The Right Wing Report

More on the SOTU

2006-02-01T00:39:00.000-05:00

I have to go to bed soon, but before I do I just want to say that the State of the Union was brilliant. Bush picked several key issues, like reducing our dependence on foreign oil and making American students competitive in science and math, that Democrats and Republicans, and Americans in general should all be able to agree on. Democrats are now faced with a difficult choice. They can support these policies, and then watch the Republicans take the credit, or they can fight the policies, and be labled as obstructionists.

State of the Union Commentary

2006-01-31T22:40:00.000-05:00

I decided to blog about the State of the Union as I was watching it. Below, you'll see the parts of the speech I thought resonated at the time I heard them. I'll add commentary later, right now I'm going to meet some liberal friends so we can "discuss" all that Bush said.

9:02- Cabinet Members enter. The talking heads on Fox News are talking about how they feel this State of the Union will be more modest than last year, since Bush's Social Security reform went nowhere last year. The theme for this SOTU is apparently "optimistic."

9:05- JUSTICE Sam Alito is looking around the room. He looks a little awed.

9:06- Apparently Newt Gingrich is one of the Fox News talking heads tonight. They're saying things are running about four minutes behind schedule.

9:07- "So much for the era of good feeling in Washington." says a talkin head.

9:08- "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States!"

[Applause #1]

9:10- Apparently, Cindy Sheehan was invited to sit in the gallery by a democrat from California. She was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor while the President was giving his speech because she was wearing an anti-war shirt, which violated House rules, and then was refused to cooperate when told she couldn't wear it.

9:11- The President has reached the podium. "Members of Congress, I have the high priveledge and the distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States."- Speaker Hastert

[Applause #2]

9:12- The President starts by honoring Coretta Scott King, who passed away today.

[Applause #3]

9:13- "There will always be differences and debate, but even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone..."

9:14- "Tonight the State of our Union is Strong, and together we will make it stronger."

[Applause #4]

9:15- 'The only way to secure the peace is by our leadership... so the United States of America will continue to lead.'

[Applause #5]

9:16- "Every step towards freedom in the world makes our country safer, so we will act boldly in freedom's cause."

[Applause # 6]

Apparently today there are 122 democracies in the world. Go world!

9:17- Syria, Burma, North Korea, and Iran get mentions as non-democratic.

[Applause #7]

Radical Islam- the perversion by a few of a noble faith

9:18- "We love our freedom, and we will fight to keep it."

[Applause #8]

9:19- If we leave them alone, the terrorists won't leave us alone, they'll just bring their attacks to our shores. We would show that we no longer believe in our own ideals. "We will never surrender to evil."

[Applause #9]

9:20- He's reminding everyone that we are the ones who liberated Europe. It might be nice if Europe could remember that every once in awhile.

9:21- We're helping Iragi's build a cohesive government, and striking terrorist forces while training Iraqi forces.

[Applause #10]

9:22- In three years Iraq has gone from a dictatorship to national elections.

[Applause #11]

9:23- "The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home...but those decisions will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in Washington DC."

[Applause #12]

9:24- "There is a difference between responsible criticism... and defeatism... second guessing is not a strategy."

[Applause #13]

John Kerry looks displeased. I can't imagine why.

9:25- We must "...stand behind the American military in this vital mission."

[Applause #14]

9:26- A soldier who died last month left a note that said: "It has been an honor to protect and serve all of you. I faced death with the knowledge that you would never have to."

The soldier's family is sitting behind the first lady.

[Applause #15- really long applause for the family and the soldier]

9:27- "As we honor our brave troops, let us never forget the sacrifices of America's military families."

[Applause #16]

9:28- "Ultimately the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their policy terror and fear...elections are vital, but they're only the beginning."

9:29- Leaders of Hamas need to reject terrorism and work for lasting peace.

[Applause #17]

9:30- Democracies in the middle east will not look like our own... but liberty is the future... because it is the right and hope of all humanity."

[Applause #18]

Boo Iran.

[Applause #19]

They're radical people and we can't let them gain nukes.
[Applause #20]

9:31- Bush is talking to the people of Iran about we hope to one day open ties with a free and democratic Iran. Call for revolution, anyone?

[Applause #21]

9:32- Showing compassion abroad: mentions issues like AIDS, Malaria, girls sold into slavery, poor education, etc. Helping the world helps us.

9:33- "The enemy has not lost the desire or the capability to attack us." Expresses thanks to law enforcement and counter-terrorism officials.

[Applause #22]

9:34- Support those people by giving them tools they need. Renew the Patriot Act.

[Applause #23- and I think I just saw a Democrat stand and clap to support that. Couldn't tell who.]

Talks about his authority to use wiretapping for calls to and from terrorists from people in the US. "We will not sit back and wait to be hit again."

[Applause #24]

9:36- "The only alternative to American leadership is a dramatically [more dangerous world- can remember the exact wording]"

"Together let us... lead this world towards freedom."

[Applause #25]

9:37- "Our economy is healthy and vigorous... 4.6 million new jobs- more than Japan and the EU combined."

[Applause #26]

9:38- "We hear claims that immigrants are bad for this economy even though this economy could not function without them."

[Applause #27]

9:39- "Our economy grows when our people have more of their own money to spend."

9:40- "More than four years of uniterrupted economic growth."

[Applause #28]

"Make the tax cuts permanent."

[Applause #29- there's some chant going on, but I can't understand it.]

9:41- "...stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009."

[Applause #30]

"I am pleased that members of Congress are working on earmark reform."

[Applause #31]

Something about a line-item veto, I missed it.

[Applause #32]

Start of baby boom retirees, "including two of my dad's favorite people: me and President Clinton."

[Applause #

9:43- "Congress did not act last year to save Social Security.

[Applause #34- from the Dems. I swear I saw Hillary giggling]

9:44- "The problem is not going away... we need to put aside partisan politics and get this problem solved."

[Applause #35]

"With open markets and a level playing field no one can out produce or out compete the American worker."

[Applause #36]

9:45- "Our nation needs orderly and controlled borders."

[Applause #37]

More about immigration.

[Applause #38]

9:46- We need a humane guest worker program.

[Applause #39]

We need affordable health care

[Applause #40- from everyone]

We will strengthen health savings accounts, etc.

[Applause #41]

We will do more to make this coverage portable.

[Applause #42]

We need medical liability reform so doctors aren't driven out of business.

[Applause #43]

9:48- "America is addicted to oil." Announces the Advanced Energy initiative, the key to solving our problem is technology.

[Applause #44]

9:49- More research on hybrid and hydrogen cars, and producing ethanol from stuff other than corn, hope to make it competitive within six years.

[Applause #45]

"Replace more than 75% of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.

[Applause #46]

9:50- "We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity." Announces the American Competitiveness initiative, to give kids a firm grounding in, among other things, math and science.

[Applause #47]

9:51- Funding for nanotechnology, supercomputing, etc. Make permanent tax credit for R&D.

[Applause #48]

9:52- Kids need to take more math and science courses, and more rigorous courses. Wants to train 70,000 high school teachers to teach math and science Advanced Placement classes.

[Applause #49]

9:53- "Our greatness is not measured by power or luxuries, but by who we are and how we treat one another." Violent crime dropped, drug use down, fewer abortions now than in any point in the last 3 decades, and teen pregnancy is falling for the 12th year in a row. "A revolution in conscience."

[Applause #50]

9:54- "Everyone here tonight, Democrat and Republican, has a right to be proud of this record."

[Applause #51]

9:55- People are discouraged by unethical conduct, activist judges, natural disasters, etc. "We have proven the pessimists wrong before, and we will do it again."

[Applause #52]

9:56- "The Supreme Court now has two superb new members on its bench."

[Applause #53]

Judges should be servants of the law.

[Applause #54]

"The United States is greatful to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor"

[Applause #55]

9:57- Urges legislation to ban use of human embryos or clones for medical research. "Human life... should never be put up for sale."

[Applause #56]

9:58- The American people expect officials to uphold public trust.

[Applause #57]

We must never betray that trust.

[Applause #58]

9:59- Laura Bush is leading an initiative to have adults become involved in the lives of at-risk children.

[Applause #59]

New programs to encourage kids to stay in school.

10:00- $85 billion so far to rebuild the gulf coast. "We must also address deeper challenges that existed before the storm."

[Applause #60]

"I ask Congress... to provide new funding to states to end the waiting list for AIDS medicine in America."

[Applause #61]

10:01- Work with communities to find, treat, and prevent AIDS.

[Applause #62]

10:02- "Every great movement of history comes at a moment of great choosing." "We must decide: will we turn back, or finish well?"

10:03- The closing: "Before history is written down in books, it is written in courage. Like Americans before us, we will show that courage and we will finish well. We will lead freedom's advance. We will compete and excel in the global economy. We will renew the defining moral commitments of this land. And so we move forward - optimistic about our country, faithful to its cause, and confident of victories to come. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America."

[Applause #63]

Whoa... the Democrats talk about Bush's smirk, but what the heck is up with Tim Kaine? His left eyebrow keeps quirking up, and it's kinda creeping me out.

Well, it's better than last year's response. BOTH of Nancy Pelosi's eyebrows creeped me out.

Kaine's going on about NCLB. I don't really approve of it (well intentioned, but overall a mistake) but still, he's kinda in a glass house since Ted Kennedy helped write it.

Kaine's response is well written, even if I don't agree with anything he's saying. But he kinda sounds patronising- like he's speaking to children.

Ack. I can't stand Kaine, but it's not like his Republican opponent was much better. Kilgore ran a pathetic campaign. My thirteen year old brother could have managed it better.

Wahwahwah the evil Republicans hate the people they just want to help their buddies in the oil industry make money.

Yeah, that's why Bush wants us to develop alternative energy sources.

I must say, the fire in the fireplace in the background was a nice touch. Makes the message seem all homey-like.

Newt Gingrich says Kaine's response was about as good as the Democratic response could have been.

Checking In

2006-01-31T17:42:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts in the last couple days. My spring semester has started, and it looks like my courseload is going to be brutal. So far some assignments I know I'll have to complete this semester include a ten page policy paper for my American Public Policy class, a ten page SINGLE SPACED (single spaced, are you kidding me?) paper for my Science v. Religion class, five two page single spaced essays for Spanish, and half a dozen briefs a week on Supreme court cases for my Constitutional Law Class.

And I haven't even started my Honors Leadership Seminar yet, so God knows what I'll have to do for that...

And that's just my course work. I'm working with SPIN@UMBC (Student Political Involvement Network) to get a bill about tuition at public colleges passed in Annapolis. I also have to try and raise money for the college republicans. And if all that isn't enough, I have people from four different political campaigns knocking on my door to get me to help them out.

And since the academics and political activities above are all very important, and carry the potential to get me a job one day, my blog is probably gonna get the short end of the stick as far as attention goes. I'll still post when I can, hopefully a couple times a week, but don't expect daily updates and commentary on every single political crises of the day. I will be posting my reaction to the State of the Union either tonight or tomorrow, though.

Anyway, I think that's about it for now.

Except, one more thing I feel the need to say.

Booyah!

Still Not Long Enough

2006-01-27T18:32:00.000-05:00

Previously, I mentioned the Judge in Vermont who gave a convicted child molester a 60-day prison sentence because he "no longer believed in punishment." Yesterday, the Judge altered his ruling.

BURLINGTON, Vt. - A judge who was widely vilified for giving a child molester a 60-day jail term imposed a new sentence Thursday, increasing the man’s prison time to three to 10 years.

Judge Edward Cashman said he felt he could now impose the longer sentence because the state had agreed to provide treatment to the man while he is behind bars. The state had initially said such treatment would not come until after the man served his time.

Mark Hulett, 34, pleaded guilty last year to charges that he had sexual contact with a girl during a four-year period beginning when she was 6...

...[Governor] Douglas said he considered the new sentence to still be too lenient considering the crime.

“It’s 18 times 60 days, so it’s certainly an improvement,” the governor said. “Personally, I think it’s inadequate for a crime of that magnitude, but it is certainly better than the first decision.”

Attorney General William Sorrell had also hoped for longer than three years, but he praised the judge for making the change. “I would have rather seen it be a longer sentence as a message to other would-be offenders, but I think Judge Cashman is big enough to change course,” he said.

While 3-10 years is certainly better than two months, I still don't think it's long enough, considering the heinous crime the defendent was found guilty of. This MSNBC poll shows that 82% of respondents agree.

This Can't End Well

2006-01-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

So much for the idea of peace in the region.

RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Islamic militant Hamas won a landslide victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections, winning 76 seats in the 132-member legislature, election officials said Thursday. The rival Fatah Party, which controlled Palestinian politics for four decades, won 43 seats. Hamas supporters raised their flag over the Palestinian parliament and rushed into the building amid clashes with Fatah loyalists a day after winning parliamentary elections.

It is beyond me how people could vote for a terrorist organization like Hamas. This is from Hamas' Charter: the Martyr's Oath.

"Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious...The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realised...

...The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: 'The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him...'
Resisting and quelling the enemy become the individual duty of every Muslim, male or female. A woman can go out to fight the enemy without her husband's permission, and so does the slave: without his master's permission...

And we're supposed to treat these people like legitimate, rational world leaders?

More Tragedy

2006-01-26T13:39:00.000-05:00

As if losing seven children wasn't bad enough, the sadness wasn't over for the Mann family.

LAKE BUTLER, Florida (CNN) -- News of a crash in which seven children perished so upset their grandfather that he had a massive heart attack and died, the children's adoptive mother said.

"I lost my daddy tonight," Barbara Mann said Wednesday. "My dad died of a massive heart attack tonight over all this. He lost all seven of his grandkids ... I can't deal with this."

Please pray for the Mann family.

Seven Killed in School Bus Crash

2006-01-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

This is tragic.

LAKE BUTLER, Fla.— Seven children were killed Wednesday and three others were seriously injured in a fiery accident involving a school bus, car and semi truck in rural north Florida, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

All seven children in the car died. They had been adopted by a single family. The car was driven by 15-year-old Nicki Mann, who was accompanied by her siblings Elizabeth Mann, 15, Johnny Mann, 13, Heaven Mann, 3, Ashley Kenn, 13, Miranda Finn, who was either 8-or 9-years-old, and Anthony Lamb, who was almost two years old. Lamb was in the process of being adopted, said FHP Lt. Mike Burroughs said.

Nicki Mann, who was driving illegally, was headed towards the children's home about two miles north of the crash site, Burroughs said.

It was unclear why the children were unaccompanied in the car. Nine students were on the bus, three of whom were ejected out of the bus during the crash, Burroughs said. The extent of their injuries was unclear.

Burroughs said three were seriously injured, while the rest had minor injuries. The operator of two Shands Hospitals said they initially received eight patients, five of whom were children. Two of those children were in fair condition and three in serious condition. Of the remaining three patients, two were treated and released, while the others remained hospitalized in good condition.

My prayers are with that families of the children involved. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose seven children in an instant.

An Open Letter to the President of Iran

2006-01-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

Dear President Mahmoud Ahmanutjob,

If you don't mind, could you please stop acting like a complete and total psychopath? I know that might be hard for you, seeings as you're insane and all, but could you at least try?

I mean, it's bad enough that you have absolutely no knowledge of history. But to come out and claim that the holocaust never happened? That's just stupid. Nobody can respect a stupid person, and how do you expect them to believe anything else you say after a comment like that?

Then you go and threaten to wipe Israel off the map, and say that you're going to enrich uranium again. This is where I get confused: are you insane, or do you just have a death wish? The Israelis already have nukes, so unless you want Iran to be turned into a parking lot, maybe you should just shut up for awhile, k?

Anyway, the real reason I want you to shut up and pretend to be rational is that you're starting to freak some people out. And not in the "Ooo... look at the evil scary dictator" sort of way, but more in the "Maybe we should put him in a straightjacket to avoid damage to himself and others" sort of way. Now, normally I wouldn't care so much, because you're thousands of miles away. But you making people nervous makes it so that I have to pay $2.45 a gallon for gas, and that is just wrong.

Now, I know you might be thinking that you don't care about me paying lots of money for gas. After all, I'm a girl, and an infidel, and an American, and a capitalist pig, and all that sort of stuff, right? But you crazy people are always screaming that the war in Iraq was all about the oil. Well gas prices are way higher now than they were then, so unless you wanna see a real war about oil, I suggest you sit down and shut up.

Actually, that isn't entirely true. You would never get to see the war about oil, because we would kill you first.

Just thought you'd want to know.

~RWC

PS~ Honestly, I'm kinda hoping you die soon. Don't take it personally, I just think you're a despicable excuse for a human being. Actually, on second thought, you should take that personally.

Why I Think Michael Moore is an Idiot

2006-01-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

So I'm a few days behind on this, but cut me some slack, I've been out of town. I read this letter to Canada from Michael Moore, and just had to share my opinion of the stupidity contained therein.

Oh, Canada -- you're not really going to elect a Conservative majority on Monday, are you? That's a joke, right? I know you have a great sense of humor, and certainly a well-developed sense of irony, but this is no longer funny.

Really? I think it's hilarious. Conservatives now control Canada, so where are Moore and Co. going to threaten to move during election time if their candidate loses?

Far be it from me, as an American, to suggest what you should do. You already have too many Americans telling you what to do. Well, actually, you've got just one American who keeps telling you to roll over and fetch and sit. I hope you don't feel this appeal of mine is too intrusive but I just couldn't sit by, as your friend, and say nothing. Yes, I agree, the Liberals have some 'splainin' to do. And yes, one party in power for more than a decade gets a little... long. But you have a parliamentary system (I'll bet you didn't know that -- see, that's why you need Americans telling you things!).

Yes. Talk to them as if they were a group of retarded five year olds. That's the way to convince them to vote your way.

These are no ordinary times, and as you go to the polls on Monday, you do so while a man running the nation to the south of you is hoping you can lend him a hand by picking Stephen Harper because he's a man who shares his world view. Do you want to help George Bush by turning Canada into his latest conquest? Is that how you want millions of us down here to see you from now on? The next notch in the cowboy belt? C'mon, where's your Canadian pride?

