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Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Illegal Immigration



Thanks to a problem with Blogger, and a very late start, my post for yesterday didn't make it to the web. Where is it? I dunno. Probably alongside about three hundred unmatched socks.
Update:I found the missing here.

Commentary

Are we going to reward people for breaking the law, just because there are a lot of them and they contribute to the economy?
What if our forefathers had had that attitude about slavery?
Oh, wait. They did do that, didn't they? The issue was too difficut to deal with, and their descendants paid the price in blood to free their brothers.

We need to face the problem of illegal immigration now, or pay the problem with interest, later.

I think our problem, and that of the illegals, is Mexico.
The Mexican economy is a basketcase. Corruption is rampant... Their whole country resembles life inside the beltway of Washington, DC.

I say if they can't solve their own problems, and those problems spill over our borders, then perhaps it is time to look at solving their problems for them. We need to consider putting boots on the ground inside Mexico.
NAFTA has increased the problem. Our factories have gone south for lower taxes, lower costs, and lower wages. This has fueled the Mexican hope for a better future. They see more money across the border in America. Why work for slave wages in Mexico when you can get twice, thrice, or more in America?
I can't blame them, really. I blame the morons in Washington for allowing this lawlessness to continue. I hope we don't inherit the whirlwind.

Call, Write, Email your Elected Critters. If you live in WNC, you can find them on my sidebar. If you're not worked up enough to look up the contact info, then you don't understand the danger we are all in, or soon will be.

Here is a link I found interesting.

It is now time for me to eat my breakfast and go to work.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Shuler update for March '006



I received an update from The Shuler Campaign in my e-mail this morning. I will post some of it and comment a little. If you are interested, you may subscribe to the newsletter here.



Heath Shuler has recently been endorsed by: the North Carolina AFL-CIO, the Blue Dog Democrats, and the Western North Carolina Central Labor Council.

Commentary

Follow the links to find out who has cast their lot in with Heath. I will note that the Western North Carolina Central Labor Council appears to be part of the AFL-CIO, but maybe they are incorporated separately. In my view, a labor union endorsement would lessen my chances of voting for this candidate because I don't care for unions.

The Blue Dog Democrats are also listed here as the Blue Dog Coalition, with 35 members listed. From their site:


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The Coalition has been particularly active on fiscal issues, relentlessly pursuing a balanced budget and then protecting that achievement from politically popular "raids" on the budget

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I agree with practising fiscal conservatism and balancing the budget where ever possible. It would be interesting to see if these elected critters would band together with like-minded critters on the other side of the aisle and trim the budget where appropriate. I view this endorsement as a potential positive.



Heath Shuler with IOI employee

The candidate visited Industrial Opportunities, Inc. in Andrews, NC last week. Find coverage in a local paper.
I coulndn't find a web site for IOI, but did find some history here, and an idea of some of what they manufacture for the feds.

This endorsement is a good one. Of course, the endorsement is used as a spring board to attack the loss of 170,000 manufacturing jobs in NC. Also another swipe at Representative Charles Taylor's CAFTA vote, which I think will make things harder in the primary, and, if he survives, the general election in November.

I will also be posting on the other candidates as I have time and events allow.


It's times like these I wish I had a regular 9 to 5 type job. My present job leaves me wore out since I leave the house around 6am and don't make it back until just after 7pm..even later as daylight lasts longer.




Here is a view of some of my fellows as I take a break from running the chainsaw:



I guess that means everyone was working except me !!!

A very disturbing post




Have you ever seen the movie "Dctor Strangelove?" Oddly enough, it is one of my favorite movies that I never tire of watching. I was shocked when I discovered it was supposed to be an anti-war film. Oh well. Not being brought up to enjoy the nuances of the fine arts, I think it is a hilarious movie with some ridiculous imagery.

The following copy and paste job is not funny. The full article is over at The Winds of War. You should go read it, and follow the links. Very troubling stuff.

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How I Learned to Stop Worrying about Mullahs and Embrace The Bomb
by Guest Author at March 24, 2006 06:56 AM

by "Dr. Strangelove," a.k.a. Mark Buehner
Why We Must Nuke Iran; or
How I Learned to Stop Worrying about Mullahs and Embrace The Bomb

American foreign policy is approaching a crisis more catastrophic than any since at least World War 2. According to some sources, the terrorist nation of Iran has already acquired an unknown number of nuclear weapons of at least the Hiroshima variety. Trent Telenko has written about the high likelihood of Iran being in possession of nuclear weapons, and the "certainty of nuclear war" should we attempt to divest them of these weapons via a bombing campaign as some have suggested. Ladies and Gentlemen, this evidence is impossible to ignore. Even if by some unlikely quirk our Intelligence Services prove incorrect about Iran’s current state of nuclear readiness, it is still only a matter of time before the Mullahs retain a full nuclear arsenal, perhaps rivaling our own. Perhaps soon.

