20051130

Dubyah says it will take time

Dubyah says it will take time.

OK, Dubyah. Stay the course. You led us into this mess and your leadership says "stay the course".

I do not think there were many of us Americans, even the minority that were on your side, who agreed to "staying the course" indefinitely. Just what portion of America is going to have to keep shouldering the burden for the course you have laid out for us? I can guarantee you none who reside at the Dubyah address or who curry up for his favor are making the sacrifices.

Too many of us Americans make the sacrifices while "all the others" reap the benefits. Amongst those not sacrificing but reaping the most benefits are those who contributed most deeply to the continuation of the Dubyah administration. People that voted for you and support you pay with dead children but others who's children do not serve are rewarded with rich profits.

Dubyah, you have three more years. You led us in (you who was not willing to serve yourself, nor was your vice-president) now you lead us out. When you led us in you painted rosy scenarios about how easy it would be. Maybe if you had served a lick of time in Vietnam you would have understood war is never easy. But you placed the rose colored glasses upon America's eyes. You are the one who squandered pro-American opinion where even French headlines declared "We are ALL Americans" to where French people now will be willing to wipe us off their shoes like so much dog excrement. You wasted the chance.

But now we have to deal with where you led us. THREE MORE YEARS. That is all you have to salvage your legacy. THREE MORE YEARS is all you have left to lead us. If you can not accomplish it in three years the next guy (or gal) is going to lead us elsewhere. My own judgement is still going to be that you squandered the opportunity. You were dealt the straight flush but found a way to fold the hand.

THREE MORE YEARS is what you have. You led us in while saying it would be easy. Now show us you can lead when the going gets rough. Show us how we should sacrifice while none of the sacrifices falls upon your shoulders. Show us. You have THREE YEARS. Or start admitting you were wrong and start admitting some other voices to a seat at the table.

Three years might seem like a lifetime. To many people it will be. Get my point?

Britain prepares to cut and run

Britain prepares to cut and run. (see here)

We're being readied for the withdrawal of British forces from the Iraqi theatre. See the above link.

The Iraqi President says Britain can withdraw by the end of 2006 but America should remain to avoid a civil war. Has anyone ever heard about troop redeployments? If the area that Britain occupies is pacified then they can not redeploy to other hot areas and give us Americans a hand?
Let me remind Britain that whilst Churchill was speaking "This is our finest hour" it was America that came riding to the rescue like the Calvary. Not trying to belittle the awesome behavior of Britain during WWII, that is fact. But us Americans did play at least a minor role in the final victory as well.

But now they want to cut and run on us. They will just find a "British" gentlemanly way to do it. At least when the Spanish slapped us in the face they did it up front.

In my opinion the Iraqis are all in this together. While the occupation continues in Sunni dominated areas it should also continue in Shiite dominated areas. If the Shiites do not like the occupation start listening to the Sunnis. Once things improve for the Shiites they should also improve for the Sunnis. If Shiite areas are "pacified" then Britain only has a desirable piece of real estate to patrol. Not that it has been easy for the Brits. They're having to deal with Iranian influence that is leaking across their share of the borders.

Our goal is not to make Iraq safe for Iranian influence while we suppress only Sunnis. Iraqi President Talabani claims he wants to avoid a civil war. Withdrawal of British forces prior to the withdrawal of American forces is not desirable. I can not be completely sure of what Dubyah's motivation in this war is but I can be sure of mine. I can not be completely sure of Tony Blair's motivation in this war but again I can be sure of mine. My goal is a stable Iraq. My goal is not for an excuse for British forces to cut and run and leave my forces holding the bag.

Why if things are going so rosy in Shiite dominated areas are we talking about complete British withdrawal? Why isn't the topic redeployment? I think the answer is called cut and run.

Hillary is at it again

Hillary is at it again.

However this time she gets kudos from me. I have been screaming at her to show some leadership and now at least she is trying to do it. It would be hypocritical of me to scream "Show some leadership" and then not allow her a seat at the table when she tries to express her opinion. She just has to be reasonable with where she tries to lead or I will try to shout her down.

But Hillary, this time, is being reasonable. I might not entirely agree with her but she is at least proposing a way forward. What is she saying? She is saying we wait until after elections in Iraq and then start to say to the Iraqis it is time for them to step up to the plate and start becoming responsible for their own security. This in my opinion is not "cut and run" and it does show she has given some thought to this. It takes into account many of the issues. It perhaps (maybe, maybe not) deals with reality more effectively then my own recommendation for action. (Nah, I still think my way is better.)

But I am fearful that Hillary is only trying to prove herself to be, as I read one figure state, an "Iron Lady" like Maggie Thatcher. That she possesses the intestinal fortitude to be Commander In Chief. Or to put it in common terms, get us to say "That lady has some balls". Grin.

If I had the ability I would put her to the test. Lets see if she has what it takes to sit in the Oval Office or if it is all for show. I would pose this question to Hillary: "You're sitting in the Oval Office one morning and suddenly one of your aides rushes in and tells you to turn on CNN. Terrorists have struck in Manhattan, again, this time with a dirty bomb. I am not going to give terrorists ideas, but let's say they it is not just a half block or two, but they figured out how to contaminate 10 square blocks or so for generations to come. Over the next several hours Al Jazeera starts broadcasting a statement from Osama that once again Al Qaeda has struck a blow against the "Great Satan". Everything comes to a stop in America as nearly every American, and in fact nearly everyone in the world, waits to hear what you have to say. You step to the microphone and what do you tell the world? What are your options? What are you going to do?

In my estimation there are a few correct answers to this scenario. If she comes up with one of my correct answers I would know she is for real. There are no "easy" answers. There are no "good" answers. But there are some correct "bad" answers. If she can explain just why her "correct" answer involves some awful truths and how she is going to explain this to the American people I will give her bonus points.

So how about it Hillary? Still think you have what it takes to lead our nation?

20051129

My 2nd link

The second link on my blog goes to "Michael". A self described junior Doctor in Australia who has the guts to say he might be a disturbed mind.

However this man, with at least some medical expertise, has some properties that I describe as valuable. He also possesses a questioning mind. His viewpoint might become valuable if Birdflu becomes a reality.

Visit (here) if you want to know what piqued my interest. The man is telling us the threat from Birdflu is being underplayed. Visit my link to his site if you want to discover some of his viewpoints on world politics. He has an interesting if uneducated viewpoint on world politics. But he is still a youth, he'll learn. But his medical expertise already eclipses anything I will ever know.

Kyoto Protocol wrong for the world

Climate change is again in the headlines. See (here), (here) and (here).

