Opaque Lucidity

What The...?

Dude is ORANGE. Holy Crap!

Mr. Carter, Omega Man

Jimmy Carter is worried about Florida in the upcoming Presidential election. I was going to concentrate on his use of the term "international standards", but then something else hit me: President Carter is being used as a failsafe device by the Democrats in the event they lose the election.

Some of you reading this are too young to remember Carter's presidency. Here's a brief rundown:

1. Worst economy since the Great Depression. Unemployment reached 10%. Interest rates on home loans reached well into double digits; some were at 20%.

2. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, Carter's response was to boycott the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow. Brezhnev shook in fear, no doubt.

3. When the Shah of Iran, a longtime friend of the US, was chased from power, Carter refused to allow him in the country. He died in France. France.

4. When 52 Americans were taken hostage in Tehran, Carter's response was a weak rescue attempt that ended in failure. The weakness of the attempt had nothing to do with the brave men involved; the problem came directly from the White House, which did not want to run the risk of civilian casualties. As the Special Ops advisor to the Joint Chiefs said, "What are we doing?"

With this in mind, you might wonder why any sane mind in the DNC would want to have anything to do with Carter. Here's my theory: if Bush wins Florida by a small margin (which looks likely), the Dems are going to contest the results just as they did in 2000. The difference is that they will have the "wisdom" of Carter to fall back on, saying, "See? Jimmy said it was messed up. And the state government did nothing. This is obvious bias."

President Carter: you were a fine naval officer, a terrible President and a great administrator of various charities. But your day has passed and now you are being used by the machine. Please get out of the way.

Review

I was reading some of my older entries today and I was overwhelmed by how political I have become of late. I guess I feel somewhat guilty about this for I know that many of you read my ramblings for different reasons and don't particularly care to hear me preach.

But when I started this (over 2 years ago), I said that I would write about whatever I was thinking about that day. Lately, the campaign for the Presidency has been front and center in my mind and heart because I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this will be the most important election of the last 60 years. However, when the mudslinging is over in November, I promise to spend more time on my observations of the human condition.

Papa Is A Rollin' Stone

I'm heading out for two business trips this week, so my posts may be sporadic. I'll have the laptop with me, so I'll try to do what I can. I try to write every weekday because I find that it makes me a better writer. It's sort of like working out...I should do that every weekday as well.

Outside Looking In

Kelli has been reading "Unfit for Command", the book about John Kerry's service in Vietnam. It shows Kerry as a self-promoting windbag, both in Vietnam and throughout his life. I will not debate here the merits of the Swift Boat Vets' claims concerning Kerry's medals: time can do a lot to a person's memory and combat is often confusing. But there is something else about Kerry's behavior that must be addressed---his testimony to Congress in April 1971 and what it means today for one person who both my wife and I love dearly.

Some of you know my father-in-law, and the rest of you would benefit from knowing him. John is a kind, gentle man who works for our parish and is in the first group of men in this archdiocese to be trained as deacons. He worked most of his life as a butcher and didn't get to pursue his true calling until he was in his 50's. I have known him for my entire adult life.

He doesn't talk about it much, but John did a year (maybe a little longer) in Vietnam. He was in the Air Force and did maintenance on aircraft cameras. He was in-country during the worst year of the war: 1968. While he didn't see combat, his air base was attacked during the Tet Offensive. He still has photos of the the dead Viet Cong on the beach near the base perimeter. They were wearing loin cloths and only carried hand grenades. It was going to be a one-way mission.

John and I don't talk about politics very often. We would probably disagree in many areas, and for all I know he may vote for John Kerry. I am not here to defend him, for he needs no defense. But as I think about John Kerry and his testimony that day 33 years ago, I can not help but think of my father-in-law. He didn't want to go to war. He was newly married and had a good job. But he went because that's what men do when their country calls. Like most of the millions of men who served, he came back home and lived his life. His service became a somewhat painful memory of youth, occasionally brought to the fore by the sight of a C-130 or the sound of a hovering helicopter.

But when John Kerry came home, he made his limited service the cornerstone of a well-planned political career. He called Vietnam "the biggest nothing in history" and claimed that war crimes were not only an everyday occurence, but were sanctioned at the highest levels of command. He was not specific in his comments; every man in Vietnam was guilty of contributing to or participating in criminal activity. Including my father-in-law. Including some of your family members or friends or co-workers. Including John McCain. Including Al Gore. Including Norman Schwartzkopf. Including Colin Powell.