Honestly, the vast majority of Americans really couldn't care less who Canada elects to lead their country. It's doubtful that most people's opinions of Canada is really going to change much regardless of who is in charge.

Eh?

I'm Back

2006-01-25T01:23:00.000-05:00

I'm finally back from my visit with relatives in The Middle of Nowhere. Now, I don't have any medical evidence for this, but in the last four days I have formed the hypothesis that being in the presence of old people for an extended length of time, coupled with being located in Booniesville, Nowhere has something of a sedative effect. I think I took more naps in the last four days than I did all last semester (which is actually saying something).

I mean, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy visiting with my family, so long as they don't talk about politics (that side is ALL liberal). Talking with them about anything-but-politics is always enjoyable, but we can't talk all day long, and they aren't up for anything much more active. Which leads to lots of daytime television. Which leads to lots of naps.

Anyway, it's pretty late, so I'm going to do a quick roundup of some of the stories that have come up in the last few days. A bit hat tip goes to Right Wing News, which is where I'm pulling several of these links from. Others will come from a quick perusal of news sites.

Conservatives win Canada! There may be hope for out northern neighbors after all...

More on Canada- New Leader wants to mend ties with the US

President Bush: "It's amazing to me that people say, well he's just breaking the law. If I wanted to break the law, why was I briefing Congress?"

Michael Moore Opens His Mouth and Crap Comes Out (Again)

I will definitely be commenting more about this one tomorrow.

Pics of Abramoff With Bush Prove Nothing

Just because Abramoff had a couple grip-and-grins with the President doesn't mean they're old buddies. I have a signed picture of myself with Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, but that doesn't mean he knows me, or that he should be connected with anything I might do wrong.

Palestinian election still too close to call (could Hamas win control?)

Majority of Senators Support Alito

I think this will wind up very close to a party line vote. I think deep down the Democrats don't want to filibuster someone who is so qualified, and who was very open during the hearings. At the same time, they can't afford to vote to confirm him, and then getting hit with the backlash from their base if he ends up being a vote against Roe. It seems to me like we'll hear lots of moaning and dire predictions, but when push comes to shove the Democrats will not fight an up or down vote.

CDC Chief: Bird Flu "Not Media Hype"

That's all for now. I'll go over some of these in more detail tomorrow.

I Hate to Say it, but...

2006-01-20T23:41:00.000-05:00

...I'm going to be gone for a couple days. I'm visiting relatives in Virginia for a few days, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get online to post. I'll try, but no guarantees.

I should be back by Tuesday night, though, so expect something then.

From the Speaker

2006-01-20T07:12:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post this morning, then I'm off to Annapolis for the day.

This is from the latest post on Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert's blog.

Hello everyone. I hope all my friends out in blogosphere had a safe and happy holiday. It was good to have some time with my family, but now we’re back to business and getting ready for this second half of the legislative session.

I still have to giggle a little when 'Denny' uses the word "blogosphere." It's not something that many old people say.

I’ve been reading the headlines and watching everything going on, and I’m concerned. I used to teach government classes to high school students and I know that confidence in the integrity of our government is essential to our democratic system. So it makes me both angry and sad when a Member of Congress or former staffers betray that trust. Painful as it is, I’m glad that the judicial process is bringing people to justice. I said in my press conference this week what I deeply believe: It’s not acceptable for anyone to break the rules of the House or to break the law. And if anyone has done this, we need to hold them accountable.

Yes, if they're guilty, punish them to the fullest extent of the law.

I’ve asked David Dreier, the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, to lead the lobbying reform effort in the House. He has been reaching out to Senator McCain and other reform leaders that have been working on this issue. I was encouraged when Senator McCain responded favorably to the thoughts I expressed in my press conference on Tuesday. Senator McCain seemed hopeful, as am I, that we can finally get something enacted into law.

Damnit, 'Denny', you're a blogger now. We don't like McCain. His stupid collaboration with Feingold tries to tell us what to do, strictly limits speech on the internet 60 days before an election, and strongly favors the old school media that doesn't play nicely with conservatives (or tell the truth, for that matter). We certainly don't want McCain anywhere near lobbying reform. Get Shadegg to do it... it'd be a nice way to break im in as Majority Leader (hint, hint).

Gotta go, more later.

Update: Ok, I'm back now. Here is more from Speaker Hastert's blog post, focused on his goals for lobbying reform. They sound pretty good, though I would still prefer McCain not be in charge of it.

As Speaker I believe I need to do everything I can to help rebuild public trust. So I’ve been working hard on developing a plan for lobbying reform.

I’ve asked David Dreier, the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, to lead the lobbying reform effort in the House. He has been reaching out to Senator McCain and other reform leaders that have been working on this issue. I was encouraged when Senator McCain responded favorably to the thoughts I expressed in my press conference on Tuesday. Senator McCain seemed hopeful, as am I, that we can finally get something enacted into law.

Chairman Dreier has also been reaching out to our Democratic colleagues because this is one issue where we need to come together. I was discouraged when the Democratic Leader issued a very negative statement following our press conference Tuesday. I guess that’s politics, especially in an election year, but I had hoped for the sake of the institution we could work together. But I felt better afterwards when I saw that she had essentially adopted all of our ideas when she rolled out her plan. So I guess that is progress. I’m going to continue to urge all my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to do the right thing on this issue. We really need to come together. I know that some feel that some of this reform is overkill and all we need to do is punish those who broke the rules. But I think we need to go further if we want, as an institution, to regain the trust of the American people.

And that starts with changing the rules so that there isn’t any doubt about what’s acceptable and what’s not.

At the press conference Tuesday, David and I talked about the plan we’re introducing when the House returns. I want to share a little of it with all of you.

Let me point out that we plan to start work on this the first day that lawmakers are back – February 1st. And the first thing we’re going to do is end the access that former Members of the House who have become lobbyists have to the floor, the gym and other locations. Even under current rules no former member is supposed to lobby on the House Floor, but I think we need to go a step further and not have them on the floor at all so there isn’t even the appearance of impropriety. I also hope we can very quickly pass legislation to take away the government pension from anyone who is convicted of a felony that is related to the performance of their duties as a Member of Congress.

There are some other reforms that I intend to introduce the first day we are back and hopefully get through hearings, passage in the House and Senate and onto the President’s desk before the end of March. That’s a quick pace for legislative action but I think we need to do it – and I think we can and still have time to get it right.

First, we want to ban privately sponsored travel. I know some fact-finding trips, giving speeches to organizations and participating in conferences outside of Washington is important, but the fact of the matter is private travel has been abused by some. Now, we just need to put an end to it.

The second thing we want to do is tighten the gift rules. Like I said at the press conference, Congressmen should still be able to accept a ball cap or a t-shirt from the proud students at a middle school in their districts. But they don’t need lunch or dinner on a lobbyist’s dime.

We also want to increase the reporting requirements for lobbyists. Most of them do a good job, representing legitimate interests -- interests many of you may be a part of, whether unions or industries or environmental groups. As I used to teach my High School students, the Constitution protects the rights of all Americans to petition their government whether through a letter or an email or through the representation of someone they have hired to represent their group. But the system is more accountable when all this lobbying is done in the bright light of disclosure.

We also need to reform what are called “earmarks.” This is where Representatives or Senators tell the bureaucracy that certain funds should go to specific projects. In many instances I think your elected representatives know more than the Washington bureaucracy about what the priorities in their district or state should be. And unlike the bureaucracy they are accountable for what they have earmarked at election time. But I am interested in the ideas that some of my colleagues are putting forward to make sure that this is a much more open and transparent process where those who suggest an earmark are accountable to the public for the merit of the projects being funded.

And we want to tackle the issue of the 527 groups. A lot of these groups came out last year. They basically raise tons of money from anonymous donors and then use it to run distorted campaign ads. We saw a lot of them in the weeks before the hearings for Judge Alito, and we saw a lot of them crop up in the last election. In my opinion they have made our election more nasty and personal and less about issues. And the 527 groups are not accountable because they use a loophole to keep us from knowing who is donating the unlimited and unregulated money to put on these ads. Well, I for one intend to work very hard with John McCain and others to reform the way these 527 groups are run

Yeah, I'm Easily Amused

2006-01-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

Well this is more addicting than it has a right to be.

I blame FrankJ. from IMAO for getting me hooked on this. He's the one that linked to it in the first place.

Top Ten Ways the US Congress Could Be Run More Like a Plantation

2006-01-19T19:00:00.000-05:00

As I've previously mentioned, Senator Hillary Clinton demonstrated an impressive case of foot-in-mouth disease when she said "“When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run, it has been run like a plantation and you know what I'm talking about...."

Now, anyone with more than two brain cells to rub together can tell that that was an ignorant think to say, especially in an African-American church on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But, since Hillary said it, I'll play along.

TOP TEN WAYS THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS COULD BE RUN MORE LIKE A PLANTATION:

10: Democrats have to pass tests on the Constitution to vote.

9: Senator Kennedy is put in the stocks and given only bread and water (no alcohol, oh the horror) whenever he uses the word "coathanger."

8: Senator Arlen Spector pulls out a bullwhip whenever the Democrats on the committe spend more that five minutes asking one question.

7: Senator Arlen Spector uses the bullwhip whenever a Democrat says "I" or "me" in a question that is supposed to be about Samuel Alito.

6: Sam Alito responds to Senator Kennedy's bloviations by telling him "stop questioning your betters, you worthless drunken murderous lout. And get me some water, I'm thirsty."

5: When a Democrat threatens a filibuster, they are told "You are not to be seen or heard. Now go pick up my dry cleaning."

4: When Congress isn't in session, Democratic Members can be seen repainting the Capitol, mowing the lawn, and shining Dennis Hastert's shoes.

3: "Uppity" Senators like Hillary Clinton are sold to other 'plantations' to be taught a lesson- like North Korea or Cuba.

2: Democrats only count as 3/5 of a person.

And the number one way the U.S. Congress could be more like a plantation is:

1: Democratic Members of Congress constantly try to escape oppression by fleeing north to Canada. Only in this case, no one cares enough to stop them.

Judge: No Prison Time for 'gay' Rapist Teacher

2006-01-19T13:01:00.000-05:00

This is outrageous.

A former high school teacher who pleaded guilty to the homosexual rape of one of his teenage students will avoid jail time.

Gregory Pathiakis, 26, of Brockton, Mass., pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of rape of a child, enticement of a child under 16, five counts of possession of child pornography and one count of distribution of harmful material to a child, according to the Enterprise newspaper of Brockton, Mass.

Pathiakis, who quit his job after school officials questioned his extracurricular contact with students, was arrested in January 2004 after a 15-year-old boy told authorities the Middleboro High School teacher raped him Dec. 23, 2003.

Prosecutors asked Brockton Superior Court Judge Suzanne V. Delvecchio to give Pathiakis four to eight years in state prison, followed by five years probation. But she issued a suspended, 2 1/2-year jail term, followed by five years probation.

This is absolutely disgusting. This guy rapes a kid, and he walks free? Because some bleeding heart judge feels bad for the guy? You know who I feel bad for? The kid- you know, the actual victim in this case.

The boy wrote a statement, read by his father in court, telling the teacher, "I feel you deserve jail. You are a disgrace to all teachers."

The teen said the incident forced him to leave school and activities he loved and be homeschooled.

The boy's mother told the court, "You have destroyed our child and our family."

So we have a man in a position of authority use that advantage to rape a kid, and he gets away with no jail time. And this isn't an isolated case, either. Earlier this month a Vermont judge gave a man who repeatedly raped a little girl for four years a sixty day sentence because he "no longer believed in punishment."

I'm sorry, but no judge should have that much power. They're putting predators back out on the streets, and putting innocent people at risk. Not to mention it increases the likelihood of people taking the law into their own hands. I don't know about you guys, but if someone did that to my little brother and then got away with nothing but a slap on the wrist, I would take care of the matter myself. If the legal system wouldn't punish the person, I would, because you do not mess with my family and get away with it.

After all, with Judges like these, it isn't like I'd have to worry about jail time...

I Had a Hunch Something Like this Would Happen

2006-01-19T12:19:00.000-05:00

Like shopping at Wal-Mart? Enjoy the low, affordable prices?

Don't get used to them.

WASHINGTON — AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney said Wednesday the legislation passed last week in Maryland to require employers to spend a percentage of their payrolls on employee health care was the "first crisp punch" in the fight for workers' rights.

Speaking at the National Press Club, Sweeney said the organization is launching similar health care campaigns in more than 30 states. Maryland's law — approved by the General Assembly over Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich's veto objection — is the first in the nation to require large employers, those with at least 10,000 workers, to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on worker health care. Wal-Mart is the only company in Maryland now affected by the law.

Look, America is the best country in the world. We want our workers and their families to be healthy. But this isn't the solution. Wal-Mart isn't just going to shoulder those extra costs, they're going to raise prices. So everyone who shops there- from college kids without a ton of money (like me) to poor families whose lives are made a little easier by Wal-Mart's low prices- will suffer.

There has to be a better way to do this. I'm by no means a health care expert, but it seems like the way health care is managed is flawed. Isn't there a better way? Tax breaks for people who pay for their own insurance? A way to reform the system without punishing big businesses?

Although I suppose there is one good thing to come out of this. If Wal-Mart is being hounded on this bill everywhere, maybe they'll still build the distribution center in Maryland. The area they are considering really needs the jobs.

The 51st State?

2006-01-18T22:03:00.000-05:00

Apparently, that doesn't refer to Puerto Rico or Canada anymore.

So in my wanderings through the blogosphere, I came across this rather interesting article.

It starts of with some historical background:

There was a time when Israelis would routinely refer to this place as the 51st State. Only half in jest.

It was a long time ago, when Israelis still spoke of America with the same wistful reverence they reserved for talking about heaven, and for many of the same reasons.

America was more concept than destination then, a fictional place free of the realities of Israeli daily life. No death, no taxes, no terrorism, no call-ups orders for military reserve duty to occupy Arabs and face down their suicide bombers.

Fine free public schools. Safe streets. Freedom from bureaucracy, freedom from intrusion, freedom from suspicion as a person of Mediterranean aspect.

This was the time, the decade or so following the Yom Kippur War, in which Ben-Gurion Airport, kept enlarging its Departures area, and decreasing the space allotted to Arrivals. A bad sign.

Then moves on to the fundamental question of the post:

Paranoia aside, for the moment, what if it were true? What if Israel were, in fact, the 51st state?

Would it vote W. or Democrat?

In the question framed by the American obsession of the decade, would the Great State of Israel be red or blue?

Interesting hypothetical question. The artical proceeds to analyze various factors that might influence an election, such as:

We know that it's in the Sun Belt.

According to the 2004 election, all Sun Belt states with the exception of California were Red States, voting solidly Republican, that is, for George W. Bush.

Of course, California is an enormous exception, with a total population of nearly 36 million people, or one out of every eight Americans.

We know that the voters of the 51st State are fickle.
Substitute, for the sake of argument, the Republican Party for the Likud and the Democrats for Labor. Then note that Israelis went Red (Republican) in 1988, Blue in '92, Red in '96, Blue in '99, and Red in '01.

Of course, my personal favorite deciding factor listed:

We know that it has a sizable Jewish vote.

I tried to think of some pithy comeback to this point, but all that's coming to mind at the moment is 'well, no shit.' I am glad they clarified that point though, on the off chance that there were any doubts.

Eventually, the article concludes with:

While Bush has been widely hailed as the most pro-Israel American president ever, opponents of the disengagement would rightly see him as a strong supporter of withdrawal, even if he was also the first president to endorse a future Israeli hold over settlement blocs in the West Bank.

If opinion polls are a measure, Bush could be expected to take 60 percent or more of the Israeli vote, especially because the opponents of disengagement would likely find the Democratic candidate even more unsympathetic to their cause.

I don't know nearly enough about Israeli politics to have an opinion on the matter, but I do like this answer. Does anyone know any reason why this assessment would be incorrect?

Oh, and I also want to share something that was written by "Khalid" in the comments section. It's pretty... "interesting."

Israel, through the extremely powerful American Jewish circles, control almost everything in America from New York to California. They control Congress, they control the media, they control show biz, they even controled Bill Clinton`s sexual desires at one time.

These are facts. It is no secret that one can criticize Israel more easily in Israel itself than it is in New York where the statue of Liberty is located.

In America you lose your job if you risk criticizing Israel.

In short, in America, Jews are feared more than loved. Even Richard Nixon feared them..and even Pat Robertson had to apologize...

The Jews control the agenda setter media..from the New York Times to the New Republic and from Wall Street Journal to Commentary and from the Washington Post to the Washington times.

In short, the Palestinians will not be free from Israel until America is free from Jewish hegemony.

Wow, someone's off his meds. "Jews are more feared than loved"? The only time I fear Jews is when Jake is driving... but that's a different story.

Stupid Argument of the Day

2006-01-17T18:30:00.000-05:00

Alright, so first, we need the backstory.

The Express & Echo in Exeter is calling for samurai swords to be banned, after a local man was stabbed to death in the street.

The newspaper wants the government to stop the sale of the swords, with an exemption for licensed groups.

It is not currently illegal to buy a sword, only to carry it in public.

And a day after Sidmouth man Bradley Moran admitted killing 33-year-old Matthew Stiling by stabbing him through the heart with the 18-inch blade of a samurai sword, an Echo reporter discovered how easy it is to buy one unchecked from an Exeter shop.

Journalist David Edbrooke paid £120 for a sword with a 2.5ft sharpened blade, and said it was "as easy as buying a lotto ticket".

And now for the dumbest argument ever to support banning samurai swords.

Marc added: "There will be some who argue that household knives could be as deadly as samurai swords.

"Try telling that to the family of Matthew Stiling.

"When his killer became aggrieved he didn't reach for the kitchen drawer, he armed himself with a weapon worth hundreds of pounds and murdered an innocent young man.

"There will be some who argue..."?? How about, because it's true.

Let's compare, shall we?