The Kyoto Protocol is wrong for the world.

Dubyah is against the Kyoto Protocol. He is against it because he says he thinks American Business can not afford the cost.

I am against it because it will not solve the problem. It's not just a case of "too little, too late" it is that the net effect is going to be to only move the location of where greenhouse gas emissions occurs.

The Kyoto Protocol puts no emission restrictions on developing countries such as China and India. So what happens if the developed world starts curbing its appetite for fossil fuels? Will that mean less fossil fuels are used?

A few years ago during an economic conference held down in South Africa the developing nations demanded cheap energy. Well under the Kyoto Protocol they will get it. If developed nations throttle back on their demand for oil and coal, the producers of these commodities will start looking for alternative markets. We (the US) will even start looking for alternative markets for our own coal production. (We already export large quantities of coal to China.) The price will probably drop and the new markets will be found in developing countries where there are no restrictions on increased greenhouse gas emissions.

There is no benefit to be achieved from the Kyoto Protocol. Dubyah may have come up with the right answer for the wrong reason but it is still the right answer. If every drop of oil produced is going to end up being burnt anyway... well we might as well burn it up here in the good ole USA.

What should be done? Can anything be done? Yes and it is not that hard. If we can not get the developing world to sign on voluntarily we should force them into compliance. If they insist on developing with fossil fuels as an energy source we slap punitive trade tariffs on their exports (the WTO be damned) or restrict their products from our markets altogether. They can make all the cheap shit they want with fossil fuels as an energy source but we will not buy any of it.

But if we sign onto the Kyoto Protocol we are saying we agree with putting all the burden on the developed world. That even if the developed world were to drop emissions to near zero, well the developing world gets to take our place as the source of emissions. I stand against that shit.

20051128

Free trade?

Is the Dubyah administration in favor of free trade?

If we are going to run down the free trade path I would hope we also demand fair trade.

As reported by Yahoo News (see here) we have a trade imbalance with China of 162 billion which is expected to increase to 200 billion next year. Meanwhile China allowed the value of their currency to rise by 2.1%.

What do we do about this? Well the first step is to balance the budget. If we deny the Chinese the ability to keep rolling their profits into federal treasury bonds they are going to have to look elsewhere into investing their profits. They can either start buying something America produces (like our strong agricultural produce) or they can do something else. As long as they can continue to buy treasury bonds they need do nothing else.

If we balance the budget and force them to do "something else" we can win the game. We can continue to pump dollars into their economy and they will start expanding like a big balloon with all the dollars. What are they going to do with the dollars? They can't keep piling them up in their back yard and building a mountain of them. The minute they release the neck of the balloon the value of their dollar holdings will plummet.

Of course we here in America have to deal with something else. Just how much of America will we allow the Chinese to buy up once we force them to invest in "something else"? The Japanese bought skyscrapers at cloud hugging prices only to find these values plummeting once they left the market and were trying to sell.

Dubyah has us embarked on an ever increasing spiral of increasing trade surplus, increasing government deficit spending, and increasing reliance on foreign funding of government expenditures. This spiral is insanity and it can not go on.

If we balance the federal budget, one way or another these dollars are going to return to us. China will have to find a way to invest the income or watch it waste away. They'll have to start buying American. We might not like it when China buys up GM, but if GM is going to be saved the money has to come from somewhere. American investment is not flowing into GM, it is flowing into China!

Of course us Americans can be as restrictive with our monetary and investment policies as the Chinese are. Fair playing field right?

Balance the federal budget and the Chinese are going to have to start working for a living. They can either return the dollars by buying American or they can explode like a balloon while we continue to pump the dollars in.

Did anyone else notice that during the Clinton administration, when we started to narrow the budget deficit, we were rewarded with increase economic activity and investment? Now I realize some of this was due to the dot.com bubble. But if it wasn't the dot.com bubble it would have been something else. If the federal government wasn't sucking up all the investment dollars (which it started to not do) those investment dollars had to go somewhere.

We can deal with the Chinese. The place to start dealing with them is by balancing the federal budget. Let's stop putting our hand out to them and start demanding they start working for a living.

20051126

Newest update on the toilet seat

Newest update on the toilet seat.

Thanksgiving is come and gone.

Once again my failings have been exposed.

What failings? My wife exposed me. Her birthday came and went without even a birthday present. She had to remind me to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Now don't condemn me too much. My wife knows and understands the deal. I turn her loose with the charge card. Every need or want she feels can be immediately be fulfilled. But her wants are my wants. We both want our kids to make their way through college.

My wife deserves to be showered with diamonds but she keeps her desires in check because we have children in tow. We can't afford both diamonds and college tuition for our kids. But she deserves diamonds.

So call me a wimp. But I have decided I will give her the gift of the toilet seat. If she only asks me to put down the toilet seat? I can't afford to give her diamonds. I can't remember her birthday. Maybe I can give her the gift that counts?

I do not understand why this saint I have for a wife continues to love me. But I do know that the toilet seat is going DOWN from now on. I just hope she continues to be the saint and forgive me when I forget to do it on 3rd and goal! She has got to realize I am STILL only a man. Geez, what does she expect out of me? Grin.

No free pass for Murtha

No free pass for Murtha. I am not giving up on my condemnations of this man.

I will point out that I spoke out against the war. I spoke out because:

1: I felt the mess we ended up getting ourselves into could have ended up being a bigger mess then it actually turned out to be. Thank God I was wrong.

2: We did not have sufficient international support for the endeavor. We had WORLD SUPPORT for Afghanistan. We would have been better off keeping the front lines in Afghanistan with international support then charging off on our own in Iraq.

3: I did not think the American people would have the stomach for the effort in Iraq. We might be powerful but we are not that powerful. We do not want the draft, we love our volunteer Army. We needed all the help we could get and in Iraq the support was not there.

But what was Mr Murtha thinking when he voted for the Iraq war? No free pass for that man. That man lived through Vietnam and the anguish that war caused for our nation. That man had experience.

I would have expected him to learn from that experience. But he did not. If a common truck driver can come to these conclusions (and I only get paid to drive the truck) why did this man come to the conclusions he did? (He's paid to think!) While I was speaking against the war on the CB in truckstops people like him stepped up to the microphone and spoke up for our foolish rush into this endeavor. I had people, who had not served a day in the service, questioning my patriotism and threatening me with bodily harm because I dared question the wisdom of people like Mr Murtha.

While I shouted for constraint at the top of my lungs, people that owned the bullhorn preached war. People in Congress that back then could have listened to people like me thought they knew better. They voted for war.

