UPDATED: Fannie, Freddie & Barackie in beddie (and Little Joey say paying more taxes is patriotic)...

UPDATED & REPOSTED

(MAJOR MAJOR hat-tip to Ace)



UPDATE: Looks like McCain is hitting Barack hard on the stump on The Obamessiah's connection to the Fannie/Freddie movers-n-shakers.

And now McCain's latest ad on the connection:


Ace of Spades has an even more detailed compendium here.

Wizbang points to a Washington Post article which corrects Obama's misleading attacks on McCain.

In 2006, he pushed for stronger regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- while Mr. Obama was notably silent. "If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole," Mr. McCain warned at the time.

And here's John McCain's second ad on the subject:



MEANWHILE, Babblin' Joe Biden claims that paying more taxes is patriotic. I kid you not. He actually made that claim ON CAMERA:



So anyone who makes over $250,000/year is unpatriotic if they don't pay more taxes? Ummm... the company I work for is a small company, with 10 employees. It's a DBA owned & run by a husband & wife. So ALL revenues generated by the business qualifies for breaking that so-called benchmark. MANY, MANY small businesses across this country are run under DBA, LLC or Sole Proprietorship and would fit under this lame definition. Which means that under The Obamessiah's tax plan the company I work for would pay significantly more taxes.

We're just now getting out of a rough stretch due less to the national economy than to delays in product development & release for sale. If the Obama/Biden tax plan went into effect this year, I'd not only be out of a job, but the company itself could very easily have been either shut down or at least severely diminished in size (staff, square-footage, vendors, revenues, profits, everything). Let's also not forget that the Top 5% of American's currently pay 60% of the taxes, while the bottom 20-40% pay either nothing or close to nothing in taxes.

JOE BIDEN & BARACK OBAMA CAN GO KISS MY EFFIN' A**!!!

And John McCain has yet ANOTHER ad taking on Babblin' Joe B.:

Palin's email was hacked...

You read that correctly. Sarah Palin had her email account hacked by a left-wing group who then bragged about it. RedState has the links and an excellent summary.

"Sarah Palin is now under the protection of the United States Secret Service, which means that they are going to very interested in this attack.

"Let me put this succinctly: everybody who had a hand in this is [expletive deleted]ed."

Michelle Malkin has more.

A reminder that terrorists still want to kill us...

U.S. Embassy in Yemen attacked, killing 16 people. Al-Qaida is claiming credit.

... also...

Arrests were made in connection to the attack in New Delhi by Indian Mujahideen (who also appear to have done two other bombings in India in july, killing an additional 45 people).

AIG and the Fed Takeover... sort of...

Blackhedd over at RedState has a long and informative post regarding the overnight "takeover" of failing AIG by the feds:

"As of June 30, [AIG's] balance sheet shows total assets of $1.05 TRILLION, against liabilities of $972 billion... AIG contains a great many very healthy, very well-capitalized, very profitable businesses, and it generates enormous cash flow... [it] became clear to Treasury and Fed officials that they didn’t want to see an 11 filing, with technical defaults all over a $1 trillion asset portfolio."

He continues:

"The New York Fed will create a special credit facility for AIG. It will last for 24 months, during which time AIG may borrow up to $85 billion, at an interest rate of three-month dollar LIBOR plus 850 basis points.

"That’s about 14% or so at the moment. You need the interest rate to be a penalty rate, to force AIG to use other capital sources in preference. The new facility is only for use as a last resort. Otherwise AIG would have an overwhelming, unfair competitive advantage. It's quite likely that AIG will end up never borrowing from the $85 billion credit line at all...

"It’s expected that the company will use the 24 months to sell off its assets and pay its obligations as they come due, becoming a continually-smaller company in the process."

Read the whole post to get his initial summary of the situation.

UPDATE: RWN has a post which shows that McCain was ahead of the curve on the whole Fannie/Freddie situation, with excerpts from a McCain speech addressing his fellow congressional colleagues in 2005. QandO points out that Bush was ahead of the curve five years ago.

Lame attempts at being artistic # 6...

MUD RIVER CANYONS


LAVA FLOW


PETRIFIED FINGERS


ONE-EYED WOODFACE


DASHING PINE


* All five pics are of wood/bark/trees

Fannie, Freddie & Barack - Part 2

Via my friend, Rick.

"... Throughout the campaign season Obama has attacked Wall Street’s financial sector and run a campaign based largely upon his “good judgment”. The problem with Obama’s rhetoric rests in the fact that tucked away in his database of 2.5 million donors is the approximately 180,000 power brokers that have funded nearly 60% of his campaign. Included in this list are the more than 594 campaign bundlers including 15 lobbyist bundlers who have accounted for over $140 million in contributions. Included in this list are just 36 bundlers accounting for over $18 million dollars, with two bundlers raising over $1 million, and one over $2 million. These amounts are impressive considering that just 552 individuals have accounted for nearly 1/3 of his total campaign contributions. Of course determining the occupation can be tricky considering the Obama campaign lists nearly 100 bundlers as having unknown occupations, nearly 100 who are listed as "self-employed", and dozens of "homemakers" and "retired" individuals.

Among Obama's campaign contributors are many Lehman Brothers Executives, such as CEO Richard Fuld ($2,300), President Joseph Gregory ($4,600) and dozens of other top Lehman Executives. On June 19th, Lehman shareholders filed suit against Fuld and Gregory for the company’s exposure in the subprime market. In addition to dozens of Lehman executives are Obama's bundlers from Lehman Borthers who have raised top dollar for the campaign. Direct contributions from Lehman Brothers have exceeded $395,000 for Senator Obama..."

Read the whole thing here.

Change, huh?

Gianna challenges The Obamessiah on the Baby Born Alive Act

(Hattip to Capt. Ed @ HotAir)

Obama interferes with U.S. foreign policy...

Obama just stepped in it BIG TIME.

Oil now under $92/barrel...

While others fret over the likes of Bear Sterns (which got bailed out by the federal government, and then bought by Chase), and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac (which also got some protection with the federal re-org), and Merrill Lynch & Countrywide (which both got bought by BofA), Lehman Brothers now filed for Chapter 11, and insurance giant AIG is on the brink...

OH NO! THE SKY IS FALLING!

Ummm... not really. The market is shaking itself out like it always does when it's gotten too big for it's britches. Like the Dot Com Bubble, the Gold Bubble, the Housing Bubble, and now the Oil Bubble. Oil has now dropped well below $100 per barrel, settling today at $91.15 (the lowest since early February). And with the effects of the "Drill Here, Drill Now" about to kick in soon, that means even lower prices in the market. Some are actually complaining that it's a "bad" thing that oil prices are dropping, and that the value of the dollar is increasing against the Euro.