As glorious as the halcyon days of the Cold War proved to be, with our shining bombers and prowling submarines on constant standby to shower our enemies with American ingenuity, those days are gone forever. A standoff with Iran will prove to be a messy affair of dirty bombs and irradiated oil wells, hardly worthy of our bravest warriors and finest minds....


--------------------------------------------------------------

How can i comment on this stuff?
On a Monday, sure. But on a Friday?
I guess I should be prepared for bad news anyday.
Don't say you weren't forewarned.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Miscellany



Here is a humorous "test" I came across the other day. I wouldn't advise anyone under 18 to read it, or anyone who hold their political beliefs sacrosanct for that matter.

Dymphna, one of my favorite thinkers, has an interesting post primarily concerning another favorite, John Robb.

I'm not a fan of wrestling, but did you see that smack down W put on Helen Thomas? I was waiting on one of the other reporters to break out a chair to avenge their queen of discontent.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Candidate Websites



Thanks to Tim Peck for these websites. Now, If I'd been more scrupulous about checking my e-mail, they would've been posted nearly ten days ago, Sheeeesh!!! What a Bum I am. Here they are:


R.L. Clark

Mike Harrison

Eric Gorny

Bill Reynolds

Don Yelton

New Quiz!!!



It's been awhile since I posted a quiz, and I received this via spam-mail. I don't do the on-line dating thing, but SOME of the quizzes are fun, like this one whose results I posted below.
My only gripe is that the time isn't tracked.









Expert
You scored 94% Recognition!
It looks like we have quite the expert here...you must have a lot of world knowledge or perhaps have travelled a fair bit. Very impressive! Since you recognized nearly every place, I trust you enjoyed the sites. Here is a shot of one of my favourites - the Parliament Building in Budapest, Hungary. If you had fun, please rate my test! Here are the answers: Sydney Opera House, Parthenon, Easter Island, China, Rio de Janeiro, St. Basil's in Moscow, Niagara falls, the Sphinx, Taj Mahal in India, Mount Fuji, CN Tower in Toronto, Ayers Rock, Notre Dame, Mexico, St. Louis Gateway Arch, Tower Bridge, Maccu Picchu, Alamo, Hungary.







My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender:










free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 72% on Recognition
Link: The Around the World in 80 Seconds Test written by thinkandcome on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

New Public Photo Album



Robin flees digital stalker!!!

Hey! Come back! I won't hurt you!




Bumper Sticker text reads: I'd Rather Hunt With Dick Cheney Than Ride With Ted Kennedy. I got it for my grandfather because he laughed really hard when I told him about Rush Limbaugh saying the phrase after tha infamous friendly fire incident.

Enough said.





There is nothing worse that a very amateur photographer with a cheap camera, except one with a blog to publish them to the world. (Evil laughter follows.)

Signs of Spring

And another day off work. Yessss!

Monday, March 20, 2006

The Shape of Things to come?





Okay, put on your seatbelts, zombietime has posted new photos of another rally in San Fransisco.

To get the mood correct, might I suggest you listen to this while looking at the photos. The name of the piece is "The Shape Of Things To Come" and is from Season One of Battlestar Galactica.

What does Heath Shuler have in common with Senator Russ Feingold?



Click here to see the web page. Scroll down to see a reproduced portion of that page:










Make Heath Number 1!
Date Published: 12/12/2005
 











Dear Friends,

Russ Feingold has presented us with a unique opportunity. Senator Feingold and the Progressive Patriots Fund are conducting an online contest to determine who Senator Feingold will support in the '06 elections. The candidate who receives the most votes by midnight on the 14th will receive $5000.00 for his or her campaign.


We face a challenge here in North Carolina in unseating Representative Charles Taylor. I am up to the fight and I know you are ready as well. With your support I will be able to represent the 11th Congressional District of North Carolina starting January 2007.


I ask you all to go to the Progressive Patriots Fund Website and vote to help me. Once you are done voting send three of your friends a request to vote. Each person voting will ensure that Senator Feingold and the Progressive Patriots Fund will help us here in North Carolina 11.


Thanks for your time and your vote in this contest. With your continued support we will ensure that Western North Carolina will be represented in DC by the people.



--Heath




 



I know this was back in December of '005. I wonder if he still wants to win the money from Feingold? This is the kind of thing that would send fence sitters into the Republican camp, stay home, or not select a candidate for that race.

Meet John Armor in Asheville



About ten minutes ago, I received this from Tim Peck:

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Meet Republican candidate for Congress John Armor tonight at 8:00 PM at
El Chapala Mexican Restaurant at 868 Merrimon Ave, Asheville NC 28804.