And now they want to tuck tail. They led us in and now they have no vision for getting us out. What, they thought this was going to be easy? They led us in and now when the going gets rough they want to lead us headlong into retreat?

Lead us into "cut and run" if you want Mr Murtha, decorated Marine that you are, go ahead and lead us there. But this voice is going to speak out now and speak out against you in the future. I will predict this. If we "cut and run" we better get used to it. If we run now we may never stop running.

Hopefully, with some wisdom, we can find a way out of the mess we got ourselves into. We can only hope to clean the mess up as best we can. Mr Murtha wants us to turn our backs on the mess. He helped make the mess. He should have to help clean it up.

Now when should we leave Iraq? When the Iraqi people ask us to. But if them people continue to march to the polls in the face of suicide bombers... if them people are willing to deal with the awful shit we hoisted upon them... and if they continue to ask us to stay? We stay. If they see a way to a better tomorrow with our help? We help.

When they see a way to a better tomorrow with us gone we pack up our bags... and hopefully throw people like Mr Murtha out of office.

I do not care how many pieces of colored ribbon we hung on his chest. He was a good soldier. He was a good Marine while he was saluting. When it came time to lead he failed us. He ran scared against public opinion and he should have seen it coming. As long as that man had the gun in his hand he was a hero. But put once we put him in charge?

Perhaps this is too harsh. He did lead so long so well. But old age is just catching up with him. He's got past the "with age comes wisdom" stage to where age equals befuddlement. I am trying to be kind.

20051125

Black Friday... Good Friday

Black Friday... Good Friday.

Despite how I despise Black Friday I guess I should be grateful. While I would never attempt to wallow around in the bargain seekers my wife got the bargain.

While I would never camp out at the local bargain hooch my wife got up at 03:30 in the morning in the attempt to bring home one of the bargains they advertise. Well she brought home the bacon. Thanks to my wife I am now the proud owner of a 51 inch, wide screen, HDTV ready television. How much did we pay? How much did you pay for yours? Wink, wink, we paid less.

What saddens me is that my wife told me she had run into others that had waited since 09:00 PM the previous night who probably walked away with their desires unfulfilled. My wife arrived at the objective at around 04:30. Doors opened at 05:00. My wife quickly worked her way to the objective. Luckily she fell into just the right line by accident. She was fifth in line for the limited number of wide screen TV's available. By 06:30 I received the phone call to come pick up the booty with my pickup truck.

Not don't get me and my wife wrong. We had the right idea. She set out to sack the treasure chests of the imperialists, but she set out with an agreed agenda. Either she would return home successful or she would return home empty handed, she would not be lured into other purchases if they were sold out. My wife was successful. She came home with a war trophy of a wide screen TV strapped to the back of her pickup truck. What a woman!

Now I get to fantasize about future articles that I will write about how so few stations in my market offer HD signals. Why is it PBS leads the way with their HD signal and the only thing else available seems to be Pay Per View. Why is it? Hmmm?

Black Friday? Well this is the one day I studiously avoid shopping. You won't catch me dead in the check out line. But lucky for me my wife wasn't above the fray. She went and she conquered... and I get to watch my TV on wide screen as a result! I love my wife.

Tort reform

Now for the matter of tort reform.

Them Doctors piss me off. They think they should be allowed an "excuse me I goofed" but the rest of us should be hung out to dry.

Doctors try and blame the legal system on their failings. They should be allowed an "Ooops I goofed, I cut off the right leg when I should have cut off the left." and we are supposed to excuse them.

How about this. How about allowing a truck driver to make a mistake on the highway while he conducts his business? But what? You have run into a truck driver on the highway that is not worthy of understanding? They exist. I am a truck driver and I too will condemn them. But how about you Doctors? Is everyone who plasters the sheepskin on his wall unworthy of condemnation?

How do we separate the sheep from the goats? We make the goats pay. Does the medical system within America have too many goats?

Within America I still think "good" Doctors will be able to make a living. "Good" doctors might be hard to find but they are still out there.

If it is impossible for "good" Doctors to make a living they better start thinking about us "good" truck drivers. We (truck drivers) have to deal with the legal system too. If you want to improve the legal system then improve it for us all.

Drug tests for Doctors

Drug tests for Doctors.

It is about time society in its relentless call for justice starts admitting to the obvious.

If American society is going to call for drug testing of truck drivers (which already is a fact) we better also call for the same from Doctors.

Hey, Doctors are better people then truck drivers aren't they? Have you been reading the news? Seems them Doctors are no better people then ordinary people. They invest in MRI machines and then prescribe MRI tests to enrich themselves. But them "Doctors" are special. Because they are "so learned" they will not fail us.

Ahem. Seems to me the Doctor attempting the surgery with a hangover is as much at fault as the ordinary man attempting to drive a truck with a hangover. There is nothing special about the Doctor that keeps him from being "ordinary". He only has an education and that education is no less valuable then that which (for example) our teachers go through.

Doctors can even prescribe controlled drugs for themselves and partake of them. After partaking of them they can even conduct surgery. A truck driver can not drive a truck without the threat of a drug test but the truckdriver can not prescribe drugs to himself. Is this reasonable? While the threat to public safety from a drug addict putting his truck into gear can not be underplayed, what about the threat from the drug addict taking up surgery?

Every day we hear about how some Doctor failed one patient or another. You hear about this more often then you hear about the evil truck driver. More Americans can attest to the failings of the Doctor then can attest to the failings of the truckdriver. Let's put Doctors to random drug testing just like truck drivers.

Truckdrivers are already subject to drug testing. After we start including Doctors for the sake of public safety we can start debating how we should also include politicians.

Thinking about Cesar Chavez

I've been thinking once again about Cesar Chavez.

Who is Cesar Chavez? He is the present President of Venezuela. This man has made himself into a mover and shaker on the world scene. Go google him if you are unfamiliar with him. I am trying to keep this brief so I will not attempt to educate you on my own.

Before someone attempts to dismiss me as a "left wing liberal" on this subject, let me point out what a self professed "conservative" like Charlie Reese has to say about Cesar Chavez. (see here) Some conservatives will just say Charlie is not a "real conservative" but then I will just laugh. If conservatives are going to abandon intelligent voices like Charlie from their "movement" they are going to be left picking up the pieces of their "movement" within the ghost town their movement has become. Only a third of Americans self identify themselves as conservatives, and if within the minority, retreating, columns you have some wisdom speaking out from the likes of Charlie you better listen up.

Anyway, less of Charlie's opinion and more of my own. (Here) as reported by the Washington Times you will see how Cesar Chavez is attempting to help at least some of America's most needy. While the man might disagree with our government, the leader of this poor, impoverished nation puts out his hand to America's needy.

