Watergate's Deep Throat Exposed? Former FBI agent claiming to be Deep Throat comes forward

[Posted by james]

A man claiming to be "Deep Throat," Woodward and Bernstein's alleged source in the Watergate coverup, has come forward.

According to Vanity Fair and the AP, former FBI official W. Mark Felt, now 91, confided to his lawyer that he was indeed the secretive Watergate figure. When asked why he didn't come forward sooner, felt told he son that he didn't think that being Deep Throat was anything to be proud of.

The Washington Post, the newspaper that initially broke the Watergate story and that currently employs at least two people that know Deep Throat's identity, has not yet commented on the report.

Update: It's kind of disappointing if Deep Throat isn't someone "sexy" like Henry Kissinger, John Dean or William Rehnquist. Of course, who knows if this is even true? Some University of Illinois students who investigate the mystery named Fred Fielding, the deputy counsel to Nixon as their most likely Deep Throat. Until we hear from Woodward & Bernstein, I'm not going to believe any of this.

Update #2: Here is another article with a little more information. Interestingly, this article quotes Felt as denying that he was Throat in a 1999 interview:

"I would have done better," Felt told The Hartford Courant. "I would have been more effective. Deep Throat didn't exactly bring the White House crashing down, did he?"

I'm going to be very careful about believing this report until it's confirmed. Oh, wouldn't that be a perfect legacy - to have multiple people claiming the "honor," so history will never know for sure. This is going to end up like the Hoffa disappearance or the Kennedy assassination, isn't it?

UPDATE: Woodward confirms that Felt is Deep Throat

(bypass registration)

Washington Post says former FBI official W. Mark Felt was source for leaked secrets about Nixon's Watergate coverup. Confirmation also comes from Carl Bernstein and Ben Bradlee after published admission. – William Branigin, David Von Drehle

aw man. how anti-climatic. I feel so cheap and used.

 

Yanks, Brits - Racists for Lack of Understanding

[Posted by james]

The Guardian reports that call centers in India are experiencing a high turnover rate because of "abuse from British and American customers." That customers are frustrated by and insulting to call center workers is something that I don't have a hard time believing - no one likes surfing through a phone tree, waiting on hold for an hour, only to talk to an incompetent and unqualifed no-education-or-experience-required
off-the-street worker. Believe me, I've spent more than my fair share of time on the phone with customer service representatives (CSR's) and tech support people that have no earthly clue what they're doing.

I've also spent a fair amount of time "on the other side of the line" in the call center - I used to develop software for use in call centers and part of my job was to spend time "in the field" assessing the call center's needs. I've spent dozens of hours in call centers all around the country and I can tell you that every single call center is driven by one thing and one thing only - numbers. It's all about decreasing the cost per call, increasing your resolutions per hour, opening fewer tickets, coming off with a higer customer satisfaction rating, etc.

The standard operating procedure in call centers is to have the CSR's and support people follow an established "decision tree," so when I say that no experience is necessary I literally mean that a 10 year old has enough technical knowledge to work "tech support."

Given this environment, it's no surprise that customers hate talking to a tiny know-nothing cog in the big machine. That the frustration is a direct result of the company trying to keep costs as low as possible is understandable, isn't it? Well, the Guardian article has a different explanation for the abuse dished out to Indian CSR's. According to the Guardian, it's all driven by racism. They quote one worker, "Eugene," as saying:

'There was a lot of racist abuse once people detected from our accents that we weren't English. I saw girls reduced to tears by it.'

OK, "Eugene," I don't think it's your accent that people are reacting to, rather it's the fact that many call center workers in Pakistan don't understand or speak English well enough to have a call center job. I can't tell you how many times I've personally been directed to a call center in India, talking with a "Michele," or a "Steven," or a "Humphrey," that I've had to repeatedly say "What?," or "Say again?," "I didn't understand you," "I can't understand what you're saying."

Pooja Chopra, 29, from Delhi, who spent two years fielding calls for BT Cellnet and America Online, faced similar abuse. 'People would say, "You're a Paki, I don't want to talk to you, pass me to someone who can speak my language".

OK, now I happen to know that Pakistanis consider the term "Paki" to be a derrogatory term, akin to calling someone a "mutt" or a "mixed breed." From what I understand, "Paki" was derived from the first letters of four groups of people living on the land, (p-a-k-i) and "stan" just means "land." Hence "Pakistan," or P-A-K-I land. Given that it _is_ the name they chose for their country I'm not sure how reasonable their objections are, but I can tell you one thing - 95% of Americans and Brits using the term "Paki" have no earthly clue that it might be a derogatory term. People who live in Australia are called Aussies or Australians, and similarly, people assume that Pakistanis are also "Pakis."

What people are really saying is "You're a Paki, You live in Pakistan and don't speak my language, I don't want to talk to you I pay real money to this company and expect to talk to someone who can understand me and whom I can undertand, pass me to someone who can speak my language."

