Prayers to the victims of Katrina.

There are so many links I wanted to put up for this post, including the bloggers relief fund (I'm still checking it out), but I have to admit to being overwhelmed.

The griping about the response is understandable, but I think over wrought. I mean that the relief effort has been massive and to have the place under complete control by Day 8 is a logistical success.
My opinion is that the Govenor of Louisiana and the Mayor of New Orleans have a lot of 'splaining to do. This was not a surprize. They knew the storm was coming for a week. Apparently they have planned and practiced for this type of emergency before. What happened? I think there was a real vacuum of leadership.
As an aside, I am mortified to hear the political left attempt to gain leverage by this disaster. Jesse Jackson was espousing bald faced lies and then had the temerity to say that the lack of response was due to the race of the victims? Wow. In the world of the Reverend, people were watching the catastrophe and saying, "ahh, we'll get to that tomorrow" based on the race of the victims? The left is politically and morally bankrupt.

Ok, here's a link that I found interesting.

"The Gift of Happiness."

Hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Link.

Kill the space shuttle?

Seems to be a lot of sentiment out there calling for the scrapping of this program. It's kinda news to me. I thought the shuttles were the future.

Article here. and here.

Guess I gotta wake up, huh?

Positive news not available from MSM.

Haven't posted anything like this in awhile, but check this link.
Contrary to the evening news, we are making progress. I'm still amazed at the change in the world political scene. The President won't get credit for this anytime soon, probably not in his lifetime, but I believe this time period will be viewed as a watershed by our children. It's something they will discuss and analyze in history class.

Empire State senator.

Just got back from a trip to New York. Man, do I love living in the Mid-West. Manners, politeness and civility are great to come home to.
Have to remain vigilant. Check this article. Her obvious moves and positioning come as no surprise. She seems to be the only d smart enough to realize that election success comes from moving to the center.
I'll still giggle about the Air Force JAG officer scurrying around the Pentagon, biting her tongue about the Commander in Chief and the Secretary of Defense. What a good soldier!
I'll heartily guffaw at the supposed White House position if the previous presidential election had gone the wrong way.

The PS Classic.

The Second annual PS Classic wrapped this weekend. What a treat. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Sunny and warm all weekend. The company was excellent, witty and bawdy (what a great mix for the golf course). I've recieved the final tally from the offical archivist:

7.29.05 - RedHawk Run
ps - 92
rj - 89
mdg - 98

7.29.05 - The Legacy
ps - 88
rj - 91
mdg - 92

7.30.05 - Maumee Bay
ps - 99
rj - 103
mdg - 90
jp - 99

Totals:
ps 279
mdg 280
rj 283

What a charge by mdg! Holy Toledo! The guy was knocking down shots and carving up the course on Sat. As I said many times that day, "A thing of beauty is a joy that will last forever." PS also showed marked improvement in stamina from last year, but I suspect his good swings were inversely proportional to his intake of alcohol. I discovered my greatest weakness is a cute beer girl and a playing partner with cash. Already looking forward to next year's Classic. Thanks guys!

Music time.

Spin magagzine's Top Ten albums from the last twenty years:

1. Radiohead - 'Ok Computer'(1997)
2. Public Enemy - 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ (1988)
3. Nirvana - 'Nevermind' (1991)
4. Pavement - 'Slanted and Enchanted' (1992)
5. The Smiths - 'The Queen is Dead' (1986)
6. Pixies - 'Surfer Rosa' (1989)
7. De La Soul - '3 Feet High and Rising' (1989)
8. Prince - 'Sign O' The Times' (1987)
9. PJ Harvey - 'Rid of Me' (1993)
10. NWA - 'Straight Outta Compton' (1988)

I have/had four of them, even though I never thought any of them would make this kind of list.

Elsewhere:

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Bloggers Rank Over-Rated Songs

Robert Burke of Rhapsody Radish asked some of the top music bloggers to name the most overrated songs. Robert says he was not looking for the most hated song or even the worst commercially successful song, but a song that has garnered critical acclaim. No doubt this'll stir up some debate as some classic fan favorites have been selected.

The bloggers top ten over-rated songs:

1. "American Pie" - Don McLean
2. "Light My Fire" - The Doors
3. "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
4. "Hey Ya!" – Outkast
5. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" - Def Leppard
6. "Wonderwall" – Oasis
7. "Memory" - Andrew Lloyd Webber
8. "Bohemian Rhapsody" – Queen
9. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - U2
10. "Totally Wired" - The Fall

You can view the full list with the bloggers' explanations on their choices, comment on the list and add your own here.

