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June 30, 2005

Some People's Children

By way of Geoffery at Dog Snot Diaries comes a tale that makes you really wonder about some people:

'Mother's Day' too offensive?
Campus administrator says newsletter reference must be 'Parent's Day'

A pre-school in Maryland has lost at least one customer after a student's father working on the school's newsletter was told he must change a "Happy Mother's Day" greeting in the publication to "Happy Parent's Day."

David Becker of Kensington, Md., had a 3-year-old son at the Kensington Forest Glen Children's Center, which is overseen by the umbrella organization Montgomery Child Care Association.

"My wife and I have always been very involved with the school and with the teachers," Becker told WND.

The trouble began when Becker, while typing the newsletter, changed a hand-written greeting from "Happy Parent's Day!" to "Happy Mother's Day!" After submitting the final draft, a teacher contacted Becker and said the greeting would have to be changed back to "Happy Parent's Day!"

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Close Call Yesterday

Oh the joys of being sick.

One of the 'catches' of being on dialysis is that I have to be weary of how much liquid I drink in a given day. If I drink too much, I'll have to have it 'pulled off' at dialysis and taking too much off in a given session can have nasty effects, i.e. severe muscle cramps.

Now for the last seven months that I've been on dialysis, my fluid retention has been minimal and there have only been one or two occasions where I've ballooned up from my diet....mostly from jamming Mint Chocolate ice cream in my face.

Why is this important? I'll explain....

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Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:36 AM | Comments (3)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:36 AM | Comments (3)

June 29, 2005

Flag Burners Arrested

Now here is the difference between people burning a U.S. flag because they cannot formulate a cohesive arguement and a couple of punk kids that are in serious need of an ass-whooping:

Fla. Teens Charged After Allegedly Burning American Flags

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Two Sarasota teens accused of burning six American flags have been charged with arson and manufacturing a firebomb.

Scott A. Baber and Brian A. Richard III, both 18, told deputies they burned the flags because they are anarchists and disagree with the war in Iraq and other U.S. government policies.

They set fire to six flags Sunday and tried to firebomb a car, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said.

Richard remained in jail Tuesday on $402,120 bail. Baber was released Monday on $101,120 bail.

The pair were charged with arson, manufacture of a fire bomb and criminal mischief.

Baber and Richard burned about five flags at homes in the Bent Tree subdivision, where they live with Baber's parents, then set fire to a flag at its clubhouse, said Lt. Chuck Lesaltato, a spokesman for the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

"Our deputies came up on them as they were returning to their car," he said.

The arrest of his son surprised Brian Richard II.

"His grandfather was a decorated military man. The whole thing really stunned me. I was really sad that they made that choice," the elder Richard said.

Residents of the golf course community were also upset.

"How stupid," Pat Davidson said, straightening the stones surrounding her blackened flagpole. "What kind of thrill would you get burning an American flag?"

Uhhh.....yeah man....burn it!

Dumbasses.

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Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:58 PM | Comments (6)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:58 PM | Comments (6)

Dangers of Huffing Chemicals

Someone's been inhaling industrial-strength cleaning agents:

Islamic states want permanent seat on UN Security Council

SANAA (AFP) - Foreign ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) opened a meeting with a call for a Muslim permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

OIC secretary general Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged a greater role for Muslim countries in world affairs and demanded a "permanent representation for the Islamic world on the UN Security Council".

"The Islamic world, which represents one fifth of total mankind, cannot remain excluded from the activities of the Security Council which assumes a fundamental role in keeping security and peace in the world," he said Tuesday.

Ihsanoglu announced on Monday that ministers would discuss proposals for the representation of the 57-member Islamic body on the Security Council during their three-day conference in the Yemeni capital.

Calls for increasing the number of permanent members have been resonating since Germany, Japan, India and Brazil announced their wish to have veto-wielding positions like the current big five of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Yeah.....right.

(Hat tip to Charles at LGF)


Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:27 PM | Comments (4)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:27 PM | Comments (4)

June 28, 2005

Presidential Speech Tonight

The President of the United States spoke this evening on television. I liked what he said, especially:

The terrorists believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent, and with a few hard blows they can force us to retreat. They are mistaken. After September 11, I made a commitment to the American people: This Nation will not wait to be attacked again. We will take the fight to the enemy. We will defend our freedom.
and:
The lesson of this experience is clear: The terrorists can kill the innocent — but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11 … if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi … and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like bin Laden. For the sake of our Nation's security, this will not happen on my watch.
and this especially:
After September 11, 2001, I told the American people that the road ahead would be difficult — and that we would prevail. Well, it has been difficult. And we are prevailing. Our enemies are brutal — but they are no match for the United States of America — and they are no match for the men and women of the United States military.
And evn though there are some that will scoff at this, the subject of a pullout timetable was settled:
Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.
I'm hoping that this might settle some people's stomachs, but I doubt it.

UPDATE: Thought I'd add a few comments about the comments I've received with regards to this post:

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News Roundup

Just what every president needs: advice from the guy who lost the election

Dead horse beaten into crimson stain: No abuse at Gitmo

Russia stumping for 'Most Stupid Nation on Planet' award: Russia wants to build more nuke reactors for Iran

Submitted without comment: Flesh-eating aliens were chasing me

Somehow, President Bush will be blamed for this: Internet crashes in Pakistan


Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:49 AM | Comments (1)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:49 AM | Comments (1)

June 27, 2005

Shredding

Bravo for 'free speech' and the freedom to choose:

We Came, We Saw, We Shredded

Here’s a very creative and perfectly legal way to turn the tables on the anti-war protesters, from a group of LGF readers in Columbia, Missouri:

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance and honor for the majority of people. For a select few, those committed to a “peace at any price” world-view, Memorial Day is a day to protest war, warriors and to hand out printed propaganda. This year in Columbia Missouri, at the Air Show and the Memorial Day Parade the “Peace at any price” propaganda ended up in shreds – literally.

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And I'm sure there will be a few that will whine about these people's right to free speech being 'repressed'....and they'd be wrong as usual.

(Politely glommed from Charles at LGF)

All done with "Shredding"?


Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:47 PM | Comments (6)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:47 PM | Comments (6)

Victory Vigil in San Diego

Citizen Smash spreads the word about San Diego Protest Warrior and our Victory Vigils here in San Diego:

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June 26, 2005

Cryptography Project

Here's something that my friend Elly and I cooked up for extra credit for our Intro to Cryptography class this past quarter: Navajo Code Talkers

Elly is the one that created the website (through GeoCities) while I did research. Actually....Elly did a big chunk of the work.

Check it out - it's interesting info about crytopgraphy and the historical significance of the Navajo Code Talkers that served in the Pacific.

It was a very interesting class and it's something that I'm giving serious consideration into persuing further - Cryptography, that is....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 01:49 PM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 01:49 PM | Comments (2)

June 25, 2005

Pataki Nads Up

Boo-YAH!

Nutty 9/11 art nixed

Gov. Pataki drew a line in the sand yesterday, declaring he will tolerate no America-bashing on the sacred soil of Ground Zero.

Hours after the Daily News disclosed that a museum set to rise on the site had displayed kooky and anti-American art, the governor said there can be no place where nearly 3,000 innocents died for an institution that attacks the United States and the heroes of 9/11.