(7:00 PM to eat.)

Map

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If you are able, please attend. I would appreciate reports via email here. Or, if you have a blog, lemme know about it, and I'll link to it.

I found an article by John Armor here in the North Carolina Conservative. I just wish Taylor would have forth on the issues, because in a vaccuum, I'll have to go with what I know.

Oil, Abiotic or Boitic in origin?




Thanks to XM Radio, I can listen to John Batchelor again without wrestling with an unruly Ionosphere to pick up WABC radio AM770 out of New York City. I can hear it crystal clear.

Here is an article referenced on the show this weekend. Another article concerned "Oil Gleaning", which mentioned the discovery of a supposedly vast reservoir of oil 6 miles below the bottom of the ocean and below 3500 feet of water.
Mr. Helman said that conventional steel drill bits and their sensors did not work, and new technologies employing glass and fiber optics to survive the heat and pressures at that depth.

This article concerns a similar pocket of oil called Tahiti in the Gulf of Mexico.

To me, deep oil conflicts with the Biogenic theory of the origin of oil, and the Abiotic theory seems to make more sense to me. I can point to Titan and say, "Hydrocarbons are there," and to vast interstellar clouds of the same type of stuff.

Commentary

I believe that both theories are true, that oil is formed both ways, and some, if not most of the abiotic oil has become contaminated with biomarkers that lead scientists astray. I will make an accusation here: A lot of people use the biotic theory to support their own political views, as do the abiotic people. Both sides have become vested in their beliefs, and aren't willing to step back, take a deep breath, and do a little research with an open mind.

Both sides need to realize that right now, our civilization is very dependent on petroleum. And the odd thing is, most of the places it is currently found in great quantities are controlled by barbarians. That means we are subject to the influences of hydraulic despotism. Not a good place to be. In the vein of the Dune reference in the last hyperlink,


"The first step in avoiding a trap, is knowing of it's existence."

--Thufir Hawat, Mentat to House Atreides



We best be about the business of finding economically viable alternatives to oil, lest we find ourselves held hostage by barbarians who seek to destroy our civilization, while we debate the origins of oil.

Rained out at work



I'll be updating this post periodically thoruoghout the day as I find stuff while surfing.

Here is an item I will be adding to my sidebar. You should add it to your favorites. It is the new home of the Republican Study Committee, where the conservatives in Congress gather.

How does Iraq compare to Vietnam? Click here.

Food for Conspiracy Theorists: Nuclear War with Iran by the end of March 2006. I would post a cool picture here, but Blogger has been refusing to upload ANY photos. Bummer. And I don't feel right stealing someone else's bandwidth, photos yes, BW, no.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

District 11 Race heats up



A comment by Screwy Hoolie of Scrutiny Hooligans led me on a merry chase, and along the way, I found this, another account of the Armor sit down referenced in same post a little while back.

This whole election has been kind of weird. For my part, I believe that the Main Stream Legacy Media are ignoring the Armor campaign. To top it off, the few credible conservatives I know personally will not even investigate where Armor stands on the issues. This leaves me feeling like a tourist visiting the fictional town of "Twin Peaks", where everyone knows everyone and nothing is what it seems.

And yes, Deborah Potter did quit WLOS to go work for Taylor, but doggone if I can't find a photo of her online, although Google caches of several sites yielded info... no photos. That is weird for a former TV News personality.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Claude Allen






Ever hear of Claude Allen? I hadn't heard of the guy until they made fun of him this morning on "Wait, Wait.Don't Tell Me". Since I had heard the liberal point of view, I went looking for the conservative side, and surprise! surprise! my girl, Ann Coulter, supplies another view.

On his nomination to the federal judiciary, all the right people opposed his nomination, which means he is probably a decent guy, present problems not withstanding, more here, here, and here.

I hate to report this, but he's already been removed from the whitehouse.gov site, and I found the Google cache here. As much as it pains me to say it,I guess the people at the Ministry of Truth have been hard at work.

Having been no angel myself, my heart goes out to him and his family. I pray that he recovers from this misstep in due time to carry on with his life.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Thursday Linkagery



I heard about this article on "First Up", on WZGM.


Bush Doctrine II ?
------------------------------------------------------------------


Bush to Restate Terror Strategy
2002 Doctrine of Preemptive War To Be Reaffirmed

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 16, 2006; A01



President Bush plans to issue a new national security strategy today reaffirming his doctrine of preemptive war against terrorists and hostile states with chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, despite the troubled experience in Iraq.

The long-overdue document, an articulation of U.S. strategic priorities that is required by law, lays out a robust view of America's power and an assertive view of its responsibility to bring change around the world. On topics including genocide, human trafficking and AIDS, the strategy describes itself as "idealistic about goals and realistic about means."

