An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Archive for September 2007
Morning Coffee 9/28/07
Top GOP candidates skip debate on minority issues
Among the Republicans who have criticized the leading contenders for skipping the forum are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, and former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, the first black official elected statewide in Maryland.
“I’m puzzled by their decision. I can’t speak for them. I think it’s a mistake,” Gingrich, who is considering joining the race for the GOP nomination, said this week.
I have to say, I agree with Newt. One of the biggest problems is the ridiculous number of debates that have already taken place. I watched a few minutes last night. I wasn’t impressed with anything I heard, other than from Alan Keyes. When did he decide he was running? Did I miss something? I LIKE Keyes. I even voted for him in the ‘96 primary. Ron Paul is still verging on major moonbattery.
Edwards Reverses, Will Accept Public Campaign Financing
The 2004 vice presidential nominee claimed higher moral ground in the debate over money in politics while announcing the change. But it comes after he brought in far fewer dollars than rivals Barack Obama and . Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“It is worrisome seeing the amount of money that is being raised in this campaign,” Edwards said on CNN. “This is about taking a stand, a principled stand, and I believe in public financing.”
Good heavens! There is one subject I actually AGREE with Edwards. I do not believe in “public financing”. If a candidate is going to make a run, then he, or she should depend on those who support them, NOT the taxpayers, who might not care for ANY of the candidates. I realize it’s voluntary to check that little box on the form. I don’t think that little box should even be on the form.
Ford tries to block wiretap evidence
Former state Sen. John Ford argued on Thursday that wiretaps from an undercover bribery investigation should not be used against him in an unrelated criminal case.
Ford is accused of taking $800,000 in consultant payments from private contractors with TennCare while using his position as a state senator to promote those contractors’ interests.
He was convicted in April of taking $55,000 in bribes in the Tennessee Waltz corruption sting and sentenced to 5½ years in federal prison.
Ya know, for a party that claims to care so much for the poor and working class, they sure do elect of lot of folks who go out of their way to shaft said poor and working class.
Cities try to shut FEMA trailer parks
Communities along the Gulf Coast are moving to banish the government-issued trailers that house tens of thousands of people whose homes were destroyed by the devastating hurricanes in 2005.
Those cities and parishes are shutting down impromptu trailer parks set up after the disaster, telling homeowners they either must show progress rebuilding or get rid of the emblematic white travel trailers dotted across front yards from Alabama to Texas. About 65,000 Gulf Coast families live in the trailers, which were issued as temporary housing by the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
While I have sympathy for those who were affected, I have to say….. it’s been two years, get off your duff! I saw one of those ‘parks’ on my drive through southern Louisiana. It was out in the middle of nowhere! What good does it do if you aren’t even close to where work could be found? While many have worked hard to put their lives back together, there are some who have the same lack of inertia they had before the hurricanes.
Rwanda’s President Urges UN Action Against ‘Destructive’ Forces in Region
The forces that committed genocide in Rwanda more than a decade ago remain active in the region and must be countered with international action, the country’s President told the United Nations General Assembly today.
“While our continent has been consolidating peace and security, there are persistent problem areas that need attention,” Paul Kagame told the Assembly’s annual high-level debate. “In the Great Lakes region, forces that committed genocide in 1994 continue their destructive operations,” he said.
I sure hope he’s not holding his breath waiting on the Numnuts to actually DO anything!
Transexual Restroom Rights Dealt a Blow
An employer in the state of Utah was ruled by a federal appeals court to have a legitimate concern about the choice of restrooms used by transexual employees.
The September 20 decision by a federal appeals court was found in favor of the Utah Transit Authority, whose male employee, Michael Etsitty, filed a lawsuit to gain special rights to use a women’s restroom.
Boo freakin’ hoo.
Iranian forces resume shelling Kurdish border areas
Iranian forces resumed shelling several border villages in the Kurdish autonomous region, a Kurdish official source said Friday. A Kurdish official in Sulamyanyah, 350 kilometres north of Baghdad, said: “The bombings, restarted Thursday, forced a large number of Kurds to leave their villages after they had returned to them when the bombings stopped lately.”