His voice rising and his resolve steely as he compared the World Trade Center tract to the bloody beaches of Normandy and the black waters of Pearl Harbor, Pataki vowed:

"We will not tolerate anything on that site that denigrates America, denigrates New York or freedom or denigrates the sacrifice and courage that the heroes showed on Sept. 11."

He added, "The Daily News did a good service by pointing out some of these things. We do not want that at Ground Zero; I do not want that at Ground Zero and to the extent that I have the power, it's not going to happen."

At issue are two controversial cultural groups that were picked to occupy a major building at the heart of the site - and have enraged 9/11 family members who say their murdered loved ones are being disrespected.

The larger museum, the International Freedom Center, has sparked fears it will focus on acts of U.S. wrongdoing, like slavery and treatment of American Indians, while the Drawing Center, now based in SoHo, was exposed in The News as displaying graphic and vulgar art attacking America's war on terror.

"Sure, there can be debate," Pataki said when asked if his tough stance jeopardized free-speech rights. "But I don't want that debate to be occurring at Ground Zero."

Acting after a protest from family members - and word the Drawing Center had displayed art linking President Bush to Osama Bin Laden and portraying terror suspects as victims of American torture - the governor laid down the law to the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.: "Contact the cultural institutions on the memorial site. . . and get from them an absolute guarantee that as they proceed, it will be with total respect for the sanctity of that site." This was followed by a simple, stark threat: "I'm hopeful they are able to do that, and if not, then they shouldn't be there."

Pataki twice repeated his threat, saying the Freedom and Drawing Centers must respect sacred ground - or else.

"Period. Otherwise they won't be there," he said.

I like that last part - 'Or else'....

(Politely gommed from Little Green Footbals)


Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:55 PM | Comments (4)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:55 PM | Comments (4)

June 24, 2005

Verbage

A new term is appearing in the blogsphere:

To Durbinize

Durbinize, verb.

  1. To make, either explicitly or implicitly, a moral, political, or factual equivalence between two situations which in reality have little or nothing in common. (After U. S. Senator Richard Durbin (D, ILL) who compared the alleged abusive treatment of a terrorist detainee held at Guantanamo Bay with the depraved horrors of the Nazis, Soviet gulags, and Pol Pot’s mass murders, thereby equating the U. S. personnel with these murderous despots.)

  2. To apparently apologize without actually doing so by subtly placing the blame for legitimate objections to the actions of definition 1 on the objectors. This may be accomplished by expressing disappointment that the objectors have “misunderstood” the speaker’s remarks or by stating the speaker’s sorrow that feelings were hurt. In reality, the speaker is implying that the objectors are too stupid to understand plain English or are insufficiently educated or mature to accept the speaker’s remarks as truth.
(Politely glommed from Michelle Malkin who glommed from Bill Yates at From Where I Sit)


Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2005

Supreme Crap

This is a complete load of crap:

Supreme Court Rules Cities May Seize Homes

WASHINGTON -- Cities may bulldoze people's homes to make way for shopping malls or other private development, a divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday, giving local governments broad power to seize private property to generate tax revenue.

In a scathing dissent, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said the decision bowed to the rich and powerful at the expense of middle-class Americans.

The 5-4 decision means that homeowners will have more limited rights. Still, legal experts said they didn't expect a rush to claim homes.

"The message of the case to cities is yes, you can use eminent domain, but you better be careful and conduct hearings," said Thomas Merrill, a Columbia law professor specializing in property rights.

The closely watched case involving New London, Conn., homeowners was one of six decisions issued Thursday as the court neared the end of its term. The justices are scheduled to release their final six rulings, including one on the constitutionality of Ten Commandments displays on public property, on Monday.

Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the majority, said New London could pursue private development under the Fifth Amendment, which allows governments to take private property if the land is for public use, since the project the city has in mind promises to bring more jobs and revenue.

"Promoting economic development is a traditional and long accepted function of government," Stevens wrote, adding that local officials are better positioned than federal judges to decide what's best for a community.

To be honest, I don't own property but this would make me really think about where I'd buy it.

My thinking on this is that if there was any 'choice' property to be snatched up, some people will re-consider buying for fear that it'll be stolen from them. This is gonna make people want to buy property in area(s) that are out of the way and not near urban centers.

Way to go Justice Stevens - you've just increased 'suburban sprawl' and increased the pressure on people looking to sell property.

What do you bet that in the next week that someone in Congress - Republican or Democrat - will introduce legislation to kill this ruling?


Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:21 PM | Comments (4)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:21 PM | Comments (4)

June 22, 2005

Amendment XXVIII?

House Approves Flag-Burning Amendment

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House on Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to ban desecration of the American flag, a measure that for the first time stands a chance of passing the Senate as well.

By a 286-130 vote - eight more than needed - House members approved the amendment after a debate over whether such a ban would uphold or run afoul of the Constitution's free-speech protections.

Approval of two-thirds of the lawmakers present was required to send the bill on to the Senate, where activists on both sides say it stands the best chance of passage in years. If the amendment is approved in that chamber by a two-thirds vote, it would then move to the states for ratification.

Supporters said the measure reflected patriotism that deepened after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and they accused detractors of being out of touch with public sentiment.

"Ask the men and women who stood on top of the (World) Trade Center," said Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham, R-Calif. "Ask them and they will tell you: pass this amendment."

But Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said, "If the flag needs protection at all, it needs protection from members of Congress who value the symbol more than the freedoms that the flag represents."

The measure was designed to overturn a 1989 decision by the Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 that flag burning was a protected free-speech right. That ruling threw out a 1968 federal statute and flag-protection laws in 48 states. The law was a response to anti-Vietnam war protesters setting fire to the American flag at their demonstrations.

The proposed one-line amendment to the Constitution reads, "The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." For the language to be added to the Constitution, it must be approved not only by two-thirds of each chamber but also by 38 states within seven years.

Each time the proposed amendment has come to the House floor, it has reached the required two-thirds majority. But the measure has always died in the Senate, falling short of the 67 votes needed. The last time the Senate took up the amendment was in 2000, when it failed 63-37.

But last year's elections gave Republicans a four-seat pickup in the Senate, and now proponents and critics alike say the amendment stands within a vote or two of reaching the two-thirds requirement in that chamber.

By most counts, 65 current senators have voted for or said they intend to support the amendment, two shy of the crucial tally. More than a quarter of current senators were not members of that chamber during the last vote.

The Senate is expected to consider the measure after the July 4th holiday.
_

The amendment is H.J. Res 10.

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Reading Habits of Mikey

I've been tagged with a meme from Chris at Miller's Time about my reading habits.

