This is the only gun control that America needs.
Archive for October, 2008|Monthly archive page
Song for Sarah
In Music, Politics on October 29, 2008 at 11:25 pmby Vlad and Boris
This is hilarious.
Democracy at the end of a Bayonet?
In Politics on October 28, 2008 at 8:02 amNoriega must go
AN open letter to Jesse Jackson: The world has changed since we both walked behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a quarter-century ago. Still, we share that shining memory and, I suppose, a common allegiance to our country and its people. Beyond that, we differ on many issues. Sadly, I have to say I find your column on Panama not only mean-spirited but riddled with error. Let me point out the most egregious. Do you really think that “democracy is not created at the point of a bayonet”? What did Washington’s brave, beleaguered army carry on their bayonets in 1776, then? What did the GIs splashing ashore
in Normandy and across France into Germany bring, if not democracy? What brought democracy to Japan,
if not bayonets? … You deplore bayonets in Panama? Perhaps you preferred Noriega?
January 1990
The above is Charlton Heston. His words still apply today.
Though, America and the world has, again, forgotten the truth of those words.
Free Esha Momeni Now (10/22/08)
In Uncategorized on October 24, 2008 at 11:00 amWe hear about these horrible incidents, often fictionalized in movies and novels. An idealistic, compassionate person is detained and imprisoned. Cold and calculated attempts by repressive regimes to silence critics are as old as history itself. Sometimes it hits so close to home that you can feel it deep in your gut. Such is the current situation involving Esha Momeni, an American-born student of Iranian descent. Since her arrest on October 15th, Esha has languished in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. Her supposed crime was conducting video interviews related to issues of feminism, with members of an organization that has experienced consistent harrassment and intimidation by the Iranian government. From the sketchy reports that are emerging, she is now in solitary confinement, and her family is also being harassed.
What Independent Voters Want.
In Politics on October 20, 2008 at 10:06 pmThey tend to be fiscally conservative and
strong on security.
By JOHN P. AVLON
Independent voters, once a political afterthought, are now the largest and fastest-growing segment of the American electorate.
This shift led to the nomination of two candidates who ran against the polarizing establishments of their own parties, while preaching the need to reach across the red-state/blue-state divide. Now independent voters may determine who is elected president.
Barbara Kelly
Forty-three percent of undecided swing voters are independents and 47% are centrists, according to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC poll. Independent voters have been on the rise while the parties have been playing to a shrinking base. This is a generational change. There are now six states where independents outnumber both Republicans and Democrats — the swing states of Colorado, Iowa and New Hampshire as well as New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Key battleground states this year such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina each have more than one million independent voters. In California, Florida and Nevada, the number of independent voters has increased more than 300% in the past 20 years, while Democratic and Republican registration has flatlined.
Back in 1954, only 22% of voters identified themselves as independents, according to the American National Election Survey. Fifty years later the number was nearly double. Now, two out of five Americans can’t name anything they like about the Democrats, and 50% say the same about Republicans. What happened?
As the two parties grew more ideologically polarized amid the culture conflicts of the 1960s, centrist voters felt politically homeless. First, there was realignment in the form of Reagan Democrats, and then de-alignment as centrist voters declared their independence from the far-right and the far-left. The modern independent movement kicked into high gear with Ross Perot’s 1992 presidential campaign. Promising to balance the budget and reform the corrupt partisan system in Washington, Mr. Perot briefly led in the polls and managed to win 19% of the vote.
Throughout the 1990s, the independent movement kept growing while Democrats and Republicans warred in Washington. Three independent governors were elected: Angus King of Maine, Lowell Weicker of Connecticut and Jesse Ventura of Minnesota. All spread the same essential reform message: independence from special interests guided by a common-sense balance of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism.
The momentum continued this decade with the election of Sen. Joe Lieberman, New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and the independent-in-all-but-name California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This is the new mainstream in American politics, and it’s growing among younger voters. More than 40% of college undergraduates identify themselves as independents, according to a summer 2008 survey by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics (IOP). “Half of young Americans do not identify with traditional party or ideological labels — they are the new center in American politics,” says John Della Volpe of IOP.
