Mel Gibson Furor

Everyone is seriously overreacting to Mel Gibson's words and actions this weekend. Here is what I wrote in the comments over at Althouse:

Given what the American public has accepted and forgiven in the past, I think people are seriously overreacting. Was anything Mel reportedly said, before he contritely apologised, any worse than what Jesse Jackson has said? (Hymietown or otherwise? and Jackson still has never truly apologised for those remarks). I bet you, if this had been Michael Moore, Rob Reiner, Alec Baldwin or some other liberal darling, this would have already blown over. Mel is being punished because he is not a typical Hollywood lefty.Hell, look at what Woody Allen has said and done, and his movies are still being released. If Roman Polanski ever dared to come back, the left would sprint to embrace him.Get a grip people.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Back to Work I go......

Well, I'm back at work again. Wednesday was a non-student work day, and then we had the kids on Thursday and Friday. It's been the most stressful opening of school for me in at least six years. Restless sleep and physical and mental stress.

1) A new classroom..they forced me to change classrooms, so I was presented with a pile of tables, bookcases, chairs and file cabinets. Plus the teacher in the room before me didn't move all of her crap out last year, so I had to deal with that too. (in fact there is stuff in there from the last four teachers to use that room)

2) A new grade level...they forced me to change from the 7th grade to the 8th grade. This means a new curriculum, new teaching partners, and (as it turns out) 60% of my students I had last year.

3) A new prep period. They gave me the second period prep..the worst one. And to top it off, they are only four of us on it, so I will have to give it up to cover the classes of absent teachers more often.

4) A new textbook...and it isn't here yet. So we are going to use the old one for the first trimester, and then switch for the second and third trimesters.

I have survived the first two days..only 178 more to go.

Plame/Wilson Lawsuit

While reading an article by Byron York today on the Plame/Wilson lawsuit one quote stood out for me. It was a quote from the Wilson's lawyer:

“No matter how many times you and I go around,” says Erwin Chemerinsky, “it’s our position that there was a concerted effort by Cheney, Rove, and Libby to punish Joseph Wilson.”

What is so telling about this quote is the fact that the whole Wilson case is founded on belief, and not evidence. Wilson knows they were out to get him no matter what the evidence says. And do you know why he is so sure about that? Because it is exactly what Wilson himself would have done if he had been in their place.

The left's predilection for projection has become more and more pronounced over the years. When you examine the left's actions, and compare it to their rhetoric, it is transparently clear that most of the accusations and denunciationstions from the left are based almost exclusively on the left projecting their own strategy and tactics to the right. Since they are the "good guys", and they would be willing to do it, the "bad guys" on the right must be doing it.

What the Hell is Up with Betty Nguyen?

For some reason, for the last month or so, half of my referrals from google have been for a post I wrote about Betty Nguyen a year ago.

1) How the hell is it that my post is still anywhere near the top of the list when you do a Google search of Betty Nguyen?

2) Why the hell is everybody suddenly doing Google searches for her?

I Hope Nobody is Surprised

It has just been announced that the lesbian couple who filed the lawsuit to legalize gay marriage in Massachusetts has separated. Now I don't wish ill on anybody, or take delight in other's misfortunes, but I could have predicted this. (and probably did) It is a simple fact that the vast majority of homosexual relationships do not endure. Remember the much celebrated relationship of Melissa Etheridge and Julie Cypher? How about Ellen DeGeneris and Anne Heche? Now to be fair, celebrity heterosexual marriages frequently end also. But these three relationships were held up to us as examples of why gay marriage should be legal, and that homosexuals were just as committed to each other as heterosexuals. That is simply not the truth. The truth is, male homosexuals are usually promiscuous (one of the more prominent, Andrew Sullivan actually makes the argument for gay marriage, but also makes an argument that men (hetero and homo) are incapable of being monogamous and that that is OK) and lesbian relationships are very unstable.

Liberal Hypocrisy Pt. 2,000,087,192

The world's leftwing is all up in arms over Pres. Bush's "massage" of Germany's chancellor. While it apparently was over-familiar (she does seem to be startled and uncomfortable) it hardly rises to the level of sexual harassment, which some of the more vocal harridans are calling it.

