US Economy

Here's what occurred yesterday:

Speaker Pelosi excoriated Bush and his regime. Then turned around and asked for votes to support Bush on the $700 billion bailout.

Idiot?

Oh, and then the market tanked almost 800 points. This government is, essentially, top to bottom, so rife with political corruption -- with those on both sides of the aisle convinced their sole job is to feather their own personal nests only.

Part II:
And has the world stopped revolving on its axis? Apparently not yet.

BZ

File This Under:

-- "boo-fucking-hoo."

You mean to intimate there might be actual consequences to one's inane machinations in this world? Perish the thought!

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles photographer Jill Greenberg has shut down her studio and hired personal security after posting manipulated images of the Republican presidential candidate John McCain on the Internet, reports Artnet.

Please read the entire self-serving article here, then prepare to disseminate copious tears and much snot.

Yeah, right.

BZ

Paul Newman, 1925 - 2008

Paul Newman, a very private man over the span of his remarkable life, said that he wanted to die at home.

And so he did, amongst close friends and family on Friday, September 26th, at age 83 following a long bout with lung cancer.

As recently as June 11th of this year, FoxNews learned that Newman decided to make a massive final donation. Philanthropy.com reports:

The actor Paul Newman has donated his ownership in Newman’s Own, a food company, to his foundation — a gift valued at $120-million, reports Fox News.

The Newman’s Own Foundation received the donation over 2005 and 2006, Fox News reports. The announcement comes amid reports that Mr. Newman is ailing from cancer, which the actor has not confirmed or denied.

On August 8th, pushed in a wheelchair from a last chemotherapy visit, Newman stated to friends and family that he simply wished to die at home.

I would wish nothing more than that myself.

The finest tribute to Paul Newman that I could find was delivered in a stellar fashion by Roger Ebert. Please go here to read Ebert's full and true memorium.

Newman's last major film was "The Road To Perdition" shot in 2002 and starring Tom Hanks. His actual last on-screen captured work was in the HBO series "Empire Falls," 2005. He was, of course, stellar.

Paul Newman officially retired in 2007, telling ABC: "You start to lose your memory, you start to lose your confidence, you start to lose your invention. So I think that's pretty much a closed book for me."

My two personal favorite Newman films? Of course, 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" -- but also his little-known "The Life And Times of Judge Roy Bean" (Stacy Keach being wonderful as Bad Bob!) from 1972, directed by John Huston, with a script written by the incredible John Milius ("Dirty Harry", "Apocalypse Now", "Dillinger", "The Wind And The Lion.").

Actor, racer, philanthropist, businessman with "Newman's Own" -- where do I start and where do I end about this man? He truly fits into the very select category of Hollywood Legend. True. Humble. Honest. Considerate. Human. Human.

I can only remotely hope that I end where Mr. Paul Newman ended. At home. With those closest to me. In comforting surroundings, familiar surroundings, away from the white, the garish, the startling, the chromed, the shared, the sterile.

Perhaps he did as I would wish, to be on the couch next to my large window, looking up at the sky, watching the surrounding pines, their tips bending so slightly in the caught breeze.

Perhaps he watched, out his own window, the clouds scudding by, white and gray and various shades, blue and its variants, noted the passage of clock ticks, heard the chatter of squirrels, the calls of birds and then, so satisfied, he knew now he could then pass with ease. Perhaps even better, a palm on his forehead, a hand squeezing his own.

Oh, so many journeys yet to go.

BZ

The New Demorat Ad: DESPICABLE

WASHINGTON - Two liberal political action committees are making an issue of John McCain's past bouts with skin cancer in a television commercial that features his facial scar and demands that the Republican presidential nominee release his medical records to the public.

How low can you get? Apparently, much lower. And yet:

In May (of 2008), McCain made 1,173 pages of medical documents available to a small group of reporters to examine for several hours. His campaign did not release the documents and other reporters were not allowed to make copies.

On the other hand:

Obama has not released his medical records. His campaign instead released a one-page letter in May from his longtime physician, Chicago internist Dr. David L. Scheiner, that summarized 21 years of medical records and described Obama's health as excellent.

Why wouldn't that work, equally, for McCain?

The reason for this ad? Check it out:

Medress defended the ad. "John McCain won't let anyone look at his records in a full and open fashion...Who knows if there is going to be a recurrence of cancer," Medress said.

My summation? The Left are even MORE concerned that a young Sarah Palin could possibly be NEXT IN LINE for POTUS.

File this under the PSH tab, if you will.

BZ

The Proposals

Congressman John Campbell (R, CA, 48th Dist) indicates late Thursday that, regarding the $700 billion dollar bailout deal in Washington, it didn't happen.

There was no agreement amongst the leadership or the two presidential candidates.

There is no proposal that currently has a sufficient number of votes in the House or Senate to pass.

Campbell is proposing that, instead of the government purchasing all the bad mortgages, everyone would have to buy mortgage backed securities. The government would be paid up front for a guarantee of value -- government insurance, if you will. It is an "insurance model" instead of a "purchase model."

Paulson and Bernanke spent the past two days together in meetings, but the major question asked is: Is this the right thing to do, and is this amount of money necessary?

Eric Cantor (R) from Virginia is leading the "insurance model" initiative.

Tomorrow morning's opening bell, however, might foreshadow some low volume and dips. Folks are going to get rattled.

There will be no vote tomorrow on any package and perhaps not even this weekend as well.

How the market runs on Friday will have a great deal to do with the response of Washington. Doom and a "Come to Jesus" moment -- or. . . ?