You can look at Kerry's comments and conclude that they were made in a different time and that Kerry was a young man. Both of those statements are correct. The times were different because as he spoke that day, hundreds of American POWs were being held in North Vietnam. All of them were tortured, beaten and starved in the hope that they would confess to committing the crimes that John Kerry freely admitted to for the sake of building momentum for his own career. Many of the POWs signed confessions only after being pushed beyond their last extreme; some died rather than confess to something that wasn't true. John Kerry gave the lie away as truth for his own advancement.

If John Kerry is elected in November, he will be the Commander-in-Chief of a nation at war. While you may disagree with our actions in Iraq, we have yet to hear him communicate a sound strategy for defeating terrorism other than having a summit and "rebuilding" our relationship with the UN. What we have heard him communicate is a disdain for his brothers-in-arms. If you or a family member are serving or have served in the military, this should give you some pause. If it doesn't, then you probably need to think about what's motivating you.

A Zigism To Remember

I don't like John Ziegler. Some of you will remember him as the mid-morning talk show host on WHAS in Louisville who had a long-running bout with Bob Sokoler and then got himself fired for making comments about a female TV newscaster's feminine hygiene habits. Anyway, he's on the radio in LA now and I check out his website every now and then because, to be honest, I'm curious about him. I was browsing there today and came across this "zigism"---I've got to hand it to the guy:

"House pets are usually far more loyal/trustworthy than humans. And usually humans treat them much better than they do other humans. Because cats are able to pull this off while providing almost nothing in return, they seem most likely to take over the universe when humans are finally erased. "

Kahlua and Tigger, if you're reading this, turn off the PC now and go back to bed. Daddy will be home later.

Are These Those Foreign Leaders?

And, by the way, where is John Edwards these days?

The More Things Change...

Doonesbury from 1971 (courtesy of Powerline):

Because, you know, a self-deluded mind is a terrible thing to elect.

New Swift Ad

The Swifties released another broadside today and this one is, to quote the guys at Powerline, nuclear. It's going to be a long five weeks for the Kerry camp.

Wild World

As you probably know, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens is going to be deported from the US because he is on a "watch list" and shouldn't have been allowed here in the first place. Now, Islamic groups in England are pretty irked about it.

What no one's talking about is why Yusuf Islam (Steven's current name) is on the list to begin with. Despite his concerns for peace in Iraq (because, as we all know, liberals believe that peace is the absence of war), Yusuf has been accused of giving money to Hamas, a charge he denied. Furthermore, he openly stated that he agreed with the death sentence placed on Salman Rushdie for his authorship of the "The Satanic Verses" in the 80's (the proclamation by Khomeni made it clear that it was the moral duty of every Muslim to kill Rushdie on sight---how's that for speaking ex cathedra? [<-----Catholic joke]).

You can make the argument that keeping a man like Yusuf Islam out of the country smells of paranoia, and I don't completely disagree with that. But "moderate" muslims in the western world have done little to condemn the actions of their radical bretheren; how is this supposed to be interpreted? If war on Americans becomes a virtue, isn't a lack of condemnation tacit approval? If not, then why the virtual silence?

Things You'd Like to Say at Work, But Can't

If you're like me, you have the feeling that your life is turning into 'Office Space' more and more every day. MMMMMMKAY?

Anyway, I stole this from this guy.

Things You'd Love to Say at Work, but Can't

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of shit.
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. Ahhh... I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again...
11. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your crybaby whiny-butt opinion would be...?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
38. I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks.

Saint Undecided

I don't like polls about politics. I don't like them because the only one that really matters is the one which takes place on election day. Every other poll can be misleading, manipulative, biased or just plain made up. So when people tell me how excited they are that GW has a nine point lead in such and such a poll, I don't get too excited; the same poll could give Kerry the lead next week.

But what really animates me when I think about polls is that percentage of respondants who, when asked for whom they will vote as President, say that they are undecided. I want to think that these people really don't know anything about politics and are just too embarrassed to say that they have no idea what's going on. But, by God, there are people out there who won't know who they're going to vote for until they walk into that voting booth on November 2nd.