This trend extends to 30- to 45-year-old Generation X voters as well, says the author of “X Saves the World,” Jeff Gordinier: “Gen Xers tend to be pretty post-ideological and pragmatic, there is less allegiance to any one party or any one way of thinking.”
For Americans who’ve grown accustomed to hundreds of cable channels and unlimited choices on the Internet, politics is the last place people are expected to be satisfied with a choice between Brand A and Brand B.
Professional partisans in Washington try to ignore this shift, perpetuating the myth that the independent movement is a chaotic grab bag. In fact, the movement has a coherent set of underlying beliefs: Independents tend to be fiscally conservative, socially progressive and strong on national security. They believe in putting patriotism over partisanship and the national interest over special interests.
One year ago, while Republicans named terrorism as their No. 1 issue and Democrats pointed to health care, independents were already feeling the squeeze of the economy. They want a return to fiscal responsibility.
A 2007 study of independents by the Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation showed they are not swayed by social-conservative issues. Independents were more likely than either Republicans or Democrats to agree that abortion should be legal in most (but not all) cases, and that same-sex couples should be allowed to legally form civil unions, but not to marry.
The top targets of independents’ anger are illustrative — hypocritical politicians, pork-barrel projects and a lack of bipartisan solutions in Washington, according to a 2008 national survey of independents by TargetPoint Consulting. Then there’s the Bush administration. Independents believe the current president is the worst in recent history, but there is one area of policy overlap: 66% of independent voters believe that the U.S. has an obligation to establish security in Iraq before withdrawing.
Looking at this profile, it’s easy to see why John McCain is outperforming the Republican brand. Mr. McCain’s credibility with independents comes from his principled independence and record of forging bipartisan coalitions. Barack Obama’s appeal to independents is rooted in his promise to transcend the left/right, black/white debates. He beat Hillary Clinton 2-1 among independents.
Throughout the summer, independents split their support evenly between Messrs. McCain and Obama, with high approval ratings for both candidates. After the Republican convention in September, independents broke for Mr. McCain by a 15-point margin and he surged in swing state polls. But the recent financial crisis increased economic anxiety among moderates and the middle class, making the election a referendum on the Bush administration. Independents swung to Mr. Obama. Colin Powell’s endorsement will validate the decision for many independents.
The next president will inherit the oval office at a time of economic turmoil, with a combustible combination of high expectations and an angry electorate. But the next president can unite the country even in difficult times if he understands this truth: Americans are not deeply divided — our political parties are — and the explosive growth of independent voters is a direct reaction to this disconnect.
Mr. Avlon is the author of “Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics” (Three Rivers Press, 2005) and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
This captures how I feel about this election. I’m half way between not caring who wins and simply hoping that whoever wins truly cares enough to do his job truly on behalf of the American people.
Obama or McCain. I think Obama has it all tied up. But Dewey thought that same thing once upon a time. Truman woke up the next day and smiled despite the overwhelming odds and Newspapers that jumped the gun.
We shall see. Whoever gets in will inherit a mess. I hope he does the right thing whoever it may be.
Cats know now who this Billy guy is
In UK Basketball on October 17, 2008 at 10:19 pmNice Rick Bozich article about Gillispie and the Cats this year.
Bozich
Cats know now who this Billy guy is
Reach Rick Bozich at (502) 582-4650 or rbozich@courier-journal.com. Comment on this column, and read his blog and previous columns, at www.courier-journal.com/bozich.
That’s what the players are talking about now.
LEXINGTON, Ky.
Billy Gillispie wants his University of Kentucky basketball players to talk — and that’s precisely what they were doing after nearly every practice last October and November.
But they weren’t talking about how to switch men on screens. They were talking about their coach.
The new guy from Texas. The one who was snarling more than he was smiling. The one who had them talking and wondering.
Huddling on the short walk from practice to Wildcat Lodge. Sitting around the training table. Gathering in somebody’s room later in the evening, replaying the puzzling vibrations from that day’s practice.
