An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Archive for 21 June 2008
New Member of the Clan
Sometime around 10 am on 20 June 2008, Dawson Neal FINALLY decided to show up! 
Weighing in at 7 pounds and a smidge and stretching out at around 19 inches!
Ain’t he a cutie? And wouldja look at all that brown hair!
Mom is doing fine, and granny (aka my sister) is pooped! Heh.
I’m Confused
Ok, so what else is new. Confusion is a natural state for me. 
But when I read this, I got even more confused.
Hidden deep in Senator Christopher Dodd’s 630-page Senate housing legislation is a sweeping provision that affects the privacy and operation of nearly all of America’s small businesses. The provision, which was added by the bill’s managers without debate this week, would require the nation’s payment systems to track, aggregate, and report information on nearly every electronic transaction to the federal government.
Now, wait a minute. I was under the impression that those on the left, also known as Democrats, didn’t like the gubmint snooping. Isn’t that why they get all bent out of shape over the Patriot Act? I mean, if listening in on conversations between bad guys in a foreign country and a bad guy in this country is a no-no, why on earth is Sen. Dodd digging for information on what I buy from Amazon.com, or any other online shopping I do?
FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey commented: “This is a provision with astonishing reach, and it was slipped into the bill just this week. Not only does it affect nearly every credit card transaction in America, such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, but the bill specifically targets payment systems like eBay’s PayPal, Amazon, and Google Checkout that are used by many small online businesses. The privacy implications for America’s small businesses are breathtaking.”
I wonder if Sen. Dodd would be willing to explain his little bill? I’m pretty sure he’d just TRY to explain it away. “It’s not what you think. We need the information.”
“At a time when concerns about both identity theft and government spying are paramount, Congress wants to create a new honey pot of private data that includes Social Security numbers. This bill reduces privacy across America’s payment processing systems and treats every American small business or eBay power seller like a criminal on parole by requiring an unprecedented level of reporting to the federal government. This outrageous idea is another reason to delay the housing bailout legislation so that Senators and the public at large have time to examine its full implications.”
I find it a little more than disconcerting that the federal government knows anything about me at all. That there will be weasels, some third rate bureaucrat, who will know more details about me than my own husband, and could very easily take said knowledge to use against me, steal my identity, or any number of things?
Just what business is of Dodd, or anyone else in the gubmint, who I buy my mascara from, or what t-shirt I wear, and from whom I buy anything!?!
So, I really wish someone would enlighten me.
Saturday Afternoon – Praying For Some Rain – Laundry Time
McClellan’s suspicious suspicions – This Ain’t Hell
Global Apophenia …(sorry, Global Warming) – The Cutting Edge
Favorite Restaurant Gone Bad – Southern Sass on Crime
Happy Solstice. – Hasenpfeffer Incorporated
Can you break this hope? I need some change – Say Uncle
Weekly Bad Teacher Recap – Real Debate Wisconsin
BARACK OBAMA LIKES HIGHER GAS PRICES – Mad Irish Man’s Conservative Consortium
How to Decide Whether to Vote for John McCain … – Blue Collar Muse
AZ protesters attempt to shut down Sheriff Joe Arpaio - Michelle Malkin
What the heck is this????? – Wake Up American
The Top 14 Ways To Tell You Live In Ron Paulville – The Happy Circumstance
Al Gore Bashes China Barry Obama Smiles – Cristy Li
Absentee State Legislator Who Gave a Speech Finally Ruptures His Britches – Suitably Flip
Why American Jews are Democrats. An Answer? Perhaps. – Maggie’s Notebook
Gay Marriage In California – Validating the Dark Ages – Political Pistachio
Probably My Last Post – Political Pistachio
Drink, Don’t Drive – Stepping Right Up!
Nothings gonna touch you in these Golden Years. Part One. – Colonel Robert Neville Always Dresses For Dinner.
Are Oil Profits Obscene? – Dakota Voice
Training to take out Iran’s nukes? – Israel Matzav
Mister Wizard speaks…. – View from the cheap seats
Another Hobby? – Write on the Right
Say it loud, say it proud: I am a racist! - Bookworm Room (ditto)
A really POLITICAL Question: - American and Proud
The Ten Mysterious Communications from Men – Jiblog
Nashville Seeks to Take Private Property To Benefit Private Developer – Bill Hobbs
We, of course, already knew this. – Badger Blogger Alliance (pfft!)