Certainly there is nothing "racist" about objecting to being forced to speak to someone with whom you cannot communicate, is there? Isn't that a reasonable request?

Not if you ask the Guardian.

 

Hell's Kitchen - Week 1

[Posted by John Tant]

I like to cook.

These days I’m all about the barbecue (a subject on which I could write tomes), but I enjoy making just about anything…haute, provincial, I don’t care. I get just as much juice out of making a good jambalaya as I do working up a six-course wine flight menu.

In fact, earlier in my life I toyed with the idea of going into the business. I spent a week at the Culinary Institute of America to explore the option. I read The Making of a Chef several times. And I came to several conclusions:

- Professional chefs work amazingly hard for little money
- To survive the grueling work, egos swell to compensate
- Did I mention the hard work, and the lack of cash?

So I’m content to keep my culinary skills in the hobby stage and exercise them at home. But that doesn’t mean that, deep down, I don’t wonder what would have happened if I had pursued this career.

But I don’t wonder enough to go through what twelve aspiring restauranteurs did, which is compete before Chef Gordon Ramsay. Considered somewhat of an enfant terrible in the culinary world, Ramsay has a reputation of being harsh, particular, nitpicky, and incredibly difficult to work with. Frankly, if you have several Michelin stars under your belt, you can afford to be like that. And the reality is that such attitudes are the norm in the business, not the exception. Yeah, Emeril Lagasse may look like Mellow Yellow on television, but mess up in his kitchen and I guarantee you he’ll use you as a sharpening steel for his chef’s knife.

Hence the premise of Hell’s Kitchen. Twelve people competing. One will emerge victorious. Who will it be?

We start with an aerial of London (did I mention that’s where Ramsay made his bones?) and a mini bio. He explains his management “style” (what someone describes as “The Simon Cowell of the Kitchen”) as a way of getting the best from his staff. Yeah, I heard that before. But the prize is worth it…the winner gets his own restaurant.

The intro begins with an Apprentice rip-off and photos of the staff. I’m not going to describe them all yet. We’ll get to know them later. They have varying degrees of expertise in the business (the pastry chef seems out of his depth, and if you ever met a baker-type you’ll know dealing with pressure is not their strong point...), but it's their earnestness that grates on me. But it's been a long day and I'm sick of earnest.

Anyway, their first task is to make their signature dish and have it ready in 45 minutes…to be presented to Ramsay when he arrives. They scramble like silverfish and run to the kitchen. We get minor snapshots of each of the contestants, and our first cut finger…3 minutes into the show. And one minute after that, someone mentions an endive salad as being her signature dish. Can I ask for a forgery instead? Endive? Puh-leeze.

Presentation time. Ramsay enters and introduces himself. He opens Andrew’s offering, a penne dish called “Andrew’s Absolute Penne.” Ramsay spits it out and calls it dogshit. I laugh. Andrew is a guy who has “10 years experience” in restaurants, and Ramsay calls it a waste of ten years. Earlier, Andrew interviewed that if he couldn’t make it as a chef, he’d go into state politics. Before I offer a recommendation for his fate, I’d really like to know what state he calls home.

The endive salad girl comes up and Ramsay calls it boring. He refrains from spitting it out.

Wendy is next. Her dish features Chinese sausage, with Wendy kissing Ramsay’s ass and saying if she knew he would be there, it would have had lobster instead. Ramsay sees through this and is unimpressed.

Jimmy’s dish comes up with his stuffed chicken breast, and Ramsay calls it a dehydrated camel’s turd. Ramsay throws the food at him. Hoo-rah!

Ralph steps up with his seared rare tuna and noodles. Ramsay seems amazed that Ralph does this for a living.

Here’s comes Hyperventilatin’ Elsie. Ramsay reveals the dish and immediately calls it shit. Tacos with turkey meat. She says she makes it for her children, and Ramsay asks if they’re still alive. But he tastes it and mainly has an issue with presentation.

Dewberry The Pastry Chef makes a baked spaghetti. Ramsay calls it overcooked and terms it children’s food.

Chris the “Executive Chef” makes plank-roasted salmon. Ramsay calls Chris a plank and condemns the salmon as raw. From now on, Chris is The Plank.

Jeff quit his job for this. Ramsay likes his sauce and is easy on him about the rest. I'll tell you, making a decent sauce is challenging and this is no small thang.

Jessica steps up with cajun-style soft shelled crabs and aioli. Ramsay calls it shit and says it’s too bloody spicy.

Michael left the roe on his scallops and stammers about why, sounding like “Um, I did because I thought others would like it but I don’t like it like that, I guess, maybe, but I dunno.” Dude, pick an answer and stick with it. Predictably, Ramsay jumps on him and says he has a palate like a cow’s “backside.”

Carolann’s confesses to no experience, but Ramsay likes her presentation of a chicken parmesan-type dish. He likes simple and appetizing. Something to keep in mind, and actually something I learned at CIA. If you’re going to do a fancy presentation, the food had better be worth it…and it rarely is (as I learned when I tried to make a fancy mussel appetizer). Anyway, Ramsay likes the chicken and berates the “professionals” for being shown up by this woman.

