Wow

Pat Dewine got crushed in the Ohio-02 special primary yesterday finishing fourth. This, combined with the latest SUSA poll, makes me think that Mike Dewine is extremely vulnerable in the 2006 Senate race.

The 22nd Amendment

There is a big uproar in the left wing blogosphere right now about an attempt to repeal the 22nd amendment being introduced to the Judiciary Committee. Don't worry about it, there is always some jackass trying to do this. The current attempt is probably drawing so much attention because king jackass James Sensenbrenner is a co-sponsor.

Even if this ever somehow managed to get through the federal government, 3/4 of the states would have to ratify this within seven years. That's thirty eight states. This isn't to get Bush a third term, you could never get this done in time for 2008. In fact, you would really have to have it done in less than two years to make Bush a viable candidate in 2008.

The Lynching Apology

The Senate has passed a resolution apologizing for not passing a federal ban on lynching in the past. Fourteen republican Senators failed to co-sponsor this resolution. They were:

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Michael Crapo (R-ID)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Trent Lott (R-MS)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Richard Shelby (R-AL)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Craig Thomas (R-WY)
George Voinovich (R-OH)

It should be known that you can co-sponsor a resolution after it passes.

Daytime ISP Was Down Today

Argh, I'll try to put some stuff up later.

When The Housing Bubble Bursts, Defense Contractor Style

Hmm, my local congressman has his house for sale. Well, maybe its on the market, he hasn't hired a realtor, but I should buy it from him. Why? Because I'm a defense contractor with flat sales numbers and Randy "Duke" Cunningham is a member of the powerful defense appropriations committee. I'll give him a million seven. Then, in a month I will put it back on the market for the same price.

What? It won't sell for the bloated price I paid for it? That's OK, after eight months I will just take a seven hundred thousand dollar loss on the property. After all, my pocket is full of fresh department of defense contracts.

What? Are you alleging that the real estate deal was tantamount to a bribe? I'm shocked that you would think that. If I was trying to bribe a US congressman, do you think I would use an out of state holding company to buy the property? Oh wait, I would, and did.

Look, over there, it's a missing young white girl.

It's My Gavel And I'm Taking It And Going Home

Click the link to watch James Sensenbrenner abruptly bring to an end a committee meeting about Patriot Act renewal and leave. Sensenbrenner was asked to yield the floor several times but would not. I don't have a transcript yet, but I'm pretty sure this was close to his response, "No Sir, I will not yield the floor, I demand to be a cocksucker." or something like that. He then gaveled the meeting closed and walked out the door.

C-Span kept the cameras running, and Jerrold Nadler D-NY continues to lecture the rest of the committee. Its pretty good stuff. He is followed by James Zogby who hits it out of the park. In case you don't want to listen to that blowhard Sensenbrenner, Nadler starts at 4:34 into the video and Zogby goes on at 6:11

Many shouts out to DEMbloggers for hosting this video.

Inspirational Quote For Your Weekend

Governing is not ruling. It's managing diversity. These buttheads want to rule, and the country will not be ruled - ppgaz

Cal Thomas, Shut The Fuck Up And Go Live With The Amish

Pompous gasbag Cal Thomas has a new piece at townhall.com where he suggests that schools need to go back to the 18th century style of teaching. That style was Latin, Greek, and Math. That's it, that's the list. Oh, and if you missed church three times during a semester, you were expelled. Yeah, that would be great. In an ever flattening world (I had to put in the Thomas Friedman plug because he had one column two months ago where he didn't plug his fucking book) where up and coming countries educational systems are surpassing ours by doing the opposite, he wants us to destroy ours.

He also says that phonics were abandoned in the US in the 60's. Fuck, I must be twenty years older than I thought because we studied phonics at my school in the late seventies. I don't know if they still teach it and to be honest I hope I never find out.