For reasons I don't have time to go into now, the Old Media has beknighted the Great Undecided. They are smarter than you and I because they are not swayed by things like conviction and fact. They will make up their minds based on last-minute items like a 25-year-old drunk driving conviction or an "October surprise". When the debates come, the talking heads will gather them together into rooms to watch the debate and then tell the rest of the nation how they feel. This is very important.

Let's face facts: if you're still undecided about who to vote for in November, then you need to seriously think about whether you should be voting at all. The differences between parties and candidates have never been greater; people who tell you that they're "all the same" are just intellectually lazy. If you don't know who you agree with, then I would argue that you don't know what, if anything, you believe in.

Of course, the truth is that these undecided are the people who will really elect the next President. No wonder everyone kisses up to them.

September Morn'

Today was, for me, the first day of fall. It was the first morning I could see my breath on the way to my truck and wish that I had worn a jacket. The stars were crisp and bright without the summer haze to blur them. Orion was pointing his bow almost directly west and Venus was bright in the sky. Autumn is here.

Someone Call Bernard Goldberg

Evidently, CBS was very interested in helping their anonymous memo source get in touch with the Kerry campaign. Is that bias? Of course not; bias is only present at Fox News and the Washington Times. I forgot; you can only be biased if you're a conservative Republican. My bad.

The guys over at Powerline have a good breakdown of the story.

Back Again

Interesting NY Times article that was linked on Slashdot about how chic retro stuff has become. I'm talking cell phones from the 80's, PC cases that look like old radios, etc. The author seems to think that people in my generation and younger yearn for eras that they know very little about. While I don't necessarily disagree, I don't miss not having a broadband internet connection, central heating and air and only four watchable TV channels.

But I, too, miss some of the devices I grew up with. I especially remember our phones. For those of you too young to remember, know that there was a time when you did not own your home phone; it was leased from the phone company. The styles and colors were limited and cordless and cell phones belonged to science-fiction. We had four rotary (touch tone? HAH!) phones in our house. They were big, heavy and two of them were flat black. The dials and the phone hook were steel---not brushed aluminum, but honest-to-goodness-made-in-Gary, Indiana-steel. When you slammed the phone down (not a common event in our home and something that was never done by a child), it didn't click----it thudded, like two rocks hitting each other. The phone on my parents' rolltop desk looked like it was meant to adorn an executive's desk. It looked authoritative just sitting there. And you got one ring tone---loud and business-like.

We had one TV, a 25-inch Zenith. When the TV was on in the evenings, we watched what mom and dad wanted to watch or we went and did something else. It was full of vacuum tubes, so turning on was an excercise in patience. It would whine to a pitch we couldn't hear and then the picture would be dark for the first 30 seconds as everything warmed up. It was a serious piece of furniture. It was so substantial, in fact, that when it was replaced by a plastic imposter made in Korea, my dad made the TV cabinet into an entertainment center that they used for another 15 years. Try that with your 50" plasma screen.

I love today's technology because I remember when much of it didn't exist. But it does not have the physical substance of the devices of yesterday. Of course, you wouldn't carry a cell phone if it weighed eight pounds and you wouldn't own a PC if it filled up a room and required its own air conditioning unit. But I can see why younger people would crave retro for the same reason that people restore old cars---old technology is solid and reminds us of a time when life was, at least in hindsight, simpler.

Blogosphere 1, Old Media 0

Looks like CBS is going to admit they were "devceived" about the National Guard memos. Of course, I'm sure they're not going to admit that a sixth-grader with Word 97 and an inkjet printer would've known they were fakes. Sorry, Danny; it's time to take the gold watch and go home.

Goreum

Thanks to Junkyard Blog for this:

No Shock

To be honest, I really can't expect most Democrats to behave any better than this. After all, it's become the party of the Whiny Crybaby and the Sore Loser.

Shop Talk

On the left of this page, below the "Links" section, you will find a new "Blog" section. The links there go to weblogs that I read, most of them daily. Some are personal friends and family (wink and nudge at Tony and Troy), but most are well-known news bloggers. They tend to be conservative, so be warned. Please check them out; you'd be surprised at what those guys can uncover. If you only have time to check out a couple of the news blogs, make it Hugh Hewitt and Powerline. They are the two that have really brought the Rathergate thing to the fore and haven't let go. Little Green Footballs can have some rough language, so it's not for the little ones in the house.