Yet these same people were the ones sticking up for Pres. Clinton and dismissing his de facto and de jure sexual harassment in the Oval Office, and his probable (since she never got her day in court) rape of Juanita Brodderick.

Mideast Today

Let me make a few statements.

I believe that the Palestinians got the shaft from the British 90 years ago.

I believe that the Israelis, if they did not invent modern terrorism, certainly taught it to the Arabs. I totally agree with John Derbyshire's comments here.

I believe that Israel has the right to exist, but the exact same reasoning and logic demand that Palestine has a right to exist.

I believe that for at least the last twenty years, the Palestinians have been remarkably stupid and counterproductive. They have been ill-served by their leadership and their religious leaders.

I believe that Israel has been totally justified in it's actions over the past week, and would support their invasion of Lebanon, Syria or Iran, as I believe all three have committed acts of war against Israel.

It Just Gets Worse

First Rove goes to the La Raza convention, now Pres. Bush goes to the NAACP. What is next, Condi Rice going to a Klan rally?

Of course, some idiot starts heckling him. The NAACP is not only a racist organization, it's officials have made some very offensive remarks about Pres. Bush personally. They have called him a racist, associated him with people who dragged a black man to death, and called his administration the Taliban wing of America. And yet he saw fit to give the organization legitimacy it does not deserve, and pander to it by agreeing to signing the outdated and offensive Voting Rights Act.

When he embraced Julian Bond at the end, I nearly threw up. Julian Bond is among the worst of the racists, and the worst of the rhetorical bomb throwers.

Once more politics wins out over principal.

Calif. Driving

OK, I said most of this before...but I just can't stand it. The left lane is the passing lane. If you can move to the right without slowing down...do so. If there are cars behind you, and no cars in front of you, speed up or move to the right. If three cars in a row pass you on your right, take the hint, and either speed up, or move over to the right.

There are four problems that slow traffic down:

1) trucks - not much we can do here, but I am willing to consider limiting trucks to non-peak hours. Cars and trucks alike ignore dedicated truck lanes.

2) slow cars - I discussed them above

3) scared drivers & 4) stupid drivers - most accidents are not caused by fast drivers, aggressive drivers or confident drivers. The problem is the stupid and scared drivers. They screw things up for everyone and interfere with the natural flow of traffic. Apart from drunk drivers (who in my opinion qualify as stupid drivers) I gurantee you most accidents are caused by someone doing something stupid (changing lanes without looking for example) or slow drivers gettting in the away. I don't know what to do about 3 & 4, but we all know they are the biggest problem on the road.

Summer TV

I've been watching Trasure Hunters and VH1's World Series of Pop Culture this summer. My guilty pleasures. The commercials for Heroes this fall look interesting. I've cut way back on my TV watching..but football season is coming up........

Wouldn't You Know.....

Joe Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame filed a lawsuit against Libby Rove and others last week. Fox TV got an exclusive interview with Robert Novak, whose article started it all. Who did MSNBC get their exclusive with? Why Joe Wilson of course.

Dancing Machine

I went out for dinner/dancing with a bunch of friends from work last night. We had 15 for dinner, and 12 for dancing. We found a place nearby that has a DJ that plays mainly 70's and 80's music on Thur and Sat.

I didn't get home until 2:00 AM. I'm getting too old for this shit. My knees hurt, my head hurts, ....what the hell has happend? (besides 200 extra pounds) I used to go dancing almost every week. I guess I'll just have to work myself into shape. I definitely danced more than all the other guys there, but Joy just wears my ass out. The girl loves to dance even more than I do...


I gotta go find some gatoraid and aspirin.

Shame on you Mr. Rove

Yesterday Mr. Rove addressed a meeting of the National Council of La Raza, a racist organization that is brazen enough to blatantly call themselves "The Race" and openly advocate racist ideas. This is worse than addressing a Klan rally, because at least the Klan doesn't advocate treason. Most Republicans refuse to address the NAACP because of their racist and politically biased rhetoric. La Raza is worse than the NAACP. One day the Republican Party will look back at yesterday with immense shame, hopefully soon.