Ramsay interviews that there is very little promise in the group. But he seems confident that he can whip them into shape and says he can make anyone into a master chef. So they’re divided into teams. Ramsay tells them to be prepared for anything and off we go with the sergeant…Ramsay’s sous chef. And now we find out they’ll be living in dorms. How original. Never saw THAT before.

The next task is announced: the kitchen is open for business, that evening. Scary. Cooking for an instructor type is one thing. Cooking for customers is something totally different. You have to produce, consistently, under time pressure, and keep things very organized. Will it happen with this group? As the Owl said, let's find out.

We get a description of the restaurant. It’s like Iron Chef meets The Apprentice. Where’s Erin?!? Anyway, the teams have to learn 5 starters, 5 entrees, 5 desserts. If you aren’t in the business, it’s difficult (imagine someone telling you 15 recipes and you have to do them from memory after a half hour….). And that’s only the food. Ramsay says the restaurant is not just about the food, but the service. He’s right. You can have outstanding food, but if the service sucks you ain’t going to make money. Ramsay picks two people to be waiters and sends them to the dining room…Ralph and Jeff. Jeff says he’s glad, Ralph can’t believe it.

And 7:00 hits, and here we go. Doors are open. Many people in flashy cars show up. Someone asks where Rocco is (or my Tivo got mixed up…). When the orders start coming in, Ramsay starts barking tickets and the kitchen staff seems less than animated. After a less-than-gentle criticism, they jump into action. When the orders start piling up, Ramsay goes into overdrive, riding the ass of everyone in that kitchen. He points out that his reputation is on the line with every plate, and he wants to be sure each one is perfect. There are various missteps by the staff, particularly by The Plank. He gives Ramsay a dish which is overcooked…apparently smarting from Ramsay’s earlier criticism about serving raw salmon. Ramsay goes off on the guy, literally pushing the plate into The Plank’s chest and telling him to do it again. And of course, you can’t just redo one part of the entrée…you have to do the whole thing over again. Ramsay thinks The Plank has a chip on his shoulder (Hey...a funny!). I think The Plank is just trying to prove himself. But he's coming off like he's trying to be a colleague of Ramsay, and Daddy don't play that game.

One of Ralph’s tables is complaining about the service, and Ralph promises to look at it. 50 minutes at the table with no appetizer yet, so they go to talk to Ramsay. Even though they’re hot blondes, Ramsay ignores them and tells others to do the same, saying standards are more important than bimbos. Oh, if only Trump would talk like that. But are the standards outpacing the skill of the staff? After an hour, the kitchens have yet to produce one entrée. Ramsay goes off on Andrew for calling him to his station to answer a question. Ooops…you always go TO the chef, not call the chef TO you. Doh! And just as Jimmy goes to redeem himself, he grabs a sizzle plate BAREHANDED and spills hot grease all over himself. Double Doh! Ramsay says he’s never seen a chef screw up as much as Jimmy has tonight.

An hour later The bimbos go up to Ramsay and complain about hurt feelings. Ramsay says yes, he meant it and tells them to go back to plastic surgery. The bimbos leave the restaurant. Bummer! And they aren’t the only ones. The Maitre d’ says it’s sinking faster than the Titanic. Look, I have no doubt their meals were comped, so stop whining! Geez, someone tells you you're going to get a free meal as part of a reality show, for crying out loud stop at In 'n' Out on the way, you know what I'm saying. So Ramsay tells both kitchens to stop everything. He tells them he’s shutting down the whole shebang. The Maitre d’ has the unenviable task of delivering the news to everyone, at 10:15. Faux outrage results (again, I bet the meal was free, and a little forethought with a Double Double would have spared you people.).

Ramsay chooses a losing team. He calls the evening a disaster. He reads off the customer comment cards and declares the red team as the losing team based on the strength of the customer comments. However, Ramsay saysthe blue team didn’t win either. He then tells Elsie to nominate two of her team for elimination, and Ramsay will pick one of them to leave tonight. Ooooh, pressure!

After some subtle (and not so subtle) butt kissing, (during which she told Dewberry The Pastry Chef that he wouldn’t be going anywhere) Elsie chooses Carolann because she’s a bitch (um, actually because Carolann is the “least knowledgable” and if they’re going to lose anyone stammer stammer it should be someone with no experience stammer stammer.). Weak. Second is….Dewberry. Wow, do we have a cutthroat in our midst? Elsie says it’s because Dewberry had a lack of energy and interest. Um, OK. Ramsay sends Jimmy and Jeff away saying they’re lucky and tells the two nomiees to step forward and tell him why they should stay. Carolann says not to underestimate someone with no experience, and Dewberry says he has base knowledge…which Ramsay ridicules. But ultimately, Carolann goes home.