If you know of a blog that's interesting, please pass it along to me (use the "Drop Me a Line" link on the left). It doesn't have to be conservative or even political. All I ask is that it be well-written, updated often (at least once a week) and not contain links to inappropriate sites.

BTW, I'm well on the way to getting 10,000 hits a month. Thank you.

Laughin' at ya, Danny

From Drudge:

And in the nation's top market, New York, Rather finished not only behind NBC NIGHTLY NEWS and ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT -- but also pulled less audience than reruns of the SIMPSONS, WILL & GRACE and KING OF QUEENS.

Hindsight

There were two shows on the History Channel last night that were, at first glance, very dissimiliar. But they were both sterling examples of the value of pre-emption when examined in hindsight.

The first show was about German U-Boats during the first and second world wars. U-Boats were highly effective submarines (submersibles, really) used during both conflicts to attack convoys in the Atlantic. What amazed the Allies was how effective the subs were, even at the beginning of the war. Hitler had torn up the Versailles Treaty in 1935, stating that Germany would not abide by this document that had ended World War One and forbade the country to have a large army or navy. But German shipyards had been building training subs in secret for years, allowing the navy to train a new generation of submariners. By the time the war started in 1939, they had been honed into a razor-sharp force.

Violating the Versailles Treaty was an act of war and Hitler knew it. But he also knew that the Allies were suffering through a crippling depression and there would be no public support for another war in Europe. But what if France and Great Britain had stopped Hitler in 1935-36? France had a larger army than Germany in 1940; in 1935, it was five times as large. In 1935, England had the largest navy in the world. Stalin and Hitler did not sign their non-aggression pact until 1939; Stalin would've gladly turned a blind eye to the overthrow of a Facist. And Japan, then involved in China and Korea, would probably not have acted alone against the United States (this is, admittedly, speculation).

Even a war in 1930's Europe would've been devastating. But here's what really happened: 20 million Russians, 6 million Jews and millions of other Europeans and Asians died along with nearly 400,000 Americans. And because the Soviet Union was drawn into the war in 1941 by a German invasion, Europe was divided for 45 years after the war ended.

We will never know what the exact cost of delay was.

The second show was about Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden grew up in very wealthy surroundings, but he gravitated towards radcial Islam when he was in college. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was to become the most formative event of his adult life. Young men from Saudi Arabia were streaming to the battleground via Pakistan; Bin Laden was among them. At first, he served as a "bag man"; he helped funnel Saudi money to the rebels. He lived in Pakistan in a safe house and experienced no combat.

That all changed in a few years. Bin Laden became a combat leader and was, by most accounts, a very effective soldier. By 1987, he had built his own compound in the mountainous Afghan/Pakistan border region. It was then that the CIA first recognized that he was training terrorists. After the war, Bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia a hero, albeit a radical one; the police arrested him more than once and warned him about speaking against the Saudi royal family. He left there after the Gulf War, having been offended that non-muslims were allowed into the country. In Sudan, it was obvious that Bin Laden was a terrorist. This was 1992!!!!

My point is that the warning signs were there as early as 1987 and time did nothing to call those early signs into question. We can argue about the legality of killing a foreign national in an act of pre-emption, but one thing is clear: we now know the cost of not taking pre-emptive action.

The Blather Saga

This is Dan. Not the scary man with the beard, but the other man.

Dan is in trouble.

Dan is in trouble because he is helping to cover up a lie.

Why would Dan lie?

Because Dan is part of the Old Media...and he's scared.

Dan is scared of those mean bloggers who told the world that his smear campaign against the President was based on phony documents.

Poor Dan.

Dan may have to retire soon.

That would be about 30 years too late.

The Senior Balloon from Taxachusetts

Stand back...he's going to asplode!!!

Inventing

About three times a week, I download and listen to the previous night's edition of Coast to Coast AM. C2C, as it's called by fans, is the radio program started by Art Bell many years ago. On weeknights, it is hosted by George Noory, who is, in my opinion, as equally talented. These days, the show is often about New Age topics: self-healing, Star Children, etc. But once or twice a week, there's something on that I can really sink my teeth into. Last night was one of those times.

Evan Schwartz was the guest. He is the author of Juice, a book about inventions, the people behind them, and what drives one to invent. I haven't listened to the interview yet, but my interest is piqued. Tesla, Edison, the Wright Brothers and many others represent what is, to me, the quientesential elements which made this country great: individualism, willingness to take great risks, and genius of vision. Invention is not uniquely American, but I think you would find that all the great inventors have shared these qualities.