Unless the Republican nominee in 2008 openly repudiates this type of pandering to illegal immigrants and racists, the Republican Party just lost my vote in 2008.

World Diving Championships 2006 (World Cup 2006)

OK I get it. Football (soccer) is the world's sport. I've lived overseas, and I've played soccer in the US and the UK. It's a great game, very athletic. Usually low scoring, but very enjoyable to watch if you know the game.

However it is the only sport in which acting is rewarded as much as, or even more than, athletic ability. It is a well known, established and accepted fact, that soccer players fake fouls and injuries. It is considered by most to be part of the game.

A French player just faked a foul in the penalty box, and it was quite obvious that he did so. A penalty kick was awarded, and now France leads 1-0. The player who took a dive will be considered a hero, especially if his goal is decisive.

That is simply wrong. He should be held up to scorn by the sporting world. FIFA should punish him for his actions.

Update: Justice is served, Italy wins on penalty kicks.

Birth of the Party

While reading Ann Coulter's newest book (Godless) this morning, I was suddenly struck by a revelation. If you look at the founding of, first president of, and initial platform of, the political parties, you can actually see the pattern from the beginning.

The Republican Party was formed in 1854 when the Whigs refused to oppose slavery. Freeing the Black man, and treating all men as equal was literally the reason for the Republican Party. The Republican Party also supported education, free homesteads for farmers, and the modernization of the country's infrastructure.

The first Republican president was Abraham Lincoln, a man dedicated to preserving the United States, and responsible for freeing the slaves. A man who promoted mercy and conciliation towards the eventually defeated South. A man so great he is on the Penny and the $5 bill, not to mention Mt Rushmore. Widely considered to be one of our greatest Presidents. His nicknames are Honest Abe and the Great Emancipator. He re-established a system of national banks.

The Democratic Party was formed by Andrew Jackson in reaction to what he believed to be a stolen election in 1824. It was formalized after his electoral victory in 1828. The party claimed the heritage of Thomas Jefferson, and the belief in civic virtue and the yeoman farmer. They were opposed to cities, banks and industrialization.

The first Democratic president was Andrew Jackson, a man most famous for his victories in the war of 1812, and in various conflicts against the Indians. His presidency is most remembered for two things: his destruction of the national bank, and the strengthening of the spoils system in American politics. He appears on the $20 bill. He was known as Old Hickory.

Happy 4th!!

Happy Birthday America!!


Thank you once again to those dead white European males, our Founding Fathers, who have created the most free nation ever to grace the face of this Earth.

The end of the Democratic Party?

First they kicked out Zell Miller. Then they attacked the DLC and the only Democrat to get elected president in the last 25 years. Al Gore, who used to be a pretty conservative Democrat (hell at one time he was against abortion) is now a leftwing wacko. The latest is that the whole Daily Kos/moonbat wing of the party is trying to run Joe Lieberman out of the party. Things are getting real ugly. We may actually be witnessing the death of the Democratic Party. As much as I hate Hillary, she may be the Democratic Party's last chance to remain viable.

Save the Penny!!!

They're talking about getting rid of the penny again. It seeems it costs 1.2 cents to make the 1 cent coin. Incidentally, it costs more than 5 cents to make a nickel, but no one is talking about getting rid of those. If it's hitting the penny and nickel already, the dime and quarter can't be far behind.

We almost had that one problem once before, but they changed most of the copper in a penny over to zinc. Apparently there is no metal suitable to switch to that is cheap enough.

I have an idea however. If it costs 1.2 cents to make a penny, have a national penny redemption day (or week), say around Lincoln's birthday, in which people can redeem their hordes of pennies for 1.1 cent apiece. The national mint saves a little money, but it gets all of those millions of stored pennies back in circulation, and the mint wouldn't have to make any for a year or two.

Superman Returns

Just got back from the film. It was pretty good, but way too long at 2 hrs 40 min. They could have easily cut out an hour of the chick stuff and the artsy shots. I liked it much better than the Christoper Reeve movies. (although I would have preffered Hackman to Spacey as Luthor...although Spacey didn't do a bad job) I prefer Kate Bosworth as a brunette also.


Still no where near as good as the Spiderman films, Sin City or even the X-Men movies.