  1. What is the last book you read, the book you are currently reading and the next book you plan to read:
    • Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle
    • Alas, Babylon - Pat Frank / The Savage Nation - Michael Savage
    • A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

  2. In no particular order, what are your five favorite works of fiction:
    • The Hunt for Red Octboer - Tom Clancy
    • Executive Orders - Tom Clancy
    • The Stand - Stephen King
    • The Last Ship - William Brinkley
    • Long Voyage Back: A Novel - Luke Rhinehart

  3. In no particular order, what are your five favorite non-fiction books:
    • The Engineering Student Survival Guide - Krista Donaldson
    • Band of Brothers - Stephen E. Ambrose
    • A Bridge Too Far - Cornelius Ryan
    • His Excellency: George Washington - Joseph J. Ellis
    • Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation - Joseph J. Ellis

  4. Who are your five favorite fiction writers:
    • Tom Clancy
    • Robert Vaughan
    • Stephen King
    • Anyone who writes 'Star Trek' novels
    • Anyone who writes 'Star Wars' novels

  5. Who are your five favorite non-fiction writers:
    • Stephen E. Ambrose
    • Cornelius Ryan
    • Joseph J. Ellis
    • Ann Coulter
    • P. J. O'Rourke

  6. What book[s] (other than Scripture) have you read more than once:
    • The Stand - Stephen King
    • The Last Ship - William Brinkley
    • Long Voyage Back: A Novel - Luke Rhinehart
    • The Hunt for Red October - Tom Clancy
    • A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

  7. What autographed books do you own, and who signed them:
    • Storm on the Horizon: Khafji--The Battle That Changed the Course of the Gulf War - David J. Morris

And as Chris did to me and others, now I'll 'tag' some additional people to keep this rolling along (in no particular order):

I'm not gonna try to insert the links to all of these books like Chris did; Amazon has all of these titles.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:50 AM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:50 AM | Comments (2)

June 21, 2005

Off His Rocker - Part IV

Durbin Apologizes for Nazi, Gulag, Pol Pot Remarks

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Dick Durbin went to the Senate floor late Tuesday to offer his apologies to anyone who may have been offended by his comparison of treatment of detainees at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Nazis, Soviet gulags and Cambodia's Pol Pot.

"More than most people, a senator lives by his words ... occasionally words fail us, occasionally we will fail words," Durbin, D-Ill., said.

"I am sorry if anything I said caused any offense or pain to those who have such bitter memories of the Holocaust, the greatest moral tragedy of our time. Nothing, nothing should ever be said to demean or diminish that moral tragedy.

"I am also sorry if anything I said cast a negative light on our fine men and women in the military ... I never ever intended any disrespect for them. Some may believe that my remarks crossed the line to them I extend my heartfelt apology," Durbin said, choking on his words.

I'm betting that he's sorry for receiving such a tsunami of criticism over his mouth leading his brain in official Senate comments.

You know what Dick? I was (and still am) offended and you can take your apology and jam it.

My guess is that the only reason that you're apologizing now is that you're seeing the poll numbers in your own state drop and you're scrambling to cover your ass.

I don't think that for one minute you're sincere in this apology since you've had at least two differnt times to retract your asinine statements and failed to act. You're probably only doing so because of pressure from the DNC to STFU.

Sorry my ass Dick....you're still an ass-hatted clown and you got busted for talking smack about America's military.

Good luck in getting re-elected in Illinois and I hear that the position of Dog Catcher is open...


Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:49 PM | Comments (3)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:49 PM | Comments (3)

June 20, 2005

2005 Special Election Propositions

Here's the line up of propostions to be voted on in the Special Election in November 2005:

1067

Termination of Minor's Pregnancy. Waiting Period and Parental Notification. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Amends California Constitution to bar abortion on unemancipated minor until 48 hours after physician notifies minor's parent/legal guardian, except in medical emergency or with parental waiver. Permits judicial waiver of notice based on clear and convincing evidence of minor's maturity or minor's best interests. Physician must report abortions performed on minors and State shall compile statistics. Authorizes monetary damages for violation. Minor must consent to abortion unless mentally incapable or in medical emergency. Permits judicial relief if minor's consent to abortion is coerced. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: The net costs of this measure to Medi-Cal and other programs are unknown, but are probably not significant in the context of the total expenditures for these programs.

Snap Judgement: YES

While I'm still on-the-fence (more or less) when it comes to a woman's right to choice, this is something that needs to be put into place - especially since we're talking about teenagers and how (basically) they don't know what they'll be doing nor how it will affect them in the future.

Get the parents involved in a decision of this magnitude cause probably 99.999% of parents will not kill their daughters for getting pregnant.

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June 19, 2005

Convulsions of Donna

Heh!

I've seen Da Goddess work this type of magic is person.....she is not someone to lock horns with....

French Frye

Someone campaigning for Donna Frye, the latest and very tired mayoral race in San Diego, showed up on my doorstep earlier.

"Don't even bother," I said.

"But, don't you want to hear how Donna Frye is going to save San Diego?" he asked in earnest.

"She's a big part of the problem, dude! Don't you get that? She's cost us more money than she's worth."

He stammered and sputtered. He had no way to answer that.

I looked him straight in the eye and declared, "I'd rather have Michael Jackson watch my kid than ever........EVER vote for her. You know, maybe Michael Jackson should run for mayor. I bet he'd get more votes than she would. In fact, I think he has more common sense than she does. And he takes better care of his skin, too."

At that point, he turned beet red, eyes rolling back in his head, and started shaking.

"Don't say another word, man. Just blink once for yes, twice for no if you need me to call you an ambulance."

He backed away, slowly at first. Then he turned and ran.

Do you think it was something I said?

It's always fun to play on the emotions of these district workers....kind of like bear-baiting.

And I'm glad I'm not on her 'short list' of people to scorn....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:55 PM | Comments (7)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:55 PM | Comments (7)

Off His Rocker - Part III

From someone who knows the meaning of 'torture' comes a letter that is short, sweet, and to-the-point about Senator Dick Durbin's assinine comments on the floor of the United States Senate.

By way of Citizen Smash:

POW Blasts Durbin

THE FOLLOWING LETTER was sent from retired Navy Commander Paul Galanti to Senator Dick Durbin. Galanti is one of my father's Annapolis classmates, who spent seven years as a prisoner-of-war in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.

Senator Durbin,

As one who was held in a North Vietnamese Prison for nearly seven years and whose definition of torture and bad treatment is somewhat at variance with yours, I deplore your senseless comments about alleged "barbaric treatment" at our terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo.

Your remarks comparing Guantanamo to the regimes of Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot are outrageous. I tried to think of why a rational human being could make such an outlandish statement but I keep coming up short. I thought I'd seen it all when Howard Dean performed his infamous scream in Iowa but your diatribe yesterday eclipsed Dean's moment of Hannibal Lecter lunacy. And your moment of pique will be infinitely more damaging to members of our Armed Forces serving in harm's way.

I noted, when searching for your contact information, that the first item Google came up with was al Jazeera's joy at your comments. You, sir, for having aided and abetted the enemy in time of war, have been relegated in my mind to the status of Jane Fonda and your colleague, John Kerry as contemptible traitors.

I hope not too many of our valiant members of the Armed Forces have to suffer for your stupid comments. Shame on you.

Sincerely,

Paul E. Galanti
Commander, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

When I was a midshipman at Annapolis, I would often go to the Class of '62 tailgaters after the football games with my father. I spoke with Galanti several times.

He never once mentioned his experience in the Hanoi Hilton.

I'm not one to really wish ill-will upon someone for stupid remarks, but I'm hoping that Dick Durbin gets his ass thrown out of the Senate when he's up for re-election...


Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:21 PM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:21 PM | Comments (2)

June 18, 2005

Hysteria Under a Microscope

I always find that putting information into a cohesive format makes the information a lot easier to understand.

From a new blog that I've never heard of and will make all attempts to read it on a daily basis comes a comparison of what Dr. Sanity calls 'MSM hysteria' and how they don't seem to see the 'bigger picture'.