Color me paranoid.

Just read an article describing the rough treatment of reporters and staff travelling with Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. Sudanese guards to president Omar el-Bashir manhandled and physically confronted reporters and staff on more than one occassion..
If I understand the situation in Sudan correctly, the new "reconcilliation" government is comprised of members from the Arabic population from the north and with the Christian and indigenous peoples of the south. While I think of Sudan in a slightly favorable light when they agreed to turn over Bin Laden, the killing of over 2 million people in the 21 year civil war is an atrocity that cannot be overlooked.
The whole point of this rant is this: I hope somebody in our intelligence community is investigating these incidents very carefully. This seems like a type of reconnaissance misson from Al Qaeda or other terrorist organization. A probing of her security detachment and their reactions. A way to see who in her detail is security and who is not. A clue as to the methods of security for her, as well as other U. S. officials. I'd be very interested to know who was around during these incidents just watching. Who says the next terrorist attack has to be against mass transit or the public? It seems that our Secretary of State, by her job description as well as her ideology, is a likely target.
Like I said, color me paranoid, but don't color me surprised.

Possible Supreme Nominee?

Sounds like a real possibility. Would like to know a little more, but this article will prompt me to do some research.

Article here.

Flustered and stuck on name calling.

I think I've mentioned this here before, but the left still resorts to name calling. Who is "mean-spirited"? Consider this part of my mini "Hillary Watch." I thought the analysis of her comments instructive.
Article here.

Free Speech or Campaign Dollars?

I found this article interesting.
I was really surprised by McCain's reaction to this guy in person. Won't shake his hand?
I thought I liked the reform, but perhaps there is something to this Constitutional stuff, huh?

No comments for June 05? Drat!

Well, I'm no Gerhrig/Ripken, but I hoped to keep the posts going. We'll see if I can get back on the horse.

Major haps in my life. Tidings of great joy.

Still, life goes on. Two big topics out there. Supreme Court vacancy and bombs in London. Oh yeah, Ohio State lands one of the most highly touted recruiting classes in college basketball since ttun. Cool!

The real lyrics to Louie Louie

Looweeloowhy ono sadday we gowgow
yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh sadday looweeloowhy oh bebay sadday we gowgow

Ayfain liyelkurwl away onee
eektatsh ahip oconstalee
ale wine shit wine all alowe
eenever acow aamay gitome

Aloowee loowhy nanananana heywegowgow
Oh no addeeloowee loowhy oh bebay heddeweegoddegow

Wenite andayo afaildefee
kaykogorld ocontoflee
a on ay shit awayteedair
agul ayrow mowinherrair

Aloowee loowhy oh no heddewegowgow
ya ya ya ya ya sadday loowee loowhy oh bebay heddeweegowgow

OWKAYLITSGITITOOWERITENEOW

teey.... teteeynow ingamymoowabow
theymuppeelow they peepeealow
theypayinarhear my artegen
aymebber ay mebbelayergen

Looweeloowhy ono sadday we gowgow
yeh yeh yeh yeh yeh sadday looweeloowhy oh bebay sadday we gowgow
Ayseddewegoddegownow
Beybeeconnoweekot
Etco!

Comic Churchill

Here's an amusing article about Ward Churchill. I like the way Labash approaches his subject. I also find the view of the fringe funny in a disturbing way. Have to give Labash credit, I don't have the time or inclination to spend arguing with this Walking Eagle. Now that's comedy.

"Why doesn't Bush do something?!?"

....exclaimed a co-worker in reference to high gasoline prices yesterday. Followed by her rant that I think included the federal crime of threatening the president, as well as petulant personal commentary regarding his "beady little eyes."
While I don't fully understand the national crude oil reserves and the presidents powers to control these reserves, why should the president be involved in manipulating oil markets? Hey, no one hates high gas prices more than I do. I'm driving one of the biggest behemoths on the road and it hurts to "filler up." I'm probably in the market for a new vehicle soon, and I'll have some real choices to make, but one of them is not to ask the president to manage gas prices.
Makes you kinda wonder about drilling in Alaska again, doesn't it? Interesting ANWR article here.
Immediately after the above exclamation, a chorus of voices said, "Yeah!!" I was struck by the need of these people to have the government fix their problems. By and large, I DON'T want the goverment fixing my problems. Certainly a minority here at work, YIKES!

How long till I'm de-sensitized?

