American Warmonger

Another plug for centrism

Something I'm hoping is just a slow startup is the new group site over at Grand Centrist Station. We're averaging a whole 15 hits a day! Pretty sad considering there are five members and most hits are coming from only two of them. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and request that members put up buttons. Until I get into a graphically groovy mood you're going to have to settle for only one.

More stuff will come. More people will come. More traffic will come. It's just a matter of time.

If this is the first time you've heard of it allow me to explain.

Everybody's so hellbent on being on either one side or the other of politics that many are missing the bigger picture. They have stopped being on polar opposite sides of the issues and become on polar opposite sides of each other. Words like terrorist, facist, communist, racist, dentist...er...okay maybe not dentist, but worse words are being used to describe anyone that does not subscribe to the viewpoints of either the extreme right or extreme left.

Personally, I'd like it if we could keep our extremities to ourselves; or at least bring something to the middle of the table. That's why we're starting this whole GCS thing. We believe that the parties as a whole have degraded to such a point as to ignore what is best for this country and fight the other party, instead of fighting for what is right.

So, who can join this "center of the battlefield" group? Anyone that is capable of listening to a rational argument without invoking the name Bushitler or French panzy is invited to be a publishing member. The only thing I'm asking in return is a link button. Eventually we may be putting out an optional blogroll, but with only five members I don't think we need one quite yet.

So, here's how you do it:

1. Slap the above button up on your website with a link here:
http://grandcentrist.blogspot.com

To make it super easy, here's the code to cut and paste into your template sidebar or elsewhere:

<a href="http://grandcentrist.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="centrist.bmp" src="http://warmonger.mu.nu/archives/centrist.bmp" width="88" height="31" border="0" /></a>

2. Email me and/or Jess to request access to the group site.
Jeremy:
jeremy.bol@gmail.com

Jess:
jessewithaj@yahoo.com

3. Jess and I beat each other over the head until one of us gets around to responding to the other's email and we both agree to let you in. Then we'll send you an invite to the blogger blog. Remember that you'll need a blogger account. If you have any problems just use one of the above e-mails.

4. Begin writing and/or crossposting stuff from your own blog that relates to the political issues of the day. It doesn't have to be centrist. It just has to be thoughtful and respectful. If you need an example of what is and is not respectfull let us know and we can direct you to some examples of both.

Captain Kirk

Surfing around this Stumble Around tool is turning into something rather cool. If you don't ahve an account and use it you should. Really cool stuff you never thought about shows up sometimes. Take, for example, this song Kaptain Kirk, by Bob Schneider. Has anyone ever heard of this guy before? I never have. It sounds pretty fresh. The video is pretty cool too.

Go check it out if you're interested.

I just searched the site. His entire album is online.
Check it here.

Where's Bill Goldberg?

As a male of the human species I have enjoyed my fair share of the male soap opera known as "professional wrestling". No, I'm not going to go on a tirade about how fake it is or anything. I'm going to talk about a guy that seems to just keep on going no matter what happens. I'm talking about Bill Goldberg.

Bill Goldberg started out his life as a professional football player. He was an Atlanta Falcon for a few years and eventually gave that up for the squared circle. Yes, I know that's a geometric impossibility but I'm not even going to suggest that to a wrestler. He spent a few years pummeling the crap out of everybody in the WCW until they went bankrupt and left Bill without a paying gig...except the gym he owned and a few other investments.

A couple of years went by and Bill started up with the WWF, now the WWE because some tree huggers decided to take the WWF name. Anyway, I digress. Bill spent his time in the WWE up until early 2004 where he hasn't been seen from on television again...until now.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Bill has been spending some time on the History Channel. Little did I know that Mr. Bill Goldberg was a connoisseur of all things automobile. In his private collection he has six choppers and twenty (20) cars and trucks. One of which is a one of a kind 1970 Boss 429 (Lawman) Mustang. I'm not really much of a motor head myself, but I recognize the term "Boss" as something important in that realm.

So, the show starts June 1st at 9/10c on the History Channel. It appears that this is Bills new gig. I never thought of him as both a muscle AND a motor head, but anything is possible. More power to you Bill..

But wait! There's more!

Not only does Bill have a new show on the History Channel, he has a spot on the new/old film The Longest Yard. He's playing an inmate named Billy Battle and is the only player on the field with the letter "X" has his number. So don't worry about Bill Goldberg. He's still asking, "who's next?"

Random Cool site

Okay, I just started this Stumble Upon thing and I'm already likin' it.

Here's one from off the cuff: Post Secretf

I cried for Anakin Skywalker in Episode III...but not for the Tsunami victims.

Much more...

Democrats, Republicans, The Filibuster And The Moderate Compromise.

This week we witnessed a moment of compromise between our two governmental parties. There had been loggerheads over a rule called the filibuster. Fourteen senators, seven Democrat, seven Republican, brokered a deal of compromise to get the wheels of legislature moving again. Neither of the party leaders, Bill Frist or Harry Reid, were very pleased with the outcome. As with all compromises a party has to lose something in order to forge ahead. Both left that day cursing the “moderates” that had thrust this upon them. Progress had prevailed when both were looking for a showdown.

The first judicial nominee went through without problems then, instead of moving to the next judge in line, they switched direction to the UN nomination, John Bolton. Now the entire deal has proven to be for naught. Again, the Democratic Party threatens to filibuster in previously unheard of arenas. Again, the Republican Party threatens to enact the nuclear option against this sort of filibuster. Again, those that want congress to actually do something for a change shake their head in bewilderment.

This post is also available at Grand Centist Station.

This post is also available at The Wide Awakes.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Is this two party system so inclined to fight against each other that they will obstruct all progress in order to gain an advantage on the other party? Where does government stop and party begin? Is there any way to quell this tide of party fighting? Should we?

Moderation, or centrism lends itself to the thought that groups of people can work their differences rationally without choosing sides, touting declarations and making much ado about nothing. It uses words like compromise, agreement and sympathy. Centrists are usually the ones to get things moving, to break through, to cede a point in order to gain a point. They’re the small gears of each party that grind together in order to keep the larger gears moving.

To date, we have only had one president not associated with a party, George Washington. Some would arguably call him the greatest president we have ever had. Others would call him mislead by one party or the other and not at all a good president. It was this “spirit of party” that was one of the determining factors in him leaving office. The fighting and bickering was too much for his aging mind and body to take anymore.

So is centrism really the way to go? Should we disband our two party system and work as one unit towards a better democracy? Maybe we should and maybe we shouldn’t. Sure, centrism has been a good and worthy addition to government, but has it been a route that disdains all others? Should we always seek a compromise?

Since our two parties have formed we have grown to be the greatest, most powerful nation on Earth. Our military is second to none and our industry is better than any other country as well. Our nation is the envy of the world. It may sound arrogant, pompous even, but it’s true. No nation in the world is as desired as we are. When a nation needs military help do they call the French, the Chinese or the British? No, they call the Americans. When there is a humanitarian crisis are the Syrians called? No, we get called before anyone else in the U.N. humanitarian council is even considered. We are first in and last out.

So is it centrism that makes us the most sought after nation in the world? It’s probably not. It’s probably our unwavering desire to do better, our strong belief system and just plain old stubbornness. We go in with the intention of getting the job done and don’t leave until we see it through to the finish. Our greatness comes not from our ability to compromise, but our ability to laugh in the face of adversity. It comes from standing fast on one side of an issue or the other. It comes from our two party system.

We are a strong nation because our two party system makes every issue, every bill, every judicial nominee, absolutely everything to be sent through a trial by fire. We are the best because everything must be put up against the most rigorous approval process for any government the world over. It is our infighting that makes us stronger.

I am not saying that there is no need for a middle party. There is a definite need for some compromise between parties. It is an integral part of our government and without it there are times when all progress would stop. It is the bridge between the two unwavering pillars that occasionally needs to be traversed. Alone, however, I do not believe it could succeed. Just as alone the two opposing parties could not succeed.