Academic Fallacies (1) and Academic Fallacies (2) – Enjoying Homeschooling
Quote of the Day – Isn’t It Rich
“US intel: Hizbullah attack imminent”: more Genocidal threats to American and Canadian Jews – American Congress for Truth
It’s Time to “Go To The Mattresses!” - No Runny Eggs
U.N.: Bomb Iran and face Mideast ball of fire – Texas Fred’s
The latest Liberal Talking point…. – Disgruntled Truck Driver!
Bush, Gore and Obama – The Political Jungle
Egypt – a smokers paradise! – Egypt Hints and Quirks
Actual Leaker Armitage Inexplicably Left Out of McClellan/Plame Coverage – Ham Blog
Congress Has Lowest Rating Ever, Trails Military 71-12% – JammieWearingFool
Anti-Gun Bills in California Headed to Senate – Snowflakes in Hell
Confirmed: Pakistani Populace Mostly Stupid, Paranoid, Evil Or Some Combination of the Three – The Jawa Report
Feds cutting resources for U.S. lawmen to fight the war on drugs; instead, they are giving that money to Mexico – Lone Star Diary
Women of Power vs. Cranky Britches – Milwakeean Rhapsody
Send Bob To Congress!
Swiped from Disgruntled Truck Driver!
Aging Hippies VS Reality
READ dammit! Yeah, it’s long, but not THAT long. What else do you have to do this afternoon?
IRAQ FAIRY TALES
THE NEED TO BELIEVE WE’LL FAIL
Ralph Peters
WORKING out last Monday, I heard a campaign flunky on TV insist that progress in Iraq is an illusion. “The war isn’t over until all of the troops come home!” she grumped.
Guess we’re still at war with Germany. And Japan. Even Italy. Oh, and let’s not forget all of our military bases occupying the Confederacy.
The poor woman knew nothing about warfare, history – or Iraq. She just wanted to see her candidate win in November and wasn’t going to let reality get in the way.
And one look told you she didn’t even know any “troops.”
But after my initial shrug (back to the bench for more crunches), it struck me how wrong I’d been on a point I’d argued for two decades: I claimed that Western societies have an advantage because of their insistence on factual data.
Yet, since 9/11, I’ve seen and heard no end of my fellow citizens’ arguing from blind passion and utterly refusing to ingest facts that didn’t match their prejudices (left or right). Since the turnabout in Iraq began a year and a half ago, the rejection of reality has become an outright pathology for the quit-Iraq-and-free-the-terrorists set.
I’ve watched millions of my countrymen and countrywomen insist that fantasies are real. In a classic through-the-looking-glass reversal last year, Sen. Hillary Clinton told Gen. David Petraeus, the man who turned Iraq around, that his reports of progress were fairy tales. It was the world turned upside down.
Since that woman on TV “explained” victory last Monday, I’ve thought about the different kinds of people who refuse either to accept that the situation in Iraq has improved remarkably or that quitting now would have serious consequences.
When I break down the “fairy tales can come true” crowd, the first division is into vendors and consumers. Determined to elect the president of its choice, the “mainstream” media has collapsed into outright lies and whopping distortions. And, of course, political hacks will do anything to get their candidate elected.
It’s the consumers of fairy tales – those desperate to believe – who are more interesting. They come in several basic flavors, two of which we can quickly set aside:
Protesting university students. Don’t worry about them. Once they graduate and get a dose of reality, most of the kids will do fine. The need for liberal-arts undergrads to prance to the left is virtually hormonal.
Hollywood stars and other celebrities. No worries there, either. Just check out the box-office receipts for the dozen or so self-righteous anti-war (anti-military) films. These folks are so far removed from reality that they believe the roles they play give them genuine expertise. Don’t get irate – just laugh. (Coming soon: Susan Sarandon on quantum physics!)
But there’s another sad bunch:
Hot Air Tour
Global warming skeptics launch air attack on Gore
A 70-foot-tall hot air balloon was launched and sent floating toward the Belle Meade home of former Vice President Al Gore Friday, emblazoned with large, white letters that read: “Global Warming Alarmism: Lost Jobs, Higher Taxes, Less Freedom.”