Umm…..isn’t that against the ‘rules’? Sounds like Iran has already declared its own war on Iraq.
New nuke pills on order for region
Plans are under way to distribute pills to 1.4 million people in the Carolinas to protect them in a nuclear disaster, replacing ones distributed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Do they know something the rest of us aren’t privy to?
Muslim appointee resigns amid jihad comment controversy
A northern Virginia surgeon who resigned today from the state Commission on Immigration after being shown on video denouncing Israel and praising … quote … “the jihad way” says his comments were taken out of context.
Muslim American Society president Doctor Esam Omeish (oh-MEESH’) was appointed to the commission by Governor Tim Kaine.
In a video that appears on YouTube, Omeish is shown at a rally in Washington last year denouncing the invasion of Lebanon during that time by what he calls the “Israeli war machine.”
I could say something about it not being a good idea to appoint Muslims to any official position, but then, I’d be branded as a ‘racist’. Hmm….aw, who cares…..
Video shows Japanese journalist ‘being shot deliberately’
Footage capturing the last, terrible seconds of Kenji Nagai’s life has been aired on Japanese television – horrifying a nation and raising official suspicion that the 50-year old photo-journalist was murdered by Burmese troops (writes Leo Lewis in Tokyo).
The shaky, indistinct moments of footage appear to show Nagai, who was on the edge of a crowd of panic-stricken demonstrators, shoved violently to the ground by a soldier and shot dead at point-blank range.
Watching the video, it seems pretty apparent to me, the man was murdered.
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More B.S. from D.C.
Dingell unveils draft of gas tax
U.S. Rep. John Dingell says his proposed plan for curbing greenhouse gases through higher taxes will likely include a “cap and trade” system for controlling carbon dioxide favored by several other lawmakers, and could give Detroit automakers an opening to sell more diesel-powered vehicles.
The Dearborn Democrat unveiled a draft outline of his proposal on his Web site today calling for a 50-cent-per-gallon increase in gasoline taxes and a $50-per-ton levy on carbon emissions from fossil fuels — taxes that would likely generate hundreds of billions of dollars per year — as well as a reduction in the tax deduction for home mortgage interest on houses larger than 3,000 square feet.
(…)
Many policy experts maintain that carbon taxes would be the most effective way to reduce U.S. demand for energy and emissions of greenhouse gases. But as Dingell noted, an earlier effort by President Bill Clinton to pass a carbon tax has been cited by many Democrats as the key reason the party lost its majority in the U.S. House in 1994.
Horse manure! It’s just one more way for politicians to get more control of our lives. Are they going to start taxing dairy farmers for cow flatulence? This has got to stop! Mass hysteria over something we can’t control (global warming) is sucking in the sheep. When they figure out a way to tax a volcano to make it stop belching carbon dioxide, I’ll be impressed. Until then, I’m just pissed!
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Hmmm….
Washington, D.C., Judge Issues Bench Warrant for Cindy Sheehan
WASHINGTON — A bench warrant was issued Thursday for antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan, who did not appear for arraignment Thursday in a Washington, D.C., courtroom to face charges related to her Sept. 10 disorderly conduct arrest at the Capitol.
District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Michael McCarthy issued the order to Sheehan around noon, a court spokeswoman said. The warrant means she is to be taken into custody and brought before the court. She also faces one count of unlawful assembly.
Sheehan’s arrest came as a tense hearing on the Iraq war underway. Gen. David Petraeus was giving his highly anticipated report to the House Armed Services Committee, and Sheehan was taken into custody just outside the hearing room.
Sheehan was among several protesters at the hearing and was arrested alongside her sister, Dee Dee Miller. Both were charged with disorderly conduct.
Mother Moonbat has every right to spew her nonsense, but I honestly wish someone would point out to her that she is in serious need of psychiatric care.