Sorry... these are GOOD things. A strong dollar, with low fuel costs, less dependence on foreign oil, an increase in jobs due to the domestic energy boom that's soon to start, plus more manufacturing jobs due to the increase in border security and crackdown in illegal immigration, and housing prices getting back to normal, combined with overpriced stocks getting corrected, failed corporations either correcting themselves via reorganization, bankruptcy, buyout or folding up tent, and a more effective federal oversight (without burdensome over-regulation or an automatic overly aggressive Fed bailout) is - repeat after me - "A GOOD THING!"

No need to panic, people. They ain't panicking on Wall Street. They did for one day. Then cooler heads prevailed once they stepped back and assessed the situation with clearer eyes and a broad overview.

The only people who actually WANT to see the markets crash, and who consider this a "good" thing in a perverse sort of way are the MSM and The Obamessiah. Now THAT should cause you concern.

Lawyer Candidates... since 1980

Here's something I did not know. I found this info from another blog site last week. I, for the life of me, cannot remember which one it was, and I need to verify this. But it appears to be true that...

Since 1980, the only Republican candidate for either President or Vice President who was a lawyer or who attended law school was Bob Dole in 1996.

1980 - Reagan/Bush Sr.
1984 - Reagan/Bush Sr.
1988 - Bush Sr./Quayle
1992 - Bush Sr./Quayle
1996 - Dole*/Kemp
2000 - Bush Jr./Cheney
2004 - Bush Jr./Cheney
2008 - McCain/Palin

Since 1980, the only Democratic candidate for either President or Vice President who was NOT a lawyer or who did NOT attended law school was Jimmy Carter in 1980.

1980 - Carter*/Mondale
1984 - Mondale/Ferraro
1988 - Dukakis/Benson
1992 - Clinton/Gore
1996 - Clinton/Gore
2000 - Gore/Liebermann
2004 - Kerry/Edwards
2008 - Obama/Biden


Kinda says it all, doesn't it?

NEVER FORGET!!!

Voting Campaign for Catholics...

(Major hat-tip to West Coast Catholic who found this on American Papist's site who got it from CatholicVote.com)

Oil Approaching $100/barrel...

That's right. What was once a high of $147/barrel in mid-July, the price of a barrel of oil today on the open market is down to $103/barrel and is close to breaking below the $100 mark. If Hurricane Ike causes no major disruption in the Gulf, I'd expect the price to continue to drop even further.

As I've said before, there were two major forces affects the price of oil in recent years: speculators (see here) and OPEC & supplying nations unfriendly to the U.S. (see here).

Well, it seems that OPEC is trying to stave off the drop in oil prices by cutting off supply, while propping up Iran and Venezuela. Surprise, surprise, surprise.

On another note, if the July 11 price of oil was $147/barrel, with the national gas price at $4.11/gallon (and in my area of California is settled at $4.65/gallon), then given that the current price is now $103/barrel -- that's a reduction of 30% off of the high -- shouldn't that translate to $2.88/gallon nationally and $3.25/gallon for my area?

So, why is the national gas price still at $3.65/gallon? And why is the gas price in my area still $3.77/gallon?

Just wonderin'...

Fannie, Freddie and Barack...

RedState has some detailed posts on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac situation.

Post 1

Post 2

Post 3

Post 4

Post 5

But Flopping Aces has an even more interesting post about those two institutions, and political donations to certain candidates. Very interesting to see who comes in #2, 3 and 4 (details are here).

Of "the Bomb", the "Nitally Lions", the "57 States", and other fun things...

(UPDATED)

The Obamessiah was near Penn State University, in which he praised the "Nitally Lions":


You know, the Nitally Lions of NPSU - New Penn State University - as in "New Pennsylvania":


Which is probably one of those "57 states" that he visited throughout the primaries:


It was in one of those extra states that he was able to "see" dead people, some of "our fallen heroes":


I'm sure they were the non-surviving survivors of "the bomb" that fell on Pearl Harbor. You know, "the bomb"... that one bomb?:


Then, of course, you have the 10,000 people who died in the Kansas tornado earlier this year:

Umm, Mr. Obama... actually, it was just 12 people who died.

Now, you must remember that The Obamessiah has been known to stretch the truth a bit. Like, when he stated that, “There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born.”:

The problem, though, is that Obama was born in 1961. The Selma march took place in 1965.

But you must remember, too, that this is the guy who said, "I can no more disown [Rev. Wright] than I could disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I could disown my white grandmother." And then just 10 days later he does just that:


You'll notice that he suddenly is using a bunch of flags as a backdrop for that speech in Philadelphia, even though he had no problem disrespecting both flag and country by refusing to wear a flag lapel pin or to pledge allegiance to the flag during the primaries:


So, just remember that this is also the guy who claims that we simple people just "get bitter and they cling to guns or religion or antipathy towards people who aren't like them.":


And, of course, we all know his answer to the question, "At what point does a baby get human rights?":


Yes, yes... it's a mad world when someone who not only voted against but also actively fought against the Baby Born Alive Act is a viable nominee for President of the United States:




Bumper sticker can be purchased here (FYI: it's not me selling it.)

Celebrating...

... the 6th Anniversary of my 39th Birthday..................... by going to work.

C'est la vie!

Uh-oh... Now Biden Has Stepped In It.

UPDATED

Will they EVER learn?

The Catholic Senator from Delaware (and Democrat VP candidate) Joe Biden has opened his mouth and stuck both feet in it while being interviewed by Tom Brokaw on this morning's "Meet The Press" regarding the issue of abortion. He's just following in the footsteps of fellow Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who's also Catholic and is the current Speaker of the House of Representatives - who placed both her feet into her own mouth on the same program about the same issue just two weeks prior.

Insight Scoop has the rundown. So does American Papist and Father Z. All three are well worth reading.

Maybe in two weeks Tom Brokaw will interview the former NYC Mayor, Republican & Catholic Rudy Giuliani, and go for the trifecta. Maybe two weeks after that he can interview former PA Governor Tom Ridge. Then he can have on squishy PA Junior Senator Bob Casey Jr. after that. And then Senator John Kerry. And then Senator Ted Kennedy. And then........

*SIGH*

Well, I know fellow Catholics Senator Sam Brownback and former Senator Rick Santorum will at least get it right. Bobby Jindal and Michael Steele, as well.

Hodge Podge of Political Story Links...