The strategy expands on the original security framework developed by the Bush administration in September 2002, before the invasion of Iraq. That strategy shifted U.S. foreign policy away from decades of deterrence and containment toward a more aggressive stance of attacking enemies before they attack the United States.

The preemption doctrine generated fierce debate at the time, and many critics believe the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq fatally undermined an essential assumption of the strategy -- that intelligence about an enemy's capabilities and intentions can be sufficient to justify preventive war.

In his revised version, Bush offers no second thoughts about the preemption policy, saying it "remains the same" and defending it as necessary for a country in the "early years of a long struggle" akin to the Cold War. In a nod to critics in Europe, the document places a greater emphasis on working with allies and declares diplomacy to be "our strong preference" in tackling the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

"If necessary, however, under long-standing principles of self defense, we do not rule out use of force before attacks occur, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack," the document continues. "When the consequences of an attack with WMD are potentially so devastating, we cannot afford to stand idly by as grave dangers materialize."

Such language could be seen as provocative at a time when the United States and its European allies have brought Iran before the U.N. Security Council to answer allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons. At a news conference in January, Bush described an Iran with nuclear arms as a "grave threat to the security of the world."


------------------------------------------------------------------


Don't say you weren't warned. I also bet that all those who were against the invasion of Iraq will be against invading Iran, even if they did say that Iran was a greater threat than Iraq. I have always believed that Iran was the true target of invading Iraq, the removal of Saddam was just a bonus incentive. I wonder if we would be able to hit "Mini-Elvis", a.k.a. DPRK at the same time?
I doubt it, but a guy can hope, can't he?


I have found an very interesting article on understanding our enemy over at Northeast Inelligence Network. On the link, I bypassed the intro page, which takes forever to load at 28k dial up speeds.

I wish I had more time to comment on these things in a coherent fashion. All I seem to do is work, eat and sleep anymore... my surfing time is carved out of sleep schedule, and it shows.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Middle of the Week Doldroms



I had a serious repair issue with my truck, The Beast, that ended up causing me to raid my laptop fund, not unlike Gov Easley and the General Assembly of NC raiding The Highway Trust Fund. Anyhow, I am back on the road, guzzling fuel like there is no tomorrow.

Interesting Stuff

Over at Winds of Change, I found this article on modernizing the military. Good stuff.
Another good find I made was at The Gates of Vienna, where the Baron has posted a link to advice for the President.

Before nearly killing The Beast, I bought an XM Radio and subscribed. For a talk junkie like me, it has allowed me to hear some of my favorite people like Michael Reagan again. I haven't been able to listen to him since WISE 1310AM was a talk station, a couple of years ago.

Last night, he was exploring the issue of The Department of Justice dropping the ball on several high-profile cases since the departure of John Ashcroft. I know that Bush 43 is loyal to his people, but the current Attorney General is a dud.

This XM thing could end up eating away at a lot of time I don't have to spare. And I can haven't even mentioned the music. Sheesh!

Battlestar Galactica

The Season #2 finale was a whopper. I hope that Mr. Moore hasn't "Jumped The Shark" with too many plot twists.
The show won't be back until October, which may be clue. I have also heard that the show may be moved to NBC. This will result in the death of Battlestar Galactica.

Dear Ron Moore,

NBC=Paramount Pictures=meddling with your work=no more show.

Sincerely,
A fan of BSG.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Representative Bureaucracy



Here is an interesting Google I ran across while perusing my referrer logs:
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เว็บ รูปภาพ กลุ่มข่าว สารบบเว็บ

ค้นหาแบบละเอียด
การตั้งค่า

ค้นหา: เว็บหน้าของ ประเทศไทย



เว็บ รายการที่ 591 - 600 จากผลการค้นหาทั้งหมดประมาณ 6,560,000 รายการของคำค้น representative bureaucracy (0.48 วินาที)

Current Legislation | Family Pride Coalition... layer of bureaucracy to the already complicated adoption process. ... Please write your representative today telling them to VOTE NO on HB 2969! ...
www.familypride.org/site/ pp.asp?c=bhKPI7PFImE&b=1439627 - 61k - 11 มี.ค. 2006 - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


OpinionJournal - From WSJ.comThe permanent bureaucracy, which Henry Kissinger once accurately described as the ... not as its boss but as its representative in White House councils, ...
www.opinionjournal.com/wsj/?id=110001922 - 44k - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


The New Institutional Economics, Business Associations and ...Bureaucracy and Representative Government. Chicago: Adine. North, Douglass. 1984. "Three Approaches to the Study of Institutions." In David Colander, ed., ...
www.ilo.org/public/english/ bureau/inst/papers/2000/dp110/index.htm - 102k - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


