Friday Thoughts

My five-month old daughter, Quin, has been taking up most of my time at late ... and gardening.

I have two older children, but I was not as involved, nor interested really, in their early baby years. I fed them their bubbas (baby bottles), changed their often stinky diapers and tossed them around a bit (the kids, not the diapers). Taking care of a baby full-time is quite a bit more. Consequently, less time for other activities ... a sacrifice I am glad to make (and I am sure many in the blogging world are glad of too).

Quin is an awful lot of fun. She rolls over onto her tummy now. The other day I set her down on the rug by her toys and turned away to do something for no more than a minute and she had rolled half-way across the rug ... she looked up at me with a huge toothless grin as though to say, "Look what I did, Daddy."

We read together. We watch Law and Order and Star Trek together. We even sing together. She makes a humming sound occassionally. When I join in we can actually harmonize. I have a song made for her (similar to one I made up for my other kids).

I know this little girl

Her name is Quin

Her favorite thing is to ride on her Schwin

Yes it is ... yeah yeah yeah

Yes it is.

I love my little baby

I love her so

I love very much

To nibble on the toes

of baby Quin.

And on and on ... she also likes it when I make clucking sounds. None of which the general public will ever hear ... Probably for the best (regarding their ear drums).

No where in any of the time we spend together do I talk politics. But I do have to say this ... I hope she never has to live in a world in which the distasteful affirmative action policy recommendations of Glenn Grothman are enacted. In Grothman's world, song and dance is something minorities should be good at (It's in their genes, right?). And, regarding his recommendation that affirmative action applicants be able to speak the language of the heritage they claim ... raise your hands if any of you can remember how to speak the language of your African ancestors, 300 years removed?

Rick Esenberg was right that no one is planning to do a Kristallnacht anytime soon ... regarding the smashing of windows and shops and such. I suppose I can agree that some sort of verification might be required. However, not in the abominable ways that Grothman proposed. You see, I do believe it's a spiritual Kristallnacht that Grothmanand his kind are planning. One in which the American traditions of fair play and decency are thrown out to accomodate the wishes of a few angry white men.

By the way, the garden is coming along nicely, considering the reduced amount of time I have to work on it. As I write I'm thinking of the thistles that must be removed, and some new plants that must be planted in the front before Sunday (we're having a big barbecue ... more on that later).

UPDATE: More today from Michael Mathias on the onerous tactics of Grothman.

Won't Be Cowed Under Again

h/t Whallah!

Jessica McBride continues her quest to re-write the dictionary, or at least the rules of grammar. This post commented about a quip by Tommy Thompson ....

Leave it to Tommy Thompson. He's certainly come up with a memorable line during each GOP presidential debate. Too bad they all seem off key. The latest:

Asked at Tuesday's Republican presidential debate how he would use President Bush after Bush leaves office, Tommy Thompson said, "I certainly would not send him to the United Nations."

Actually, at least on terrorism, Bush is exactly the kind of person we need at the UN, not someone who will be cowed under by scandal-ridden bureaucrats and European nations with vested interests that undermine our national security. Give me a John Bolton type over a John Kerry type any day. Some media types say Tommy performed better overall in this debate. I wasn't able to watch this one, so I can't vouch for that or debunk it.

Cowed under? Feels something like this, I suspect.

Will Colson Come To Her Rescue?

I wonder if she will see the light, or will it be former Richard Nixon chief counsel, Chuck Colson, who will come to minister to the poor lamb, Paris Hilton?

Hilton is about to embark on her 45 day adventure in the penal system. She may have the sentence reduced to 23 days for good behavior, but that seems rather extreme considering her behavior to date.

This could be just the challenge for Colson. It would be interesting to see if the former hatchet man could make an impression on Paris. However, tt has been said that Colson is a believer in intelligent design (ok, ok ... it was a Wiki source). Considering his past, and Paris' life to date, this reader sees nothing intelligent about either of them.

Bill Clement (aka Billiam)

Preferring smaller, more intimate get togethers, today was another effort by The Other Side to bring some sort of peace to the blogosphere. Not that any effort really was needed between Bill Clement (author of View from the Cheap Seats) and myself. Bill has always been respectful and his comments always fun to read.

Anyway, today Bill, my wife, our youngest daughter and I got together for breakfast at the Machine Shed this morning at ten. What a pleasure it was to meet and chat with Bill! While we come from mostly different aspects of the national debate on everything, Bill and I agree that what is most important is we are human and we can get together and be friendly.

I would say more than just friendly, because after just one meeting (though countless blog meetings), I am happy to consider Bill a friend. Now if only dad29 can make it. Daddio, I was going to ask Bill if he had met you (while retaining your anonymity). But since Bill mentioned you by name right off the bat, you became a topic of conversation. Bill confirmed that we would probably enjoy a get together.

Bill says he will be available again sometime in July (or so). I'm already beginning preliminary plans for another barbecue. See you, and Bill then (I hope).

Wild Turkey

I love our yard. I've written previously of the deer that have passed through our backyard. I've seen cardinals, finches, a coyote, etc. ... and today, three wild turkeys (from a distance I believe two were male) were seen, first by my wife. They are really magnificent creatures and were apparently simpy foraging.

Ben Franklin wrote to his daughter that he would have preferred the wild turkey have been named the national bird. Here is the text of his letter.

For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...

I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.

Liar, Liar

For someone who protests quite a lot that the left uses the word racist to shut down the speech of conservatives, Jessica McBride surely seems obsessed with people whose skin is a darker hue. Six of her last seven posts either had to do with immigration issues (you know, brown people coming to America), or Michael McGee (you know, that black guy in Milwaukee). Considering that the brouhaha that got her fired, at its core, had to do with an unfunny and sophomoric practical joke she attempted to pull on Eugene Kane (you know, the black columnist for the Journal Sentinel), and one cannot help but wonder why she is so obsessed.

Plus, she lives in the town of Merton, where black people have not been welcomed, of late, by some of its residents.

Is she a racist? I really don't know. I do know that her continued obsession with non-whites (let's not forget the Muslims in our midst) is suspicious.

Oh, btw, in my opinion she's lying when she says she moved her WTMJ comments to one spot for easy reading. The only reason she did so was because she wasn't aware that Google caching enabled people to find those posts and re-publish them for all to see her lunacy. Kind of an "oops" on her part, don'tcha think?

She Just Said Something Even Dumber

What a war-monger. For someone who claims to be a "professional" journalist, thereby implying a modicum of intelligence and the ability to think, Jessica McBride continues to bewilder. She posted this on Thursday:

(The Politico) President Bush said today if the Iraqi government were to ask the United States to leave Iraq, he would grant the request."We are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government. This is a sovereign nation. Twelve million people went to the polls to approve a constitution. It's their government's choice,’’ the president said during a Rose Garden news conference. "If they were to say leave, we would leave."

We should leave Iraq when doing so will not harm OUR national security. Period.

If Iraq becomes a haven for Al-Qaida or Iran, we'll be back there anyway. Finish the job.


So, now, the wishes of the government of a sovereign nation, one elected in a democratic election, one which we backed, do not count. Her lack of depth and her shallowness of character is astounding. No wonder WTMJ canned her. Not even lying Charlie Sykes or the bland blow-up buddy, mushroom eating Jeff Wagner, would say anything as stupid as what she did. Belling might ... but they're made for each other anyway.

What He Really Meant ...

Stalwart Republican and humble guy, Owen Robinson, has published his "Pledge for the Taxpayers." He sent the pledge to Assembly Republicans in an effort to publicize their position on tax increases, etc. Other Side, in a breaking news story (if the incredibly self important Saint Fred Dooley of RealDebate can do it, why can't we) has been provided with the first, unedited copy of Robinson's pledge (spelling and grammatical errors left intact). If it is true that the first thoughts written are often the truest, this version of the pledge tells quite a different story.


Dear Fellow Rebiblicans,

As nyou are all painful, the budget season is on us. To date the Republicans on the Joint Finace committee is a goal of mine have been unsuccessful in the massive spenfing and rax increases that my Govenor Doyle want to foist on ME.