BZ

Origin

Thanks to ABF for this very salient quote:

QUIETLY, behind the scenes, the Clinton Administration is preparing for the biggest regulatory crackdown of recent years. Attorney General Janet Reno is linking up with banking regulators and with HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros to end the supposed epidemic of discrimination against minorities in making home loans. The implications for society at large are ominous."

You want to seek the origins of this current crisis, as I indicated yesterday? Here you go:

Here, as in affirmative-action efforts in hiring, college admissions, and the drawing of voting districts, the Washington establishment is obsessed with "disparate impact," which it equates with racism. In the mortgage-lending area, there is ample evidence of disparate impact to feed this obsession. Data collected by the Federal Government reveal that in 1992, while 16 per cent of white applicants for mortgage loans were rejected, 36 per cent of black applicants were rejected.

So theoretically I SHOULD be able to purchase my Rolls Royce Phantom, doing the logical extension.

You want the actual origin, here it is: the Demorats. Imagine that.

BZ

The Elephant In The Room

There's more than enough blame to go around on both sides of the aisle regarding the current US economic mortgage-sourced crisis. Financial socialism is the result.

But further, there is a definite Politically Correct Elephant in the room.

Michelle Malkin makes a great point on this predicament:

My syndicated column today tackles the bailout angle no one wants to talk about: Open borders and the home loan debacle. You’ve heard a lot about Fannie/Freddie and the minority lending shakedowns, but you haven’t heard most commentators/analysts on either the left or the right talk about the massive illegal alien mortgage racket — a topic I’ve reported on for the past five years. That’s because fault lies at the feet of the crime-enabling banking industry and the ethnic lobbyists and the illegal alien-enabling Bush administration.

She continues:

And I second Mark Krikorian: Credit is not a civil right. It’s not a civil right for illegal aliens. For foreign banks. For American banks. For anyone. The bailout proposal, as I noted earlier, now includes student loans and auto loan debt. Will our tax dollars next cover foreign student loan debts? Illegal alien in-state discounted college tuition debt? Where and when will it end?

And more pointedly:

It’s no coincidence that most of the areas hardest hit by the foreclosure wave – Loudon County, Virginia, California’s Inland Empire, Stockton, San Joaquin Valley, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, for starters — also happen to be some of the nation’s largest illegal alien sanctuaries. Half of the mortgages to Hispanics are subprime (the accursed species of loan to borrowers with the shadiest credit histories). A quarter of all those subprime loans are in default and foreclosure.

Who pushed these loans originally? Demorats promoted loans to those poor, disadvantaged "minorities" (who are actually a majority) and didn't want to be viewed as judgmental and discriminatory knowing full well they were incapable of a payoff on loans. The Demorats simply wanted "poor people" to be able to get a home. Apparently being able to prove one's fiscal viability was nil; apparently being able to prove one's citizenship was likewise nil.

I'd like a Rolls Royce Phantom. But it doesn't mean that I should qualify for the car loan required to purchase one, nor does it guarantee I could pay back that loan considering my other financial commitments. Here's a Newsflash: if you're poor and can't afford it, you SHOULDN'T be able to get a home! What is so difficult about this concept? Logic? Proportion? Rationality?

And the Bush Administration is damned near as culpable in terms of setting precedent for not handling the illegal immigration issue and with spending.

The Elephants are coming home to roost and they're turning our pockets inside-out.

BZ

"You Mean Like Democrats?"

BZ

More Internal Strategery?

What is happening now?

There are "rumors" circulating about the internet that Joe Biden may pull his VP consideration, possibly due to some "health" issues.

Then, this today from FoxNews.com:

The Delaware Senator took issue with an attack ad from his own side in an interview with CBS, telling Katie Couric that the Obama hit on McCain’s ignorance of computers and technology was “terrible.” The ad paints McCain as out of touch — and all but calls him ancient — but doesn’t mention that the Arizona Senator’s war injuries actually prevent him from using computers for an extended period.

Senator Joe Biden disagreeing in public with his running mate, Barack Hussein Obama?

Are we, in fact, being "set up" for a removal of Joe Biden as Demorat VP candidate because of the fallout the Obama Camp has received following his choice? Is Hillary waiting in the wings?

Thoughts?

BZ

Creating The Excuse Early

If Barack Hussein Obama fails to obtain the White House in November, the Demorats are already setting up the perfect excuse: the country is racist.

• It won't be because his strategy was poor;
• It won't be because he chose the wrong running mate;
• It won't be because of his expressed policies or lack of same;
• It won't be because of his improper associations or background;
• It won't be because his philosophies and views are extremely Left.

It will be because the country has learned nothing and is racist on its face.

An AP/Yahoo News poll indicated:

WASHINGTON - Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks — many calling them "lazy," "violent" or responsible for their own troubles.

Please note: the poll is labeling white Democrats as "racist" -- and not white Republicans, knowing full well that assertion would do nothing but provide even more propellant for the GOP to ramp up their side of the race. As well it would.

And just who comprises "white Democrats"? Well, that would be their historic foundational base of blue collar workers, drawn primarily from various workers' unions -- another historical source of great Demorat funding. They make this assertion at their own peril. But why?

Considering the unmitigated and coordinated attacks against Palin and, now, this poll, what conclusion might one logically draw? I would submit it is this: Demorats are crafting their decks of Excuse Cards early in anticipation thereof.