I am extremely torn by this one. Is he a saint or is he the devil? On one hand America's most needy live in luxury compared to the needy within his own country. I may not have ever visited Venezuela but with my own eyes I have seen the needy within Brazil. Is Chavez a saint to turn his back on his own needy while helping out the (by comparison) fortunate "needy" within America? These "needy" Americans might be considering eating cat food to exist, but at least for them cat food is an option. Down there in South America exists humans who would swab our shoes with their tongues if we would only serve them up a dinner of cat food.

I am hopeful that Mr Chavez will continue to follow that which he professes. That he will allow for democracy. The man is most certainly intelligent. I see within him attempts to exploit his power for good. But I think he is once again headed towards the dead end. He preaches "new socialism for the 21st Centurty". There is some truth to that. But meanwhile he continues to pump oil into the veins of mankind. He will even be willing to do this at a discount for political gain.

Just how many "cat food eating" people in Massachusetts are going to stay warm this winter while just how many homeless are going to die for want of food in Venezuela?

Perhaps us Americans can return the favor? He provides us with oil and we provide his people with food? We'll keep feeding the world while the world comes to an end? Let no man go hungry while we bring about the end of the world!

20051124

Israel/Palestine and the settlements

Israel/Palestine and the settlements.

First a couple links on the subject. (here) and (here)

I would like to applaud Arik Sharon for the Gaza withdrawal. This was an important step towards peace for Israel. It showed that the majority of Israelis were willing to actually take action against the right wing extremists within their society and that they really would be able to deliver land for peace if the Palestinians offered them genuine peace. However this was not a perfect step. Call it only a half step.

The Palestinians offered a ceasefire in return. This ceasefire in itself was not perfect. Pretty darn good but not perfect. It was close enough to perfect for me to call it a full step that should be answered in kind by the Israelis.

But that is not what happened. Instead we see some more of the twisted logic that has permeated this conflict. Everything "we" do is "good" and everything "they" do is "evil". Not that there has been no evil in the conflict. I am just saying there is enough evil to spread around that both sides breads would end up being buttered.

Where do I find fault? Them damn settlements. They continue to expand. More and more territory is being confiscated from the Palestinians in an attempt to make "facts on the ground" now facts in the future peace settlement. And of course Dubyah somewhere along the line is going to chime in with "we have to face facts" and we can not expect Israelis to abandon neighborhoods that are built up.

Dubyah, I will be willing to accept facts as they are TODAY however I look at what facts are going to become tomorrow. Outposts keep springing up and settlements continue to expand. Allowing the settlements to continue to expand for ANY reason is just twisted, evil logic. Settlement expansion is not as Silvan Shalom explains it (natural growth), there are NEW families moving in there.

New outposts springing up and existing settlement expansion has got to stop. Do not get me wrong. I realize that BOTH SIDES have their extremists. But why should ONLY OUR EXTREMISTS be rewarded for their efforts? If they can go out at night and incite Palestinians to violence by taking potshots at household water tanks... and if their efforts are met with Palestinian violence... they win. The settlements continue to expand. They spread across the Palestinian landscape like a cancer.

While Palestinians are preached at to be nonviolent and patient they can look at the construction cranes busy working away. They can look at the hilltop that used to be their olive grove and see mobile homes tauntingly displaying Israeli flags.

Sharon demands that Palestinians stop the incitement of their people. Well Mr Sharon how about the Israelis stop inciting them? Stop expanding the settlements so Mr Abbah's efforts might fall on fertile grounds.

As for me, well while I could never find it in my conscience to become a suicide bomber I most certainly would be upset enough that I would do something. I guess I might be motivated to grab the nearest rock, slingshot, knife or whatever weapon someone put in my hands and lash out at the nearest member of the IDF. I might not become a suicide bomber but I could see myself being a suicide rock thrower. It would be un-American to do less.

1st half step: credit Israel, Gaza withdrawal

2nd full step: credit Palestine, ceasefire

3rd full step: It's Israel's turn. Stop expanding the settlements. Quit pointing at the Palestinians when it is your turn to act.

My apologies to Hillary

My apologies to Hillary.

Earlier I called her an opportunist after reading she was in favor of an immediate pullout from Iraq. Seems the article I read might have been in error. I can't recall exactly where I read the report, perhaps it was the New York Times? Grin.

Anyway today I saw a video clip (see here) where she stated a hasty retreat would be a disaster for America. I feel embarrassed about all the mean things I said about her. I guess I should apologize, so here it goes. My apologies Hillary.

I would hope that she has given some thought though as to under what circumstances we should withdraw. I hope that she too comes to the conclusion that if the Iraqis ask us to leave then our job is done. We can do no more. Continuing our presence after the welcome mat is taken away would mean we'll just make matters worse.

This would not be "cut and run" this would just be facing facts. However if the Iraqi government does not ask us to leave? If they think our continued presence can help them to stabilize the situation? If they think our continued involvement will help them to clean up the mess we helped make? Then I think we should stay the course.

We have to listen to the Iraqi people. We can't preach democracy at them and then ignore their elected leaders. If their elected leaders ask us to stay it is my opinion we should reply "Yes, of course." If they ask us to leave we reply "OK, by all means."

20051123

GITMO Detainees

I have avoided addressing this issue because I am so torn.

Seems to me the Dubyah administration has tried to thread the needle on this one. They will not quite bring the prisoners back to America, they will not leave them in Afghanistan or Iraq, but they will try to bring them back to "Never Never Land". In "Never Never Land" they have no rights.

They are not entitled to the rights under the Geneva Conventions. They are not entitled to civil rights as civilians. They are neither criminals nor or they prisoners of war. They are something else. They have no rights.

Dubyah is trying to thread the needle so thin that even the finest thread of silk can not fit.
While the Geneva Convention does state that combatants must be dressed in a uniform, it is unreasonable to expect a poor country like Afghanistan to dress every soldier in a uniform. It might not be unreasonable for Dubyah to object to this allowance but his administration expects us to allow him to pick and choose which aspects of the Geneva Convention we will be bound by.

Some aspects of the Geneva Convention really are unreasonable. However Dubyah crosses my line by apparently including just about everyone in the "illegal combatants" category. Opposed to Dubyah and America? Well then you are just an "illegal combatant" and by Dubyah's rules you have no rights.

I am still torn by this issue. However even I can realize that what Dubyah attempts to do in Gitmo is just plain out wrong. Either the detainees are Prisoners of War or they are criminals. Dubyah's attempts to throw them into the nebulous realm of "Never Never Land" is wrong. He seeks to define them as something other then POW's and not quite criminals either. They are not entitled to status as either. They must remain in "Never Never Land" until he says otherwise.