Remember this the next time you see someone with the polar opposite to your opinion. There is a purpose for their dissenting opinion.

Remember this when you see two sides fighting over something as simple as blue or black ink. It is through this fighting that the most durable path of freedom is discovered.

Remember this when you see a R.I.N.O. or a D.I.N.O. and remember that there is a need for those in the middle just as there is a need for those on the extremes. A centrist is not a spineless weasel selling out his party. A centrist is someone trying to keep the wheels of legislature turning ever onward.

Blogging For Belonging

If you cruise through the blogosphere you can't help but notice that nobody really blogs alone. Sure, you can find the occasional blogger that doesn't belong the this group or that group, but for the most part bloggers tend to be found in packs. Groups of similarly inclined bloggers that want to speak to other similarly inclined bloggers for a feeling of camaradarie.

There are tons of them out there, Blogs for Bush, Munuviana, Blogger News Network, Blogcritics, American Flag League, Grand Centrist Station, The Wide Awakes, Homespun Bloggers, Progressive Bloggers Alliance, The Alliance of Free Blogs, Mind and Media, The Liberal Coalition and The blogdom of God just to name a few. They're all giving you something that you went to blogs to get in the first place, a sense of belonging. It is a form of tharapy that mere counseling can not begin to relate to.

Because there are these groups you have the capability to do something functional with your collective blogging abilities. It's like the Voltron metaphor that has been used. One blogger alone can not make a great impact, but when you gather several bloggers together with the same purpose in mind you can form Voltron...or at least make an impact on the world.

The beauty of these groups is that even though each one has a focus the range of groups available are quite possibly the most diverse thing I've ever seen. There is a blog group for nearly every topic you could think of. Just bounce through a few of the groups above if you don't believe me.

Interview with...

Crooks and Liars

Me: So, are there any Republicans you like?

Crooks and Liars (CNL): Just the dead ones in Iraq. We should never have been there. Go read this. They're finally admitting defeat.

Me: Right...I guess I'm afraid to ask who you hate in the Republican party.

CNL: Since you asked I...

Me: I didn't.

CNL: Don't interrupt me, wingnut! I won't be treated like Ted Kennedy getting interviewed by that liar Hannity!

Me: ...

CNL: What's your problem?

Me: Nothing, I didn't say anything.

CNL:

Me:

CNL: Whatever, screw you and your religious right nuts. What was I talking about?

Me: Republicans you hate.

CNL: Don't try to put words in my mouth...I do hate republicans though, just like Howard Dean.

Me: He did say that, didn't he?

CNL: What did I tell you about interrupting me?

Me: Sorry, go ahead.

CNL: Powerline is my nemesis. He's an idiot.

Me: Why is he your nemesis?

CNL: Well, he's Kos' nemesis so he's my nemesis too.

Me:

CNL: Kos is my hero.

Me: Umm...okay. I think that should about wrap things up.

CNL: Good I have a real interview to do on MSNBC.

Me: I wouldn't dream of stopping you.

CNL: Better not even think about it. Just go back to your 101st fighting keyboard brigade and lube your keys or something.

Me: Enjoy your alone time with Kos.

CNL: What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Me: Nothing...bye.

***This has been a completely fake interview.***
***The purpose of this interview has been to show an extremist at his or her most extreme.***
***No spite, malice or personal vendetta is involved.***

Crossposted at: Grand Centrist Station

United Airlines May Strike This Labor Day Weekend

An source has stated that there is a very real possibility that United Airlines workers will strike either Friday or Saturday because of a recent court decision to allow UA to terminate the union's pension.

This source has overheard managers stating they would need to "pick up the slack" when the baggage handlers and customer service agents strike this Memorial Day weekend. It is believed they are foregoing the recent rulings in reference to the machinists union and striking at the most opportune moment.

It is projected that nearly 800,000 passengers will traverse LAX alone this weekend. O'Hare and Midway international are expecting over 1.8 million passengers.

Hat Tip: Mad Tech Speaks

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

The Coke – Pepsi Challenge Goes Splenda

A new artificial sweetener has been making its way into your soda bottles. Something called Splenda is making its way into the main stream of diet soda drinking. For a while now it could be found in Crystal Lite sodas and select specialty brands, but the majors, Coke and Pepsi have stayed away. Well, this month all that has changed. Pepsi One and Diet Coke now have Spenda based varieties.

So lets start with what this means.

Previous versions of Diet Coke and Pepsi used Aspartame. Aspartame is a known cancer-causing agent. Cancer is not good. I’ve heard it is a great diet, but it can kill you, and that would be bad. Above death it also brings into play a popular dietary trend: Atkins and the South Beach diet. Both of these diets require little to no carbohydrate intake.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Well, what does this have to do with diet soda then? Well, even though Aspartame contains no calories your body recognizes it as a carbohydrate-like substance and you will have a harder time reaching what is known as ketosis. Ketosis is the change where you stop processing the sugar coming into your body and you start to consume your body fat. This is what makes these two diets so miraculous.

So now that we have a basic idea of why Spenda, let me explain why me. I am a hardcore diet soda junkie. I work twelve-hour night shifts and refuse to go to coffee. I drink a lot of soda. As I sit here I am looking at the empty 2 liter bottle of Pepsi One with Spenda that I started about six hours ago. Today I didn’t drink that much. If calculations are correct with what I normally drink of the Aspartame tainted diet stuff I should have acquired cancer last year. (Just to clarify, no, I don’t have cancer.)

Now that we have come to the conclusion that by the amount I consume I should be a relative expert in the field of soda taste-testing we can get down to the verdict of both sodas.

Diet Coke with Splenda

I have drunk Diet Coke as my primary soda for several years now. I actually liked the taste. Trying this one was a moment of hope for me. Alas, I was let down. I was hoping the flavor would not change or move towards what some call “the hard stuff” or Classic Coke. Unfortunately for me they went the other way. To compare this to another soda I would have to put it on par somewhere between Pepsi and Diet Pepsi. If that’s your thing then this drink is for you. If not, you may want to start looking for a bottle of something else.

Something to note is that although it went away from what I was expecting it wasn’t horribly bad. I’m not a fan of Pepsi, so it’s not for me. It might be for you.

Pepsi One with Splenda

This being the only Pepsi product I am fond of I was pretty happy. It’s like the Coke of the Pepsi family. It’s also a good idea to keep this product in mind when Pepsi runs better sales than Coke does. Anyone else out there notice the sale pattern? Luckily, I was not too disappointed with the new Pepsi One with Splenda. It was just slightly sweeter than the original, but by far less Pepsi-like than what Diet Coke with Spenda was. I would still go to the store and buy this product without thinking twice. Plus the two liter bottle has this cool black light effect for the Star Wars Episode III release so it looks snazzier than its contender.

The verdict on these two products

If you like Pepsi you will like the new Diet Coke with Splenda. If you like the old Diet Coke and can handle a bit of variation then by all means switch to Pepsi One with Splenda. You could almost say that these products switched sides. But don’t take my word for it, taste test them for yourself.

Music meme

Alright, I've been tagged again. EVERYBODY BACK THE HELL OFF!!

We don't want a repeat of what happened on the LAST time I got memed.

Anyway, here we go:

Last CD I purchased: Linkin Park, Jay-Z - Collision Course

Song (CD) playing right now: None! I'm at work!..I'll be listening to Ludacris - Chicken & Beer on the way home. I'm in the mood for some window shaking.

Five songs that I listen to alot or that mean alot to me:
Pinball Wizard by The Who
(Don't know why. There's some weird connection between this song and Gemini's)

More than words by Extreme
Yesterday by The Beatles
(These two wongs have gotten me swoon power at Karaoke.)

The whole Jar of Flies album from Alice in Chains
(Something about the way the whole album is layed out has helped me through some rough and lonely times.)

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
(You can't tell me that you haven't bopped your head to this one.)

Okay, I'm tagging people. Hrm...let me think...
Raven, you're off the poetry hook if you do this one.
Ogre, you're it as well. I keep getting tagged by people that have been tagged by you. Time for some payback!

