We can't connect the dots if we can't collect the dots.

Lileks is brilliant. His off the cuff remark summed up this whole phone records controversy in one line. Do you want the Federal government to protect you and try to find the terrorists living down the street? You know how they do that? Data mining. If the NSA gets a phone number from a captured Al Qaida cell phone they look to see who he has been calling, then they look to see who that person has been calling. The mine this data looking for patterns, trying to find a terrorist cell.

I have been cruising the lefty-independent sites and the predictable '1984', the Constitution is being trampled, ect.

Even if they didn't listen to the actual telephone conversations, a pentrap (capturing numbers dialed) is ILLEGAL without a court order.

Bush deserves Hell. The FBI, ATF, CIA, and NSA deserve hell along with him.

It's treason to the Constitution and our laws. Pretty soon we won't have the laws and the Constitution to cite because all of these people are doing everything they can to try and abolish them and put in new laws that strip us of our rights.

I am sure the President and Dick Cheney are buying up all the surplus railroad box cars to start sending us off to the re-education camps just as soon as the Sperry Super Computer in the basement at the NSA has the list completed.

I don't like the idea that anyone is keeping track of who I call or where I go on the web, but it is happening. Mostly by the people you do business with. Somewhere out there you have a e-profile. What you buy, how you buy it, if you pay your bills on time, what websites you visit, for how long, how many minutes you spend on the phone during what times, and yes, who you call. You are a file that is bought and sold.

"As a general rule, Qwest does not release customer account information to unaffiliated third parties without your permission unless we have a business relationship with those companies where the disclosure is appropriate."

If the NSA can crunch this data, the same data the phone company uses to market products and services, to catch the next sleeper cell before they blow up my kid's school, I will live with it.

Is it legal? It depends on what your view of Article II is.

To summarize, my very preliminary sense is that there are no Fourth Amendment issues here but a number of statutory problems under statutes such as FISA and the pen register statute. Of course, all of the statutory questions are subject to the possible argument that Article II trumps those statutes. As I have mentioned before, I don't see the support for the strong Article II argument in existing caselaw, but there is a good chance that the Administration's legal argument in support of the new law will rely on it.

So I guess I will wait for President Bush to repeal the Bill of Rights while I pack my bag for the camps, or will I need any luggage?

I have used my cell phone while I gassed up. Why?

Because it safe, that's why.

The media keeps pumping out the stories. In 2004, the Poughkeepsie [N.Y.] Journal ran this scary headline: "Cell Phone Ring Starts Fire at Gas Station."

The story quoted the local fire chief, Pat Koch, as saying gas vapors were ignited by the ringing of a cell phone. But -- stop the presses and start shoveling -- just days later, Koch said: "After further investigation . . . I have concluded that the source of ignition was from some source other than the cell phone . . . most likely static discharge from the motorist himself." The truth is that anything that involves static or sparks can ignite gasoline fumes, including rubbing your rear end against a cloth car seat on a dry winter day.

At the University of Oklahoma, there's a "Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Compatibility," which researches the effects of electronic devices on our lives. The center examined incident reports and scientific data, and concluded that there was "virtually no evidence to suggest that cell phones pose a hazard at gas stations." The researchers went even further: "The historical evidence," it said, "does not support the need for further research."

Text of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Letter to President Bush, Exclusive!

This was leaked to me from an un-named source in the State department.

They believe the color of crayon is Crayola 'Tickle me Pink' or 'Pig Pink'. The CIA is doing exhaustive analysis of the colors to get inside the Iranian President's mental state. If Ahmadinejad used "Pig Pink' my source says he has become dangerously unstable.

The man is obviously crackers.

Flight 93

Very few movies leave an audience quiet and somber when they walk out the doors and back to the real world. I remember the same strange quietness when leaving Saving Private Ryan. My wife and I had watched it with another couple and when we walked to our cars I remember looking at my friend and saying, wow, that was powerful.

The story of Flight 93 is one we all know and there was no intrigue or plot twists to keep you wondering where it all would end, we all know where it ended, with a smoking hole in the ground near Shanksville Pennsylvania. But this movie kept me nervously fidgeting in my chair until the final credits rolled. The director chose to use more of a documentary style when making Flight 93. The quick cuts and moving camera angles makes it seem very first person, again a comparison with Private Ryan is in order.

I was hoping that the savage attacks inside the plane would not be too graphic and they were not, while you know what has happened, there are no close-ups or special effects of the murders of the flight crew and passengers. It is however, unflinching and powerful.

The passengers on that plane were in fact our first response to 9/11. They knew if they did nothing, they would die along with many more Americans. They chose to act, with the knowledge that they faced a very slim chance of success in re-taking the plane. But they acted. We will never know how many lives they saved, but we know what it cost them. It cost them everything.

The director, Paul Greengrass, also used this movie to show the terrorists as people. The movie begins with the plotters praying and reading the Koran in a hotel room, they seem sane, and acting with a purpose. I am relieved that this was not a Chuck Norris type of film, where the bad guys are crazy and stupid.

The film shows just what we face in this war. A patient, calculating and determined foe who cannot be reasoned with, or bargained with. They want to kill us, every one of us, down to the last innocent child. I believe that Al Qaida is here in America, waiting and plotting, planning to give us another day on the calendar to remember. We have 9/11, the English have 7/7, the Russians have 9/3, how many new days of infamy will we suffer through before we get it through our collective heads that if we do not kill these killers, the America we inherited from our fathers and mothers is going to be very different from the one we hand to our children. An America with armed soldiers on the street corners and suicide bombers at our malls and schools.

Flight 93 is a bucket of ice water thrown on a nation that has hit the snooze button and went back to sleep.

Throw another dachshund on the BBQ.

There's never a villain dwelling in all Denmark.

Well maybe not a villain, but a Prince with some exotic tastes.

Princess Mary's royal father-in-law Prince Henrik of Denmark has spoken of his taste for dog meat.

Prince Henrik, the Prince Consort of Denmark and father of Mary's husband Prince Frederik, has likened the flavour of dog meat to tender veal.

If there was ever a man who could afford veal, it would be the Prince of Denmark. On the other hand, he could afford to buy and eat every dog at the Westminster Dog Show.

Dude, just stick with the veal.

Things you don't have to worry about when you live in the city.

Someone stealing your irrigation pipe. This is no trivial matter, these jackasses cut up the pipe and take it to the recyclers where they get scrap price for it. I hope they make these guys irrigate the farmers field for two seasons to pay back the price of the pipe, plus 6 months in jail. That would be a fitting sentence.

Two suspects were arrested Thursday morning theft of irrigation pipe, arrested at gunpoint by Yolo County sheriff's deputies just south of Zamora. According to Capt. Larry Cecchettini the theft was reported at 11:30 a.m. when a local farmer viewed two people taking the pipe, later valued at around $1,200. The witness followed the suspects while calling notifying authorites by cell phone.

Woodland City Council 06'

From deep within the bowels of the Woodland Library, three men entered into a struggle to represent the people of their city.

Ok , so it was in the Leake room at the Library and the candidate were on their best behavior. The Woodland Republican Club held the candidate forum last night, Kirby Wells and Doug Young put together a very professional and informative evening for the fifty or so people in attendance. After a slight confusion with the starting time, it is Yolo County after all, the forum started with a two minute introduction from the candidates, then several question were asked covering a variety of topics. Most people wanted to hear each candidates positions on a proposed Permanent Urban Limit Line, or PULL on the June ballot as Measure A and flood protection for the city.

