Opaque Lucidity

Break

Kelli and I are leaving for vacation this afternoon, so posting over the next week will likely be light. I apologize for the sparse posting of late, but this week has been hectic, both at home and at work. I’ll probably get in two or more posts this weekend, but the remainder of the week looks iffy. So have a good weekend and, hopefully, we’ll talk again soon.

More On DeLay

The guys at Powerline have a wonderful post on DeLay's indictment and what may be behind it. It's been a busy, busy day and I have not had time to do a post justice, so I humbly submit what they wrote:

There is a lot to be said about Ronnie Earle's indictment yesterday of Tom DeLay--and, by the way, a corrupt DA like Earle can procure an indictment of pretty much anyone he chooses, so I refuse to give Earle cover by attributing the indictment to the grand jury--but the most interesting question to me is, why did he do it?

It would be interesting to subpoena Ronnie Earle's telephone records and see what Democratic Senators or representatives of the Democratic National Committee he has been talking to over the past couple of weeks.

Eloquence At Work

Cindy Sheehan met with John McCain today and, after the meeting, called him a warmonger. She said that McCain did not seem to believe the things he was telling her.

McCain may be many things, but he is not a dodger of controversy. You can bet that if he agreed with Sheehan, you would know it and the White House be damned. Furthermore, this man spent more than five years in a POW camp in Vietnam; I have a hard time seeing him as a warmonger.

This little comment of Sheehan's tells me that she has absolutely no respect for anyone in a position of leadership. Increasingly, she is being seen as more of a pest than someone with an agenda. She has blown her chance to ever be taken seriously

The Hunt Is On

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted by a Texas grand jury Wednesday on a charge of conspiring to violate political fundraising laws, forcing him to temporarily step aside from his GOP post. He is the highest-ranking member of Congress to face criminal prosecution.

If found guilty, Tom DeLay could be looking at serious prison time. Did he do it? I have no idea, but I do know this: the MSM will have him tried, convicted and hanged by this weekend. Michael Moore will point to this and, somehow, trace it back to the President.

And no matter what the outcome, DeLay will be destroyed politically.

Legend No More

If you read enough stories about the days of sailing ships (when the ships were wooden and the men were steel, or so they say), you'll run into tales of the giant squid. These huge creatures swallowed sailors and even wrecked ships. Until recently, these stories were seen as a sort of sea-borne urban legend. But in recent years, large tentacles and even entire carcasses have washed ashore in remote areas.

Even though the existance of the giant squid is now accepted as fact, very little is known about them. However, a team of Japanese zoologists has captured some remarkable photos of a live giant squid in action. Funny to think that now, in the 21st century, we are still finding new creatures right here at home.

My Hypocrisy Knows No Bounds

The blog was down for part of the day today, so I was not able to put anything up. However, I talk about Yorktown, VA in the mighty, mighty podcast this evening, so grab some speakers go hear my Hoosier voice.

Did A Bunch

Tuesday marks the 12th anniversary of Jimmy Doolittle's death. Yep, that's what the podcast is about tonight.

Nothing Of Note

The anti-war protest in Washington came and went this weekend. The cast of characters was familiar: Cindy Sheehan, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, two California Congresswomen, members of both the Socialist and Communist parties, anarchists (ironic?) and assorted professional protesters. The park rangers present reported that there were easily 100,000 people there.

I’m sure a significant number of the people present also protested against the Vietnam War. Still others were probably my age or younger, full of the imagery of an earlier age when free love ruled and protests such as this changed the world. Or so they are told by the Boomers around them and the MSM. The truth is much less glamorous.

Those of us who came of age after the Vietnam War are never told that the protestors, most of them college-aged hippies, were a small percentage of the population. There was, indeed, a great deal of unhappiness about the war (especially after the Tet Offensive in 1968) just as there is a general unhappiness about the war in Iraq. I believe that unhappiness has very little to do with George Bush or Republicans and much to do with the fact that Americans don’t like wars. As I’ve said before, we have no military class in our society. The Marines on the ground in Fallujah are neighbors, friends, sons and fathers. Personally, I wouldn’t trade one of them for the entire nation of Iraq. But wars rarely result in positive gains in terms of life or property. England lost an entire generation in the trenches of France only to gain an invitation to the next war a generation later. Most wars are fought over intangibles. But I digress.

The truth of the protest movement is that it changes nothing. Richard Nixon had more to do with ending US involvement in Vietnam (remember Vietnamazation?) than any set of protestors. Of course, Jesse Jackson, et. al already know this. They use demonstrations of any kind as a means of getting face time on the news. The cause, more often than not, is irrelevant. The person who is getting the short end of the stick here is Cindy Sheehan.

I have never lost a child, so I can not even begin to imagine the anguish that Sheehan must feel. But her anger has been misdirected into a crusade that will not only not bring her son back, but will do little to change the world. One day, Michael Moore will move on to his next Goebbels-like propaganda show and Jesse Jackson will find another company to blackmail. Cindy will be left standing alone, probably feeling even worse than she does now.

Who will she blame then?

It's Pouring

I haven't done a podcast since Thursday night and haven't put up a real post here since Friday. The reason? My home PC. I wanted to do a reformat/reinstall this weekend (I do about four a year; I know, I know). Normally, this takes no more than three hours. However, I mixed in something new: Panda Titanium.