What Jedi Women Want...

Okay, it's sorda blogless Wednessday. I'll get back into the swing of things, I promise.

In the meantime, go HERE. Talk about Wookie envy!

Knocked his head clean off.

Silly Quiz number 9837495

Stolen from Tammi who stole it from Ogre.

What military aircraft are you? F-15 Eagle You are an F-15. Your record in combat is spotless; you've never been defeated. You possess good looks, but are not flashy about it. You prefer to let your reputation do the talking. You are fast, agile, and loud, but reaching the end of your stardom.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

A Growing Community

Down here in Chesapeake Virginia we have been experiencing a boom in population. It seems like everyone who lives here is from somewhere else. People have migrated from just about everywhere to live in Chesapeake. It's like there's some sort of magnet here. One of those magnets is the school system.

The high schools in Chesapeake are better than most in the state. In the Hampton Roads area even the worst Chesapeake schools are better than the best in other areas, like Portsmouth. Even in Chesapeake we are diligently observant of which school is better than the others. Currently, the lead school is called Hickory High.

Hickory is like the Yale of Hampton roads high schools. All of the best SOL (Standards Of Learning) scores come out of Hickory. The rich quickly buy up houses down here. Well, because everyone is buying up the housing down here and new developments are being pushed, there is a need for another high school in the area. This has put the district zoning on its ear. Parents have been holding protests against the school board rezoning commission. It's been a real site.

The new school promises to be another elite school, similar to Hickory called Grassfield High. The area where they're putting it centers around the mansions of Chesapeake. Congressman Randy Forbes lives in that area. It's destined to be the Harvard of Hampton Roads high schools.

The other high schools in the area are still nothing to laugh at. The lesser high schools, Deep Creek, Great Bridge and Oscar Smith, could all be considered like the Brown University of local high schools. They're borderline Ivy League high schools.

The reason I bring this up is the rezoning commission made a five to four vote in favor of finalizing a plan over which schools were to be going where. You can read all about it in our local liberal paper, The Virginian Pilot.

So where did we get placed? Unless the plans change for 2011 my son will be going to Yale. Yes, I am relieved.

(I'm also sure that pretty much none of you out there care about this, but I do. It has a much greater priority for me than some stupid vote on judicial nominees.)

Keith Thompson - Leaving The Left

I made a promised to myself never to do this but I'm going to do it anyway.

Here's the excerpt:

I'm leaving the left -- more precisely, the American cultural left and what it has become during our time together.

I choose this day for my departure because I can no longer abide the simpering voices of self-styled progressives -- people who once championed solidarity with oppressed populations everywhere --

...and here's the OMFG statement:

This came from the SF Gate!!!

Here's a link if you didn't get it the first time: LINK

Hat tip: Kender of Kender's Musings.

UPDATE: Keith Thompson has a BLOG.

Somewhere In The Middle

Many of you in my sphere of blogs already know that I don't make any bones about being in the middle of things when it comes to politics. I bother many people on the far right because they don't understand how I could come to some of the conclusions I do about social issues. I've actually been called a liberal once or twice before. You see, I'm what's called a centrist. I'm not really right enough to be considered a right-wing nut-job, but I'm not left enough to be accepted by the liberal wieners.

I'm not pro-choice, but I'm not 100% pro-life. I believe life begins when it is formed and has nerve endings; somewhere around the start of the second trimester.

I believe that the media is 100% biased. They're biased for the left. They're also biased for the right. The bias just depends on who's writing the news. Both sides have "misreported" things.

I could go on about some of my "middle of the road" ideas, but there's no point in that. He point I'm trying to make is that there is no central point for the centrists of the blogosphere, or at least none that I've found. That's why I'm starting one.

Yes, as of today there will be a place for those with views that decent from the party line to go and rant. Eventually there will be more to it than a simple blogger blog, but we have to start somewhere. We can start at Grand Centrist Station.

The idea of Grand Centrist Station was thought up by its two founding members, Jeremy H. Bol from American Warmonger, and Jesse Williams of LOSLI fame. We don't want to be too selective of who we allow in. Hit counters don't matter. Blogging frequency doesn't matter. The thing that matters the most is that you have a willingness to listen to both sides of an argument without locking out the other side of a rational discussion.

If you're one of those people drop me a line and I'll put you up for review. As we're just starting things up the only review will be a thumbs up from Jesse and me. More information will follow.

jeremy.bol@gmail.com

Star Wars - Attack of the Clintons

By now you've seen Star Wars III and heard the bemoaning everywhere about how it was a reflection of Bush. "Oh, he's trying to build an evil empire, just like the Sith Lord! He's making a political statement against BUSH! It's so funny! The neo-cons are gonna’ hate it!"

Well, my friends, that's a complete load of crap. Sure you could compare Bush to The Sith Lord. That would make Cheney, Darth Vader right? If you wanted to look at it that way it could appear that is what was happening. Will, you'd be both stupid and wrong.

Let's start with how old the script for this episode actually is. If anyone out there is a fan-boy you can back me up but I seem to remember that all nine (9) of the scripts were written long before Lucas had a producer for A New Hope. Maybe Bush is trying to follow Lucas' lead? I didn't think so either.

The storyline revolves around what happens when government becomes too powerful. It's the same sappy story that's been playing out in movies since people were doing plays. Probably the most original part of the plotline was to make both Anakin and Luke Skywalker whiney little punks. Well, that and the cinnamon buns attached to both Amadala and Leia's heads. (okay, that was a spoiler.)

Lets try a different sort of comparison. Maybe we could stick Hillary Clinton as the Dark Lord? She is the lead Democratic candidate at the moment and she's a member of...The Senate. Bush was never a member of the Senate. He was a Governor.

Maybe we could use Bill Clinton as Darth Gigolo? There's a strong rumor floating around that he could be replacing Kofi Annan in a year or two. Does anyone have any doubt that he could win them over with a smile and a quickie?

Now lets take a look at things, you get Hillary Sidious as president and Darth Gigolo as leader of the UN and that would mean master and apprentice controlling the galax...er..world. Wouldn't that fall in line a bit better than Bush?

Just for laughs, we would need Kennedy as Jabba the Hut...either him or Michael Moore.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Hot Dogs and S'mores

Ahh, summer is almost here. Yesterday I was at a weenie roast. We took a bunch of scewers and roasted weenies with the kids. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. THe kids were blaying tag in the backyard and the adults were sitting around the small but effective fire drinking a few cold ones and having a good time.

Later, as it was getting dark, we started up the marshmallows. We had the graham crackers and cholcolate ready to go. The best part is watching all the kids turn their marshmallows into little torches. I think we ended up with a 3/1 loss ratio for em'. It was wel worth it though, just to watch the surprise on their face when they burst into flames. The s'mores were great too.

Now everyone smells like burnt wood and singed hair. I have no more hair left on the knuckles of my right hand. Nobody actually got burned so that's a good thing. We almost scalded the dog though...and yes, even the dog got a dog.

If you're reading this you either have a laptop or you need to get your butt out of the chair and go outside. Checking the map, it looks like to only ones with some cloud cover are Ohio, New York and Maine. Washington state is even pretty dry. Go have some fun.

The Burning Question For Saddam - Boxers or Briefs?

As you may know, The Sun has been kind enough to shock the world and give us an image of Saddam Hussein in his underwear. Well, maybe not shocked, but at has provided a stir in the world. By certain reports, the U.S. has violated Geneva Conventions with the release of this photo. While the image may be unflattering and inappropriate they are incapable of violating Geneva Conventions.

In order to violate Geneva Conventions in the manner suggested, the prisoner of war needs to be photographed and have that photograph published in a denigrating manner. While this photograph can be construed as denigrating it is not a prisoner of war in the photograph.

On June 30th, 2004 the United States turned custody of Saddam over to the Iraqi people. The United States still stood watch over him, but they are serving as assistants to the Iraqi people. Nearly all of the high level captives, those depicted on the internationally popular deck of cards, were turned over at the same time as well.