One person in the UK was killed in the last year (probably even longer) by a samurai sword. Where a third of all murder victims in the UK are stabbed with other sharp instruments- like knives, screwdrivers, and so on. So no, household knifes aren't "as deadly" as samurai swords, they are "more deadly." Banning the swords entirely because one person was unlucky enough to be killed by one is insane.

And oh, by the way, when I get my black belt, you better believe I'm getting a real samurai sword. And I'm keeping it sharp, too.

This is Ridiculous

2006-01-17T16:31:00.000-05:00

SUSAN BELL IN PARIS FAR-right groups in France are distributing ham sandwiches and pork soup to homeless people in an attempt to discriminate against Muslims and Jews, forbidden to eat pork products.

Food hand-outs, which have already taken place in Paris, Nice and Nantes, and in Brussels and Charleroi in Belgium, have now spread to the eastern French city of Strasboug.

At the weekend, Strasbourg's prefect banned the extreme right association Solidarité Alsacienne from distributing its soupe au cochon (pig soup) to poor and homeless people in the city centre.

On Saturday, police intervened to close the soup kitchen after Solidarité Alsacienne defied the ban and began distributing food in one of Strasbourg's main squares.

Chantal Spieler, Solidarité Alsacienne's president, was escorted to police headquarters and given a formal warning before being joined by her husband, Robert Spieler, a former MP for Jean-Marie Le Pen's far-right National Front party.

Mr Spieler denounced "a totalitarian regime" where soon "they'll be banning salami".

He said: "Pork is a European symbol, whether we like it or not. The day when there are laws forbidding the distribution of pork in Alsace I believe there will be a lot of us who will leave France and take refuge in a country where there is still a certain culinary freedom." His wife said she would appeal against the prefect's decision.

"Pork is part of our culinary culture and we are offering the soup to everyone, so there is nothing discriminatory about it," she said.

Now, I hate political correctness as much as the next person, and the different concessions to it- British businesses baning Piglet and hospitals not offering pork in holiday dinners- pissed me off. But intentionally serving only pork products is stupid, it's vindictive, and it's immature. You can still serve pork to highlight your "culinary culture," but at least give those who don't eat it another option. I mean, we're talking homeless people here. Intentionally feeding some and leaving others to go hungry is deplorable. You're supposed to be a charity- start acting like one.

PS~ So this is like, my seventh post in the last three and a half hours. My knee is sore from physical therapy, so I'm stuck with the computer to entertain myself.

Not sure how much longer that will last. I mean, I just wrote about France, so I'm kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel here. I think I'm going to take a break for awhile and go off in search of some Advil and ice...

More Dumb Statements

2006-01-17T16:08:00.000-05:00

Why couldn't more Democrats have been like Jake and spent Martin Luther King, Jr. Day actually reflecting and commemorating (who was it again? oh, yeah) Martin Luther King, Jr.? First we had Hillary's "plantation" comment, and now this.

Oh, fudge.

It's not every day in America that a newsmaker gets a colorful nickname associated with him or her. It's even harder for newsmakers to get two catchy monikers.

But New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, heretofore known as "School-bus Nagin" for failing to use his own buses to save people in advance of Hurricane Katrina, has beaten the odds with his tasty yet distasteful description of New Orleans as a "chocolate" city.

Mayor Chocolate Nagin

Thus, I hereby dub him, "Mayor Chocolate Nagin, America's flavorite racist."

In case you missed the dishonorable mayor's comment yesterday – on Martin Luther King Day no less – Nagin, who is black, promised the Crescent City would become "chocolate" once again.

"We ask black people ... It's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans – the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans," the mayor said. "And I don't care what people are saying in Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day."

How can he get away with that crap? If Mayor Joe Schmoe from Nowheresville said he wanted his town to be more "vanilla," the press would have a field day. And yet people are willing to let statements like Nagin's go unchallenged?

She Did NOT Just Say that...

2006-01-17T14:33:00.000-05:00

(CBS) NEW YORK The Martin Luther King Day celebration at Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network is a rite of passage in an election year. And with so many big races this year, candidates and controversy were the order of the day...

...There were tough questions to politicians who feel they must attend the event as much to pay homage to Sharpton as to celebrate Dr. King's legacy.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, who had launched into an impassioned attack on the Bush administration.

“We have a culture of corruption, we have cronyism we have incompetence I predict to you that this administration will go down on history as one of the worst that has ever governed out country.”

Clinton actually got an easy question. “I need you to tell us what distinguishes Democrats from Republicans right now,” she was asked.

Clinton's answer was provocative.

Said Clinton, “When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run, it has been run like a plantation and you know what I'm talking about..." (emphasis mine)

Wow. That was a really stupid statement. So if you didn't already know it, Hillary Clinton is an idiot.

I'm curious to see whether she'll get a pass on that, or if it'll come back to bite her in the ass later on.

Hat tip to RightWingRocker

Sweetness

2006-01-17T13:51:00.000-05:00

Good news for Maryland Republicans!

January 13, 2006--Maryland is proving to be another state to watch in an election year many have predicted will see nationwide gains for Democrats.

In November, Rasmussen Reports observed that just two months after Hurricane Katrina and in the midst of welling controversy over Iraq, the GOP was at a political low point. We also duly noted the good news for the party: the election was still a year away. Now, in blue-state Maryland, the Republicans are making progress in the contests for both governor and senator.

The Senate race got interesting as soon as Democratic Senator Paul Sarbanes announced his retirement last March. It soon seemed Democrats had the edge. By July, Democratic Congressman Ben Cardin led Lt. Governor Michael Steele by five points in our poll. Steele, however, was seven points ahead of former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume.

By November, Steele was neck-and-neck with Mfume, but Cardin had widened his lead over Steele to 49% to 41%. Yet since that time, the number of voters with an unfavorable opinion of Steele has fallen from 33% to 25% and the Republican candidate has pulled ahead of both Democrats. He now leads Cardin 45% to 40% and Mfume 45% to 38%.

But wait, there's more!

January 13, 2006--The seesaw in Maryland's Senate race is echoed in the race for Governor. As in the Senate campaign, support for Democratic candidates bulged in November during a politically rough time for Republicans nationally, but has now slackened.

Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich—whose fiscal policies are credited by some with pulling the state out of the doldrums—currently leads Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley 47% to 40%.

That's the mirror-image of November, when Ehrlich trailed O'Malley 40% to 46% among likely voters.

The reversal of fortune is even more dramatic in the case of Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan. Neck-and-neck with Ehrlich back in July, by November Duncan led 48% to 39%. Less than two months later, though, Ehrlich leads Duncan 50% to 41% among voters asked to choose between the two.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of respondents view Ehrlich favorably, 44% view O'Malley favorably, and 36% view Duncan favorably. Roughly one-third of the voters have an unfavorable opinion of each candidate.

Now, granted, there is still quite a bit of time before the election, but so far the numbers are encouraging. Also, Ehrlich and Steele have another major advantage- neither has a major primary opponent. They get to sit back and watch as the Democratic candidates tear shreds into one another in the primaries, and spend lots of campaign money doing so. When it comes time for the general election, Ehrlich and Steele will have full campaign chests, while whichever Democrats do win will start from a weaker position.

All in all, it makes a recipe for a very interesting election year. 2006 is going to be fun.

Can I get a "Red State in '08!" ??

Alito Vote Moved to 1/24

2006-01-17T13:38:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court on Jan. 24, officials announced Monday night, and the full Senate will begin debate the following day.

In a written statement, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he looks forward to a "fair up-or-down vote" swiftly on Alito, President Bush's choice to succeed retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

Alito, 55, an appeals court judge, is assured of approval in the committee, where all 10 Republicans have indicated their support.

Prospects for confirmation in the full Senate are strong, as well.

Democrats have not yet ruled out mounting a filibuster to delay or prevent a final vote. But that appears increasingly unlikely in the wake of Alito's testimony at confirmation hearings last week, where he parried sharply worded Democratic attacks on his judicial record and personal credibility without a major stumble.

Though part of me would find it quite amusing to see Senate Democrats attempt a flibuster and fail miserably, I think it would be bad for both parties and for the country in general. People are getting sick of partisan bickering, and the more lawmakers show an inability to work together and get along, the more people lose confidence in the government's ability to do it's job.

The Lowdown on my Knee

2006-01-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

So I've spent a bunch of the last week dealing with different medical offices trying to figure out what is wrong with my left knee. I injured it in karate two years ago, and it has been bothering me much more than usual lately. I had an MRI yesterday, and sometime today or tomorrow I should get the verdict of what exactly is wrong with it. I really, really, really hope nothing is torn, because then the next few months could really suck.

Also, today I started physical therapy. After half an hour of poking, prodding, and "Does this hurt...how about this...and this?" the PT said that there is "Definitely some inflammation of the medial meniscus." Which, of course, meant absolutely nothing until she explained what the meniscus was (and beyond "this cushion thing in the knee" I still couldn't tell you what it was.) My left leg isn't as flexible as my right, and the muscles are weaker also, becuase muscles can "shut down in response to pain" (which can cause further injury, which can cause more shutting down, and so on.) She ran me through a bunch of exercises to increase strength and flexbility, and then came the fun part.

Electrical stimulation.

It actually wasn't as bad as it sounds. She put an electrode on both sides of my knee, and then surrounded the area with ice packs. The machine used electrical pulses to stimulate the muscles, causing them to work and hopefully get stronger. It didn't hurt, but did feel really weird.

So I have to go back for an hour long PT session two or three times a week for the forseeable future (still have no idea how that's going to work into my schedule.) She also told me that if she had her way, I wouldn't be doing karate right now, but since she knew I wasn't going to go for that, I should make sure to wear the brace to class, and be careful.

Skiing's pretty much a 'hell, no' this year, though, so that sucks.

So that's as much as I know at the moment. I'll post more as soon as I get the results from the MRI.

West Wing Quotes

2006-01-17T13:04:00.000-05:00

So Jake put up a list of his favorite West Wing quotes earlier today. I was pretty bored, so I decided to go digging and find some West Wing quotes I liked. The difference is, a lot of Jake's quotes are policy based, which of course I don't agree with. The ones I picked are mostly just funny.

Josh Lyman: All I'm saying is, if you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop to get a beer.
Donna Moss: If you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for red lights.

Bartlet: We should organize a staff field trip to Shenandoah! I could even act as a guide! What do you think?
Josh: Good a place as any to dump your body.
Bartlet: What was that?
Josh: Did I say that out loud?

Sam: About a week ago I accidentally slept with a prostitute.
Toby: Really?
Sam: Yes.
Toby: You accidentally slept with a prostitute.
Sam: Call girl.
Toby: Accidentally.
Sam: Yes.
Toby: I don't understand, did you trip over something?

Josh Lyman: Victory is mine, victory is mine. Great day in the morning, victory is mine
Donna Moss: Good morning, Josh.
Josh Lyman: I drink from the keg of glory, Donna. Bring me the finest muffins and bagels in all the land
Donna Moss: It's going to be an unbearable day.

Bruno Gianelli: These are some fliers that are being mailed to potential voters at the Iowa Caucus: "Bartlet-Super Liberal." "Bartlet-Hopelessly Liberal." "Bartlet-Liberal, Liberal, Liberal."
Sam Seaborn: Those aren't coming from our side, are they?

President Josiah Bartlet: We agree on nothing, Max.
Senator Lobell: Yes, sir.
President Josiah Bartlet: Education, guns, drugs, school prayer, gays, defense spending, taxes - you name it, we disagree.
Senator Lobell: You know why?
President Josiah Bartlet: Because I'm a lily-livered, bleeding-heart, liberal, egghead communist.
Senator Lobell: Yes, sir. And I'm a gun-toting, redneck son-of-a-bitch.
President Josiah Bartlet: Yes, you are.
Senator Lobell: We agree about that.

[the President neglected a formality transferring executive power before going into surgery]
Margaret: Can I just say something for the future? *I* can sign the president's name. I've got his signature down pretty good.
Leo McGarry: You can sign the president's name?
Margaret: Yeah.
Leo McGarry: On a document removing him from power and giving it to someone else?
Margaret: Yeah. Or do you think the White House Counsel would say that's a bad idea?
Leo McGarry: I think the White House Counsel would say that's a Coup D'Etat.
Margaret: I'd probably end up doing some time for that.

Leo McGarry: [on the phone with the New York Times] 17 across. Yes, 17 across is wrong... You're spelling his name wrong... What's my name? My name doesn't matter. I am just an ordinary citizen who relies on the Times crossword for stimulation. And I'm telling you that I met the man twice. And I recommended a pre-emptive missile strike against his air force, so I think I know how...
C.J. Cregg: Leo.
Leo McGarry: They hang up on me every time.

Josh Lyman: Toby, come quick. Sam's getting his ass kicked by a girl.
Toby Ziegler: Ginger, get the popcorn

C.J. Cregg: Oh, boy, I like it when "In Style" magazine is issued press credentials. "Mirabella" wanted to know what wine is served with the fish course. So it's a good thing I went to school for 22 years.
Josh Lyman: What wine are we...
C.J. Cregg: It's wine, you'll drink it.

Lord John Marbury: When we had a problem with someone, one solution that we would try is to make him a Maharajah; it's a kind of a regional king, and we would pay him off with an annual tribute and in return he would be loyal to the crown.
Leo McGarry: Lord Marbury, under our constitution the president is not empowered to create Maharajahs.
Lord John Marbury: Yes, thank you for clearing that up, Leo, having been educated at Cambridge and the Sorbonne, I am, as you know, exceedingly stupid.

Leo McGarry: We spent millions of dollars developing a pen that could write in space. Do you know what the Russians did?
Josh Lyman: Used a pencil?
Leo McGarry: Used a pencil.

Toby Ziegler: [holding his twin babies] I didn't realize babies come with hats. You guys crack me up. You don't have jobs. You can't walk or speak the language. You don't have a dollar in your pockets but you got yourselves a hat so everything's fine. I don't want to alarm you or anything, but I'm Dad. And for you, son - for you - this will be the last time I pass the buck, but I think it should be clear from the get-go that it was Mom who named you Huckleberry.

[the Senior Staff are playing a pick-up basketball game with the President]
Josh Lyman: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Who is this?
President Josiah Bartlet: I'm making a substitution.
Toby Ziegler: Who is this guy?
President Josiah Bartlet: Mr. Grant is a Federal employee.
[Mr. Grant is played by real life NBA Forward Juwan Howard]
Toby Ziegler: You know the thing about you, Mr. President? It isn't so much that you cheat. It's how brazenly bad you are at it.
President Josiah Bartlet: I beg your pardon?
Josh Lyman: Toby's got a point there, sir.
President Josiah Bartlet: When have I ever cheated?
Toby Ziegler: Up in Florida, playing mixed doubles with me and C.J. You tried to tell us that your partner worked at the American Consulate in Vienna.
President Josiah Bartlet: And she did.
Toby Ziegler: It was Steffi Graf, sir.
President Josiah Bartlet: Well, I will admit that the woman bore a striking resemblance...
Toby Ziegler: It was Steffi Graf, you lunatic. You think I'm not going to recognize Steffi Graf when she serves a tennis ball at me?

[Sam is addressing a group of students about terrorism]
Sam Seaborn: We jumped out from behind bushes while the British came down the road in their bright red jackets, but never has a war been so courteously declared. It was on parchment with calligraphy, and "Your Highness, we beseech you on this day in Philadelphia to bite me, if you please."

C.J. Cregg: I want you to get with one of your friends in the press room from a conservative paper.
Ainsley Hayes: You really think we have a secret handshake, don't you?
C.J. Cregg: Do you?
Ainsley Hayes: Yes

President Josiah Bartlet: [trying to wake up his wife] Abbie... Abigail... Abbie, the kids are eating sugar.
Abbie Bartlet: Uh...
[wakes up]
Abbie Bartlet: Oh!
President Josiah Bartlet: How you doin. You know I gave the kids candy all the time, right?
Abbie Bartlet: Behind my back?
President Josiah Bartlet: Yes.
Abbie Bartlet: You bought their love.
President Josiah Bartlet: Well, it was for sale, and I wanted it.

And my two favorites funny West Wing quotes:

Bartlet: I don't know, my wife hands me pills. I swallow them with water.
Sam: Sir?
Bartlet: Vitamin C, Vitamin D. Is it possible I'm taking something called euthanasia?
Sam: Echinacea?
Bartlet: Ah, that sounds more like it.

President Josiah Bartlet: I was watching a television program before, with a kind of roving moderator who spoke to a seated panel of young women who were having some sort of problem with their boyfriends - apparently, because the boyfriends had all slept with the girlfriends' mothers. And they brought the boyfriends out, and they fought, right there on television. Toby, tell me: these people don't vote, do they?

Oh, and I found the quotes here.

Why Yes, I Do Kick Ass...

2006-01-16T22:01:00.000-05:00

...you wanna make somethin' of it?

Awesome

2006-01-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

If only more people were like this (but younger):

CHARLOTTE COUNTY — A Southwest Florida woman says she got an offer to serve her country by signing up for military service, but she's better suited for the AARP than the U.S. Army.

Antonina Henry received a big surprise in her mailbox this week.

"'We can take the strengths you already have and build on them. That means mental strength as well as emotional and physical.' That's for me! I'm going," said Antonina...

...Antonina is two years younger than her 89 year old husband George. They've been together more than six decades and still have a wild side.

"I started to laugh. It was ridiculous. Her being 87 years old gets a request to join the US armed services. Kind of weird isn't it?" said George.

She doesn't think so. Antonina rushed to the recruitment office down the street to make her enlistment official.

Sergeant George Yokus was more than a little surprised, although he did like her enthusiasm.

"I see personal courage, selfless service. I see loyalty. This is what we are looking for," said Yokus.

Antonina got some nice gifts, but no job. Yokus explained her age is an instant disqualification.

Her recruitment may have been a simple oversight, but the feisty grandmother made sure to leave her number – just in case...

The funniest thing is that I can actually picture my great-grandmother doing this...

Another Open Letter to Congress

2006-01-15T18:15:00.000-05:00

I wrote yesterday about signing onto "An Appeal from Center-Right Bloggers."