The first candidate to speak was Marlin 'Skip' Davies, a former Woodland teacher and administrator for the Los Rios Community College District. Mr. Davies spoke about his service to the community where he has served on many commissions and boards. He is a very polished speaker, while he retains his small town charm. Skip has a good deal of experience and he is not afraid to speak his mind. He supports a PULL as the best way to manage growth. He says that growth, in and of itself does not pay for itself. He proposes that any growth must be economically feasible. While he did not say a much, I am thinking that development fees and assessments must keep pace with the cost of delivering services.
Davies also said that the floodwall is a dead issue and other studies must be done to look into how to bring the city's flood protection up to the 100 year level.

Second up was local dentist Dr. Bill Marble. Dr. Marble has an impressive educational resume and service in the Air Force. He is very involved in community service and his church. Dr. Marble looks like a politician. He is smooth and speaks in generalities unless pressed. He reminds me of Senator Bill Frist. I'm sorry, he does. He also supports the permanent urban limit line and wants to find a 100 year flood protection plan that everyone can agree to.

The most interesting item of the night was a question from the audience about the City's agreement with 'Los Caporales' a Mexican Charo rodeo group who has held the lease on a city arena. The group has had some management shakeups recently and the City has had complaints about the safety of grandstands and other areas. The City is also looking into the group's insurance coverage and the lease agreement's price, which is considered low by some for the size and scope of the property.

Although the question was asked in English, Dr. Marble who is bi-lingual, answered the question in Spanish. There was a small silence after he finished and some one from the audience finally asked him what he said. He said that there must be better communication between the parties and he hoped that the situation could be worked out so they could stay on the property. It seemed a little glib that he would answer the question in Spanish and not translate it to English.

The last candidate to speak was Dan Ryhal, a local business owner and a former City Councilmen. As a matter of full disclosure, I have known Dan for a long time. Our softball team used to eat pizza and drink beer at Ricos after every game. That being said, Dan has what I call a workingman's education, University of Phoenix if memory serves me right. He was asked about the use of eminent domain for private development and said that he believes it to be un- Constitutional. He was also the only candidate that did not support a permanent urban limit line. His thought is once the line is drawn, that's it. The developers will start a bidding war for the land, and developers from all over California will buy up every piece of ground inside the line. Mr. Ryhal thinks that an urban limit line that is reviewed and amended by the city and the voters every ten years or so is the way to go. He is also very opposed to the floodwall idea and want to aggressively look at ways to improve the capacity of Cache Creek.

Notables in attendance included John W Jones, candidate for the first Congressional District. Also present was Roughstock Journal reader John Gould, candidate for the 8th Congressional District. Barbara Deiter spoke on behalf of Jeff Reisig, candidate for Yolo County District Attorney.

A bright spot in the night belonged to Brenda Cedarblade, candidate for 3rd District Yolo County Supervisor. Her two minute statement, ok four minute statement about flood control on Cache Creek from Lake county to the bypass was insightful and was referred to frequently by the candidates. She may be a Democrat, but I think she might be coming over to the darkside. Join us Brenda, and together we can rule the galaxy, or at least a small part of Yolo County.

A straight 'A' Mayor

The Mayor of Ault Colorado, achieved a high score yesterday.

Are we talking about his GPA? Nope

He scored a mind-blowing .04 on a Breathalyzer test. A 'four o' is better known as an 'A+' to the guys who drive the black and white cars.

His blood alcohol level of .04 was so high it broke the machine.
Dude, get some help.

Candidates forum in Woodland

Last night at the Woodland Republican Club meeting, three candidates for city council spoke and answered question from the moderator and from the audience. All three were Republican and while the Democratic candidate was also invited he did not attend.

I was impressed by all three candidates and while they did not agree on every issue, all were respectful and very professional.

I will post more tonight on the details.

This will send the left into a tizzy.

Administration Conducting Research Into Laser Weapon

The Bush administration is seeking to develop a powerful ground-based laser weapon that would use beams of concentrated light to destroy enemy satellites in orbit.

The largely secret project, parts of which have been made public through Air Force budget documents submitted to Congress in February, is part of a wide-ranging effort to develop space weapons, both defensive and offensive. No treaty or law forbids such work.

The laser research was described by federal officials who would speak only on the condition of anonymity because of the topic's political sensitivity. The White House has recently sought to play down the issue of space arms, fearing it could become an election-year liability.

Again I ask, who is leaking this to the Times?
Why are our classified nation security secrets in print?

No War for Oil? How about natural gas?

Bueller? Bueller?

Where is the outrage? Hollywood? Elite Academia? George Clooney? (sound of crickets)

President Evo Morales of Bolivia has ordered the military to seize 56 foreign-owned oil and gas fields in a nationalisation move that hit shares of companies operating in the Latin American country today. - The leftwing President, who came to power on a platform of re-nationalisation, warned of similar action in other sectors. "We are beginning by nationalising oil and gas. Tomorrow we will add mining, forestry and all natural resources – what our ancestors fought for," he said in a May Day speech at the San Alberto gas field in southern Bolivia

Oh, I get it. When a government send troops in to actually take the gas fields away from the people who drilled and developed them, its ok as long the people getting screwed are the oil companies. I wonder what would happen if the oil companies had an army in Bolivia?

Candidate forum Wednesday evening in Woodland

If you live in Yolo County and want a little more information than what is on the candidate's yard signs, you should come to the Woodland Republican Club's candidate forum held on May 3rd at 7:15 in the Leake Room of the Woodland Public Library.


Jeff Reisig, candidate for Yolo County District Attorney will be available for questions and comments. Also attending will be John Jones, Republican candidate for 1st Congressional District and John Gould, Republican candidate for 8th Assembly District. I believe three of the City Council candidates will also be there.

I will post on the forum's highlights ASAP.

Recepco`n a los Estados Unidos, voto temprano y a menudo para los demo`cratas.

Roughly translated. Welcome to the United States, vote early and often for Democrats.

I think I heard someone say they should rename the Guest Worker Program the Guest Voter Program. I wonder how many Democratic voter registration forms were filled out today?

On the other hand, if I just left the third-world poverty of Mexico City to find work and opportunity in the US, I would vote for whoever would make it easier for me to stay. I don't know if I would protest the fact that I want to work and make a living here by not working.


I probably wouldn't know that these rallies were organized by ANSWER, a hard left communist organization. They have fooled most the protestors into thinking the marches are about immigration, when in fact they are just large May Day marches. The fever swampers have a new angle, if you can't get Americans to embrace communist socialism, just get new Americans who will.

I don't think the average protestor has a clue about the all the different forces working behind the scenes to get their messages out.

Californian Democrats hold a job interview.

Have you ever been through a tough interview process? Or have you ever been on the other side of the desk and given a tough interview to prospective candidates?
This process is what came to mind when I read this article on the Democratic convention being held this weekend.

Angelides has won nearly every significant party endorsement but has yet to capture the imagination of primary voters.

"He needs good news right now the way you and I need oxygen," said Jason Kinney, a Democratic consultant who is not working for either candidate. "He has to win it (the pre-primary endorsement)."

Having been on both sides of the job interview, it seems to me that Mr. Angelides has a great Democratic resume. Years of service and experience, party loyalty, basically everything that a candidate should have. On paper that is. Angelides scores well on his resume, but is underwhelming in the face to face interview. He doesn't seems to have that personal connection so essential in politics.