I the taxpayers have a single hope ... ME. It is with each of you that the responsibility fior proitecting my assets rests. At convention last week, Speaker Huebsch said, "we will stand in the way of Jim Doyle and his tax increases, you can count on that." Well, I am counting on that. Indeed, i am inisistubng on it. It is all about me!!

Therefore, I am asking everyone to pledge that you woll not vote for a budget that includes any increase of my taxes or any fee increases that aren't directly related to delivering more services to me. If this leads to no budget being passed anytime soon, and all services are shut down and helpless old ladies in their homes are denied 911 service when they clap on clap off and potholes are not filled (except on the street directly in front of my home), t5hen so be it ... I'm a heartless fart. The Republican party should be p[roud of being obstructionist to be the party that obstructs my tax and fee increses - especilly because I am so overwhelmed by tax increases that I could't get my threee SUVs washed last week pay for that nice by the cost of their government.

I intend to publish the names of each of you who wil not pledge to hold down my taxes. The grassroots of the Republican Party, including, duh, myself, and the vast majority of like-minded sheep taxpayers will stand in unity with arms outstretched with those of you who stand up for me.

please reply to this e-mail (ht the Reply button, dummy) if I can count on you to be my advocate in the State Capitol.

I am humbler than most,

Owen Robinson

Kane Putdown of McBride

Eugene Kane has a new post up at JSOnline. This will get all the wing-nuts who follow Kane like stalkers at night in a tizzy. I think it's pretty funny and right on. Here's the link. I especially like this line:

Actually, I'm here to say I had nothing to do with Jessica Mcbride taking a blow-torch to her career with an un-funny and insensitive comedy sketch that mentioned the sad death of a four-year old girl in Milwaukee.

Kane is right. He had nothing to do with McBride self-destructing, nor did the legion of liberal bloggers who found her rants sophomoric at best. It was all her own fault. She can point the finger all she wants, we know where it really should be pointed.

Sykes Hearts Jenna Jameson

Now we know what Charlie does when the wife and kids are not home, and it's dark and he's lonely. He reaches out to Jenna Jameson, porn star.

McBride Admits Wing-Nut Radio is Offensive

In a surprising twist, former WTMJ talk hack, Jessica McBride, admits that right-wing talk radio is offensive. She says this at her old blog:

I am disappointed because I fear that WTMJ has set a new standard for "offensiveness" on the radio that all conservative hosts in this town are now going to be judged by. I think that's a very dangerous precedent that should concern anyone who cares about a thriving conservative media.

Leaving aside the fact she was probably the most offensive of them all, it's amusing that she would admit that a thriving conservative media requires a certain level of offensiveness.

Thoughts on McBride Firing

Before I leave for a weekend of debauchery, helping a very old friend celebrate his 51st birthday (all right, maybe no debauch will occur, I am happily married ... and we are in our 50s, hard to move too fast), I did want to address my other reader and say that I feel no glee at the firing of Jessica McBride, former 620 WTMJ talk hack. I did not like the woman. It's probably not fair, because I've never met her personally. However, I did see and listen to her at the recent Blogger-o-rama and came away from the long distance encounter feeling as though I had been in the presence of one of Satan's minions (yes, I am not a believer, but Satan is also a literary figure).

Satan really is a cool name. Here, say it with me ... SATAN. Oooooh!

I'm going to admit something that I know will get a lot of nods of approval from my other reader (I think there is more than one) ... I can push the envelope at times. In that regard, I suppose it could be asked, why McBride? I think it's because she juxtaposed the death of a four-year old innocent with an attempt to garner some political points, and because deep down she comes across as a petty and mean person.

So, while I don't fully agree with her firing ... an apology to the general audience would have been sufficient ... she did bring this on herself and as she grew more and more shrill, the chances of her going bye bye grew and grew, IMHO.

Anyway, bye bye and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

She Stayed at Holiday Inn Express

New commercial starring Jessica McBride:

"I'm incapable of coherent thought and I have no moral or ethical standing, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night."

McBride, Again

Even when she tries to act journalistic, she still gets the facts wrong. The first part of the post is incoherent, then this:

I have no idea the immigration status of Lopez. Because of the fact he had several aliases and social security numbers, I called Kenosha SD today to ask if he is in this country legally. They referred me to DCI. I will try them tomorrow.

But I will say this: There is a reason for cops to ask people they pull over in traffic stops or their social security numbers.

Uh, not sure what the point of this post is because no one is required to carry a social security card. In fact, it is strongly recommended that social security cards not be carried to reduce the chances they will become lost, and consequently, reduce the risk of identity theft. Therefore, Lopez was under no obligation to show one.

McBride's obsession with illegal aliens makes me thankful I was not a Jew born in Nazi Germany and hiding from the Gestapo. With my luck, McBride would have been the German neighbor who blew the whistle.

Bush on Global Warming

This is too funny. Click here.

Revenge of the Telly Tubby

h/t The Liberal Avenger

No Tears for His Passing

Jerry Falwell is dead at the age of 73. While I am saddened for his family, I have no tears to shed for this person. Here are some choice Falwell quotes.


If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being.
-- Rev Jerry Falwell (attributed: source unknown)

God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.

The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.

And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say, "You helped this happen."

I sincerely believe that the collective efforts of many secularists during the past generation, resulting in the expulsion from our schools and from the public square, has left us vulnerable.

I put all the blame legally and morally on the actions of the terrorist, [but America's] secular and anti-Christian environment left us open to our Lord's [decision] not to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels God from the culture ... the result is not good.

Pat, did you notice yesterday the ACLU, and all the Christ-haters, People For the American Way, NOW, etc. were totally disregarded by the Democrats and the Republicans in both houses of Congress as they went out on the steps and called out on to God in prayer and sang "God Bless America" and said "let the ACLU be hanged"? In other words, when the nation is on its knees, the only normal and natural and spiritual thing to do is what we ought to be doing all the time -- calling upon God.

I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!

AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.

The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country.

If we are going to save America and evangelize the world, we cannot accommodate secular philosophies that are diametrically opposed to Christian truth ... We need to pull out all the stops to recruit and train 25 million Americans to become informed pro-moral activists whose voices can be heard in the halls of Congress.I am convinced that America can be turned around if we will all get serious about the Master's business. It may be late, but it is never too late to do what is right. We need an old-fashioned, God-honoring, Christ-exalting revival to turn American back to God. America can be saved!

It appears that America's anti-Biblical feminist movement is at last dying, thank God, and is possibly being replaced by a Christ-centered men's movement which may become the foundation for a desperately needed national spiritual awakening.

There is no separation of church and state. Modern US Supreme Courts have raped the Constitution and raped the Christian faith and raped the churches by misinterpreting what the Founders had in mind in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The Bible is the inerrant ... word of the living God. It is absolutely infallible,without error in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as well as in areas such as geography, science, history, etc.

But these things speak evil of those things, verse 10 [reading from Jude] which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Look at the Metropolitan Community Church today, the gay church, almost accepted into the World Council of Churches. Almost, the vote was against them. But they will try again and again until they get in, and the tragedy is that they would get one vote. Because they are spoken of here in Jude as being brute beasts, that is going to the baser lust of the flesh to live immorally, and so Jude describes this as apostasy. But thank God this vile and satanic system will one day be utterly annihilated and there'll be a celebration in heaven.

The Jews are returning to their land of unbelief. They are spiritually blind and desperately in need of their Messiah and Savior.

Grown men should not be having sex with prostitutes unless they are married to them.

I do not believe the homosexual community deserves minority status. One's misbehavior does not qualify him or her for minority status. Blacks, Hispanics, women, etc., are God-ordained minorities who do indeed deserve minority status.

We're fighting against humanism, we're fighting against liberalism ... we are fighting against all the systems of Satan that are destroying our nation today ... our battle is with Satan himself.

Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan.

The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews.

AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharoah's chariotters.