“I think everybody had questions,” junior forward Perry Stevenson said. “I was asking if Coach really believed I was good enough to play here.”
“I wondered if he liked me, what he thought about me,” said sophomore A. J. Stewart. “A lot of guys wondered where they stood.”
“I was trying to figure out exactly what he wanted from me,” point guard Michael Porter said. “I didn’t realize he just wanted me to be more positive on the floor every day.”
The new members of Gillispie’s second UK team will change the locker-room dynamics. Fresh personalities always do that within a team. But here is what has really changed at Kentucky in Year 2 of Billy Ball:
The veteran players are no longer tuned to FM with a coach who operates on AM. There are no longer all those questions about what Gillispie is doing, thinking and trying to accomplish.
Gillispie is no longer the new guy. He is their guy. The guy who wants them to care as much as their coach cares. The essence of Gillispie can be pulled from this quote he delivered at UK’s basketball media day yesterday:
“That’s what’s great about our country. If you want to outwork somebody or outthink somebody, you can take it if you want it.”
Now Porter understands the primary thing Gillispie wanted from him was to see the body language of a guy convinced that the chance to play point guard at Kentucky is the greatest opportunity in college basketball. And see it every day.
Stewart knows that Gillispie is eager to embrace all of his players — as long as they don’t do dumb things like cut class or show up late.
“Trust me,” Stewart said. “He’ll find out if you’re late to class. He’ll always find out.”
Stevenson knows that Gillispie believes that he can play winning power forward in the Southeastern Conference. There is a trust between the coach and players that was uncertain for a chunk of last season.
Take another look at what Gillispie achieved in his second season at his first two college stops before he replaced Tubby Smith at UK in 2007.
His first team at Texas-El Paso won six games. His second won 24. His first team at Texas A&M missed the NCAA Tournament. His second reached the second round.
“This year will be smoother,” said Jodie Meeks, the junior guard who Gillispie predicts will be the Wildcats’ most improved player. “We know what he expects from us.
“Coach doesn’t have many rules: Go to class, be on time and come to practice ready to work with a positive attitude. He works harder than we work. He’s the first one here in the morning and the last one to leave at night. He just wants to win.”
Daniel Orton commits to Kentucky.
In UK Basketball on October 14, 2008 at 12:44 pmBilly Giilispie inks another great athlete. UK basketball is on a roll!
Welcome to the Big Blue, Daniel Orton! The Nation is glad to see you come on board.
All Eyes on Billy Gillispie.
In UK Basketball on October 14, 2008 at 11:24 amIt should come as no surprise. Random school does it. Anything. It doesn’t matter. From recruiting 8th graders to UCLA paying players to stay at UCLA. Whatever it might be. Any school does it. No headlines. No outrage. No real objections.
UK does it. Suddenly it’s a problem. Billy Gillispie inks an 8th Grader. Dick Vitale screams that it’s a sign of the Apocalypse. Billy Donovan inks an 8th Grader and it’s a sign of his genius. Billy Gillispie holds midnight madness a week early. Headline news. Four other schools did the same thing this year. Can you name them? A UCLA Booster paid it’s players thousands, tens of thousands over a ten year period. Openly. It was an open secret. Absolutely not a peep from the NCAA. Duke Boosters hire parents of players into positions for which they are unqualified and help them obtain loans for housing for which they are woefully financially unprepared. Not a sound. Not a whimper. An Emery Envelope falls open in the hands of a UCLA fan containing $1,000.00. Supposedly this envelope originated with a UK booster. UK is put on two years probation. Almost given the death sentence. Emery was sued over this and settled out of court.
Now that UK has a Coach that will play the recruiting game within the rules. He does things that journalists have always found “questionable” but rarely made much noise. That is the old days. A Kentucky Coach doing it is news. Now they will make noise about it.
Jeff Goodman. He admits that everyone is doing it. But now that UK is doing it, he’s got himself a story. That Baylor was doing it or Kansas or Oklahoma State were doing it. Not big enough. UK. That’s a different story, And one that must be written.