Dubyah, either proclaim these prisoners are "Prisoners of War" until the end of hostilities or declare them as criminals. You have to move one way or the other. Your attempts at "Never Never Land" according to YOUR dreams is wearing thin.

I hope we declare them to be Prisoners of War, a war we are still fighting.

Critiquing Madonna's "Hung up"

I have fond memories of Madonna's music. I remember hanging out in the bars throughout the world and hearing her songs no matter where I traveled. To this day when I encounter her old hits on the music box I still normally stop and give a listen.

But have you seen the latest Madonna music video that is being pushed? (see here) It's called "Hung up". It's a nice song. Vintage Madonna in that it has the beat that us old timers might call being danceable. But did you see the video?

Madonna trots out her fat thighs for us to ogle at. Someone tell that woman she no longer is a sexpot. She is still a beautiful woman but she needs to find a new way to market her sexuality. Fat thighs don't work. Perhaps she only needs to start doing her dance routines with her clothes on?

Or perhaps she needs to find a way to market her music without sex. She still has the talent. You can still dance to her music. She just has just traveled beyond the optimum sexpot stage. If she wants to appeal on to man's most base instincts, well she is past her prime. She needs to face up to the facts that old age is catching up with her just like the rest of us.

But the song is still pretty good. I probably would find myself attracted to the dance floor by it, just like most of her songs, if the DJ played it while I was around. But if you want to avoid being distracted while you "cut the rug" to her latest release avoid seeing the video. You'll have ghastly images running through your head while you attempt to do your best up there on the dance floor. You have enough of your own problems to deal with without dealing with her's too. Great song. Great beat. But avoid the video.

We have to listen to the Iraqis

I read a couple new articles in the Washington Times on the Iraq withdrawal debate. I am going to respond. I know, this is a pointless exercise, but I have to do something. I can't in good conscience sit back and do nothing.

First, Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, who commands the Multinational Corps Iraq, says an abrupt pullout would be "destabilizing". (see here)

Second, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urged visiting Iraqi officials yesterday to ask U.S.-led forces to leave their country and pledged Tehran's cooperation in restoring security to Iraq. (see here)

General Vines, are you saying America should keep troops in Iraq even if the elected Iraqi government asks us to get out? Wouldn't this be a little silly? As long as the majority of Iraqis still want our help, well then our help might be useful. But once the majority start saying "Get the hell out," it is going to get real difficult for our troops to influence a positive outcome. We might not like what is going to happen after we withdraw, but once we are asked to leave we are just going to have to admit we have done all we can. Things might not be perfect after our withdrawal. The potential exists for things to get downright messy. But we will have done all we can and we will have to admit we can do no more. Who speaks for the Iraqi people? Why their elected government of course. New elections are scheduled in a few of weeks. The government that takes power will be the first non-transitional government. If that government asks us to withdraw we are going to have to say OK. We might not think they are ready for what is to come but we are going to have to listen to them. Dubyah runs around the world preaching how we're spreading democracy. Well if the Iraqis practice a little democracy and request we leave we're going to have to honor that request, even if we think we know better what is good for them.

To Iraqi President Jalal Talabani I have this to say. You better think long and hard before you take up the Iranian offer of assistance. Do you just want to replace one foreign occupier with another? How are the Sunnis and Kurds within your nation going to view this assistance? Will Iranian assistance do anything more then fan the flames that presently burn? You think American assistance has the Sunnis riled up, just how pleased are they going to be with the Iranians? Perhaps you should give some thought to whether you are ready for us Americans to depart. But if you ask us to withdraw I am going to be amongst those asking our government to get us the heck out of there. But please first give it some thought.

To the Sunnis I offer this. New elections happen in a few weeks. Rather then boycotting the elections you better do everything you can to turn out the vote so that you can get as many of your own voices speaking up in Parliament as you can. Them people are going to be making decisions that are going to impact you. You want Americans out? Well you better be sure America leaves on your terms. Do you want the American troops who leave to be replaced by Iranian troops? You also better do your best to ensure the insurgency dies down. If after America leaves things break down into a civil war you probably are going to see the Iranians getting involved. I don't think you really want to see that. The insurgents might be pleased with it. They do their best to sow chaos. With Iranian involvement they probably will get the chaos they desire, at least for the short term. That is until the heavy heel of the jackboot comes stomping down.

Snippets from the road

What follows are some brief things I heard on the radio while traveling down the road. I am going to have to post them without being able to credit those they came from as at the time I would have been juggling a steering wheel, gear shift and coffee mug and couldn't take the time out to write down who the speaker was.

Heard on NPR and spoken by a Native American: "When the white man first came to our shores, we had the land and they had the Bible. Someone said let's pray so we closed our eyes. When we opened our eyes they had the land and we had the Bible."

Heard near Cincinnati from a local radio talk show personality: "Republicans? Why they're the politicians who campaign on how government can't solve any of your problems. Then once they get into office they immediately set out to prove they were right."

Heard near Emporia, VA from a local music DJ: "Let he who is without sin throw the first hailstone."

20051122

Thinking about Anthrax

Remember the Anthrax attacks? Ho-hum, yesterdays news right?

But did you forget the panic and frenzy this put us into right after the 9-11 attacks?

A lot of time and a lot of water under the bridge has happened since the attacks.

Our law enforcement has had ample time to uncover the truth for us and evidently they were incapable.

So what conclusions, from the available facts, are we to draw? Terrorists were behind 9-11 but who was behind the Anthrax attacks? Why did the attackers attack only those who the letters were addressed to and not address the attacks to, for example, the Whitehouse?

Perhaps this individual (or group) was motivated by desire for personal gain. But evidently he (or they) were motivated by something else. Who were the targets? Mass media and left wing leaders. The perpetrator attempted to stampede both public opinion and those who might be peaceniks into ACTION.

Time has told us that the attack must have come from a western power, perhaps from within our own ranks from some lone, evil, genius. However it can not be denied that the culprit, who might have been motivated for personal gain, was also motivated with a right wing slant on politics. When he attacked politicians he attacked only Democrats.

The culprit clearly tried to tie the attacks back to Moslems, thus strengthening the stampede. If the perpetrator had no interest in politics whatsoever he would have mailed at least one of his attacks to the Whitehouse.

What I am left to wonder is just who would have had most to gain from pouring gasoline on the hatred for Moslems that sprouted after 9-11? If the culprit was only motivated by personal greed then why the selection of targets?

Are you satisfied with the explanation our government provides? No explanation at all?

Perhaps if the some Republicans had been attacked there would be more interest.