I am long of the opinion that the day of the garage inventor are over. Technology in many areas has so overtaken the ability of one person to be an all-encompassing expert on anything that it's hard for one mind to improve on a product or come up with a new one from scratch. But my oldest brother, a mechanical engineer, disagrees. In his opinion, there will always be a place for one person with an idea, even if he does not have the resources or ability to create it himself. All the great inventions we live with today (TV, phones, PCs) have been improved upon by large corporations. But the idea, and maybe the first crude prototypes, was the product of the efforts of one person.

I'm still waiting for my good idea.

Remember, Suddenly

This weekend was another reminder that September 11, 2001 is no longer fresh in our collective memories. For me, that realization came when I watched a memorial service at the Pentagon and was not overcome by tears. I still feel the resolve that came from that day, but the emotion is draining from it.

Even a casual observer of our political scene would say that the lessons of 9/11 are gone from our politics. It may come up, but it is, mostly, a punch line. To dwell on it is to be condemned for taking advantage of the victims for political gain. Any politician who dwells on it for any length of time can only do so as a precursor for questioning this nation's actions since that day. Clear moral perspective on the issue is seen as the simpleton's view.

But that Tuesday should be in front of us every day as a reminder of why we fight. To let it fade is to give in to that temptation to ignore it completely and try to live life as it was on the Monday before. There are many in this country who want to ignore that day because it is very inconvienent, politically, economically and all the other ways that matter. The threat of terror was ignored for years, and there are many who believe we should use this time by ignoring it again. Of course, it is not sold to us in this way; it is pushed as "taking more time" or "not rushing to judgement" or whatever. Summary judgement and action in defense of liberty is, it would seem, the worst of all vices.

The people who would whittle away this time, time in which we should be moving to erase these threats against us and all we hold dear, can not be allowed to be a political majority in this country. Every other issue and thought is secondary.

I never want to forget.

Remember, Suddenly

This weekend was another reminder that September 11, 2001 is no longer fresh in our collective memories. For me, that realization came when I watched a memorial service at the Pentagon and was not overcome by tears. I still feel the resolve that came from that day, but the emotion is draining from it.

Even a casual observer of our political scene would say that the lessons of 9/11 are gone from our politics. It may come up, but it is, mostly, a punch line. To dwell on it is to be condemned for taking advantage of the victims for political gain. Any politician who dwells on it for any length of time can only do so as a precursor for questioning this nation's actions since that day. Clear moral perspective on the issue is seen as the simpleton's view.

But that Tuesday should be in front of us every day as a reminder of why we fight. To let it fade is to give in to that temptation to ignore it completely and try to live life as it was on the Monday before. There are many in this country who want to ignore that day because it is very inconvienent, politically, economically and all the other ways that matter. The threat of terror was ignored for years, and there are many who believe we should use this time by ignoring it again. Of course, it is not sold to us in this way; it is pushed as "taking more time" or "not rushing to judgement" or whatever. Summary judgement and action in defense of liberty is, it would seem, the worst of all vices.

The people who would whittle away this time, time in which we should be moving to erase these threats against us and all we hold dear, can not be allowed to be a political majority in this country. Every other issue and thought is secondary.

I never want to forget.

Oprah

What does it take to get on Oprah's show?

I shouldn't be as hard on Oprah as I am. I've called her a fraud before (I did this in front of one of my sisters-in-law once, who considers Oprah the best thing since sliced bread), and I can't forgive her for foisting Dr. Phil on us. But, I suppose, she is a good person at heart, or at least I want her to be.

Returns

This story is both bizarre and sad. I can't imagine living in North Korea for 40 years, and then marrying a Japanese woman who was kidnapped and brought to N. Korea as a virtual slave. I'm fascinated with Korea and I read about the Jenkins story several years ago. I would've given even money that he was dead. I know the man may be a traitor, but I hope that his family's disposition is taken into account.

The Blog Supremacy

Over the past 24 hours, there has been a flurry of activity online concerning the authenticity of the Texas Air National Guard documents presented on Wednesday night's 60 Minutes program. I won't delve into all the finer points of the issue (if you want some details, check out Hugh Hewitt's blog and follow the links from there) because I think there is something much more important going on here: the coming supremacy of the blog as a real, accurate and timely source of news.