She turns in her jacket and we get the tag line: Hell’s Kitchen no longer needs you. Awww. I wonder if she’ll get into a taxi. No, just a long hallway and an interview in front of a trash dumpster, along with Ramsay theatrically putting Carolann's chef's jacket onto a meathook. Well, there goes your best chicken chef.

Next week: a faceoff, a US Marine wake up call, no AC in the kitchen, and a desertion. Who will it be? Come back next week and find out!

 

Memorial Day Weekend in Madison

[Posted by kris]

Knowning Madison, as our regulars now do, you're probably expecting a story about how local looney lefties are planning to protest outside the VFW today. And, while there may be a looney or two who is now thinking "Hey, that's a great idea!", in reality Madisonians show their patriotism this weekend, just like anyone else.

Well let me restate that, it's still Madison, so the displays are sometimes a little different. Like this one:

These folks put on a little skit Saturday on the Capitol lawn during the Farmer's Market. And, while they are protesting a perceived intrusion on their 4th Amendment rights, they're doing a fine job of expressing their 1st Amendment rights. Hopefully they'll grow up someday and realize that.

The gentleman below celebrated Memorial Day by running the entire Mad City Marathon with an American flag in his hand:

According to his bib number, he's Peter Stauffacher and he finished 2nd out of 4 men in his age division. This was him at mile 23. We did give him some love with a "USA! USA!" cheer as he jogged by.

Finally, the Wisconsin State Journal published a fantastic story yesterday about a father and son who visited a local graveyard, found a couple of neglected Veteran graves and did some research together to find out more about the lives of the men:

There were no flowers beside John Verner's marker. It appeared that no family members were taking care of his grave. We guessed that this soldier might be lonely. Perhaps his family had moved away. Perhaps there was no one left to say "thank you."

We soon found another veteran whose grave was unadorned: "Douglas D. Crowe. New York. Captain. Vietnam. 1939-1968." Killed in action in Vietnam. A man from New York, buried in Wisconsin. And also alone on this day.

"That's sort of sad," said Daniel.

"Yes, it is," I said.

The warm sunlight slanted through the trees. Quiet groups of people moved through the cemetery, stooping down to decorate a grave, or standing in silent remembrance.

"You know, it doesn't have to be that way," I said.

"What do you mean?" asked Daniel.

"Let's get to know Capt. Crowe and Sgt. Verner. Let's learn about their lives. Maybe we can find their families. Then we'll come back next year and put flowers on their graves."

"Yeah," said Daniel. "We'll come back as their friends."

We left the cemetery enthusiastic about our mission - to learn more about these men, their conflicts, and the American history they made.

I think this is a great idea and I really want to do it myself. But also think about what a great school project this would be. Students would not only learn about history, they'd also gain some really valuable research skills. It's a far better project than some of the America-hating activities some schools currently engage in.

 

Chalk One Up for the Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys

[Posted by Laura]

Amazingly, given the choice for the continued free and sovereign existence of their nation, the French actually chose NOT to surrender their sovereignty to the EU by ratifying the EU Constitution. Shocking, but true. And I have to hand it to Chirac for once. The treaty could - and would - have been ratified in a parliamentary vote but he actually let the people speak, and they spoke loudly. With 83% of the votes counted so far, 57% of the people voted no. Unfortunately, this probably does not end the attack - from the Scotsman

But the French "godfather" of the treaty said that such a result would not be allowed to stand.

"Those who did not vote for the constitution, we will ask them to re-vote," said Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the former French president who led the Constitutional Convention that wrote the treaty.

Nine of the EU member nations have ratified the treaty, but eight of those nations did so by parliamentary procedure instead of a popular vote.

Just a few of the problems with the European Constitution are:
- All EU law prevails over national laws and national constitutions
- Only the EU Court, no national high court, has jurisdiction on questions of EU member state's competence.
- In the area of Justice and Home Affairs Member States lose their competence to legislate when the Union exercises its own. This basically means that the Union only needs to adopt a piece of legislation in the area of JHA, to make the Member States lose their competence.

The reader friendly version of the 60,000 page Constitution - as opposed to our own constitution of less than 5,000 words - can be read here.

Updated: Via Daily Pundit, the blog EU Referendum is a great roundup of EU news, and has plenty on reaction to France's rejection of the EU Constitution.

 

Great Americans - Part 8 - Political Figures

[Posted by kris]

Elvis Presley was the winner of the musicians category. He'll join John Wayne, Mark Twain, Jim Thorpe, George S. Patton, Henry Ford and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the finals.

The next category is political figures. At first I thought that maybe there would be some non-Presidents in here, people like Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, George Marshall and Sam Adams. But, with only nine choices, they're all Presidents. Have at it:

The polls are closed. George Washington was our winner.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the categories:

1. Actors & Directors: May 9-11
2. Artists & Writers: May 12-14
3. Athletes: May 15-17
4. Business Leaders: May 18-20
5. Champions of Causes: May 21-23
6. Heroes & Icons: May 24-26
7. Musicians: May 27-29
8. Politicians: May 30-June 1
9. Scientists, Inventors & Explorers: June 2-4

 

Greatest Americans - Part 7 - Musicians & Singers

[Posted by kris]

You all voted General George S. Patton as the greatest American Hero or Icon. The General will join John Wayne, Mark Twain, Jim Thorpe, Henry Ford and Martin Luther King, Jr. in the finals.