That headline is one of the sillier ones I’ve read….today. We all know the Tennessean leans so far to the left, the top honcho’s head is placed in proper position to butt kiss.
The launch and flight over Gore’s home was part of the national “Hot Air Tour,” organized by the libertarian group Americans for Prosperity. Its aim was to point out what the organizers describe as the folly of concern over global warming.
But the flight of the big red balloon was not without incident, including what one park official described as a bit of chicanery on the part of the organizers.
Oh, I dunno. This is coming down to a he said/he said thing. I’m more inclined to believe the folks at Americans for Prosperity, but hey, that’s just me.
The launch originally was supposed to take place at nearby Warner Park. But Friday morning, organizers were told they were running afoul of a Metro Parks ordinance prohibiting hot air balloon launches from any Metro park, and they scrambled to find another site, the backyard of a home at the corner of Sneed and Vaughn roads.
Organizers said the permit, which was obtained Wednesday, was revoked “under mysterious circumstances” and called the withdrawal a “politicized decision.”
Metro Parks Policy Manual: (.pdf lock up my computer, see Bill Hobbs’ post for link)
“Hot Air Balloon launching shall be allowed in Elmington, Cane Ridge and Warner Parks. These launchings must be authorized by permit issued by the Board of Parks and Recreation. Adequate liability insurance as determined by the Metropolitan Government must be provided by the launcher.
I’d say it was definitely a “politicized decision”. They should have launched this one instead:
But he probably wouldn’t understand the meaning.
I wish they had a local chapter, I’d be joining in a heartbeat! Alas, nada for Tennessee.
Obamarama
Morning Coffee 06/21/08
Curricular fair is gateway to home-schooling world
The Agricenter’s exhibition hall is filled with thousands of books and classroom supplies as the Memphis-Area Home Education Association’s 22nd annual conference and curricular fair meets this weekend.
By mid-afternoon Friday, the hall was abuzz with parents reuniting with one another and quizzing vendors about how to use their textbooks and educational software.
Well, shoot. If anyone needs any 10th grade books, I’ve got some that are barely use, or brand new! Give me a shout! Will sell……good price!
Iran dismisses ‘attack by Israel’
Iran has said it considers a military attack on its nuclear facilities by Israel as “impossible”.
“Such audacity to embark on an assault against the interests and territorial integrity of our country is impossible, said spokesman Gholam Hoseyn Elham.
The statement follows reports in the US media that Israeli aerial manoeuvres over the eastern Mediterranean were a possible test-run for a strike on Iran.
Pardon my ignorance, but does not Israel stay in training? Have they never done such “dry runs” previously? I’d submit that there are folks getting their knickers in a twist over Israel training to defend itself. Oh, and by the way…if Israel DID attack said nuclear facilities, they’d be dust.
Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that it would do everything possible to curb rising oil prices, which it blamed on geopolitics and speculators.
“The Kingdom looks… with great interest to oil market stability that will protect the interests of producers and consumers and promote world economic growth,” an official statement said. “As the world’s biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia has not and will not spare any effort to achieve oil market stability. Its oil policy aims always to foster and strengthen cooperation and dialogue between oil producing and consuming countries.”
Ya know, I’ve been seeing a LOT of finger pointing going on lately. I think that really should stop. We can blame Congress, but who put the weasels there in the first place? We can blame “big oil”, but they really don’t make that much profit on each gallon, and use a lot of those profits for research and development. We can blame the oil producing countries in the Middle East, but why? They’re doing what they do, pump oil. We’re not. Besides, that’s not the only place we get the oil. It’s a great big circle and it needs to be snipped. Drilling here right now isn’t going to solve the problem over night, but ten years down the road, it’s going to make a HUGE difference. And yes, we do need to look to alternatives. REASONABLE alternatives. Food is not a reasonable alternative!
Bush says Democrats keep blocking his energy plans
Congressional Democrats have been quick to reject the push for lifting the drilling moratorium, saying oil companies already have under lease 68 million acres on federal lands and waters _ outside the ban area _ that are not being developed. Drilling proponents say that number is misleading because sometimes it takes years for actual development to take place.