[PDF] As Prepared for Delivery Statement of Robert B. Zoellick US Trade ...ชนิดของไฟล์: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - แสดงเป็นแบบ HTML
US Trade Representative. before the. Committee on Agriculture ... trade facilitation, which cuts needless delays and bureaucracy at borders and ports and is ...
www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/ USTR_Zoellick_Testimony/2004/asset_upload_file926_4323.pdf - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


State BureaucracyWhile government and State bureaucracy generally are represented by ... Mainly representatives of this group eager to maintain and even increase their power ...
www.geocities.com/alexanderosadchey/chapter9.htm - 58k - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


Legislative UpdateOne representative observed that the VA is a "terrible bureaucracy." "If you don't have PTSD when you get to the VA, you'll have it when you leave," he said ...
www.cinchouse.com/features/leg_update.htm - 15k - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


Solution Unsatisfactory (Chicago)Niskanen, William A., Bureaucracy and Representative Government. Chicago: Aldine-Atherton, 1971. Niven, Larry, "The Jigsaw Man," in All the Myriad Ways, ...
www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/ outlines/solution_Unsatisfactory.html - 60k - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


[RTF] DRAFT November 2000-11-09ชนิดของไฟล์: Rich Text Format - แสดงเป็นแบบ HTML
I thus raise the role of a mature and active and informed public sphere as a complement to representative institutions in terms of holding EU bureaucracy in ...
www.jeanmonnetprogram.org/papers/01/011801.rtf - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


訪伊凡諾幹委員談原住民族考試之改進換言之,加拿大等歐美先進國家所實施的強調國家文官考選與錄用者之結構比例須公正反映 社會組成之結構比例的代表型文官制(Representative Bureaucracy),亦應為值得研究 ...
wwwc.moex.gov.tw/fp.asp?xItem=3939&ctnode=219 - 23k - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน


Organization of News OmbudsmenThis is James Madison's vision of representative government. ... would assume over the ensuing two centuries -- layer upon layer of bureaucracy; regional, ...
www.newsombudsmen.org/mcmast.html - 21k - หน้าที่ถูกเก็บไว้ - หน้าที่คล้ายกัน




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ค้นหาซ้ำจากผลที่ค้นได้ | เครื่องมือเกี่ยวกับภาษา | คำแนะนำในการค้นหา

©2006 Google




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The writing looks like Sanskrit to me (as if I could tell!) and some of the links lead to sites that have Chinese character sets.

Here is the link to the actual search.

I don't know if posting this is kosher or not, but I thought it was doggone interesting and got me to do a little searching myself.
I suppose the reason my blog came up on the search was my posting a while back on a question Ken Bagwell had posed on his old show. He asked something along the lines of, "What kind or form of government do we have?" The calls continued into the next show, whose (sp?) host had called in to answer that he thought it was a Representative Bureaucracy. One piece of evidence I offer to support that allegation is the denial of the right to keep and bear arms whilst in buildings where large numbers of "bureaucrats" are working. Think about it. How many times have a sneering "bureaucrat" caused your arms to reach for your holster, only to find that you have complied with "regulations" and left the "offending self defense" item in a place other than on your person?

Censorship in Great Britain




By Marc Schulman

On February 19, The Telegraph published an article by Alasdair Palmer entitled "ENGLAND: The day is coming when British Muslims form a state within a state." If you click on the link, you won't find the article. Instead, you'll be treated to this message: "This story has been removed for legal reasons." What those legal reasons are isn't said.



I found this link on Winds of Change literally moments ago.
If you have a blog, put up a link to the post as soon as possible, and if you don't, e-mail the link to as large a list of your friends as possible.

This is scary stuff.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Ken Bagwell gets three hours a day!



Ken Bagwell's show, "First Up", on WZGM is moving from the 7am to 9am time slot to the 9am to noon slot on FxSports1350!!!
He will cover sports on all levels, along with a smattering of "OTS", Other Than Sports. Click on the above link to listen to the stream if you are out of the area.

Now I have a reliable show to listen to in the mornings.

Battlestar Galactica update...

The ninety-minute part two season finale, "Lay Down Your Burdens" will be on at 10pm and 1am for the repeat.

Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Miscellanious Links



China remains a significant adversary for the United States, as well as pricipal supplier for WalMart. Joe Katzman of Winds of Change has an excellent article that covers everything about the situation, except maybe the WalMart thing.

One of my favorite thinkers on the theory and application of tactics and strategy employed in World War IV is John Robb. He has an update on the Nigerian situation.