Thomas also mentions one non academic study they learned. From townhall.com

One nonacademic subject they also studied was a little booklet called "The Rules of Civility; or The Maxims of Genteel Behavior." While many of the rules can be discarded today (such as the proper placement of one's sword at meals), others recall a lost tradition in human relationships designed to protect and honor half of the human race and to civilize the other half.

There are instructions on how to respect and treat women, often referred to as "ladies." My personal favorite teaches the "proper" way to greet ladies: "It is not becoming a Person of quality, when in the Company of Ladies, to handle them roughly; to put his hand in their necks, or bosoms; to kiss them by surprise; to tear their fans; to snatch away their Handkerchiefs."

Well, Cal, I'll update that booklet for the twenty-first century. From the Onion article "A Gentleman Never Discloses Who Sucked Him Off"

I must say, the quality of discourse in this country has taken a sharp plunge of late, not only among the ruffians and ne'er-do-wells from whom one expects coarse speech, but among gentlemen of letters and esteem. I have, with my own ears, several times in the past week, heard the elder sons of prominent families introduce into mixed company subjects formerly reserved for private discussion among gentlemen. It pains me even to raise this point, but following a string of recent events, there is no question that the adage bears repeating: A gentleman ought never to disclose who sucked him off.

This needn't mean a gentleman must limit the discussion of his exploits to his journal. If a gentleman has met a young lady and taken her to his digs, it is his right and privilege to tell his friends and coworkers about the encounter. However, it is the mark of a true gentleman to omit
his lady friend's name from the discussion of her pussy's tightness.

Nough said. BTW you gotta go to the townhall link above if for nothing else to see his picture.

Armed Forces Relieved Of Duty To Report Recruiting Numbers

America's armed forces will no longer release monthly recruiting numbers. Instead, those numbers will be sent to the Department of Defense for "review" and then released to the public. The Army and Marines have been missing their recruitment numbers lately and have been getting bad press about it.

The shortage of recruits has led recruiters to resort to unsavory practices in order to make their quotas. Last month, there was a one day halting of recruiting supposedly to give recruiters a refresher on allowed practices. That had a lot more to do with public relations than anything else. If you don't believe that, read this story from the Seattle PI about two recruiters basically kidnapping an eighteen year old kid.

As bad as the recruiting numbers are, they are nowhere near as bad as the active accession numbers. The active accession numbers represent the number of soldiers that actually get through boot camp and make it to active duty. In April, the Army only made 58% of it's goal.

Will Rumsfeld fudge the numbers to avoid bad press? I dunno, but I sure as hell don't trust him. After all, it is standard operating procedure for this administration to solve problems simply by stating that there is no problem.

So where does this lead us? A draft is never going to happen, so how do we refill the ranks of the Army, and Marines? I can see only one politically safe way out. (Other than leaving Iraq)
I call it the UNification of the Army and Marines. We start recruiting ex-soldiers from third world countries to join our army in exchange for US citizenship. Who knows where these guys true loyalty is?

Bonus Record Of The Week

The Third Album by urban folk-pop duo Turin Brakes is this week's bonus record of the week. I've been pretty lax on these lately, so you get two this week. JackInABox, which dropped in the States yesterday, is a smooth, chilly, ride that goes well with mild endorphin releasing substances. Thats alcohol for me, but why would I care what you use. Fave song: "Fishing For A Dream"

Record Of The Week

The debut album by The Kaiser Chiefs is one of two records of the week I'll be posting. I increasingly more and more find myself listening to bands with a Brit-Pop type sound. "I Predict A Riot" is my fave.

Whoa Noe!

Tom "short change" Noe, step aside. The lack of governmental oversight by republicans at the Ohio BWC has stepped up the losses. A risky hedge fund the bureau invested in lost $215 million in just a couple of months. Ouch! BTW, both Jim Petro and Bob Taft have known about this for months!