I won't go into the gory details, but I ended up with a machine that would not boot into Windows. I eventually went back and started from scratch. However, instead of Panda, I installed Avast as my anti-virus software. I'll let you know how that turns out.

Da House

Sorry no posting today; we are cleaning house as if our lives depend on it. I will probably put something up later, for this blog is going through an identity crisis. More later.

Shop Talk

I have made some domain name changes with regard to this blog and the MTIH transcript site. As of right now, www.mattdattilo.com points to here (www.opaquelucidity.com). The Matt's Today in History site can now be found at www.mattstodayinhistory.com. Hopefully, this will make more sense.

But It's My Right!

I was going to wait and do my podcast on this topic later this evening, but since some of you read this blog and do not listen to the podcast, I think it’s important (at least to me) to address this issue here.

To fully understand what’s bothering me, I need to explain two things. First, there is ipodder.org. Ipodder is a podcast directory. If you visit the site, you will see that all the podcasts listed there are broken down into categories. Each category is overseen by a volunteer, so it’s really a conglomeration of dozens of separate directories. If you could look inside the ‘Education’ directory (it’s down right now), you would find my podcast.

Second, there is Adam Curry. Curry is a former DJ, VJ and is now considered to be one of the fathers of podcasting. He is the idea man behind ipodder.org and, as far as I know, is still the head of the project. His podcast, “Daily Source Code”, is downloaded by thousands of people a day. This fact will become important later.

The trouble started when a white supremacist podcast was listed in the ‘Politics’ category on ipodder. Someone or a group of someones contacted Curry and asked him to remove the podcast from the directory. Instead of doing so immediately, he mentioned the issue on his podcast and asked for listener’s input. Here is the e-mail I sent him:

I listened with interest to your thoughts on xxxxxxxx. This a sticky situation; no matter what happens, someone will be unhappy. But as a student of history, I think I may be able to add something to the conversation.

Let these people have their day so everyone can see what they're really about. My guess is that they won't be a problem for long.

When I updated iTunes this morning, Curry’s latest podcast was out there. In it, he devoted some time to discussing the e-mails he had received. He started out by saying that one person told him that since iPodder is a private organization, he could pretty much do anything he wants. That, of course, was me. EVERYONE else, Curry said, thought that the creators of the offending podcast had a right to be heard because of our freedom of speech.

I instantly got mad. First, he completely missed the point of my argument. My point was twofold: first, that most people would claim that these people have a right to be heard. In fact, this right does not exist. The freedom of speech mentioned in our Constitution does not give any of us the right to say anything we want at any time. The First Amendment guarantees that the government will not infringe on our speech rights. The owner of a private company, however, has every right in the world to restrict your free speech rights when you are on his property or, in this case, listed on his podcast directory. He may not choose to, but he should not hide his decision behind an argument about free speech. The fact that Curry did shows that he (and many of his listeners) lack a fundamental understanding of how far free speech rights in a free nation actually extend.

I would continue to list the podcast on iPodder. However, as I stated in my e-mail, my only reason for doing so would be to show what sort of losers these dirtbags really are. If you let a moron ramble on long enough, he will prove how stupid he is. These ne’er do well types are the same way. In my opinion, we should let them run their mouths for as long as they want. They will soon tire of doing the real work of podcasting and will go back to crying and cleaning their guns in mommy and daddy’s basement.

Curry did not mention my name during his podcast, so I am sort of “outing” myself by bringing this up. But I find this entire episode disturbing on many levels. On top of that, there is the issue of Curry himself. He is constantly railing against the media and how they treat celebrities. They take things out of context or make things up out of whole cloth. Yet, he takes one sentence out of an e-mail of mine and holds it up so that I come off looking like an idiot, if only to myself.

Sorry to dump this on all of you. And before you suggest it, I am NOT going to write to Adam and ask for a clarification. I don’t expect him to revisit this issue again, so writing would be a waste of time. As I mentioned before, I will talk about this during my podcast tonight, even though it has nothing to do with history.

Spooked

Some of the soldiers helping in New Orleans are seeing ghosts and other apparitions.

Now, parts of the city are re-flooding.

Hurricanes blow. Really.

The Galveston Hurricane Of 1900

In honor of those of you in Texas, tonight's podcast is about the destruction of Galveston by a hurricane in 1900. We've learned a lot since then; let's hope it's enough.

Shuffling Along

So I bought an iPod Shuffle. Actually, it’s cool as hell. I was going to buy some other brand of flash-based player, but the Shuffle appealed to me for several reasons. First, it’s cheap. We are going on vacation in about a week and I don’t have the money to buy a Nano (you can’t buy one locally and by the time you pay for shipping and tax, it’s twice the price of a Shuffle).

Second, it’s all I need. I listen to podcasts and the Shuffle easily holds everything I need to put on it. And since an old podcast is sort of like yesterday’s newspaper, I remove them daily anyway, so space is not a problem. On top of all the podcasts I subscribe to, I can pack over 100 songs on it for those moments when I tire of hearing people talk. You may wonder what it’s like to not have an LCD display; to be honest, I don’t miss it. I set the Shuffle to play everything in order and since I listen to every podcast I download, it’s no problem. Most of the time, it’s out of sight anyway in my pocket.