UPDATED:

The Obamessiah's "Community Organizer" credentials are here.

Where The Obamessiah stands on the issues here.

The One's point-man for going after Palin, Howard Gutman, is (get this, now) the defense attorney for Bill Ayer's Weather Underground terrorists/killers.

Democrats at their convention trash the American flags. The McCain/Palin camp have rescued those flags to be used at a Colorado Springs rally.

McCain Haters for McCain here.

Michael Reagan sees his Dad in Sarah Palin here.

And, it's official, more people watched John McCain's acceptance speech than The Obamessiah's. The numbers are in, with two fewer channels airing the speech. Numbers also do not include PBS (just as before), which uses a different tallying method. UPDATE: The PBS numbers are in, and McCain & Obama tied in the ratings, including the PBS numbers, with each getting 42.4 million viewers. For the entire convention, though, the RNC's 3-Day convention averaged 34.5 million viewers while the DNC's 4-Day convention averaged just 30.2 million viewers.

Sarah Palin's full text of her speech. There is the full speech in video, as well as video highlights on the same page as the text.

John McCain's full text of his speech.

The full one-hour speech in video is here below:



The key moment of McCain's speech was the end, with the following text (emphasis mine):

On an October morning, in the Gulf of Tonkin, I prepared for my 23rd mission over North Vietnam. I hadn't any worry I wouldn't come back safe and sound. I thought I was tougher than anyone. I was pretty independent then, too. I liked to bend a few rules, and pick a few fights for the fun of it. But I did it for my own pleasure; my own pride. I didn't think there was a cause more important than me.

Then I found myself falling toward the middle of a small lake in the city of Hanoi, with two broken arms, a broken leg, and an angry crowd waiting to greet me. I was dumped in a dark cell, and left to die. I didn't feel so tough anymore. When they discovered my father was an admiral, they took me to a hospital. They couldn't set my bones properly, so they just slapped a cast on me. When I didn't get better, and was down to about a hundred pounds, they put me in a cell with two other Americans. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even feed myself. They did it for me. I was beginning to learn the limits of my selfish independence. Those men saved my life.

I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me. I knew why. If I went home, they would use it as propaganda to demoralize my fellow prisoners. Our Code said we could only go home in the order of our capture, and there were men who had been shot down before me. I thought about it, though. I wasn't in great shape, and I missed everything about America. But I turned it down.

A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did. I'd been mistreated before, but not as badly as others. I always liked to strut a little after I'd been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me.

When they brought me back to my cell, I was hurt and ashamed, and I didn't know how I could face my fellow prisoners. The good man in the cell next door, my friend, Bob Craner, saved me. Through taps on a wall he told me I had fought as hard as I could. No man can always stand alone. And then he told me to get back up and fight again for our country and for the men I had the honor to serve with. Because every day they fought for me.

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.

I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what's right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God Bless you.

A great commentary on John McCain's "... and they broke me" moment in the speech.

Enjoy the links!

R.I.P. "In A World..."

Don LaFontaine, one of the all-time great movie trailer voice-over guys, past away (is that "past away" or "passed away"???) this week. In memory of the great Don, Ace has posted this YouTube clip. So, let me "invite you" to watch:

Now, Can McCain Close the Deal?...

TBD after his acceptance speech tonight.

UPDATE: He did what he needed to do. He contrasted himself as a wise, humble and proven servant versus the arrogant, self-anointed empty suit. He left most of the red meat for last night. This was the after-dinner kitchen table discussion. His intent was to continue to draw in the fence-sitting moderates/centrists/independents as well as the disaffected PUMAs. The rousing ending was pitch-perfect.

I may not agree with him on some key issues, but he's reassured me of his core. Although I'm not one of those moderates/centrists, I was on the fence up until last week because I'm a strong social and fiscal conservative. His choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, and her introduction last Friday, and especially her speech last night, basically brought me back off of the fence. I just needed to see and hear McCain present himself tonight to allay any remaining trepidation on my part.

I was NEVER going to vote for The Obamessiah.

I can now PROUDLY pull the lever for McCain/Palin.

The next two months will be very interesting and entertaining. And, with the likes of Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Michael Steele, Mike Pence, John Shadegg, Jeff Flake, Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint and others, the future looks very bright.

Category 6 Storm Makes Landfall, Wreaks Havoc...

Hurricane Sarah caught the mainstream media and the rabid left wing all flatfooted as what they thought would be just a brief summer shower turned out to be a major broadside to their political establishment. Tropical Storm Rudy cleared the way for Hurricane Sarah - a rare Cat 6 storm of epic proportions - to just rip to shreds the Democratic strongholds, leaving nothing but liberal wreckage in her wake.

She made landfall last Friday morning in Ohio, and moved her way through Pennsylvania and Missouri. The media was convinced that she would soon fizzle out, but instead she just built up steam and charged her way into Minnesota leaving everyone stunned. It's looking like Hurricane Sarah will be roaring through all the states for the next two months, at least, without losing strength.

Storm warning officials are urging that, in their own best interests, all left wing pundits and liberal pontificators are best to run for cover before they get caught up in the eye of this fresh and growing mother of a storm.

***THIS HAS BEEN A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT***


UPDATE: Great, great line from John Hawkins over @ RWN:

"Palin tried to do 3 things with the speech: build up her own resume, push John McCain, and hammer the hell out of Obama. To say she hit a home run at those three tasks is an understatement. Palin delivered a called shot, with the bases loaded, that went out of the park, across the street, crashed through the window of the Obama campaign headquarters, and rolled right up to the empty suit running the operation."

UPDATE #2A: Palin drew an astounding 37.2 million TV viewers last night! Just shy of the record 38 million that The Obamessiah drew for his acceptance speech last week. Her speech was broadcast on only 6 networks, while The Obamessiah's was shown on 10. Yet, Palin outdrew The One with Hispanics, despite the fact that Spanish-language networks Univision and Telemundo did not broadcast her speech.

UPDATE #2B: It appears that those ratings do not include PBS nor CSPAN totals. The PBS rating for Palin was an additional 3.9 (Obama had a 4.0). No word on the CSPAN numbers and cable/satellite TV's dedicated DNC & RNC channels. That means that Sarah Palin had more than 41 million viewers Wednesday night!

Panic, Desperation, Hypocrisy, Hatred...

These are the four words that describe the mainstream media and the radical left.

UPDATE: (Via HotAir)
Patterico has details on the vetting process and why the press is in such a snit.

And now for something completely different...

It was dreary, cloudy weather for two of the three days this past holiday weekend. But at least I got some sun, sand, ocean and melanin enhancement on Saturday afternoon.