BZ

PINK FLOYD: A Passing

Richard Wright, original keyboardist for Pink Floyd, passed away this past Monday, September 15th, at the age of 65, following a long bout with cancer.

I loved Pink Floyd. Likely my all-time favorite album is Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here."

If Wright ever was recognised, it was for the right reasons. “I really appreciate that I can walk around the streets of London or anywhere and people come up and say 'Thank you for your music.' Not 'Can I have your autograph?’ It's really nice,” he told me. “I don’t want to prove anything, I don't need to go out and advertise myself. I don’t have the ego to do that.”

Wright, as with the other original members of Pink Floyd, was simple in his musical facility. What delivered their music to an entirely different level was their connection as a unit. They were never better than when together as a band and not as individual artists.

What does it say about you when your peers, your icons, begin to die ahead of you?

BZ

The Islamification of America

I admit it: I'm a political junkie. And clearly a Conservative. But even in Conservative circles, bringing up the following topic causes many "mainstream" Conservative channels to flee entirely or set the issue on Ignore Mode. Those setting the issue on IM are a number of commentators I highly otherwise respect, to include:

• Hugh Hewitt
• Laura Ingraham
• Dennis Prager
• Rush Limbaugh
• Michael Medved
• Sean Hannity
• Mike Gallagher
• Bill O'Reilly

The one Conservative messenger who "gets it" (and yet, in many ways, is a terrible overall Conservative messenger himself) is Michael Savage.

On what topic? The Islamification of America.

And it's not just "coming" -- oh no, ladies and gentlemen of the Conservative redacted jury. It is here. (I would like to thank BobF for the link and heads-up via TexasFred's.) And, of course, by writing this I am clearly placing myself into the "Nutter Category" -- as many would have you believe.

There are now Islamic "Calls To Prayer" embraced by a city in Michigan, who put aside their noise ordinances in order to allow this.

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. -- For the first time in Hamtramck, the Islamic call to prayer was heard Friday afternoon over a loudspeaker, Local 4 reported.

But not everyone in the community was pleased by the unanimous decision by City Council in April to approve an amendment to Hamtramck's noise ordinance and allow the prayer broadcasts.

Ours is not an Islamic nation. And, as I personally discerned almost thirty years ago, way before I became politically involved or aware: "our greatest strength is our greatest weakness." And that is Freedom.

Yet our national freedoms are NOT equally applied. Lo, though we have our Constitution, nowhere in that document or in its delineated Bill of Rights is it indicated that there must be either a separation of Church and State or a separation of Church from State. The bulk of the designers, writers and signators of our Constitution were religious men. Christian men. Not Islamic men.

I freely admit that I do not understand why, following the largest domestic terrorist attack on hallowed American soil via 9/11, this country then decided to bend over for Islam. And why it continues to do so now.

There can be no more Christmas displays in most all governmental venues and many public venues.

Atheists seek to gut every mention of God from the nation.

And yet, atheists and Leftists and Socialists and sodomists and Demorats would be amongst the first persons lined up for beheading under any kind of Islamic rule. Check your recent history.

No one wants to mention it, no one wants to allegedly "condemn" an entire religion but I say it's actually rather comprehendable: Islam IS as Islam DOES.

BZ

The Left CONTINUE To Be Mentally Deranged:

The Left really are mentally deranged. Unhinged. Demented. I do not think that I have ever met or been witness to a group of persons more filled with hate, on every level, at every time, than the Leftists/Socialists/Demorats are now. A few recent examples:

TAKE ONE:

Sandra Bernhard, in a new show in DC, "warns Sarah Palin not to come into Manhattan lest she get gang-raped by some of Sandra's big black brothers."

Bernhard, a standard-issue, pukeishly-ugly, stick-like Leftist Skank of little consequence, said of Sarah Palin:

Now you got Uncle Women, like Sarah Palin, who jumps on the s--t and points her fingers at other women. Turncoat b---h! Don’t you f--kin’ reference Old Testament, bitch! You stay with your new Goyish crappy shiksa funky bulls--t! Don’t you touch my Old Testament, you b---h! Because we have left it open for interpre-ta-tion! It is no longer taken literally! You whore in your f--kin' cheap New Vision cheap-ass plastic glasses and your [sneering voice] hair up. A Tina Fey-Megan Mullally brokedown bulls--t moment.

TAKE TWO:

New York Congressman Charles Rangel had to weigh in with his comments about Palin. In an interview he said:

ASTONISHING: Rep. Rangel Calls Palin 'Disabled'
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Already under fire for his tax troubles, Manhattan Congressman Charles Rangel really put his foot in his mouth on Friday. In a CBS 2 HD exclusive interview, Rep. Rangel called Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin "disabled."

The question was simple: Why are the Democrats so afraid of Palin and her popularity?

The answer was astonishing. "You got to be kind to the disabled," Rangel said.

That's right. The chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee called Palin disabled -- even when CBS 2 HD called him on it.

CBS 2 HD: "You got to be kind to the disabled?"

Rangel: "Yes."

CBS 2 HD: "She's disabled?"

Rangel: "There's no question about it politically. It's a nightmare to think that a person's foreign policy is based on their ability to look at Russia from where they live.

TAKE THREE:

Because the Republicans actually have a charismatic and gorgeous entry in the race, the Demorats NOW want people to disavow charisma and attractivity.

Women historically vote emotions, facial features, beauty, attractiveness, charisma. Issues? Not so much. Worked for Bill Clinton -- evidently didn't work for Hillary Clinton with females.