Third, I have about 100 songs I’ve purchased in iTunes and I want to be able to take them with me. Legally, that required buying an iPod. I knew this when I bought my first iPod and I’m OK with it. Your mileage may vary.

Finally, it’s an Apple product. That means it does what it’s supposed to do very well and looks good doing it. I took the Shuffle out of the box and was loading podcasts on it three minutes later. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Thinking Lone Star

I just wanted to let those of you in Texas know that I am thinking of you as Rita heads your way. I'm not there, but I consider myself sort of an honorary Texan, so I'm there in spirit. You guys will show the world how Americans are supposed to handle an emergency.

Intellectual Commentary

Bette Midler had even stronger words: "I got a letter from the Republican Party the other day. I wrote back, 'Go fuck yourself.'" She then added, "George Bush is a fan of mine -- he came to see me in the Seventies. His coke dealer brought him."

And the world is better now that you've thrown that out, Bette. Thanks.

Ted Turner, Useful Idiot

At some point in the past ten years or so, Ted Turner went around the bend. The curve in the road of his life turned him from merely a bothersome liberal into what Stalinists used to call a useful idiot; that is, someone in the West who is not a communist but who still carries water for the cause.

Turner has just returned from a visit to Korea, where he tried to convince leaders of the North and South to turn the DMZ into an “international peace park”. Logistical problems aside (landmines, anyone?), this is possibly the most naïve thing I have ever heard an adult say. But Turner won’t let mere logic stand in the way of his crusade. He was on CNN with Wolf Blitzer a couple days ago, talking about his impressions of North Korea. This is my favorite snippet (entire transcript here):

Blitzer: "But this is one of the most despotic regimes and Kim Jong Il is one of the worst men on Earth. Isn't that a fair assessment?"

Turner: "I didn't see, I didn't see any, I didn't see any brutality in the capital or out in the, on the DMZ. We went, we visit, drove through the countryside quite a bit to get down to Panmunjom and Kaesong. We traveled around. I'm sure we were on a special route, but I don't see, there's really no reason, North Korea's got enough problems with their, with their economy and their agriculture. I think they want to join the western world and improve the quality of life for their people just like everybody else. And I think that we should give them another chance. It doesn't cost us anything. We already have agreements. And North Korea never posed any significant threat to the United States. I mean, the whole economy of North Korea's only $30 billion a year. It's less than the city of Detroit. It's a small place, and we do not have to worry about them attacking us."

This is an example of the classic leftist fallacy that everyone wants to be honest and forthright if given the opportunity. In other words, a criminal is only a criminal because he hasn’t been given the chance to be honest.

The starvation in North Korea really exists.. The concentration camps really exist. The missiles really exist. The nuclear program really exists. Kim Jong Il’s extravagant and arrogant lifestyle really exists. Ignoring them or wishing them away will do nothing. No amount of kindness from the West will turn the hard hearts in Pyongyang.

Allowing yourself to be blinded as Turner has allowed himself to be is not only foolish, but dangerous as well. Truth is a rare commodity in North Korea; Turner has swallowed the lie hook, line and sinker.

Yet More Shameless Self-Promotion

The transcript-less podcast tonight is about the B-29 Superfortress. You know you want to check it out.

Oh, That Tender Hard Drive

My iPod died this morning. I lost my grip on it and it fell from a height of about three feet. It was OK for about 10 minutes; it then began to skip. I tried to reset it to no avail. I am now greeted with a flashing folder and exclamation point. Evidently, the hard drive has gone on to its great reward. I will try to hook it up to my PC later this evening, but I am not hopeful.

It really didn’t hit me until a short time ago how much I had come to rely on the little gizmo. I subscribe to 30 or so podcasts, enough so that I have very little time to listen to music. I probably have my headphones on 3 hours a day. I listen while I’m doing dishes, walking, working around the house, etc. It’s probably not good for my hearing, but I have trouble doing anything in silence.

So I will buy a cheap flash drive until I can afford to buy, possibly, an iPod nano or something. The iPod line is, by far, the best line of mp3 players ever made. Next time, I’ll just have to be more careful.

Not The Senior Balloon

I said something positive about a Kennedy over at the podcast site.

Just Words

North Korea has agreed to end research into and construction of nuclear weapons. They have also agreed to end their civilian nuclear power program. With a different nation, at a different time, this would be a bright, promising outcome after tough years of negotiation.

But not now, and not with North Korea.

Treaties, agreements and contracts between nations are just words on a page. They must be backed up by the good intentions and actions of the signatories. In the case of North Korea, there is a 50-year history of lies with which to contend. The only agreement they have adhered to is the ceasefire that ended the fighting between North and South in July, 1953 (technically, the two nations are still at war). It is my belief that the only reason they have not crossed the DMZ is because the Kims in Pyongyang know any incursion into the South would spell the end of their regime.

Yet, this agreement will be celebrated because, after all, our MSM and their brethren in Europe tend to celebrate intentions (remember Chamberlin’s “peace in our time”?) rather than actual outcomes. But even so, you may be wondering what other options we have with regard to North Korea. The current government in Seoul seems to be content with a sort of containment of the North; reunification is not a goal. I don’t know if it’s fear of a war or the horrible humanitarian crisis that South Korea would inherit if the North collapsed that keeps them from being more aggressive. And while I do not live in the shadow of the DMZ, I can’t help but think that the South’s attitude is like that of a child: as long as we can’t see the horror, then we can ignore it.