And possibly, just possibly, more important to us engaged in the fight on the Homefront Theatre of Operations: Wretchard of The Belmont Club has posted an article called Center of Gravity

-------------------------------------------------------------------


Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Center of gravity

Secretary Rumsfeld's press conference should be read in its entirety because news accounts based on it have selectively emphasized items which fit the media outlet's particular editorial template. The first part of the news conference is actually an indirect name-calling session between Rumsfeld and members of the press.


-------------------------------------------------------------------

Commentary
I know many, if not most, bloggers feel that The Legacy Media are biased against America in general, and this war in particular. Maybe vice versa. Whatever.
Like the Democrats, they are Against. Against the war. Against Bush. Against Judeo-Christian values.
I think some careful reading of the article by Wretchard may provide clues on how to expose The Press and their one-sided reporting. Maybe someone with more time than I have could get access to the transcripts to all these press conferences and post them, or link to them ( silly me, the link was already provided by Wretchard), and by word of blog, everyone else in the blogosphere eventually begins to link to these things and discuss them on their blogs, call in to local and national talk shows, and get a new meme started. Only this meme would have a little staying power and be yet another way of exposing The Press as either naive or willing lapdaogs of our enemies, either way, they are lapdogs.

I guess I have reverted to grade-school name-calling, but if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and smells like a duck, and I call it a duck, am I a name caller?

Monday, March 6, 2006

Earthquake!



Details are here.

I didn't feel it. Did you?

Scrutiny Hooligans post Armor Interview results

BR>


Screwy Hoolie has posted on the sit down with John Armor yesterday.

Silly me, I accidentally posted this on my WarBlog. It's in the right place now.

John Armor visits local bloggers



Yesterday, John Armor sat down with local bloggers at Edgy Mama's place for a chat. Go here for coverage on BlogAsheville. I'll post more links as more of the participants post their thoughts, or keep checking at Blog Asheville for updates.

No work today, I'm catching up on things and repairing a hobby blog that I trashed by answering "yes" to the question, "Are you really sure you want to do this?"

Sunday, March 5, 2006

Now maybe they'll quit yapping about the terminals



I found this story on Northeast Intelligence Network


*3 March 2006: The United Arab Emirates intends to operate U.S. military factories. The Bush administration has informed Congress of a review of the UAE acquisition of a British manufacturer of engine components for U.S. military aircraft and main battle tanks. The British firm operates nine factories, including military production facilities in Connecticut and Georgia.

Officials said Dubai International Capital has acquired the London-based Doncasters Group for $1.2 billion. Doncasters produces engine components and turbine blades for military platforms, and its clients include Boeing, General Electric, Honeywell and Pratt and Whitney.

Source: World Tribune.com



No, I'm not dead, but I durn near had my dignity killed. Here's why:



A North Carolina Forest Sevice Helicopter drops water from a bambi bucket on a hot spot on the afternoon on March 1, 2006.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Emoticons (mirror of wikipedia page)


List of emoticons

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of notable and commonly used emoticons or textual portrayals of a writer's mood or facial expression in the form of icons. The Western use of emoticons is much different than the Easternuse, and Internet forums, such as 2channel, and Internet forums, typically, show expressions in their own ways. In recent times, graphic representations, both static and animated, have taken the place of traditional emoticons in the form of icons.

Contents

 [hide]

[edit]Western

The emoticon in Western style is written most often from left to right. Thus, most commonly, one will see the eyes on the left, followed by the nose and mouth. Typically, a colon is used for the eyes of a face. However, an equal sign, a number 8, and a capital letter B are also used interchangeably.
IconMeaning
:-) :) :o) :D :] :3 :c) :> =] 8) =) C:smiley or happy face[1][2][3][4], version without colon common in Russia
:-D :D 8D =D =3laughing,[1][2] big grin, [3][4]
<=3 <=8 8===Dpenis[1][2] [3][4]
( o )( )( ) ( . Y . )breasts, flash me[1][2][3][4]
:-( :( :c :< :[frown[1][2][3][4]
D: D8 D; D=horrordisgustsad [1][3][4]
:-9licking chops[1]
;-) ;) *) ;] ;Dwink[1][2][3][4]
:-P :P :-p :p =p :-Þ :Þ :-b :btongue sticking out, cheeky/playful, blowing a raspberry[5][1][2]
:-O :O 8Osurprise, shock, nondescript[5][1][2]
:-/ :/ :\ =/ =\ :Sskeptical, annoyed, undecided, uneasy[5][1][2]
:|straight face[3], disgusted, grim, no expression[1]
d:-) qB-)cap, backwards cap (incorporating elements of the "shades" emoticon)[citation needed]
:)~Drooling[1]
:-X :X :-# :#sealed lips, embarrassed[5][1][2]
O:-) 0:3 O:)angel[1][2][3] innocent[5]
 :'( ;*(crying[5][1]
:-* :*kiss
>:) >;) >:Devil[3]
B) B-) 8) 8-)shades[5]
D:< >:( D-:< >:-( :-@[1] ;( `_´ D<angry, mad
<3 <333love, heart, lots of hearts
\,,/ \m/Rock on, sign of the horns[6]
\m/\>.Rock on, sign of the horns[6] used with an emoticon
\o/Praise, excitement, jumping for joy
\o o/Greeting, hello, goodbye, sieg heil
\==D~~ `;*(Salute
o/\oHigh five
vi:) ^i:)I'm With Stupid, Stupid's With Me
@}-;-'---Rose[2]