Steve Westly seems to do very well in the face to face interview process. I have been faced with this situation before. A well qualified individual with an impressive resume versus a candidate that knocked it out of the park during the interview, but lacks some of the qualifications that the other person has.

What to do?

Politics, as I am finding out, is more like the Miss America pageant than a interview for CEO of a large corporation. If you look good in the swimsuit competition, you can more than make up for a less than stellar performance in the platform statement.

I do believe that the Governors race on the Democratic side will become a beauty contest rather than a ideas contest. Much like the Republican split during the recall. McClintock's substance versus Schwarzenegger's style. Electability seems to be the only qualification one needs today.

The base may want to reward Angelides for his solid liberal democratic views and service, but they also want to win in November. Westly may be their best chance to win in an era of sound bites and an eleven second attention span of apathetic voters.

It will be fun to watch.

By the way, my buddy Mark is going down today to the Democratic convention dressed as one of the Tax'm Twins. There will be a public gathering in support of Mark between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm in front of the Sheritan Hotel at 13th and J Streets in Sacramento.

The Ugly American - Doggie style

Maybe Calvin didn't get the message about not smashing up the airport lounges and causing a riot.

A mini-riot erupted at Heathrow airport after rapper Snoop Dogg and a 30-strong entourage clashed with police in a departure lounge.


The men - mostly minders - apparently turned violent after being refused entry to a first-class lounge, smashing up a duty free shop, throwing bottles and attacking officers.

It took riot police over an hour to arrest the "20-stone men", who were then led out in handcuffs, with one shouting: "This is how it goes down in LA."

Very nice Snoop.

Technorati

Technorati Profile

Tony Snow takes one for the team.

I need money, lots of it, if you have any extra or old money that kinda smells funny and you want to part with it let me know. That being said, the President of the United States would have to back up several armored cars loaded with new twenty dollar bills into my barn and fill it to the rafters to get me to take the position of press secretary. I'm not sure how much money that would be, but it may not be enough.

To have to listen to David Gregory and his pink power tie lecture me for two minutes about a story before asking loaded questions is too much to ask of anyone. Then to have Helen Thomas ask about the governments role in bringing down the World Trade Center or something equally mind numbing would loose its charm after the first week. I am afraid President bush would send those armored cars back to my barn to empty it after a fortnight.

White House Press Secretary, the Yolo Cowboy tendered his resignation today after this exchange with the white house press corp.

"What are you talking about David?"

'Why does the President ride in a limousine at taxpayer expense while the rest of America is paying over three buck a gallon to his super rich, oil company buddies, is he that out of touch with the voters?'

"David, do you really want me to answer that question?"

'Yes I do, the American people are hurting and Bush flies all over and drives around all day without paying a cent.'

"Well David, because he is the President, he travels just like President Clinton did."

'You can't sit behind that podium and tell me that the President is too good to pump his own gas and pay for it.'

"Next question"

'You didn't answer my last question!'

"Settle down David, I have other people who would like to ask a question."

'Don't tell me to settle down you hillbilly, I don't even know how you got this job.'

"Ok, why don't you shut your mouth before I come down there and feed you your tie"

At that point the press briefing ended and the White House spokesman was led off the stage by the Secret Service before he reached Mr. Gregory.

And now some fresh pickings from the Yolo County Grapevine

Welcome back, this is when we would usually get to our panel of Fox News all-stars but Fred and Mort are off today and I couldn't take another minute of Bill Kristol or Maura Liason's whining little voices, so that leaves Fox News contributor and correspondent for Nation Public Radio, Juan Williams.

Thanks Britt.

Hey Britt, I'm here.

Please be quiet Bill.

But Britt, I wan..


SHHH!



So Juan, I have always wanted to ask you, what exactly do you do over at NPR?

I host a radio show called political insider.



Does anyone listen?

Sure they do, I mean its heard in all the coffee houses and faculty lounges across America Britt.



You know Juan, I was wondering, why is it that the lefties on the panel both work for NPR.

C'mon Britt, we are not all that left of center, sure we are more progressive than you, Bill or Fred, but I don't think that has anything to do with being on NPR.

Hi Juan.


Zip it Kristol.

What about Mort, he is a Democrat, he doesn't work for NPR.



I know, but we put Mort on because he is what the Democratic party used to stand for. He is still wrong most of the time, but at least he is not part of the hate American first crowd in the fever swamp of the left.

Are you saying that I am part of this fever swamp Britt?



Oh please Juan, you should be fitted with a tin-foil hat so the Republican brain control waves don't effect you.

That is not fair Britt, I didn't slam you when your buddy 'Shotgun Dick' came on your show because he knows you like him.



Did you see that interview Juan? It was very direct and thorough, I didn't just lob softballs at him.

Maybe you should have thrown a dove at him.



That funny Juan, very funny. Lets get back to you radio show. How do you compare to Rush or Laura Ingram as far as ratings.?

At NPR we don't think about ratings, we try to put out a good product and we hope the people like it for what it is.



What if its a piece of crap?

Well it might seem like crap to you, but we are trying to reach a broad audience, so we try to have shows that reflect the diversity of America. We don't try to compete with Rush.



Its a good thing. All you swampers would be standing in an unemployment line if you had to compete for an audience, just ask Al Franken.

We are trying to reach all of America Britt, not just the right wingers, Klan members and hate mongers in the Republican party.



I know Juan, but how many lesbian, alpaca wool growers are there in America?

I don't know, but they will find a show on NPR that speaks to them.



I'm sure they will Juan. That's all the time we have today. For Juan Williams, I'm Britt Hume, so long.

What about me?

Shut up Bill!

A day without children is like...

Is like, a freaking vacation!

Please don't take this the wrong way, or take it however you wish, but I love our children. Really. I know at times they seem to have been placed into my life by the Lord to teach me patience and sacrifice, other times to test my sanity and humility. Taken as a whole, I think I will keep them, they are almost fully housebroken.

This morning while our daughter had spent the night with a friend and our son headed out the door to work with his Grandmother, I finished my coffee and looked at my wife. What are we going to do today?

Like most Saturday mornings we did not have any plans, but this is not like most Saturdays. We get to make the decision as to what we do, when we do it and how late to stay out. Unencumbered by the two miniature dictators who run our household with a somewhat less that benevolent reign, we have decided to visit our friends who are having a picnic gathering up the valley and then we are going on a date to see a movie. Lucky Number Slevin is our pick and the review will be up soon.

Tomorrow the children will be back jumping on our bed on Sunday morning and we will be back to normal. Normal is perfectly fine with me, I love those morning too.

Angewestly, heads we raise taxes, tails we raise taxes.

Dear California, you are a Blue state. You may have a Governor that tends to puff out his red plumage every once in a while, but he is far from a Red state stalwart. You may want to take a look at the two democrats running for Arnold's job.

Steve Westly and Phil Angelides are both liberal democrats. If you want them, you will get them. If you get them, your taxes be increased and the public debt will balloon out of control. Don't be fooled at the 'close the loopholes and make government work more efficiently' line when asked how they will raise the billions in extra spending their amigos in the democratically controlled legislature send to them every year. They are close to sending a 34 billion dollar bill to our children right now. That money will have to be paid back. But have no fear, the democrats know how to close the gaps in the budget. Phil?

Angelides sees no problem in putting his own $2 billion-plus tax increase on top of the Prop. 82 increase.