As I have written here before, North Korea will eventually either collapse from within or from outside pressure. When that day comes and the gates of the concentration camps are opened, those who have had blinders on will ask why, why, why did we wait so long?

What will be the answer?

Number One On The Wishlist

I know that all of you have been wondering what to get Kelli and I for our upcoming anniversary. Alas, I have found the perfect gift. You'll notice that it's a two-seater, so we'll have plenty of space. I'm not sure where you put the luggage, though.

Earlier, the same company was selling a spool containing over 1 million feet of fiber optic cable...because, you know, you might need it one day.

Into The Wild Blue Yonder

Sunday is the 58th anniversary of the birth of the Air Force as a separate branch of the armed forces. Read all about it over at my podcasting site.

Good Ole' Cindy

"I don't care if a human being is black, brown, white, yellow or pink. I don't care if a human being is Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, or pagan. I don't care what flag a person salutes: if a human being is hungry, then it is up to another human being to feed him/her. George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans and Iraq, and excuse his self from power. The only way America will become more secure is if we have a new administration that cares about Americans even if they don't fall into the top two percent of the wealthiest."

That's Cindy Sheehan, quoted by Drudge. There's one thing I don't understand: first, the fever swamp Left is pissed because GW didn't get into NOLA faster. Now, the feds are "occupiers". Which is it? Or could it be that (gasp!) all you asshats just want something to hate the President over?

The Greatest Game Ever Played

Kelli and I went to see “The Greatest Game Ever Played” last night. This Walt Disney film is based on the true story of Francis Ouimet, a 20-year old ex-caddy who played in the 1913 US Open. I am always a little leery of films that are “based on” history, because that often translates into a story (like ‘Pearl Harbor’ and ‘Titanic’) that contains fictional people set against an historical background or real people’s names thrown into a fictionalized story. It is probably fortunate that I know nothing about the history of golf; my ignorance allowed me to simply take the story at face value.

And it’s quite a story. Ouimet was born in turn-of-the-century Boston, the son of a French father and a (presumably) Irish mother. Despite our notion of the United States as a giant melting pot, this was only true to a degree. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the social and political elite in this country had managed to establish a class system that was very, very similar to what had existed in England for centuries. Ouimet, being the son of immigrants, was not in the class that belonged to country clubs and attended parties requiring a tuxedo or cocktail dress. Thus, the closest he came to this world was as a caddy at the elite Boston country club that was across the street from his parents’ home.

The movie focuses on two facets of Ouimet’s life. First is his struggle to not only play golf, but to play at a world-class level despite the logistical and social roadblocks before him. Second is the tortured relationship with his father. The senior Ouimet is a man who has accepted his station in life as a day laborer and does not want his son to experience the disappointments he knew as a young man because he dared to dream for something better. This leads to obvious, but touching, confrontations.

A surprising angle found in the story is the sub-plot involving Harry Vardon, a professional player from England who is Ouimet’s hero. Vardon spends most of the movie battling his own demons and the memories of leaving his family home because it was knocked down to make way for a golf course. A scene with Vardon, set in an exclusive English country club, is heartbreaking. As time goes by, we realize that the contrasts between Vardon and Ouimet are insignificant compared to what they have in common as men striving to be their best.

This film is family-friendly with nary an obscenity to be found. I am no prude, but I believe it is very important that family movies be made that adults can enjoy. This is one of them.

Presidential Outreach

The President spoke to the nation tonight with a speech that was high on the positive efforts underway and the work ahead in the future. This is what we've come to expect from our Presidents after disasters: nothing too detailed, but an assurance that the sun will still rise in the morning.

What I find disturbing is that Friday will find Michael Moore, Daily Kos and the rest of the fever swamp section of the blogosphere digging into the President's speech phrase by phrase, looking for something at which to poke fun. This the same speech that Presidents Clinton, Carter, Reagan, Nixon or Roosevelt would've given under similar circumstances. While they certainly don't need to fawn over the President's effort (it wasn't a history-making speech after all), the hate and anger that it will stir up will be discouraging.

Wait and see.

On another note, Kelli and I just returned from a preview of "The Greatest Game Ever Played." I have an agreement to post a review of the film here; I will do so in the morning.

Fish Sticks Foreigner

Gwyneth Paltrow has never been my favorite actress (and yes, I call female actors "actresses" and it's not a crime, you PC bastards), but this interview goes a long way towards proving what I have always believed about her: that she is a spoiled child of privilege who has little or no understanding of the bedrock that supports the house of her career.

I feel like we're really in trouble. I just had a baby and thought, 'I don't want to live there.'

Then do a Madonna and leave. You're already married to a British rock star, so you're half way home. But don't forget that you owe your success to all the half-wit red staters in fly-over country who you and those of your ilk despise so much.

Spider-Man, I Ain't

Have you ever wondered what you'd look like as a comic strip character? Me, too, but thanks to my friend Ed, I now know.

As I said on his site, if only my head were that smooth and even in real life. BTW, the picture above is named "dathead.jpg". I just love that. It could be something out of a horror movie:

"Run!"
"Wha?"
"It's the Dathead! Run for your life!!!"