You'll be riding along in an automobile. You'll be the driver perhaps. You're a Christian. There'll be several people in the automobile with you, maybe someone who is not a Christian. When the trumpet sounds you and the other born-again believers in that automobile will be instantly caught away -- you will disappear, leaving behind only your clothes and physical things that cannot inherit eternal life. That unsaved person or persons in the automobile will suddenly be startled to find the car suddenly somewhere crashes.... Other cars on the highway driven by believers will suddenly be out of control and stark pandemonium will occur on ... every highway in the world where Christians are caught away from the drivers wheel.

Guam Reparations

As always, an issue being trumpeted by the simpletons that make up a large portion of the right side of the cheddarsphere isn’t as simple as they claim. This time, Fred at Real Debate, Wiggy (though his post is more funny) and I’m sure there are others, are up in arms over legislation before Congress to pay reparations of "... about $200 million in compensation and grant programs for Guam residents, including $25,000 payments on behalf of residents who died during the Japanese occupation and smaller payments for injury and forced labor." How dare we pay for atrocities committed by the Japanese occupations forces, they chorus. Oddly enough, according to Fred and Wiggy, our very own one-man travel agency, F. James Sensenbrenner has signed onto this bill.

Sensenbrenner’s support caused me to dig just a little deeper (this is where most of the right-wingers always fall just a bit short) and I found a few additional items.

The reason Guam is seeking these reparations is because the United States unilaterally forgave Japan’s war debt when they signed the official peace reaty in 1951, which precludes any chance of Guam approaching Japan for reparations.

A similar bill made it out of committee during the 109th Congress, a Congress then dominated by Republicans. It never made it to vote because the 109th Congress was adjourned.

The bill apparently has bi-partisan support.

There has been bluster on the right that the only people that should be recognized are the troops that liberated Guam from Japanese occupation. What these simpletons ignore is the Chamarros, the indigenous people of Guam, protected American serviceman after the island was conquered, many forfeiting their lives to keep the location of the hidden troops secret. Additionally, Japanese treatment of the Chamarros was especially brutal, with public executions not unusual.

To argue this bill is just another Democtratic gifting of taxpayer money is a lie … something the right-wing of the cheddarsphere has become all to expert at ... Republicans support this too.

Jessica's Hissy Fit

I can't help myself. Jessica McBride is at it again. This was a recent post of hers:

Noticed this name on the guest house for the dinner at the White House with the Queen:

David Gregory, NBC News correspondent, and Beth Wilkinson (wife). Reminds me of the media chowing down at the governor's mansion with Doyle and then freaking out when Scott Walker gives reporters a couple of press passes to tourist attractions.

Did NBC pay the White House back for the chow?

While the post is beyond sophomoric, I couldn't resist answering her question. NBC White House correspondent, David Gregory, was probably invited to the White House dinner for the Queen because he has written favorably about the Bush administration. So favorably, in fact, that he was awarded Best White House Correspondent for coverage of President Bush’s first 100 days in office by the conservative Media Research Center. You know, the group headed by chief wing-nut hack, L. Brent Bozell III.

Regardless, you know what the real issue is here, don’t you? The real issue is that Jessica didn’t receive the invitation.

From a source deep within WTMJ, here is what Jessica really wrote (heavily edited before it hit her blog ... sentence fragments have been filled in for easier readability):

Noticed this name on the guest house for the dinner at the White House with the Queen:

David Gregory, NBC News correspondent, and Beth Wilkinson (wife). Why was he and that little hussy of a wife invited (yeah, she works for Fannie Mae … you know, that group that provides help to those minority folks to buy homes, as though their tenements weren’t good enough for them ... they're probably a gay or Muslim front group anyway).

I can’t believe I wasn’t invited. My husband, Paul, has been the top conservative in Wisconsin and would have been Attorney General if not for Xoff, Owen Robinson’s wife and you-know- who’s money. He and I are doing all we can for the war effort at home, giving our brave troops the encouragement they need to die for their country. And besides, haven’t I always said that the President is my hero. I’m his … what’s the word … oh yeah, bestest supporter.

And, I’m on the radio almost every day taking on any liberal my producer thinks I might be able to handle, and I am working hard to indoctrinate the young journalists at the UWM in the ways of journalism … no objectivity needed, just the conservative facts.

This entire thing reminds me of the media chowing down at the governor's mansion with Doyle (again, I wasn’t invited) and then freaking out when Scott Walker gives reporters a couple of press passes to tourist attractions (hey, I didn’t get any of those either).

Did NBC pay the White House back for the chow? I bet WTMJ would. Hint, hint.

Why is She Teaching?

The ignorance and stupidity of this woman is astounding. Jessica McBride links to the story of a young girl stoned to death for falling in love with a boy outside her religious faith. McBride titles the post “The Religion of Peace,” which she and others on the right use as code for Islam.

Of course, if she had read just a bit further, she would have discovered that the young girl belonged to a minority Kurdish religious group called Yezidi, not Islam. The boy she loved is a Sunni Muslim.

Of course, in the pea brain that is McBride’s, any group not Christian or Jewish is probably Muslim and not worthy of respect ... just a tinge of racism, don't you think?

Why is this woman teaching journalism? She can’t even get her facts straight.

Hilton to Attend Jail

In a nod to my friend, James … all I can say is ... there might be a God.

LOS ANGELES -- A judge sentenced Paris Hilton to 45 days in jail Friday for violating her probation, putting the brakes on the hotel heiress' famous high life.

Hilton, who parlayed her name and relentless partying into worldwide notoriety, must go to jail on June 5 and she will not be allowed any work release, no furloughs, no use of an alternative jail and no electronic monitoring in lieu of jail, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ruled after a hearing.

Thugs, Again?

I’m not defending Michael McGee’s comments regarding Charlie Sykes and the death of his mother. Her death was a tragedy and though I have a low regard for the man, he and his family did not deserve what McGee dished out and I do believe condolences should be offered to him and his family.

However, I could not help but continue to be bemused by local conservative bloggers. If they only spent half the time they do following the exploits of Eugene Kane and Michael McGee, there might indeed be world peace and everyone might just get along. Seriously though, the preoccupation shown does cause this blogger to wonder what else is on their agenda. This blogger does know what’s on the agenda of the person who wrote the following comment regarding the McGee flack:

that is the problem the people of that district ie the people who have supported that family all these years are most likely saying "Right on Mr McGee" "Isn't it great how mad he makes those white folks"I am willing to bet in the long run nothing will come from this just due to the fact the people of that district have such low standards when it comes to the people they choose to represent them

Keep fighting the good fight but I have a feeling your are trying to sweep back the ocean.

Shades of Jessica McBride’s “thugs” comment. Judging by the grammar used and the low regard he shows for the voters in the 6th District, Chris (of the former Spotted Horse 2) embraces standards similar to McGee’s and McBride’s.

Lizard Brains

This story about clown-evangelist, Kent Hovind (Dr. Dino), reminded me of Scott Jensen, disgraced former Assembly Speaker, who was convicted of three felonies back in March 2006. Hovind pleaded that the judge’s decision could ruin his life (though earlier in his trial he said he needn’t answer to anyone but God), just as Jensen did. The difference is that in a travesty of justice, Jensen remains free. What is fair about this, especially considering the carnival conviction of Georgia Thompson, who was sent straight away to prison and who was later acquitted of all charges because they were found to be completely without merit?

Hovind (and Jensen) are caricatures for what is conservatism in this country. The ideas of conservatism are but magical mystery tours designed to avert the American public eye from conservative corruption and conservative lust for power. The list of crimes includes illegal wiretapping, removal of habeus corpus, torture, the loss of innocent Iraqi lives, the loss of the lives of 3500+ brave American soldiers, etc. Conservatism's nonsense is further spewed by Goebbels-like talk show hosts that nightly fill the meager minds of the sheep (read conservative knot-heads like Jessica McBride) with gibberish, comfortable in the knowledge that they will blindly continue grazing on their leaves of lies.

Ah, then there is Jessica McBride ... Our very own Eva Braun, a half-wit follower of Bush who spouts childish platitudes in similar fashion to the former German dictator’s luscious dimwit. When she is not race-baiting (did you know that 40% of her most recent posts had to do with minorities ... almost always in a negative light), she's vomiting up crazy ideas like launching a preemptive strike on Iran. Brave talk for someone who won’t have to fight. Let’s inflame the region even more than it is already and likely cause the deaths of countless innocent Iranians (Would they be classified as thugs, I wonder?) in addition to the lost lives of our helpless troops. Helpless, because they only go where ordered, they can’t help that their commander-in-chief is the village idiot.