Of course, they both have been busy cashing checks written to them by bureau fund managers. From the Toledo Blade

In mid-April, The Blade reported that Ohio Republicans received more than $455,000 in campaign contributions from employees of the fund managers hired by the bureau for the “emerging managers” program in which Mr. Noe participated.

The big winners included the state Republican Party committees, which received $200,750, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who received $67,130, and Governor Taft, who got $61,875.

But, I'm sure its not a problem, the bureau has an inside woman

Mr. [Mark] Lay also confirmed that Mildred Forbes, the daughter of George Forbes, the vice chairman of the bureau’s Oversight Commission, works for his firm. Ms. Forbes is a senior vice president who works on human resources and compliance issues for MDL.

If you see any of these assholes out on the golf course, be sure to ask them if they want to pay to play through.

Working Without A Wire In Toledo

How in the hell did Toledo, OH. become the fifth most wireless city in the country? I would have doubted they were fifth in Ohio. Weird.

Pit Bulls

I was going to write about the stupid woman in San Francisco whose pit bulls killed her child. I saw her on CNN this morning going on about how this isn't a "dog thing" and that it was simply her childs time to go. A Google search has changed the direction of this post. This is a "dog thing." How do I know?

Aurora Boy, 11, Recovers From Pit Bull Mauling, Postal Carrier From Indianapolis Attacked By Pit Bull, Pit Bull Attacks Several Walkers In West Carroll, OH, Pit Bull Attacks 3 In Dunedin, FL, In Casselberry, FL, Cops Gun Down Attacking Pit Bull, Carmichael, CA Boy Attacked By Pit Bull, Pit Bull In South Charlotte, NC Attacks Couple And Their Dog, St. Charles, MO Police Kill Attacking Pit Bull, Toronto Girl Needs More Surgery After Pit Bull Attack, Pit Bull Attacks Lebanon, NY Man Walking Dog, Pit Bull Attacks Man In Mayfield, VA, Pit Bull Bites Omaha Deputy, Huntington, WV Child Killed By Pit Bull

These stories are all less than three weeks old, and there are tons more, I just got tired of typing in the links. Stupid bitch.

Castro Policy

Slate has a article yesterday on the Bush Administration's policy on Cuba. His policy is nothing new, hell its really Eisenhower's policy. When are we going to learn that embargoes do not work? 45 years of failed policy should teach you that. We have apparently decided that we are going to go this course until Castro dies. Then what?

Castro has not groomed a successor. It is widely viewed that Castro's younger brother Raul, would take control of Cuba upon Fidel's demise. Raul, however, isn't thought to be able to do the job for long. He's 72, and in poor health. So, soon after Fidel's death there is probably going to military junta. So, what are our options when this happens?

One other option is military intervention. Global Security estimates that would take 60,000 troops to pull this off. We don't have them right now, anyway. The Cuban military is the only stabilizing force in Cuba right now. So, an invasion would cause another Iraq type fuck up. Probably even worse as heavily armed exiles would return to forcibly attempt to reclaim their land.

Another option would be to provide air cover for pro democracy forces and let them try to take over. They would be slaughtered, though, and we would be right back where we started from.

I think the way for the US to go in the event of Fidels death would be to let the Cuban military sort it out, then engage the new government. This would be political suicide with 1st generation Cuban exiles, but with Florida going so decidedly red in the last election, this group shouldn't be able to exact as much power on Cuban foreign policy as in the past. Also, if you look at the regimes around the world that have had surges in democracy in the near past has all been in countries with western economic influence. Iraq doesn't count, by the way, while it is true we are dumping a ton of money in there, it doesn't help when you're also killing off their people.

Housekeeping

I'll be fucking around with the HTML code on this site for the next couple of days so you might see some weird shit because I have no fucking clue what I'm doing.

The New Noe Supper Club

Tom Noe has been wining and dining members of the Taft administration at Morton's. Morton's huh, that's significantly more coin than the overvalued pocket change he bought for the state. I wonder if Noe will continue "The Noe Supper Club" on the inside. I can see it now, the elite of cellblock D with a private table with a view of Peter Beach.