Well, this blogger has an appeal of his own to "Congresscritters," and it's a pretty interesting read, though I don't entirely agree with him. My favorite part:

Actually adhere to the oath of office you take upon swearing in. It would help if you would actually read the fucking Constitution. As a matter of fact, you must be able to pass a test on the Constitution before being allowed to hold office. Failue of the test would result in you election opponent assuming the office. After seeing you fail miserably, damn straight he/she'd pass the test. If that person fails too, congresscritter is appointed by the Governor of the state. Tests will be administered until a congresscritter is found who actually knows what is written in the Constitution.

Members of Congress who actually understand the Constitution. What a concept...

Well, if he insists...

2006-01-15T17:56:00.000-05:00

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmanutjob is finally thinking exactly what we're thinking.

Brrrr....

2006-01-15T12:58:00.000-05:00

When I said I wanted it to get colder so I could go skiing, this isn't quite what I meant.

It did get colder last night, much colder. And with the cold came wind, which knocked the power out for a few seconds around midnight.

Well, apparently, when the power went out, the pilot light in our heater blew out. My brother ran into my room at like eight this morning yelling, "Get up, get up!" So I get up, throw back the covers, and oh. my. god. It was 58 degrees in our house!!

So I yelled at my brother for a minute, then burrowed back underneath my blankets until the heat was fixed.

John Shadegg for Majority Leader

2006-01-14T20:28:00.000-05:00

The blogosphere is abuzz with speculation about who will replace Tom DeLay as the House Majority Leader. From the information I've been able to gather, I believe that Congressman John Shadegg would be best for the job.

Here's his bio:

John Shadegg has represented Arizona's Third Congressional District since 1994. He has established a reputation in Congress as a leading advocate for reduced government spending, federal tax relief, and the re-establishment of state and individual rights.

Shadegg was recently elected Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, the fifth-ranking position in the House Leadership. He is the only member of the Republican Class of 1994 currently serving in Leadership.

From 2000 to 2002, Congressman Shadegg served as chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest conservative organization in the House of Representatives. Under Shadegg's leadership, the organization grew from 40 to more than 70 members, and became the most influential and respected force in the U.S. House shaping conservative policy for the country.

John Shadegg is a leader on health care issues, energy issues, and environmental policy.

He has introduced several bills to address the problem of the uninsured, lessen the bureaucracy of Medicare, give patients the right to hold HMOs accountable and strengthen the doctor/patient relationship.

Shadegg has also worked to promote greater choice, ownership, and portability in health insurance. His two bills – the Patients Health Care Reform Act and the Health Care Choice Act – offer comprehensive, free-market solutions to the rapidly rising cost of healthcare by allowing individuals to choose a health care plan that best meets their needs.

On energy policy, Shadegg has been a key player in shaping the comprehensive national energy legislation, which has passed the House four times, but remains stalled in the Senate. He has also actively supported the advancement of hydroelectric power - the cleanest, non-polluting renewable resource available. His efforts to promote hydroelectricity have spilled over into his fight to save and preserve Lake Powell. Radical environmental groups have called for Lake Powell to be drained, which would have devastating economic and environmental consequences throughout the Southwest. Shadegg helped form the Friends of Lake Powell to fight efforts to drain the lake.

As a subcommittee chairman on the Homeland Security Committee in the 108th Congress, Shadegg led an investigation into how state and local homeland security grants are dispersed, advocated a threat-based system for allocating federal money for first responders, and worked to address the issue of bio-terrorism through the “Project Bioshield” legislation, which was signed into law by President Bush on July 21, 2004.

John Shadegg remains committed to his fights for fiscal responsibility in government, access to quality and affordable health care, and balanced energy and environmental policies. He will also continue his efforts to draft and pass wildfire prevention legislation that will help protect the Arizona's forests and rural communities from the type of fires that devastated our state last year.

But wait, there's more!

Washington, May 19, 2005 - The Enumerated Powers Act, H.R. 2458, requires that all bills introduced in the U.S. Congress include a statement setting forth the specific constitutional authority under which the law is being enacted. This measure will force a continual re-examination of the role of the national government, and will fundamentally alter the ever-expanding reach of the federal government.

For too long, the federal government has operated without constitutional restraint. In doing so, it has created ineffective and costly programs, massive deficits year after year, and a national debt totaling nearly $7 trillion. The Enumerated Powers Act will help slow the flood of unconstitutional legislation and force Congress to reexamine the proper role of the federal government. For these reasons, every Congress since the 104th Congress I have introduced the Enumerated Powers Act (H.R. 2270 - 104th, H.R. 292 - 105th, H.R. 1018 – 106th, H.R. 175 — 107th, H.R. 384 — 108th).

Great concept, isn't it? Before a bill can be passed, Congress must first establish that it has a constitutional right to exist.

I have added my name to "An Appeal from Center-Right Bloggers."

An Appeal from Center-Right Bloggers
We are bloggers with boatloads of opinions, and none of us come close to agreeing with any other one of us all of the time. But we do agree on this: The new leadership in the House of Representatives needs to be thoroughly and transparently free of the taint of the Jack Abramoff scandals, and beyond that, of undue influence of K Street.

We are not naive about lobbying, and we know it can and has in fact advanced crucial issues and has often served to inform rather than simply influence Members.

But we are certain that the public is disgusted with excess and with privilege. We hope the Hastert-Dreier effort leads to sweeping reforms including the end of subsidized travel and other obvious influence operations. Just as importantly, we call for major changes to increase openness, transparency and accountability in Congressional operations and in the appropriations process.

As for the Republican leadership elections, we hope to see more candidates who will support these goals, and we therefore welcome the entry of Congressman John Shadegg to the race for Majority Leader. We hope every Congressman who is committed to ethical and transparent conduct supports a reform agenda and a reform candidate. And we hope all would-be members of the leadership make themselves available to new media to answer questions now and on a regular basis in the future.

Signed,

N.Z. Bear, The Truth Laid Bear
Hugh Hewitt, HughHewitt.comGlenn Reynolds, Instapundit.com
Kevin Aylward, Wizbang!
La Shawn Barber, La Shawn Barber's CornerLorie Byrd / DJ Drummond , Polipundit
Beth Cleaver, MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Jeff Goldstein, Protein Wisdom
Stephen Green, Vodkapundit
John Hawkins, Right Wing News
John Hinderaker, Power Line
Jon Henke / McQ / Dale Franks, QandO
James Joyner, Outside The Beltway
Mike Krempasky, Redstate.org
Michelle Malkin, MichelleMalkin.com
Ed Morrissey, Captain's Quarters
Scott Ott, Scrappleface
The Anchoress, The Anchoress
John Donovan / Bill Tuttle, Castle Argghhh!!!

Other endorsements, which carry just a bit more weight than mine, include:

The National Review:

There are three imperatives for the House GOP in the current environment that threatens its majority: Can it clean up its image? Can it reform practices that have at best made for sloppy governance and at worst contributed to corruption? And can it pursue policies that restore the trust of its political base and restore a purpose to an often direction-less majority? Shadegg is the best candidate on all counts>

John Hawkins from Right Wing News(scroll down):

John Shadegg is exactly the type of guy conservatives should want running things in the House of Representatives. He's honest, he's conservative, and he has proven that the principles we believe in really mean something to him.

That why I endorse John Shadegg for Majority Leader.

Exactly.

The UN's New Peace Ambassador

2006-01-14T13:36:00.000-05:00

UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Kofi Annan said world renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma will take on a new role as a U.N. peace ambassador.

Annan met the 50-year-old musician on Thursday and told reporters afterward "he will be a peace envoy."

Ma was born in Paris to Chinese parents and was a child prodigy on the cello when he moved to the United States at the age of seven. By the time he graduated from Harvard University in 1976, he was already an internationally acclaimed cellist.

If he is half as skilled at being a peace ambassador as he is at playing the cello, then he will do very well indeed.

Have you all ever heard Yo Yo Ma's music? He definitely kicks ass.

The Birthday Report

2006-01-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

So I never did manage to post last night, but oh well.

My birthday was pretty awesome. I spent part of the day in Annapolis with people from the Student Political Involvement Network (SPIN@UMBC- Jake, Rachel, and Alan. We spoke with legislators about the cost of tuition at Maryland public colleges, and why it is important to make sure the tuition costs don't keep rising more than 20% in a year, like it did in 2003-2004.

Then they all took me to lunch, which was sweet of them. Of course, they then felt the need to loudly start singing "Happy Birthday to you" in a restaurant frequented by delegates and state senators. Everyone sitting near our table joined in. I was torn between glaring at my friends and laughing my head off. I think I ended up doing a bit of both.

Then later that evening my parents took some friends and I to a hibachi grill. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a Japanese restaurant where they cook the food in front of you- it's as much of a show as it is dinner. As the birthday girl, in addition to my own dinner, I got a bite of everything else- scallops, steak, chicken, and shrimp. It was all delicious, but the best was what I ordered. I ate the most delicious calamari I have ever had. It was awesome, and very tender, which is rare in calamari. And I ate it all, including the fried rice, using only chopsticks. Because I have skill.

Then, of course, came the presents. I got a lot of cool stuff, but by far the best was the mp3 player my parents gave me. It's the Zen MicroPhoto from Creative Labs, and it is awesome. It's smaller than my flip phone, and has 8 gigs of storage space. In addition to music, it can also store and display photos with pretty decent quality, considering the screen is so small. It also has an fm receiver and recorder, a voice recorder, and can act as an external hard drive, so I can back up computer files on it.

So all in all, a very awesome birthday. And they say Friday the 13th is unlucky...

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I probably won't be posting anything today, as I'm going to be pretty busy. I'm speaking with some delegates in Annapolis during the day, and then my parents are taking some friends and I out to dinner. If I do get around to posting, it won't be until later in the evening.

So have a good Friday the 13th everyone!

Weird...

2006-01-12T23:34:00.000-05:00

Scientists in Taiwan say they have bred three pigs that glow in the dark.
They claim that while other researchers have bred partly fluorescent pigs, theirs are the only pigs in the world which are green through and through.

The pigs are transgenic, created by adding genetic material from jellyfish into a normal pig embryo.

Hmm... glow in the dark pets. It would certainly decrease the risk of tripping over them if you have to get up in the middle of the night.

They grow up so fast...

2006-01-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

My senior year of high school, I founded a Teenage Republicans (TARS) club. Since graduating, I've kept in touch with the club, helping out with my connections to others in the party, as well as with planning.

I hadn't been able to do much with them at the end of the semester, because of an insane course load and finals. However, I've been using the time I've had off for winter break (Dec 20-Jan 29) to catch up with what they've been up to.

I'm so proud. Many of the members noticed that students in their first period class were not standing to say the pledge. The TARS knew that this was perfectly within their rights, but were nonetheless disgusted with their peers. So rather than confronting the students directly and risking a confrontation, they devised another way of convincing students to say the pledge.

They, with the help of the school's friendly administration, have dubbed January "Patriot Month." Signs around the school have pictures of Liberty High Alums currently serving in the military, an image of the American flag, and the phrase "January is Patriot Month. Stand and be proud!"

In addition, they make an announcement each morning. Normally, the first thing on the announcements is "Please stand for the pledge to the flag." Now, the announcements start each day with a short bio of one of the Liberty alums serving in the military. For example, they might say, "Spc. John Smith joined the marines after graduation in 2004. He is currently serving in Iraq, 50 miles outside Baghdad, where his duties include...." Immediately following the bio of the day, students are asked to please stand for the pledge to the flag.

Hopefully, this will convince more students that saying the pledge is a good thing, and that it is perfectly fine to be proud of their country and the people serving to protect it.

This was an awesome idea. I'm very proud of them for coming up with it.

Update: Oh, and I almost forgot- this is my 100th post since starting my blog!

Oh, Joy

2006-01-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

I had a doctor's appointment this morning about my knee, which has been bothering me a lot lately.

About two years ago, my knee was kicked out when I was sparring in karate. For some reason I don't recall, I never managed to go to the doctor about it. I wore a brace and walked with a limp for a few weeks, and then eventually things went back to normal.

Well, for the most part. Every once in awhile my knee would act up again, normally after a period of heavy physical activity.

But lately, it's been acting up a lot, to the point that, even wearing a brace all the time, the pain is pretty much constant. So I finally made an appointment to see my doctor. She's sending me to get an MRI on my knee, and to have physical therapy.

Doesn't that sound like fun?

A Birthday Wish

2006-01-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

Everyone should go over to Right Wing News and wish John Hawkins a happy birthday by clicking on all his ads so he gets money.

You could probably leave a nice note in the comments section of his blog too, but the whole helping-him-get-money thing is more practical.

Hawkin's has a very cool birthday. It's one day before mine.

Yes, my birthday is on Friday the 13th this year. Insert bad-luck joke here.

Let it Snow!!!

2006-01-12T09:41:00.000-05:00

Now, I'm not one who is normally fond of the cold for its own sake. However, we are weeks into winter (so they say) and I have yet to go skiing even once. Why not? Because IT'S 56 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!! The overnight low is supposed to be 40, well above freezing. Even after making snow on the mountain it's still upper 40s- lower 50s there.

That sucks. It needs to get cold and snowy so I can go skiing at least once before I go back to school. And before I see a doctor that tries to tell me I shouldn't ski on my bad knee.

The Alito Hearings

2006-01-11T19:02:00.000-05:00

I watched a bit of the Alito hearings today at around four. He seemed to be holding his own.

I felt bad for him though. He looked soooo bored while Senator Feinstein was taking forever to get around to actually asking a question.

My little brother, who is twelve and for the most part couldn't care less about politics, came in the room at one point and looked at the tv. Normally, when he catches me watching political shows, he makes a comment about it being boring and leaves. This time, on the other hand, after seeing the look on Alito's face, he asked, "Is it just me, or does it look like he wishes he could tell her to shut up?"

I disagree. Alito actually looked like he wished he could tell her to shut the hell up.

That's Just Sad

2006-01-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

A new poll shows that 57% of Americans can not name at least one sitting member of the United States Supreme Court.

In any given year, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on a broad range of high-profile legal and constitutional issues. But in this past year, even greater attention was focused on the Court following the announced retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist and President Bush's subsequent nominations of John Roberts, the new chief justice; Harriet Miers, who eventually withdrew her nomination; and Samuel Alito, whose confirmation hearings began this week. Interest groups have spent millions of dollars to sway public opinion on the nominations.

Still, the FindLaw.com survey finds a majority of Americans cannot name even one U.S. Supreme Court justice...

...The percentages of Americans who could name each current justice were as follows:

27% Sandra Day O'Connor
21% Clarence Thomas
16% John Roberts
13% Antonin Scalia
12% Ruth Bader Ginsburg
7% Anthony Kennedy
5% David Souter
3% Stephen Breyer
3% John Paul Stevens

But wait, there's more:

Incorrect responses from those surveyed as to who is currently serving on the U.S. Supreme Court included George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, Thurgood Marshall and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This is just pathetic. I mean, at the very least, people should be able to name O'Connor and Roberts. I just don't understand how people could be so clueless about the government of their country.

Oh, and for the record- on a good day, I could rattle off all nine justices. But even on a bad day I could still name six or seven of them (most likely, I would forget Breyer and Stevens.)

LOL!!!

2006-01-10T17:40:00.000-05:00

This is by far the most clever blonde joke I've ever seen! Scroll down to the second post on the page.

A New Disclaimer

2006-01-10T00:36:00.000-05:00

I've rethought the wisdom of my flippant tone at the end of my last post, and decided to write a nice disclaimer. Only, I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know much about disclaimers. Tell me how you think I did:

Disclaimer: In ~~mocking~~ humble deference to new legislation, I hearby declare that ~~pretty much everything~~ nothing in this blog is at all intended to annoy, humiliate, or harass anyone who might be ~~a moonbat, crazed liberal, or general dumbass~~ of a slightly different opinion than myself. If you are ~~a moonbat, crazed liberal, or general dumbass~~ of a slightly different opinion than myself, and something written within this blog annoys you, ~~get over it you big baby~~ I didn't mean it, honest. Offer only valid until the Supreme Court declares this law to be ~~a pile of festering dog crap~~ unconstitutional. This offer not valid outside the US. If you are a foreigner and something in this blog annoys you, I may or may not have meant for it to do so. You have to determine my intent yourself. If doing so annoys you, too bad, because the new legislation doesn't protect you because ~~no one cares~~ you don't live in America, and I have to annoy somebody, don't I?

So, how was that for a disclaimer? I really do want to cover my bases, but I'm worried my lack of legal knowledge might keep me from doing so.

Being a sarcastic smartass probably doesn't help either.

Hahaha... Annoy Me and Rot in Jail!!!

2006-01-09T23:28:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the title is at least partially true.

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.

In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for small favors, I guess.

This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include stiff fines and two years in prison.

Are you kidding me? This is absolutely ridiculous, and incredibly unconstitutional. The exact wording is:

Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

There is some speculation over at Ace of Spades about the veracity of the story. I can't say for certain, because none of the links to THOMAS people are putting up to prove it one way or the other seem to be working for me. I certainly hope it isn't true, but Congress certainly is crazy enough to try something like this.

Anyway, so I would just like to take the time now to say that I think that the following people, in no particular order, suck: Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Kerry, Martin O'Malley, John McCain, Jack Abramoff, my Brit Lit teacher from my junior year of high school, and the Stat professor who gave me a B in his class.

I do hope that doesn't annoy them. Or have I annoyed you all? Someone on my list you don't agree with? Or have I left someone out? Would you be more annoyed if I started saying that you guys suck? (Not that I would ever say that...)

Or what if, like, I started, like, talking, like, you know, like, the stereotypical, you know, like, teenage girl. Doesn't that, like, grate on your nerves? Would it, like, be something that, like, you would consider, like, annoying?

Okay, I'll stop now. That was annoying me just typing it.

Any other suggestions for how I could make an annoying nuisance out of myself by completely and totally ignoring this law?

I Always Thought the MSM was High...

2006-01-09T21:48:00.000-05:00

This is funny as hell.