"The wealthiest Californians have received $17 billion in tax breaks in recent years,'' Angelides said. "Even with the passage of Prop. 82 there's plenty of room to find rollbacks ... it's a pittance.''

Steve?

The preschool initiative is the one exception to Westly's "taxes as a last resort" pledge, his spokesman said.

Last resort? Sure Steve.

The way to raise the money the State needs is to make the rich 'pay their fair share'. Ok, then what?

What will they do when the legislature spends even more money the next year, since we are now soaking, I mean making the rich pay their fair share? In two years, the tax revenue paid by the rich will start to trend downward. They rich will move, or at least move their official residence to a place without state tax, like Florida. They may live hear most of the time, but as far as the Franchise Tax Board is concerned, they just have a rental property in the Golden State.

The Business owners without that option will do what they always do when taxes cut into the bottom line, write a few pink slips. Labor, that means people with jobs, are the most costly item on the books, so the a few hundred thousand Californians will head to the unemployment line. Back to Westelides or Angewestly, which ever you prefer.

If they are elected, wait until the second year of their term. The first year they will cook the books by moving money around to make you think they have the budget under control, but the bill will come do in that second year. That is when they will call for an across the board tax increase, but just back to where the were a few years ago, that fair right? Everyone needs to help out the schools and the teachers right? Right.

With democrats in control of the legislature and the Governors office, the spending and union contracts will keep rising at a double digit rate. The third year will bring a collection call from all those spending programs. Tax, spend, tax, spend,,,, CRASH. Woops.

Californians will ask how did we get 30 billion dollars in the hole again?

Afghanistan's version of the Hell's Angels

When you live in a rocky mountainous complex of camps and caves, riding donkeys to and from ambushes is too slow, a Toyota truck is too hard to conceal and running back to your cave is exhausting. Enter the Honda 125cc dirt bike. Ridden by thousands of fun seeking kids, the Honda 125 is fast becoming the Humvee of the Taliban.

Motorcycles have become an emblem of swift and effective attacks that the Taliban have mounted since their regime was ousted in 2001. In 2002 the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, was reported to have fled from coalition forces on a motorcycle. A former Taliban commander, Mullah Abdul Salam Rocketi, was given his sobriquet for his ability to shoot down helicopters with shoulder-fired rockets while riding pillion on motorcycles. It was reported in 2003 that a Taliban army was mobilising in Pakistan after buying 1,150 motorcycles.

A week of sunshine?

This morning I woke up round 5:30 and contemplated getting up to hide the colored Easter eggs for my daughter, but it was cold, so I stayed in bed and waited for my wife to get up to hide the eggs. Its not that I am lazy, well that may have played a part in it, but the main reason is I did not want to get caught by my daughter and ruin the idea of the Easter Bunny for her. I can only imagine the years of therapy my daughter would need if she caught me in my sweat pants and fuzzy slippers hiding eggs.

I put on the coffee and watched the news for a while. The man on the TV said that we were in for a week of sunshine. After six weeks of almost steady rain, a week of sunshine and 70 degrees is almost too good to be true. I may even get the Jeep out this week and blow the cobwebs off it. It may be a little cold in the morning for open air driving, but nothing beats the warmth of the sun on your face and the wind blowing through your hair. My wife would add that I won't have that problem much longer. I usually take her little digs about my thinning hair with a chuckle, it makes her feel better about having to get up and hide eggs while I sleep.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

Broken Strings and toe nails.

Teenage sons. Why is it that guitarists around the planet can play for months and even years with the same strings and my son breaks one a month?

He seems to have the teenage wisdom that louder is always better. I wonder if I made him clean my toenails or wash the cats every time he broke a string, if that would cure the problem. I have to pay for replacing them, they are sold in sets so if you know anyone who would like three sets of new strings for an electric guitar, minus the #9 E string, let me know.

Tonight he has just announced he broke the string on my acoustic guitar. I think the toenail thing is now in play.

Veterans For Freedom.

For those of you who did not get the chance hear Hugh Hewitt's interview with Wade Zirkle from Veterans for Freedom, please take a look at the VFF website. Here is a guy who had enough of politicians and news media spinning and looking for defeat at every corner and decided to tell the truth. The real story from the pointy end of the stick, or 'the trigger pullers' as he Wade says. He is not pro-republican or anti-democrat, he is telling the story of the thousands of foot soldiers who know the real tangible progress we have made and continue to make in Iraq.

Hugh made the point loud and clear today on his show, everyone who says they support the troops, should support the Veterans for Freedom, financially or by linking them when ever possible.

This group is why the new media exists, if you want to write about the troops in the GWOT and pick a few examples to show how demoralized our soldiers are, there is a group out there who can say, what about us? Why don’t you interview our guys, we just got back, we have been injured for our Nation and seen our friends killed, we still think we are doing great things in Iraq and Afghanistan, what about us?

You cannot trust the Democrats with our security.

It seems that the left, especially the fever-swamp left, suffer from such myopia they cannot see the double standard they set because of their hatred for the President. To be a member of the progressive swampers, you must pass a simple test. You must believe the following.

George W Bush, because he is a conservative Christian, doesn't care if he brings about Armageddon, he wants to meet Jesus anyway.

The left does not however, believe Iran's President Ahmadinejad when he says he wants to actively bring about chaos to hasten the return of the Mahdi or 12th Imam to usher in the global Islamic republic. Chaos equals Armageddon folks.

The left believes George W Bush's lack of pre war planning and preparation has caused a quagmire in Iraq that we will never extract ourselves from. Just read anything by Paul Krugman.

They also react with shock when plans that may include a tactical nuclear bunker busters are considered to stop Iran from attaining a working nuclear weapon.

The left does believe Ahmadinejad when he says that the uranium they are enriching will be used for a domestic energy program. Iran sits on one of the worlds richest oil fields on the planet.

finally, to get your lapel pin and secret Charlie Sheen ground zero decoder ring, you still must believe the war in Iraq is still about taking their oil.


So lets look forward to the winter of 2007 with Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House of representatives. (sounds of fast forwarding to the future)

Articles of Impeachment have been filed and they await action from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

On a strict party line vote, a resolution for the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq is passed and sent to the President. (with a little backdoor deal, sign it and we will waive impeachment)

Iran tests its first nuclear bomb. Arab crowds throughout the middle East celebrate, screaming nuke Israel, nuke the Jews!

Iran's President claims to have an EMP warhead mated to a mobile Shahab 4 missile bought from North Korea. He states that any interference from the West when Iran wipes the Jews from the face of earth will be met with an EMP exploded over the US causing a total failure of the electrical, transportation and communications infrastructure.

Pelosi and Reid hold a news conference to strongly denounce the Iranian President and ask that the issue be referred to the UN's Security Council for resolution.

(sound of flashback ending)

AAAHHHHH!
What a nightmare.

Chicks just don't get surround sound.

At the risk of sounding like a sexist pig (oink, oink) I would like to point out that my wife, like most women, don't appreciate the subtle advantages of 7.1 surround sound home theater. As guys, we know there is no better feeling than the sub-woofer blowing your hair back while watching a NASCAR race, or feeling the cannons thunder watching Gettysburg.

My wife looks at me hooking these components together like a research scientist looks at a caged primate trying to put a round peg in a square hole. She shakes her head and goes about her business confident in the fact that men are idiots and she married their king.

She may be right.

Dear Senator Frist; Stop running for President.