Iraqis ask us to leave

As reported by MSNBC (see here), Iraqi leadership wants a timetable for our withdrawal from Iraq. The current Iraqi Interior Minister thinks they will be able to meet their own security needs by the end of 2006.

Of course the gathering of Iraqi leaders does not represent the government. It was a conference that included Iraqi government leaders but was not officially the government. However it was a gathering that was more inclusive of Sunnis then the present government is.

New elections under the new constitution are scheduled. Hopefully Sunnis will participate in this election in larger numbers, and if the new government that is formed asks us for a timetable then they should be presented with one. They think they will be ready by the end of 2006? Sounds like a good goal to me.

I do not want us to stay any longer then necessary. I also do not want us to stay there if we are unwanted by the Iraqi people. If Iraqis think they will be ready to shoulder the burden by the end of 2006 then I say we hand it off to them.

Perhaps this will satisfy those over here in America who are starting to demand a timetable as well. Now we have a date, the end of 2006. That's the goal. Let's see what happens in the meantime.

20051121

Political opportunists

Political opportunists that is what they are.

Have you heard the likes of Hillary? Despite the fact that she was in favor of the war while most of us were speaking against it she now might have a change of heart.

While I was speaking against the war, people like her were urging us on. Now she has second thoughts. Why? Because the "winds of change" have directed she needs to set her sails somewhere else. Back when it would have taken courage to speak against the war she urged us on. Now that the winds have changed? Hillary seeks to grab the favorable winds to victory.

It is not like this woman has an ounce of leadership under her skirts. She lets the winds blow her skirts up from under her exposing her to be the opportunist she is.

That woman will lead us wherever the prevailing winds blow. What America needs is leadership, not someone who will try their best to stand in front of the herd.

America needs someone who will stand strong like the Oak tree in the face of the storm. Someone who will offer leadership instead of followership. Hillary fails. She was amongst those who led us into Iraq. Now she scrambles to try and show us she was leading us all along.

Bitch. You led us in now lead us out. Do not try and claim you never wanted us in there in the first place. You led us in there. Well we followed the likes of you into this dark cavern and the likes of you own the flashlight. Illuminate the path we need to follow.

Scolding Environmentalists

First let me say that some conservatives might accuse me of being an environmentalist myself. However I would point out to the conservative that if I chose to try and take up the label, the environmentalists would start screaming "You're no environmentalist." So I will simply call myself a "concerned citizen".

What am I concerned about? I am concerned about Global Warming. Let me explain myself. I am a long haul truck driver. Every day, as I travel from city to city with my own eyes I can see the freakish weather patterns we are being subjected to. It is my belief that this freakish weather may only be the start. It is like the first whispers of wind before the big storm blows in. We haven't seen anything yet.

And when I tune in talk radio on my music box, I can hear clowns like Rush Limbaugh downplaying the threat. Remember the record breaking blizzard up in Buffalo? Rush said something like "See the blizzard? What Global Warming?" And Rush's simpleton audience chimes in with "Ditto Rush," refusing to analyze the occurrence and realizing that yes, there too is evidence of Global Warming. How could this be so? Up till the blizzard upstate New York was experiencing a very mild winter. Normally by that time the Great Lakes would have started to cool off and freeze over. But not that year. When a cold Arctic front finally did sweep down from Canada, the cold winds swept over the warm moisture laden air over the lakes, picked up the moisture and dumped it as snow on Buffalo. So yes Ditto Heads, even blizzards can be explained by Global Warming. I would suggest you guys get a new ringmaster for your circus. Rush is only suitable to be the clown that he is, and a second rate clown at that.

But at least I can understand Rush. Rush has an agenda and his agenda is to convince the American people to keep our heads stuck in the sand and ignore the problem. Maybe it will go away. But what about the environmentalists? What is their excuse?

What problem do I have with the environmentalists? Haven't you been paying attention? They're trying to freeze us into inaction. Every time someone wants to try something to help America meet its energy needs in a way that lessens greenhouse gases the environmentalists come up with a reason why the action is unsuitable. They are going to freeze us into immobility, and NOTHING is going to end up being done.

Wind power? Why that kills migrating birds. Hydroelectric? We can't build new dams because it will prevent the "silver tailed poopy fish" from spawning. In fact they are doing their best to get us to tear old dams down instead of building new ones. Nuclear power? Why that generates nuclear waste. Solar power? I'm waiting to hear how those solar power panels are laden with hazardous materials and are going to cause a disposal problem once they start getting old and malfunctioning.

Someone slap them and tell those people to snap out of it. If the only solution that they will find acceptable is that we all become Amish or something they are going to be sorely disappointed. We're not all going to give up our air conditioning and our automobiles. You guys have not been part of the solution you have been part of the problem. Lead or follow, one or the other, but please, please quit standing in the way.

If every proposed solution is unacceptable to you then you are going to be successful in freezing us into immobility. America will still meet her energy needs, but we will just meet those needs with additional coal fired plants. Might as well. We can't make the environmentalists happy with anything so we might just as well do it the cheap way. At least we'll make West Virginia coal miners happy.

Environmentalists better start being realists. They are not going to be successful in saving every little species that walks on the face of this earth. If mankind is going to dominate this planet we are going to leave some footprints as we walk around. Think about it. We're dealing with a phenomenon that threatens life as we know it for all species. While you are busy protecting the "silver tailed poopy fish" Global Warming continues. The polar caps keep melting and sea levels rise. I would imagine that along with all the coastal wetlands all of the Florida Everglades are threatened with inundation. Just think about how many species will be wiped out when this happens. It is better to sacrifice a few species so that the majority can continue on.

So what do I suggest? Let's get busy and save this planet. Ignore the environmentalists because we're not going to make them happy anyway unless we all agree to become Amish or something and I do not see that happening. Once we have succeeded in reversing Global Warming and saved the world we can go back to trying to achieve perfection and making the environmentalists happy.

But first we have got to do something. The first thing we need to do is to tell the environmentalists to shut the hell up.

Update on toilet seat equality

Update on toilet seat equality. I wimped out. I have given up on my efforts to obtain equality at the toilet seat.

Where did I go wrong? I think it was in announcing what I was doing and letting my wife in on it. After she went to the bathroom a couple times and found the toilet lid down she announced in no uncertain terms she would make life miserable for me. Left unspoken but understood never-the-less was that Thanksgiving is coming up. I could have ended up eating my Thanksgiving meal at McDonalds.

Foiled again.

I bet I could have been successful if I had gone about it more quietly. Why my wife might even have begun to sing my praises for being thoughtful while I secretly practiced my little act of rebellion. I betcha Clint Eastwood wouldn't have had this problem.