It’s a lack of journalistic integrity. It’s a lack of integrity within the NCAA Rules and Infractions Committee. It’s been there since the beginning.
KENTUCKY COMMIT NO SURPRISE
Oct 13, 2008 | 7:54AM
I have to admit I wasn’t surprised that Daniel Orton, one of the top big men in the country, committed to Kentucky over the weekend while in town for an early Midnight Madness.
Not because Kansas took itself out of the equation when the Jayhawks took a pledge from forward Thomas Robinson.
But because it certainly didn’t hurt that Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie paid Orton’s father, Larry, to speak at camps in Lexington on three separate occasions this past summer.
Let’s be clear. This isn’t against the rules.
It’s just Gillispie being Gillispie.
Remember, he was basically the guy that came under fire for being one of four coaches to hold Midnight Madness a week before the “official” start of practice.
Creative? Absolutely.
On the verge of being unethical? It depends who you ask.
Larry Orton admitted he was also paid to speak at Kansas and Oklahoma State, but he only picked up one paycheck from each of those schools.
C’mon. He may be articulate, knowledgeable and could even rival Bill Clinton in terms of his ability to captivate a crowd, but that’s not why he was there.
He was there because he is Daniel Orton’s father.
AAU coaches, high school coaches and many others affiliated with top recruits have collected a paycheck for getting up in front of young kids at these summer camps.
Texas Blue Chips director Mitch Malone spoke a couple times at Baylor this past summer. He was involved in Ekpe Udoh’s transfer from Michigan to Baylor and also coaches Quincy Acy – who committed to the Bears and is one of the top players in Texas. There are plenty of others who take advantage.
It’s getting out of hand and isn’t illegal. Not yet.
It’s triggered an NCAA proposal (13.12.2.2.2) in which a school is not able to employ a speaker in its men’s basketball camp or clinic who is involved in coaching prospective student-athletes or is associated with a prospective student-athlete as a result of the prospective student-athlete’s participation in basketball.
I don’t mean to go after Orton here, but this guy isn’t exactly on par with, say, legendary high school coach Bob Hurley.
His background: a couple years of junior college ball, a cup of coffee at Old Dominion capped off at Cameron University in Oklahoma. He’s also an assistant AAU coach on his son’s team.
However, Orton’s resume doesn’t matter. He says he speaks about the recruiting process and “what’s going to happen once the kids get to school” and “to get kids to understand it’s hard work.”
“I’m not trying to get any special privileges or anything like that,” Orton said. “I just think I’ve got something to say. I think I’m a pretty good speaker.”
That’s not why Billy Gillispie has brought him to Lexington on three separate occasions – two with his son.
Orton wouldn’t divulge how much he was paid per appearance, but it’s likely somewhere in the neighborhood of $500-$1,000 a pop plus travel. That’s how much two other high school coaches were compensated to speak at one of the UK camps.
Orton’s other son, Terrence Crawford, who played for current Kentucky assistant Glynn Cyprien at Oklahoma State, also made numerous appearances at the Kentucky camps.
Larry Orton was recently unable to confirm whether schools had offered Crawford a position on their staff.
“I heard Kentucky and Oklahoma State both offered him a job,” Orton said. “I don’t know. Nothing’s done until it’s done. If he gets a job, it’s going to come out, anyway.”
As we know, that isn’t illegal either.
Cambodia and Thailand: Will it be War?
In Cambodia, culture, Politics, Travel on October 14, 2008 at 9:53 amIs this the Thai government attempt to divert the countries attention away from the PAD protests and madness? What is going on in the Land of Smiles? It seems to be going insane. Between the PAD, the Muslims in the South and the Cambodian border, Thailand has become the land of division, protest and madness.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered fresh troops to the border with an ultimatum to Thailand: Pull military forces back today or the border will become a “life and death battle zone”.
Hun Sen told reporters in Phnom Penh that he had warned Thailand’s visiting Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat that without a quick pullout, Thai soldiers could face being fired upon by Cambodian troops in “large-scale armed conflict”.