Basically, a reporter is telling the story of soldiers burning a field of marijuana plants. Only he's on the scene without a mask, and getting increasingly high as time goes on.

"Soldiers behind me... behind me soldiers... rugged soldiers... the size of whales... burning drugs... painstakingly."

Wait a minute, now

2006-01-09T16:25:00.000-05:00

Earlier today I got a hit on my blog from someone who found it through a Google search. This in itself isn't unusual, but what caught my attention was what the search terms were.

The person who came to my blog was searching Google for the phrase "UMBC sucks."

I would like to respond that no, it doesn't.

Oh, and here's the post the search turned up. As you can see, the sentence that turned out those key words was "I mean, don't get me wrong, UMBC is awesome, but the food sucks."

Senator Ted Kennedy: Children's Author

2006-01-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this:

Meet the latest children's author, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and his Portuguese Water Dog, Splash, his co-protagonist in "My Senator and Me: A Dogs-Eye View of Washington, D.C."

Does this strike anyone else as ironic? Ted Kennedy has a Portuguese Water dog named Splash? See, I would think he would want to avoid references to water and swimming as much as possible...

Nomination Hearings Start for Alito

2006-01-09T12:33:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON - Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter promised a "full, fair and dignified hearing" Monday as the Senate began weighing whether Samuel Alito should become the nation's 110th Supreme Court justice.

On the opening day of confirmation hearings, Democrats promised to question President Bush's choice about constitutional powers, the right of privacy, equal rights and abortion — issues that have occupied the high court for decades and are certain to fill the docket for years.

I don't think there will really be much of an issue getting him confirmed. The Democrats will moan about him taking us back to the Dark Ages, there will be a lot of partisan posturing, and Ted Kennedy's next public statement will probably include the word "coathanger" at least three times, but it will be all talk. A filibuster would be the worst possible thing for Democrats to attempt. They might think they have a chance of it working if they take advantage of the current Jack Abramoff fiasco, but that would be a mistake on their part. Republicans need a victory right now to regain momentum for the big votes coming up. Confirming Alito would give them some momentum, but unleashing the nuclear option and then walking through what's left of the Democratic Party to confirm Alito would give them a lot of momentum. And I have no doubt that the nuclear option would succeed. As I said right after Alito's nomination:

Not that all the Democratic political clout could block Alito's confirmation, though. Of the 55 Republicans in the Senate, 48 are reliable votes we can count on for Alito. The remaining seven Senators form half of the "Gang of 14," and are not guaranteed votes.

However, one of those seven, Mike DeWine, has stated that Alito does not merit he filibuster agreed to for "extreme circumstances." If the Dems try to filibuster, he is willing to vote for the nuclear option. This is understandable- DeWine has a tough primary coming up, and he's smart enough to realize voting against the party on this one would cost him the election. Senator Lindsay Graham, another one of the Gang of 14, has also said he will not support the filibuster if it is used on Sam Alito.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is 50 votes. Add a tiebreaker vote from Cheney, and that's the 51 votes needed to launch the nuclear option.

I don't think we will need to use Cheney, though. Senator McCain, another Republican in the Gang of 14, still harbors hopes of becoming President in 2008. He knows that if he votes against the party now, it will prove more than anything else that he's a RINO, and his chances of geting the Republican nomination will be nonexistant.

Once McCain supports Alito, it's only a matter of time before the remaining four Republicans fall into line. Nobody is going to want to risk being the only Republican to vote against the Republican SCOTUS nominee.

My prediction? Something more than 55, but less than Roberts' 78.

DeLay Gives up on Returning to House Leadership

2006-01-08T00:37:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom DeLay, the defiant face of a conservative revolution in Congress, stepped down as House majority leader on Saturday under pressure from Republicans staggered by an election-year corruption scandal.

"During my time in Congress, I have always acted in an ethical manner within the rules of our body and the laws of our land," the Texas lawmaker told fellow Republicans in a letter informing them of his decision.

Still, referring to criminal charges he faces in his home state, he added, "I cannot allow our adversaries to divide and distract our attention."

DeLay temporarily gave up his leadership post after he was charged, but always insisted he would reclaim his duties after clearing his name.

I can't say I'm heartbroken. I still think the charges against him are politically motivated drivel. I also thought he seemed like a nice enough guy when I met him at a political fundraiser he spoke at in Maryland (I was given a ticket to that fundraiser as a thank you for my volunteering, but just told me I was sitting at table three. Imagine my surprise when that turned out to be the head table, and he tapped my shoulder and asked if the seat next to me was taken.)

But, friendly demeanor and willingness to actually speak with a college student aside, the time for DeLay to lead the Senate is over. His comment on the "ongoing victory" over wasteful government spending was just stupid, and shows that he is no longer in touch with the fiscal values of the Republican Party.

So, I wish him the best of luck in his trial, but I'm glad he won't be resuming the post of Majority Leader.

French Troops Arrive in Iraq (No, Not Really)

2006-01-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

This is hilarious.

Baltimore Named America's Fittest City (Say What Now?)

2006-01-06T11:47:00.000-05:00

BALTIMORE - Baltimore has been named America's fittest city, with Chicago overtaking Houston as the fattest. Last year's fittest city, Seattle, drops to No. 8 in the new list, released today by Men's Fitness magazine.

When the annual survey named Baltimore the fittest city in America, many Charm City residents had the same response: You gotta be kidding.

Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction.

On the Surviving Miner

2006-01-05T13:14:00.000-05:00

SIMPSON, W.Va. - The lone survivor of a coal mine explosion that killed 12 others was in a coma Thursday but showed some encouraging signs overnight, his doctor said.

Randal McCloy Jr., 26, was struggling with the effects of oxygen deprivation to his vital organs, including his brain, Dr. Lawrence Roberts said on ABC's "Good Morning America." Only time will tell how much he recovers, he said.

Keep this guy in your thoughts and prayers. The last thing that poor town needs is another tragedy.

Thoughts on Ariel Sharon's Stroke

2006-01-05T13:11:00.000-05:00

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke Wednesday and was on a respirator after falling ill at his ranch. Doctors operated to drain excess blood from his brain.

Powers were transferred to his deputy, Vice Premier Ehud Olmert.

Dr. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, director of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, said Sharon suffered "a significant stroke," adding that he was "under anesthetic and receiving breathing assistance." A few minutes later, Mor-Yosef emerged to say that initial tests showed Sharon had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, or bleeding in his brain.

I hope that he recovers. I confess that, despite having lots of Jewish friends, I know very little about the politics of the country. But one paragraph in particular from that article stands out:

The dramatic decline in Sharon's health comes as Sharon runs for re-election on March 28 at the head of a new centrist party, Kadima. He enjoys a wide lead in the polls. The party's strength is centered on Sharon, and if he were forced to step down, Israel's political scene would be thrown into turmoil.

Arguably, the last thing the region needs is more turmoil. So, my best wishes go out for Sharon's good health for many reasons- not the least of which being that several friends are traveling to Israel next week, so the more stable the region is, the better.

Update: This is a very good article summarizing things as they currently stand. Also, Jake the Jew shares his thought on the matter here.

Nearing a Milestone

2006-01-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

So... I'm exited. Why? Look down towards the bottom of my sidebar. See that number there in the hit counter? It's getting pretty close to 1000. It should get there sometime in the next few days.

Yeah, I know, I know, in the realm of blogging, 1000 is nothing, but I'm still excited.

I'm not obsessed at all. And denial is a river in Africa. So there.

Talk about Taking the Intellligent Design Debate too Far...

2006-01-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Forget the U.S. debate over intelligent design versus evolution.

An Italian court is tackling Jesus -- and whether the Roman Catholic Church may be breaking the law by teaching that he existed 2,000 years ago.

The case pits against each other two men in their 70s, who are from the same central Italian town and even went to the same seminary school in their teenage years.

The defendant, Enrico Righi, went on to become a priest writing for the parish newspaper. The plaintiff, Luigi Cascioli, became a vocal atheist who, after years of legal wrangling, is set to get his day in court later this month.

"I started this lawsuit because I wanted to deal the final blow against the Church, the bearer of obscurantism and regression," Cascioli told Reuters.

Bets as to how long it takes for Michael Newdow to try this in the US.?

Television

2006-01-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

I'm watching some episode of Law and Order because there is nothing else on, and some defense attorney just put forth what has to be one of the most retarded legal arguments I've ever heard. Basically, gun violence is a contagious disease. If you see someone hurt or killed with a gun, you are "infected" by the disease, and are likely to go participate in gun violence yourself. Therefore the kid who shot the guy who killed his mother shouldn't be found guilty, not because he was too young to understand the crime or because he was overcome with grief at the time, but because he was 'sick' with the disease of gun violence.

Are you kidding me?

Update: Oh, look, the prosecutor and the defense attorney worked together to make it so the judge had to declare a mistrial, because they of course both have the morally superior right to decide who should and should not be punished. Meanwhile, the kid who shot the guy who killed his mother somehow didn't have to sit through another trial, but instead got to go away with a nice loving foster family that day instead. Because we all know that's how the system works.

You've Gotta be Kidding Me...

2006-01-03T20:28:00.000-05:00

British Woman Marries Dolphin

"It's not a perverted thing. I do love this dolphin. He's the love of my life," she said yesterday, upon her return to London. Tendler, who said she imports clothes and promotes rock bands in England, has visited Israel several times a year since first meeting the dolphin...

...While she still kept open the option of "marrying a human" at some stage, she said for now she was strictly a "one-dolphin woman". She's hardly the jealous type, though.

"He will still play with all the other girls there," she said, of their prenuptial agreement. "I hope he has a lot of baby dolphins with the other dolphins. The more dolphins the better."

I'm trying to figure out if it's still adultery if the one doing the cheating isn't human...

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

2006-01-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

One of the things I did last week was go to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in theaters. I know it's been out for weeks, but because of finals I hadn't had time to see it until recently.

Anyway, I thought that for the most part the movie was awesome. So I though I would do a little review of the good and bad parts of the movie, and see if anyone agrees with my take on things. There are spoilers below, so if you haven't seen the movie and don't want to know what happens before you do, don't read anything below.

The Good

~ The actors they chose were magnificent for their parts. I particularly thought that Peter and the White Witch were well chosen. The actor playing Peter did a great job portraying kingliness for one so young, and the Witch was cold and creepy- exactly like she was supposed to be.

~ They did a great job showing Edmund's redemption. At the beginning of the movie he was an obnoxious little brat, and by the end he was good and deserving of being crowned. The transition in between was well portrayed.

~ The animation was awesome. I was a little concerned how the talking animals would look alongside ral actors, but they fit in quite nicely. And Aslan- wow. I was impressed.

~ The battle scene was also well played out. It was long enough to show the seriousness of it, but also careful not to get to dramatic or gory. This was, after all, a movie meant for small children to watch.

~ They stayed remarkably true to C.S. Lewis' story. The few things they did change- like showing why the children were sent away from London- only improved how the story appeared onscreen.

~ The scene with Aslan's death was well played out as well. It managed to show the seriousness of his sacrifice and the sadness of his death, but again while staying away from the violence and gore so that small children could watch.

~ There were many other things that made the movie great, but these pretty much summarize it all.

The Not So Good

~ While the sacrifice was well played out, Aslan's resurrection seemed rushed. They spent a lot of time showing his death, but then it was okay, he's alive again, let's move on. I think they could have done a lot more to increase the emotional impact of that scene.

~ I'm not a big fan of how they portrayed Susan. I don't remember her being such an insufferable know-it-all in the book. Now, granted, they did show her lightening up some by the end of the movie, but I don't think they really needed to put that in there in the first place. It didn't do the character justice.

Overall, the movie was great. It had been a long time since I'd read the Chronicles of Narnia, but I'm now in the process of rereading the series. I'm halfway through Prince Caspian now.

So, what did you guys think of the movie?

I'm Back Home

2006-01-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

I survived Buffalo without turning into a popsicle, everyone. I was lucky, actually, because it was relatively warm all week. It stayed in the 40s for the most part, although the last couple days the weather got a little iffy.

So how was everyone's holiday? Mine was pretty cool. My grandparents got us tickets to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Wednesday night (and before you're put off by the word orchestra, go here to listen to a sample of their music.) Now imagine that music at rock concert volumes. With an awesome laser light show. In a stadium with 13,000 other people.

Yeah, it rocked.

The TSO is also my little brother's new favorite band, but for a slightly different reason. At the end of the show, the band members split up to sign autographs. The guy standing at our exit was Paul O'Neill, the groups founder (who also composes music for Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, btw.) My brother and I go to get our programs signed, and we hear him talking to two little boys in front of us.

"To get hear from Japan," he said, "my plane had to fly over the north pole, and we had to stop for gas. While I was there, Santa told me to look for two boys named Scott and Camden and give them these." Then he asked my little brother (he's twelve) what his name was, and then said "Oh, good, Santa told me to give you one of these too!"

"These" were hundred dollar bills.

Yeah. I'm not kidding. I was half a step away from pretending to be a kid myself (not that that would have worked well.) I don't really begrudge my brother the money, though (mainly because now he can afford to buy me a really awesome birthday present;D )

So all in all, the trip was pretty awesome. New Year's was kinda lame though, with just close family and some of their friends. I played checkers with a ninth grader. I drank some non-alcoholic cabernet sauvignon (I think of it like decaf coffee- not nearly as good, but if you have no other choice, it'll do.) We watched the ball drop. Meanwhile, the Jew got to go to the cool party.

Really, the funniest part of the night was watching Hillary Duff sing. Or, more specifically, watching her backup dancers. We all came to the conclusion that her regular backup dancers must not have been able to make it, so they went to the nearest gay bar to find replacements. It wasn't pretty, but it was hilarious to watch.

Anyway, so a new year is here, and I still have a month of winter break left. Among other things, I plan on paying a lot of attention to the blog. So pay attention, because I have some good ideas.

NSA in the News (Again)

2005-12-31T14:31:00.000-05:00

NSA Caught Placing Cookies on Web Visitors' Computers

Um...duh?

I honestly don't see what the big deal is. The NSA uses cookies- so does pretty much every other website out there. The NSA has as much of a right to collect stats on their visitors as I do. And let me tell you, Sitemeter and Bravenet, the two hit counters I have, use cookies to collect information on the people who visit the Right Wing Report. I can check and see if my visitors are new or repeat visitors, how long they stayed here, if they were referred from another site, and where they're from (incidentally, I've had a LOT of hits from NJ in the last few days- not sure what that's about.)

So if bloggers can do it, why can't the NSA?

No Wonder Adults Say Teenagers are Crazy...

2005-12-29T17:31:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I'm still on vacation, but I saw this story when I was checking my email, and I couldn't pass it up.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Maybe it was the time the taxi dumped him at the Iraq-Kuwait border, leaving him alone in the middle of the desert. Or when he drew a crowd at a Baghdad food stand after using an Arabic phrase book to order. Or the moment a Kuwaiti cab driver almost punched him in the face when he balked at the $100 fare.

But at some point, Farris Hassan, a 16-year-old from Florida, realized that traveling to Iraq by himself was not the safest thing he could have done with his Christmas vacation.

And he didn't even tell his parents.

More>>

Right now, I'm trying to imagine what my parents would do to me if I suddenly decided to fly to Baghdad. I have a hunch that not even Senator McCain's new anti-torture law would save me.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-24T20:24:00.000-05:00

And Happy Hanukkah to Jake the Jew and my other Jewish friends.

This will probably be my last post for the next few days. Tomorrow afternoon we are driving down to Virginia to visit my mom's family. They were originally going to come here, but my great-grandmother isn't feeling well, so our plans changed.

Then, the next day, we will be driving up to Buffalo, New York to visit my dad's family. If you never hear from me again, it's because I've been turned into a human popsicle (I HATE the cold!!!)

I'm not sure how much access to a computer I'll have during this time, so if I don't get back until everything is over, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Years!!!

PS~ I should probably also say Happy Birthday to Jake as well. Yes, the Jew was born on Christmas.

Mmm...Food

2005-12-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

One of the things I miss most while away at college is being able to eat decent food. I mean, don't get me wrong, UMBC is awesome, but the food sucks. It isn't really their fault, but anytime you have food being mass produced for thousands of people, it's going to suck.

Most importantly, I miss being able to cook my own good food. My dad's family is (among other things) Italian, so he and my grandmother have been teaching me how to cook for as long as I can remember. Which is why, now that I'm home for winter break (six weeks!) I intend to cook as much as I possibly can to make up for the last few kitchen-less months. I'm so excited about this, I thought I would share the details with you guys.

Tonight's menu was:

Ribeye steak

Marinate in Chiavetta's sauce (it's an awesome marinade you can pretty much only get in New York,) season with dill, lemon pepper, and just a touch of garlic salt. Grill over low flames until cooked through as desired (in our case, medium rare.)

Grilled Potatoes

Brush Chiavetta's Sauce over skins of Russent potatoes, and sprinkle dill and garlic salt onto the wet skins. Wrap each potato in aluminum foil, and cook on the upper rack of the grill for about 45 minutes, flipping the potatoes occasionally.

Mix of white and yellow corn

I prefer frozen, but individual tastes may vary.

Anyway, I had so much fun catching up on my cooking. I'm thinking that for Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow I'll make Shrimp Fettuccini. If my family asks nicely enough, I might even make the sauce from scratch.

Bush's Approval Ratings Still Improving

2005-12-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

Friday December 23, 2005--Fifty percent (50%) of American adults approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. That's up six points since the President's speech on Sunday night.

It's also the first time since July that the President's Job Approval has reached the 50% mark. He earns approval from 81% of Republicans, 23% of Democrats, and 42% of those not affiliated with either major political party...

...The President's speech had a measurable impact concerning the War on Terror. Fifty percent (50%) of Americans now say the U.S. and its allies are winning. That's up from 44% immediately before the speech and the highest level of optimism measured in 2005.

Sweet. Keep it coming, Mr. President. And by the way, if you sign that immigration bill on it's way through Congress now, you can expect your numbers to jump even more. If you so much as indicate that you are considering the possibility of a veto, those 81% of Republicans, myself included, might just give up on you once and for all.