One day man will achieve equality at the toilet seat. But quenching this burning desire will have to remain for yet another day. Maybe after Thanksgiving?

20051120

Tucking our tails in Iraq

I hate to start sounding like a preacher on this subject but public opinion is rapidly falling against our efforts in Iraq. Recently a strong voice, that of Rep. John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania added his voice to all the voices that want to scream "Yipe, yipe, yipe" like a dog that has tucked its tail between its legs while it beats a hasty retreat.

I was not in favor of the invasion. Amongst the reasons I was against the invasion was that what is occuring was a possibility. I feared that even if the invasion was a good idea (which it was not) the American Public would not have the stomach for the long slog that probably would be required.

Should American troops remain in Iraq forever? No. That would be insane. We should only remain so long as the presence enables a positive outcome. I have not yet given up on hope for a positive outcome. While the candle that burns in the darkness might be a lonely flame it still burns. If we give up on husbanding this lonely flame into a beacon of light we yield to the forces that will attempt to start a wildfire of their own.

Damn you. You cowardly bastards. People like John P Murtha were amongst the foolish voices that got us involved in this shit in the first place. John P Murtha had the power BEFORE we started this crap to help put a stop to it. But he did not do it. Now that we are started he wants to scream "Yipe, yipe, yipe" and tuck tail. He shouldn't feel too lonely. He has a whole lot of company standing where he does.

If America does not like what is happening in Iraq now, just wait and see what happens if we withdraw prematurely. You think things are bad over there now, wait until you see what happens after we get out too early. Think about the possible outcomes. Are ANY of them desirable?

While our government and our media might try to shield us from the results the rest of the world is not going to be so forgiving. The BBC and Al Jazeera are going to be showing the rest of the world what is going on and the rest of the world is going to be screaming "You STUPID EVIL Americans!" We will have EARNED these condemnations. The rest of the world stood against us but you willingly followed Dubyah's leadership into this mess. And now having made the mess we refuse to do that which is necessary to restore some form of order to the mayhem we created. If you were so damn smart you should have spoken up BEFORE we got started. I had people threaten me with shoving an American flag up my ass, flagpole and all, BEFORE we got started.

Well I lost out. Even though majority public opinion supported me, the people with the power, the people with the votes in Congress did not. Mr Murtha was one of those who had the power and he supported our foolish rush into the invasion. Now that his leadership has been exposed for the fool's errand that it is he wants to beat a hasty retreat.

Mr Murtha, thanks to you, and thanks to people like you, we are involved.

The flame that flickers for a possible good outcome might be a meager flame but it still flickers. We might be like a boat adrift in the currents with the leadership of Dubyah, but Dubyah is the leader the American people selected. You Mr Murtha seem to be even worse then Dubyah. You damn cowardly yellow dog, try getting a backbone. Asshole. You helped lead us into this folly and now start trying to lead us out of it. But cutting and running is not an option. You were so wise in getting us in there, so start thinking about a way to get us back out with a favorable outcome. They say you were a Marine. Thank God Marines have proven time and again they are not cut from the same bolt of cloth that you evidently came from. Semper Fi.

If Mr Murtha can't start putting his elderly noggin to good use in the halls of Congress I will ask that the people of Pennsylvania do us a favor and throw the feeble old man out of office. That man disgraces his office, the Marines, and the people of Pennsylvania. Evidently he no longer knows how to lead.

What to do about Bird Flu

There have been additional developments and additional information coming out about Bird Flu. I have also been giving the subject some additional thought.

First, why even worry about Bird Flu in the first place? It is only the flu after all, right? Because it has such an outrageous mortality rate. The majority of those afflicted end up dead. The potential is there for the the Bird Flu to make the 1918 pandemic look like a minor event in comparison. This is not a certainty, only a possibility.

How would the pandemic start? By the virus mutating into something more communicable amongst humans then it already is. This could occur on its own, however the more likely way this would happen would be through DNA transfer. For DNA transfer to happen some unlucky human would have to be infected with both the Bird Flu and "ordinary" flu at the same time. Now if DNA transfer takes place, we can always hope for the best. It is possible that only enough of the correct portions of DNA will transfer so that it is not so deadly and allow the human population to develop natural immunity to the sucker. It is going to be a roll of the dice. But roll the dice often enough and eventually you end up rolling craps. Eventually the combination of "most contagious" and "most deadly" is going to emerge. It could emerge with the first roll of the dice and then we are going to have mayhem on our hands.

So what are we to do about it? Dubyah plans on spending over 7 billion getting ready for a possible outbreak. I hate to fault all the braniacs that helped Dubyah develop his plan, but they certainly are missing a step. Humanity only has two weapons to throw at an outbreak. Vaccination and the new drug called Tamaflu. While a vaccination probably can be developed the problem is that it takes time. Time to develop and then additional time to manufacture. By the time enough hits the streets to meaningfully have an impact society might already have been ravaged. The first line of defense will be the use of the drug Tamaflu to try and slow the spread of the disease. But there is a problem with this. Tamaflu is being used right now against "ordinary" flu. What is wrong with that? Eventually "ordinary" flu is going to develop resistance to the drug... and if this Tamaflu resistant strain is the one that combines with the Bird Flu we are going to be in a real pickle.

So once again what are we to do about it? My suggestion is that we keep our powder dry for the real battle that might be to come. We save Tamaflu for an outbreak of contagious Bird Flu and stop wasting it on "ordinary" flu. This might seem harsh as it will mean the suffering and deaths of some who will be afflicted with "ordinary" flu who could have been saved. But we have to think about the greater good. I am not exaggerating when I state half of mankind could be wiped out by Avian Bird Flu. In fact stating half of mankind might be at risk could be understating the potential. That disease has a frightening mortality rate. I have not seen the exact figures stated but it is not incorrect to say that "most" afflicted die. "Most" is better then half.

Of course if we don't want to get serious about the threat we can always just bide our time and hope and pray that the "God of the Dice" allows us a few lucky rolls before we roll craps. Sometimes the "God of the Dice" does smile at the gamblers at the craps table. Only problem is sometimes you hear groans from that section of the casino as well.

20051119

Equality at the toilet seat

Women demand equality. OK, I am all for it. Let us settle the arguement once and for all and let us start the debate at the toilet seat.

Wives demand that husbands put down the seat on the toilet after we get done doing our business. This is equality? I mean, the man, after he gets done recycling his Budweiser and wants to rush back to "3rd and goal" is expected to have the presence of mind to put down the toilet seat while he is busy rushing back to the wide screen TV. What do them women expect out of us men? Is this expectation reasonable?