There is, however a violation of official U.S. policy regarding the release of the photo. According to US Staff Sergeant Don Dees:

A policy prohibits us from exploitation of detainees and that policy is in place to preserve their dignity.

He also went on to say that there is an ongoing investigation as the how this happened, the individual responsible and if he did in fact violate the U.S. policy.

In defense of the individual releasing the pictures is stated intention was as follows:

"Saddam is not superman or God, he is now just an ageing and humble old man. It's important that the people of
Iraq see him like that to destroy the myth," the source was quoted as saying.

"Maybe that will kill a bit of the passion in the fanatics who still follow him," the source said. "It's over, guys. The evil days of Saddam's Baath party are never coming back -- and here's the proof."

Now that we have completed the legalities of this story there is only one "looming" question left for Saddam: Boxers or Briefs? See for yourself:

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Photo curtesy of AFP

Learning To Read - Fallacies And Misleading Language

Reading the English language has been taken advantage of for way too long in this country and I need to say something about it. People who understand how it works are duping people into thinking one thing or the other. I really feel sort of sorry for them. Imagine, the language you learned as a child coming back at you to take your money, weasel its way out of an insurance claim or even turning you into a political lackey. I believe its high time someone explained how the English language works and I'm may be just the guy to do it.

May

Since I just used this word in my last sentence let’s start with may. By using a direct definition it means, "there is a possibility of". The word may is quite possibly the easiest word to use when you want to make yourself an escape route out of a potentially sticky statement. You can even use it to incriminate someone without actually making an accusation. Lets try a few:

Soldiers at Gitmo may have flushed passages from the Koran.

Well, it's possible. I don't think it to be true myself, but it may have happened.
Let's try another:

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Ogre may have had an intimate relationship with a llama named Rusty.

Do I know for a fact that he did? No. I don't know for a fact he didn't do it either. There is an astronomically miniscule possibility that he did.

Last one:

You may have just one ten gazillion dollars!

...and then again, so may have ten million other people who got the same letter in the mail.

Does that just about do it for everyone? Do we understand how we can weasel in and out of the word may now? Good. We can now move on the next lesson class.

Passive Induction

(Note, passive induction is my term for it. There may be another, more fitting definition out there.)

This is where you include a piece of information in a statement that is used to make an association when, in fact, none has been made. It's used all the time and there's actually a logical fallacy that ties directly into this. It's called style over substance.

Probably the most recent example of passive induction is what is going to happen tomorrow when Moveon (Please) dot Org puts out their multi-million dollar commercial comparing Tom Delay to Darth Sidius, aka The Emperor. Does this give any facts? No. Does it give you the impression that Tom Delay is an evil man? Yes, that's how it works. They throw up some graphics and make some accusations but don't present any facts.

Here is my all time favorite ones, courtesy of Darth Cheney...er..Vice President Cheney:

[Iraq has]...the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11.

Now that was well scripted. Did you miss it? Yeah, I know. Alot of people did, including the news agencies. Lets break it down.

"Iraq had a geographic base of terrorists that have had us under assault for some time now."

This does not imply that the terrorists came from Iraq. Lets split this up another way:

...the geographic base of the terrorists who have had us under assault now for many years, but most especially on 9/11.

Hey! What happened to Iraq? Where did they go from the statement? Yeah, many people still don't get it. *sigh*

Cheney made a tie between the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda and Iraq. He then made a separate tie between Al-Qaeda and 9/11. He did NOT make a direct tie between Iraq and 9/11. If that's what you thought you have been used and abused by the English language.

Equivocation

(This is actually a fallacy of Ambiguity. Go HERE for more on fallacies.)

This is where there are two meanings to a word and you assume one or the other, only to be wrong. It's another form of creating a loophole in your arguments. You need to watch this one. Pay attention to Rumsfeld with this one. He's the king at using it.

Here's the first example from one of my articles:

The Dyson Vacuum Really Sucks!

Did everyone catch the double meaning there? You can either use the word to say that it is a crappy product or to say it can pick up a lot of dirt. Even those that can't read without moving their lips should have got that one.

Moving on to a statement from Rumsfeld, I can't find the source or the exact quote, but it was in reference to the guy from the Defense Department that stated the Russians moved the nukes to Syria.

...he spoke out of turn and has been spoken to about making claims the Defense Department is not prepared to authenticate.

Did he lie or just speak out of turn? Will the Defense department authenticate it at a later date? Notice Rummy didn't deny anything the guy said, only that he wasn't prepared to back the statement. It is a world of difference from making a direct statement against him.

Thank you for reading along and hopefully learning a few nuances to the English language. If you feel I am wrong feel free to tell me all about it in the comments. Who knows, you may be right!

Images of hope 28

This is part two in the Capt. Upperman series. As far as I can see he's still in Iraq and still the Baghdaddy.

Now I remember a bit of an issue when bush did the whole "hook em' horns" a while back and a bunch of morons took it for the sign of Satan. I guess they'd be wondering what these guys are trying to teach the young people of Iraq. I don't think their parents would believe it to be acceptible Islamic practice.

The Texas A&M hook em' horns may confuse enough journalists the next time they see these kids, but this:

Come on, the Aggie "whoop"? Our servicemen (and women) have gone halfway around the world to corrupt the Iraqi youth and destroy all that's holy in the land of Allah!

At least they weren't teaching them this sign for coersion:

There are a few more pics and things I need to steal from CPT Upperman. Until that time go by and give him a great big THANK YOU from everybody.

Mr. Upperman, If you're ever in the Hampton Roads area let me know. You have a...er..two..um...several free beers waiting for you.

A Heated Race for Virginia Governor

The season of electioneering has come and the state of Virginia is one of those states that appears to be up for grabs to some. If the democrats can keep this state it would mean retaining some of the slipping power of the DNC. This is a critical seat because it is a state with a primarily Republican base and a Democratic Governor. This is already a heated battle and shows no signs of being polite.

The politicians are not the only people involved with campaigning this season. The local Hampton Roads newspaper, The Virginian Pilot. They have expressed direct and opinionated criticism of Kilgore and his ideas. Of course, the Richmond Times has expressed criticism of both candidates repeatedly. This is truly a high priced and very heated race.

For those that would like to decide for yourselves instead of your newspapers deciding for you you can sift through both candidates' websites.

Tim Kaine
Jerry Kilgore

Both candidates also have two commercials out as of today.

Jerry Kilgore 1 and 2

Tim Kaine 1 and 2

Being an independent journalist I'm going to take the high road and not declare a candidate. Maybe the regular news outlets could learn something from this example.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Okay, last time you have to see this.

Caption Winner: GMRoper ofGM's Corner - That's the LAST time I sign up for your 'Extreme Makeover' show...last time do you hear me? The VERY LAST TIME...

GMRoper gets a custom image free of charge by Pumping Pixels for winning the contest. We've done business before and if I can hunt it down I bet I still have my login. Now the question lies on weather he wants a simple button or a new banner for his header?

Runner up: Doug Blask, formerly and maybe futurely from Loose Coins takes second place with: May 8, 11:30 pm: The subject has entered stage 4 of prolonged exposure to Air America...

He wins a great big warm fuzzy for knowing he was really close to winning a free design for his rarely updated blog. Hey Doug, we want you back! Are you coming?

Thank you for all those that played along. It has been a pleasurable experience. Okay, who am I kidding. I laughed my ass of at your captions!

Let me know it I should do more of these in the future or quit while I'm ahead.

Images of hope 27

Okay, I haven't doen one of these for a while but Im about to get back into it. JulieB has seen fit to find an excellent new source for me. I'm sure I'll be able to pull several great images out of this site.

This is John Upperman from Iraq. His blog is Who's Your Baghdaddy? Excellent blog name. Excellent images. Go by and check out the rest of his stuff. Just wait until you get to the hook em' horns!

Internet Advertising And The Future Of Blogs

As many of you know there is a new kid on the block when it comes to news. Blogger News Network has come on the scene and is doing quite well for itself. In a short period of time they are beginning to be recognized as a real news source. Several forums use them as a news reference, including The Democratic Underground. They even have even been used as a source in Wikipedia.