OK, that's a little inside, maybe I should explain. PB is a real place in an Ohio penitentiary where the, how should I put this, bitchier prisoners tan in the summer. After all, you don't want to be pasty when you're tossing your man's salad. Then again, maybe Noe will be one of the ones getting a tan. He looks a little soft.

Perhaps Noe can do the same thing as George Sr. on "Arrested Development" did, shove his ass full of Krugarrands, to buy protection.

John at Americablog is outraged about what he perceives as religious discrimination by a program called Snowflakes ran by Nightlight Christian Adoptions. They try to place embryo donors with recipients. Snowflakes is depicted in an article about them in today’s NYT. I think John is overreacting a little bit here.

Yes, it is a fuckwit Christian organization run by fuckwit Christians for fuckwit Christians, but it appears to me it is the donors that are bigoted, not necessarily the organization. From the Times

Couples adopting or donating Snowflakes embryos are mostly Christian, and most embryo donors are white, Ms. Maze said. Some families are Roman Catholic, even though the church has historically opposed in vitro fertilization.

Couples must agree to adoption-like procedures: receiving families are screened and must undergo counseling, and Snowflakes allows donating and receiving families to designate criteria for each other, meet and maintain contact after birth. Adopting couples must agree not to abort any embryos.

Those conditions were fine with Bob and Angie Deacon of Virginia Beach, Va., who donated their 13 embryos after having twins and being discouraged from another pregnancy by a doctor. "With another program, to be honest with you, they could have been adopted by lesbian parents, and I'm totally against that," said Mr. Deacon, 35.

It took two and a half years to bring themselves to fill out the papers. On their forms, they said the adopting family must be conservative Christians and, ideally, include a stay-at-home mother.

I think its pretty clear here that Bob and Angie Deacon are fuckwit bigots. While its sad, the Deacons can and should be able to give or not give their personal property (and it is property, not a life) to anyone they damn well please. I don’t think from this article that Snowflakes is necessarily bigoted, they simply help bigots as a part of their greater cause. I’m sure they help other ethnicities, but the fact is, most people involved in this sort of thing are white fuckwit Christians.

BTW, pictured above are Randy and Julie McClure who also donated embryos. Wow, you gotta be a true believer to have that mixture put in your body. Talk about getting up on the wrong side of the genome.

Live Blogging My Lunch

Didn't feel like leaving the office for lunch today, so I ordered from Bob Evans. Others in the office were ordering from there. I knew I would be disappointed with whatever I got so I decided to conduct an experiment. How bad could could Bob Evans fuck up a grilled cheese, fries, and a bowl of bean soup?

I'll start with the grilled cheese. Billed as American cheese on Texas toast, it was basically just that. But, apparently lining the cheese up with the bread is an unmasterable task. One side was grilled cheese, one side was plain toast. I expected it to be burnt, so at least they got that right.

Now the fries, OK, I can't limit this criticizism to BE. The ONE AND ONLY FUCKING REASON YOU PUT JULIANNED POTATOS IN A DEEP FRYER IS TO GET THEM CRISPY. Sorry about the yelling, but my God, how fucking easy is it to correctly make french fries. Who knows, maybe these sorry soggy pieces of shit are freedom fries.

Lastly, the bean soup. This was somewhat passable as classic bean soup, although it seamed to made from a beef stock unstead of ham.

All and all, pretty crappy.

Hobos Get A Home

This is kinda weird. The Columbus area Metro Parks has granted two homeless men tennent status at the newly aquired Whittier Peninsula. This land is far from developed and I'm sure these two will eventually get the boot. (They have a month to month lease)

BTW, most of the rest of the undeveloped world deals with their homeless problem by allowing squatters to live on unused land. When I was in Caracus, I was amazed at the number of squatters (millions) living on the hillsides that suround the city. Some had even hacked into the electrical grid.