I’ve tried to avoid saying this previously, but Jessica, please enlist. I’m sure Stars and Stripes could find a position for you.

Anyway, here’s what I found about Hovind. There is yet justice in this country.

Kent Hovind, the evangelist who styles himself "Dr. Dino" and runs the Creation Science Evangelism ministry as well as Dinosaur Adventure Land, a small creationist theme park in Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison on January 19, 2007. In November 2006, a federal jury found Hovind guilty of fifty-eight charges, including failing to pay payroll taxes for his employees, structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements, and "corruptly endeavor[ing] to obstruct and impede the due administration of the internal revenue laws" in a number of ways. He was detained in jail until his sentencing, although his wife Jo Hovind, who was found guilty of forty-four charges, was allowed to remain free.

At the sentencing, the Pensacola News-Journal (January 20, 2007) reported, Hovind adopted a meek demeanor, telling the judge, "I stand here in great fear of the power of this court. Your decision can destroy my life, my ministry and my grandchildren." But recordings of his telephone conversations from the jail, played in court, told a different story: Hovind accused the Internal Revenue Service, the judge, and the prosecutor of violating the law in prosecuting him, and referred to unspecified things he could do "to make their lives miserable." In handing down the sentence, the judge explained that Hovind's troubles were due to his "refusing to accept what the law is." In addition to ten years in prison and three years of probation, Hovind's sentence also included paying over $600,000 in restitution to the IRS.


Who was the last evolutionist arrested for bilking people of their money? Hmmm.

Sorry, They Weren't Heroes

It’s been a couple weeks since the Virginia Tech massacre. I had this thought some time back, but resisted putting it down into words until tonight. No reason, just finally got to it.

Why were the flags at half mast for the victims of this shooting? I’m not insensitive to what happened, it was an awful tragedy. But if we are going to fly flags at half mast for these “heroes,” then using that rationale, why are we not flying flags at half mast for each and every one of those soldiers slain overseas in that lie called the war in Iraq. In fact, why haven’t we been flying flags at half mast for the duration of this god-damned tragedy?

I’m saddened by the loss of life at Virginia Tech. But let’s get real here. Bush ignores the realities of war overseas so as to deflect attention, but recognizes tragedy in our midst because it can be used as ammunition by scumbags like Newt Gingrich to blame liberals.

Another Not So Very Christian Christian

Working for Change

Blog Summit 2007

I met Mike Mathias (Pundit Nation), James Wigderson (Wigderson Library and Pub) at the Starbucks on 16th and Wisconsin. James got his exercise in early by walking to the wrong Starbucks at 6th and Wisconsin, and then bravely hiking back up Wisconsin to our location. That he made it unscathed says something about goings on east of 124th Street.

Seriously, it was good to see Mike (only the second time in 19 some years) and James (first time in 19 some years). Mike, James and I were contemporaries at UWM. Mike and I wrote together for the UWM Post, while James was involved with the UWM Times, which I think is now defunct, not sure. Though tensions often were high between the opposing political camps at UWM, I’d like to think that Mike, James and I kept it a little more real than some of the others.

Anyway, we made our way to the event and following are some thoughts:

James made it walking up three flights of stairs to the event. Way to go!

I enjoyed meeting Owen Robinson (Boots and Sabers). Owen is a current West Bend resident, which happens to be where I grew up, went to high school, etc. I listened to Owen and was impressed by his speaking ability, and that though he is as partisan as they come, he came down squarely on the side of all bloggers, defending their rights to have a voice. However, his analysis of Eugene Kane was waaaay off. I liked Kane. The first time I ever met him, though I did not have an opportunity to talk with him. I liked him because he was unapologetic and spoke his mind. Apparently speaking ones mind is only relegated to conservative speech according to some conservatives.

I met Dave Casper (Ask Me Later) and Aaron Kreel (Subject To Change), two other conservative bloggers, and liked them immediately. I didn’t get much chance to speak with Dave, but our shared thoughts about Ms McBride are enough to acknowledge him as a kindred spirit, if not ideologically. Aaron is a nice guy. He showed me pictures of his newborn. Very cute kiddo. I wish him the best.

I also saw Phelony Jones (The Confidentials) from a distance. She looked, as she is wont to say, very sassy. Unfortunately for us (or wisely) she left the proceedings early.

I also had brief conversations with Patrick of Badger Blogger, Tom McMahon and Dean Mundy. All pretty decent people … for conservatives (just kidding, guys). I have to agree with Owen on this, I find myself liking a number of conservative bloggers (though I suspect if I had met Fred Dooley, my opinion of him would not change).

Oh, and Brian Fraley (Daily Takes) had nothing to say but tired clichés. He is a wiener.

And Jessica McBride is as annoying in person as she is in print and/or on the radio. She attempted to make a point about blogger diversity by pointing out conservatives were bloggers and … could you believe it, conservative women. Now, this is true, but she followed that up by stressing it this way (paraphrasing) … “can you believe it, a conservative woman” (referring to herself and just herself). Mike Plaisted came over later and said he liked the t-shirts I had made for Ms McBride’s benefit. He then pointed out her silliness (kind way to say she’s an obnoxious b—tch). I agreed, and said I had almost raised my hand to ask her if it was always about her … but in the interest of decorum had decided not to.

Anyway, she’s a wiener, too.

I also was glad to meet the aforementioned Plaisted, Sean Hackbarth (American Mind) and Cory Liebman, whose blog I have admired. I also spoke at length with Bert, a contributor at folkbum. He was ten years a reporter. I didn’t ask where. I should have. And, I got to share a moment with Renee Crawford. I liked her.

All in all, it was a pretty good time and I have to admit, I agreed with Charlie Sykes (just a couple times.)

Lastly, where was dad29? I would really like to have met him. And where was my erstwhile buddy, Chris of Spotted Horse fame? Oh well, one can’t have everything all the time.

McBride, Again

Jessica McBride wants us to look at this paragraph.

MADISON, Wis. Republican legislative leaders asked Attorney General J-B Van Hollen today for his opinion on how a U-S Supreme Court decision might affect the state's ban on a procedure critics call partial-birth abortion.

She has this to say about that paragraph.

Let's see. Babies are partially born before they are killed in the procedure. Sounds like a factually-based description to me.

For our factually challenged quasi-journalist let’s clear this up: The actual name for the procedure is “intact dilation and evacuation.” The paragraph clearly states that critics, that is anti-abortion supporters, call the procedure partial birth abortion. News organizations are under no obligation to use the intentionally-created term designed to fool the foolish into voting against this medically sound and rarely used procedure, regardless of how the Supreme Court ruled.


Also posted at Whallah!

Go get a doggy bag and pick up your crap, Ms McBride.

McIlheran: Favors White Supremacists?

This is just a quick note about a blog post by Patrick McIlheran (already well-covered by Bert at folkbum). David Gaubatz, the fellow that Melanie Phillips and McIlheran rely on for the breaking news on WMDs is a member of a fascinating group that believes in wonderful, pro-American ideals like this (by way of Glenn Greenwald, h/t Bert):

White Christians were at the founding of this nation a distinct people and privileged as such. Men of means among this people were given the opportunity for representative government. This is, for those of you flinching, not a thesis or “viewpoint”; this is historical fact.

After the Civil War, this changed; with the move into the 20th century this change became a wholesale reformation. Today, you cannot speak of Christianity in the public sphere and if you mention “white” and “Christians” in the same sentence you will be set upon as a despicable racist by every “fair-minded” public person. And, this phenomenon extends far beyond race.

Then this:

It was of course the beloved Ronald Reagan, the David of conservatism against the Goliath of Liberalism, who was the first president in the history of the US to actually grant amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants with his support of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. And before that, it was the Great Society’s Lyndon B. Johnson who passed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which eliminated nation-specific quotas, replacing them with just one overall quota. This meant of course that we had as a country effectively determined that we were not a white Christian nation, but would become a brownish-black nation of third world types who could barely speak our language, knew nothing of our culture and civilization, and indeed desired to be one of “us” predominantly for economic reasons.