Just getting over a cold and sore throat (pain the the a**).

Went to go see "Henry Poole Is Here" (with Luke Wilson) at the movie theater. A nice, funny yet heartwarming story on faith and tragedy, though I think they could have tweaked the ending a bit.

I also rented the movie "Cashback" on DVD (a cleverly done little indy film from England).

And I'm reading a great book titled, "What's the Matter With California?" by Jack Cashill.

That's about it.

Oh, yeah... and I turn 39 for the seventh time next week. (woo-hoo!)

The "Punishment" Dichotomy...

(Both Ace and Creative Minority Report post the same response to the news.)

To quote CMR, "'Nuff said."

Rumor is going around that - even though The Obamessiah has denied that his campaign had anything to do with the pushing on the story, would fire anyone who was involved, and has laid claim that family members are and should be off-limits on both sides - there may be evidence that this political scum-bagging may in fact have BO campaign fingerprints all over it. As Drudge would say, "... developing..."

UPDATE: John @ RWN has a concise 7-point post.

UPDATE #2: Michelle Malkin has a post with a great graphic that says it all.

Alaska & National Security...

(Hat-tips to Paragraph Farmer and Wizbang)

BlackFive has a nice little "I did not know that" post about the vital role Alaska and it's governor play in our country's national security:

Alaska is the first line of defense in our missile interceptor defense system. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion of the Alaska National Guard is the unit that protects the entire nation from ballistic missile attacks. It’s on permanent active duty, unlike other Guard units.

As governor of Alaska, Palin is briefed on highly classified military issues, homeland security, and counterterrorism.

It continues:

She's also the commander in chief of the Alaska State Defense Force (ASDF), a federally recognized militia incorporated into Homeland Security's counterterrorism plans.

Palin is privy to military and intelligence secrets that are vital to the entire country's defense. Given Alaska's proximity to Russia, she may have security clearances we don't even know about.

Re: Backlash to Pelosi's Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome...

UPDATED

I'm sure many of you are well aware of Nancy Pelosi putting her foot in her mouth a week or two ago on Meet The Press, when she claimed to be an "ardent, practicing Catholic" then went on to espouse deeply flawed and completely inaccurate historical Church theology to support her position on abortion. Add to that the Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden who is also Catholic, yet is also pro-abortion.

You all can find much better commentary throughout the web on the issue and the resultant backlash (Whispers in the Loggia, Fr. Z, West Coast Catholic, Jimmy Akin, Insight Scoop, First Things, Amy Welborn, Catholic Minority Report, among others - see my links in the left column). I've lost count on how many bishops have spoken out (sometimes quite forcefully, and with much clarity) about the absolute nonsense Pelosi claimed, the danger that it poses, and also laid out the unvarnished and clear truth about the Church's 2000-year position and teaching on this crucial issue on life.

The list of Bishops includes (from Fr. Z's site):

Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Conley of Denver
Cardinal Egan of New York (probably the strongest statement)
Archbishop Donald Weurl of Washington D.C.
Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, CT on behalf of the USCCB (on USCCB homepage)
Bishop Sheridan of Colorado Springs
Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh (on homepage)
Archbishop Neinstadt of St. Paul, MN (on homepage)
Archbishop Gomez and Bishop Contu of San Antonio, TX (on homepage)
Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, ND
Bishop Farell of Dallas, TX
Bishop Murphy of Rockville Centre (Long Island)
Bishop Listecki of LaCrosse, WI NEW (added Aug 30)

Add to that Burke (now in Rome, formerly of St. Louis)

Seems B16's visit to the U.S. in April, and his "instruction" to the bishops, is starting to have an affect. For some, at least. SF Archbishop Niederauer (diocese that covers Pelosi's district) is supposedly issuing a statement on Sept. 5. (???) LA Cardinal Mahony hasn't said "boo". Neither has Wilmington, DE, Bishop Malooly (diocese that covers Biden's residence).


FYI: The Didache (DID-ah-KAY) is a brief and concise 16 chapter document on the norms and practices of the early Christian/Catholic Church and community. It's known as "The Doctorine of the 12 Apostles" and was written during the first century:

"For convenience the contents may be divided into three parts: the first is the "Two Ways", the Way of Life and the Way of Death; the second part is a rituale dealing with baptism, fasting, and Holy Communion; the third speaks of the ministry. Doctrinal teaching is presupposed, and none is imparted."

In Chapter 2 is this clear sentence, in Latin:

"You shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is begotten."

Can't get any clearer than that. For even more detailed and voluminous clarity from early Church History on the issue, read this post.

UPDATED LIST of Bishop's who've spoken out against Pelosi (as of 9/5).

Schwarzenegger Out, Fred In!

With failing CA Governor AH-nold Schwarzenegger (I voted for McClintock in the special election four years ago) struggling in office to pass a state budget, he's staying put and will not be at the RNC Convention next week. In his place to give the prime time speech on Tuesday night is... Fred Thompson!

Awesome.

One RINO-squish gone; one True Conservative in the spotlight.

UPDATE: Looks like the RNC is cutting Day 1 (Monday) to just the essentials. No speeches or big hoopla. With Hurricane Gustav roaring up the Gulf, and six major speakers staying put to deal with any potential storm issues (FL-Gov Crist, AL-Gov Riley, MS-Gov Barbour, LA-Gov Jindal, TX-Gov Perry, plus Pres. Bush and VP Cheney also heading to the area).

The Classy First Response from The Obamessiah Campaign...

After McCain made & broadcast a genuine and sincere video congratulating The Obamessiah on his historic accomplishment, and after McCain officially announced and introduced Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, this is the first thing that The Obamessiah campaign had to say about her:

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies - that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same," said Bill Burton, Obama campaign spokesman.

Classy, huh?

Nevermind that they try to diminish her as "the former mayor of a town of 9,000" (meanwhile, The Obamessiah vocally touts his "community organizer" credentials and his four years as a Senator - less experience than Dan Quayle had, while Palin was City Councilwoman, Mayor, State Ethics Commissioner, and Governor, with more executive experience than Obama, Biden and McCain combined!).

Nevermind that they try to claim her "zero foreign policy experience" (she's the Governor of a state that borders Canada and Russia, meanwhile The Obamessiah has no foreign policy experience of his own).

Nevermind that he states that she'd be " a heartbeat away from the presidency" (meanwhile, The Obamessiah - with less experience - is hoping to actually be the President).