“If they cannot withdraw tonight, they must withdraw tomorrow,” said Hun Sen.
“We have tried to be patient, but I told the Thai foreign minister today that the area is a life-and-death battle zone.”
His comments came after talks with Mr Sompong in Phnom Penh.
Mr Sompong also met with his counterpart Hor Namhong in a bid to resolve the dispute over the area near the ancient Preah Vihear temple.
The Cambodian foreign minister said yesterday’s talks failed to end in agreement because his Thai opposite number “could not sign anything”.
Hun Sen and Hor Namhong both told reporters that Cambodia could choose to take the border dispute before an international court if it was not resolved soon.
The comments made by the Cambodian prime minister and foreign minister surprised Mr Sompong and Thai officials, who were adamant that the meetings had not been a failure.
Mr Sompong said the tone during the meetings between the two countries had been different as the Cambodian leaders agreed that both sides had to be patient in resolving the border spat.
He said no Thai troop withdrawals would be made from the 4.6 sq km overlapping area between Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket and Preah Vihear province of Cambodia until the dispute over ownership is cleared through negotiations in the Joint Boundary Commission that was set up to demarcate the land border.
Thailand reiterated its ownership over the area, Mr Sompong said in Bangkok and rushed to report the talks to Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
Suranaree Task Force commander Maj-Gen Kanok Netrakavaesana will hold talks with his Cambodian counterpart tomorrow on the border issues and the Thai and Cambodian defence ministers will meet next Tuesday , according to Mr Sompong.
Cambodian Deputy Defence Minister Gen Neang Phat said more Cambodian troops were heading to the area after up to 500 Thai soldiers had tried to cross the border near an ancient Hindu temple that is claimed by both countries.
“We are building up our troops at the border in response to Thailand, but I cannot reveal the number,” he told reporters.
Maj-Gen Srey Deok, who oversees the Cambodian military in the disputed area, said: “Thai troops have already entered the area. They are confronting our troops.”
But Maj-Gen Kanok denied that more troops had been sent to the disputed area near the Preah Vihear temple.
Thailand and Cambodia have 10 soldiers each at the Keo Sikha Kiri Svara pagoda near the Preah Vihear temple and 45 around the compound on joint patrol, according to the agreement between the two countries to ease border tension.
The two countries also have back-up troops near the border.
The number of soldiers there remained unchanged, Maj-Gen Kanok said.
Maj-Gen Kanok slammed Cambodia for distorting information and taking advantage of the political crisis in Thailand to launch an offensive move for its own political benefit.
The Suranaree chief, his patience wearing thin, called for a quick solution to the border spat and a clear direction to be provided by the government as it could become an armed conflict if it was left unsettled.
“I want the government to solve this problem and make it clear what to do. If it is left this way, nobody knows what is going to happen,” he said.
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia first flared in July after the Preah Vihear temple was awarded World Heritage status by the World Heritage Committee.
The International Court of Justice ruled in 1962 that the temple belongs to Cambodia, but the surrounding land remains in dispute.
Tensions escalated into a military confrontation in which up to 1,000 Cambodian and Thai troops faced off for six weeks.
The two countries have swapped accusations of violating each other’s territory in the dispute.
(with Agency reports)
The Season begins…
In UK Basketball on October 13, 2008 at 5:47 amIt’s that time of the year again.
Big Blue Madness signals the start of the Basketball Season.
Kevin Galloway showing off his skills and the new UK uniforms.
Kentucky debuts new uniforms, struggles offensively in Big Blue Madness drill
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A year ago, Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness was about showing off a new coach. This time, it was about showing off a new look.
Billy Gillispie’s Wildcats donned their new blue and white uniforms with a checkerboard pattern as the nation’s all-time winningest program kicked off its preseason preparations Friday night in front of 23,000 of their closest friends.
While fans arrived before 9 p.m., it wasn’t until 11:18 that the second-year coach finally made his appearance.