I need to get out more.

Roberts Round-Up

I have had a few people e-mail me in the past few days wondering why I have not commented on the Roberts nomination hearings. Simply put, I have not done so because I believe the hearings are illegitimate and are in violation of the Senate’s advise and consent role with regard to Supreme Court nominations.

Until the early 20th century, Supreme Court nominees were rarely even seen by members of Congress. Barring anything unusual such as a criminal record or obvious moral failings, nominees were voted in with little or no debate. Even after nominees began regularly appearing before the Senate, the appearance was treated as a formality. In fact, as I’ve mention here before, one of President Eisenhower’s nominees refused to appear. He was approved anyway.

The modern perversion of the nomination process really began with Robert Bork in 1987. Bork is a well-qualified conservative who was beaten down by a group of Democratic Senators led by that example of saintly behavior and morals, Teddy Kennedy. Bork’s video rental history even came into play, leading to a law barring such exposures in 1988. Bork’s nomination was eventually defeated.

Kennedy is back on his soap box today, chiding Roberts over things like civil rights. For his part, Roberts is showing incredible restraint. I would have to ask the Senior Balloon from Taxachusetts: “Teddy, you’ve been up here for 40 years…what have you done about civil rights?” Of course, this is not proper discourse, but wouldn’t it make for a great sound byte?

By observing the Democrats at work, one would assume that they lack a basic understanding of the balance of powers. The job of the Supreme Court is to interpret the law, not make it. However, the Dems know that most of their voting base is ignorant of this fact. Furthermore, liberals in the US can not win elections, so the only way they can further their agenda is to turn to judges who will, indeed, make law from the bench (the Massachusetts gay marriage ruling is an excellent example of this).

I believe that Roberts will be approved. But the cost paid will, once again, be high, both in damage to the man himself and in damage to our judicial system. And the Democrats in this nation will play on, ignorant of how misrepresented they are by their own elected officials.

Katrina's Impact

Hurricane Katrina has the Left in this country carrying water for the environmentalist wacko movement with regard to global warming. Why, it’s just a given that hurricanes of this magnitude are caused by warmer oceans, and those warmer oceans are caused by the fact that President Bush didn’t sign the Kyoto agreement. Oh, and you greedy pigs driving SUVs are going straight to a greenhouse-effect hell. I mean, it’s just logical, right?

Well, maybe not. A reader sent me this article about decades-long hurricane cycles. If you have a few minutes, give it a look. I’m not saying it’s gospel, but I believe it’s important to keep in mind that science does NOT agree on climate change.

The No-Win Scenario

Placeholder...please stop by on Wednesday morning.

Podcast Alert

My froggy voice is the star tonight as I discuss the penning of the Star-Spangled Banner over at Matt's Today in History

If you enjoy the podcast, please, please, please visit podcastalley.com, do a search for 'matt' (we like #35 on that list) and put in a vote for me. We're barely hanging on in the top 100, but it's a start. And, yes, the site is VERY slow...please be patient.

When Reporter Becomes Report

Paul over at Powerline has a great post up concerning CNN's "get angry" policy with regard to reporters on the scence in New Orleans. Peter sent me the same link yesterday.

In a nutshell, CNN wants reporters to show anger over the devastation they witness. Evidently, this anger is directed at President Bush, the man who could've turned the hurricane back out to sea and pushed the lake back behind the levees. Presumably, this moral outrage will now be seen in all CNN coverage.

There is obvious bias in allowing reporters to move away from the job of just reporting the facts. But there is something more, something that makes this so attractive to the Anderson Coopers of the broadcasting world: it makes the story about the reporter.

There was a very well-known study (whose name I do not have) several years ago in which journalism students were asked why they chose that field. The number one answer? "I want to change the world". By reporting facts? That requires giving information to people so THEY can change the world. The only journalists who should write with an agenda are those confined to the opinion page.

Allowing reporters to show their distate for policy, events, etc. has an influence on people. It also holds the reporter up as some sort of representative of the viewers, something which he is not supposed to be. His job is to be much like the cameraman's: show us the world. But we have entered the age of the celebrity journalist (Katie Couric immediately comes to mind), where the new hairstyle or the messy divorce nearly blocks out the national emergency at hand.

The suits and CNN surely scratch their heads and wonder why Fox News regularly eats their lunch. Putting Cooper Anderson in front a water-damaged building with his beautifully coiffed early gray hair so he can vaguely blame President Bush for every storm death isn't going to help.

Back In The Saddle Again

I just lost the entire first version of this post, which completely fits with how my day has gone. I woke this morning to the worst sore throat I have ever experienced. It hurts to swallow water and is excruciating to talk above a whisper. I stayed home from work and slept all day, so even though I'm still not out of the woods, at least I'm rested.

It's a good thing, too, because there's much to talk about. As I write this, some portion of Los Angeles is without power. City officials were quick to say they do not suspect terrorism (given this tape that was broadcast yesterday), but it's a hell of a thing when that's the first thing my mind jumps to when I hear about anything out of the ordinary in a large city.

