

Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President.
But it does reveal character.

This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders.
Strength.
Courage.
Humility.
Wisdom.
Duty.
Honor.
It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, "Who is this man?" and "Can we trust this man with the Presidency?""

So that's what it comes down to. If your an American, make your choice. And vote GOP for senate and House, 'cause those matter.
If you're not, watch with wonder as the worlds longest lasting democracy once again makes a peaceful transfer of power at the highest levels.