Last year, four large banners descended from the rafters, and when they finally dropped, there Gillispie stood, waving to the crowd.
This time, the banners fell while pyrotechnics filled Rupp Arena, but Gillispie was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he entered moments later, jogging through the crowd in his gray jumpsuit, dishing out high-fives along the way.
“I know they’re excited to be here,” Gillispie, already seemingly short of voice, said of his players. “They love being here at Kentucky.”
Gillispie’s entrance was far humbler than that of women’s coach Matthew Mitchell, who appeared riding on a fire truck.
The men’s team first took the court with a dunk contest that Ramon Harris clinched with an off the backboard follow that he jammed home.
Then, there was a defensive-minded scrimmage, in which both sides took more than three minutes to score. It was a troubling reminder of the team’s slow starts at times last season, which ended with a loss to Marquette in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Although the checkerboard pattern on the new uniforms is subtle, those who designed them for Nike said they were intended as a nod to jockey silks representing the state’s signature industry, horse racing. Penny Chenery, who owned 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, received an honorary jersey from Gillispie at midcourt during the festivities.
They also feature a shoulder patch that says “Mr. Wildcat.” The reference is a tribute to longtime equipment manager Bill Keightley, who died earlier this year at 81. A lasting memorial to Keightley was painted on the Rupp Arena floor in front of his familiar spot on the bench.
His daughter, Karen, wept at that honor and as fans stood and politely applauded while a tribute video to Keightley played on the large screens.
Although the official opening practice of the college basketball season isn’t until Oct. 17, Kentucky is one of a handful of schools using a technicality in the NCAA rules to hold their bash a week earlier. The NCAA allows two hours of team workouts per week, starting in mid-September.
The early Madness events could be short-lived, though. National Association of Basketball Coaches spokesman Rick Leddy said the rule was intended to give coaches and players extra time working on their skills, not to hold a pep rally.
Gillispie said before the festivities that he planned to have fun at this year’s Madness after feeling a little too apprehensive ahead of last year’s festivities.
“I didn’t know what to expect last year,” he said. “I’ve been to a lot of Midnight Madness at different places, but Big Blue Madness is something special. I’m very excited about it.”
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
And a rare positive commentary from Jerry Tipton.
Recruits wow fans in public pickup game
Prospects in town for UK’s Big Blue Madness stole the show at public pickup games involving Kentucky basketball players on Saturday morning in Memorial Coliseum.
Center prospect Daniel Orton commanded about 400 fans’ full attention. Other prospects who played in the pickup games included Russell Byrd, Dakotah Euton, Dominique Ferguson, G.J. Vilarino, Jon Hood and Vinny Zollo.
Here’s some observations:
■ Orton is the main focus of the fans. Fans applauded when veteran UK players appeared on the court for the pickup games. But Orton was the only one to rate a standing ovation.
He did not disappoint. Early on, he rebounded a Patrick Patterson miss, dribbled toward the left corner and swished a set shot. “He’s a beast,” one fan could be heard to say.
Later, Orton dunked over Euton and got into an interesting competitive exchange with transfer Matt Pilgrim. First, Orton posted up for a basket over Pilgrim, which drew cheers. Then Pilgrim answered with a rousing dunk. Then, Orton dunked on Pilgrim.
Advantage, Orton, who looked completely comfortable on the court with college players. Kentucky and Kansas head his list. He’s scheduled to attend Kansas’ Midnight Madness next weekend.
■ Byrd stood out, in part, because of his red hair, yellow T-shirt and black shorts. When he hit a three-pointer, a fan yelled, “Where’s your blue at?”
Byrd, who is from Fort Wayne, Ind., has had being close to home a factor in his recruitment. But to hear his father on Wednesday night, Byrd will give UK serious consideration.
■ Ferguson fit in while not trying to impress. During warmups, I counted him making six of seven three-point shots (the Coliseum has the shorter women’s line). In the games, he showed plenty of perimeter skills.