Beautiful Indifference

Curiously, because they are journalists, and I would think that journalistic instincts are easily aroused by curiosity, the crop of journalists we must deal with today seem to be suffering from a form of mass hysteria. Their journalistic insticts; their curiosity; their "nose" for a story has been severely impaired--almost paralyzed you could say, and they don't much seem to care!

Here is a partial listing (in no particular order) of what the media is Obsessed by (on the LEFT) , compared to what they appear Indifferent to (on the Right):














It's almost like watching a child throw a temper tantrum and for all the wrong reasons.

(Hat tip to the Analog Kid at RNS for steering me to this)


Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:04 PM | Comments (1)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:04 PM | Comments (1)

June 16, 2005

Liberalism: Mental Disorder?

Geoff at Dog Snot Diaries points out the latest 'bashing' technique:

Howard Dean Disease is Contagious

Can you be both elated and sympathetic at the same time? Probably not. I guess I'm just elated and faking sympathy. Why, you ask? It appears the mental illness that Howard Dean apparently suffers from is contagious. It's sweeping through the Democratic party. At the current rate of spread, the Democrats will lose even more seats in the upcoming 2006 and 2008 elections. Now THAT is cause for elation.

What am I talking about? Why, the latest Democratic hand-wringing topic. Sure, Congress should apologize. They did, too, with an un-opposed voice vote. You know what that means, don't you? Un-opposed? No opposition? Everyone voting supported it? That's pretty good, right? Fuck no. Not if you suffer from HowardDeanYaaaaarghia. Then if you don't sponsor the bill, you're all of a sudden pro lynching. Are you fucking retarded? It's amazing the kind of shit Democrats will whine about.

Now read the MSNBC article closely. "Southern Conservatives" filibustered anti-lynching legislation. They're to blame. It's all the racist KKK Conservatives. Like Robert Byrd. Wait, he's a Democrat. I mean like Hugo Black. Ooops. He Was a Democrat as well. Ernest Hollings? Big D. J. William Fulbright? D. Al Gore Sr? D. Hmmm. It looks like MSNBC might need to do a little more fact checking.

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Off His Rocker - Part Deux

Durbin refuses to apologize for Guantanamo Bay comments

CHICAGO -- Illinois Senator Dick Durbin says he won't apologize for comments comparing American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Nazis and Soviet gulags.

News of the Democrat's comparison created a buzz around the Internet today, fueled by sound bites of yesterday's Senate floor speech on radio talk shows. By this afternoon, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna asked Durbin to apologize.

Durbin says the Bush administration should apologize for abandoning the Geneva Conventions.

Exactly what part of the Geneva Conventions does Durbin think we're not adhering to?
  • Housing? Check.
  • Food that's religiously specific, i.e. 'kosher'? Check.
  • Not blowing their brains out with a .45? Check.
  • Not beating them with a lead pipe? Check.
  • Not making them eat fried pork rinds? Check.
The fact that these prisoners haven't been strung up from the nearest tree at Gitmo is proof that the U.S. is giving them more than the Geneva Conventions calls for.

So if you're inclined to think that the Gitmo facility is a 'gulag' or that we're 'torturing' them, then I suggest you take a closer look at the definition of 'gulag' and then take another closer look at the World Trade Center towers before they collapsed.

And if that doens't sink in, take a hard look at the list of people murdered on 9/11.

The people that were murdered on 9/11 isn't justification for wanton killing of just anyone - just the people that would attempt it again. And you can bet that those scumbags in Gitmo aren't there cause they were on their way to get ice cream for blind children when they accidently stumbled onto the battlefield and accidently picked up an assualt rifle which accidently discharged - multiple times - in the direction of American troops.

I've said this before: if anyone in the government wanted these prisoners to 'disappear', they could easily 'accidently' fall out of a chopper about a hundred miles from land over the ocean.....Ooops!! Damnit Ralph - there goes another one!!.

Quite honestly, I think the idea I had for returning illegal aliens using a trebuchet would work nicely for the Marines in Gitmo: live skeet/prisoner target practice.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 08:48 AM | Comments (3)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 08:48 AM | Comments (3)

June 15, 2005

Off His Rocker

It's always refreshing how people equate one thing with another. We've seen the 'Bush = Hitler' blurbs from the Tin-Foil Hat Brigade. Now we get to see the same technique applied to those 'insidious' military guards at Gitmo.

James Taranto has the appropriate words for this....insightful comparison of Senator Dick Durbin's (Tin-Foil - IL) on the floor of the United States Senate:

Durbin Supports the Troops
Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, took the Senate floor yesterday and likened American servicemen to Nazis (link in PDF):
When you read some of the graphic descriptions of what has occurred here [at Guantanamo Bay]--I almost hesitate to put them in the [Congressional] Record, and yet they have to be added to this debate. Let me read to you what one FBI agent saw. And I quote from his report:

On a couple of occasions, I entered interview rooms to find a detainee chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food or water. Most times they urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18-24 hours or more. On one occasion, the air conditioning had been turned down so far and the temperature was so cold in the room, that the barefooted detainee was shaking with cold. . . . On another occasion, the [air conditioner] had been turned off, making the temperature in the unventilated room well over 100 degrees. The detainee was almost unconscious on the floor, with a pile of hair next to him. He had apparently been literally pulling his hair out throughout the night. On another occasion, not only was the temperature unbearably hot, but extremely loud rap music was being played in the room, and had been since the day before, with the detainee chained hand and foot in the fetal position on the tile floor.

If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime--Pol Pot or others--that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners.

We are fighting an enemy that murdered 3,000 innocent people on American soil 3 1/2 years ago and would murder millions more if given the chance--and according to Dick Durbin, our soldiers are the Nazis.
Can the Left-wing moonbats - who are now closer and closer to being synonymous with Democrats - can they get any more absurd? Can we get any more reasons to just consider them so 'out there' that they should no longer be considered rationale?

I doubt it.

What Senator Durbin doesn't see is that these are the techniques that are considered 'humane' as opposed to the really worthwhile techniques like breaking fingers, smashing that toe that goes wee-wee-wee all the way home with a hammer, or (my personal favorite) how about putting these prisoners in a pressure tank and taking them down one-half of an atmosphere? Nothing makes cooperation happen between people better than bursting blood vessels and exploding eyeballs....

Geez....it's going to get to the point where interviews will be conducted only using slightly harsh language and possibly the threat of withholding ice cream after dinner.

It's obvious that Durbin is off his rocker, that his elevator no longers goes all the way up, that he's a sandwich or two short of a picnic basket, that he's not shuffling a full deck....well, you get the picture. (The flash works, but there is no film in the camera?)


Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:21 PM | Comments (6)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:21 PM | Comments (6)

Dean's Goal - Infinite Nothingness

This kind of sums up Dean's quest to shoot himself in the foot on daily basis or anytime there's a microphone shoved in his face.

Keep it up Howie - there's nothing funnier than when you make up stuff for us to talk about and we don't really have to work at it.

Yeeeaaaagggghhhhh!!!

(Nicely glommed from Rodger Shultz at Curmudgeonly & Skeptical)





Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:48 PM | Comments (1)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:48 PM | Comments (1)

Geeks Are Better

By way of Dodd at Ipse Dixit comes something that proves why geeks/nerds are a better catch for the ladies:

Nerds make better lovers

Ready for a real relationship? Ditch the pretty boys and grab yourself a geek

Christina Aguilera recently traded in piercings for petticoats, apparently making the usual Marilyn Monroe morph. But there's more than meets the eye: Sure, she's blond, buxom and sweet-voiced now, but she's also emulating the classic bombshell in matters of the heart.