I guess it's been a few moments since I was shocked by what passes as academia here in the good ol US of A. Check this article. Obviously I wish the European professor had identified himself and the institution where he's employed, but still provides a chilling picture. A particular comment of grave concern:

In issue after issue, the liberal college professor is very critical of America and the values that it stands for. I have heard American college professors tell me – or students – that we cannot say whether our way of government is better than what they had in, e.g., Iraq under Saddam Hussein. This goes hand-in-hand with the Euro-phoria that many campus liberals are caught up in: American government, American way of life, is liable to all sorts of criticism, while much of the rest of the world gets a free pass.

We can't say our government is better than the tyranny and despotism under Saddam Hussein? What? You cannot be serious! A college professor can make this statement with a straight face? That's ludicrous. As an aside, I'm making the assumption that the comparison is between the Federal Republic here in God's Country and pre-liberated Iraq. I don't dare to suppose that the professor is making the argument that the seedling representative democracy trying to take root in the desert is more finely crafted than the US Constitution. Ha!
In theory, I suppose the college campus is the place to debate the merits of our system and to apply the tenets of critical thinking. I assume that the reason for this educational process is to improve the objects debated and critiqued. Or at least improve ones understanding of these noble ideals. Not to mock, belittle or diminish the ideas (oh the crime against diversity!) that have served as the guiding principles of the society that allows that process to take place. Wonder if any of that was going on in old Iraq? Doubt it.
Whatever the goal of colleges and universities in America, it should not be to turn our country into a "second Europe." Heck, those luminaries kicked out most of our ancestors. The smarter of our forebears fled the European continent to pursue a dream. Are there figures available detailing the immigration to Iraq? Doubt it.
I can safely say that we definitely have a better system of government than was available in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Or anywhere else on the globe.

Also, can you draw any correlation between the European systems of government and this?

More swearin' in public, yeehaw.

Here is an interesting article that speaks to my civilized society longings.
I've touched on this subject in this space before. Last year, I was mildly shocked by the language of college age girls in a Florida airport.
Allow myself to indict.......myself. I have been known to let loose a stream of expletives sufficient to cause a stevedore to blush. I'm not particularly proud of this ability, and I try to contain myself, but have difficulty in these three situations: 1. any sudden pain (the hit the thumb with a hammer example). 2. Ridiculously moronic displays of driving (ok, ok, I suffer from periodic road rage. But only verbally). 3. In a state of extreme intoxication, in an effort to get a laugh from others similarly situated (an occurrence that grows rare in direct proportion to age).
But what do my actions, as well as those related in the above article say about our culture? Anything?
Any recent examples out there? I have to mention that my job involves contact with the public in generally unhappy and stressful situations, so the language I hear in any given day, whether on the phone or in person, is often offensive and disturbing.

A head shakingly sad sign of the times.

Here's a great article from VDH. It's a topic I contemplated at some length when the looney left started equating the president with Hitler. If ever there is a reason to indict the state of education in America, this name-calling idiocy provides. Any person with a reasonable education immediately is offended. The real tragedy is that the intellectual climate of our society allows this linkage to be used for what has to be shock value. What faster way to get your own views, intellectually immature as they may be, out to the mainstream media? Preposterous.

This act cannot be tolerated. Justice must be done swiftly and decisively

Taking the lives of family members of a federal judge requires an immediate response from law enforcement. Article here. All possible manpower must be applied to finding those responsible for these murders and bringing them to swift justice. If ever there was an appropriate time to "send a message," this is that time. Regardless of the politics of the judge (and I don't know anything about this particular judge), our society cannot allow these types of acts to occur. These murders (I'm operating under the assumption that the judge's husband and mother were murdered) tear at the very fabric of our society. Imagine the chaos that surely will follow from the wanton murder of judges (or the intimidation of murdering their families) and similarly situated public officials in our society.
Perhaps these tactics were employed with some success in the Old West, but surely we can see the Pandora's Box that will open when murdering scum are allowed to roam the streets without remorse?
To make matters worse, some lunatic out there tried to influence her own judicial proceedings by citing the judge in Chicago. See this article.
I can't speak too severely against attacks on our system. No tolerance.

The investigation continues here with a suspect that committed suicide.

Gender differences, real and important.

An interesting article here regarding differences between men and women. The facts are that men and women are different. Treating them the same doesn't seem too smart to me.

Weekly Standard article following this topic and Harvards embattled president. Hat tip PS in Covedale.