Blogs (short for weblogs) have been around for years. They started out as vanity projects, a place for people to talk about their lives. It was sort of a public diary. Now, there are millions of blogs out there covering every topic imagineable. But the best ones, the ones that receive a visit from me every day, are the news and commentary blogs. They are up-to-the-second, well-written and controlled by just one person or a small group. What's more, most of the these bloggers don't make a dime from what they're doing---they're much more interested in giving people another news outlet. And they're changing our world.

The Swift Boat Vets controversy is a good example. The blogosphere was talking about Kerry's questionable assertions WEEKS before old media picked it up. Had these assertions been made against Kerry in 1992, you wouldn't have heard a word about it. Now, you have thousands of people who have experience in the military who can look at an issue such as this and cry foul, Dan Blather be damned.

I said many years ago that the best thing about the internet is that any idiot with a computer and a phone line can have a website; the worst thing about the internet is that any idiot with a computer and a phone line can have a website. Now, I have to rethink my impressions: the best thing about the internet is that, for the first time in history, intelligent, right-thinking people have a mass media outlet that can not be controlled by the old media. The blogosphere is not for those of you addicted to the old paradigms and the 5 second sound byte. It's for those of you who want the details, want to read the research and care about more than who got voted off the island.

CYA

If you only watch the elite media, you probably don't know that some experts are calling the Bush National Guard memos forgeries. This may or may not be true, but I can say without a doubt that one of the memos is definitely a fake. Why? Because it's a CYA paper.

When I was made a supervisor at UPS, one of the first things I learned about was the infamous CYA file. In case you don't know, CYA is an acronym for "Cover Your Ass". Most of the managers kept copies of important memos, reviews and incriminating paperwork in this file, just in case they were ever in danger of losing their jobs. At first, I thought it was the result of paranoia, but I quickly learned that such a file could come in handy.

Here's the problem: if anyone discovers your CYA file, you're screwed. The very existence of such a file demonstrates a lack of faith in your management team and a willingness to fight dirty. It's like an atomic bomb; nice to have if you need one, but incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands.

Lt. Col. Jerry Killian did not reach his command position by being an idiot. The military is not a good place from which to amass a CYA file. If you have one, you would almost have to keep it at home in your safe. Thus, I don't believe that anyone in their right mind would've written the memos describing special favorites towards Lt. Bush.

Do I think the Dems would forge documents? Of course. They take you and me for idiots (some of that thinking is not misplaced), so much so that one of the documents, even to my untrained eye, looks like it was typed using Microsoft Word.

Kerry tried to make his service in Vietnam one of the cornerstones of his campaign. President Bush has acknowleged Kerry's bravery in combat. The President barely mentions his National Guard service for obvious reasons. But if the snakes in the DNC want to make an issue of this, stand by: Karl Rove hasn't even put his boots on yet.

And So Begins the Second Half

The elitist media is launching their strikes on Bush's Air National Guard service today. Basically, it boils down to the fact that someone helped Bush get into the Texas Air National Guard. Big hairy deal. Was it right? No. Everything else is sort of an assumption, like saying "there's no paper trail that says Bush was AWOL, so he must've been." Why is it this matters so much now but Bill Clinton's actions during Vietnam weren't worth mentioning? Furthermore, why is Kitty Kelly, that worthless bitch who has written tell-alls about everyone from Frank Sinatra to the Kennedys, getting THREE DAYS of interviews on the Today show for her book about the Bush family? Can we finally call this bias?

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Bush WAS AWOL from his Guard duties. Does that change the fact that John Kerry embellished his service in Vietnam and then called every man over there a war criminal? Or that he got his campaign talking points from Howard Dean?

Pay attention to this, for the lies are going to get even larger as we go forward. After all, the Dems have an election to win and they can only do it by lying about their liberalism and their loathing of the military.

Glenna

My Aunt Glenna died late Monday night. While her death is very sad, it was not unexpected. She had been sick for years, with one ailment after another slowly weakening her until she was nearly bed-ridden. She was 72. She is survived by my uncle and their two children.

It is at times like these that I think about the bond of children and parents. Even though my cousins are middle-aged now, the grief they feel over the loss of their mother is no less than it would've been if they were children. They may be able to deal with it more easily, or they may be able to push it back with the business of their lives, but the pain is just as real.