Our next category is musicians and singers. Now, before you all protest at my choices, I have to point out that these are not necessarily my favorites. I tried to limit the list to those artists that are widely respected for their singing and/or musicianship. If this was a list of my favorites, believe me, it'd look far, far different and James would complain that no one had heard of any of them ;-).

So, without further ado, go ahead and pick the next Greatest American:

The polls are closed and Elvis Presley was our winner.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the categories:

1. Actors & Directors: May 9-11
2. Artists & Writers: May 12-14 (This will replace "Political Figures")
3. Athletes: May 15-17
4. Business Leaders: May 18-20
5. Champions of Causes: May 21-23
6. Heroes & Icons: May 24-26
7. Musicians: May 27-29
8. Politicians: May 30-June 1
9. Scientists, Inventors & Explorers: June 2-4

 

The Oh-So-Holy Quran

[Posted by Laura]

Ken Woodward has an article on Saturday’s WSJ opinion page that posits the idea that the Quran is “infinitely” more sacred to Muslims than the Bible or the Torah is to Christians and Jews.

The Quran is not "the Bible" of Muslims. It is infinitely more sacred than that. To use a Jewish analogy, it is more like the oral Torah first revealed on Mount Sinai, which was later passed on orally through the prophets and eventually written down on scrolls for all to read. Whereas Christians regard the Bible as written by human beings inspired by God, Muslims regard the Quran--the word means "The Recitation"--as the very words of God, revealed aurally to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic. To hear those words recited is, for Muslims, to hear Allah. If, for Christians, Jesus is the logos or eternal Word of God made flesh, the Quran is the Word of God made book, and every Arabic syllable in it lives as the breath of the divine.

Ken Woodward has taken the time to inform himself on what some, or even many, Muslims believe, but is not as well informed about the faith this country was founded on. Typical MSM. Most Christians do, in fact, regard the bible as the literal word of God, yes, written down by people the same as the Quran was written down by people.

All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 MKJV)

We believe that to read the bible is to read the actual, literal words of God. The fact that Mr. Woodward did not bother to learn this about Christianity speaks volumes about his bias.

So the Muslims who hold the Quran in such high esteem have counterparts, at least in the Christian faith, I’m not sure about Judaism, although I think it likely. Various Christian denominations hold this in differing levels of importance, akin to the doctrinal differences of Shia, Sunni, and Wahhabi Muslims.

Now for a real paradigm shift. Taking it at face value that people of various religions do hold these sincere and devout beliefs, SO WHAT?!

Just because you may hold a sincere belief on some topic does not entitle you to anything beyond what other people have. Are Muslims entitled to more respect for their faith than Christians, Jews or atheists? No, they are not. And it’s about time we stopped according that undeserved, hypocritical hyper-deference, unless we’re prepared to start giving that to every person who holds sincere and devout beliefs, regardless of what those beliefs are. Jim Jones and David Koresh sincerely believed, should their beliefs have been catered to and accorded respect based on the level of sincerity they and their followers had? We are free to believe in the Great Almighty Potatohead if we choose, as long as our beliefs do not cause harm to others. We should not expect others to agree or like it, or act like they do. And that’s how it should be.

The next time a government official apologizes for any alleged or actual “desecration” of the “Holy Quran” pause for a moment and think about how many politicians favor NEA funding of sacrilegious art – so long as it is blasphemy to Christianity or Judaism, that is - in the name of freedom of expression. If desecration of two of the worlds three major religious denominations is permissible in the name of art and freedom of expression, then it is also permissible for the third, especially as a non-violent interrogation technique. If we have not used it as such before, we should certainly start.

 

My Ward is Left of Churchill

[Posted by kris]

As longtime readers know, I live in looney liberaland. And now, I have concrete proof. In fact, I dare anyone to out-liberal me.

This week, Madison rejected two out of three school funding referendums. The most contraversial question asked whether the Madison School District could exceed the state's revenue cap by $7.4 million for an indefinite period of time. 56% of Madison voters said "no" to this proposal. However, in my looney ward, 73% voted YES.

A quick look at the Dane County Clerk's website showed that this was hardly the first time that my Ward has been out of touch with even the rest of Madison liberals. The numbers paint a rather extremist picture of the area:

• 94% of the Ward voted for John Kerry, only 153 people voted for President Bush. In fact, almost twice as many people voted against the school referendum referenced above than voted for Bush.
• Similarily, 96% of voters chose the Democrat's candidate for the Senate and 94% voted to re-elect Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. While this isn't quite a Saddam Hussein's 100% victory, it's pretty close. My diverse and tolerant neighborhood isn't very diverse, is it?
• A mere 40 people voted in the Republican Presidential Primary in the spring of 2004. Now sure, Bush was the only viable candidate, but even in 2000, only 173 people voted in the contested Republican primary.