And this:

Immigration is now at the front lines in the battle for America's national existence. Under assault by the Left, including the Libertarians, the fact that America was founded and made strong by immigrants from western European countries with Judeo-Christian roots is no longer part of the modern immigration "debate." The only question now is how do you secure your borders and establish the necessary factors for "assimilation." This "debate" of course ignores the most fundamental fact: is there not something unique about American national existence that is directly related to the fact that it was founded by white, mostly anglo-saxon, believing Christians? Does the modern charge of "racism" now preclude the observation and analysis of this fact?

McIlheran's friend Gaubatz is currently engaged in mapping every mosque and Islamic day school in America, attempting to come up with a “threat” picture.

I knew McIlheran was whacky. Who would have thought he had such weird fellow-travelers … well, easy to believe actually.

Back At It Again

Patrick McIlheran is at it again. At least he is consistent. Now he’s got a piece claiming the environment is not as bad as those nasty scientists say it is. Everyone has an opinion on this and that’s okay. It’s just that McIlheran keeps trotting out these conservative think tank groups that have a vested interest in saying everything is peachy keen, to back up his assertions, rather than use real science. For example:

American Enterprise Institute: The American Enterprise Institute is a neoconservative think tank, AEI has emerged as one of the leading architects of the second Bush administration's public policy. (Wikipedia)

Pacific Research Institute: Another think tank, which has been closely associated with the American Enterprise Institute. (SourceWatch)

Steven Hayward: Hayward studies the environment, law, political economy, and the presidency. He is author of the annual Index of Leading Environmental Indicators, published jointly by the American Enterprise Institute and the Pacific Research Institute. Hayward writes AEI's Environmental Policy Outlook and also recently authored The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964-1980 (American Enterprise Institute).

Ah, a scientist devoted to the environment, NOT!

Look, McIlheran does point out that this is a different point of view. But, why oh why does he continue to abuse the intelligence of those who read his tripe. Just come out and admit it, Paddy, you don’t have a clue what you are writing about … you just do it to piss off the other half of the people who read your columns and blog entries, the ones who don’t take your writings at face value.

McBride Fails Again

I stopped today at the gas station around the corner to pick up some ice for the celebration of spring barbeque we were having. A young friend of mine was working. He is in his senior year at UWM, is an honor student and will be moving onto law school next year where, I am sure, he will succeed. Anyway, he told me that I would be amused by this story.

He said he was driving home one night and happened to be listening to Jessica McBride's show. She was talking about the Virginia Tech murder spree and apparently was chastising the school for not having closed the campus the next few days after. My friend decided to call in. The screener/producer answered the phone and asked what topic he wanted to talk to Jessica about. My friend said he wanted to discuss the school closing issue because he disagreed with Ms McBride. The screen said thank you and hung up.

It’s typical of wing-nut talk show hosts; especially McBride. She won't take on anyone who can match or exceed her intelligence (nearly everyone), but will wait for that stray idiot just so she can claim later how she was able to "smack" down another liberal.

McBride, Again

Another example of why Jessica McBride is the fruitiest of the fruit loops in the wing-nut world. On her blog Thursday, she tried to say that Joe Biden was inarticulate. Here is what she had to say.

"Guess he's an inarticulate as Obama.

By the way, only Democrats could get away with blaming a non-conservative talk show host's problems on conservatives. And exploiting Virginia Tech."

What a clueless wonkette!

ADDENDUM
A friend of mine pointed out that this post was a wee bit ambiguous. Looking back at it, I had to agree. I have not been applying much energy into blogging with the arrival of my daughter, but that is not an excuse for putting out sloppy efforts.

I was trying to point out McBride’s hypocrisy in pointing out that Joe Biden seemed to have an inarticulate moment during a speech (leaving aside that a written report cannot possibly duplicate how a speech sounds). Considering she is an ardent defender of Mr. Language-Mangler himself, her response, which I highlighted above, was hilarious.

Remember, she is a “professional” journalist. Why does UWM continue to provide a position for this woman? She embodies everything that is wrong with journalism today, and I am not just focusing on Faux News.

My Soda Has Zero Calories ... Nyah Nyah Nyah

I was heading back home from having picked up some goods at the local Pick n’ Save. Turned on the radio thinking I might catch the Brewers/Cardinals game and was shocked to hear the unmistakably shrill voice of Jessica McBride. Damn, rain delay.

So, I listened a bit, hard though it was on my ears. She was talking about State Senator Ted Kanavas’ gimmick of highlighting 30 different tax or fee increases during the month of April. All right, I thought. Big deal … I do like to know where my money is being spent, though I’m less needy than my conservative brethren ... so I decided to listen until I got home.

Apparently today, Kanavas highlighted a 2 cent increase on the cost of each can of soda … the revenue, estimated to be about $70 million, to be directed to a trust fund used to increase dental reimbursement rates.

I was turning into the driveway when Jessica started in on this, so wanting to hear what she would end up saying about the increase, I waited to turn the car off. She concluded by saying (paraphrasing) “I drink Coke Zero. There are no calories in Coke Zero. So I don’t want to have to pay for dental reimbursement for the poor because my soda doesn’t contribute to cavities.”

Two things struck me as odd about this.:

One: McBride must really dislike those less fortunate than her because she sure jumped on them pretty quickly. In fact, no where in Mr. Kanavas’ spiel was anything mentioned about the reimbursement being strictly for the poor.

Two: Calories have nothing to do with tooth decay.

Is McBride really this dumb?

(fyi: Diet colas don't contain sugars that cause tooth decay but they contain phosphoric acid. Acids can cause erosion in teeth. It’s different from decay, but can be just as bad. On the other hand, Coke Zero does contain aspartame, which some have linked to brain cancer. If true, that would explain much about McBride.)

Kurt Vonnegut

I was saddened to read that a childhood companion of mine, Kurt Vonnegut, has died at the age of 84, presumably of brain injuries suffered during a fall. I say a childhood friend because I remember reading "Player Piano" the first time just about the time I entered high school. Afterward, I read everything I could get my hands on written by Vonnegut. Vonnegut pushed the envelope ...

"He was a man who combined a wicked sense of humor and sort of steady moral compass, who was always sort of looking at the big picture of the things that were most important," said Joel Bleifuss, editor of In These Times, a liberal magazine based in Chicago that featured Vonnegut articles.

Some of Vonnegut's books were banned and burned for alleged obscenity. He took on censorship as an active member of the PEN writers' aid group and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The American Humanist Association, which promotes individual freedom, rational thought and scientific skepticism, made him its honorary president.

I hope in my life I can look back and know I rocked the boat just a bit and caused just a little uncomfortableness like Vonnegut did.


I really wonder what gives us the right to wreck this poor planet of ours. -- Kurt Vonnegut

Whallah!

I was considering keeping this secret, but then decided there was no point. I am going to have a t-shirt made with the word "Whallah" emblazoned across the chest in honor of our journalist wanna-be, Jessica McBride. If anyone is interested in their own t-shirt, either reply here or send me a note via e-mail (piratebat@wi.rr.com). Include size specs.

While I'm not too worried about the cost, some help will be appreciated. I will post the cost later after determining what it will be. Deadline for letting me know is next week Friday, April 20.

No Outrage

The price of gas hit $2.89 at the station around the corner. I asked the clerk inside if she had been getting complaints about the price and she said no. Has anyone else noticed the lack of outrage.

I remember just before the election how this was an issue guaranteed to inflame tempers. My only conclusion is that elections, that centerpiece of our democracy that should bring out the best in Americans, brings out the worst.

Daddy/Daughter Night Out

My youngest sister was lucky enough to come into four Admirals tickets for Friday night's game. She had one ticket to spare (she was going with her two boys) and asked if my son Ian would like to join them. Of course he jumped at the chance.

Unfortunately, this left out his younger sister, six-year old Abby. Well, daddy being free as well, he invited his beautiful daughter to join him for a dinner date at Pepinos. Abby took a bath. Kelly dried her hair and helped her get ready and when she was, she was even more astoundingly beautiful. I'm such a lucky dad.