Well, of course they are against anything that could help future generations. What is it with those people? They seem only to see the small corner they have put themselves in, while the rest of us are looking at the WHOLE big picture. Honestly, I think it’s an ego problem. 
Iran: University protests over sexual abuse
Students at Iran’s Zanjan University outside Tehran have been protesting for more than a week over the alleged sexual abuse of a student by a university dean in charge of campus morality.
While the deputy head of the university remains free, the young woman has been arrested.
The student was said to have been offered several sexual advances by the deputy head of the university, under pressure, she agreed, and in collussion with other students she went to the prearranged ‘meeting’ at the deputy head’s office with a recording device.
While the dean was undressing, the students burst into his office, caught him half naked and then alerted university security. The video then circulated on the internet for days.
So, the POS who sexually harassed the girl is running around, free to do the same thing again, while the girl sits in jail. And this is a civilized country? (insert MASSIVE sarcasm)
Father Leads Police to Burnt Bodies of 2 Missing Kids
A Texas man, the prime suspect in the disappearance of his two children, has led police to their charred remains.
The bodies of Randy Sylvester Jr., 7, and his 3-year-old sister, Denim Sylvester, were recovered Saturday morning, shortly past midnight, in a wooded area near Highway 3 in Pasadena, Texas, according to MyFOXHouston.com.
May the SOB fry in hell for eternity.
’30 prisoners holding up Schalit deal’
The fundamental disagreement preventing the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit rests on 30 Palestinian prisoners that Hamas has requested Israel release, according to a Saturday report in London-based newspaper A-Sharq al-Awsat.
The report claimed that Israel has refused to release those specific prisoners.
The Jerusalem Post could neither confirm nor deny the report.
30 for 1? Proved or not, one Israeli is always worth more than any Hamas terrorist. Even Hamas knows this. 
Netherlands Concerned on Jordan Arrest Warrant for Wilders
The foreign ministry is concerned that Jordan will shortly issue a warrant for the arrest of Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders. This can have “implications for freedom of expression in the Netherlands,” according to a spokesman.
A case has been brought against Wilders in Jordan by a group calling itself The Messenger of Allah Unites Us. It accuses the Dutch MP of racism and incitement to hatred against Islam and Muslims. The case was declared admissible by a court in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Monday.
Arrest warrant for what? Speaking the truth? Truth doesn’t fit into the agenda, so it must be silenced. Yep, real peaceful, and tolerant, bunch, those Muslims.
Wisconsin house where 6 were killed demolished
The home where six young people died when a jealous off-duty sheriff’s deputy went on a shooting rampage eight months ago has been likened to an infection in this small northern Wisconsin city.
The cure came early Saturday morning, when workers demolished the house.
I guess it’s best that the house is gone. Small towns don’t need constant reminders of the tragedy that hits them.
Advice
If he truly wanted to be balanced, he would have titled it with McFeingold’s name too. I submit it’s pretty good advice for whoever the next president will be come next January. However, the fact that he works for the WaPo, I suppose it’s to be expected that his bias is obvious.
Today, I shall commit an act of heresy so offensive to cherished Washington beliefs that revocation of my citizenship in the nation’s capital is quite likely to follow.
Nonetheless, I press on.
My offense? I contend, contrary to accepted Washington doctrine, that should Barack Obama be elected president, he ought not to allow his administration to fall into the clutches of Washington insiders.
(The distant sound you hear is that of long knives being sharpened.)
This advice is offered for Obama’s own good.
More than 30 years of observation has led me to conclude that Washington insiders are to new administrations what steroids are to baseball. They are easily available, can produce a profound sense of strength and are hard to withdraw from once trouble hits home.
Continue reading here.
An after thought: I say we boot D.C. out of the union. Let ‘em run D.C. and leave the rest of us in peace. No money would be sent to them from the 50 states, only D.C. residents, so they can use what they’ve got in their own banking accounts to play politics. Just a thought. Oh, and they can’t claim residency in states they supposedly represent if they have digs in D.C. If they want to stay in their position of NON power, they give up the residency in the “home” state.
Verse of the Day
Psalm 91:1
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