Quite possibly their best accomplishment was their overall Google News dominance on the Jennifer Wilbanks story. Truly they have been making a showing for a small independent news agency. To those looking at dollar signs they are a very wise investment.

For a group that has had no television or radio exposure they have consistently attracted over 150,000 hits per month since being included in Goggle News. Why then are they starving for advertisers? If you take note of the front page they are selling ad space for as little as one dollar. To be more correct, the bidding starts at one dollar. They have taken to selling web space on ebay. With an average click rate of 1-5% that would equate to 15-75,000 clicks per month for just a dollar or more.

If you would like to ensure better placement they also have advertising space through Blogads for $50 a month. Still there are no takers. I am no demographics major, but it appears to me that many weblogs are experiencing the same problems. Blogs for Bush have slashed their prices and many others are simply not collecting anything for ad space that was previously selling for hundreds of dollars a month. This may be simply a shift in readership to other sites or it could be something a bit deeper. Only time will tell.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Full Disclosure

In order to contribute more effectively to the world with the writings I already do I have opted to join Blogcritics and have been accepted. Now, this doesn't bean I'm going to quit blogging about what I blog about. It just means I'll be adding another "crossposted at" line at the end of any quality posts I put up.

I'm not really sure what I'll be gaining in the way of compensation other than having my material on yet another site. I knokw they do product givaways and various other events. They even have a "highlighted blogger" section so I may, or may not, increase my hits.

The full disclosure part comes in the fact that Blogcritics is deeply in bed with Amazon. When posting you are required to place at least one Amazon ad related to your topic. That's not really a problem though. It's only required to be placed on the Blogcritics post, not your own. Again, I stress this will not adjust the way I blog, unless it's to provide a bit more product, movie or book reviews. That's something I'd like to do more of anyway. Politics, politics, politics makes warmonger a dull boy. It also drives me to drink.

Now, something I'm going to say here is that You too can join blogcritics. In fact, most of the people blogging on Blogger News Network could be crossposting their stuff over at Blogcritics as well. I'm sure someone writing about terrorist actions at Gitmo would be able to find a book relating to the subject. It can even work for those in Blog of Books. Amazon sells those books too!

If you would like to become a blogcritic you can contact Eric Olsen.

Nabil al-Wazer Has Been Released

Sources in Yemen state that Nabil al-Wazer has been released from his captors. His kidnapping on Thursday had lead to harsh criticism of the Yemen government as his whereabouts were known throughout his kidnapping and no action had been taken. No information is known at the present time other than that he has been released. No statement from the Yemeni government has been made.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

The Dyson Vacuum Really Sucks!

Yesterday we bought a new vacuum cleaner. We stepped up and paid the big bucks for the model getting all the buzz. We bought a yellow Dyson. We tested it out in our bedroom to see exactly how much we were missing with our old vacuum cleaner. Suffice to say that the old one now has new residence in the garage. The Dyson vacuum cleaner really sucks!

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

The first thing I noticed is that it is extremely easy to handle. It turns easily and pushes like it's self-propelled. (It isn’t self-propelled.) It does seem to use the same amount of electricity, the lights always dim with the vacuum, but it was twice as quiet as the old Dirt Devil we were using. The quietness and mobility alone are ample reasons to switch from your old vacuum.

So we went around the room and got about halfway though when my wife stopped me with an astonished look on her face. She told me to look at the dirt cup. In half of a room this light sucker had accumulated as much dirt and crap as the other vacuum picks up in the whole house combined. All right, we're sold.

Now it's time to empty this dirt cup. We needed to consult the manual. It told us how to easily remove the entire chassis, not just the dirt cup. There's a reason for this. The way it's designed you never really have to deal with dust. When you pull the main chassis the dirt cup comes with, still sealed, no dust.

Now for the messy part, right? Wrong. You simply put a bag on the bottom of the chassis and pull the little lever on the top, still no mess. The bottom falls out and releases all of the dust, and since the filter is separate you don't need to clean it too. The internal design dumps everything out without individual hand cleaning. Once everything has been dumped out (Make note that there was so much dirt in the bag that it actually had weight!) all you have to do is give a quick pull on the chassis and the bottom part flips back into place without you ever touching the dirt. This is yet another selling feature.

According to the manual the maintenance for this super sucker is rather simple as well. Every six months (They provide a handy wheel chart on top of the filter unit.) you need to take out the filter, rinse it in cool water, let it dry and stick it back in. You should never have to replace your filter, ever. Even if you do, we did a price check on that and determined that their filters are a good $15 cheaper than most other filters. How can you go wrong with this marvel of suction engineering?

I know many of you are thinking the $400-$500 price tags are a bit out there, but when you realize that this can and will do the work of at least two $200 models from competitors you are actually saving money, let alone getting a cleaner house. Our carpets even LOOK better!

Did I mention they have about ten models out including one specifically for those with pets?

Dyson has in no way paid or requested this glowing personal review. This is completely independent.

Shifting Alignments

A few weeks ago I joined a group of conservative bloggers called The Wide Awakes. It has put me in touch with the more extreme elements on both the left and the right side of the map. It really opened my eyes to just how extreme things can get. In fact, much of it has shifted my judgment on all things political as of late. It has warped my fragile little mind.

The first thing I noticed was how many people out there felt the need to hate this group for their convictions. Yes, many people call them trolls, others moonbats and still others just plain lefties. It has disturbed me to the point of taking common observations for the conservative point of view. Part of that has to do with seeing the most extreme on both the left and the right.

Being that the group I joined has many voices on the extreme right of the spectrum I started thinking a bit more from that side of the street than I had in the past. I started looking at the left and saw nothing more than bitterness, anger and hate. It really pissed me off and I expressed my views in type. It may have been a bit too extreme for some people, but it is how I felt.

Not surprisingly, these views and feelings have disturbed some of my left minded friends. Somehow they feel betrayed or let down that I would disparage them in the way that I have. If I have destroyed our relationship I am sorry. I'm not sorry for the words I have written though. They stand firm on many accounts and in particular the way it appears to have chapped their hides that I would put out such articles.

Well, I'm here to say that I'm not the only one guilty of offense. I have waded through harsh comments, unforgiving criticism and unabashed hate speech on many that I have considered close friends. In many aspects I feel betrayed by friends.

Frankly, I'm coming clean on my viewpoints on things. Some of the things I have written as of late were unfair. Although they were not meant to encompass everyone on the left or right some felt that I was making direct attacks against them. They were mistaken. It's not the first time someone has been mistaken when I've spoken about the left. I really don't get how I'm just supposed to sit there and take it and not write counter arguments, not get irritated, not get pissed off.

You see, this is my big problem. I don't fit perfectly on either side of the tracks. Both sides tend to hate each other and I get stuck pissing off one side or the other. Maybe I should just quit blogging politically? How about it I just stick to stupid things like movie reviews or silly memes or something?...No, I have a reason for being here. It's for the centralist viewpoint. It's to provide the argument you can't get with only left or right. Sometimes I'm left, sometimes I'm right as well. I don't fit into your box. If you can't tolerate a viewpoint other than your own you don't need to come by. Lord knows I've tolerated others viewpoints.

Speaking of viewpoints: In my next article - My perceptions on what the ACLU is, was and will become. Jay isn't going to like it one bit...

Really people, these are just ideas. Stop getting your panties in a bunch.

Son of Popular Forces Union Leader in Yemen Kidnapped

According to sources a prominent Journalist in Yemen, Nabil al-Wazer, was kidnapped Tuesday by Houssain Abo Dunya in Hajja. Randsom is being reported as approximately $50,000 U.S. dollars. Unlike most kidnappings the government knows the location of this victim and has yet to act upon their knowledge.

Nabil al-Wazer, the son of the Popular Forces Union in Yemen is also the treasurer for this Shiite organization. This group is one of many parties that are being systematically taken apart by those in close communication with the Yemen government. The location of Nabil al-Waser has been published in numerous local Yemen papers, but the government has declined to take any action or acknowledge the incident.