I was very proud of Abby throughout dinner (which also included shakes from Culvers later). She was on her best manners. She said thank you, excuse me and please when appropriate. She did not interrupt the waiter while he was talking and was the perfect dinner guest.

I'll bet the other patrons saw how proud Abby's dada was of her.

A Quiet Morning

It's a quiet morning ... the children are downstairs with their cousins Kiefer and Keaton. There has been only one difference of opinion, solved by bringing an extra blanket and pillow. The baby still sleeps though a few gurgles were heard through the baby monitor. Mom is sleeping as well, enjoying her day off - part of her part time work schedule.

Me? I've been involved in a free agency draft for one of the fantasy leagues I am in ... this one for which my team is the defending champion. It will be a one-year reign as the team has already been dissassembled, ala the Florida Marlins.

Bopping around the Internet, I saw this quote:

"Other than telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, now, die, I think the Republicans have done a fine job of getting government out of our personal lives." -- Sunday Portland Oregonian

Hypocrites.

I had been having discussions with a fellow named Tracy over at Boots and Sabers. We had been discussing speech and its limits. He is of the belief that pornography, abortion, etc. are all liberal inventions. Since the founding fathers envisioned the 1st Amendment to be a protection only for political speech, he said, anything else is a liberal assault on the true meaning of this amendment (paraphrasing).

Folkbum and Scott Feldstein joined in the fray ... all of us amazed at the shortsightedness of this fellow. No one I know likes pornography. It is a disgusting abuse of the human spirit. Of course, Tracy could not look past the child pornographers he apparently sees around every corner, courtesy of liberal thought. I wonder if he has ever given thought to the manipulated women and what circumstances caused themselves to expose their souls in such a hard and unsavory manner.

Yet, for all its inherent evil, the right to publish this crap is enshrined in the 1st Amendment. Because, if this was banned, what would be next?

Modeling for art classes? (And then next, government-sponsored art).
Erotic speech. Would Giacomo Casanova be banned.
Art literature magazines.
Magazines with erotic poetry.
Just modeling.
All non-government magazines.
All speech (unless approved).

It's not a complete slippery-slope list, but I hope you get the idea. There are laws to combat predators. Let the police do their job. Communities have the right to deny pornographers residency. The Internet presents a unique challenge. But I've got news for you, Tracy. There were child pornographers before the Internet and access to this trash can be purchased anywhere.

We need to be very cautious regarding any chipping away at our freedoms. Unfortunately, this adminstration and its many followers, like Tracy, are only too glad to wield a chisel.

Meanwhile, the children blissfully play in the basement and watch the Cartoon Network ... and the baby and her mommy sleep soundly upstairs. There is still much good in this world.

Happy Easter

Limbaugh Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize?

This was too funny. Media Matters reports that:

On the March 30 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, after noting that Ole Danbolt Mjos, the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize committee, reportedly "praise[d]" former Vice President Al Gore's efforts to draw attention to global warming, Rush Limbaugh declared: "I don't even know why Gore's qualified for this. ... I have done more for world peace to promote liberty and freedom than Al Gore has."

Limbaugh stated that he is "an accredited nominee this year for the Nobel Peace Prize" and asserted that it was "cheap" that "Gore's over there" in Norway "lobbying" for the award. He later said: "My lawyers at the Landmark Legal Foundation are looking into the possibility of filing an objection with the Nobel committee over the unethical tampering for this award that Al Gore is engaging in." In fact, according to a February 22 Associated Press report, Limbaugh's "nomination" by the Landmark Legal Foundation "appeared to" be "invalid" because the foundation may not have "nomination rights."

According to a March 29 Reuters article, Mjos attended a March 29 speech by Gore in Oslo, Norway, and afterwards "prais[ed]" Gore for advancing a "very important message" on the threat posed by rising global temperatures. Referring to the report, Limbaugh claimed: "Gore's over there lobbying. That's cheap. You're not supposed to lobby for this thing. You're supposed to have dignity. You're supposed to sit back there and let the selection process take its course." Limbaugh then offered himself as a contrast to Gore: "I'm not over there speaking to these people about anything" and asked: "What in the hell's global warming have to do with world peace?"

FYI: The president of the Landmark Legal Foundation is Mark Levin, a man who is nearly as outrageous as Michael (Weiner) Savage. Obviously, an institution with the merit to nominate Limbaugh … good grief.

The following was a response from a commenter anonymously named Neondesert at Media Matters. I thought it funny.

Dammed straight. I doubt anyone is more deserving of the award. His treatment of MS sufferers as equals by making fun of them just like anybody else is only scraping the surface.

Surely no one would deny that his promotion of his latino cleaning lady to the level of free-market pharmacist gives hope worldwide to minorities.

His efforts to keep Donovan McNabb from becoming a tool of the elitist media illustrates his dedication to blacks.

And nothing could indicate his desire for commerce in other countries more than spreading his personal fortune among the young adult boys in the Dominican Republic.

These constitute merely a snapshot of the good that Rush has done to promote peace in the world, I'm sure there are many more examples. Al Gore couldn't put together a resume that would even remotely equal that of Rush.

McIlheran Strikes Out Again

Pat McIlheran is such a putz. His post last night regarding “nasty campaigning” is just too funny, and misleading. The Journal Sentinel, he reports, sent a “cease and desist” letter” to the Linda Clifford campaign because a few people became confused thinking the newspaper was calling voters. Of course, if these people had not followed their natural inclination to hang up on all outside phone calls not made by families and friends, they would have discovered that the Clifford campaign clearly identified itself at the end of the message. Not enough for McIlheran who calls them to the front of the class for their "confusing" deception.

Of course, this minor transgression (if one) is far more serious than insinuating that Linda Clifford is somehow dirty … what was that line about “immigration lawyer?” Nothing like confusing the issue and piling on racist innuendo in support of your client. But I guess that’s okay in the beady eyes of McIlheran.

And then there is the “professional dirt digger” caper. We know that Republicans would never stoop that low to accommodate what is, truly, the reality of today’s political campaigns. Oh, wait … there is a professional dirt digger for Ziegler. His name is McIlheran. Evens.

And last, and least is the laughable accusation regarding the photographers who lied about their true mission. They should not have. But compared to breaking rules that govern the judiciary (Annette Ziegler did this), and finding it easy in her heart to sentence real sexual predators to incredibly lenient sentences (Annette Ziegler did this), lying about taking photos (Linda Clifford did not do this) is kind of silly.

Speaking of photos, wasn’t it Annette Ziegler who first played “catch me lying if you can” early in the campaign with her photos in front of courthouses around the state?

McIlheran, give it a rest, but thanks for the laugh. Oh, by the way, what is it with the brown sportscoat and red tie? Channeling Ernst Röhm?

Life at the End of the Universe

h/t Aaron at Subject to Change.


I got my name in lights with notcelebrity.co.uk

Iraq 101

See how much you know about the conflict in Iraq by enrolling in Iraq 101, hosted by Mother Jones. I got nine correct out of 15 questions.

I was truly astounded by the answers to questions five and eight (I answered eight correctly). Let me say this about the answer to eight, it does say much about the arrogance of our government leaders to think the number quoted is sufficient.

Though in Jessica McBride’s jaundiced eyes, it’s probably too much. Btw: Last night on her show she advocated for first use of our nuclear arsenal vs. Iran. I believe her response was, “I can live with this.”

She was shallow as a liberal, she's downright scary as a wing-nut.

Those Darn Black People

I don’t recall any outrage pouring out from the wing-nut talking heads when this killing occurred. FYI: This guy was white.

The 24-year-old Milwaukee man who admitted killing a college student and Jimmy John's delivery driver last fall pleaded guilty today to felonies that carry a maximum possible sentence of 263 years in prison.

Prosecutors agreed to reduce the first-degree intentional homicide charge against Michael R. Green, of the 2000 block of S. 16th St., to first-degree reckless homicide in exchange for Green pleading guilty to shooting Joseph Munz, 21, to death while Munz was delivering food in the Riverwest neighborhood Oct. 10.