I would like to follow around Senator Bill Frist for a week to hang around his staffers and advisors. I want to know what parallel universe they live in. In that universe the American public must want an open border and blanket amnesty for anyone who can walk, crawl, fly or swim to our soil. I can only conclude that the problem lies with Mr. Frist's egotistical delusion that he can become our next President. The thought of putting up his wingtips on the desk in the oval office must be driving the Senate majority leader into the mistaken belief that a compromise deal with Teddy Kennedy is what red state voters want.

Frist is without a doubt a hard working, cordial man . While these traits may be admirable in a politician, he lacks one critical component to be effective leader. Courage.

Many would say that Mr. Frists needs to 'grow a pair', but I think that may be off the mark. Anyone can be an aggressive, outspoken ideologue, see Howard Dean and Dick Durbin. Political courage is not siding with your opponent against your base. It is much easier to go back your base and ask for forgiveness, they like you. The courage I speak of is the kind that enables you to look into someone's eyes and ask "are you out of your cotton pickin mind? The American people did not send me here to do this".

There may be another explanation. I wonder if there are still lead pipes in the plumbing in the Senate? That would explain a lot. There is evidence of lead poisoning in Roman emperors, it lead to insanity. There could be a correlation, the longer you serve in the Senate the further removed from reality you become.

So I guess I have three possible souces for the Senate's compromise deal on immigration. One being the parallel universe theory, the second is Presidential ambitions and the third is lead in the drinking water.

I'll take door number two Bob. What did I win?
Amnesty and an imaginary fence. Lets try again folks.

An open letter to Hezbollah

Michael Totten tells Hussein Naboulsi how the cow ate the cabbage.

What do you people expect? It's one thing when you trot out your impotent Death to America slogans. It's another thing altogether when you threaten and bully us personally. I'm not a wire agency reporter. When you talk to me you're on the record. When you say

'We know who you are, we read everything you write, and we know where you live," you're on the record. Of course I'm going to quote you. If you don't want to look like an a**hole in print, don't act like an a**hole in life.

Some journalists may cave under that kind of pressure. I almost did myself until my Lebanese friends - who know you much better than I ever will - reminded me that you guys like to puff up your chests to make yourselves look bigger and scarier than you actually are.

I wonder if he gets nervous when he starts his car in the morning?
I doubt it.

My wife came in to see what I was laughing about.

Wazzadem makes me laugh every week. This is Carl Cameron after his interview with Cynthia McKinney of Georgia...Here is the whole piece.

NBCs Dateline, trolling for bigots.

Little Green Footballs has a post on NBC recruiting Muslim men to wear hidden cameras while attending a NASCAR race.

I have been talking with a producer of the NBC Dateline show and he is in the process of filming a piece on anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discrimination in the USA. They are looking for some Muslim male candidates for their show who would be willing to go to non-Muslim gatherings and see if they attract any discriminatory comments or actions while being filmed.

They recently taped two turbaned Sikh men attending a football game in Arizona to see how people would treat them. They set them up with hidden microphones and cameras, etc.

They want to do the same thing 2 or 3 other times (in various parts of the USA) with one or two Muslim men in each setting. They are looking for men who actually “look Muslim”. They want a guy with no foreign accent whatsoever, a good thick beard, an outgoing personality, and someone willing to wear a kufi/skullcap during the filming.

They also want someone who is fairly well accomplished and has contributed to American society at large in some meaningful way.

I would love to recruit some Manhattan elites to wear hidden cameras and attend a few dinner parties to record the bigotry and hatred of Republicans from members of the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and the big three networks. That would be eye opening.

Yes, I have been to a NASCAR race. The group I went with were mostly professional people with more disposable income than I will ever have, but NASCAR draws all types. Finding a drunken redneck at a NASCAR race isn't to hard, but so what? That redneck is not writing or producing the news most of American watches. The real danger to our nation is not Bubba, its Katie Couric becoming the next evening news anchor at CBS.

I'll see your drunk redneck and raise you a liberal dimwit.

Seattle on Cache Creek?

Is it Spring yet? I know the calendar claims that it is, in fact Springtime, but calendars are mischievous things not to be trusted. We are more that 5 inches above the average rainfall with yet another week of storms lining up in the Pacific like cars in the drive-thru at Sonic. This kind of weather can effect us in strange ways. Most people seem to be overcome with a gloom that surrounds them and follows them through their day. It can make the most outgoing of us withdraw just a little, our once easy smile seems a bit forced.

I drove down to San Francisco today and went through a downpour that must have dropped 2 inches of rain in an hour. At my house, the front lawn has taken on the form of a giant green sponge. The back yard is littered in palm frawns and small branches from the eucalyptus tree. My wife's border collie seems to get great joy in dragging them around and making more of a mess, but hey, its the back yard and you can't see it from the road. I will wait for a long break in the weather before I gather the courage to venture out there.

The farmers are in a quandary. The rain means more water in Clear Lake and Indian Valley reservoir so irrigation water will be plentiful this year. The late spring also means a farmer with an early tomato contract in heap big trouble. Seed that should have been planted long ago is sitting in the shop and planting with seedlings could be the only (and much more expensive) option.

For those of us with horses, it is getting very expensive to buy hay right now. Most hay growers cut their first crop in April, in a dry year as early as March, this year it looks like the first cutting will be hitting the barns in May. Most horse people don't buy the first cutting because of the possibility if noxious weeds, so we could wait until late May before we start seeing lower prices . However, if you are a hay grower with a barn full of alfalfa right now, you can name your price, and we have to pay it. Supply and demand at work.

I have 6,000 feet of fence to put in this spring and while I am not exactly eager to start, I would like to have the fences done so I can bring home more horses. But what are you going to do? Protest?

Maybe I should take a day off and head down to the National Weather Service office and protest the excessive amount of rain. They are the government agency in charge of these things right? What about FEMA or NOAA, certainly someone is to blame and I have my rights.
Maybe I can litigate this...

Naw, I'll just get back to reading my book and getting the kids ready for bed. I told you this rain makes people grumpy.

Suffering from a moral imbecility.

A great piecee by Ian Robinson on the peace activists in Iraq. Read the whole story.

"As peacemakers who hold firm to our commitment to non-violence, we are also deeply grateful that they fired no shots to free our colleagues," their press release said.

What would the hostages have done if shots had been fired? Voluntarily returned to captivity?

If ever a group wasn't worth the effort and risk to free them, it's these guys.

NOTE TO CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKER TEAMS: For the love of the God you claim to follow, hire a public relations consultant.

Otherwise, the next freed hostage of yours might turn up and say what James Loney did, that: "After this, I'm going to disappear for a little while into a different kind of abyss -- an abyss of love."

An abyss of love. Loney, you silver-tongued devil, you

I wonder if the murdered American in that group would have supported the use of force to keep himself from being tortured, shot and dumped in the street?

I'll bet if you gave him an option he would have traded all the kidnappers lives for his. Self preservation is a very powerful instinct.

Mexican flags and Communist thugs celebrated in Woodland

My son and were driving home from Woodland today around 1 pm when a Woodland Joint Unified School District bus went by. Hanging halfway outside the bus were about ten students waving several Mexican flags and a 3 foot by 5 foot bright red banner with Che Guevara on it. How wonderful.

I followed the bus for a little while and it seemed to be cruising in a circle around Woodland. I wish I had written the bus number down to see if I could get an explanation from the WJUSC on why the district would allow a tax payer bus and union driver to cruise around town to support a foreign government and a dead Cuban Communist.