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Dogs Being……Dogs
Flag-Themed Hydrant Pulled From Dog Park
HILLSBORO, Ore. (AP) - A fire hydrant painted as an American flag has been removed from a dog park after complaints it was disrespectful to let dogs use it for what dogs do.
The new leash-free park was named for Hondo, a police dog killed 10 years ago chasing a suspect, and the flag-painted hydrant was intended as a tribute to him. “We put a lot of effort into it,” said artist Jason Ross.
However, after a photo of the hydrant appeared Sunday in The Oregonian newspaper, e-mails started arriving at the parks department.
“That gallant dog must be turning in his grave at the thought of the flag being desecrated every time a dog pees on that hydrant!” wrote Louanne Douris, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer.
Parks officials had thought of that problem, and had put the red, white and blue hydrant on an 18-inch-high base, surrounded by “dog- unfriendly” shrubs including prickly barberry bushes.
Another hydrant was placed at ground level for the dogs’ convenience.
Parks officials said there had been no reports of dogs urinating on the flag hydrant.
“I think the overall message was support for the dog park and support for honoring the police dog—the fallen police dog—but the concern (was) over the perception of a dog peeing on a hydrant painted with an American flag,” said Corrine Bloomfield, the department’s community resources manager.
She said the city hadn’t decided where to place the hydrant.
I’ve no doubt these firefighters hearts were in the right place. It’s their heads I’m wondering about. 
H/T:Â Steve Gill
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Morning Coffee 9/27/07
Top Democratic candidates won’t vow full Iraq pullout by 2013
The leading Democratic White House hopefuls conceded Wednesday night they cannot guarantee to pull all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of the next presidential term in 2013.
What happened? Did reality finally smack ‘em all upside the head?
Elton John blasts President Bush’s AIDS policies
“They’ve made a grave error in giving millions to abstinence programs,” he told us. “They don’t work. They were told in the beginning that it wouldn’t work. It’s a tragic waste of money. Please don’t listen to those idiots. God almighty.”
Hmm…. last I heard, abstinence is 100% effective in preventing a LOT of things. I guess Sir Fru Fru has never heard about ‘personal responsibility’.
Verizon Rejects Messages of Abortion Rights Group
Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory†text messages, Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon’s mobile network available for a text-message program.
As a Verizon customer, I can say I appreciate the rejection!
US House votes to ’strongly back’ Siniora Cabinet
US Congressman Gary L. Ackerman led the House of Representatives Wednesday in pass a resolution calling for strong US support for the government of Lebanon by a vote of 415 to 2. Ackerman, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, warned the House that “Lebanon is being bullied by Iran, Syria and their proxies, Hizbullah, Amal and Michel Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement.”
Lebanon has been ‘bullied’ for quite a while now, and this guy just now noticed? Hmmm..
HISD faces Catch-22 on religious viewpoints
“It’s a true Catch-22,” said Joy Baskin, director of legal services for the Texas Association of School Boards. “They’ve been put clearly in this position of being told that if you operate according to this state-adopted law, you face some risks of breaking federal law.”
Generally, federal rulings over the past several decades validate students’ rights to pray alone and in groups at school. The courts, however, routinely frown on activities that can be considered school-sponsored prayer, officials said.
I wasn’t aware that the Founding Fathers added any exceptions in the 1st Amendment.
Hillary vs Huckabee? Farah says it could happen
A conservative author and publisher is confident Hillary Clinton would soundly defeat Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney, should they secure the GOP presidential nomination. But the political pundit believes there’s still time for a true conservative to emerge from the pack to challenge the former first lady.
While I like Huckabee, and would have no problem voting for him in the general election, I don’t see him as strong enough to properly whup the Hildebeast….at least, not at the moment.
Myanmar Soldiers Fire Weapons Into Crowd
Some reports said the dead included Buddhist monks, who are widely revered in Myanmar, and the emergence of such martyrs could stoke public anger against the regime and escalate the violence.