The kidnapper in this incident, Houssain Abo Dunya, is a known criminal with contacts within the government that may have prevented action from being taken. Sources say this is not the first time he has been used to take suspected actions on behalf of the Yemeni government.

The Yemeni embassy in the United States and the Yemeni government itself has not commented as to why they have not acted upon this known violation of law.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Politics and maturity

To start this article off it is imperative to use the following quote:

Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains.
-Winston Churchill-

This is the heart of the topic I will be discussing. The question, or hypothesis as the case may be, portends that in general liberals and conservatives are a completely different culture of people based on maturity. If we hold the above quote at Churchill's word it appears conservatives are more mature than liberals. Sure, I could leave it at this, but I'd like to go a bit more in depth on the topic if I may.

In 2003 a cousin of Paul, from Powerline had this theory:

"It would be interesting to compare the average age of the voters who identify as Republicans vs. those who are Democrats. I suspect that the average age of Democrats is higher than that of Republicans.

Unfortunately, there has yet to be a publicized poll relating to this comparison. By taking the occasional snippet of voting ages it certainly appears to be generally true, but we can not make complete assumptions based on incomplete data. We can only theorize. What I theorize is that this is true and can now go on to summarize the generalized demeanor of both liberals and conservatives.

Conservatives, based on the above assumptions, are generally older. I would suggest that they are not only physically older, but older of mind. They are more wizened. They have taken the time to think things through and have come to educated conclusions about things. Here are some attributes of the more mature conservative.

Better writers - Due to a mastery of language through time and experience the conservative is better able to articulate a point, or debate a point without aruing or resorting to name calling.

More rounded education - Through life experience, further education, an extended period of observation and an opportunity to experiment over time the conservative has the polished education that allows him or her to have a better conclusion to a given situation. They have experienced and/or experimented with a given situation in the past and are more familiar with cause and effect.

They think things through - Due to the realization that life does not end at 30 the sense of urgency in churning out a fast answer is simply not there. Because the stress and urgency are no longer involved with the conservative they are more capable of thinking things through more fully and frequently arrive at a deeper, frequently hidden resolution that quick reactions would miss.

Conservatives are more moral - I'm sure this is the hard one for liberals to accept but we need to face facts. Conservatives give a greater respect to moral issues. They give greater respect to others as well. This may hearken back to the "old" adage "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

Against overtaxing the rich - considering most rich people are older it would go to show that conservatives by and large have worked longer and have amassed greater wealth than the younger liberals. Being a product of nature conservatives want to keep their hard earned money. Wouldn’t you?

Liberals are frequently younger than their conservative counterparts. Not only are they younger, they are more prone to emotion vice education. Truly the liberal does appear to have a more sensitive heart than a conservative.

Emotional but poor writers - Liberals write with fervor and strong emotion. However, due to their inexperience and clouded judgment from their emotion they frequently miss points and distort facts. This, while entertaining and inspiring, does not make good journalism or factual writing.

They drink the Kool-Aid - Because they lead with their heart and not their head a liberal is more susceptible to following damned near any hair-brained scheme that comes down the pike. I would officially like to declare this the "pied-piper effect".

More apt to attend rallies or protests - since many liberals are still in school and forming their lives and yet to hold a sustainable job they are more likely to attend rallies or protests. Conservatives just can't compete in this arena. We have careers that consume our time. I really envy youth in this regard because rallies are fun and all the hot chicks hang out there.

Self centered - because youth has yet to see how one hand washes the other they frequently believe the world revolves around them. They believe they are the greatest thing since sliced bread until their world comes crashing down on them. This usually occurs when they realize that they are not immortal and quite frequently fallible. If you don't understand what I'm talking about here go ask a teenager, they have all the answers.

Immoral - Again, this one will probably stir the pot to boiling but it is necessary. This demeanor of a liberal is systemic with being self-centered. If the only thing you think about is yourself you are bound to be more immoral than someone who thinks frequently of others. They are also less bound by the rigors of society and are usually not expected to stand true with their integrity intact.

Tax the rich until I'm not poor - Lets face it, the younger you are the less money you have been able to accrue. The basis behind the rich tax is bound by the same principles of why a conservative wants lower taxes: it benefits them.

This article is in no way meant to stereotype all conservatives or liberals. It is merely a hasty generalization based on the initial quote by Winston Churchill. It does not take into effect a million and one other factors that make a liberal or conservative what they are. It is simply one facet in better understanding to the basic demographic of both groups.

Where do I sit on this? I'm 30 and a centrist.

The winner(s) of the caption contest.

Today we celebrate the ugliest baby I have ever seen. We celebrate the aye-aye lumur baby. More than anything, we celebrate the captions coined in the comments section. Holy crap there were some good ones! Because of this my job of deciding the winner of this has become just that much harder. So much harder in fact that I'm going to run my first survey to coincide with my first caption contest.

I'm taking the top few captions and let the people decide. You have until Friday, 8PM to vote and the winner will be posted at the Stop the ACLU chat room.

Here is the Image in question:

And here is the poll:
Poll is not working yet. Vote in comments until it's fixed.

1. HEY HEY HEY! You didn't tell me where you were going to stick that thing!

2. Idiot! You kill me first, then take the pelt!

3. Yoda survives Daisy Cutter blast, barely ...

4. Daisy Cutter after blast from Yoda...

5. Abu Faraj al-Libbi cleans up rather nicely.

6. May 8, 11:30 pm: The subject has entered stage 4 of prolonged exposure to Air America...

7. "Clothing is wonderful, but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids.
Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food, and then clothes."

8. "JUST LOOK AT WHAT ROGAINE CAN DO FOR YOU!"

9. "That's the LAST time I sign up for your 'Extreme Makeover' show...
last time do you hear me? The VERY LAST TIME..."

10. Gasps from the jury were heard when, during testimony in trial, it was finally revealed why Michael Jackson does not allow his childern to go out without wearing vails to cover their heads.

11. Pulled from a spider-hole by members of the 4th Infantry Division earlier today, Saddam Hussein . . ."

12. I went to a John Kerry rally and all I got was this thing.

13. "You want me to do WHAT with your pit bull?"

14. "You won't believe what I found in my Chili..."

15. "Yo quiero Starbucks Expresso!"

16. As displayed in this picture for a War Monger Jeremy's hands are rather feminine looking....Rumor mill says those nails have clear enamel on them.

Vote as much as you like!

ACLU and voting prisoners

I'm sure that everyone is well aware that the ACLU supports felon voters. They are proud associates of a group called Right to Vote. RTV is the spearhead behind the re-enfranchisement of felon voters.

I'm not going to get into why I think we need to prevent felons from voting or how I believe things should be implemented. I'm going to discuss how they're trying to throw the race card. Allow me to demonstrate:

1. Out of about 20 images there was only one that depicted a white person. All others were predominantly black or Hispanic. Are they trying to say that blacks and Latinos are inherently criminals? No, they're trying to say the the evil republicans are trying to keep the black man down. They're throwing the race card.

2. African-Americans in RI Barred from Voting at Higher Rates than South. This fallacy document is an appeal to force. It puts fear into the balck voter that if they don't force legislators to repeal the felon voter laws then all voting rights for blacks will be removed. It's simply not true. If you don't commit a felony you don't have to worry about it no matter what your race is.

3. Winning the Election – The Republican Way: Racism, Theft and Fraud in Florida. Can someone give this man some cheese with his whine?

3. Election voting for Black felons in America! What about the white felons? Do you give a damn about them? Are the Chinese felons equally worthless?

4. FELON BAN CONTINUES TO HURT BLACKS AND DEMOCRATS. Ah! Herein lies the dig! Felon voters help DEMOCRATS! So it goes back to politics...figures.

5. Minorities struggle to break free of felon voting bans Political Prisoners. ALL minorities or just those that vote Democrat?