Nevermind that he points a finger at his opponents' "commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade" (meanwhile The Obamessiah is so radiocally to the left of this issue that he forcefully opposed the Baby Born Alive Act four times while in the Illinois state congress).

Nevermind that The One claims that she has an "agenda of Big Oil" (if he'd just look at her record he'd see that she actually went up against Big Oil and the "Good Ol' Boy" network, and fought corruption from all political parties - including her own; The One, though, has his own issues with connections to the likes of unrepentant American terrorist Bill Ayers and convicted felon Tony Rezko).

Nevermind that The Obamessiah charges that the McCain team will "continuing George Bush's failed economic policies" (meanwhile, the economy never gets into a recession, oil prices have dropped 20% since mid-July, GDP grew more than expected, and unemployment remains steady).

Nevermind that they try to make the claim that "that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same" (meanwhile, The Obamessiah picks Joe Biden - actively the fifth longest serving Senator at 36 years, and who started his career as the ultimate D.C. insider when The One was 9 years old).

Nevermind that The Obamessiah doesn't even mention the historic achievement of the second woman to be on a National ticket, just days from the 88th anniversary of women's suffrage, introduced on Palin's 20th wedding anniversary and on McCain's 72nd birthday (meanwhile, McCain praised and congratulated Obama on being the first (half-)African-American to be nominated on the 45th anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. Or that The One and his own Lady MacBeth (Michelle) had such big egos and harbored so much hate of the Original Lady MacBeth (Hillary) to not even consult her on his VP selection, let alone not even pick her as his running mate. Or that The Hildabeast herself was filled with so much ego and disdain of The One that she could never bring herself to accepting yet another "second fiddle" political post).

And they say that Sarah Palin is inexperienced??? To paraphrase a commenter from one of the many blogs covering this whole thing:

"Excuse me... Mr. Pot? Mrs. Kettle is on Line 2."

P.S. Mark Steyn chimes in. Charlie Martin over at American Thinker comments, as well.

UPDATE: Several more commentaries - Over at RWN is a 12-point comment by Morgan Freeberg. Also at RWN is a 25-point comment by Gina Cobb. And RedState has a side-by-side comparison of Palin vs. Obama by Jeff Emanuel (a few minor inaccuracies, but otherwise very good). And the McCain campaign has raised over $7,000,000 since Palin was introduced as his Veep.

Video of Palin's Introductory Speech @ Dayton, OH

Masterfully Played, Mr. McCain... Masterfully Played!

First, McCain launches the following video after Biden gave his acceptance speech:



Then pix got leaked about The Obamessiah's Greek/Roman "Barthenon" backdrop at Mile High Stadium:



Notice that the only times The Obamessiah needs flags (and so many) are when he had to hold that press conference in Philly to distance himself from 20-year spiritual mentor Rev. Jeremiah "G-D America" Wright, and last night in front of the entire universe.

It was supposed to be a mock-up of the White House. Either way, it looked bad because if it's the Barthenon then it perpetuates the whole god-like image, and if it's the White House then it's the height of presumption (just like when he tried to float the faux "Presidential Seal"):



Then McCain pulls one head fake and airs the following ad in the Battleground states (and with the internet, EVERYONE gets to see it):



Which through the Obamessiah campaign off it's game (what, McCain being nice and genuine and congratulatory?).

Then, after the over-inflated empty rhetoric from The Obamessiah last night, all the news outlets were supposed to be gloating and glowing about The One and his "Oratory From On High." Instead? To quote Ross Perot, that "giant sucking sound" is the entire political universe talking about McCain and his mavericky pick as his running mate -- Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin:



* Young (44)
* Female (the first Republican female VP candidate)
* Family Woman (Married with five kids: her oldest about to serve in Iraq, and her youngest has Down Syndrome)
* Career Woman with Executive Experience (Governor 2 years, former Ethics Commissioner, former Mayor, former City Councilwoman)
* Husband works in oil fields and is also a commercial fisherman
* Social Conservative with a Strong Pro-Life & Pro-Family record
* Fiscal Conservative
* Maverick Reformer (taking on corruption in both political parties)
* 80% approval rating in Alaska
* Strong and knowledgeable on oil and energy (active "drill here, drill now" proponent)
* Supporter of 2nd Amendment and lifetime member of the NRA
* Avid hunter, fisher and sportswoman
* Attractive (former runner-up in Miss Alaska contest)
* Intelligent
* Her state borders two countries: Canada and Russia (right across the Bering Strait - crucial in today's foreign policy climate)
* Can hold her own, politically (I can't wait for Joe Biden to do in the VP debate what he inevitably does - stick not just one but both feet into his mouth)

Perfectly played, McCain! Masterfully done!

Let the games begin.

P.S. *cough* I mentioned Palin as a great choice back on July 21.

UPDATE: The college kid who may have been responsible. And his website.

UPDATE #2: John over at RWN has a great post with excerpts from members of the Hillary Clinton Forum. They are flocking to McCain.

P.P.S. I cannot wait for the Biden v. Palin debate. That may be the under-card, but that debate will be THE showdown to watch with a large box o' popcorn.

A Lot of Hot Air...

No, not the speakers at the Democratic Convention (that's a completely different sort of hot air). The hot air I'm talking about is the so-called "alternative energy" scam that's currently blowing through with wind power. RWN had an interesting post that kinda puts things in perspective. I like perspective... goes well with common sense.

"An Inconvenient Penguin" now available as a download!

Back in the spring I posted about my friend's humorous mockumentary, An Inconvenient Penguin. Well, now it's available as a download for PC users on Amazon.com. It's only three bucks to buy this 20 minute short, and if you love watching Al Gore get mocked then this is for you.

Mac users will have to be patient. Downloads for that platform are coming soon.

Chess vs. Poker

RedState has an interesting post regarding the Russia/Georgia situation, in which he challenges Spengler's charge that Russia is playing a Chess match while "stupid" America is playing Monopoly. Streiff counters that what America is play is Poker.

Is McCain About to Royally Screw Up His Chance?...

The following is the most recent McCain internet ad:



This concerns me. Why? Not because he's using Hillary's own words about The Obamessiah to great effect. It's because the ad starts out with the words: "She won millions of votes, but isn't on his ticket."

That may be a tip that on August 29 McCain is going to announce Romney as his running mate. If he doesn't, then Mccain's own ad opens himself up to the same attack. If he does pick Romney, then McCain will lose millions of voters that he's taking for granted. Millions of evangelicals, other Christians, and conservatives.

Including this Catholic conservative!