■ Vilarino is an intriguing player. The recruiting analysts are not high on him. Yet, he shows a competitive spirit and a point-guard mentality. He was strictly pass-first while also showing a willingness to be a scoring threat. He made a three-pointer off a nice in-and-out pass from Orton. He also gets up and down the court quickly.
■ Hood has a chance to be a fan favorite. He’s got a nice rotation on his jump shot and gets a lot done on the court without forcing anything.
■ With his shaggy blond hair, Euton is easy to pick out of a crowd. He hit a three-pointer.
■ Of the players on UK’s team, two stood out for me. Junior Ramon Harris seems to be emerging (at least in the pickup games) as a scrappy player who can provide more scoring. He hit a few threes and drove for a dunk that punctuated the morning. I wouldn’t necessarily think of him as an all-conference player, but he’s been noticeably productive in these pickup games.
Freshman Darius Miller looks more comfortable in each public workout. He drove the baseline for a reverse layup and scored on a putback of a Euton miss. He’s been economical in his movement, but increasingly effective.
Jerry Tipton
Go Big Blue!!!
The Death of the West
In Politics on October 11, 2008 at 5:19 pm
This about sums it up.
I am not saying that all Muslims are evil. Nor am I saying that all Muslims are the enemies of the West. Likewise, not all Germans or Japanese were evil or our enemies in 1940. Yet look at the destruction caused by those two nations in the name of their peoples.
Phases of Work
In culture, Music on October 11, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Phase 1
You are listening to jazz — Your first day at work is great. Your coworkers are wonderful, your cubicle is cute, and your boss is the best!
Phase 2
You are listening to pop music — After a while you are so busy that you are not sure if you’re coming or going anymore.
Phase 3
You are listening to heavy metal — This is what you feel like at month end.
Phase 4
You are listening to hip hop — You become bloated due to stress, feel sluggish and suffer from constipation. Your coworkers are too cheerful for your liking and the walls of your cubicle are closing in. You have started thinking ‘WHATEVER’ about your boss.
Phase 5
You are listening to GANGSTA RAP — After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch, you forget what a ‘good hair day’ feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine.
Phase 6
You are listening to the voices in your head — You have built a makeshift door on your cubicle to keep people out, You have a dartboard with your bosses picture on it in your cube, You wonder why you are even here in the first place.
Obama is the next President of the United States of America
In Politics on October 4, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Barack Hussein Obama will be the next POTUS. The latest polls show he is ahead with an estimated 350 electoral votes to around 180 for McCain.
What does this mean?
#1 The world will have to stop their decades long double standard of judging America a racist Nation. Perhaps they will take a look at themselves for once. Racism is alive and well in the world. Whether it be the various genocides of Africa or the Euros and their Antisemitism or Asia and their one million ethnic hates or the Middle East and their hatred of all peoples not Muslim and their special hate reserved for the tiny nation of Israel.
(*Note: I do not believe that all of the peoples of any of these regions harbor these hatreds. )
Of course, not all of the peoples of these regions are guilty but many of them love to point to the US and use us as justification for their hates and violence against minority peoples. Black people in America will have to start dealing with a new reality. A Black man in the White House ends many arguments that some folks like to use against White people. Without the white vote, a Black President is an impossibility. Discrimination will always exist. But it can no longer be an excuse.
Unquestionably, Iran and their “dear leader” Ahmadinejad will push for Nuclear Weapon capability. He knows that Barack Obama will seek to solve the issue diplomatically. Obama will not dare seek a military resolution to the problem. It will probably take a nuclear strike by Iran to get Obama to take a military stance on Iran. Not that I think that this will happen. Iran wants Nuclear weapon capability to offset the perceived threats of the US and Israel. I don’t think anyone but a mad man will strike first with Nuclear missiles. It would mean a sure death to the people of that Nation. I don’t see Iran secreting nukes to Hezbollah either. Everyone who pays attention to the Middle East knows that Hezbollah is the puppet of Iran. It would be too obvious.
I think that we should unilaterally end all sanctions against Iran. Our efforts for reform in Iran should be positive. Aimed toward the people of Iran. Same with Cuba.