I don't think we ever get over the need for parents in our lives. This is most commonly seen in children, who will often act out if one parent is absent or not available in some way. But we adults need parenting just as much, albeit in a different way. I guess we never outgrow the need to be one half of the mentoring equation: we either need mentoring or we are the mentor.

We all know people who are estranged from one or both parents. Almost without fail, they will find a "parent" somewhere else: their spouse's parents, a neighbor, etc. It harkens back to the days when large, extended families all lived on the same farm or in the same small village. Despite our advancements and claims of independence, we've never lost that need. And I for one think that's a good thing.

Bully

I heard an interesting hour of radio this morning. The topic concerned bullying by young people; specifically, a case in which a 14 year old boy died from his heart condition after being chased to his house by some local kids. The parents of the "chasee" are suing the parents of the chasers over the boy's death. The debate centered on two things: should the parents be held liable and has bullying become worse in the past 20 years or so?

I can't really cite many personal examples of bullying. I was never a bully, nor was I ever really bullied. My grade school class only contained 20 kids, so the teachers were able to keep a pretty tight lid on us. That changed in high school, where supposedly more mature students very often picked on kids who were slow learners, a little smaller than average, shy, socially backward, etc. In retrospect, it was exceedingly cruel. There were two kids in our class who were always easy targets: Mark and Keith. Mark still lives in this area and is much the same as he was in high school. The few times I have seen him, I can't help but notice that he is a little apprehensive to talk to me, even though we barely spoke in school and I don't remember ever saying a cross word to him or about him. I'm sure the memories of those days are painful for him, even now.

Keith doesn't live here anymore, but he came to our ten-year reunion a few years ago. He has changed so much that I didn't even recognize him. He was friendly and open, with no hint of malice towards those who had treated him so poorly. I guess living well is the best revenge.

But what of the bullies? The host of the show this morning was pretty dismissive of this type of thing and sort of passed if off as "boys will be boys". While this is certainly true to some extent, I don't believe that it is ever acceptable to tolerate cruelty from children. Nor do I believe that bullying is always a passing fad in a young boy or girl's life. You don't have to look very far to see bullies all around; I guess they never had the crap kicked out of them by their peers or by life.

I believe there are many factors to blame for what I see as more and crueler treatment among young people. First, I think absentee fathers leave many young boys with no concept or example of manhood. Thus, a man is someone who is tough and emotionally cut-off, just like guys in the movies. Busy parents are, I believe, another reason: if no one is around to knock some sense into you when you're being an asshole, you'll never learn.

As a society, I believe that we have stopped seeing compassion and kindness as virtues. Look at reality TV: people succeed by deception and cruelty; almost no one is rewarded for having the strength to show compassion. But millions watch, enjoying every moment as the backstabbing comes at them in newer and weirder venues. How can we expect to raise respectful children?

Thoughts on Thursday Night

If you're a political junkie, you have probably heard the President's convention speech analyzed every way imagineable. Despite everything I've heard, there was one comment that, seemingly, went unnoticed. During the part of the speech in which he mentioned education, the President used the phrase "the soft bigotry of low expectations." It was almost a perfect phrase, so much so that I stopped to write it down.

I think most people would agree with me when I say that racism and bigotry are alive and well in this country. But most of us think of institutions like the KKK or the Aryan Nation, both open purveyors of race hatred. What we don't think about are the institutions that surround us every day: public schools, city/county/state and federal government offices or any company that does work for the federal government. All contribute to what the President called soft bigotry.

The most obvious example of soft bigotry is affirmative action. Originally envisioned as a means by which blacks could gain a foothold in government and education (something that was badly needed in the late 1960's), affirmative action has become a sore spot with many African-Americans because of what it has lead to, directly and indirectly. Numerous colleges and universities in this country must admit a certain number of black students regardless of their grades. Race-based admissions open a door on campus: a door that makes every non-minority student wonder if every minority he sees is only there because of his skin color. While this kind of bigotry is slowly becoming a thing of the past, I must wonder why it has endured into the 21st century.

I can make a guess as to why: liberal guilt. In "Blame White America" circles, affirmative action, race-based admissions and other programs allow the hated white man say that he cares and that he is doing something to correct all his wrongs. Nevermind the message this sends to young minorities in this country: you can't do it without a handout. You can't compete on excellence, so you must compete on race. It is shameful, and I hope that my generation can see the end of it.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that summed up this argument pretty nicely: "Forget Diversity-Celebrate Excellence." Indeed.