Romney is nothing but an overly slick Clintonesque politician. A New England/Massachusetts liberal in the general mold of Kennedy, Kerry, Tsongas, Dukakis, and Weld, who only "saw the light" about abortion and his new-found Pro Life stance after he decided to run for President two years ago. Add to that the whole mormon issue and, well......

McCain picks Romney. I vote write-in. And, to quote Rev. Wright, the country be damned if they're too stupid enough to trust either The Obamessiah or The McCainiac. I hope I'm wrong. But this ad is telling me I may be right. And McCain won't know what hit him until it's too late.

And, maybe, that'll cause a groundswell within the huge conservative base of the Republican party to be so outraged about being either fooled or taken advantage of that they'll seriously try to recruit a REAL conservative to run as an unaffiliated independent against BOTH of the major party's candidates -- kinda like a Ross Perot 2.0, but only sane... and with real conservative credentials.

Or, maybe, we could all vote "NO OF THE ABOVE" -- I'm sure it'll get over 50%. Is that enought "change" for you, Obamessiah? Is that "maverick" enough for you, McCainiac? *sigh*

August 29.

Your move, McCain.

The Obamessiah - the gift that keeps on giving...

He actually choose Joe Biden - a political insider/Washington career man: three short years as a lawyer fresh out of law school, then 36 long years in the Senate. No executive experience. No business experience. The only foreign policy experience is while sitting on his butt in congressional committees.

Seems The Obamessiah needed to fill up the foreign policy gravitas jar, especially after the recent events with Russia in Georgia. He could've picked from the likes of Sam Nunn, Wesley Clarke, Jim Webb, Richard Clark, or even Colin Powell. Something tells me they all said no.

Instead, The Obamessiah had to resort to Joe Biden?!? (And don't tell me Ol' Joe wasn't angling this from the get-go... he's one shrewd character.) A guy who's been a harsh critic of The Obamessiah's lack of experience. A guy who tends to go off on tangents and not be able to find his way back on topic. A guy who tends to say the most notoriously politically incorrect things, in the worst way (remember his 7/11 "Indian accent" comment some years back?). A guy who constantly flashes his toothy grin like a used car salesman. A guy with a really bad mean streak (even the lefty media late last night were calling him The Obamessiah's attack dog).

So, he disses the PUMAs by not picking The Hildabeast (she was never going to play second fiddle to him after being in that role all her life behind Billy). He disses them even some more by not picking another female.

He also disses his base because he chooses a career D.C. politician (which doesn't fit too well with the whole youthful "Change" theme).

I may disagree with Hugh Hewitt at times, but there are also times when he is spot-on. Like this morning when he calls Biden the "Cliff Clavin" of D.C. (I'd add, "with a mean streak").

Now all McCain has to do is pick either Palin or Kasich and ride his way into the White House. Sarah Palin would be great because all Biden would need to do is say one snarky thing to her or about her and the media and the women voters will be all over him like a cheap suit. John Kasich is familiar with Biden when he was a congressman, and is so affable and likable that anything Ole Joe says would run off Kasich like water off a duck's back.

NObama '08
KEEP THE CHANGE!

NObama '08
BECAUSE IT'S ABOVE
HIS PAYGRADE

Obama/Biden '08
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

Obama/Biden '08
DUMB & DUMBERER

It's like Christmas in August!!!

UPDATE: Looks like the McCain camp was ready to go on this one. (Hah!)



UPDATE #2: Man, it gets even better and better. They can't even get out of the gate at the introduction rally without both of them making gaffes. First, The Obamessiah introduces Biden as "... the next president...":

(heh)

Then Biden introduces The Obamessiah as "... the next president of the United States, Barack America.":


This truly is Christmas in August!

UPDATE #3: *sigh* And, just like clockwork, Hugh Hewitt starts shilling for Romney again.

The Obamessiah Speaks! (humor)

This has been making the rounds today:



Heh-heh-heh...

Meanwhile, on to much more serious issues regarding The Obamessiah and abortion (hat-tip to RedState).

Speculators?... What Oil Speculators???

A number of people (experts as well as the general public) had sneaking suspicions that a large part of the reason oil prices went through the roof this summer (along with certain foreign countries purposely slowing down supply) is because of speculators messing with the market.

Some other people have been laughing off the idea that speculators were part of the problem. (Hugh Hewitt being one of these people, stating as much on his daily radio program.) They said that it's purely supply and demand (which would normally be the case, but doesn't make sense when market prices triple in less than a few years while global demand hadn't increased anywhere near that level during the same period). They said that "the market" is just doing it's thing and will adjust itself just fine.

Hmmmm.... guess what???

"Regulators had long classified a private Swiss energy conglomerate called Vitol as a trader that primarily helped industrial firms that needed oil to run their businesses.

"But when the Commodity Futures Trading Commission examined Vitol's books last month, it found that the firm was in fact more of a speculator, holding oil contracts as a profit-making investment rather than a means of lining up the actual delivery of fuel. Even more surprising to the commodities markets was the massive size of Vitol's portfolio -- at one point in July, the firm held 11 percent of all the oil contracts on the regulated New York Mercantile Exchange.

"The discovery revealed how an individual financial player had gained enormous sway over the oil market without the knowledge of regulators. Other CFTC data showed that a significant amount of trading activity was concentrated in the hands of just a few speculators."

Read the whole thing.

I like you, Hugh. But sometimes you're all wet. Like you were during the lead-up to the '06 elections. Like you were over the past year as a Romney shill. Like you are now with the oil prices.

Realism and the Beijing Olympics...

ESPN (yes, ESPN) has a wonderfully snarky post about the Chinese government's whitewashed presentation of their society during the Olympics. You've gotta read this.

Should Political Trial Balloons Become an Olympic Event?

It's getting a bit ridiculous now, isn't it. You can't see the sky any more for all the trial balloons floatin' about regarding both party's eventual VP picks. It'll all come out in the wash. (Bad mix of metaphors, there, I know.)

For what it's worth, I'm guessing that some of McCain's balloons will actually be high ranking cabinet members instead (don't mind me... I'm just contributing to the overall Trial Balloon Air Lift Brigade):

Lieberman as Secretary of State

General Petraeus as Secretary of Defense

Meg Whitman as Secretary of Commerce

Mitt Romney at Housing and Urban Development

Rudy Guiliani at Homeland Security

D-John Lewis at Health & Human Services

Charlie Crist as Attorney General

Lindsey Graham at Veteran's Affairs (or on the National Security Council).


That leaves the following offices to be filled: Interior, Agriculture, Labor, Transportation, Energy, Education, plus a few other high-ranking office positions (OMB, EPA, Trade, National Intelligence, etc.). Must mull over this a bit more before I finish out my brackets.