But now, "this just in" from Michelle Obama (though many persons are in fact voting for Obama because he's thin, light-skinned [though many can be assuaged because he calls himself "black"], closely-cropped hair [as to not let his African-oriented hair become predominantly displayed], well-spoken [because he can well articulate the English language and refrain from Going Compton, Ebonics or Oakland] and appeal to those who don't actually want a "Real Ni___" in the White House -- their thoughts):

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Michelle Obama asked voters Thursday to make their choice on the issues, not because, "I like that guy" or, "she's cute."

Might she be talking about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin? "I'm talking about me," she said with a smile.

Barack Obama's wife, however, is not on the ticket in the presidential election.

Palin is.

Michelle Obama is part of a concerted effort involving her husband, his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to neutralize the appeal that Palin has brought to John McCain's ticket for some female voters. They are doing so unmistakably but gingerly, so as to not appear sexist or invite another lipstick-on-a-pig tempest.

But, perhaps, not gingerly enough.

Michelle Obama's remarks came at a women's roundtable on the economy. She told the audience of 600 that her husband is the only candidate focused on equal pay, health care, affordable college, teacher recruitment and other issues of concern to women. She said that's what the election should be about.

"People shouldn't make a decision this time based on, 'I like that guy' or 'she's cute,'" she said.

Oh really?

Here's what NO ONE will say or write -- but I will dare to, because it's true:

The Demorats attempt to appeal to the greater bulk of America with a "passable black man" because his skin isn't so black it's almost purple. Barack Hussein Obama has a nose that isn't splayed across his face as are many Classic Blacks. No gap-teeth. He's Just So Close. As to not be "Objectionable" to the bulk of Mainstream Guilty Demorat Whites. To the Limousine Liberals. "You know," they said, "his features are sublimely retreated to the point where we can endorse him."

Again, it's all about perceived physical features and their acceptability. Except for one thing:

Let an attractive, white, Conservative FEMALE enter the fray who is successful on every level -- and she must be destroyed.

Words escape me at this point. I can only hope that the Republican Party massively kicks the ever-living ASS of every Demorat from the Left Coast to the Right Coast.

You HAVE to be with me on this. You cannot falter. You cannot fail. You'd best send cash in to the McCain/Palin campaign. WE cannot falter. WE cannot fail. I actually sent my check NOT to the RNC but to the campaign directly.

The gloves are so beyond "off" at this point.

BZ

ARRRR!! Today Is:

. . . international "Talk Like A Pirate Day"!

Today, I'm DONE with politics, doom, despair, blunders, negativism, capriciousivity (okay, I created a new word!), Socialist/Leftist idiots and anyone who provides credence to that stupid Cuss-O-Meter.

• I still believe in God.
• I still believe in Conservatism.
• I still believe in less government.
• I still believe in independence, individualism, self-reliance, intelligence, courage, bravery, integrity, loyalty, accountability, discipline, ethics.
• I am judgmental, discriminatory. I am not about inclusion, understanding, equivocation, streamlining, genericism.

Arrrr. . .

Q: Why are pirate jokes so bad?

A: Because they arrrrrr. . .

BZ

Bailouts?

How many? How far? No more? What's the limit? From the LA Times:

So far this year, the federal government has put upnearly $30 billion to avert a major financial default by the investment bank Bear Stearns Cos.; committed to investing as much as $200 billion in preferred stock of the loss-plagued finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and at least $5 billion in their mortgage securities; and agreed to provide an emergency loan of $85 billion to American International Group Inc. in return for an ownership stake of as much as 80% in the stricken insurance giant.

My first thought is: no. Nothing. No more. The lenders and consumers -- the first wave of our current problems (involving primarily sub-prime loans) -- should have to personally pay for their greed and stupidity. Greed in terms of the lenders (who raked in the up-front fees) and the borrowers (who simply wanted the 3,000-square-foot new home right now and thought the details would simply work their way out later), and stupidity in terms of the borrowers. How can one not think a $5,000 per month mortgage hit will have little effect on their liquidity? Their bottom-line ability to pay?

Sarah Palin has already indicated she's disappointed with the federal government's need to bail out another financial institution. At first blush, I'm in that line of thinking.

And where does it end? The federal government, by way of President Carter and Congress already handed $1.2 billion in federal loan guarantees to Chrysler in the form of the Chrysler Loan Guarantee Act of 1979.

History tell us that, generally, bailouts are busts.

CBS News asks the very pointed and appropriate question: then who bails out Uncle Sam?

We all know that: you and me.

And in the meantime, everything affects everything else. This is one huge, horrible Chain of Consequences.

One consequence, from the Financial Times.com:

The panic in world credit markets reached historic intensity on Wednesday, prompting a flight to safety of the kind not seen since the second world war.

Barometers of financial stress hit record peaks across the world. Yields on short-term US Treasuries hit their lowest level since the London Blitz, while gold had its biggest one-day gain ever in dollar terms. Lending between banks, in effect, stopped.

In Russia:

Russia was facing one of the biggest tests of its market economy on Wednesday after it was forced to close its two main stock exchanges to halt a rout that has led to the steepest declines since the August 1998 crisis.

And this shall change, Dear Readers. Day to day.

Be prepared. As I have written, many times (to include the Pygmalion Effect), this can be a True Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.

The markets, I am convinced, are not about Reality but about Thought. What do people think will happen?

Further, do what I call The Logical Extension: combine these current economic times with an Obama Presidency, where this nation will return to the philosophy of Tax and Spend. And massive regulation. The government potentially running the American stock market.