You see, Aguilera's fiance, like Monroe's husband, playwright Arthur Miller, is kind of a geek.

When Aguilera announced her engagement to smarty-pants music executive Jordan Bratman in February, the 24-year-old pop star demonstrated a tried-and-true dating trick. Geeks have got the goods.

Bratman, with his scrawny frame and oversize ears, has mastered the music industry at just 26 and is Romeo enough to have stolen Aguilera's heart (as well as inspired her new demure-coquette look).

"A nerd is an excellent provider and a guy who puts you first," says E. Jean Carroll, Elle magazine's love and sex advice columnist. "He'll turn out to be a great father and a great husband."

And, she insists that a woman who is willing to stick it out with a nerd and get past his quirks will be handsomely rewarded. "Don't give up on him too fast," she said. "If you stick with him, he's going to turn out to be really great."

Read More of "Geeks Are Better"

Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:29 PM | Comments (1)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:29 PM | Comments (1)

Dialysis Explained

Every so often I'm asked about exactly what happens at dialysis.

Well, that question is answered by someone I met on the Internet. Jim (who I understand recently got a kidney transplant) has an excellent sequence of photos (Flash required) that explain what happens.

Check it out.

And while some people feel 'on top of the world' after a dialysis treatment, I'm usually feeling achy....almost like just before you get the full effects of having the flu - that's me.

Jim did hemo dialysis for a month and then switched to PD (peritoneal dialysis) which seemed to work for him. I, on the other hand, cannot seem to get over that catheter-hanging-out-of-my-gut feeling and really just feel....oogie about considering PD as an alternative to hemodialysis.

Maybe it'll take a few more months of hating HD to get me to consider the catheter. Then again, maybe I'll be lucky enough to get a transplant, although it's not looking like that will happen in the near future....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:26 PM | Comments (1)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:26 PM | Comments (1)

Brief Scare in California

Brief scare last night:

Tsunami Warning Lifted After Calif. Quake

SAN FRANCISCO — A powerful earthquake jolted the ocean floor off the Northern California coast, triggering a brief tsunami warning that sent thousands of residents evacuating a community that was hit by a killer wave four decades ago.

The feared tsunami did not materialize, and there were no reports of significant damage or injuries.

The 7.0-magnitude quake struck at around 7:50 p.m. Tuesday, 300 miles northwest of San Francisco and about 90 miles southwest of the coastal community of Crescent City, where a 1964 tsunami killed 11 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A tsunami warning was briefly in effect from the California-Mexico border north to Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

The tsunami siren system in Crescent City was activated at 8:14 p.m. and continued for about 40 minutes, Del Norte County Sheriff Dean Wilson said. About 4,000 people — mostly from Crescent City — were evacuated.

Wilson reported some minor traffic accidents but no injuries. He said it was the third evacuation he has taken part in in his 27 years in law enforcement.

My daughter was asking me if we were safe from any waves and I told her that since the cliffs in La Jolla were about 200 feet higher than the ocean that we'd be okay. She promptly went back to eating her pizza rolls.

The only reason we knew of the tsunami alert was from a phone call from one of our friends; the wife and I were in the middle of watching Starship Troopers when we got the call.

Fifteen minutes later the alert was cancelled and we went back to watching the movie.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)

June 14, 2005

Killling Business - Part II

Borders Must Pay Calif. Tax on Web Sales

SAN FRANCISCO -- An appellate court ruling against Borders Group Inc. sets a precedent that could enable California to force some major Internet retailers to start paying state sales tax for books, music and other goods sold online to state residents.

Whether California tax collectors use the precedent to go after not only Borders but Barnes & Noble Inc., Amazon.com and other online retailers remains to be seen. But independent booksellers and other "bricks-and-mortar" retailers have been cheering, saying the ruling should remove their Internet competition's unfair advantage.

"There are a lot of online retailers who are watching this intently," said Tom Dressler, a spokesman for the California Attorney General's office. "Clearly online retailing is growing so one would think the potential revenue problem is fairly substantial."

Businesses can avoid paying sales taxes to states where they have no physical presence, according to a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Now watch as one of two things happen:
  1. Borders will have a marked decrease in online sales from California residents, or
  2. Borders will officially divest all interests between its 'brick-n-mortar' stores here in California and its online company.
In either case, it kills business....all in the name of taxation.

My thinking is that anything sold online should be free from any sort of taxation. Exactly why is it that the government - state or federal - should get a 'slice of the pie' for people putting money back into the economy!? Quite frankly, neither state nor federal deserve to get d!ck out of any sales transaction.

Damn - it's crap like this that makes me consider changing my party affiliation from Republican to Libertarian....but for the moment I won't because I don't agree with the legalize-all-drugs argument. And especially with the Libertarians anti-war stance concerning Iraq.

Anyway...this crap really gives me a bad taste in my mouth when I see taxation for what it appears to be: socialism and that lets-MAKE-everyone-carry-the-load-for-all-those-dumbass-social-projects-that-no-one-really-wants....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:40 AM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:40 AM | Comments (2)

June 14th - Flag Day

I was reminded by a post of Michelle Malkin's that June 14th is Flag Day.

From a site called usflag.org I found the 'meaning of the colors' of Old Glory in the FAQ section:

the meaning of the colors

"The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice."

Read More of "June 14th - Flag Day"

Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:16 AM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:16 AM | Comments (2)

June 13, 2005

'Dipstick of the Week' - Coming Soon!

I'm thinking of starting a 'Dipstick of the Week' weekly entry. This clown would be the first:

Driver flips car, hurts 5, flees to make tee time, police say

An Anchorage police officer records the license plate number of a mangled black Mitsubishi car Saturday afternoon in the eastbound lanes of Fifth Avenue. The driver of the car was later arrested at a South Anchorage golf course on a charge of driving under the influence. Five people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

A man speeding to a golf game triggered a wild wreck Saturday on Fifth Avenue that banged up four vehicles and injured five people, and then he fled the scene on foot, police said.

Juan M. Puliddo-Castaneda, 24, was arrested a short time later, six miles away, standing out front of Anchorage Golf Course on O'Malley Road and preparing for a round of golf, authorities said.

"He was at the golf course getting his tee time," said Patrol Sgt. Dave Koch, one of the officers who handled the call.

"I do not even have words to describe how crazy that is," Traffic Unit Lt. Nancy Reeder said glumly after learning the details of the wreck while shopping at Sam's Club with her family and relaying them by telephone to a reporter. "I have no idea why we didn't have a fatality out there this morning."

And I'm beating that this dork will plead 'Not Guilty' in court when he's arraigned....dipstick.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)

Go Figure...

To be honest, I'm a little surprised that this happened:

Michael Jackson Acquitted of Molesting Boy

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - A jury acquitted Michael Jackson on Monday of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor at his Neverland ranch, vindicating the pop star who insisted he was the victim of mother-and-son con artists and a prosecutor with a vendetta.

A caravan of black SUVs delivered Jackson, wearing a black suit and flanked by family members, to the courthouse. Jackson was greeted by "Michael, innocent" chants as he walked into the courthouse.

The jury, which listened to 14 weeks of testimony and arguments, deliberated over seven days before sending word of a verdict at about 12:30 p.m.