And his VP pick? Though I'm hoping for Palin, I'm guessing Kasich because of the Ohio venue (and I'd be very happy with that).


THE UPDATED UPDATE#1: Regarding The Obamessiah's VP and Cabinet picks? I really don't care. Although, I will say this... his VP pick WON'T be a female, because Hillary refuses to be his underling after being in that post all her life next to Bill. And for him to choose some other female to be his VP will make all the "wymyn" Hillary supporters' heads explode. Smart money is on Evan Bayh, but that'd be assuming that The Obamessiah is smart enough not to shoot himself in the foot. And we ALL know what the definition of the word "ASS-U-ME" is, don't we? Virginia governor Tim Kaine is the other possibility.

THE UPDATED UPDATE #2: RedState has a post with the Republican Convention speaker line-up.

People on the list (who were all on the trial balloon list at one time or other): Palin, Jindal, Steele, Fred Thompson, Lieberman, Ridge, Romney, Huckabee, Guiliani, Whitman, Fiorina, Pawlenty, Crist, Brownback, and Mel Martinez.

Who's NOT on that list? John Kasick (former Ohio Congressman), Mark Sanford (Governor of South Carolina, Episcopalian, 92% lifetime rating with American Conservative Union), Bill Owens (former two-term Governor of Colorado, Roman Catholic, recently going through a divorce), Linsey Graham (Senator from South Carolina, close McCain friend and major RINO-squish), Eric Cantor (Virginia Congressman, Jewish). You can also add fellow Ohioans... Ohioites... Ohio-ohs... hmmm... political guys who are from Ohio: Rob Portman and Ken Blackwell.

Tom Barnes Radio Interview on Tues., Aug 19

Last month I posted about Tom Barnes and his new book on "Casablanca" movie trivia. Well, He's going to be interviewed this Tuesday, Aug 19, on the Reel Talk Movie Reviews program on Blog Talk Radio.

There seems to be a little confusion about the time. I received an email stating that it was to be @ 1:00 PM Pacific, but the website (here) states that it'll be at 8:00 PM (unsure what time zone). It's possible that they are recording the program early, and then will edit and broadcast it later that evening.

So, check in at both time slots and give a listen! Sounds like it'll be a lot of fun.


UPDATE & BUMP: The BlogTalkRadio interview can be listened to here.

Post#500 - The DMV...

I was utterly shocked last week when I went to my local DMV to re-up my driver's license (including getting the proverbial mug-shot).

My appointment was scheduled for 9:10 AM.

I arrived 20 minutes early.

I kid you not... I walked out of there at exactly 9:12 AM!!!

SEE, GOD DOES EXIST! IT'S A FRIGGIN' MIRACLE!

McCain to announce VP running mate on August 29

Well, it looks like McCain is going to announce his running mate on August 29 as party of a birthday party/campaign rally. This will be immediately after the Democratic Convention in Denver (which itself begins immediately after the Olympics).

The place where McCain will make his announcement?

OHIO

Could this be a tip-off that the VP slot will go to.......... former Ohio Representative John Kasich???

"Above My Pay Grade"

(Major hat-tip to Southern Appeal)



Meanwhile, Captain Ed is in rare form about the whole content of The Obamessiah's comments on abortion yesterday.

The "Purpose Driven" Debate...

Five things of note about yesterday's "debate" (actually, more of a 1-on-1 interview) with Rick Warren, wherein both candidates got asked the same questions. With a coin flip, The Obamessiah went first while McCain went into an isolation area so that he would not be privy to the questions ahead of time.

1) Take the Obamessiah off-script and away from the TelePromptr and what you get is a lot of "umm... uhhh... yah know... hmmm... ahh...".

2) McCain, for all his faults, has definite command of the issues. It's an overused phrase but, yes, he's got "Gravitas" (with a Capital-G). The Obamessiah pales by comparison.

3) The Obamessiah's near slip-up when asked "Which existing Supreme Court Justice would you not have nominated." The Obamessiah says Clarence Thomas, and then he says:

“I don’t think that he was exp– a strong enough jurist or legal thinker at the time.”

Hmm... you don't think that Thomas was experienced enough for the position, Barrack O'Baby??? Is THAT what you were about to say? (heheheheheh)

4) The Obamessiah's response to the question, "At what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?":

"Whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity is, you know, above my pay grade."

Above your paygrade, huh? And you want to be President of the United States???

5) On the question as to which three people he would consult, McCain responded with General Petraeus (Great! Probably Sec. Def. or Sec. State in a McCain administration), Democrat-GA Congressman John Lewis (An interesting, across-the-aisle, choice.), and former EBay CEO Meg Whitman.

That last name is another VP trial balloon (I can spot them a mile away), so I did some digging. Whitman was behind the Romney campaign. Once Romney bailed out, McCain picked her up as Co-chair of his campaign. If (and that's a big if) she's Mormon just like Romney, that could potentially be a big problem for McCain among some Christians (especially Evangelicals). I haven't been able to find anything about her religious affiliation, other than a brief mention in a year-old article that she along with a few other members of Romney's campaign staff were "non-Mormon". I have yet to find much else on this point, and I don't know how valid that reference is.

Secondly, although she's contributed financially to both Democrats and Republicans in the past, the vast majority of her contributions have been to Republicans. Still, though she's contributed to the likes of George Allen, James Sensenbrenner, and Charles Pickering, she's also contributed to the likes of liberal Republican Olympia Snowe, and Democrats Maria Cantwell (?), John Kerry (??), and Barbara Boxer (???). Rumor has been going around that Whitman may also have her sites on the 2010 California Governor's race.

Finally (and this is the big one), while Whitman was CEO of EBay, there was a major dust-up about an auction on the site back in 2005 when a non-Catholic Iowan tried to sell a Eucharist Host. Archbishop Chaput sent a letter to Whitman to have the auction removed. The initial response wasn't up to snuff, but eventually EBay did remove the auction. This could be a BIG problem for McCain from Catholics if he chooses her for VP.

Another name that's been floated about is former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. Don't know much about her, either. NOTE TO McCAIN: If you want a strong, successful, conservative woman on your ticket you can choose... oh, I don't know... maybe... Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska? At least she has some political experience and also fills most of the social and fiscal conservative bona fides.