Can You Believe This?

2005-12-22T18:26:00.000-05:00

Saddam Hussein is now claiming that he has been tortured.

"I want to say here, yes, we have been beaten by the Americans and we have been tortured," Saddam said, before gesturing to his seven co-defendants around him, "one by one."

After sitting quietly through several hours of testimony, Saddam said he'd been beaten "everywhere on my body. The marks are still there."

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called it "highly ironic" that Saddam would accuse his jailers of mistreatment.

"I know of nothing that would substantiate such a claim," McCormack said. "Look, he's been given to grandstanding in this trial, but where the focus should be is on the testimony of those people who were victimized by the tyranny, the oppression and the violence of Saddam Hussein. That's what people should be listening to."

First, let's consider the irony of Saddam Hussein complaining about torture. I mean, he tortured people for years, and now he's acting as if it's such a bad thing? Talk about hypocrisy.

Second, I do not, for one second, believe his story to be true. On the contrary, I'm sure he's being treated quite well, just so that he can't use mistreatment as a convenient get-out-of-execution-free card.

Because I Can

2005-12-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Since I invested so much time and effort into preparing for my political philosophy final, I thought I would do something to make it count for more than just a grade. So here are the two essays I turned in.

Essay One:

Can the best life for a human being be attained through politics? What is the appropriate relationship between the individual and political society? Answer with reference to at least two of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli and Hobbes.

Aristotle would most certainly agree that the best life for a human being is attained through politics. After all, his assertion that “man is by nature a political animal” is quite famous. To Aristotle, politics was as much a part of human nature as eating or breathing, and is quite necessary for human development.

It is important to understand how Aristotle tracks the growth of politics. To him, the city-state was a crucial factor in human development. Man is ill-suited to surviving on his own, and bands together into family households and small villages.

These groups solve some of the basic difficulties of human survival, but are still incapable of completely sustaining themselves. To achieve this needed self-sufficiency, several villages join together to form a larger city-state. As Aristotle describes it, a city-state “comes to be for the sake of living, but it remains in existence for the sake of living well.” (1252b25)

However, if a city-state is not governed it will dissolve into anarchy as the baser parts of humanity seek to obtain because of greed and a lust for power. To prevent the city-state from collapsing, humans must subordinate the baser parts of themselves and let the rational part of the soul rule.

In order for this to succeed humans need to come together to determine how things should be run and how members of the communities should act. This leads us to Aristotle’s next point, which is that “nature makes nothing pointlessly.” (1253a5) Humans are the only creatures capable of speech, and as such are the only ones capable of discussing what is good or bad and just or unjust. Humans are naturally drawn to involve themselves in such a dialogue. Once humans start trying to define concepts such as good and bad, it is a natural step to creating laws requiring people to do what is good and just instead of bad and unjust.

It is clear from his writings that Aristotle thinks the best way to live involves politics. Reading Plato, however, it isn’t so clear that that is actually the case. Socrates is, of course, very much interested in politics and philosophy, and in asking the difficult questions. However, it is also clear that not everyone he speaks with feels the same way. Some, like Cephalus, try to end the conversation as quickly as possible. Others are open to engaging in debate at first, but quickly grow frustrated with Socrates’ seemingly endless list of questions and examples that shoot down their arguments. In other words, Plato’s writings would indicate that while some take pleasure in politics, others are much more content to leave things as they are, and not examine anything in too much detail.

So is the best life attainable through politics? Honestly, this is not a question I can answer impartially. It certainly seems to be the best for me. I have been interested in debate and politics for years, and can not imagine a future in which I am not in some way involved in politics. However, I am observant enough of the world around me to realize that this opinion doesn’t seem to be universal. Many people just don’t care. To them, the thing that offers fulfillment isn’t politics, but music, or writing, or teaching.

To each their own, I guess. I think they’re crazy, and they think I am, but in the end what matters is that people are happy with what they’re doing.

Essay Two:

Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau have all been called "social contract" theorists. Compare and contrast (and critically discuss) the ways in which the idea of a contract or agreement enters into the thought of two of these writers. Highlight similarities and differences and judge the relative success of each thinker’s use of the idea. Support your claims with reasons.

When reading Hobbes’ Leviathan and Locke’s Second Treatise on Government, it is impossible not to notice the differences in the two works. They describe very different systems of government. However, what is perhaps most interesting is that, despite all the differences, both governments spring from the idea of the formation of a social contract.

So how do two such different forms of government spring from the commonality of a social contract? The key to understanding the differences between Locke and Hobbes is to understand their concept of the state of nature. Though they both frequently speak of this state, they are in fact referring to two very different concepts of what the state of nature is.

As far as Hobbes is concerned, the state of nature is a very grim and dismal state of perpetual conflict and war. To get out of it, people lay down their rights so that one man can take power to protect them. The oath taker would say something similar to “I authorize and give up my right of governing myself to this man, on the condition that thou give up thy right to him, and authorize all his actions in this manner.” Here, we see that the only contingency in Hobbes’ social contract is that others take the oath as well. There is no clause saying people only give up power provided the leader does a good job, nor is there a clause permitting rebellion if the leader fails to live up to expectations. To Hobbes, such a rebellion would be the worst possible thing, because it would only throw people back into the state of nature. He believes that nothing, not even a brutal tyrant, is worse than returning to that state.

Clearly, there are some flaws in Hobbes’ logic. First, he assumes that the state of nature is terribly violent and brutish, yet he has no proof that this is in fact the case. Without such a terrible alternative hanging over people’s heads, they would be less likely to give up as many of their rights. He also assumes that the only way to avoid the state of nature is to surrender all of ones rights to a ruler. Obviously this is not the case, as it is easy to look around the world and see dozens of countries in which the people retain rights, and things haven’t degenerated into chaos.

Finally, Hobbes also assumes that a rebellion would plunge humans back into the state of nature. Again, however, history proves this to be incorrect. Many countries, including America, Britain, France, and Germany, have had rebellions in their past. However, after an initial period of violence, either the old government retained power, or a new government was formed to better suit the needs of these people. They did not, as Hobbes’ suggest, return to the state of nature and stay there.

On the other hand, Locke’s concept of the state of nature is much different from that of his predecessor. He believes that the state of nature, while unpleasant and uncomfortable, is not nearly as brutish as Hobbes thinks. As a result, people should not be willing to give up nearly as many of their rights in the social contract to escape it.

In addition to not giving up all their rights, in the Lockean contract people only give up their rights conditionally, provided the government does its job. The people have a right to rebel if they feel their leaders are not acting in their best interests.

This logic would seem to have one flaw: if people had a right to rebel, wouldn’t they do so whenever the government did something they disapproved of? Locke thinks not, arguing that most people realize the stupidity of attacking the government with only a few people. He says that people will put up with a lot of abuse from the government, so long as “the suffering is sufferable.” In order for rebellion to be successful, there must first be widespread discontent with the government.

Naturally, Locke’s version of society is a much more compelling vision. Most people would prefer a government in which they possessed some power of oversight as well as basic human rights. Many humans are, after all, rather independent, and like the opportunity to make, at least to a certain extent, decisions of their own. Government is a nice thing to have in a supervisory capacity, but if it were to constantly tell us what to do with every aspect of our lives, it would quickly become unbearable. With the Lockean contract, it is much less likely that such a government would ever come to exist, because eventually the abuse would grow until it was intolerable, and the people would act. For this reason, it’s nice to have the option to rebel, even if we would prefer not to have to.

I Love Free Money

2005-12-20T17:32:00.000-05:00

I made $25 today doing like absolutely nothing at all. Some make up company is doing a study on campus- I just had to put on their lip gloss, go back once an hour for four hours to answer a couple questions, and then at the end they gave me a $25 gift card to Target.

Gotta love that...one more exam, and then I'm goin' shopping. And my Christmas shopping is done, so this money is all mine.

:)

Update: The free money was well spent. I got the outfit I'll wear on Christmas- dark blue jeans and an adorable red sweater.

Bush's Approval Ratings up another 5 Points

2005-12-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

Sweet.

Another Exam Down

2005-12-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

I just aced my econ exam. I don't even know why I bothered studying, because it was a waste of my time.

The exam was seven pages long. There were three pages of multiple choice questions, and four pages of problems. I finished in half an hour- and that was taking my time. I was first to finish- the look on my professors face was pretty funny. He was like "what, you're done already?"

Two down... two to go. Political Philosophy should be easy, but the exam for Geography of Environmental systems is going to suck... much like the entire class has all semester.

An Interesting Article

2005-12-19T01:33:00.000-05:00

I find myself further along in my studies than I thought I would be at this point, so I'm taking a quick break to share this with you.

Each week, I dutifully read the newest copy of my school's newspaper, The Retriever Weekly. The paper is overwhelmingly liberal, but I still read it to keep up with events on campus, and to catch the occasional diamond in the rough that is a conservative article.

I was particularly impressed with one article from this week's paper, which was written by a guy in my Political Philosophy class. I don't necessarily agree with everything he's written, but it is well written, and his style is particularly amusing. He said I could post it here, so tell me what you think:

Dear George,

We’ve been together a really long time now. I mean, it’s been a good, what, six years now, something like that? I remember clearly those days when we first got to know each other, way back when your campaign began in 1999. It feels just like yesterday that we were celebrating the upholding of the law in Bush v. Gore, the massive GOP electoral victories in 2002, and, of course, that nerve-wracking election night in 2004 when I first dared to dream that you might just win after all.
But here’s the thing, George. I know this is hard for both of us, but one of us has to be strong enough to do this. See, George, it’s time for the two of us to go our separate ways. You’ve changed since we’ve met, and I don’t think it can ever be the same again between us.
When you first ran for the nomination, right-wingers like myself rallied around you with our fingers crossed. You seemed like exactly the sort of conservative Republican we needed to counter John McCain, and were cautiously optimistic that you could be what we had waited for during the long, dark night of the Clinton years. I had such high hopes for you, George, I really did. I knew that there could be only one Reagan for me, but I thought that I might just find some of what Ronald had in you.
At first, I wasn’t disappointed. When you made it clear that you weren’t going to budge even as Congress screamed and carried on about that first little tax cut, I was cheering you on the whole way. When you stood up and took upon yourself the heavy mantle of leadership after 9/11, unafraid to bear the burdens of command and make the hardest decisions, I allowed myself to thing that you might be the one after all. I stood by you even when it seemed like the whole world was against us, as you courageously proposed another war in Iraq. You knew full well that this idea might derail your whole presidency, and yet you still went with what you felt was right. I was delighted to argue for the war day after day that year, because you and your administration made a case that I found well-nigh impregnable.
But along the way, something went wrong. Sure, you proposed another set of badly-needed tax cuts, and even to this day I continue to defend the Patriot Act. But along the way, you proposed an enormous increase in federal education spending, whereas the ‘90s GOP, under Gingrich, had made eliminating the federal Department of Education, completely, a goal. Instead of opposing the democrats; foolish lobbying for a prescription drug benefit outright, you met them halfway with an expensive program that satisfied no one. You signed a nakedly opportunistic bill augmenting those absurdly anachronistic farm subsidies that manage to both drain the U.S. economy and undercut Third World agricultural development. And I never thought that I’d witness the party of free trade support steel tariffs of any sort, let alone the monstrous duties you imposed.
George, the fact is that you have yet to veto a single bill that Congress has handed you. You have had a republican Congress for the lion’s share of your time in office thus far and you’ve squandered it. It gets worse too, George. A little piece of me dies inside whenever I remember that, adjusting for inflation, you raised spending more on non-homeland defense-related matters in your four years than Clinton did in his eiht. We’re faced with a reality in which democrats- democrats, George!- can plausibly attach us- we, the party that has proposed a balanced budget amendment more than once!- for the appalling deficits that threaten to eat away at the core of the American economy, like an engorged worm in the center of a juicy red apple.
George, as each little disappointment came in turn, I handled it as best as I could. Every political relationship has its ups and downs, and any person serious about entering into one has to be prepared for what’s going to come. With each new betrayal, I found myself questioning just what it was that kept me on your side.
The final straw came as the promises of Iraq withered like so many cheap roses. There was such promise at the beginning- a fearsome dictator felled, a threat neutralized, a people freed! Iraqis did cheer for us in the streets, and the time was ripe for America to re-establish its legitimacy in the Middle East. The world now knows that, even with all the time you had, from the proposal of the war to the current mess, the endeavor was horribly planned and executed. The U.S. was by no means prepared to handle the task before it even as the Butcher of Baghdad fled for his life. Worse yet, you didn’t even take seriously the advice of knowledgeable scholars and experts whom you brought on board. Under the circumstances, Iraq’s nascent democracy hands on with admirable tenacity. For someone like me, who had put his faith into you, beginning with bright-eyed hope, the slow but sure realization of what your administration had wrought came like a wrenching stab in the back.
And so it comes to this, George- I think it’s time for it to end between us. Our differences are now enough that a committed conservative republican like me can no longer actively support your presidency. True, there aren’t any decent alternatives (the Constitution Party is extreme, and I won’t even get started about the libertarians), and no, I don’t regret voting for you in 2004. However, I can no longer defend you when called upon, as I have loyally done all this time. I’m still a republican- just an irate one.
Thanks for everything George. I really do wish you the best. I just can’t support you anymore.
Please, don’t cry.
James W.

My Stat Final...

2005-12-16T15:02:00.000-05:00

... was definitely easier than I thought it would be. I think I got an A on it.

Not that it matters. With the grades I've gotten earlier in the semester (As on all my quizzes, Bs on all my tests,) I'm pretty much stuck with a B in the class whether I get an A on the exam or not.

I hate math.

Anyway, one down, three to go...

Finals

2005-12-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

I'm hitting crunch time with my finals now, everybody. I have a stat exam tomorrow, an econ exam Monday, and physical geography and political philosophy exams on Tuesday. I'm not sure how much time I'm going to be able to spend on the computer, so there probably won't be too many updates over the next four days or so.

On the plus side, though, after Tuesday, I have a six week long winter break. Though I'll be traveling for a week or so, I should have be able to dedicate a significant amount of time on my blog... assuming I survive the next couple days.

The Latest from Ann Coulter

2005-12-15T00:41:00.000-05:00

Now, I do not always agree with Ann Coulter, but I have a great amount of respect for how she says what is on her mind, and doesn't give a damn about political correctness. Plus, she's sarcastic. I like sarcasm. It's funny.

From her latest column:

I'm getting a little insulted that no Democratic prosecutor has indicted me. Liberals bring trumped-up criminal charges against all the most dangerous conservatives. Why not me?

Democrat prosecutor Barry Krischer has spent two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to find some criminal charge to bring against Rush Limbaugh. Political hack Ronnie Earle spent three years and went through six grand juries to indict Tom DeLay. Liberals spent the last two years fantasizing in public about Karl Rove being indicted. Newt Gingrich was under criminal investigation for 3 1/2 years back in the '90s when liberals were afraid of him. Final result: No crime.

And of course, everybody cool in the Reagan administration was indicted. Or at least investigated and persecuted. Reagan's sainted attorney general Ed Meese was criminally investigated for 14 months before the prosecutor announced that he didn't have anything (but denounced Meese as a crook anyway).

I note that nobody ever wanted to indict Bob Dole or Gerald Ford (except, of course, other Republicans).

In the Nixon administration, liberals even brought "Deep Throat" up on charges — and he was one of you people! What, now I'm not even as hip as "Deep Throat"?

I've done a lot for my country. I think I deserve to be indicted, too. How am I supposed to show my face around Washington if I haven't been "frog-marched" out of my office by some liberal D.A. looking to move to D.C. for the next Democratic administration? What's a girl have to do to become a "person of interest" around here? Mr. Krischer, where do I go to get rid of my reputation?

Hehehehehehe

Encouraging News

2005-12-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK (AP) — Donor fatigue? Not this year. Even after the outpouring of donations for the Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, holiday giving is robust this season and 2005 could well set an overall record, U.S. charity officials are reporting.

It seems to be a phenomenal year," said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. "Donor fatigue is something not many charities are seeing."

By any measure, it's been a year of immense challenges for relief groups, and donors have responded. The year began with Americans pitching in to help faraway victims of the tsunami; those private gifts added up to $1.6 billion. Later came Katrina, the nation's worst natural disaster of modern times, prompting donations that are nearing the $3 billion mark.

Some charities feared their holiday season fundraising would suffer as donors decided they had given enough. Thus far, however, end-of-year giving is generally strong, although some local charities remain worried because they have more needy people to serve.

In Lansing, Mich., for example, more than 2,200 residents have applied to get donated toys and groceries this season — up 20% from last year. The local Salvation Army branch had to turn away hundreds of families after exhausting a fund to help pay utility bills.

"People have been incredibly generous," said John Keightley, a spokesman for Catholic Charities USA. "But as we hit the giving season, our local agencies are nervous whether they're going to meet their goals. We're all challenged to stretch, to think about people who don't have enough."

In Omaha, the Salvation Army branch says it is running slightly ahead of last year's pace in seeking a record $2.2 million for its holiday campaign — coincidentally the same amount the Army raised in Omaha in response to Katrina. The holiday funds assist hometown poor with heating bills, and provide them with mittens and winter hats.

If it is at all possible to give this holiday season try and do so. If you're strapped for cash like I am (to a poor college student, ATM= Ask the Mother,) there are many organizations that also collect things like canned goods or old jackets to give away this winter.

Gallup: 94% of Americans Believe in God

2005-12-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK A new Gallup survey released today finds that four decades after the "God Is Dead" controversy was first noted, Americans retain a strong belief in a higher power. Some 94% think God exists.

Only 5% feel God "does not exist" -- and even most of them "are not sure" of that. Exactly 1% are certain there is no God.

But how strongly do the believers believe? Nearly 8 in 10, in fact, say they are "convinced" God exists, although Gallup does not ask them why that is.

Conservatives are more likely to be convinced than liberals (87% vs. 61%), women a little more likely than men (82% vs. 73%), and residents of the South more than those in the East (88% vs. 70%).