I saw close to 100 students in small groups today marching I guess in support of Ceasar Chavez, or in opposition to proposed legislation to curb illegal immigration. Most carried Mexican flags, I never once saw an American flag. It made me a little angry at the ingratitude shown by the students. I wonder how many would like to go back and live in the old country to see what life is like in the country whose flag they carry? Not many I would guess.

What Che has to do with it I don't know, they probably saw his picture hanging adoringly in one of their social studies classes.

Voter Fraud Crackdown

Thank you Bruce McPherson.

It seems that many new voter registration forms are being returned to the Counties where they originated because they don't include the required information. Information such as drivers license numbers and social security numbers. Now do you understand why 'One Bill Gill' want so desperately to get drivers licenses into the hands of illegal aliens? It is not his concern for their ability to acquire car insurance, that's for sure.

More than 25 percent of the new registration forms sent to the state since Jan. 1 have been returned to the counties, most because they lack the driver's license, state identification or Social Security numbers now required by federal law.

"It's part of the new validation requirements that are pretty stringent,'' said David Tom, election manager for San Mateo County. "Any information that doesn't match exactly gets rejected.''

In San Mateo County, more than a third of the registrations turned in to the state since the first of the year have been rejected. The number is even higher in sprawling Los Angeles County, where 43 percent of the registrations this year have been sent back to the county.

That must be why Los Angeles County has so many problems with registration, its sprawling. Could it be the high percentage of illegal aliens? Hmm.

News from Hamasistan

Just so they are not confused with the sane human beings, at their swearing in, Hamas sings one of their golden oldies.

Were gonna keep killin Jews til they aint none left, if we all have to die to do it.

Chanting "God is Greatest" after the vote, Hamas parliamentarians hugged and kissed Ismail Haniya, their prime minister-designate, who vowed not to abandon the fight against Israel. One Hamas MP, Hamed Bitawi, said: "The Quran is our constitution, jihad is our way, and death for the sake of God is our highest aspiration."

Its hard to dance to and just plain crazy to boot, but the left will keep buying their music.

Mike Wallace to interview Iran's President?

Not be outdone by the now disgraced Dan Rather's interview of Saddam, Mike Wallace says he is close to obtaining an interview with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This should be classic.

Wallace interviewed the late Ayatollah Khomeini after the overthrow of the Shaw in 1979. I remember his questioning of the old head Nutter in Iran, he was trying to ask why people thought Khomeini was crazy without getting taken out back and shot in the head. Wallace may be old school liberal, but the guy has guts. I wonder if he will ask Ahmadinejad the same question?

"President Ahmadinejad, there are many people in America and throughout the world who think you are, forgive me Mr. President, an Islamic nutjob of the first order, how do you respond to that?"

"Well Mike, sticks and stones may break my bones, BUT THE STREETS WILL RUN RED WITH THE BLOOD OF THE INFIDELS!"

Good luck Mike, good luck.

Six questions to ask before Congress passes anything.

Real Clear Politics has a story that asks great questions about what government should and shouldn't do. Edwin Feulner is president of the Heritage Foundation.

Here are six simple questions our politicians - and the people who elect them - should raise when considering any proposed government action:

1. Is it the government's business? Federal power should be brought to bear only on those things that cannot be handled more efficiently by a state, a community or an individual.

2. Does it promote self-reliance? Too many government programs punish individual initiative. Some even create a permanent underclass of dependents.

3. Is it responsible? Too many policy-makers treat the federal treasury as a bottomless well of cash. It isn't. Washington's unfunded promises must be paid eventually. Where will the money come from?

4. Does it make America more prosperous? Politicians brag about "bringing home the bacon." But all the pork projects and open-ended entitlements actually sap America's prosperity.

5. Does it make us safer? Congress requires nearly 40 percent of federal anti-terrorism spending be divided equally among the states. Is the terrorist threat really as great in Montana as in California or New York? Government's first order of business is to protect the homeland, not "spread the pork."

6. Does it unify us? Our country grows stronger through addition and multiplication, not subtraction and division. Government policies should encourage patriotism, American values and a common language to foster a unified national identity.

Hollywood responds to The Passion and Narnia

The Da Vinci Code will be the flagship of secular Hollywood's response to Christian themed films. It is sure to be a box office smash this summer. It looks to be an entertaining movie, but many movie goers without a understanding of the Bible or its historical background may come away believing the Da Vinci Code is based on Historical fact and not what it is, a work of fiction. I wonder if Hollywood would have embraced the story if it was a not so subtle attack on Islam instead of Christianity? They wouldn't have touched the story with an eleven foot pole. The eleven foot pole is used when you won't touch something with a ten foot pole. I am still waiting for the gay Muslim cleric move 'Brokeback Mosque' to be released. No takers?

How many people watched the Nicholas Cage movie 'National Treasure' and came away thinking there is a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence? Not many I would hope. Dan Brown, the author of the book The Da Vinci Code is hoping that with a little slight of hand, some Hollywood backing and used car salemanship he can convince Joe and Jane America that Jesus was just a regular married guy who was made into the Messiah by the Emperor Constantine.

For an more information by a New Testament scholar and a great blogger check out Mark D Roberts and the series on the Da Vinci Code.

Yet another reason to be thankful...

Thankful that my church does not have a message sign out front that is..

.

WazzaDem keeps me rolling.

BTW, the term 'pwn3d' is urban slang for owned or being beaten badly at something. I had to look it up.

Hindsight?

While the left keeps throwing out no WMDs in every piece they write, lets look back at some of their predictions to see how right they were about Iraq.
A great post at Gateway Pundits tells it all.

Republicans will loose in the midterms, and deservedly so.

I must state up front that I am not easily angered. I am also pragmatic and I truly want what is best for our country (you can hear the but coming right?)BUT what in the wide, wide world of sports is going on with the Republicans in Washington? I know that the war is the most important issue we face and if you are a strong supporter, you get cut a little slack when it comes to spending, but this is ridiculous. I did not vote for a 45% increase in the size of the Federal Government. Did I miss that TV add by the RNC? Vote for us and we will outspend the democrats!

Just hours after opening a new line of credit through an increase in the federal debt limit, the Senate splurged on a bevy of popular programs before approving a spending plan that was as much a political document as an economic one, its fine print geared to the coming elections.

Forced to choose between calls for renewed austerity and demands for more money, many Republicans joined Democrats in reaching deeper into the Treasury, leaving the party's push for new fiscal restraint in tatters.

I understand that we are fighting a war, and that cost money. Protecting the homeland cost money, I get that. Katrina relief? Ok, but since when did the federal government pay to rebuild an area the size of the gulf coast by opening the national treasury before they knew how much damage should be passed along to the tax payer? Where are the fiscal conservatives who have the guts to ask 'where the hell is all this money going and how can we do a better job using less?' The Republicans have learned from the democrats, you can stay in power if you bring home the pork to your district. If my constituents care about an issue, I will vote to increase spending whether it makes a difference or not, it shows I care.

Republicans have fallen into the democratic trap. If they don't vote for more spending, the democrats will use that to say they don't care. Is there no courage left in DC? I may not be campaign strategist, but I have a response to that line attack; "I did not come to Washington DC to bribe my constituents with their children's and grandchildren's money"

I fear the real damage will come home when the conservatives say 'enough' and stay home on election day. The big wall of monitors behind Wolf Blitzer will turn from red to blue and Republicans will wonder how we lost control of Congress at such a critical time in our history. Oh and as an added bonus the last two years of the Bush administration will be spent on impeachment instead of the war against radical Islam.