And we have never, ever, taxed or spent ourselves out of economic woes.

Your thoughts?

BZ

I Be Back

It's Tuesday night and I'm finally back on the internet, but I'm at home, not at work or my wife's house (where I should be during the week). My eBay-purchased HP Pavilion zd8000 laptop computer with its absolutely stellar 17" screen is -- no more. Forever. It died when I, eh, kinda sorta managed to spill some Diet Coke onto its keyboard. That laptop was my sole computer at home.

In the meantime I've had to blog whilst either at work (man, is that an issue in and of itself!) or at my wife's house. During the past two weekends: nada, mang. To say that I've been in some sort of withdrawal status is an understatement.

But moreover, I've had to resurrect my huge desktop unit. Custom built by Sundance Computers in Auburn (Anybody in the Fornicalia Sierra Foothills area? I'd sure as hell recommend their wonderful, comprehensive and caring service, though I'm not sure they'd be sufficiently impressed with my Hard Astarboard personal recommendation.), it sat for a number of years and thusly had some issues with loading software, dust, etc. I took it back to Sundance and they added a second 400-gig hard drive, another 512 into RAM, though I left the motherboard and processor alone.

Spoiled by the 17" HP display, I went with Chris's recommendation for a flatscreen and trusted his taste. He ordered a 22" Viewsonic VA2226w for me and, I must admit, I'm very pleased with his choice. That's how much I trust this business.

In any event, I'm Back In Bidness at home but am only now able to divert attention to blogging. Because I'm hosted by Blogger, I was able to pre-schedule a couple of posts up to Sunday. But that's when things changed.

My wife was stung by what us mountain knuckle-draggers in Fornicalia commonly call a Meat Bee (which is actually a yellowjacket) this past Sunday, directly into an already-open wound on her foot. For the first few seconds, little happened. Then, she doubled over in pain. I removed the stinger a short time later and the pain was such that it remained a continuous "10" for an hour -- to the point where I had to transport her to an ER 35 minutes away.

The pain came in waves, and we waited seven hours to be seen. The triage nurse had to take various kids ahead of us who had either broken bones or other more serious events. It became almost a joke -- the automatic doors would open and a set of parents would carry or wheel in a small child (or in one case, an infant) and we knew we were bumped back. I can't blame the parents or the ER or the staff. It's the nature of triage itself. But it was certainly eminently frustrating. Especially considering my wife's pain abated little. It was frustrating to see her damned near continuously writhing in pain, to the point where she cried out loud and tears flowed down her cheeks. A very nice nurse knew of the situation and kept checking on us. But with only one Triage nurse, three ER nurses and two doctors on duty, they did the best they could. We simply had to understand.

One injection of dilaudid later, and a prescription for hydrocodone (essentially, morphine), my wife began to experience little pain, but sordid hallucinations. She wanted to get into her truck and drive to work. I spent Monday and Tuesday keeping her in the house, calmed, medicated. The pain lessened. I blew two days' leave from work. But I couldn't let her drive.

I finally was able to slink down to Auburn in order to pick up my updated desktop confuser, new flatscreen, and log back into my internet host. The modem works, for whatever reason, quicker in the laptop than on my updated desktop -- whereas before I could whip out 54.9kbps on the laptop modem, the best I can acquire on this desktop is 49.1kbps. Hey, nothing like a couple steps backwards on the internet!

I should probably simply count my blessings: my wife feels better, the meds are working (d'ya think??), my computer computes (though I still have to reload every damned bit of software again and again), the screen is nice, my desk is cleaned of dust and lint and, perhaps most importantly, I'd kept my copy of Windows XP and DON'T have to trust Vista.

I suppose this is a long way of saying: I'm back blogging.

In the meantime, I've not had time to access any media source whatsoever. And I apologize for not accessing any of My Dear Readers' blogs. What the hell's been happening?

BZ

This Says It All

BZ

Chinese Synchronized Swimming

In celebration of this year's summer Olympics and the medal count of Michael Phelps, I present the following video of Chinese synchronized swimming trials.

BZ

The Weekend

At the time that I'm entering this post, Thursday, I've not yet received my home computer back from the shop. Which means that, when I'm at my cabin this weekend, I may not be able to blog. This will yield, for me, massive spasms and neck tics -- Blogging Withdrawal, if you will.

On the off chance that I actually do not find my computer returned in fine repair and that I cannot access the internet via my speedy local dial-up, I've scheduled this post as an explanation. If you see additional posts, well, likely I'm a happier camper. If not -- heavy sigh -- I'll be back to the Blog World on Monday.

In the meantime, perhaps a larf?

BZ

The Left Is Certifiably Insane:

I would normally have left my 9/11 post stand, but I came across the following story whilst exploring some blogs in Canada, and I find myself aghast. I then confirmed the story with the LA Times. Regarding Todd and Sarah Palin's decision to keep their Downs Syndrome infant:

But a senior Canadian doctor is now expressing concerns that such a prominent public role model as the governor of Alaska and potential vice president of the United States completing a Down syndrome pregnancy may prompt other women to make the same decision against abortion because of that genetic abnormality. And thereby reduce the number of abortions.

What? Is this doctor absolutely insane? Have we devolved in society to such a point that, if a newborn isn't precisely perfect, we must abort them, no questions asked?

Continuing:

Dr. Andre Lalonde, executive vice president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in Ottawa, worries that Palin's now renowned decision may cause abortions in Canada to decline as other women there and elsewhere opt to follow suit.