Well, five resources should be enough to throw their "hate white Republican" ideals out there. Instilling once again that the white man is just trying to keep the black man down. It's always with the race card. Do I make people commit felonies? Are you, as a black or Latino forced to commit felonies?

Before I get spammed with people complaining about the prison ratios of black to white prisoners I am well aware that there are more blacks and Latinos in jail today by population percentage. I'm also aware that there are still more white people in prison today for felony charges than either of these minorities by quantity. Wouldn't it be race sensitive to make mention of this? Does anyone else out there find it slightly racist to exclude the white felon from their cause? Could it be that Democrats are racist against white people?

(This has been a Stop the ACLU Blogburst article.)

Follow up on Georgia

Pamela from Atlas Shrugs managed to find the most amazing photos of Bush's speech in Freedom Square. I'm posting the ity-bity ones so you'll want to go see them in person on her site.

The way things are being reported now it wasn't a real live grenade and it was never "thrown". It was just put there to scare people. I'm still sceptical though.

...and yes, this conserva-hottie is now on the blogroll. (hmm...conserva-hottie. I think I'll trademark that...)

Muslims, war and history

Although I'm not sure I can entirely agree with the writer of this Bethlam Chronicles article it does present a thought provoking concept. Like him or don't, this guy knows how to write.

If I could provide a mongerlaunch this would be the time.

Grenade Thrown at President Bush in Tblisi, Georgia – Does Not Go Off.

A recent report indicates that during a speech at Freedom Square in Tblisi, Georgia a grenade was thrown, hit someone and fell to the ground harmlessly. The live grenade was found within 100 feet of where the President was standing.

It was not known that a grenade was in the audience or that one was thrown until the Georgian police brought the issue to the U.S. secret service in charge of security for the president.

This potential assassination attempt was made during his speech in front of 100 to 300 thousand Georgians celebrating Georgia's independence from Russia. The crowd at Freedom Square, formerly Lenin Square, is on of the largest audience President George W. Bush has spoken and the largest gathering ever in the country, according to Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

The intention of the speech was to show support for Georgia’s continued independence from the former Soviet Union. United States backing for Georgia’s acceptance within the United Nations was also given in the speech.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Images of Hope 26

by Ferdinand Thomas

May 4, 2005

Capt. Jennifer Rael, a pediatrician from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, demonstrates to a child in Yusafiyah, Iraq, how to take deep breaths for his physical examination during a humanitarian operation. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

My first caption contest

Yes, it's true. I've never had a caption contest. I felt like there was never anything worthy of a good caption...until now. Ladies and gentlemen feast your eyes on THIS:

The truth about this little devil is below the fold if you're interested. What I'm really looking for is some good captions....got any?

Winner gets a custom designed blog ad to be displayed here and wherever else you want to stick it. Contest ends Wednesday midnight.

Kintana, an aye-aye, a rare species of lemur from Madagascar, the first captive bred aye-aye in the United Kingdom at the Bristol Zoo Gardens(BZG) in Bristol(AFP/BZG-HO)

LINK

Fixing the ACLU's anti-religion lobby

Something I completely left out in the last post was a good piece by everybody's anti-ACLU guru: Jay, of Stop The ACLU. For me personally I'm not completely coherent on the issue of how civil trials are funded against the church, but it would directly tie in with my last post. For some down home amplifying information about what regular citizens can go go read, in entirety, Jay's post on the matter:

LINK

Democrats voted out of Western North Carolina Church Due To Political Affiliation

According to recent reports, a pastor in western North Carolina has kicked nine members of his congregation out of his Baptist ministry because they would not sign a statement of political allegiance. Members of the East Waynesville Baptist Church have stated that Pastor Chan Chandler has directed their political opinions in the past, particularly during the presidential elections.

George Bullard, associate executive director-treasurer for Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, told the Asheville Citizen-Times that a pastor has the right to disallow memberships if a church's bylaws allow for the pastor to establish criteria for membership. No other executives have been available for comment.

Local churchgoers have stated that Chandler’s actions have violated church bylaws and are not in accordance with the rest of the congregation. Several of them have been speaking with lawyers about possible action against Pastor Chandler due to his continued politically based speeches and bylaw violations in the church.

N.C. Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek has this to say about the current situation:

"If these reports are true, this minister is not only acting extremely inappropriately by injecting partisan politics into a house of worship, but he is also potentially breaking the law and threatening the church's ... nonprofit status,"

Rep. Bruce Goforth, (D) Buncombe County, had this to say:

"The Bible teaches in Matthew, it says 'judge not lest you be judged,'" said Goforth. "I think that's what we need to look at. I think this pastor in Waynesville needs to look at that scripture. How can you judge along what you believe in politics? I don't think that's got anything to do with Christian life."

The Democratic party of North Carolina has been hard at work denouncing the act and are threatening to work towards removeal of the church's tax exempt status if the situation is not rectified quickly.

Individual Baptist churches do not answer to higher authority and there may be little the parent organization can so about the situation other than pull their “Baptist” name from the offending church. Other recognized church groups do have authority over their many congregations and several go as far as to approve individual sermons for use on the pulpit. The Baptist churches do not do this.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

UPDATE: This article has been googleized! Do a google news search on "North Carolina Church" and...aw, hell. Take a look at the snapshot:

Me over 282 other news sources. This BNN gig is really working!

Another Fine MuNu blog

As many of you know I and Ogre run a we design team, Pumping Pixels, that is sweeping the sphere. We've done several blogs and have even gotten paid for a few of them. As part of our contract for any design work is a public announcement of completed work.

Today we honor Jesse's new design. Does it look familiar? It should. He asked for the same new layout as the one I put together for myself. It's sort of funny though. Jesse's old blog, now his group blog, was modeled after my old blogger template.

Please, everyone go have a look at the blog and basque in the beauty of it.

Something else that's brewing on the Ogre side of the house is a completely new and fresh idea in blogging. It's not quite ready for prome-time yet, but the concept is there. Tired of reading blogs up and down? Try reading them left to right. Go stop by Ogre's new digs and check it out.

Are you a Republican?

This was ruthlessly taken from Flightpundit...who ruthlessly stole it from Pirate's Cove.

I am: 90% Republican.

"You listen to a lot of AM talk radio, don't you?"

Are You A Republican?

The truth be told I live on talk radio. I can frequently be found in my car screaming at the moronic host, usually the stupidity that is Savage....okay, I've actually started turning Savage off because he is just so wrong about everything.

Attention!! God is EEVIL!!

...or at least that's what I hear from some really, really good sources on the left side of the map. Yep, it's a pretty big leap for some of you. To others it's just a commonly evolved thought process. (For similar thought processes see the last post.) For those of you that think that good ol' Jeremy has stepped on out past the edge bear with me. All will be explained.

Tom Delay is Evil because he believes in God. He believes in what the bible tells him. His difficult decisions are concluded after prayer. For this he has been dubbed a fool and a moron. He sided with the "right-to-life" crowd and now he's being crucified for it.

John Ashcroft is evil because he believes in God. Oh my God! It's lawyer that believes in God! Keep him away from the bench! Make sure he doesn't become a judge! Only an atheist can make a good, law abiding judge! I guess this means God is too evil to be a judge, right?

George W. Bush is the anti-christ because he lets God "cloud his judgement". Bush plans to destroy America and the world. He likes the death and destruction of untold millions throughout the world. He wants all these people to die so he can have more oil and more money, because God told him to do it. Or at least this is the idea I get from some other bloggers.

Creationism is not allowed in school because "it's just wrong" and we don't want to subject our atheist kids to God. Since God is not acceptable to show to our children then God must be bad, right? Why else would you prevent your kids from being exposed to God?

Now, I'm not saying teach creationism as a known fact. I'm saying teach it as a scientific theory. Better yet, create a friggin' mandatory class that teaches ALL religion, including atheism. Wouldn't that fix it? Could this solve our problems? Apparently not because GOD IS EVIL!