I hope I am wrong, but as they say, hope is not a plan.

I'll do it, you know I will!

"The Republicans are kicking my a$ raising money you people!
What do I have to do to get you off duff and write a check?

DNC Chairman Howard Dean turn to a new tactic to raise money at a PETA meeting.

Hat tip to Lucainne.
(Ok, its in bad taste, but its still funny.)

You know that high speed wobble just before the wheels fall off?

Rob Reiner knows the feeling.
The Folks over at California Republican Assembly have the FIREREINER.COM site up and running. Sign the petition to oust meathead.

Democrats take Feinold snipe hunting.

The best thing about the Democrats in Washington is they never fail to pander to the fever-swamp left. Just when the President is at a low point in the polls the fever-swamp thinks the time is right for bring up impeachment or censure or some other silly stunt to 'take back our nation'. Thank goodness for Russ Feingold and John Murtha. If I were advising the DNC, I would say when your opponent is flailing in water and just about ready to go under, go have a sandwich. You do not jump in next to him to point out he is drowning.

"If the Democratic Party is going to be attacking the president in a time of war, then we are ready to vote and let's see what the Democratic Party says,"Frist told reporters right after the floor skirmish.

When will the left learn? Ok, I take that back, they will never learn, their hatred of Bush makes reason and logic foreign concepts. The Senate leadership knows th censure vote will give the President a boost and give more ammo to the GOP in the fall. Cut, run and obstruct is not a platform to win back the Congress. Please Senator Frist, make the Democrats vote censure, let them show the nation who they are and what they stand for.

"The terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent attacks. It has protected American lives. And it remains essential to the safety and security of the United States of America. Yet instead of acknowledging the urgent need to track enemy communications in wartime, some Democrats in Congress have decided that the President is the enemy.

Dick Cheney is going to beat the Democrats like a bongo drum if they vote for this.

We don't carry books by fascists

A study in hypocrisy by the bay.

A friend of mine took his daughter to visit the famous City Lights in San Francisco, explaining that this store is important because years ago it sold books no other store would - even, perhaps especially, books whose ideas many people found offensive. So, though my friend is no Ward Churchill fan, he didn't really mind the prominent display of books by the guy who famously called 9/11 victims "little Eichmanns."

But it did occur to him that perhaps the long-delayed English translation of Oriana Fallaci's new book, "The Force of Reason," might finally be available, and that, because Fallaci's militant stance against Islamic militants offends so many people a store committed to selling banned books would be the perfect place to buy it. So he asked a clerk if the new Fallaci book was in yet.

"No," snapped the clerk. "We don't carry books by fascists."

Just savor the absurd details of this for a minute....

"You're welcome to buy her book elsewhere, though," my friend was told helpfully when he visited. "Let's just say we don't have room for her here."

OK, let's just say that. But let's also say that one of the great paradoxes of our time is that two groups most endangered by political Islam, gays and women, somehow still find ways to defend it.

Class dismissed, for your homework, please read the piece on Dr. Wafa Sultan, a Muslim woman who is fed up with the violence and the murder in the name of Islam. She should be the poster child for feminism, a courageous woman who is against violence and wants basic human rights for all women. She should be at Yale speaking out against the tyranny and abuse of the Taliban and Al Qaida. Instead she is trying to stay alive.

Higher education = higher hypocrisy

Every so often I read the lefty blogs and listen NPR or if I am sitting directly under the broadcast tower, I can even tune into Air America's 1,000 watt flamethowing station. Why? I want to know what the left thinks. I want to know what their talking points are so I can pick them out in the MSM and know where they came from.

It would be easy to get upset at the emotional reactions and outbursts of rage and hatred that make up a good portion of the left's media products. I choose to laugh at their rage.

One of the left's most sacred cows is diversity. They hold up diversity as a paramount virtue, unequaled, with the possible exception of personal freedom. Taken at their word, it would seem that our colleges and universities would be a place where all points of view are given the same amount of attention and scrutiny. One would reach that conclusion by listening to the academic elites drone on about how they seek to understand all points of view and celebrate our diverse cultures and values. One would be wrong.

The most current example of the failure in the quest to achieve diversity is found at Yale University in the form of the Taliban spokesman Ramatullah Hashemi, he was given a 40% reduction in tuition fees to attend this prestigious school. Of the thousands of bright and highly achieved students that applied for admission to Yale, it is astonishing that a man with a fourth grade education and admitted ties to a brutal terrorists regime was granted admission. As one alumni of Yale wrote to the university president;

I am a proud alumnae of Yale, and a committed donor and volunteer to the University. It pains me to say that I think, this time, my beloved alma mater screwed up.

Yale admitted Sayeed Rahmatullah Hashemi to Yale, first through its special students program for one semester, and then as a full time student. Was it his 4th grade education that impressed the admissions office the most? Or his high school equivalency degree? Nope--he was admitted because Yalies could apparently "learn" from his experiences as the Taliban's ambassador-at-large.

Yup--the Taliban. You know that group that forced/forces women to wear the burqua? That would publicly execute women in the soccer stadium of Kabul for "sins" like going to the doctor, or walking down
the street, or, god forbid, for wearing nail polish? One of the most violent and intolerant regimes the world has known?

Yeah, that Taliban. And Hashemi should be familiar to you too. If you didn't catch him live on his Taliban World Tour, an excerpt of one of his speeches was in Fahrenheit 9-11. He's the guy who, when a woman in the audience said he should be ashamed for making women wear the burqua, said that "I'm really sorry for your husband. He must have a very difficult time with you." And Hashemi, to this day, is largely unrepentant of the Taliban's policies.

I give Yale and the rest of academia credit for half the battle, they will give a microphone to anyone and set a lectern in front of them to state the most offensive opinions they can find, but only if those opinions run contrary to conservative and dare I say it, traditional American values.

Where are the conservative professors in those Ivy covered halls? Where are the Christian faculty members debating the secular faculty? How can you talk about diversity when your offices are filled from one side of the national and international culture? Where are the Eastern European professors who suffered religious persecution from the Communists? Those who know what a failure communism is because they lived through the brutal reality of it? Do you know where they are? They are kept in the shadows. They are kept in check by the radicals in the student body and more alarmingly, the faculty. If they get too loud, or challenge the liberal status quo, they pay a heavy price of public ridicule and being ostracized by the their peers.

Ask Harvard President Lawrence Summers, who had to resign because he dared to ask a question. Is there a genetic reason why women are do not go into the math and sciences field. Just a question, one that came from an absolute fact, women do not do as well in these fields statistically, is there a reason in how our brains are wired? In stead of refuting the question with substance and research, the radical feminists did what they do best, the went nuts. Don't get too close to our sacred cow, don't even look at it, it may be paper mache, but its a fine looking paper mache cow, don't mess with it. Very mature ladies.

When the academic left attacks Christianity, they say they are looking at the facts and we need to be open to scrutiny or they call us religious zealots. These same people drip with venom when their liberal views are confronted and challenged. Their ideals can only exist in the world of academia, protected from reality, protected from open an honest debate and protected by the diversity police who will attack and slay any foe who dares to point out that you cannot have diversity when you exclude one side from the discussion.

Polls got you down? Relax.

Hat tip to ABP. They have debunked the last few bogus polls using the demographics the pollsters use to show the results for what they are, meaningless. If I took at poll at the Yolo County Republican dinner asking the same questions would my results be scientific? No. Neither are Zogby and AP.