1978 Address by Alexander Solzhenitsyn...

This has been posted by quite a few blogs since the very recent passing of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. This link is the text of an address given at Harvard by exiled Russian poet and novelist Solzhenitsyn in June of 1978. It’s a long but insightful read. Things to keep in mind while reading the text are (a) his references to the “West” encompasses all of western society, including western Europe, and (b) the state of the U.S. internal economy and its external affairs – both weakened at that time, and soon to get worse (double-digit inflation & unemployment, long gas lines, the recent retreat from Vietnam, and the soon to occur Iranian hostage crisis) – and well as it’s cultural decline.

It is no accident that the current events in Georgia by Russia are occurring shortly after Solzhenitsyn’s passing, and during a distracting Olympic event (being held in communist China, displaying it's military-like precision and unity during the opening ceremonies), and after a long hard-fought battle by the west against terrorists abroad in which significant segments of the west have weakened it’s resolve to combat said evil terrorist regimes and their supporters.

Now I know why Solzhenitsyn’s name is often placed along side Reagan, Thatcher and Pope John Paul II as the key influential figures in the eventual (but apparently not permanent) downfall of the former Soviet Union — Solzhenitsyn internally, Reagan & Thatcher externally, and JPII spiritually.

Be prepared to have your eyes opened!

Russia Threatens...

This does NOT bode well at all.

Meanwhile, while John McCain is actively involved on this escalating situation, what's the Obamessiah doing?

God Bless Women's Beach Volleyball!

I repeat... God Bless Women's Beach Volleyball!

That is all.

WalMart Follow-up...

Last month I posted my little soapbox rant about a door-to-door petition going around my neck of the woods regarding the potential arrival of a WalMart in town.

Well, last Friday's local newspaper had an article stating that the petitioners have garnered enough signatures to put the proposition on the November ballot. So I revisited my post, did a little editing and revising, and sent at as a "Letter to the Editor". After not seeing my letter posted by Wednesday morning, I thought that it wasn't going to get published.

Then I opened up TODAY'S paper. Not only did they publish my letter (practically verbatim), but they placed it above the fold as a commentary in the Op-Ed section with a full headline and byline! (Holy S***!)

Then, while I was in the bathroom shaving, I get a phone call this morning from a woman who read my letter in the paper and wanted to personally thank me for expressing the views which she also shared.

Yeah... I felt good this morning. But I ain't gonna let it go to my head.

Nephew Update...

Last month I posted about two of my nephews. The older nephew went through the heart procedure last week. The doctors are confident that the situation is now rectified, and he should not experience any symptoms in the future. He was back home after a couple days, and he's already back to work.

I want to thank all of you who offered up prayers! Again, it was much appreciated.

Edwardian Fall From Grace...

I'm not going to comment on the whole John Edwards political meltdown. It'd just be too easy. I'm not gonna kick him when he's down. My concern is for his children and, most especially, his wife who has been battling cancer over recent years. They deserve much better than this from their dad/husband.

In general, I always saw Edwards as nothing but a a two-bit, lightweight politician/ambulance-chasing lawyer/hack. I'll never forget eight years ago during the VP debate between Edwards and Cheney, sitting down at a table with the moderator, going through all of the key issues. Cheney came across as the wise elder with total command of the issues, while Edwards came off as an inexperienced little kid.

The moment - the key moment -- of that entire debate came when John Edwards actually wiped his nose with the sleeve of his suit jacket, right there live on TV for all of America to see. I still remember that moment as I said out loud at the time, "Wow. I don't believe he just did that." It was at that point that I said to myself that that was the turning point of the election.

I wasn't a supporter of Bush in the 2000 primary, and his choice of VP was very important to me before I decided to cast my vote for him in the 2000 main election. When he chose Cheney it sealed the deal for me, and I "pulled the lever" for Bush/Cheney instead of voting third party or doing a write-in.

Kasparov Speaks Out On Russian Invasion of Georgia...

Opposition Party leader Garry Kasparov speaks out against the Medvedev/Putin regime's military attack and invasion of northern Georgia. This act of war (that's what it is) will not end soon, nor well.

It's time to take a shower...

... a Meteor Shower!

It's that time again for the annual displays of God's own fireworks show, the Perseid Meteor Shower. The peak time to look for them is very early Tuesday morning (after the moon sets at about 2:00 AM). So stay up late on Monday night and, if the sky is clear, go outside and look up in the Northeastern portion of the sky. Expect to see as many as 50-80 per hour (depending on the amount of "light noise" in your area).

First The Good News...

Oil prices are now at $114/barrel (down $33 from it's July 11 high of $147). Is this the bubble bursting (just like the current housing bubble and the previous tech bubble)?

Now The Bad News...

Russia has attacked Georgia ("their" Georgia, not our Georgia). With the tensions there, and also with China, add North Korea, and the Iran/Israel situation that's soon to escalate... this is not boding well.

Fox News' Neil Cavuto interviewed on ABC...

(Hat-tip to Newsbusters)

Fox Business anchor and managing editor Neil Cavuto was on ABC's "Good Morning America" with Diane Sawyer. It's a fascinating little interview that's worth a read.

Near the end of the interview Neil mentions his recent battle with MS (Multiple Sclerosis). One of my sisters has been living with MS for nearly 30 years, thankfully doing relatively better than many others who are not as fortunate.

The ultimate hotfoot...

Puzzling "hot spot" in Fillmore section of Ventura County, CA, that has ground temperatures reaching 800 degrees.

I'm Back!....

Tons of internet problems this weekend; from Blogger's 2-day server issues, to Sitemeter's issues, to my own ISP's mail server and internet server issues. Trying to browser (let alone, post on) the internet this weekend was like swimming in a pool of honey (very slow and sticky, but certainly not as sweet).

UPDATE: Creative Minority Report has a funny post on the recent blogosphere woes.


I just wanted to link to a few really good posts (hat-tip's to Paragraph Farmer and RedState).

This is a lengthy, two-page article about film director/producer David Zucker (of "Naked Gun" and "Airplane!" fame), his new comedy "An American Carol", and the current political climate in Hollywood that he and many other actors and filmmakers have to contend with on a regular basis.

Actor Jon Voight has an Op-Ed in The Washington Times (also a good read).

And Charles Krauthammer has a little message for Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the issue of oil.

The Obamessiah... The One... The Choosen One...

McCain's latest web ad ("The One"):


Gerard Baker of The London Times makes the mock pronouncement from on high (heh!):


To quote The Gore-acle, "Devastating!"

Glenn Beck's still lookin'... and so am I...

Glenn Beck seems to be spot-on with his commentary about this year's presidential election.

Meanwhile, John Hawkins over at RWN has a new TownHall commentary listing the Top 10 Reasons why not to vote for The Obamessiah.

In other words...