I’m hoping that Obama keeps his promise and seeks to wean the US off of oil and other energy sources in the Middle East and other unstable areas and regimes. I truly look forward to the day that we pull our support from the corrupt Wahhabi regimes of Saudi Arabia. The Wahhabi are the genetic source of all terror groups of Sunni Islam. The Wahhabi are also in the DNA of the Shi’a strain of terrorism. Saudi Arabia is the funding source for Wahhabism world wide. The House of Saud is the enemy and they are secure in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House.
Hopefully, Obama shows them the door. Let them cozy up to China and India and let those countries defend that corrupt and evil regime.
Some good could come of the Obama Presidency.
I think a Democratic victory in the White House will go a ways further towards instilling confidence in the market as well. Will it be enough to push our economy on to the road to recovery. Only time will tell. Let’s hope it does.
I don’t think that Obama will be truly foolish enough to pull the troops out of Iraq too swiftly. I just can’t believe that he would be that foolish.
If Obama wins his second term, I think that al Qaeda will attack. Obama will return to the empty threat/speech foreign policy of Clinton. The Wahhabi will attack the periphery at first to test the resolve of Obama and his State Department. If Obama shows no nerve. If he shows no willingness to strike back in a concrete manner, al Qaeda will eventually strike into the heart of America. Perhaps a dirty bomb in a large city. They’ll test him first in a place like Afghanistan or Kuwait. Next, they’ll try ply their trade against a soft target in a place like Djibouti. If Obama shows no resolve. If he gives a speech with empty threats and follows up with nothing or aimless strikes. The leaders of al Qaeda will begin to plan their next 9-11.
People of Liberal persuasion will deny this to their death. But it will happen.
Either the last year of the Obama first term or the first year of the 2nd Term will see a strike. If Obama is truly a Carter/Clinton idealistic type.
I hope that he truly is to be good for America. I am hoping that he is as good as his followers believe. He won’t get my vote, but once he is in office he has my support. I will wish him success.
Worst case scenario: Obama turns out to be a Carter re-tread and 2012 sees a Republican take back the White House with a clear mandate.
For now, Obama has a mandate for change. Here’s hoping he does something good with it.
Suvarnabhumi Airport Opening Video (2005)
In culture, Travel on October 3, 2008 at 2:09 amMy gateway to Southeast Asia.
It’s the nicest, most organized Airport that I’ve experienced. Easy in and easy out.
I don’t feel like I’m entering or leaving a Nazi concentration camp as when entering or exiting America. There is organization and a flow to this airport that does not exist in any of the Muslim countries of the Middle East and Central Asia. And unlike entering and exiting the Middle East there aren’t thousands with their hands out for tips and bribes. It’s much less hectic than the European airports through which I’ve flown.
As soon as I touch down at Suvarnabhumi, a smile creeps onto my face and a lightness enters my step. I’m happy. I’m home. I feel more at home in Bangkok than almost anywhere on this planet.
I am entering the land of smiles. And the land of smiles is the gateway to the East. The true east. Not the dirty and violent Islamic Middle East. This is the enchanted land of myth, silk, smiles and exotic Asian mysteries. Angkor, Luang Prabang, Sukhothai, Saigon, Phnom Penh, Xi’an, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Mekong, Lhasa and Katmandu, the Taj Mahal and the Ganges. Ancient histories. A region shrouded in myst and legend. The home of the the great conqueror Genghis Khan and the religion and philosophical enlightenment of the Buddha.
It’s also home to the most beautiful beaches and women in the world.
Every time I land at Suvarnabhumi International, these thoughts run through my head. My next adventure awaits me. I’ll swim the Mekong and climb the Great Wall. Explore ancient temples or dance all night at RCA.
I love this place. Thailand uber alles.
The Meaning of Life — Alan Watts
In culture on October 1, 2008 at 10:15 amSing and dance and play. America is guilty of this. Work! Work! Work!
When do you stop and enjoy yourself? Stop! Breath…enjoy. Experience. Live. Love. Hug someone and hopefully someone hugs you back.
Peace