Surprisingly, some 61% of those who seldom or never attend church are nevertheless convinced that God exists.

The poll sampled 1,002 national adults, Nov. 17-20.

Very nice. Notice the poll doesn't separate out different religions, just asks about a general belief in some sort of God.

God Bless America.

"Cindy? Father Time called. He said your fifteen minutes was over a long time ago."

2005-12-14T15:15:00.000-05:00

There aren't enough words in the English language to describe how pathetically disgusting this is. If nothing else has, Cindy Sheehan's latest stunt has proved beyond a doubt that she is an attention-grabbing, self-serving manipulator only out to help herself.

What could possibly be so bad, you ask? Check out this two page spread in Vanity Fair:

Yes, that is Cindy Sheehan. Yes, she is lying on her son's grave. For a photo op. For Vanity Fair.

Does anyone still believe she is in this for anyone but herself?

New Links

2005-12-13T19:58:00.000-05:00

I've been steadily building up my links list over the past couple of weeks, and I just wanted to draw everyone's attention to the updated list.

First, I traded links with the good people at Stop the ACLU. As they are significantly larger than I am, I definitely get more out of the deal, so I'm excited. If you haven't read some of their stuff, you should check it out. It's pretty interesting.

Also, you should head over to check out the folks at Pererro as well as LiquiDiamonds. I kind of stumbled across the two accidentally, but they have good stuff. Definitely worth a look.

In addition, I've also traded links with Viking Spirit's Blog. He is a conservative student from Ohio (we conservative students have to stick together, you know) and has a lot of interesting insights into their Governor's race.

Finally, since all of my link list was to conservative sites, I decided I needed a token liberal. So I added a link to my friend Jake's new blog. He's liberal, but it's the non-moonbatish type, I promise. And, since he's also Jewish and 1/4 Cuban (yes, we call him Jake the Juban) it just adds to his token-ness. He only has two posts up so far, but I think it's going to be interesting. Hopefully the two of us will cause each other to actually defend our views, and keep the rhetoric (rhetoric is boring) to a minimum.

Anyway, I think that's all for the new links. Check them out, and let me know what you think of them. Also, if anyone else has a blog and would like to trade links, just leave me a message in the comment's section and I'll get back to you soon.

Europeans Angered by Tookie's Execution (EU Considering a Resolution to Hide in a Corner and Cry)

2005-12-13T19:20:00.000-05:00

VIENNA, Austria — California's execution of Stanley Tookie Williams on Tuesday outraged many in Europe who regard the practice as barbaric, and politicians in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's native Austria called for his name to be removed from a sports stadium in his hometown.

At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI's top official for justice matters denounced the death penalty for going against redemption and human dignity.

"We know the death penalty doesn't resolve anything," Cardinal Renato Martino told the press. "Even a criminal is worthy of respect because he is a human being. The death penalty is a negation of human dignity."

Capital punishment is illegal throughout the European Union, and many Europeans consider state-sponsored executions to be barbaric. Those feelings were amplified in the case of Williams, due to the apparent remorse they believe the Crips gang co-founder showed by writing children's books about the dangers of gangs and violence.

The "apparent remorse"? I'm sorry, but if someone committed terrible crimes and then wanted off the hook, they would need to do a lot more than imply they were sorry. At the very least, they would need to actually, you know, say "I'm sorry." Tookie Williams never did.

Also, it's time our neighbors across the Atlantic got a few things through their heads:

1) We don't care what Europe thinks. Really. You do things your way, we're going to do them our way. Hearing them whine about the "barbaric" Americans is neither new nor interesting to us. We will have our own internal debate on whether or not the death penalty is a good idea, and really, they will have very little say in the matter.

Also, why the fuss over this death? Why not compaign a couple weeks ago, when the 1,000th execution was carried out? Is it simply because the person who ultimately chose not to spare Tookie was born in Europe?

Anyway...

2) Despite the many Christians in the United States, we also really don't care what the Vatican thinks either.

And again, I don't see what their problem is. If he truly repented, isn't his death a good thing? I mean, let's face it: jail sucks. If Tookie has truly asked for and received forgiveness from God (which would make Him much more forgiving than I am capable of being), then wouldn't an execution send Tookie to Heaven? Isn't Heaven arguably a much better place to be than jail? And if he didn't repent, then, well... may he burn in Hell.

I try not to judge Europeans by what we hear in the news, but every time a story like this comes out it becomes harder and harder. Read the article- what I quoted was only a part. There are many quotes from European political leaders condemning the U.S. and Governor Scharzenegger, and also praising Tookie. People in the Governor's hometown of Graz, Austria, are calling for his name to be removed from their stadium- and replaced with Tookie's!!

That is what I find the worst about this whole article. Say what you will about the death penalty as a punishment, and whether Tookie Williams should have been killed or simply jailed for life. But when it comes down to it, Tookie Williams was a murderer, and not in the least deserving of the respect and praise he is getting from people in Europe. Frankly, I find it disgusting that some mourn more for the fate of Tookie than they do for the fate of his victims.

Iranian President Doubts the Holocaust Actually Happened

2005-12-13T13:34:00.000-05:00

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reiterated his doubt about the Holocaust and called on Muslim nations to take a proactive stand on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, state media reported Tuesday.

The president's comments, published on Iranian state television's Web site, were the second time in a week he has expressed doubt about the Nazi genocide of Jews during World War II. In October, Ahmadinejad also said Israel should be "wiped off the map."

"If the killing of Jews in Europe is true," the Web site quoted Ahmadinejad as saying during a speech at an Islamic conference in Tehran, "and the Zionists are being supported because of this excuse, why should the Palestinian nation pay the price?"

"If?" Because, you know, there is all that doubt that the Holocaust really happened. Honestly, we just can't be sure... it could all just be one huge Zionist conspiracy or something.[/sarcasm]

To top it all off, Reuters has an article that only adds to this idea. While I would hope they didn't mean for the line "Historians say six million Jews were killed at the hands of Germany's 1933-1945 Nazi regime" to imply that there was doubt about the Holocaust, it certainly sounded that way.

And in other news, Astronomers say that the sun rises in the East.

What?

2005-12-13T01:33:00.000-05:00

French Police Dismantle Suspected Islamic Terror Network

The French have police? Where were they during the riots?

Another Quake Hits Pakistan

2005-12-13T01:22:00.000-05:00

KABUL, Afghanistan— A strong earthquake struck remote northeastern Afghanistan and shook neighboring Pakistan, the scene of a devastating quake two months ago. Hours after the quake, officials were trying contact isolated communities to determine whether it caused damage or injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 6.7 quake was centered in the remote Hindu Kush region of northeastern Afghanistan. It struck shortly before 2:30 a.m. in Afghanistan.

The quake — centered about 65 miles southeast of Faizabad in the Hindu Kush mountains — was felt more than 200 miles away in Islamabad, Pakistan, and in Kabul, where the shaking lasted several seconds and people rushed into the streets.

Abdul Majid, the governor of the Badakhshan province where the quake was centered, told The Associated Press the ground there shook for two minutes. He said he had no information about any damage in the mountainous region, where communication with remote districts is difficult.

The sparsely populated area is about 200 miles from the center of the Oct. 8 quake that killed about 87,000 people in northwestern Pakistan and Indian Kashmir. Salim Akhtar, an official at the Peshawar earthquake center in Pakistan, said he did not consider it an aftershock of the October quake.

Now, I understand that we aren't exactly best friends with many in that part of the world, but a majority of people living in the area are innocents, and I certainly hope this quake wasn't nearly as deadly as the one that hit in October. My best wishes and prayers will go out to people in a region just starting to recover from the last earthquake.

Although, if Osama Bin Laden and a few of his Al-Qaeda lieutenants happened to die in agony after being crushed by falling rock, that would be ok with me.

Schwarzenegger and Courts Reject Tookie Williams' Plea for Clemency

2005-12-13T01:15:00.000-05:00

SAN FRANCISCO — Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to stop the execution Monday of Crips gang co-founder Stanley Tookie Williams, who was set to die by lethal injection early Tuesday.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal filed Monday evening, his last recourse for reversing his death sentence.

The death penalty of Williams, 51, should proceed as planned at 3:01 a.m. EST (12:01 PST) at San Quentin State Prison. Williams will be executed for murdering four people in two 1979 holdups.

And more from the article:

Schwarzenegger was unswayed by pleas from Hollywood stars and petitions from more than 50,000 people who said that Williams had made amends during more than two decades in prison by writing a memoir and children's books about the dangers of gangs.

"After studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences, I could find no justification for granting clemency," Schwarzenegger said. "The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case."

Schwarzenegger could have commuted the death sentence to life in prison without parole.

The city of Los Angeles prepared for angry protests after the California governor made his announcement.

"Too often I hear the governor and many who are around him talk about his values system," said NAACP President Bruce S. Gordon. "In this particular case, those values seem to be cast aside. There is absolutely no recognition given to redemption."

I honestly do not understand this reaction. How could the NAACP, which ostensibly has the goal of pursuing that which is in the best interests of African-Americans, possibly argue to save the life of Tookie Williams? Yes, he is a black man. However, how much has he harmed the black community by forming the Crips? How many blacks are dead or addicted to drugs because of this one man?

Every time the NAACP (or the ACLU for that matter) does something like this, it damages their credibility. I honestly feel the organization could be a force for good, but they get distracted by situations like this that provide headlines instead of real results. I mean, if you want to argue against the death penalty, fine- that is certainly within your rights. But wouldn't your argument be strengthened by finding, say, an innocent man on death row to defend? Or at the very least, one who isn't indirectly responsible for thousands of deaths?

Retreat and Defeat

2005-12-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

Check out the new video at GOP.com. It's pretty interesting, and strongly condemns the Democratic leadership (Dean, Pelosi, and Kerry) for their defeatist attitudes about the war. It also alludes to the fact that their statements are bad for the troops, and good for our enemies.

While you're there, check out some of the other videos they've posted. Some make serious points, and others are just plain funny.

She Can't Stop

2005-12-11T01:16:00.000-05:00

I, like many others, have long since gotten sick of Cindy Sheehan's incessant ranting about the war in Iraq, George Bush, and anything else she thinks might get her a few more minutes on television. But it seems as if the United States is no longer big enough for Sheehan, because she recently traveled to the United Kingdom to protest there as well.

Last week Sheehan joined Scottish mother Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was also killed in the conflict, at the Scottish parliament to demonstrate against the war. Sheehan compared First Minister Jack McConnell to President George Bush, saying: “They don’t have as much courage as our sons did.”

What's worse, it seems like even an end to the war won't be enough to quiet her now. "I'm compelled to do this," she told the Sunday Herald. "I can't go back to my old life until the occupation ends and even then I will go on fighting for peace."

Can't she take a hint already? Everyone felt sympathy for her at first, and she certainly made enough headlines when she set up camp outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas (although I still blame a lot of the coverage on the fact that there wasn't really any real news in August anyway.) But lately, her ranting has been getting ridiculous to the point that now even the Democrats are ignoring her. Of course, threatening to oust Hillary Clinton probably didn't improve her popularity with the party leadership much.

Now, inevitably, there will be someone reading this who is disgusted by my 'callous treatment' of a grieving mother. But to be honest, I no longer care about speaking my mind about this woman. I felt bad for her at first- I had an uncle in Iraq and a cousin in Afghanistan. I can't imagine how I would have felt if one of them had been lost, and I know losing a child would be even worse. But no mother I know would so ruthlessly pimp her son's death for her own (now painfully longer than) fifteen minutes of fame.

Don't believe me? Read what else dear Mother Sheehan told the Sunday Herald.

Sheehan also revealed her son was a virgin when he was killed with eight other soldiers in an ambush near Baghdad. “ He would tell me all the time that he wanted to save that part of his life for his wedding night,” she said.

What, praytell, does that have to do with the war in Iraq and whether or not it was justified? If you answered 'absolutely nothing' you would be absolutely correct. It's nothing more than another attempt to use her son in order to gain more sympathy. It's pathetic, it's disrespectful, and I for one am sick of her ploys for attention and her bitter, hateful ranting.