Balance

We went and looked at a very nice house today. It was outside of our price range, but it's exactly the kind of house I can imagine us living in. I am learning that, like many things, a house is a compromise: either the price is good but the house needs work and isn't quite what we want, or the house is perfect but overpriced.

I always feel a little guilty about not owning a house. We have rented the same place for six years now. It's small, cozy and cheap. It's not in a great neighborhood, but we have never had any problems. There is an unspoken thought coming from some of our friends and family that, at times, becomes almost deafening: "buy a house; why don't you have a house?"

And so now, every time we buy something that is not a house, I feel guilty. I always think that the money should go towards our down payment or new furniture or whatever. But when I step away from the situation, I always come to the same point: if we bought a house right now, would we be happier? We would certainly be building equity in something, but would we feel more complete? Outside of happiness (both personally and in our relationship), what else matters?

As much as I hate to admit it, I guess my uneasiness comes from what I believe others may think about us. But how many people do we know who don't own a house, but are owned by their home? What's the point of that? In that case, who's better off?

Another "WOW"?

The Aricebo radio telescope in Puerto Rico has picked up a strange radio signal coming from 1,000 light-years away. If you read the article, you'll see a list of caveats that are keeping astronomers from getting too excited over the discovery. But the possibilities are, to the say the least, interesting.

Presumably, any intelligent radio signal from 1,000 light-years away would have to come from a society that was 900 years ahead of us from a technological standpoint. But are they still there? At some point, they would've gained the ability to destroy themselves, just as we have. For all we know, they might be back to living in caves and wearing animal skins because they destroyed their cities. As Albert Einstein once said, "I don't know what weapons we will use to fight World War 3, but the war after that will be fought with sticks and stones."

But let's assume for a moment that there is really a race out there who is technologically more sophisticated than we are. If we could contact them with some form of communication that didn't take 2,000 years for a round trip (or if they visited here), how would our lives be different? Many people think that religion as we know it would be fundamentally changed. I disagree. After all, would the knowledge that we are not alone in the universe mean that God doesn't exist? Would it change Christ's message for Christian? Who's to say that the aliens don't have their own relationship with God?

Many late-night radio callers have mentioned how that look for an alien culture to bring us disease cures, new sources of energy, faster-than-light travel, etc. All of this is neat, but I want something else: I want to know how they learned to live with their technology. As we become more and more advanced, we become more and more isolated and are, in my opinion, losing our sense of community. If a society has managed to live centuries beyond us, then they have undoubtedly learned to regain that sense. Or they're a race of borg-like robots, in which case we'll be enslaved as their fleshy servants. Let me be the first to say that I welcome our interstellar overlords!

I need to lay off the coffee.

Banned

It looks like the spam got much worse last night. I have banned a couple IP addresses; we'll see what that does. Once again, thanks for your patience.

GMail

You may have heard about Google Mail; if not, know that it's a free web-based e-mail service which gives you 1 GB (1000 MB) of space to store your e-mail. Basically, that much space means that you'll never have to delete e-mail again.

The service is still offered by invitation only; I was invited by my nephew Tony. I ended up with 4 accounts (don't ask) but, to make a long story short, I now have 20 invitations to give out. If you want a second or third e-mail address and you are interested in giving this service a try (Google has not guaranteed it to be a long-term service yet, but it most likely will be), please drop me a line at mattdattilo@yahoo.com (oh, the irony). I'm giving them away on a first-come, first-served basis. I'll let you know when they're all gone.

Spammed

You may have noticed that some of the comments posted here appear to be ads for products or services; it's spam. I don't know how to stop it other then to delete the comments when they appear. I deleted a bunch of them today, but if I accidently deleted anything you posted, I apologize. I don't want to turn off your ability to post comments, as that is a big part of what makes my efforts here worthwhile. Most of the spam is posted to very old posts, so I'm only going to concentrate on stuff that is still on the front page and not in the archives.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your understanding.

Angry Al

This is Al Franken.

Al is mad.

Why is Al mad?

Maybe because Al is at the Republican Convention and he's a whiny liberal.

Or maybe because no one listens to his radio program.

Or maybe because he agreed to give up his salary to try to save Air America, the flailing mouthpiece of the Democratic Party.

Poor Al.

Better luck next time, asshat.