I guess it'll take about 40 miles of video tape showing Jackson playing 'Hide the Salami' with another young boy to take him out of the picture.

It's a shame it'll have to come to this, but the jury has spoken.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:22 PM | Comments (3)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:22 PM | Comments (3)

More Folly

Just what the world needs: another proposal to level the field by taxing air travel:

G8 wants tax on airline tickets to help world poor

Airline groups have condemned plans by the world's richest countries to impose a tax on airline tickets to fund extra money for poor African countries - and make a gesture towards fighting climate change.

Finance ministers from the G8 agreed at the weekend to look at using income from airline traffic to boost aid.

Although the tax might only amount to a few extra pence on a ticket, experts believe the move would be a major blow to cut-price airlines that sell tickets for as little as £1.

The move, which could add a pound on to air fares, was greeted with delight by environmental groups who said it was a first step towards making people pay the true cost of plane travel.

This is indeed a 1-lb bag of Cricket Crap from Dicker & Dicker of Beaverly Hills.

It's not much of a added tax, but it's the principle behind it: tax everyone who has money to pay for Africa's problems.

I'm all for helping people and nations get on their feet - not for making them take responsibility for their actions and/or inactions that put them there in the first place.

I get a chuckle out of these plans that propose to tax everyone who's responsible to pay for those that are not. Socialism in action....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:17 PM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:17 PM | Comments (2)

June 11, 2005

Give It a Rest Already

Indian Muslims ask a boy to urinate on a U.S. flag during a protest against the alleged desecration of the Koran during a demonstration in Calcutta May 20, 2005. Hundreds of Muslims staged a protest in reaction to a Newsweek magazine report, which was later retracted, of U.S. interrogators desecrating the Koran at the Guantanamo Bay prison. Red Cross and U.S. officials said on Thursday the International Committee of the Red Cross told the Pentagon as early as 2002 detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison had reported U.S. personnel mishandled the Koran. REUTERS/Jayanta Shaw






It's crap like this - especially when it isn't reported in the MSM - that gets me cheesed off. It's for exhibitions like this that some people look at Third World nations like India, Pakistan, and others as being populated with retards. I know....I know, this is just one snippet from this protest. But it people are going to take the possible actions of a few guards as the total collective mindset of a nation, then they have to realize that it works for everyone....not just those that think the United States is the B-A-D guy.

And what boggles me is that this story - the Koran *cough* desecration - was retracted by those numbskulls at Newsweek as 'unverifiable' yet Muslims all around the planet are acting like it was a Pay-per-View event that raked in a ton of money.

I'm waiting for someone to OPENLY take a dump on a Koran in public, takes photos of it, and then post them on the Internet. I'm just surprised that it hasn't happened....yet.

UPDATE: Someone left a gem of a link in the comments section. It would appear that someone already thought of what I had said about taking a dump on the Koran....except this is much better. And so is this. Oh yeah....and this too!!


Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:59 PM | Comments (5)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:59 PM | Comments (5)

June 10, 2005

Don't Doink

Pope Promotes Abstinence to Fight AIDS

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI urged African bishops Friday to keep up their fight against AIDS, reiterating church teaching that abstinence is the only "fail-safe" way to prevent the spread of the virus.

Seems quite simple: don't doink around with lots of people and you severely reduce the chances of contracting the Black Plaque of the 20th century.

The Pope's simple message reminds me of something Sam Kinison once professed:

If you don't trust the pu**y, why are you fu*king the pu**y!?
Next time you get that I-gotta-get-me-some-of-that-fine-looking-stuff feeling when looking at a member of the opposite sex (yes, chicks do stupid things too) just consider if DEATH is worth getting a piece of trim or a hot meat-stick....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:53 AM | Comments (18)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:53 AM | Comments (18)

Pointed Question to Dean

This is one of the reasons that I love to watch FoxNews and listen to reporters like Brian Wilson:

Dean's Appearance Has Media in a Sweat

After several seconds, a booming voice cut through the noise. It belonged to Brian Wilson, a Fox News correspondent who was standing in the middle of the crowd. He asked Dean "if people are focused on the other things that you've said about hating Republicans, about Republicans being dishonest and then this latest comment about the Republican Party is full of white Christians. You say you hate Republicans -- does that mean you also'' hate white Christians?

Dean didn't respond and Reid talked about having a "positive agenda." Wilson was so insistent that at one point, Durbin asked, "Does he run the press conference?" After Reid took the one question of the morning that was not about Dean (it was about Iraq) there were a host of disjointed and semi-decipherable follow-ups (none of which was about Iraq).

The people at FoxNews IMHO aren't afraid to ask pointed questions and that's what all of the media needs more of - hold people's (all across the political spectrum) feet to the fire and get in their faces.

And Brian Wilson had a point: if Republicans are just a bunch of 'white Christians' and Dean 'hates Republicans', does he indeed hate white Christians?

Just another example of why people (read: Dean) should fire some neurons before shooting their mouths off....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:33 AM | Comments (3)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:33 AM | Comments (3)

June 08, 2005

Kiss Alive III

Here's a good way to de-compress from a final exam: Kiss Alive III







And you have to remember: God gave Rock-N-Roll to you....

Now that I'm listening to 'God Gave Rock-N-Roll To You II' it makes me want to go home and watch Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

Bill: Dude - Hell sucks!!

Ted: Definitely!!


Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:52 AM | Comments (3)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:52 AM | Comments (3)

People Steaks from PETA

Must be nice to have lots of time to do dipstick things like this.

From those 'touched' geniuses at PETA comes.....People Steaks!

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, member Chris Link of Norfolk, Va., top, adjusts the cellophane covering on the costume of demonstrator Dezeray Rubinchik of Philadelphia, top right, during a protest in front of the Statehouse, in Providence, R.I., Monday, June 6, 2005

The protest, in which three people placed themselves in containers resembling supermarket meat trays, was meant to compare eating meat with cannibalism. PETA member Karolina Colwill of Sioux Falls, S.D., appears center.




Makes me want to go grill some animals now....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:35 AM | Comments (6)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:35 AM | Comments (6)

June 07, 2005

Trebuchet Project

I know what I'm gonna be doing this summer since I won't be taking summer classes: building a table-top Trebuchet.

I found the plans here and it looks like it'll be fun to do and a Dad-Daughter project my kid might enjoy working on with me.

I'll see what it'll take and if I have the means to do it. When I do and if it works, I'll attempt to post some video of it in action.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:23 AM | Comments (4)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:23 AM | Comments (4)

June 06, 2005

Need Clicks

Hey - I need more people to click on those ads on the left.

Please.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:25 PM | Comments (1)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 05:25 PM | Comments (1)

Old Joke

This photo reminds me of the old joke "Why do gorillas have big nostrils?"

"Big fingers"









Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)

If Only....

.....this was the definition by which I went through life every day....

What Pulp Fiction Character Are You?

You are the king of smooth -- enough said.

Take the What Pulp Fiction Character Are You? quiz.

(Glommed from Analog Kid at Random Nuclear Strikes)


Posted by Mad Mikey at 01:10 PM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 01:10 PM | Comments (2)

Captive Audience

David Horowitz writes about a *cough* debate he was invited to participate in at Pacific Palisades High School.