There just happens to be a Downs child, Shane, living next door to me. He's in his late 20s and enjoys his life. His mother, Darlene, considers him to be a blessing. He functions nicely, speaks well, walks, talks, enjoys going to the nearby swimming pool in the summer. He helps his mother in the yard, takes the bus to the nearby town. So because he may have been a "challenge" a time or two, he should have been aborted?

My God, how the Leftists and Socialists really are the Party of Negativism, Arrogance, Elitism and Death. Let's just kill everyone, Leftists, and leave the world to the trees and rocks. And, by the way, you first.

BZ

NEVER FORGET

BZ

Yes, The World IS This Stupid

With friends and results like this, we should care one whit about what "the world" thinks of the United States?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, there is no consensus outside the United States that Islamist militants from al Qaeda were responsible, according to an international poll published Wednesday.

The survey of 16,063 people in 17 nations found majorities in only nine countries believe al Qaeda was behind the attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people in 2001.

U.S. officials squarely blame al Qaeda, whose leader Osama bin Laden has boasted of organizing the suicide attacks by his followers using hijacked commercial airliners.

On average, 46 percent of those surveyed said al Qaeda was responsible, 15 percent said the U.S. government, 7 percent said Israel and 7 percent said some other perpetrator. One in four people said they did not know who was behind the attacks.

Oh, the money I could save if but I were the President of the United States.

BZ

YOU'RE GOING DOWN, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA

I'll make this short and sweet because I'm not trusting my emotions at this precise moment. But you need to see Obama's comments from Tuesday. And for those unused to such base epithets in my posts, I'll apologize later (they have since been removed - BZ).

From the Wall Street Journal:

What’s the difference between a more hopeful kind of politics and old-fashioned attacks? Lipstick.

Barack Obama says the John McCain-Sarah Palin policies don’t represent change, they’re “just calling the same thing something different.”

“You can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig,” Obama said during a town-hall style event here Tuesday night.

The comment harked back to Palin’s joke during the Republican National Convention when she said lipstick is the only difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom.

You doubt his comment? Watch it here on YouTube.

From Politico.com:

Obama poked fun of McCain and Palin's new "change" mantra."

"You can put lipstick on a pig," he said as the crowd cheered. "It's still a pig."

"You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still gonna stink."

"We've had enough of the same old thing."

She's been labeled a pig because she disagrees with you? You sexist ____. She's three times the person you'll ever be. And you mark this now: this is the beginning of your political demise, for you have most assuredly pissed off a massive amount of your former voters. Keep it up.

PART II:

So Barack Obama insults Gov. Sarah Palin and then gets upset at the media for reporting it? Yes, of course. From Politico.com:

Speaking at a high school in Norfolk, Obama took a few moments to address what he calls "the made-up controversy" of the day, Amie Parnes reports.

Obama said the McCain campaign moved to "seize an innocent remark and take it out of context because they knew it's catnip for the news media."

"See, it would be funny, but the news media decided that would be the lead story yesterday. This happens every election cycle. Every four years, this is what we do. This is what they want to spend two of the last 55 days talking about -- Enough!" he said.

Obama called the attacks "lies, outrage and swift boat politics."

"These are serious times and they call for a serious debate...spare me all the phony outrage. Spare me all the phony talk about change."

That's what kind of president you're going to get with Barack Hussein Obama: blaming the victim apparently works for him.

BZ

P.S.
A number to call to voice your opinion of Obama's comment, to his campaign: (866) 675-2008.

Strategy:

Things are no more complicated than this regarding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin:

Newsweek's Howard Fineman writes:

We've got to go after her, and fast," a top Democratic strategist, who asked for anonymity when discussing strategy, told me.

Allow me, if I may, to possibly risk insulting you with the obvious:

WHY are the Demorats and the DEM/MSM so speeding to slander, libel and lie about Sarah Palin? There is only ONE answer: because of the threat she poses to their sucesssful acquisition of the White House. It is because of her perceived effectiveness.

If this were not the case, there would be the equivalent of indifference. Do you see indifference? Look at the polls, look at the attacks, look at the numbers.

Therefore I concluded last week the Demorats DEM/MSM are clearly in PSH Mode. And I repeat: we can win the White House!

BZ

P.S.

Click on link: an excellent site debunking the outright lies and falsehoods surrounding Gov. Sarah Palin. Also, see Pat Buchanan's oddly-competent article about the media's reaction to her.

This Is The End

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end

My only friend, the end

The hell with politics; let's deal with something really important, like the end of the world tomorrow:

CERN Stargate Triggers Fears Of What Could Be Unleashed
Currently, the world's largest operational supercollider has a circumference of about four miles and is housed at Fermilab near Batavia, Ill. The new particle accelerator CERN is building, however, is 17 miles around and will have seven times the energy of Fermilab's Tevatron accelerator. As WND reported earlier, some scientists have expressed concern that the Collider's capability of slamming protons together at an unprecedented peak energy of 14 trillion electron volts could create black holes on earth or hypothetical super-atoms called strangelets, either of which, according to some theories, could expand in massive reactions to completely destroy the planet. WND also reported some of those scientists are suing to delay CERN's plan to fire up the Collider on Sept. 10, hoping more safety studies will be done before unleashing the Collider's power.