[edit]Eastern emoticons

Users from East Asia popularized a style of emoticons endemic to their region.
IconMeaning
d^_^b d-_-blistening to music, thumbs up[5]
 ;A;  ;w;  ;__;  ;~;  ;m; ;n;  ;^;  ;o;  ;u;  ;x;  ;v;instances of crying
(^_^) (^-^) (^ ^) (^.^) ???smiley[5]
(~_^) (^_~) ~.^ ^.~wink[5]
(>_<) (>.<)cartman[5] Ah Crap / dammit
(>_>) (¬_¬)annoyed or rhetorical
(-_-)upset, not amused[5]
(^o^)singing, laughing[5]
(^3^)kiss[5]
(^_^') ^_^_^') ^^" ^^^_.^') ^^_^^; ^&^^.^;& ^^^; ^^^7nervous, sweat-drop, embarrassed[5]
d(>w<)bdouble thumbs up
q(;^;)pdouble thumbs down
(;_;) (T_T) (T~T) (ToT) (T^T) ಥ_ಥcrying[5]
(._.) (,_,)disappointed, bitter
ಠ_ಠ σ_σlook of disapproval
[(--)]ZZzzz...sleeping[5]
(X_X) x_xdead or unconscious[5]
0.o O_o @_@ O_O ಠ_ಠ σ_σ [7][8] ಠ_ರೃ (*_*)Surprise or Disbelief. Not Amused. Look of Disapproval[5]
^///^ >///< >///> o///o -///- =///=Blushing, Embarrassed[5]
( °٢° )drooling[5]
_|_ (-.-) _|_ t(>.Flipping Off[5]
(V)!_!(V)Crab[5]
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄ƷButterfly[5]
Smile[5]
ʘ‿ʘInnocent face [5]
\m/*.*\m/Rocker smiley
O?OWAT?!? [5]
&_&Eye Roll [5]
0-0Sweet! [5]
(^^^)SHARK [5]
(\_/)Bunny Ears
B)Evil Face~ Happy
B(Evil Face~ Unhappy
X3Super Happy
:3Mew! (Kitty/chibi face)
x_O O_xPunched in the face
(///_-)Emo