One snippet of what he encountered is disturbing:

Indoctrination in High School

When I arrived at Pali High, the auditorium was filling up. I introduced myself to more than a dozen of the teenagers present and asked them if they knew why they were there. Only about four did. All of them said they were there because their teachers had brought them there. One of the students said the same group had been shown an antiwar film by the same English Department teachers a few days earlier.One of the teachers present was wearing a t-shirt with a picture of John Brown on the front and a political slogan advocating the use of force and violence to overthrow governments that were unjust. Of course, slavery is an issue that was decided 140 years ago, so obviously the incitement to armed revolution was directed at some other injustice. When I visited this teacher’s classroom some days later this suspicion was confirmed by the posters of Che Guevara and Mother Jones she had adorning her English classroom walls, along with a sign that said, "Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam."

I'm all for discussion of all aspects of any given arguments, but this is exactly the type of complete crap that I worry about my kid being inundated with in school. Even in Junior High.

And this also speaks volumes about the different teacher's abilities to formulate an argument: they cannot, so they subject their students to listen in the name of teaching.

And exactly how does American English relate to the war in Iraq? It doesn't and that makes this all the more inane.

Yes - nothing says 'reasoned arguement' more than forcing students to listen to your weak arguments under the guise of education....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 08:33 AM | Comments (4)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 08:33 AM | Comments (4)

D-Day: June 6, 1944

Today in History - American Imperialism thrust upon unsuspecting French along Normandy Coast:

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.


SIGNED: Dwight D. Eisenhower

If this were to happen today, the blood-curdling screams of QUAGMIRE!!! could be heard around Pluto's orbit....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 08:00 AM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 08:00 AM | Comments (2)

June 05, 2005

Dipstick Taxation

Just when you thought that this issue was 'dead', along comes another attempt to tax the crap out of everything:

Majority of states pressing for taxing all Internet sales

DENVER - 9News has learned that 43 states have joined together in a coalition to collect sales tax on all Internet purchases.

You already pay sales tax when you go online to buy from an established business like Eddie Bauer or Wal-Mart. But a lot of small Internet businesses and individual transactions float under the radar.

The coalition is seeking expertise from Colorado's high tech industry to get the tax collection done electronically.

"The Internet Tax Freedom Act says that states cannot treat sales on the Internet differently than they treat any other kind of sale--and this system that we've created does exactly that," says Scott Peterson with the Conforming States Committee, which is spearheading the effort.

"It treats every sale exactly the same regardless if it's over the counter, over the catalogue, over the phone or over the Internet," he says.

The states say they've been losing as much as $16 billion annually to the Internet. They say that new software will make collecting the money almost automatic and that they can have a system in place by Oct. 1.

Colorado Governor Bill Owens says he doesn't like the idea and that Colorado won't be part of it.

"We're getting lots of taxes in terms of income taxes and other taxes because of the rise of the Internet, we shouldn't tax sales over the Internet," said Owens.

The proposal is for the new system to initially be voluntary. "So (unless) Congress were to act and make this mandatory, there would be no penalties," says Peterson. But there's a plus for businesses who do adopt the software. The states say the electronic system is so good, they'll designate participating businesses "audit proof."

Colorado Governor Bill Owens has it right: there's already enough tax income being generated. I have to believe that if you dig deep enough that you'll find that this was started by officials that are looking to fund their 'warm-fuzzy feeling' programs that cannot be sensibly integrated into most state budgets.

And I love that polite back-hand comment about companies that voluntarily commit to this would be "audit-proof" which to me implies that if businesses do NOT adhere will get the state tax boards crawling up their asses with a microscope often.

What a dipstick idea this is....Does this clown - Peterson - understand that probably 99.9999% of business owners aren't going to start increasing taxes on their customers because it would drive business away!? Probably not since he's on this dipstick committee instead of running a business.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:08 AM | Comments (7)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:08 AM | Comments (7)

June 03, 2005

Outrage on Aisle Four...

Iraq Puts Civilian Toll at 12,000

BAGHDAD, June 2 -- Insurgent violence has claimed the lives of 12,000 Iraqis over the past 18 months, Interior Minister Bayan Jabr said Thursday, giving the first official count for the largest category of victims of bombings, ambushes and other increasingly deadly attacks.

At least 36 more Iraqi civilians, security force members and officials were killed Thursday in attacks that underscored the ruthlessness and growing randomness of much of the violence. The day's victims included 12 people killed when a suicide attacker drove a vehicle loaded with explosives into a restaurant near the northern city of Kirkuk.

In Baghdad, gunmen opened fire on a market area crowded with civilians, killing nine, the Defense Ministry said.

What!? Nothing from Amnesty International!?

What about Iraqi Body Count!? Lights are on but nobody's home...?

Well surely there will be some sort of 'outrage' from those upstanding people from Indy Media....what? Out to lunch!?

Figures....


Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:02 PM | Comments (11)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 04:02 PM | Comments (11)

Gay Marriage Doomed

I'm guessing that California Democrats don't seem to be the 'party of gay people' after all:

Gay marriage measure doomed by Democrats

Rejection of gay marriage by the California Assembly in tense votes Wednesday and Thursday was due largely to about a dozen Democrats who declined to vote for an issue pushed by their party leader.

Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, a gay legislator who proposed Assembly Bill 19, described himself as enormously disappointed late Thursday after daylong lobbying fell short.

"At what point are we all considered human beings?" Leno said afterward. "It's frustrating, confounding and exasperating."

Like I've said before - this makes no nevermind to me....meaning I don't give a fig one way or the other. But it's looking like the Dems can't get behind this either.

Gee....wonder why?


Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:30 AM | Comments (13)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:30 AM | Comments (13)

June 02, 2005

The FINAL Comparison on Gitmo

Just one last mention of the 'gulag' in Gitmo - I promise.

Here's a stark comparison between the gulags of the Soviet Union and the Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba:

AMNESTY'S IDIOCY

May 27, 2005 -- CAN it be? Did Amnesty International, which purports to be the world's leading independent monitor of human rights abuses, describe the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay as "the gulag of our times"?

Yes, it did. So let's do a few comparisons between Gitmo and the Gulag — the network of Soviet prison camps set up by Stalin in the 1920s.

Number of prisoners at Gitmo: approximately 600.

Number of prisoners in the Gulag: as many as 25 million, according to the peerless Gulag historian Anne Applebaum.

Number of camps at Gitmo: 1

Number of camps in the Gulag: At least 476, according to Applebaum.

Political purpose of Gulag: The suppression of internal dissent inside a totalitarian state.

Political purpose of Gitmo: The suppression of an international terrorist group that had attacked the United States, killing 3,000 people while attempting to decapitate the national government through the hijack of airplanes.

Financial purpose of Gulag: Providing totalitarian economy with millions of slave laborers.

Financial purpose of Gitmo: None.

Seizure of Gulag prisoners: From apartments, homes, street corners inside the Soviet Union.

Seizure of Gitmo prisoners: From battlefield sites in Afghanistan in the midst of war.

Okay....I think that just about settles that bag of cricket crap.

Oh wait - there IS one more mention: Fellow Cal Bear League member Rusty Shackleford at My Pet Jawa has a great in-depth comparison between Gitmo and the Soviet 'gulags'. Go check it out.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:59 PM | Comments (10)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:59 PM | Comments (10)

Ted's Meds

Turner: CNN Focuses Too Much on Perverts

"I would like to see us to return to a little more international coverage on the domestic feed and a little more environmental coverage, and, maybe, maybe a little less of the pervert of the day," he said in a speech to CNN employees outside the old Atlanta mansion where the network first aired.