CERN, an acronym for the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is no stranger to doomsday predictions about its research. Author Dan Brown, famous for writing "The Da Vinci Code," wrote another novel called "Angels & Demons," about antimatter stolen from CERN to build a bomb. The book's popularity prompted CERN to create a webpage devoted to debunking the rumors stirred by the novel. Internet conspirators have also pointed out the organization's logo, constructed from the drawn paths of three supercolliders, resembles the organization's name surrounded by the numerals 666, a number Bible prophecy assigns to the end-times Antichrist. Others have whispered that a statue of "the Indian god of destruction" Lord Shiva, given to CERN by Indian dignitaries four years ago and displayed outside the building, is proof that the organization is destined to destroy the world.

Mark your calendar: this Wednesday might not be a great day.

BZ

Opinionated? Polls?

MSNBC Drops Olbermann, Matthews as News Anchors
By Howard KurtzWashington Post Staff Writer Monday, September 8, 2008;
MSNBC is removing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews as the anchors of live political events, bowing to growing criticism that they are too opinionated to be seen as neutral in the heat of the presidential campaign.

David Gregory, the NBC newsman and White House correspondent who also hosts a program on MSNBC, will take over during such events as this fall's presidential and vice presidential debates and election night.

The move, confirmed by spokesmen for both networks, follows increasingly loud complaints about Olbermann's anchor role at the Democratic and Republican conventions. Olbermann, who regularly assails President Bush and GOP nominee John McCain on his "Countdown" program, was effusive in praising the acceptance speech of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. He drew flak Thursday when the Republicans played a video that included a tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that if the networks had done that, "we would be rightly eviscerated at all quarters, perhaps by the Republican Party itself, for exploiting the memories of the dead, and perhaps even for trying to evoke that pain again. If you reacted to that videotape the way I did, I apologize."

The DEM/MSM continues the media meltdown.

Second point:

McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican's biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points.

Uh-oh. Is it even remotely possible that an ancient, doddering, balding fossil like McCain can best the Barack Hussein Obamessiah?

BZ

Sunday

Dear Readers:

If you've seen some of these cartoons before, apologies. I still have no computer at home and created this post on Friday. I hope to have my "new" old desktop (with an as-yet-unidentified flatscreen) up and running sometime next week. In the meantime, know my sadness: ensconced in my Sierra Nevada mountain aerie, politics on the radio, on the television, and me unable to write about it.

Heavy sigh. I can hear the withdrawal symptoms rapidly (rabidly?) approaching.

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

BZ

The Difference

Violence Worker had an excellent post on Friday which essentially distilled down the major differences between not only the candidates but the elemental philosophies of the Demorats and the Republicans -- and even further, the foundational philosophies between Leftists/Socialists and Conservatives. Negativism vs. Positivism.

VW wrote in part:

I think the biggest difference between Obama's speech and McCain's speech was the difference between dependence and independence. Obama told us what government was going to do for us and McCain emphasized that we should be out there doing something worthwhile.

To which I write: precisely. I commented:

You CORRUPT people, you CORRUPT their nature, you CORRUPT their SOULS and make them WORTHLESS in mind and spirit when you do nothing but provide people "things" for FREE, for no WORK, no sweat, no investment.

The Demorats are the party of the Soul Eaters. Because an empty soul will believe and continue to cling to that which provides "more" for "less."

But there is NO "more" for "less" UNLESS you are NOT a provider and NOT a contributer to a society.

You either GIVE or you TAKE. You work, contribute and volunteer or you deplete.

Obama and the Demorats appeal to the WORST in people: "give me _____ for FREE, and keep me hooked like an addict; I'll therefore DEPEND on you for all. There is no religion; the government is the closest you'll be to a god."

Conservatism appeals to the BEST in people and says: "Do for yourself. Learn to create, to expand, acquire expertise and facility. Learn independence. Do this with a cognizance of your place in the universe and under the guidance of a Higher Power, God."

And that, dear readers, is what I determine to be the difference between the two philosophies.

As John McCain concluded in his acceptance speech:

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

Amen.

BZ

The Tip of the Iceberg

Folks:

This is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg; expect the scare tactics and the outright lies and falsehoods about the McCain/Palin ticket -- and particularly about Sarah Palin -- to commence. Expect to be unloaded upon by the DEM/MSM with both barrels and then some.

Isn't it ironic: the Demorats and Feminists indicating that Sarah Palin is "unfit for politics" because she needs to stay home and tend to her children. So I suppose, then, that only completely childless women are eligible for politics because, after all, the husbands can't care for the children? And in all fairness, shouldn't the men be completely childless as well? Continue reading, please.

A disappointing development: Dr. Laura Schlessinger, whom I generally admire, came out earlier this week and penned an article regarding Sarah Palin which read, in part:

I’m stunned - couldn’t the Republican Party find one competent female with adult children to run for Vice President with McCain? I realize his advisors probably didn’t want a “mature” woman, as the Democrats keep harping on his age. But really, what kind of role model is a woman whose fifth child was recently born with a serious issue, Down Syndrome, and then goes back to the job of Governor within days of the birth?

I beg to differ -- and rather vehemently. I disagree completely that Palin is not a competent female with adult children. The issue of the Downs child is essentially moot, save the infant portion. Downs children -- and this is directly from NDSS -- require generally no more "intensive care" than any other infant or child. Palin's is an intact, healthy family. To denigrate Sarah Palin because of her less-than-perfect family is preposterous.

In commenting on her article live on the air, Dr. Laura also indicated that Palin should make a statement about her daughter's pregnancy situation. Again, I couldn't disagree more. You do not, and I repeat, you do not take one of your children and lambaste them in public. Sarah Palin should do what she will in her private life and handle her daughter's unwed pregnancy in that fashion: privately. In my opinion, shame on Dr. Laura Schlessinger for her stance. I've listened to her time and again state that one parent should primarily be available for the children -- and in this case, that happens to be Sarah Palin's husband Todd.