Nope. Us men need to draw the line somewhere. We can't be expected to draw the line in the kitchen or else we will starve. But we can draw the line in the bathroom without disastrous results.

Women post signs that say "If you sprinkle while you tinkle, be a sweety, wipe the seaty." Fair enough. I can avoid having to wipe the seat by just lifting it.

But they are not just happy with that, they further demand that we put the seat back down when we are done. Now hang on just a darn minute. Women want equality. But they expect us to BOTH raise the seat and then ALSO put the seat back down. That is not equal.

Women do not want to be surprised by the cold rush of porcelain against skin when they sit down without looking. Us men are reasonable in taking great satisfaction when this happens. Them women want equality after all and it about time we insist upon equality in the bathroom. If we are expected to have the presence of mind to look before we pee we are reasonable in expecting the same out of our women.

If the women refuse to go along with this then I say we go on strike. What do we do? We force our women to look before they pee like they expect out of us. We expect out of them what they expect out of us.

How do we accomplish this? Close the lid. Don't just drop the seat, close the lid. If the women can't figure out how to look before they pee they are going to end up peeing all over themselves. Point made. Equality in the bathroom will be achieved. One small step for MAN in the face of unreasonable demands from women. Equality, at least at the toilet, will be achieved.

Cutting Federal Spending and Cutting Taxes

Well the Republican leadership is at it again. Once again they are proving to the American People they do not have a financially responsible brain cell in their heads.

Get this. They are asking us to accept spending cuts in the Federal Budget that they will use to make permanent tax breaks for the most fortunate in our society. Now I could maybe stomach the spending cuts if the savings were applied to a worthy cause like deficit reduction but that is not what is going to happen. It is going to be used to fund tax cuts. Remember how they were going to pay for Katrina relief? With spending cuts, right? But now they are going to use the savings for something else.

Despite how Congress tries to downplay the deficit the truth is that last year the deficit mushroomed to 668 Billion dollars. That is over 1.3 TRILLION dollars added to the Federal Charge Card every two years. Republicans expect the American People to pat them on the back for a job well done. As reported in the Washington Times: 'The message from Republican leaders was clear: "We as Republicans are working to rein in the size and scope and reach of the federal government," said Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, California Republican.'

Can you believe such nonsense? Republicans are spending and tax cutting us into the poor house and they expect us to be grateful!

How about some of you California Republicans write Mr David Dreier and explain some basic facts to him. Cutting spending and then turning around and wasting the savings on tax cuts for the fortunate does not lead to a balanced budget. What the heck do they teach in the schools over there on the left coast? Must be some of that "New Math". Nah, that's no excuse, today we have calculators. Perhaps that is the problem. Mr David Dreier does not know how to properly operate a calculator. Someone tell that man if he wants his calculator to say that 1+1=2 he has to hit the plus key not the minus key. If he needs a tutor he does not have to travel far, he can ask Senator Kent Conrad from North Dakota to give him a lesson or two. Senator Conrad? Now there is a man who can make a calculator sing!

I wish to thank the people of North Dakota for sending us someone like Kent Conrad. Senator Conrad might have to start giving other members of Congress remedial Math classes if we are ever going to balance the budget. If more of our citizens made sure the people they vote for can at least pass the Math portion of the "Standards of Learning" tests maybe we wouldn't have to worry about the Federal Government one day filing for bankruptcy. (Financial bankruptcy, they filed for moral bankruptcy long ago! Grin.)

20051118

Justice Alito? Nope.

Justice Alito? Nope, I stand against him.

I could take the easy way out and point out the obvious. Obvious factors like how even though Harriet Miers received the endorsement of staunch conservatives like Rev. Pat Robertson and Rev. Dobson, the most extremist conservatives rebelled against her.

Don't get me wrong. I was not a real fan of Harriet Miers. I was rooting for Alberto Gonzalez. However I was willing to consider Harriet. I did not recoil from her only because she was acceptable to conservatives. In fact, the more I heard about her the more I warmed to her. She had a rich history "growing up" to the woman she grew up into. I valued her history. But she was unacceptable to the minority.

Why do I say the minority? Because self identified conservatives do only poll about a third of our population. The majority of conservatives, as identified by the endorsement of Reverends Robertson and Dobson approved of her. The minority within the minority (the real extremists) objected and Dubyah buckled.

But the above was the easy stone to throw. Let us dig a little deeper. Let us look into the future of America if Judge Alito became Justice Alito. Let us think about how he would rule and how it would impact America. Let us THINK for once about how the loud mouthed extremists are going to be cackling the loudest about the America they live under as ruled upon by Alito.

Judge Alito is in favor of religion in our public schools. I do not object to a "moment of silence" because it allows every student to pray to their God on their own. Atheist students can meditate or something. But what is Judge Alito in favor of? He is in favor of allowing students to compile and present school reports on the Bible. What harm is there in that? Read on.

No harm if all your students (and more pointedly their parents) are Southern Baptists. But what if some of these students are Mormon? Or, gasp, what if a Moslem family moves into the neighborhood? What if the ten year old Moslem student wants to compile and present his school report based on the Quaran? Freedom of religion after all and how can the Moslem youth be denied? Who would object? Me? I would look at this as being an opportunity for our kids to learn to understand each other. But what about "other kids" parents?

Seems to me that the ones who would most strenuously object are the same ones who insist on allowing their children to preach Jesus in the schools. Their children should be allowed to preach Jesus, but if Moslem kids start preaching Mohammed they are going to have a problem with it.

This is the path that Judge Alito would lead us down if he becomes Justice Alito. I will grin in amusement as them extremists start objecting to that which they wrought.

Heck, these parents might be willing to stomach the Methodists, Presbyterian and Lutherans, but they are going to vomit when the Jewish, Unitarian, Roman Catholic, Mormon and Moslem kids start exercising their freedom of speech.

Our money says "In God we trust". It does not say "Jesus saves".

Get my point. If we follow the path the extremists have laid out for us not only are we not going to be happy but they are not going to be happy either. Of course nothing is going to make them happy. Even if Jesus returns they are going to point at him and say "That's not my Jesus."

So what does a "moderate" say? Or at least this moderate personally say? Nope to Judge Alito. Resubmit Harriet Miers and I will say OK. If you want to make me really happy nominate and approve Alberto Gonzalez.

But if the so called "moderate" Gang of Fourteen sits back and allows Judge Alito to become Justice Alito... well hang on for the ride. This could be a wild one.

Thank God they will only have four of nine. Kind of precarious when you are standing at the edge of the precipice isn't it?