[edit]2channel emoticons

The Japanese language is usually encoded using double-byte character codes, which can be reproduced as ASCII art.
IconMeaning
m9(^Д^)Rock on, sign of the horns[6]
m(_ _)mkowtow as a sign of respect, or dogeza for apology [9]
(´・ω・`)deflated [9]
<`∀´> or <丶`∀´>stereotypical Korean character (Nidā)[9]
[ (★) ]
<丶´Д`>
stereotypical North Korean character (Kigā) [10]  
∧_∧
( ;´Д`)
stereotypical Japanese character (Monā) [10]  
∧∧
/ 中\
(  `ハ´)
stereotypical Chinese character (Sinā) [10]  
∧∧
/ 台\
( ^∀^)
stereotypical Taiwanese character (Wanā) [10]
∧∧
/ 越 \
( ・∀・ )
stereotypical Vietnamese character (Venā) [10]
γ~三ヽ
(三彡0ミ)
( ´∀`)
stereotypical Indian Character (Monastē) [10]
| ̄ ̄|
_☆☆☆_
( ´_⊃`)
stereotypical American character (Samū)[10]
 ┏━┓
━━━━━━
ミΘc_Θ-ミ
stereotypical Jewish character (Yudā) [10]
__
│〓.│
━━━━━
ミ ´_>`)
stereotypical English character (Jakū)[10]
____
(〓__>
ξ ・_>・)
stereotypical French character (Torirī)[10]
_、,_
ミ  _⊃)
stereotypical German character (Gerumandamu) [10]
≡≡彡
彡 ´_)` )
stereotypical Austrian character (Osutō) [10]
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
ミ;;;,,,,,,,ミ 
( `_っ´)
stereotypical Russian character (Rosukī)[10]
_γ⌒ヽ_
lXXXXXXXXl
( ´m`)
stereotypical Mexican character (Amīgo) [10]
_
<(o0o)>
(>ミ - ミ )>
stereotypical Persian character (jujø) [10]
(`・ω・´)feel perky [9]
_| ̄|○given up [9]
(`-´)>salute [9]
(´;ω;`)terribly sad [9]
ヽ(´ー`)ノpeace of mind [9]
ヽ(`Д´)ノbe irritable [9]
(#゚Д゚)angry [9]
( ´Д`)yelling, or panting [9]
( ゚Д゚)Moustache-y Face per Lynda Julie [9]
┐('~`;)┌don't know the answer [9]
(´∀`)carefree [9]
( ´_ゝ`)indifferent [9]
Σ(゜д゜;)shocked [9]
( ゚ヮ゚)happy, upbeat [9]
キタ━━━━━━(゚∀゚)━━━━━━!!!!!  "It's here", a general expression of excitement that something has appeared or happened or "I came". [9]
キタワァ*・゜゚・*:.。..。.:*・゜(n‘∀‘)η゚・*:.。. .。.:*・゜゚・* !!!!!  Girlish version of "It's here". [9]
⊂二二二( ω)二⊃"bu-n", being carefree and above, with arms stretched out while running/soaring. [9]
(*´Д`)ハァハァErotic stirring, haa haa [9]
( ´Д`)ノ(´・ω・`) ナデナデPatting, nade nade [9]
(((( ;゚Д゚)))Spook [9]
Σ(゚Д゚)Huge surprise [9]
( ´∀`)σ)∀`)Jog someone's cheek [9]
(・∀・ )ヾ(- -;)コラコラBlaming "now now" [9]
( ゚д゚)Amazed [9]
(´ー`)y-~~Smoking [9]
( ^_^)o自自o(^_^ )Toast "Cheers"[9]
m9(・∀・)Flash of intuition [9]
ヽ(´ー`)人(´∇`)人(`Д´)ノFriendly [9]
('A`)Lonely [9]
( ´,_ゝ`)Depressed, unsatisfied (based on indifferent)[9]
(´-`).。oO( ... )Thinking [9]
(゚Д゚;≡;゚Д゚)Impatience [9]
( ´д)ヒソ(´Д`)ヒソ(Д` )Whispers [9]
(・∀・)つ⑩Carrying money [9]
⊂(゚Д゚⊂⌒`つ≡≡≡(´⌒;;;≡≡≡Sliding on belly, "whooaaa!!!" [9]
(゚д゚)Unforeseen [9]
(゚⊿゚)"I don't need it" [9]
щ(゚Д゚щ)(屮゚Д゚)屮Come on [9]
(・∀・)Mocking, "good" [9]
(・A・)"That's bad" [9]
(゚∀゚)Discharged drug-in-brain, goofing around, "A-HYA!" [9]
( つ Д `)Sad [9]
エェェ(´д`)ェェエNot convincing [9]
( ̄ー ̄)Simper, Snorlax [9]
( ゚∀゚)アハハ八八ノヽノヽノヽノ \ / \/ \Evil laugh (literally ahahaHAHA...) [9]
[゚д゚]Deflagged [9]
♪┏(・o・)┛♪┗ ( ・o・) ┓♪┏ ( ) ┛♪┗ (・o・ ) ┓♪┏(・o・)┛♪Happy expressions, dancing to the music [9]
d(*⌒▽⌒*)bHappy expression [9]
STO or OTZ or OTLDespair. The "O" or "o" represents one's head on the ground, "T" or "r" forms the torso and "S" or "z" forms the legs. [9]
OGCRotate your head 90° counter clockwise and you'll see a Man masturbating. "O" is ones head, "G" represents his body and penis with hand, and "C" is legs [9]
(╬ ಠ益ಠ)Extreme Distaste, meant to appear as an exaggerated grimace [9]
(≧ロ≦)Shouting [9]
(ΘεΘ;)Pretending not to notice, asleep because of boredom [9]
お(^o^)や(^O^)す(^。^)みぃ(^-^)ノ゙Kana reading "O ya su mi" meaning "Good night" or "Night" [9]
(*゚ノO゚)<オオオオォォォォォォォーーーーーイ!Calling out, "Ooooi!" [9]
\|  ̄ヘ ̄|/_______θ☆( *o*)/Kick [9]
(‐^▽^‐)オーホッホChuckle
┌(;`~,)┐Discombobulated [9]
ε=ε=ε=┌(;*´Д`)ノRunning [9]
ヽ(´▽`)/Happy [9]
^ㅂ^Happy [9]
(l'o'l)Shocked [9]
ヽ(o`皿′o)ノreally angry [9]
o/ o_ o/ o_"It's here"
(☞゚ヮ゚)☞ or ☜(゚ヮ゚☜)"Do it" [9]
☜(⌒▽⌒)☞Angel [9]