As part of the crackdown, monasteries were raided overnight by pro-junta forces in which monks were reportedly beaten and more than 100 were arrested.
So, when are the Useless Numnuts going to pass a resolution ’strongly condemning’ this obvious violation of human rights?
Memphis leads U.S. in violent crime
The Memphis metropolitan area, after coming in second last year, tops this year’s ranking of metro areas by the rate of violent crime — homicide, rape, aggravated assault and robbery.
In 2006, according to crime numbers released by the FBI, the eight-county Memphis metropolitan area recorded 1,262.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in the nation.
Not exactly the area where you want to be #1.
Senate urges Bush to declare Iranian force a terrorist group
The United States Senate urged the Bush Administration Wednesday to declare Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group to help the U.S. roll back Iranian influence in Iraq.
The nonbinding measure passed by 76-22 votes over the objections of some Democrats, who argued its wording could lead to war with Iran.
I thought Bush already did that? And if those 22 who voted against the resolution hadn’t noticed, we’ve been at war with Iran for a fairly long time…..like since 1979? Ok, so not exactly a ‘declared’ war, but battles have been fought.
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Fred Thompson - Sounds Pretty Good To Me
Anyone who has heard me speak knows my firm commitment to what I call “First Principles.†These grow out of the documents of our Nation’s founding and the wisdom of the ages. They are core beliefs that guide my approach to the issues that are crucial to our Nation’s future. I believe in–
Individual Liberty . As Jefferson spelled out in the Declaration of Independence, our basic rights come from God, not from government, and that among these inalienable rights is the right to liberty. We must allow individuals to lead their lives with minimal government interference.
Personal Responsibility . The corollary to liberty is responsibility. No society can succeed and thrive for any duration unless free people act in a responsible way. All of us must take responsibility for our actions and strive to improve our own lives and to contribute to building a better society.
Free Markets . Free people are best equipped to order their own affairs, and the common interest benefits from and is improved by the aggregate success of all. We must reform our tax system, encourage investment, support entrepreneurial spirit, open markets abroad to American goods, and minimize burdensome government regulations to continue to expand the economy and bring increased wealth to all Americans give.
Limited Government . Government must be strong enough to protect us, competent enough to provide basic government services, but limited by the delineated powers in the Constitution.
Federalism . Our Constitution innovatively guarantees our liberties by spreading power among the three branches of the federal government, and between the federal government and the states. In considering any action by the government, we must always ask two questions: is the government better equipped than the private sector to perform the task and, if so, what level of government (federal or state) ought to do it. Washington is not the seat of all wisdom. (More on Federalism)
Protecting our Country . The first responsibility of the federal government is to protect the nation and the American people. There is no more important task. We must have a strong and effective military, capable intelligence services, and a vigorous law enforcement and homeland security capacity.
Traditional American Values . A healthy society is predicated on belief in God; respect for all life; strong families centered on the institution of marriage—the union of a man and a woman; and self-respect and tolerance of others. While we are all free to live our lives in the pursuit of our own happiness, the government has a responsibility to respect the right of parents to raise their children and to promote the values that produce the strongest society.
The Rule of Law . We protect our liberty, secure our rights, and promote a just and stable society through the rule of law. We owe to ourselves and our fellow citizens our own adherence to the rules, but tough law enforcement and punishment for those who do not. A free and independent judiciary that interprets the law by adhering strictly to legal text and respects its limited role in our system of government is essential to our security and freedom, and we need judges who understand that role if we are to preserve our republic and freedom.
Conserving Our Nation’s Resources . Each of us is put on Earth for a limited period of time. We must always strive to ensure that the resources we use to lead our lives are here for future generations to enjoy and use as well.
We live in the greatest country on earth. We have been truly blessed. This blessing carries with it an obligation: to keep it that way and to leave this country at least as strong, prosperous, and united as when we entered it.
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A Chuckle From My Yankee Mr!
WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT HOW DUMB PEOPLE ARE IN THE SOUTH,
AND WE CHALLENGE ANY SO-CALLED “SMART” YANKEE TO TAKE THIS EXAM:
1. Calculate the smallest limb diameter on a persimmon tree that will support a 10-pound possum.
2. Which of these cars will rust out the quickest when placed on blocks in your front yard?
(A) ‘65 Ford Fairlane
(B) ‘69 Chevrolet Chevelle
(C) ‘64 Pontiac GTO
3. If your uncle builds a still which operates at a capacity of 20 gallons of shine produced per hour, how many car radiators are required to condense the product?
4. A woodcutter has a Chainsaw which operates at 2700 RPM. The density of the pine trees in the plot to be harvested is 470 per acre. The plot is 2.3 acres in size. The average tree diameter is 14 inches. How many Budweisers will be drunk before the trees are cut down?
5. A front porch is constructed of 2×8 pine on 24-inch centers with a field rock foundation. The span is 8 feet and the porch length is 16 feet. The porch floor is 1-inch rough sawn pine. When the porch collapses, how many dogs will be killed?
6. A man owns a Georgia house and 3.7 acres of land in a hollow with an average slope of 15%. The man has five grown children. Can each of his children place a mobile home on the man’s land and still have enough property for their electric appliances to sit out front?
7. A 2-ton truck is overloaded and proceeding 900 yards down a steep slope on a secondary road at 45 MPH. The brakes fail. Given average traffic conditions on secondary roads, what is the probability that it will strike a vehicle with a muffler?
8. With a gene pool reduction of 7.5% per generation, how long will it take a town which has been bypassed by the Interstate to breed a country-western singer?
As an added bonus for taking the “REDNECK CHALLENGE”, here’s some southerly advice that may come in handy down the road a piece: Next time you are too drunk to drive, walk to the nearest pizza shop and place an order. When they go to deliver it, catch a ride home with them.
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On This Day In History……
……Short Person made her first appearance in 1998!
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Fairly Accurate
See the links Cox and Forkum has provided for your reading pleasure. These are the folks the Dhimmis are pandering too. Sad.
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Morning Coffee 9/26/07
U.S. Military Families Insulted By Ahmadinejad Visit
For military families who have lost loved ones in Iraq, watching Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speak to students at Columbia University showed just how disconnected certain factions of American society have become to the sacrifices of their sons, daughters, parents and spouses.
“I am very disappointed that he was invited to speak at such a prestigious university,†said John Ellsworth of Wixom, Mich., whose son, Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Ellsworth, died in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004.
Personally, I’m insulted by anyone who would think inviting that slithering snake to speak anywhere on our shores was a good idea. True, Bollinger let him have it, but ya know, his behavior doesn’t speak too well of him. ‘Booboo was right, you invite someone into your home, you don’t treat them rudely, especially if their propaganda machine is working over time back home. That being said, I thought Bollinger did a fairly decent job of slamming the worm. The whole thing was a real bad idea. There was no exchange of ideas, no real dialogue, just more of the Iranian’s BS.
Myanmar security forces haul away monks
Security forces fired warning shots and tear gas canisters while hauling Buddhist monks away in trucks Wednesday as authorities tried to stop anti-government demonstrations, the first mass arrests since protests erupted last month.
About 300 monks and activists were arrested across Yangon, according to an exile dissident group, and reporters saw a number of monks - who are highly revered in Myanmar - being dragged into trucks.
I haven’t seen too many moonbats, those same who protest Gitmo, protesting about the conditions in Burma, have you? Guess that’s different, since it isn’t the U.S. firing the tear gas.
Drug sentences worse for blacks
African-Americans and Hispanics convicted of drug trafficking in Wisconsin are more likely to wind up in prison than white drug dealers, according to a report on race and sentencing by the state Sentencing Commission.
I noticed a few things were missing in the report, like repeat offenders, legal status, over all attitude of the accused. Like it or not, there are reasons one person will get more time than another, and it doesn’t always involve the color of their skin. Although, I will admit, in Wisconsin, and other states, thanks to a lot of gimme attitude on one side, there is a stick to ‘em attitude on the other.