As Dr. Laura Schlessinger knows, no situation and no family and no individual is perfect -- herself included. She does no one any favors by intimating that the Palin family is disfunctional and that Sarah Palin is incompetent.

If Sarah Palin is incompetent because she has younger children, I'll still take an entire nation full of Sarah Palins and her family as opposed to what the Leftists and Socialists have to offer: death.

Again: shame on you, Dr. Schlessinger.

And the rest of my readers and those in support of the McCain/Palin ticket: be forewarned. We're in this for the Long Run. We have only glimpsed a brief tip of the Lie Iceberg Express that's running at full throttle, helmed by the Defeatist, Elitist Media/MainStream Media complex. You know American journalists -- the finest media that staid east coast Limousine Liberal dinner parties can buy!

BZ

P.S.

Guess what? Obama and McCain are tied again according to a CBS poll. You mean that the Obamessiah cannot manage to pull completely away from a doddering, balding fossil like McCain and his evil, gun-toting bimbo running mate??

TIME TO UNIFY

Last Saturday I wrote: "We can win now folks, and I'll tell you why and how on my next post."

Since then, many have asked what I mean. So here it is:

The time is here. The time is now. The time is nigh on to stop the infighting and to rally around. It's time to take the fight back to the Demorats and go with what we have. It's time to unequivocatedly support the McCain/Palin team. I point to this: If Texas Fred became convinced, the greatest of skeptics, then the difficult point is past us. It's time to kick up the running and passing game, and move off a defensive mindset.

So how do we win? With simple determination. We've got our ticket. We've got the cards we've been dealt; they're not changing. It's simply time to coalesce.

It really is that simple.

Here's our path:

Perseverance. Determination. Single-mindedness.

The McCain/Palin Ticket.

The DEM/MSM attack on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is stark, naked, and absolutely reeks of desperation. And we know it. They know it too.

She has the experience -- much more than Barack Hussein Obama. She literally exudes "change" -- much moreso than Barack Hussein Obama. In the two years she's been governor, she's overthrown the Republican Fat Cats in Alaska and they were pissed because of it. She's gone after corruption -- Barack Hussein Obama has not.

She is everything the Demorats are not, and they are apoplectic because of it.

We have to continue the fight, with cash, on our blogs, with every post, with our contacts in public. We have to unite and rally around this ticket. I've already written my check to the McCain campaign.

Sarah Palin is the Anti-Christ because she essentially came out of nowhere, the DEM/MSM didn't see the pick coming (proving them incompetent once again), she is beholden to NO ONE in the Washington Beltway, she couldn't care less about northeast uppercrust elitist dinner soirees, mingling with the Media Elites over caviar and dry martinis. She's successful, efficient, single-minded, courageous, a hunter, pro-gun, pro-Life, pro-family. That is change you can trust.

As Patrick Buchanan points out:

Liberals howl that Palin has no experience, no qualifications to be president of the United States. But the lady has more executive experience than McCain, Joe Biden and Obama put together.

None of them has ever started or run a business as Palin did. None of them has run a giant state like Alaska, which is larger than California and Texas put together. And though Alaska is not populous, Gov. Palin has as many constituents as Nancy Pelosi or Biden.

The attacks on Sarah Palin will not work. The Left and the DEM/MSM are simply sexists. It is more and more evident. The attacks will simply serve to ensure gritted determination. And I am committed.

PART II - THE SPEECH:

Excerpts from Palin's acceptance speech at the convention Wednesday night:

Our son Track is 19.

And one week from tomorrow - September 11th - he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.

My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.

The intimation that she won't put her money (or her family) where her mouth is: skewered.

A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman. I grew up with those people.

They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.

Her small city roots and background, her disdain for Big City Elitists: confirmed.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.

We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.

Not afraid to fire back with a direct assault: confirmed. These were great lines.

But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.

Palin's response to DEM/MSM elitists who are so out of touch with America (and this is confirmed by their dwindling ad revenues and thinning staffs): fuck you. Confirmed.

Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.

But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.

And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.

I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.

While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.

That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.

I also drive myself to work.

And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.

That she is the TRUE agent of REAL change: CONFIRMED.

I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.

And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.

That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.

Concerned about energy and enabling our independence, not afraid to deal directly with the fossil fuel issue and will ACT: confirmed.

But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate.

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.

That she can take it right back to the Obama Camp: confirmed.

Sarah Palin hit this one, last night, right out of the ballpark.

The Demorats and the DEM/MSM are in complete collusion, and both are exhibiting what I term P.S.H. Mode -- they are in the throes of Pants-Shitting Hysteria.

We can do it. We can win.

Moreover, the DEM/MSM know it.

BZ

A Legend Passes

A Legend has in fact passed:

You may not recognize the name Don LaFontaine but you definitely know the voice.

LaFontaine, who passed away Monday at the age of 68, was THE voice of movie trailers for almost 30 years.

The Minnesota-born LaFontaine reportedly voiced over 5,000 trailers and almost 350,000 commercials. He's responsible for the ubiquitous trailer-opening phrase: "In a world. . ."

Mr. LaFontaine, whilst possessing a voice of incredible magnitude, also possessed a humility about himself and his voiceovers, sometimes even parodying himself. Here is Don LaFontaine at work.

May he rest in peace.

BZ