Peter sent me a link to this story written by an honest-to-goodness member of the MSM. In it Jack Kelly chides his comrades for failing to accurately report on the federal response to Katrina. I went over to Hugh Hewitt's blog and BAM! he has written about it as well. GMTA , fellas. Here's my favorite paragraph:

"We do not yet have teleporter or replicator technology like you saw on 'Star Trek' in college between hookah hits and waiting to pick up your worthless communications degree while the grown-ups actually engaged in the recovery effort were studying engineering."

That was a quote from an unnamed Air Force logistics officer. Hookah? Niiiice. I have a soft spot in my heart for engineers anyway (I have an engineer brother, a nephew and niece in engineering school and a father who, had he had the opportunity, would have probably been an engineer), but this guy is dead-on.

Finally, something new on the podcasting front: Kelli is going to do Matt's Today in History for me this evening.

Wedding Bells

I'm writing this post in a hotel room in Indianapolis as my wife gets ready. Today is the wedding day of my friend Hash and his lovely fiance' Kimmy. Most of you have read his posts here.

My wife and I have been married for almost seven years. While I'm certainly not qualified to be a marriage counselor, I have learned a great deal about what marriage is really about. If I had to offer advice to anyone getting married (no one's asking), I would only say three things.

First, while your spouse is your partner in all things, he/she is a separate human being with his/her own interests. Give you spouse some space to do things without you. It will make the time you spend together sweeter and more fun because you will still be able to bring new experiences to the conversation.

Second, reach an agreement about money. Every couple is different, so no one solution is best. For some people, that means a strict allowance and one person keeping the checkbook. For others, it means separate accounts. Don't let anyone tell you that you are somehow less married if you don't do x and y. Listen to Dave Ramsey some time and you'll know what I mean.

Finally, divorce the concept of divorce from your mind. You will have bad times and days that may make you question your decisions. All things shall pass. If you tell yourself that you are going to stick it out no matter what, then you will. If you give yourself that out, you may just take it. Of course, there are exceptions to this, such as an abusive spouse or (I believe) infidelity on part of a spouse. Short of those two things, I believe everything else is surviveable.

Good luck and God bless.

Shutting The Punk Up

From Drudge:

The chart topping hip hop rapper star who used a network hurricane fundraiser to charge "George Bush doesn't care about black people" was loudly and lustily booed during last night's NFL kickoff show.

"The boos were thunderous and lasted for much of his number," reports the BOSTON GLOBE.

The Camera Never Lies And The Navy Goes Back To Guns

Two things from Hugh Hewitt this evening. First, there's this:

Then there's this story about the Navy's next generation destroyer. Wow...that's really throwing steel downrange.

Podcast Preview

This evening's podcast is about Mao Tse-Tung, who died on Sept. 9, 1976.

Truth? Oh, Yeah....Truth

I read Michael Moore's site every day. I do it because I need to keep up with at least one of people who I believe is ruining our society. Today, he linked to a site called selltheranch.com. Please go take a look at it.

I decided to write the owner of the site an e-mail expressing my displeasure in his use of "America" at the bottom of his little screed. After all, he doesn't speak for me and I am an American. This argument would seem to make logical sense; please let me know if I'm wrong. Below is the entire e-mail conversation. Welcome to Leftist Logic 101.

I saw your site linked on MichaelMoore.com. I will be
brief.

Matt Dattilo
Jeffersonville, IN

You're angry because it's the truth.

Cheers,
John

Once again, you do NOT speak for me and I am an
American. You can put "john r." or whatever at the
bottom of your site.

The truth of what you say is not at issue.

I have yet to receive another response from John, but I'll let you know if I do. I thought you might enjoy reading what's been sent thus far.

Thoughts On The Aftermath

With the MSM and the fever swamp on the Left pointing fingers over the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, it’s hard to step back from the noise and analyze what really happened in New Orleans. I am not ignoring what happened in neighboring communities and states, but I believe that New Orleans will experience the greatest loss of life and so it is my focus for this discussion.

The median household...

...income in New Orleans is $28,000. In 2002, the median household income for the entire United States was a little over $42,000. This means that a significant percentage of the population of New Orleans lives at or below the poverty line of $19,350 for a family of four. This translates into a large number of people who receive some sort of government assistance.

I heard an interview one time with an actor whose name, unfortunately, escapes me. He grew up in Bronx around the turn of the 20th century and was very, very poor. He and his brother shared a cramped bedroom where they would often talk to each other about their dreams. The actor’s brother wanted to be a doctor; the actor wanted to act in Vaudeville. The actor’s brother became a doctor. The actor became a movie star. They were not surprised by their success because, as he said, this is America and anything is possible here.

The subject then turned to welfare. There was no public welfare as such until the Depression of the 1930’s; people had to rely on family or private organizations such as churches. You were either born into money or you had to earn it. You could not depend on the federal government to pay your bills. This seems cruel to some, and in a way it was. But the actor said something about welfare that has stuck with me to this day: “With one hand they give you a check, and with the other they take away the dream.”

I believe that long-term reliance on government-sponsored welfare of any kind creates an unhealthy dependence. It trains people to be unresponsive to their own immediate and long-term needs because there is knowledge that some government agency will pay for the doctor visit, put food in the kitchen or pay to keep the lights on. When Katrina came along, the local response was a mess, the state response not much better and the federal response took time to get up to speed. Regardless of whose fault this is, I can’t help but think that the people I know and love would not have sat in their homes and waited for the flood waters to come and claim them. Nor would I have let any old person I know die in their home because the Coast Guard couldn’t get to them in time.