The most interesting result I found occured in the 2004 September Primary for the House of Representatives. Two Republicans faced off: Dave Magnum, a radio station owner who ended up winning the Primary and Ron Greer, a perpetual candidate whose claim to fame is being fired from the Madison Fire Department for handing out anti-Gay literature on the job. Guess who took my ultra-liberal Ward in a landslide? That's right, the homophobe took 64% of the vote! Now how could that be? Is it possible that these sensitive, tolerant liberals purposely voted in the Republican primary for the most distasteful candidate to try to make sure that Congresswoman Baldwin wouldn't face a serious challenge? Nah, they wouldn't play politics like that ;-)

 

American Idol Recap - Who Won Season Four

[Posted by kris]

Seacrest is in under a dramatic spotlight as our finale begins. And, just like that, the bad medleys start. It's the Beach Boy. Our rejected Idol contestants come on out wearing crisp white pants. I hope no one spills anything!

A quick review: Lindsay sounds awful, Jessica sounds amazing, as do Vonzell & Nadia. Federov, who is spared from the curse of the white pants, gets a nice solo on "Surfer Girl". Nikko gets a solo too, but let's just say that it's not so nice. Yikes! Constantine? Oh baby, he gets around, dontcha know?

Seacrest hypes the rest of the show and the "stars" in the house and introduces the red carpet host: Mikalah Gordon. Hmmm, okay, this could be fun.

Mikalah has lightened her hair and looks completely different. She actually does a great job. She's like a young Joan Rivers, only cuter and more coherent. She'll never make it as a singer, but she could certainly be an MTV personality. I guess that's something.

A season review commences: bad singers across the USA, Hollywood, semis, final 12. You know the drill.

Random question: McDonalds spends millions and millions of dollars on advertising. Why is it that they never have decent commercials?

Seacrest visits Bo's dressing room (get your mind out of the gutter!) and shows a clip of Bo's fans live in Alabama. LaToya London (who was robbed, by the way), is in Birmingham with Bo fans. Oooh, yesterday was apparently "Bo Bice Day" in Alabama. Take that, Underwood! After that, Bo performs "Vehicle" again. I've liked this song ever since I "discovered" it on my sister's Have A Nice Decade 7 CD set, but enough is enough. Great God in heaven Bo, I know you love me. Now sing me something new.

After the break, it's Carrie Time in Oklahoma. The first lady of OK, who looks like she just stepped off the stage of the 1986 Miss Oklahoma pageant, declares that Carrie will win. Nasty Matt Rodgers from last season tries to hit on her. Blech. Speaking of blech, Carrie sings "Angels Brought Me Here" again. Oh dear, once again I just have to say what a horrid song this is. Idol should ban songs about dreams for a year or so. Don't worry, they could still sing about miracles. And heaven. And believing.

Now Ryan's skulking around outside the judges' dressing rooms. Oh look, there's Corey Clark. Just kidding ;-) Randy thinks Carrie won the night. While I tend to agree with him, I think Bo will win this easily and the judges are just trying to make it more dramatic for ratings purposes. Speaking of drama, we are "treated" to a clip of the dramatic Season One kiss between Paula & Simon. My eyes!

Back in Birmingham, LaToya interviews some of Bo's friends (the two that look like the hicks from the Dodge Hemi commercials). Hilariously, we can hear Simon and Ryan commenting on how "they're all drunk". I don't think they realize we can hear them. What a disaster. Not to whine, but couldn't this just be an hour long show? Why must they torture me?

WTF? As the second hour kicks off, they have some terrible singer making a mockery of the National Anthem. That really ticks me off. You don't purposely make fun of the National Anthem. Fox should know better.

It's a duet! Carrie & Bo join together to sing "Up Where We Belong". Oh no. They don't sound good together. Their voices just don't seem to mesh. People make fun of Season One's Justin Guarini now, but he and Kelly really did sound fantastic together. But, Bo is wearing leather pants!, so does any of it really matter?

This episode is mostly filler and a review of all the bad auditions. We see Dirk from St. Louis again. I think Dirk is mildly retarded. He's obsessed with David Hasselhoff and as a reward for being a good sport, the show has not only brought Dirk to the finale, they have also seated Mr. Hasselhoff right next to him. On one hand, that's cool. But on another hand, why are they continuing to make fun of Dirk? Are they trying to break all kinds of taboos tonight? First the National Anthem, then the mentally challenged. What's next?

And the answer is, nothing is taboo, as the show rather shockingly mocks ABC's Idol Expose with a canned piece that claims Simon's affair with himself has damaged the integrity of the show. Heh, okay that was kind of cute, even the inevitable William Hung cameo.

Medley #2 features the contestants with their idols. Carrie sings with some paunchy country guy. Roscoe something (not P. Coltrane). Whoever he is, he sounds so much better with Carrie than Bo does. This is the kind of music Carrie should sing. It's quite lovely.