Alright, okay, hold the phone. Before you get your panties in a bunch remember that "reality-based" deal? Yeah, that's your ticket to hell. You see, "reality-based" was put forth in direct opposition to "faith-based". It wasn't the "faith-based" people that compared the two, it was the "Free-based"...er..."reality-based" that made up this crap.

You don't like my outcome? Hey, it wasn't me who came up with reality against God. By following the "reality-based" ideals "GOD IS EVIL"...or is it that "reality-based" is evil?

Reality based? or Free-based?

First off, thanks to everybody for trying to talk be back down from the ledge...that I wasn't really on. I've been strolling through a bunch of hardcore lefty sites due to a web design I'm working on. They guy that I'm doing the design for is pretty alright for someone just ever so slightly to the left of center. His blog buddies are something else entirely.

So the what the hell was that last post about? It was a kick in my own ass to start blogging again. Does anyone ever get the need to just scream at the top of their lungs because of the stupidity? Well, I do, and that's just what I did. Again, thank-you everyone for your kind works and encouragement. I'm not actually on the ledge, but it's good to know you'd be there if I were.

Okay, anyway, the title: "Reality-based or Free-based"? Do I even need to write anything about that? I'm going to anyway, but do you really need more to get the basic idea? Wait! One guy waaaaaay in the back gave me that "deer in the headlights" look so I'm pressing on.

He doesn't know what I'm talking about so I'll throw out a few examples:

This article
Is Mattew Yglesias reality based?
Salon is reality based.
Here's a good t-shirt for the event.
You can even use the wiki definition.
This guy used to be The Reality Based Avenger and is now just Anti-War.
Here's one that's fact-esque.
The Peach is reality-based.

Why Jeremy! You just agroed all of the trolls! Well, yes, yes I did. It should be like shooting moonbats in a barrel. If you can find any more sites with "reality-based" in the title let me know and I'll agro them as well.

(For those that don't play computer games "agro" is what happens when you get a whole bunch of monsters to attack you instead of everyone else.)

Okay, now lets get to the point: Most of these moonbats will eat with a wide-mouthed spoon anything you tray and feed them as long as it has a liberal spin on it. Is that reality-based? Most of these people, should you get into a discussion with them (heh...discussion, right), will quickly turn whatever subject you're on into "BUSH LIED! PEOPLE DIED! NNYYAAARRGGHH!!". These "reality-based" individuals don't have a clue about reality. In fact, they're usually far from reality.

It's sort of like they're smoking something. After all, this IS the group that wants to legalise drugs, right? So what's wrong with a little free-basing of the facts? You know, a puff of Eschaton here, a snort of Daily KOS there, the next thing you know you're drinking the magic kool aid and waiting for the next alien comet to beam you off planet.

Ladies and gentlemen! I would like to declare the end of the Reality Based community! They should now be known as the Free-Based community! Any questions?

Drunk and Pissed

In case you haven't noticed I haven't been blogging much lately. Yes, part of it has to do with my job but that's not the whole deal. The whole deal has to do with my irritation at blissfull ignorance. I've been sitting here on my blog for the past nine months or so and I have yet to be able to crack the skull of one ignorant moonbat.

By moonbat let me clarify what I'm talking about. Anyone that believes what they are told without proof is a moonbat. Those that believe what Krugman tells them are moonbats. Those that worship the all ignorant Savage are moonbats. You're drinkin' down the Kool-aide like you know for a fact the alien mothership is coming to take you and your clone to a better planet. You're a bunch of retards.

You're not ALWAYS retards though. Some of you have moments of sanity. Take a good blog freind of mine for example. Yes, this person is a lib. Most of the time they can even form rational thoughts based on fact. As of late, however, this person has fallen in with the tin-foil-hat crowd. I'm not even going to get into specifics. Suffice to say, they do not source any of their information in fact but "so-and-so said it so it MUST be true." Well, I must say that whoever so-and-so is he probably has his own agenda and is lying to you. Just keep drinking your Kool-aide. You'll be fine.

Mostly it's the puppets that piss me off. You know who they are. Their posts normally go something like this:

OOOOoooOOOOhhh.. This guys article was soooo coool. It sums up everything about what's REALLY going on:

[insert worthless article with absolutely no fact but made to appear like some jerkoff's opinion really matters]

You see? It just sums everything up perfectly. Nothing more to say. I want to have Kos' (or Hindraker's) children.

Has anyone else seen this? Why the hell do these worthless pieces of blog exist? Has anyone told them to form their own friggin' opinions or become no better than cattle? I mean really, is it that hard to form your own thoughts?

What's even worse is that you can't get through to these people try as you might. I could site 1 gagillion resources that prove the "sooo cool" author to be wrong, but they refuse to listen to reason. What the hell am I blogging for? The reason I started doing this shit is to make a difference, to make people understand the truth. To get people away from the talking heads and use their own.

As far as I can tell everything I've written has been worthless. It has not made a difference in the world or the blogosphere. I have not been able to change one single solitary mind. Why should I keep this up? Why should I keep trying when nothing I do or say makes a difference?

Have I made a difference? I don't believe I have. I have never heard that I have. Have I changed anyone's mind about Social Security? Has someone's opinion of Bush changed because of words I have written? Do I make a difference to the blogosphere or should I just stop? Whould it make a difference?

The Sober-N Worm - Don't Panic!

Yet another virus has made the news. It's being reported as something that is bound to dominate the internet. Many are concerned that since this virus came out on Monday and has propagated like it has that is will continue to spiral out of control.

DON'T PANIC!

This is not the end of Life, the Universe and Everything. It's not the end of the internet. In fact, it's barely a blip on Trend Micro's radar. In fact, the number one virus of the moment isn't even Sober-N anymore, it's Sober-S, five versions up.

Please don't get me wrong. Viruses are very damaging. They have the capability to wreak havoc in your home, terrorize your network and completely destroy your e-mail inbox. The only real lesson to be learned in all of this is the need for antivirus protection. If you don't have it you are making yourself a prime target to any of these new viruses coming down the pike. If you are going to be on the Internet you need virus protection. Consider it being like getting inoculated when you were a kid. It's just something that had to be done.

So, you don't think you need to go buy some $50 piece of software to keep you safe from something you've never picked up before? Why should you waste your money? Well, you've probably already got a virus or two. If you don't believe me try out the Symantec online system scanner for free and see what they come up with. You just may be surprised at what you find.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Posting to post

Yes, I'm writing something about absolutely nothing to push the previous post further down the spiral. To blog one must keep on blogging. So here I am....blogging away about nothing...there's not really much to say about nothing except that it's not there.

Of course, you could take the scientific approach and say that nothing is the absence of something. But was something really there in the first place? What is something ins the absence of nothing? Wouldn't that be a strange twist of science?

Okay, back to nothing.

A different angle we could take on nothing is space time theory and black and white holes. It's sort of like the something for nothing paragraph but with wide depths of space and really cool names. Okay, seriously folks, a back hole is supposedly what happens when a big enough star collapses that it sucks everything in the universe into it. The white hole theory goes that on the other side of the black hole all that stuff that gets sucked in has to be released somewhere...or else it wouldn't be a permanent black hole. That release point is called a white hole. As far as I know, none have been found.

And remember folks, neither of these are to be confused for the ass hole which is the current location from which I am speaking.

G'nite everybody!

Contract Negotiations

I am really, really pissed, upset, stressed, infuriated, bewildered, distraught, disoriented and a little bit cold.

On Friday I recieved my job offer. I'm being promoted from Information Assurance Engineer to Information Assurance Team Lead.

I'm also getting a pay cut and a reduction in benefits. I'm getting slapped in the face. Nothing personal, just a big company looking to save a few bucks buy cutting costs to look good for their board of trustees. It happens every day.

I'm not at all happy, but I'll take what I can get. Truth be told, almost everyone is getting a pay cut. Morale has effectively gone from 60-0 in one offer letter. It's survivable but definitely not pleasing in the least.

I think my wife said it best: "You guys got Punk'd".

[..and if my company is watching take note that I have not mentioned your name and will not do so. I have no intention of defaming you. I'm just not happy at the moment.]