I was not there, so my opinions may be unfair. But I think of my family and others who I am close to and I imagine them in that situation. My first priority would be to contact everyone BEFORE the hurricane and make sure they had a plan (which they would; I grew up in a house full of people who plan everything). Even if trapped, I’ll be damned if I would sit on my roof and wait for someone to come save me. There are tons of wood in a house, and all of them float.

Did all the people who died in New Orleans die because they were welfare recipients? No. But the attitude of self-reliance and common good was surely lacking, and I have to wonder why it was not there but has been present in so many other places.

Terrorists, Franken And Bears....Oh My!

Powerline reports on a UPI story concerning a terrorist found in Iraq with plans for the July 7th London bombings on his person in the form of a USB thumb drive. Of course, we all know that there is absolutely NO connection between Iraq and the wider war on terror.

Uh-huh.

Speaking of questionable people, it would appear that Al Franken is up to his ears in the Air America scandal. You say you've never heard of the Air America scandal? That doesn't surprise me. The liberal radio network that no one listens to has been a MSM darling from day one. To get up to speed, check out Michelle Malkin's latest news on the issue.

By the way, rumor has it that Al is going to run for US Senator from Minnesota. Run, man, run; please, please, please run.

I think it's time to bury the carcass that is Air America. Good riddance to bad garbage.

Moore Lies

CAUTION: VERY LONG POST AHEAD

I’ve known liberals all my life. They tend to fall into three categories. The first are those who are young and idealistic. They mean well, but they haven’t really seen enough of the world to know what’s going on. These people tend to be easily swayed by college professors who convince them that everyone who isn’t liberal is close-minded. There’s a dangerous irony which we’ll explore some other time, but it’s sufficient to say that most of the young people who are raging liberals mellow with age as they realize what it takes to be successful in a capitalist society. They may not become conservative in their beliefs, but they're not drinking the Kool-Aid with the DNC, either. Most people who vote for Democrats election after election without bothering to think about it fall into this category.

The second category...

...is comprised of people who take advantage of those in the first. Most liberal politicians fall into this category. So do most populists---people like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc., who make a living by making one group believe they are owed something by the majority. This doesn’t have to be racial in nature. After all, womens’ “rights” groups have convinced two generations of women (and the Supreme Court in 1973) that abortion is a right that had been withheld from women for some unfathomable reason until the feminists came along and “freed” them to murder babies with abandon.

There is a third group of liberals, a group that is dangerous to both their cause and, in my opinion, to the continued prosperity of this nation. This group is made up of the master propagandists, those few talented people who can bend reality to suit their agendas. This group is headed up by one man; everyone else pales in comparison. That man is Michael Moore.

You may see Moore as just a film maker who is doing, as he sees it, something very, very American: he is asking questions. But when the answers to his questions are edited and sometimes even fabricated to make them prove his point, you can’t help but wonder if he’s not a little less Capra and a little more Goebbels.

I’m going to respond to some indirect accusations Moore made in his open letter to President Bush. Like the spineless windbag he is, all his assertions are made in a style that can only be called “common man”. Moore is one of you, except very, very rich…and a very good liar.

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?

I’m going to give Moore a break because I realize he wrote this on Friday. As of this writing, there are 40,000 National Guard troops on the ground in the areas affected by Katrina. There is and never has been a shortage of helicopters; there was a shortage of local leadership.

It’s time for a civics lesson. The federal government has NO policing power. Police power in the United States resides in local and states authorities. The federal government can only send in active-duty military troops if asked by state authorities and if the area has been declared an emergency area or placed under martial law. The Governors of the states have first call for National Guard troops, NOT the President. Thus, if Moore wants to whine like an unpaid whore about why it took so long to call out the National Guard, he needs to bitch to the Governors of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. But, of course, that wouldn’t get Mikey quite as much attention as he needs.

I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?

As the head of FEMA stated on Sunday, most of the damage in New Orleans was called by flooding, not from the hurricane itself. If you remember, the first levee did not start to crumble until some time Monday evening. Up to that point, reporters (and this blogger) were saying that the Big Easy had missed the Big One.

And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!

Did these levees get reinforced during the Clinton presidency? If not, was New Orleans somehow less vulnerable then? How about in the 1970’s? 1960’s? Were hurricanes invented in January, 2001?

On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.

Since FDR became the first President to have an official aircraft, Presidents have toured devastated areas by plane. Truman, Kennedy, Nixon. It’s the way things are done. I guess Mikey ran down there Tuesday morning with a shovel and a hand pump.

And, yes, President Bush did stand at the WTC site and speak through a bullhorn to the crowd. As terrible as that event was, the WTC was ONE site…the hurricane damage covers an area equal to the size of Great Britain.

There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.

The science of global warming aside, there is actually nothing unusual about a large hurricane. In fact, this decade is NOT the most active in history. The 1920’s, 1930’s and 1950’s were more active. Just because a hurricane doesn’t hit the US coastline doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!

Well, I called this: the race card. Actually, it’s NOT Bush’s fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty. That blame falls at the feet of the local school board, parents and a welfare system that has produced generations of dependents who have lost all their self-sufficiency.