Anthony and Anwar sing with Kenny G. Seriously. I'm not even making that up. Heh, it gets worse, they're singing "I Believe I Can Fly". With Kenny G. The wussiness is so overwhelming, it's actually created a vacuum in which all masculinity has left the stage.

Until, that is, Constantine, Jessica and Nadia sing "Walk This Way" with Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Damn. Constantine should have performed this on the show. He's fantastic. Jessica is hot and raunchy while Nadia rocks (finally!) If any of the three of them had busted out a performance like this during the season, they might very well be in the final two themselves. But, after hearing the singles, maybe they're the smart ones.

Punkass & Nikko sing "Nights on Broadway" with George Benson. Eff Punkass. I'm sick of writing about him. Vonzell sings a duet with Billy Preston. It's kind of a mess. Vonzell is just all over the place when she sings. I think that makes it hard for anyone to sing with her as they have no idea what she's going to do.

Lindsay & Mikalah sing something with Babyface. In the words of Kelly Clarkson, this is going to be a beautiful disaster. Hmmm, actually, I take it all back. Individually, they suck, but together they work. They're like the Wonder Triplets.

Finally(!), Bo sings "Sweet Home Alabama" with Lynnard Skynnard. Bo looks like he's in heaven. He's soooo happy to be fronting the band. And seriously, the band's looking kind of grim. Bo would get all the groupies.

And now, at last, it's go time. The results are in. Carrie and Bo both look like they're going to throw up. And here we go, after over 500,000,000 votes throughout the course of the season, America has decided that Carrie is the American Idol! Wow. I'm shocked that Carrie was the winner. And so is the crowd, some of whom are actually booing.

Congratulations Carrie! So, where does Carrie stack up against the ghosts of Idols past? You make the call:

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American Idol Recap - The Season Finale - The Final Two Perform

[Posted by kris]

Overture, curtain, lights
This is it, the night o' nights
No more rehearsing and nursing our parts
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtain, lights
This is it, to hit the heights
And, O what heights we'll hit
On with the show, this is it
Tonight what heights we'll hit
On with the show, this is it.

Seacrest in from the Kodak Theatre. Two people. One Idol. It's the finale. Boy vs. Girl (in the world series of love?).

Tonight's theme is "songs from Bugs Bunny". Just kidding! But wouldn't that be awesome? I'd totally vote for whoever sang "Hillbilly Hare" ("Kill the Wabbit" is played out, wouldn't you agree?). Nope, instead the contestants will sing two new songs (their potential singles?) and reprise one of their favorites from the season.

If they're going to do a coin toss, shouldn't they bring in Fantasia or something to sing the National Anthem? I mean, come on, we all know that all the Star Spangled Banner is missing is 10 "yeah yeah yeahs" at the end of every verse. In any case, after Ryan initially flips the coin down a drain, Carrie wins and chooses to receive, err...go second.

Bo kicks off with "The Long, Long Road". This must be one of the doomed Idol's singles and I don't want to hear it again. It's a long, long, long, loooong road. And a boring one too. I can't tell if it's winding. Bo is having a hard time being heard above the din of the (on stage!) backup singers. I think this performance is really highlighting the fact that Bo is not an amazing vocalist. Don't get me wrong, I like him, but pure singing isn't his strength, his passion is.

Randy: Bad news is he hates the song. Good news is he already has his fanbase.
Paula: It's hard to sing a song nobody knows. But everyone "vibes" with him, so it's okay.
Simon: "You look like my chemistry teacher and it was a very dreary song. You have to do better."
Kris: Huh? Did Bo sing? I think I just fell asleep.

Bo graciously accepts the criticism, but gives the song faint praise. Bo's a right-thinking man.

Carrie sings "Inside Your Heaven". This song is slightly better than what Bo had to sing, but it's still schlocky as all hell. And ouch, Carrie is just not hitting the notes at all and she looks like she's trying to swallow the microphone. Carrie, to her credit, recovers towards the end and at least finishes the song well.

Randy: Wow (as in, "wow, that's bad"?). Bad news: the song sucks. Good news: the ending was good.
Paula: You sang the beautifully, but had bad notes. But, who cares about silly things like notes.
Simon: Much better than the first song. Round one Carrie.
Kris: The ending saved her.

Round One: Carrie, but just by a smidgen.

Bo is back and singing his favorite song of the season: "Vehicle". This is the Bo we know and love. Damn, Bo is pulling out all the stops and even swiveling his hips a little bit. That might be too much for Miss Paula to handle.

Randy: Great song. Just what Randy wanted, he almost pulled a "dawg" out of him.
Paula: The Bo we know and love. What? Paula is copying me now? Bitch.
Simon: Welcome back to the competition.
Kris: They hyped Bo as the rocker and that's what I want to see. I don't want to ever have to see schlocky ballad Bo. If that's what is going to happen to him, all I can say is "Go Carrie Go!"