Well, if barking moonbat liberals like Ted would allow us to execute perverts then there would be a lot less news about them....huh, Ted?

And this is the one thing that made me guffaw out loud:

And at one point he claimed partial credit for ending the Cold War.

Amanpour asked his if he honestly thought he had a hand in it.

"I'm absolutely certain I did," he said.

Don't really know how to respond to this one Ted. I do know that you had about as much in ending the Cold War as Barney the Purple Dinosaur though.

Ted - really...take the medication. It's for your own good.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:20 AM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:20 AM | Comments (2)

Speako Americano?

I knew this would happen sooner or later:

Lawsuit demands that students be tested in their native language

SAN FRANCISCO ---- Ten school districts statewide and three nonprofit organizations filed a lawsuit against the state Wednesday for allegedly testing non-English-speaking students in English and then labeling them and their schools as "failing" under the state's implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

The lawsuit, filed in federal Superior Court in San Francisco, demands that the state test its 1.6 million non-English-speaking students in a "language and form" they understand, as mandated in the federal education reform law.

The lawsuit is asking the state to change the way it tests students who do not yet understand English, said Mary Hernandez, an attorney with the Southern California-based law firm Burke, Williams & Sorensen, lawyers for the plaintiffs.

"We are asking that the state comply with federal law by testing students in the language and the form that will most likely yield accurate results on what they know and what they've learned," Hernandez said during a telephone press conference out of Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Two of the plantiff school districts are here in San Diego: Chula Vista Elementary School District and Sweetwater Union High School District. And having the Chula Vista district involved doesn't surprise me one little bit. When my daughter attended those schools a few years back, there was this ever-lasting BIG push to teach bilingually in the classes. And when that wasn't being pushed, the pace of the classes c-r-a-w-l-e-d because half of the class didn't speak much English - at least not enough to rate being in a 2nd grade class.

I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again: America is a land that has many cultures that are initially bound by a common thread: speaking English. When someone emmigrates to another nation, it is expected that this immigrant should learn the language, the customs, and the culture. When I lived in Saudi Arabia 13 years ago, I made it a point to at least attempt to learn Arabic - didn't get far, but the Saudis that saw me trying were very appreciative of my efforts and that went a long way in defining my working environment there.

If these kids aren't performing at state-required levels, then they need to work a little harder. Oh, and maybe the parents of these kids might want to pitch in a little and actually pay attention to what their kids are (and aren't) doing in school.

This bilingual crap has got to stop and NOW. Californians make a lot of strides in trying to help people integrate into American society, but there has to be some effort on the part of those integrating.

What's even more of a sign that *cough* bilingual education isn't working is that some of the plantiffs are HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS. What the hell is wrong with a school district if teenagers cannot take a test in English!?

It has to stop and it has to stop now. Quite honestly, if you cannot make an attempt to learn English, get the f*ck out.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 07:32 AM | Comments (10)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 07:32 AM | Comments (10)

June 01, 2005

Legislation of Happy Thoughts

Oh joy....I love how the twerps in Sacramento think that they can legislate warm, fuzzy feelings:

Senate passes health care bill

The state Senate passed legislation Tuesday to establish a universal health care system that would replace existing private plans, though Democratic supporters acknowledged that the bill remains a work in progress.

Senate Bill 840 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, would create a new state health insurance agency that would be led by a new elected health commissioner. The bill does not include a funding solution. Kuehl asked her colleagues to approve the bill to keep the proposal active.

I love this style of politics - legislate some huge program and then try to figure out how to pay for it.

Higher sales taxes anyone?? I'm betting dollars to donuts that the California sales tax - currently at 7.750% - will get bumped up or Sacramento will attempt to bump it up to pay for this crap.

Again, is it any wonder that both people and companies are leaving California?


Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:55 PM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:55 PM | Comments (2)

I Was FORCED to Join!

Here is part of the reason that Pablo *patooey* Paredes didn't get much sympathy here in San Deigo:

Joining the military for the wrong reasons

Pablo Paredes joined the United States Navy, not for love of country or to defend freedom, but because his college scholarship money ran out. “I ended up signing off six years of my life out of a lack of options,” he said. Was there a problem with the obvious option — a job?

Read More of "I Was FORCED to Join!"

Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:12 AM | Comments (9)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 11:12 AM | Comments (9)

Discrimination!

Yet another reason why Democrats just don't 'get it':

Tax hikes urged for rich

Assembly Democrats on Tuesday called for tax hikes for the state's top earners in order to pour $3 billion more into public schools, laying the groundwork for a summer budget standoff with Republican lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Although polls show California voters favor boosting taxes on upper-income earners to pay for schools, Schwarzenegger has said he will not support it. Republican lawmakers, who hold enough votes in the Legislature to block a tax increase, immediately balked at the plan.

But Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, said Democrats have "looked at every other option" and determined the increases are vital.

"Assembly Democrats are not afraid to cast the hard votes necessary to increase revenues when those revenues will be used to fund public education," Núñez said. "We are not going to shortchange our schools of the resources that they need to educate our children."

As I was sitting here at school reading this, my friend Elly - who's a semi-liberal - instantly blurted out Rich people don't send their kids to public schools....why should they shell out more money? to which I agreed. She also agreed with me about the idiocy of taxing people simply because they make more money....Discrimination!! she says.

And she's right. There is no logical reasoning for taxing people at a higher tax rate simply cause they make more money, other than you're a socialist that believes that everyone is equal....except the rich. And they wonder why companies are relocating OUT of California.....dipsticks.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:45 AM | Comments (4)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 10:45 AM | Comments (4)

Jam It Already

There has been much ado about the Amnesty International *cough* report on how the Gitmo detainess are living in a 'gulag'.

Oh please - for the love of God, STFU already.

Those detainees are lucky that they're getting such nice treatment - period. They're certainly getting better treatment then some of those 'hostages' that were beheaded in Iraq, huh?

And if it weren't for the graciousness of Americans these detainess wouldn't have any Korans to flush down a toilet. By the way, I dare you to try and flush a book down a toilet - can't be done.

And while I'm sure there might - might - be a case or two of *cough* abuse, it's nothing to get your panties in a wad over. There will always be a few jerks in every crowd and exhibiting one's actions isn't indicative of the American military as a whole.

The detainees should feel lucky that they weren't dealt with like the military in Chile or Argentina (I forget which) did: throw their asses out of a helicopter 100 miles out over the ocean. Seriously.

There isn't really much of a case for these dorks to rate lawyers to defend them. The U.S. should deal with them as they originally intended: military tribunals. Quick, easy, and the freaking ACLU can't get involved.

So just jam it about the 'gulag' and let's compare the Gitmo 'gulag' to some of the other more interesting 'gulags' in history. They don't compare - not by a long shot.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin's weekly column sums up this 'outrage' over Gitmo and its 'gulag':

Guantanamo Bay will not be the death of this country. The unseriousness and hypocrisy of the terrorist-abetting Left is a far greater threat.


Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:28 AM | Comments (2)
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Posted by Mad Mikey at 09:28 AM | Comments (2)

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Mikey is a forty-something U.S. Navy veteran that is currently taking a break from being a full-time student at UC San Diego studying electrical engineering.

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