Bush's Approval Ratings Up

2005-12-10T00:23:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the less than frequent postings, but I'm in the middle of finals right now, so everything is study, study, study. I'll try and get in as many posts as possible, but they'll probably be heavy on quoting and light on analysis for another week or so. My brain is too fried to think in much detail about anything else.

~~~~

This just goes to show that when Bush acts like a good conservative, things will be a lot easier for him.

Shifting into campaign mode to reverse his slide in public opinion polls, Bush has boosted his support among key constituency groups — particularly in the Northeast and West — on his handling of Iraq and the economy, an AP-Ipsos poll found.

"Now it's not a one-sided debate," said Republican pollster Ed Goeas, citing Bush's recent speeches on the health of the economy and the high stakes in Iraq. "You have a message getting out there in a much more positive way."

Bush improved his job approval rating from 37 percent in November to 42 percent now.

Advertising Stuff

2005-12-06T17:54:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I decided to join BlogAdSwap in an effort to draw more attention and readers to my blog. You may have noticed the little ad about halfway down the sidebar.

So, the idea is, for every two people seeing an ad on my site, one person sees my ad somewhere else. In theory, people click on that ad, and come see my blog.

There's only one problem. I lack computer and artistic skills. After playing around with the ad maker off and on all day yesterday, here is what I've managed to come up with:

Pretty sad looking, isn't it? I mean, who would want to click that? I think part of my problem is that I don't have a logo from my blog to include in the ad. Why not? That brings us back to the "lacking computer and artistic skills" problem.

So, is there anyone out there who could give me a hand? I'm looking for suggestions of what my logo could be, as well as advice on how to actually create something that looks moderately impressive, and not like something a little kid made.

Thanks in advance for any help!

This is Disgusting...

2005-12-06T03:21:00.000-05:00

This is absolutely insane.

Apparently, one wounded soldier at Walter Reed Hospital received what appeared at first glance to be a get well card from a kid.

It wasn't.

Instead, the childlike handwriting says:

Dear Soldier,
Have a great time in the war
and have a great time dieing in the war.

From,
Miguel Gallier

PS~ DIE

I'm not sure what would be worse: an adult imitating a child's handwriting to spread this hateful filth, or the idea that a kid actually wrote it. Who teaches their kids so much hate? And not even hatred towards the President, but towards soldiers who had no choice but to follow orders and go into battle? It's absolutely disgusting.

You can see a picture of the letter here.

What DOES Democracy Look Like?

2005-12-03T12:15:00.000-05:00

So, I had every intention of making yesterday a completely non-political day. I do occasionally have a life, after all, and I needed to destress after a hellish week filled with three exams and a four page paper.

And, for the most part, I succeeded. Some friends and I went shopping at Arundel Mills mall (which is HUGE, by the way.) We almost got hit by a car on the way home- I was making a left hand turn onto Arundel Mills Boulevard. The car coming from the other direction had a red light, and his right turn signal on.

He didn't stop.

Or turn right.

Instead, he barrelled out into the intersection. You know, that place I was in.

I swear, he was less than four feet away from my car.

So, I was pretty freaked, and to top it off, I wasn't done driving. After dropping my friends off on campus, I had to drive to Greenbelt, because some friends were singing at this cafe there.

You see, this is where the politics comes in. Because like the word "Green" in the name implies, Greenbelt is hardly Republican central. The cafe was this little hippy place, but it seemed nice enough. My friends played, and sounded awesome. The main room was full, so everyone who came to see them was standing in the back by the door. Many of us were College Republicans, but we were just hanging out.

So, after our friends play, a man and a woman go onstage with a guitar and a tamborine. Yes, the tamborine was a clue as well. They start playing this song complaining against the government, Bush, and so on. Every time they got to the chorus, the guy would sing "What does democracy look like?" The woman and the audience would respond "This is what democracy looks like!"

So I had an idea. I ran out to my car and grabbed a Steele for Senate sign that was leftover from the Bush/Steele fundraiser earlier this week. I ran back into the cafe, and we held up the sign. Then, every time the guy would sing "What does democracy look like?" we would point to the sign and shout "THIS is what Democracy looks like!!" I don't think I've laughed that hard in a very long time. Of course, after my near-death experience earlier, some of that laughter was slightly histeric, but I don't think anyone noticed.

Anyway, so with the exception of that one little prank, I did manage to keep yesterday politics-free.

Well, there was that one ten-minute rant about why dumbasses shouldn't be given driver's licenses, but under the circumstances, I think that counts as personal, not political.

Bureaucracy Sucks

2005-12-01T16:28:00.000-05:00

So, I did a pretty stupid thing yesterday. Volunteering at the Bush/Steele event was great, but there was a lot of walking involved. For those of you who know Baltimore, we parked on the far side of Camden Yards. We then had to walk all the way through Camden Yards, cross the street, and then walk to the far side of Raven's stadium... not a short hike. Between volunteering and the event itself, I was on my feet for at least for hours... and then had to walk all the way back to the car.

And I have an old knee injury that likes to flare up.

In all honesty, I probably could have been fine, even with all that walking. Except that once I got back to school, I promptly sat myself down on my bed and spent the next six hours writing a paper and studying. So between all the moving, and then not moving at all, my knee is stiff as anything, and has been bothering me all day.

Now, the simple solution, and one I've used before, is to put on a knee brace. Except that my knee brace is at home, and I can't get it until I go home this weekend. I can't simply hobble around on a bad knee for two days, because my campus is huge and has a ton of stairs, so that would only make it worse. My next idea was to simply borrow a knee brace, so I called University Health Services. Here's how the conversation went:

[ringringring]

"Good morning, University Health Services, hold please."

[Ten minutes of holding and killing cell phone minutes]

"University Health Services, how can I help you?"

"Hi. Is it possible to temporarily borrow a knee brace from your office? I hurt my knee, and I can't get my brace from home until this weekend."

"Let me check. Hold please."

[Five minutes of holding and killing cell minutes]

"I'm sorry, we don't give out knee braces unless you get an appointment with a doctor. He or she could give you one, and then bill it to your insurance company."

"I don't need to see a doctor. I know exactly what the problem is. It's just an old injury acting up."

"I'm sorry, but the only way you can get a knee brace is to see a doctor. It would get billed to your insurance company."

"Yeah, but the copay would be more than the knee brace is worth."

"Well...we could lend you a pair of crutches."

"You'll let me use crutches without seeing a doctor, but not a knee brace?"

"Yes, that is our policy."

"Aren't crutches usually for more serious injuries than knee braces?"

"That's just how we do things."

After that, I just sighed and ended the conversation. I spent the rest of the day trying to find someone with a knee brace or an Ace bandage I could borrow, but didn't have any luck. Finally, me knee was hurting so bad, I just gave up and went to get the stupid crutches. It's overkill, and I look ridiculous, but I won't risk making this injury even worse.

Can't Possibly Create a Cool Enough Title

2005-11-30T19:38:00.000-05:00

Right, so, I definitely spent lunch today with my good friend George. You know, that President guy.

Actually, what happened was, President Bush joined Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele at a fundraiser to help raise money for Steele's Senate bid. As usual, nobody tells us anything until the last minute. The State Chair of the Maryland Federation of College Republicans, Rose Capozzi, got a phone call two days ago saying she needed to bring as many volunteers as possible out to this event. There were going to be protestors, they said, and they needed people to hold signs in a counter-protest of sorts.

It was really short notice, and lots of schools have finals this week, so we only managed to get like six College Republicans to come out. Together with some adult volunteers, we held signs outside, and then later went to stand on this road and direct traffic towards the correct parking lot. It was fun.

We also got to yell at hippies. The protesters had a permit for 600 people, but maybe 40 showed up, tops. I think it was an excuse for the press to be able to say something like, "We aren't sure of their exact numbers, but we know the protesters were cleared for 600 people.

They had the stupidest chant ever too. Much as I hate "Bush lied, kids died," I have to admit it serves its purpose. It gets the point across, and its easy to remember. Quite possibly because some of the protesters are incapable of remembering more than four syllables at a time.

Their chant, though, was really long. One woman on a bullhorn chanted three lines, then the crowd yelled the fourth together. But their timing was so horrible, you couldn't tell what the fourth line was supposed to be. So all together, it went like this:

"Hey Mike, get away from the right. Mr. Bush, [mumble mumble mumble]."

So, we couldn't understand a quarter of it, and what we could decifer didn't make any
sense at all.

We yelled that they needed to annunciate more. ;)

The hippies. Sad, isn't it?

So that, and maybe a chance to see Marine One fly in, was all we were really expecting. But when we were done, one of the guys in charge said "Hey, you guys wanna go in?" Well, of course, that was a given. As we're walking towards the building, A helicopter comes and lands nearby in a parking lot. It's Marine One. Or it's double. We couldn't tell, because they landed within minutes of one another, and we didn't see the President get off.

So we go in, and I immediately feel like a bum. Naturally, this was an expensive event. So everyone was dressed up in nice clothing. My group members and I, however, were all wearing jeans. It turned out alright, though. Whenever someone looked at me funny, I told them they let us in because we yelled at hippies. Suddenly, everything would be alright, and often that person would turn to another and say, "don't you remember the days when we got to yell at hippies?"

Then, after about half an hour or so, the speaking started. Michael Steele spoke for a few minutes, and then the President spoke for about twenty minutes. I got several good pictures of him, and lots of bad ones. I'm not kidding, almost every time I put my camera up to take a picture (it was standing-only, so you had to raise the camera over everone's heads,) this woman in front of me put up her camera. I think I have more pictures of this woman's camera than I do of the President.

One of the pictures that did turn out. The
man on the right is Lt. Governor Steele.

So all in all, the event itself was pretty amazing. Afterwards, though, we walk back to the car we came in to find another small miracle had happened. We hadn't had time to feed the meter again before we went in, so it had been expired for quite a while. Yet, for what has to be the first time in recorded history, a car sat next to an unfed meter in Baltimore in the middle of a workday for over an hour, and didnt get a parking ticket. Needless to say, the car's owner was pretty happy about that.

Geography of Environmental Systems

2005-11-28T23:53:00.000-05:00

It sucks. I have an exam in that class tomorrow that covers five chapters, 300 pages in the textbook, and over 200 slides. My "brief" study guide is 20 pages long.

I swear, if I ever find the grad student who swore that class was an easy A for a Poli Sci major who hates science, there will be vengeance.

UPDATE: As if that wasn't bad enough, I just remembered I have 20 pages of Marx to read for Political Philosophy tomorrow morning too. Talk about depressing.

Where's George?

2005-11-28T21:33:00.000-05:00

So, we know that on Monday and Tuesday, President Bush is going to be touring the border states. Several commenters have expressed doubts about the President's sincerity on this issue, and I'm inclined to agree; he hasn't shown much interest in the securing the border in the past. All we can do is keep speaking out for real border security measures, and hope he decides to finally listen. It would probably raise his approval rating, as well, because he would earn back support from conservatives.

But anyway, what, you may ask, is the President doing after he tours the border states? Well, he's coming to Maryland. Baltimore, to be exact. Why? I haven't the foggiest clue- I just know I've been told (well, asked, but would I turn it down?) to get up freakishly early Wednesday morning to go wave signs when the President arrives in Baltimore. I don't know that we'll get to see him much, but in exchange we do get tickets to this other event later this week. I won't be going to the second event, though, because I already promised some friends I'd do something else.

Also, apparently there will be protestors at this event. There are, of course, always protestors, but I never understand how. I mean, we only got notified of this event today, two days in advance. We still barely know what's going on, and we have connections with the people planning it. How do the protestors find out in enough time to organize?

So, anyway, look for a new post Wednesday where I'll fill you all in on what happens.

It may be science, but...

2005-11-28T21:25:00.000-05:00

...ewwwww

Is it too good to be true?

2005-11-27T17:15:00.000-05:00

It seems that President Bush is finally taking concerns about border control seriously. After spending Thanksgiving at his Crawford ranch, he will spend the next two days touring parts of the Texas and Arizona borders with Mexico. During his tour, he will receive briefings from Customs and Border Protection concerning the problems with illegal immigration.

White House aides say the president will make remarks pledging additional resources and the use of technology to secure the border. One concept he'll discuss is "interior repatriation," a term that means returning illegal immigrants from Mexico to the interior of their country, rather than returning them just over the other side of the border.

It remains to be seen if this is a legitimate attempt to address the border issues, or just talk. Hopefully, President Bush is sincere about addressing this problem, and will take steps to make real long-term solutions.

Check this out!

2005-11-25T22:42:00.000-05:00

Everyone should go over to the Camp Katrina blog and look around. Like their tagline says, it's "proving that the United States military does much more than just kill people and break things."

Now, what is the definition of "biased"??

2005-11-25T20:48:00.000-05:00

As a college student, I've gotten used to the liberal bias of many professors. It's all part of the deal, I ignore their deluded, insane concepts of the world they've hidden from in academia their whole lives, and then make fun of them to my College Republican friends later. For the most part, I don't let it bother me. I know where I stand politically, and no professor on a power trip that likes to play god with students' grades is going to change my mind.

But it's something entirely different when it's done in younger levels. While some high school students know where they stand politically, many are only just starting to learn and care about what's going on in the outside world. They should have the freedom to explore these opinions on their own, and not have filth like this shoved down their throats.

Bret Chenkin, a social studies and English teacher at Mount Anthony Union High School, said he gave the quiz to his students several months ago. The quiz asked students to pick the proper words to complete sentences.

One example: "I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes." "Coherent" is the right answer.

Now, I won't even try to deny the fact that President Bush is hardly the world's best public speaker. But "his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes?" Really? So basically, he's telling his students that if they don't want to be considered retards, they should be Democrats. Way to foster intelligent debate.

The teacher, probably sensing something was about to hit the fan, decided to take a conciliatory tone.

"I'll put in both sides," he said. "Especially if it's going to cause a lot of grief."

I have a better idea. How about you leave politics out of your quizzes entirely and focus on your real job?

Thanksgiving in the Field

2005-11-24T11:11:00.000-05:00

My best wishes are with all the soldiers who are away from home this holiday season. May God bless you and bring you all home safely.

I was just watching the news a few minutes ago, and they were telling about the traditional Thanksgiving meal the soldiers in Iraq are getting, and how much food the military had to buy.

It included:

~Over 200,000 pounds of turkey
~55,000 pounds of stuffing
~and over 33,000 pies

It's hard to imagine that much food, but I certainly hope everyone enjoys it.

Actually, because of the time difference, they've probably already eaten at this point. So, I hope it was good!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2005-11-23T22:05:00.000-05:00

Nothing really political to say, but Happy Thanksgiving everybody!! I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this after months of crappy college food.

Mmmmm....turkey. Mashed potatoes. Stuffing. Cranberry sauce.

And last but not least...

Mmmmmm...pie.

John McCain V. Hillary Clinton

2005-11-23T02:11:00.000-05:00

Sorry its been so long since I updated- the end of the semester is coming up, and things have been rather insane lately.

I just read some stats from a NewsMax poll that I just had to share. Keep in mind that this is generally a reliable poll of conservative opinions.

1) What is your overall opinion of Sen. John McCain?

Favorable - 40%
Unfavorable - 56%
No Opinion - 4%

2) Do you believe John McCain is a loyal Republican?

Loyal - 33%
Not Loyal - 67%

3) Is John McCain your candidate for president in 2008?

Yes 36,878 - 27%
No 100,299 - 73%

4) In the following field, who is your 2008 candidate?

John McCain - 23%
Condi Rice - 23%
Jeb Bush - 7%
Mitt Romney - 5%
Rudy Giuliani - 17%

5) If the 2008 Presidential race was between John McCain & Hillary Clinton, who would you vote for?

McCain - 91%
Clinton - 9%

The response to the last question is the funniest, in my opinion. It just goes to show that no matter how much conservatives dislike John McCain, we will always, always, hate Hillary Clinton more.

John Locke and Torture

2005-11-08T12:45:00.000-05:00

I just finished a post in the comments section of Right Wing News, and I'm so proud of it I decided to post it here, as well.

What started everything off was this post:

I am an American. By cosmic virtue and heavenly mandate, I was allowed to be born and raised in America. I love this country so much - like an entity, like a friend. It's dear to me, and when I reflect on its birth, how it came to be, the passions of the men who forged it - the hot, passionate blood of revolution and unrestrained freedom - I really do fill with pride. It's a fantastically lucky thing, to be born American. That is a blessing in this life, and through all of history, rare is a country so nobly fashioned and shot through with high ideals.

The above, being true, is why torture in America's name is so repellent. It reeks of everything that the founders of this nation would've recoiled from, holding their noses, shrieking curses...oh yes, believe it. For I tell you this: you insult the founders of this country every time you presume that modern-day terrorism trumps every Constitutional consideation they made. I ask you: do you really think, for moment, that men who could fashion such a soulfully rich document as the Constitution could also function with a level of impairment so complete that it doesn't take in consideration an historically contextual problem like the terrorism we face? Do you really think the Constitution is so delicate, so flimsy? Why don't you just spit on it, rub the spit in? Why don't you shit on it? I mean, really, it's the same thing, if you're supporting torture and you're doing it under American auspices. You're a bastard scoundrel at that point, and no American I know, born here or not.

Torture takes everything this country rests upon and spits acid into every nook and cranny. Torture insults every man, woman and child who's died from the moment of this country's founding to...this moment...I tell you, torture is unjust, torture is inhumane, torture is anathema to everything America has been/is/strives to be. There is no way around it. This one is easy. This one's the easiest of them all to read.

You support torture, you're an SOB. Period. There is no contesting that. There is no refuting that.

by crappy_jack on 2005-11-08 01:45:47

My response was a little halfhearted at the time. Cut me some slack, though, as it was nearing three in the morning.

You do realize they tarred and feathered the British tax collectors, right? Go look it up if you don't know what that means. Comparatively, loud rock music and sleep deprivation are nothing.

And what about the other forms of punishment of the day? Public floggings? The stocks?

by RightWingConspirator on 2005-11-08 02:26:45

To which Crappy_jack responded

Come on, rogue! Don't play relativism with me. I know the operations of scoundrels. I know the fervid machinations of tiny minds.

Let's get this crystal-clear straight: "they" tarred and feathered British tax collectors, therefore "we" can torture alleged, un-sentenced Muslim "terrorists"? What kind of, er, tortured logic is that? There is no substantive difference whatsoever between what you say and this: they all jumped off the bridge, mama; can I jump, too? I mean, please...logic, okay? I've never heard of anything as weak as what you're putting forward. The country's laws and ethical heart are decidedly NOT founded on the tarring and feathering of tax collectors, or the fully grotesque nightmare of heads in stocks, but...do I really need to tell you that? I guess, but that's sad. Crazy, nutcase sad.

Friend, when Jesus came down, he was here to do a job that had to do with this: cutting all the bureaucratic bullshit out and getting to the long-forgotten truth. Buddha did the same thing. You are a Pharisee, no better, just the same - a Pharisee who's lost in the self-created bureacracy of willful imposition. You've completely forgotten the essence of the thing. Your finger's slipped right off liberty's pulse.

Get with it, friend. Get with what is real, fling Occam's razor around, make love to the truth, touch soul, burrow and sleep in the soft marrow...

by crappy_jack on 2005-11-08 02:40:34

To which I responded:

You're an idiot. You come out with this grand notion that torture goes against everything that this country was founded upon, yet when I give an example of something Americans of the time did that could be considered torture, you respond with "Well, just because they did it doesn't mean we should." Make up your mind.

I can understand arguments against physical torture. I don't necessarily agree with them in extreme conditions, but mental torture? No problem. Sleep deprivation, loud music? No problem at all.

Answer me this, CJ. You stumble across Osama Bin Laden. You're the only one around, and he brags to you that in an hour a nuke is going to go off in a major American city and kill millions of "infidels." What would you do? Ask him to pretty please tell you where he hid the bomb so you can call and warn the FBI?

by RightWingConspirator on 2005-11-08 02:50:51

A bit abrupt for me, perhaps, but again, it was three in the morning.

Now, Crappy_jack has yet to respond to that post. By that logic, unless he eventually creates a response, he forfeits the argument and I win, right? But I wasn't satisfied, and so I wrote this post.

I didn't really have the energy to do so at 3:00 am, but now that I'm mostly conscious I feel like shutting down Crappy_jack's assertion that torture goes against everything this nation was founded upon.

Keep in mind that this post is not meant to be my argument for or against torture. It is merely meant to argue the depth of crappy_jack's knowledge of history.

The Founding Fathers looked, more than anywhere else, to the writings of John Locke when considering rebellion against Britain and the formation of a new government. The introduction to the Declaration of Independence, for example, reads like a veritable Cliff Notes version of Locke's Second Treatise of Government.

For example, you may recognize this line:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That, to secure these ends, governments are instituted among men, deriving their powers from the consent of the governed...

You might not recognize, however, this very similar line, which was the foundation for the one above.

The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges every one; and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it that, being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or estate.

This is not to say that one is never justified in using force. If a person unustifiably attacks another's "life, health, liberty, or estate," they enter into a state of war with that person. At that point, the person attacked has the right to punish the person who attacked them.

The practical problem to this, of course, is that having individuals determine punishments rarely leads to an equitable outcome. If I were to hit someone, then by Locke's theory they would be justified in hitting me back. But what if they fly into a rage and beat the shit out of me? Or what if I have lots of big friends, and they can't hit me back for fear of their own safety?

It is for this reason that governments are formed. Often, people are incapable of resolving major disputes without things degenerating. The government, according to Locke, serves as a neutral arbitrator. They are empowered to make laws, interpret them, and enforce them, all towards the public good. Their number one duty is to ensure the safety of the people they govern.

Now, no one will argue that torture is a great thing. It isn't nice, it isn't pleasant, and it isn't a tool that should be used lightly. However, as Locke says, the government has the
"power to act, accordng to discretion, for the public good, without the prescription of the law, and sometimes even against it."

Now, by Lockean logic, when the terrorists attacked Americans on the USS Cole, the WTC in '93, at our embassies, and on 9/11, they infringed upon our right to life. They entered into a state of war with us, and therefore the government has the right to respond in kind. They have the "power to act, according to discretion, for the public good." Unarguably, preventing a nuclear attack on the United States would qualify as being for the public good.

Now, this entire argument is based on the idea that governments have the right to act as they see fit in order to preserve the safety of their citizens. If you do not agree with that, then the rest of the argument would be invalid. It would, of course, be your right to think that way.

However, this argument isn't meant to represent what you think. It is meant to represent how Locke would have seen torture. And, since Locke's philosophy of government was the foundation for the Founders' philosophy of government, it isn't unsafe to assume that at least some of them would agree with this logic.

So argue against torture in terms of modern morality if you want. But the idea that the founders would have been vehemently against its use is flawed.

by RightWingConspirator on 2005-11-08 12:21:42

I posted this about fifteen minutes ago, so there's no response yet. I'll update later if there is.

And, before I end this post, let me state for the record my opinion of torture, so I don't get flamed by people who think I support it's indiscriminant use. In the vast majority of cases, I do not approve of physical torture (ripping off fingernails, strapping electrodes to certain sensitive body parts, etc.) The information is not always reliable, in many cases we cannot be 100% certain of guilt, and the frequent use of torture puts on on the same level as our enemies.

Mental duress, however, is not torture. Do they strap people in Gitmo to chairs, with the lights on as bright as they will go, blast loud rock music every time they start to doze off, and deprive them of sleep for 24 hours? I don't know, and I don't care. It doesn't cause lasting physical pain or discomfort. Instead, it serves to temporarily disorient them and lower their mental defences, making them more likely to inadvertantly share information.

In extreme circumstances, however, anything goes. If we capture Osama Bin Laden tomorrow, and he laughs his head off saying that he'll gladly become a martyr, because millions of Americans are going to die tomorrow anyway, than we need to do whatever it takes to ensure that such an attack does not take place. It sounds grim, but really, which would be worse, torturing Osama Bin Laden, or not torturing him and letting millions of people die?