If I could call Mr. Moore, I would ask him only one question: what made you like this? There has to be something in his life: some abuse, some harassment, some deprivation, that has made him capable of being such a convincing thief of the truth. Moore is not without talent. In fact, he could probably be successful in any number of fields, so his actions can not solely be about money. I felt anger towards him, then disgust. Now, it’s just pity, like the kids in school who were picked on a little too much.

Promo

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This is the promo for Matt's Today in History. I put it up here for downloading, now and in the future. If you have a podcast and would like to trade promos, please drop me a line.

Defending The Home Team

Dave sent me a link to a disturbing but informative post on Powerline. It is too long to post here, so please take a few minutes and go over there. A new low, indeed.

Sneak Peek

Later tonight, I'll be posting a new podcast transcript over at mattdattilo.com. The 'cast will concern the defection of Victor Belenko, the man who flew his MIG-25 to Japan from the Soviet Union in 1976. It's story like this that keep me interested in doing Today in History.

A Hearty Thank You

Fellow geekster Troy Overton has posted a list of countries which have offered either money or assistance to the United States to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Here's the complete list:

Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela

While I doubt that we will accept any offers of help, it is heartwarming to know that so many governments are willing to at least take that first step. It makes me wonder if we are as hated as some believe.

Next Time, Just Write A Check

From the Sun-Herald, an Australian paper:
EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane Katrina foundered badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.

With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?"

I'm really not trying to sound flippant about this tragedy, but I wouldn't make fun of Penn if his heart was in the right place. The fact is that this clown is a publicity-seeking asshat who is doing nothing but getting in the way of people who can really make a difference.

A personal photographer...sheesh.

Today In History September 5, 2005

The US threatens the UK, 1863


PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE LAST TRANSCRIPT THAT WILL BE POSTED HERE. STARTING ON 9/5, THE TRANSCRIPT FOR MATT'S TODAY IN HISTORY WILL BE FOUND ON MATTDATTILO.COM.

TRANSCRIPT:

Today in 1863, Charles Adams sent a very strongly-worded letter to the British government threatening war between the United States and the UK if the latter allowed two ironclad ships to set sail from British ports.

Adams was the US Foreign Minister to Great Britain, a job that required a great deal of delicate diplomacy in the first half of the 1860's. The United States was fighting a civil war and the British Empire had much to gain or lose depending on how things turned out. Early in the conflict, the British had considered taking the step of officially recognizing the Confederacy, a move that would have given the South credibility in Europe. It also would’ve strained US-British relations past the breaking point.

The British backed away from recognizing the Confederacy after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of 1862. England had abolished slavery by this time and many politicians thought it would be difficult to explain British support of a pro-slavery nation to voters. But although the hope for a formal political alliance was dashed, there was still money to be made from the war, mainly through ship-building for the Confederacy.

Britain could not sell warships to the South outright since this would be a violation of British law. Instead, the shipyards built unarmed ships and sold them to southern agents to do with as they pleased. The ships were sailed to another country in Europe where they were armed and then sent into battle against the Union blockade ships that were slowly strangling the South.

By the summer of 1863, the Laird Shipbuilding Company was building a new type of ship for the Confederacy: two ironclads. These iron monstrosities were a radical departure from the steam and wind-powered ships of the day. They had sloping sides, almost no freeboard and some of them sported turrets, a new addition to 19th century naval warfare. The British-built ironclads both had a large iron spike attached the their bows so that could ram right through the sides of wooden Union hulls. These two ships could have radically changed the balance of sea power along the Atlantic coast.

Union spies soon delivered plans for the two ships to Adams, inspiring him to write his letter to the government in London. For diplomats of that day, this was considered a bold and daring move. He was considered a hero in the United States, but his actions were probably unnecessary. We now know that the British government had already decided to hold the ships instead of turning them over to the Confederacy.

This was the last gasp for the those in Great Britain who supported recognition of the southern states as a legitimate government. With their foreign support gone, it was only a matter of time until the rebels would crumble under the weight of Union manufacturing and manpower.

Shop Talk

As some of you already know, this is the last weekend that the transcript for my podcast will be hosted here. I purchased www.mattdattilo.com (it points to mattstodayinhistory.blogspot.com) this week and, effective Sunday evening, that's where you will be able to find the transcripts.

I decided to do this so that I could focus on keeping the two projects separate. Some of the people who listen to the podcast aren't interested in political debate and vice versa.

As always, thank you for reading.

Race Enters The Debacle

It took almost a week, but finally we are beginning to see a movement that will, I believe, become a tidal wave by Monday: the racial element of Katrina.

Kayne West on NBC: 'GEORGE BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE... They're saying black families are looting and white families are just looking for food...they're giving the (Army) permission to shoot us'

Us? Where exactly is Kayne?

Randall Robinson (on Huffington Post): Four days after the storm, thousands of blacks in New Orleans are dying like dogs. No-one has come to help them.

No one? I guess that two naval battle groups, national guard troops from all over the place and firemen/policeman from every corner of the nation don't count.

This would all be laughable except for one thing: many black Americans will believe the lies and exaggerations. The people who benefit from strained racial relations (Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, et.al.) will continue to make their millions on the backs of those who are truly victims of a random act of weather.

The world is watching. What are we showing?