UAW Reaches Tentative Agreement With GM
General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers reached agreement on a new contract early Wednesday, ending a two-day nationwide strike with a watershed agreement that establishes a new union-managed trust fund for retiree health care.
The tentative four-year agreement was reached around 3 a.m. Union officials promptly called off the strike, the first national job action against GM in more than 30 years.
(…)
Under the agreement, responsibility for the retiree health plan will shift to a Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association managed by the union. Details about how the VEBA will be funded have not been disclosed. But it is expected to involve a one-time payment from GM that would give the union adequate capital to invest and pay for retiree benefits, while reducing the company’s future annual expenses by billions of dollars. Implementation of the retiree health trust is to be monitored by a judge and the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a statement released this morning by GM.
Now, while I understand companies should care about their employees, I do not see why companies should concede to more and more demands of the workers. Companies are in business to make profits. When they can’t make profits due to workers demands, then I’m not at all surprised when they send business overseas. Or maybe I’m just really naive and believe that people should work hard, save their money, and provide for their own well being, even after they retire?
A brutally hot August that shut down schools across Tennessee and sent students to the hospital has parents demanding a later school start date.
Over the last two decades, the addition of mid-semester vacation days and federal testing has meant the first day of school has progressively gotten earlier.
I honestly thought I was seeing things when a sign announcing the first day of school was 12 August. I thought that couldn’t be right. It had to be a mistake. If they want to compact the school year BACK to want it should be, September to May, or even a few days into June, the should knock off all those teachers ‘work days’ that they keep slipping in. If a teacher is going to work, let them do their jobs…..TEACH!
Iran President Vows to Ignore U.N. Measures
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, said Tuesday that he considered the dispute over his country’s nuclear program “closed†and that Iran would disregard the resolutions of the Security Council, which he said was dominated by “arrogant powers.â€
In a rambling and defiant 40-minute speech to the opening session of the General Assembly, he said Iran would from now on consider the nuclear issue not a “political†one for the Security Council, but a “technical†one to be decided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog.
And this comes as a surprise to who…….?
Perry orders retiree plans to divest Iran-linked firms
“I personally believe that any company that does business with Iran is actively assisting those who seek to do harm to American men and women who are serving in the Middle East,” Mr. Perry said at a news conference in Richardson announcing the formation of the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce.
Wouldn’t it be nice if all U.S. companies doing business with Iran would pull out? Putting home ahead of money isn’t such a bad idea.
Germans slam Columbia University president
Germans by large strongly criticized the anti-Iranian statement of Columbia University President Lee Bollinger during his introductory speech for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
One unnamed blogger whose username was ’steuerzahler’, wrote on the homepage of the weekly Focus news magazine, “It’s a strange perception of hospitality. First you invite Iran’s democratically elected president to the university and then the nominated university president insults and badmouths him.” The blogger added that this incident triggered by the Columbia University president was an “attempted provocation of Iran.” The sentiment was echoed by another blogger who said that Bollinger’s remarks showed “the present weakness of the US.” “It is frightening when a military super power fails in the civilian sector. This is embarrassing for a country which calls itself a beacon of democracy. Have even the university ‘elites’ become meanwhile so dumb?”
First off, Bollinger doesn’t control the U.S., so his ‘influence’ doesn’t go much beyond the walls of Columbia. The said ‘weakness’ is seen in a relatively small, very LOUD, sector of citizens, promoted by the far left agenda, and enabled by a seriously left biased MSM. They do NOT speak for a majority of Americans.
Another blogger wondered openly whether the US president would have “the courage” of the Iranian president to address students at a Tehran university where the American chief executive could defend his policies.
Here’s a better question: Would a Tehran university have the ‘courage’ to invite a United States President to speak? Could they? Would the hall be packed with free citizens, or would it be filled with Iranians ‘plants’?
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