Wrong Track - 67%/Right Track - 30%

Bush Approval Rating - 60% Disapprove/37% Approve

Who Do You Want To Control Congress - 47% - Democrats/36%- Republicans

Sounds bad, huh? Well, as we've said before you (and the GOP leaders) shouldn't use these polls as any kind of indicator as to what could happen in 2006, which is certainly how the MSM will spin it.

But here's what you won't see in the news stories. - the demography of the poll respondents

First, only 79% of respondents were even eligible to vote, and there's no indication of how many of them actually went to the polls in 2004, and the turnout among registered voters who turned out in 2004 was only about 65-70%. So it's very possible that a whopping 45% of the respondents to this poll didn't even vote in the 2004 Presidential election, which means it's highly unlikely they'll turn out for a mid-term election.

I am sure that Tim Russert and the weekend pundits will have this poll front and center. Fake but true. Yet another reason the MSM is becoming antiquated as we speak, I mean type.

Yolo County Republican Party Dinner

I had a wonderful time last night at the Heidrick Center, home of the YCRP's Lincoln Dinner. The speakers were great, dinner was very good and the company was simply outstanding. The headline speaker was our own Secretary of State, Bruce McPherson. Other speakers included, Tony Strickland, candidate for Controller, Keith Richmond, candidate for Treasurer as well as two local Republicans, John Jones running against "Baghdad Mike" Thompson and John Gould Candidate for the 8th District. Doug LaMalfa was also a speaker.

This was my first such dinner and it was a great time. My thanks to YCRP Chair Mark Pruner, Doug Young, Kirby Wells, and all the folks at YCPR Central Committee for putting on an outstanding event.

Jon Stewart, the Bodie Miller of the Oscars

Jon Stewart looses a bit of his humor when he is not taping a live show in front of a group giggling stoners from NYU. His opening monologue fell flat among Hollywood's power elite.
The highlight of the evening was George Clooney explaining to us regular people why the folks in Hollywood are morally superior. How refreshing to know that we need only follow Hollywood's lead to become truly good people. Maybe if had a $3,000 a week coke habit, a few plastic surgeries and was working on my fourth marriage, I could fit in. Probably not.

Sorry George, maybe us regular people are too busy serving on school committees or working with different ministries at our churches or even taking care of our parents to attend a $2,000 a plate AIDS dinner, or Cindy Sheehan rally.

The biggest surprise of the night has to be Crash winning best picture. What happened to Brokeback Mountain? Winning best director took some of the sting out of loosing Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

A big thumbs up for Reese Witherspoon winning Best Actress for Walk the Line.

Now good night and good luck all.

A suicide car bomber without the bomb.

I can't wait for the sob story behind the poor tortured soul that lead this Muslim terrorist to smash his rented SUV into a crowd of students at the University of North Carolina.

Taheri-azar, a native of Iran, told investigators he wanted to "avenge the deaths or murders of Muslims around the world."

The MSM will start with interviews of his professors and friends, all saying how shocked they are that Taheri would ever do anything like this. He was just another 'peaceful Muslim', driven to action by the tyranny of George W Bush. Oh, and Dick Cheney too.

My description of Taheri-azar as a Muslim Terrorist may seen extreme to some of you, if you are upset, too damn bad. He is what he is, a terrorist without working knowledge of, or access to explosives. Can you imagine the carnage if he knew enough to fill the SUV with a fertilizer/diesel fuel bomb? Dozens killed, hundreds injured? I hope they put Taheri in prison for life, I also hope there a few Tarheel fans in that prison.

Class is in session, take your seats.

I was driving home today listening to the audio of the tenth grade teacher from Colorado rattling on about how we are same as the Taliban or Al Qaida, we kill people, they kill people, we are no better, they are no worse. It just depends on where you call home. What a load of Bravo Sierra.

"It's our job to conquer the world and make sure they live just like we want them to," Bennish can apparently be heard saying on the tape. "Now I'm not saying that Bush and Hitler are exactly the same, obviously they're not, OK. But (there are) eerie similarities to the tones that they use."

My question is, how many more teachers are filling our kids minds with this kind of left wing coffee house crap? I will bet you lunch at the Burger Barn in Esparto that he is just the tip of the glacier.

This must be a real power trip for people like Jay Bennish, they get to spew all their reasons to ridicule America and get little or no push back to their outrageous statements. It must make you feel like a real man to tell children that America sucks, as he breaks their little bubble of patriotism and fills it with self loathing and doubt. I wonder if he goes home each night and checks Moveon or Kos to make sure he is up to date on the latest reasons why we should hate our nation.

If Mr. Bennish wants to sit behind a desk and rail against our nation, he should apply for a position in the Ethnic Studies department at the University of Colorado. He can chat it up with Ward Churchill.

I am seriously thinking about becoming a teacher. Someone has to teach our children useful information. How to read, write and become proficient in mathematics would be a start. When the children are caught up in those basics, they may should take a few other classes. My classes would be a semester long and have a two part grade structure, attendance and a written final. Here is the Yolo Cowboy curriculum for Junior High and above.

Jobs; How do you get a good one, and how you can get stuck in a bad one?
Logic and Reasoning; A dog will only put his nose on a hot stove once, why are you so dense?
American History; How did we get here? And why did we leave the Old World?
World Civics; Democratic Capitalism is not perfect, but it kicks the crap out of all other forms of government.
Life Lessons; Why some people are mean and why you need to strive toward excellence.
Manners; Why you open doors for women and how to loose a friend by lying.


Those are just off the top of my head, what class would you teach if given the opportunity?

Where is my chocolate horse?

Ray Naigin rides again.

I get all this Mardi Gras stuff confused, what day is 'dress like a South American dictator day?'

Never again. well, maybe just one more time..

Mark Steyn reports that as Europe grows more Muslim, not to surprisingly, anti-Semitism is on the rise.

In five years' time, how many Jews will be living in France? Two years ago, a 23-year-old Paris disc jockey called Sebastien Selam was heading off to work from his parents' apartment when he was jumped in the parking garage by his Muslim neighbor Adel. Selam's throat was slit twice, to the point of near-decapitation; his face was ripped off with a fork; and his eyes were gouged out. Adel climbed the stairs of the apartment house dripping blood and yelling, "I have killed my Jew. I will go to heaven."

Is that an gripping story? You'd think so. Particularly when, in the same city, on the same night, a Jewish woman was brutally murdered in the presence of her daughter by another Muslim. You've got the making of a mini-trend there, and the media love trends.

Yet no major French newspaper carried the story.

This month, there was another murder. Ilan Halimi, also 23, also Jewish, was found by a railway track outside Paris with burns and knife wounds all over his body. He died en route to the hospital, having been held prisoner, hooded and naked, and brutally tortured for almost three weeks by a gang that had demanded half a million dollars from his family. Can you take a wild guess at the particular identity of the gang? During the ransom phone calls, his uncle reported that they were made to listen to Ilan's screams as he was being burned while his torturers read out verses from the Quran.

This time around, the French media did carry the story, yet every public official insisted there was no anti-Jewish element. Just one of those things. Coulda happened to anyone.

I have never lived in a city with a large Jewish community. I have worked for and with a handful of Jews, and I cannot for the life of me figure out what the hostility is all about. My friend Bill was a bit strange, but then again, who am I to talk about strange.

Someone help me out. What danger do Jews represent? Why should I despise them? Why is it OK to kill them? Anyone?