Green also pleaded guilty to nine other felony counts, mostly relating to a string of armed robberies he admitted to police, and prosecutors agreed to recommend he spend 60 years in prison.


Speaking of wing-nuts … they must collaborate on their own internal SE Wiscosnin talking points memos. This non-story happened some time ago. It was published in Frontline Pravda, er Milwaukee ... you know, UWM's version of Faux News on-line. The one produced by Jessica McBride, who also happens to be responsible for all content. Nothing like teaching the kiddies how not to think for themselves.

Anyway, the story, which was written ostensibly by Rebecca Kontowicz (though the style was strikingly sophomoric, like McBride's) had to do with some hoodlums, who happened to be black, wreaking havoc around the UWM campus. Ms Kontowicz complained that the JournalSentinel did not identify the hoodlums as black, thereby doing a disservice.

UPDATE: Well not really. The rest of this item disappeared ... probably my ineptitude. I was going to say that both Charlie Sykes and Patrick McIlheran linked to this article approvingly.

The problem with all this, which will never be answered ... did Kontowicz look to see if there were any instances where white lawbreakers were not identified by race, or are blacks the only ones she is concerned with? Hmmm. She's learning from the best race-baiters around.

More Happy Birthday

Can't help it. More pics of the baby.

















Oh, my 11-year old boy, Ian, went on his first date. I won't post a picture of the twosome because I did not get permission for the girl. The dance was held for 4K through 6th grade kids ... to attend, a parent had to chaperone. I was the honored one and thoroughly enjoyed watching all the kids. Thye had a DJ and fun things for the kids to do. Ian and his date did not dance, but it was fun to watch as they made sugar castles (pixie stick stuff) together ... and in general had a good time together. At the end of the night I could tell that the young lady had a good time because she tried to kick Ian in the shin. True love.


Abby, meanwhile, is quite the little 5K genius, or so her teacher implies. She loves school and actually creates her own homework when she gets home, just like her big brother.

Happy Birthday

Little Quin is three months old today. Isn't she cute!

To Err is Human ...

Tom Tomorrow

The More They Open Their Mouths ... the More Obvious Their Disdain for Humanity Becomes

For Jessica McBride, Charlie Sykes, Peter DiGaudio and all the other short-sighted right-wing individuals who think that David Ehrenstein’s op-ed about Barack Obama – the “Magic Negro” – now gives you license to expose your racist hearts with impunity (oooh, the naughty left said it first), here is a comment from a fellow anonymously named “Fabtemp” at Media Matters for America (you know, the scholarly site, not the blogsite authored by the woman named McBride who poses as a scholar). It's about Rush Limbaugh's new found playground word that he has claimed he will continue to use it until someone says it originated with him ... thereby, and only in his twisted mind, confirming that it's all about him.

Wow, Rush! Are you surprised that you found an LA Times editorialist who is only slightly less racist than you are?

The "Magic Negro" is a denigrating term for a two dimensional character so often used in film stories. He is never allowed to be a "real" person with fears, weaknesses, psychological complexities or even much of a personal history. He has counter parts in the "Magic Asian Master" and the "Magic Gay Man".

If you wish to see a form rebellion against the "Magic Negro", watch films in which Denzel Washington wanted to be a part. He's made a career out of avoiding playing the "Magic Negro", routinely choosing instead rather complex characters, some with extraordinary personal flaws like homophobia, alcoholism and even sublimated socipathology.

Ehrenstein, of course, confuses film story lines with real life. What he perceives to be some sort of "mystification" of Barack Obama is racist in its perception already. Obama is not an angry, black man shouting colorful speeches about civil rights. He's a polished son of academia who rose to the position of United States Senator - not social issue gadfly.

As Chris Rock would mock about what was so often coined about Colin Powell "What do you EXPECT the man to sound like???"

It's Ehrenstein who has the problem of seeing Barack Obama as "real", not the Dem voters supportive of his candidacy.

And here you come, Rush, gleefully happy that someone you think is "on the left" (BTW, Would that be because of Ehrenstein's previous columns, his paper or his surname? Perhaps all three?), legitimizing your repeat of "Magic Negro" like a three year old who has learned a new "bad word" to gain attention from his parents.

You and your grazing herd will never quite understand the CRITIQUE inherent in the creation of the "Magic Negro" character in story lines and how inherently OFFENSIVE a character he is. All you want is the legitimacy to scream what you think is an offensive, racism term - because you needed some "leftist" permission to do so.

So scream it all you want to your beer-swilling, dashboard fist pounding, insecure legions. Barack Obama and his supporters aren't paying attention to either YOU or the soft bigotry contained in Ehrenstein's column.

Those who pay attention to racist stereotypes in American media were already well aware that "Hollywood" ain't exactly a factory in which true social equality dreams are made. Only you people look to "Hollywood" as some representation of "liberal" thought.

Are you SURE it's not about the surnames, Rush?

Would Judge Ziegler Have Recused Herself Considering ...

I should have pursued the law. Sent to me by my sister, Kate.

JCW INVESTMENTS, INC., d/b/a Tekky Toys, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. NOVELTY, INC., Defendant-Appellant. Before MANION, WOOD, and EVANS, Circuit Judges. WOOD, Circuit Judge.

Meet Pull My Finger® Fred. He is a white, middle-aged, overweight man with black hair and a receding hairline, sitting in an armchair wearing a white tank top and blue pants. Fred is a plush doll and when one squeezes Fred’s extended finger on his right hand, he farts. He also makes somewhat crude, somewhat funny statements about the bodily noises he emits, such as “Did somebody step on a duck?” or “Silent but deadly.”

Fartman could be Fred’s twin. Fartman, also a plush doll, is a white, middle-aged, overweight man with black hair and a receding hairline, sitting in an armchair wearing a white tank top and blue pants. Fartman (as his name suggests) also farts when one squeezes his extended finger; he too cracks jokes about the bodily function.

Two of Fartman’s seven jokes are the same as two of the 10 spoken by Fred. Needless to say, Tekky Toys, which manufactures Fred, was not happy when Novelty, Inc., began producing Fartman, nor about Novelty’s production of a farting Santa doll sold under the name Pull-My- Finger Santa. Tekky sued for copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and unfair competition and eventually won on all claims.

The district court awarded $116,000 based on lost profits resulting from the copyright infringement, $125,000 in lost profits attributable to trademark infringement, and $50,000 in punitive damages based on state unfair competition law. The district court then awarded Tekky $575,099.82 in attorneys’ fees.

On appeal, Novelty offers a number of arguments for why it should not be held liable for copyright infringement, argues that Illinois’s punitive damages remedy for unfair competition is preempted by federal law, and contends that the attorneys’ fees awarded by the district court should have been capped according to Tekky’s contingent-fee arrangement with its attorneys.

For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

Somewhat to our surprise, it turns out that there is a niche market for farting dolls, and it is quite lucrative.

Geez!

Just wanted to echo Jay Bullock’s comments over at folkbum’s rambles and rants. The incident at the Army recruiting center is deplorable. I hope the perpetrators are caught and they spend some serious time for their stupid, inane actions. The only thing they have accomplished is to besmirch those who protested this illegal war with compassion, honor and respect.

Having said that, another prediction is coming true that the wing-nuts would be jumping all over this. Charlie Sykes used the phrase “well-coordinated” four times during the short amount of time I actually was able to listen this morning … this phrase obviously designed to give the impression that this kind of behavior is breaking out all over the country in perfect synchronicity. It’s not, by the way.

What is really well-coordinated is the constant assault of the right-wing noise machine (and their blogger sycophants) as they spread the verbal equivalent of human feces on the airwaves.

Operation Rewrite History a Success

From Jonathan Schwartz:

Four Years Ago
THE PRESIDENT: My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.

Today
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Four years ago today, coalition forces launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to remove Saddam Hussein from power. They did so to eliminate the threat his regime posed to the Middle East and to the world. Coalition forces carried out that mission with great courage and skill…

Who's on First?

An explanation to my son ... Why did we invade Iraq (from my mom, again):

Q: Daddy, why did we have to attack Iraq ?
A: Because they had weapons of mass destruction.

Q: But the inspectors didn't find any weapons of mass destruction.
A: That's because the Iraqis were hiding them.

Q: And that's why we invaded Iraq ?
A: Yep. Invasions always work better than inspections.

Q: But after we invaded them, we STILL didn't find any weapons of mass destruction, did we? A: That's because the weapons were so well hidden.

Q: Why did Iraq want all those weapons of mass destruction?
A: To use them in a war, silly.

Q: I'm confused. If they had all those weapons that they planned to use in a war, then why didn't they use any of those weapons when we went to war with them?
A: Well, obviously they didn't want anyone to know they had those weapons.

Q: That doesn't make sense. Why would they choose to die if they had all those big weapons with which they could have fought back?
A: It's a different culture. It's not supposed to make sense.

Q: I don't know about you, but I don't think they had any of those weapons our government said they did.
A: Well, you know, it doesn't matter whether or not they had those weapons. We had another good reason to invade them anyway.

Q: And what was that?
A: Even if Iraq didn't have weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein was a cruel dictator.

Q: Why? What does a cruel dictator do that makes it ok to invade his country?
A: Well, for one thing, he tortured his own people.

Q: Kind of like what they do in China?
A: Don't go comparing China to Iraq. China is a good economic competitor where millions of people work for slave wages in sweatshops to make U.S. corporations richer.

Q: So if a country lets its people be exploited for American corporate gain, it's a good country, even if that country tortures people?
A: Right.

Q: Why were people in Iraq being tortured?
A: For political crimes, mostly, like criticizing the government. People who criticized the government in Iraq were sent to prison and tortured.

Q: Isn't that exactly what happens in China?
A: I told you, China is different.

Q: What's the difference between China and Iraq?
A: Well, for one thing, Iraq was ruled by the Ba'ath party, while China is a Communist country.

Q: Didn't you once tell me Communists were bad?
A: No, just Cuban Communists are bad.

Q: How are the Cuban Communists bad?
A: Well, for one thing, people who criticize the government in Cuba are sent to prison and tortured.

Q: Like in Iraq?
A: Exactly.

Q: And like in China, too?
A: I told you, China's a good economic competitor. Cuba, on the other hand, is not.

Q: How come Cuba isn't a good economic competitor?
A: Well, you see, back in the early 1960s, our government passed some laws that made it illegal for Americans to trade or do any business with Cuba until they stopped being Communists and started being Capitalists like us.

Q: But if we got rid of those laws, opened up trade with Cuba, and started doing business with them, wouldn't that help the Cubans become Capitalists?
A: Don't be a smart-ass.

Q: I didn't think I was being one.
A: Well, anyway, they also don't have freedom of religion in Cuba.

Q: Kind of like in China?
A: I told you, stop saying bad things about China. Anyway, Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein came to power through military coups, so they're not really legitimate leaders anyway.

Q: What's a military coup?
A: That's when a military general takes over the government of a country by force, instead of holding free elections like we do in theUnited States.

Q: Didn't the ruler of Pakistan come to power by a military coup?
A: You mean General Pervez Musharraf? Uh, yeah, he did, but Pakistan is our friend.

Q: Why is Pakistan our friend if their leader is illegitimate?
A: I never said Pervez Musharraf was illegitimate.

Q: Didn't you just say a military general who comes to power by forcibly overthrowing the legitimate government of a nation is an illegitimate leader?
A: Only Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro. Pervez Musharraf is our friend, because he helped us invade Afghanistan.

Q: Why did we invade Afghanistan?
A: Because of what they did to us on September 11th.

Q: What did Afghanistan do to us on September 11th?
A: Well, on September 11th, nineteen men, fifteen of them Saudi Arabians, hijacked four airplanes and flew three of them into buildings, killing over 3,000 Americans.

Q: So how did Afghanistan figure into all that?
A: Afghanistan was where those bad men trained, under the oppressive rule of the Taliban.

Q: Aren't the Taliban those bad radical Islamists who chopped off people's heads and hands?
A: Yes, that's exactly who they were. Not only did they chop off people's heads and hands, but they oppressed women too.

Q: Didn't the Bush Administration give the Taliban 43 million dollars back in May of 2001?
A: Yes, but that money was a reward because they did such a good job fighting drugs.

Q: Fighting drugs?
A: Yes, the Taliban were very helpful in stopping people from growing opium poppies.

Q: How did they do such a good job?
A: Simple. If people ware caught growing opium poppies, the Taliban would have their hands and heads cut off.

Q: So, when the Taliban cut off people's heads and hands for growing flowers, that was OK, but not if they cut people's heads and hands off for other reasons?
A: Yes. It's ok with us if radical Islamist fundamentalists cut off people's hands for growing flowers, but it's cruel if they cut off people's hands for stealing bread.

Q: Don't they also cut off people's hands and heads in Saudi Arabia?
A: That's different. Afghanistan was ruled by a tyrannical patriarchy that oppressed women and forced them to wear burqas whenever they were in public, with death by stoning as the penalty for women who did not comply.

Q: Don't Saudi women have to wear burqas in public, too?
A: No, Saudi women merely wear a traditional Islamic bodycovering.

Q: What's the difference?
A: The traditional Islamic covering worn by Saudi women is a modest yet fashionable garment that covers all of a woman's body except for her eyes and fingers. The burqa, on the other hand, is an evil tool of patriarchal oppression that covers all of a woman's body except for her eyes and fingers.

Q: It sounds like the same thing with a different name.
A: Now, don't go comparing Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are our friends.

Q: But I thought you said 15 of the 19 hijackers on September 11th were from Saudi Arabia .
A: Yes, but they trained in Afghanistan .

Q: Who trained them?
A: A very bad man named Osama bin Laden.

Q: Was he from Afghanistan?
A: Uh, no, he was from Saudi Arabia too. But he was a bad man, a very bad man.

Q: I seem to recall he was our friend once.
A: Only when we helped him and the Mujahedeen repel the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan back in the 1980s.

Q: Who are the Soviets? Was that the evil Communist empire Ronald Reagan talked about?
A: There are no more Soviets. The Soviet Union broke up in 1990 or thereabouts, and now they have elections and Capitalism like us. We call them Russians now.

Q: So the Soviets, I mean, the Russians, are now our friends?
A: Well, not really. You see, they were our friends for many years after they stopped being Soviets, but then they decided not to support our invasion of Iraq , so we're mad at them now. We're also mad at the French and the Germans because they didn't help us invade Iraq either.

Q: So the French and Germans are evil, too?
A: Not exactly evil, but just bad enough that we had to re-name French fries and French toast to Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast.

Q: Do we always re-name foods whenever another country doesn't do what we want them to do?
A: No, we just do that to our friends. Our enemies, we invade.

Q: But wasn't Iraq one of our friends back in the 1980s?
A: Well, yeah, for a while.

Q: Was Saddam Hussein ruler of Iraq back then?
A: Yes, but at the time he was fighting against Iran, which made him our friend, temporarily.

Q: Why did that make him our friend?
A: Because at that time, Iran was our enemy.

Q: Isn't that when he gassed the Kurds?
A: Yes, but we looked the other way, to show him we were his friends.

Q: So anyone who fights against one of our enemies automatically becomes our friend?
A: Most of the time, yes.

Q: And anyone who fights against one of our friends is automatically an enemy?
A: Sometimes that's true, too. However, if American corporations can profit by selling weapons to both sides at the same time, all the better.

Q: Why?
A: Because war is good for the economy, which means war is good for America. Also, since God is on America's side, anyone who opposes war is a godless un-American Communist. Do you understand now why we attacked Iraq?

Q: I think so. We attacked them because God wanted us to, right?
A: Yes.

Q: But how did we know God wanted us to attack Iraq?
A: Well, you see, God personally speaks to George W. Bush and tells him what to do.

Q: So basically, what you're saying is that we attacked Iraq because George W. Bush hears voices in his head?
A: Yes! You finally understand how the world works. Now close your eyes, make yourself comfortable and go to sleep. Good night.

Good night, Daddy.