The Idol rejects are in the House! Even Punkass. Blech. Anyway, Carrie is up again singing Martina McBride's "Independence Day". Just as with Bo, this is the Carrie we know, love and want to see more of. It's funny that the contestants have a far better idea of what their fans want than whatever idiot is writing and choosing tonight's original tunes.

Randy: Welcome back Carrie. This is the Carrie I love.
Paula: Ditto. Yeah, that's literally what she said.
Simon: Not a great vocal. He wanted her to sing "Crying" from last week again.
Kris: Simon's a moron. She did that song last week twice. We don't need to hear it again. She was smart to sing country, that's her base.

Round Two: Bo, but again it's very close. It's all going to come down (at least in my mind) to the final song from each contestant.

Oh crap, now Bo is singing "Inside Your Heaven". Bo's take on it is a little more stripped down and soulful. Poor Bo, this isn't the type of song he should have to sing. This would have been perfect for Federov. But, idiot producers, we voted Federov off. Bo is doing his manly best to wail at the end of the song, but actually, Carrie outwailed him on it. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

Randy: You made me love the song. Amazing! Yeah, loving that song is amazing.
Paula: I fell in love with the song.
Simon: I saw your nerves, but you outsang Carrie. It's been a pleasuring having him on Idol.
Kris: I still hate the song.

Carrie sings a different song, "Angels Brought Me Here". Sometimes you can tell a song will be awful just by its name. This is one of those times. Like Bo, Carrie is trying her heart out trying to give this song a flavor besides vanilla. She's got a bit of a country twang in her voice, but, unfortunately, the backup singers are not playing along. However, she leaves them in the dust with some beautiful glory notes near the end, but then her voices breaks at the very end of the song. I don't know if that's a mistake or just her emotions coming through. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

Randy: She gets the Dawg standing O
Paula: I think Paula just gave her a lifetime achievement award. WTF?
Simon: You've done enough to win.
Kris: Carrie's always on the cusp of doing something great, but she never quite gets there.

Round Three: I'm going to go with Carrie because she did a better job of tailoring the song to her own style.

So, I guess that means I'd give the win to Carrie. I'm not sure I really mean that, but I think Carrie would make a better Idol and Bo should get together with a band and have a hell of time touring and making the records he wants to make.

Last week, you guys were right about Vonzell going, so who's your pick this week?

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So Does This Make Me a Traitor or a Candy-Ass?

[Posted by Thierrion Kagan]

I’m glad the Senate found a compromise, and I’m glad the Democrats can save face.

There was nothing to be gained long-term by using the nuclear option. We could’ve had our way for two years—and it would’ve been nice to watch Reid-Boxer-Byrd limited to sound bites while we actually DID things—but we reap what we sow in this life.

How stable is our current majority? Think about it. One mistake. One badly-timed, media-hyped mistake…and we faced the very real possibility of being nuked ourselves, as the precedent would have already been established.

The party line here is anger. Outrage that our Senate has been emasculated. And y’know what? Get over yourselves.

Last week the Democrats were claiming Janice Rogers Brown said that senior citizens cannibalize their grandchildren. Today they voted to give her cloture. Why’s that?

Janice Rogers Brown is African-American. And she’s female. What’s the Democratic voting base again?

They simply could not STAND to see a Black woman nominated for an Appellate Court by a Republican president, Republican House and Republican Senate.

They had to get their fingerprints on it. So they played some politics.

And now they look like heroes.

Big deal.

All they did was bring more pressure on themselves to get cloture on ALL the nominees.

Can’t wait to see ‘em struggle to justify “extraordinary circumstances”. And when they do try to justify it….it’ll look like they went back on their word.

Perfect!

Let ‘em take a little credit. And be prepared to nuke ‘em when they shoot themselves in the foot.

Because that’s what happens when you renege on a goodwill gesture.

We reap what we sow.

 

Greatest Americans - Part 6 - Heroes & Icons

[Posted by kris]

Martin Luther King, Jr. was the runaway winner of the "Champions of Causes" category. He'll join John Wayne, Jim Thorpe, Mark Twain and Henry Ford in the finals. Wow, our finals are shaping up to be a fantastic battle.

A couple of notes. After reading "The Genius of the People", I've decided to change the "Presidents" category to simply "Politicians". It occurs to me that there are some very deserving people who never became President. And, the final category is going to be "Scientists, Inventors & Explorers".

Our new category is "Heroes & Icons". After my first run through, I realized I had 5 pilots on the list. That wasn't going to do, so I narrowed it down to just two. Maybe Neil Armstrong wasn't the greatest pilot, but he certainly fits the "Icon" criteria. Otherwise, this was a really fun category to put together. I hope you all have fun voting on it.

Voted has ended. In a fairly tight contest, General George S. Patton defeated the field.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the categories:

1. Actors & Directors: May 9-11
2. Artists & Writers: May 12-14 (This will replace "Political Figures")
3. Athletes: May 15-17
4. Business Leaders: May 18-20
5. Champions of Causes: May 21-23
6. Heroes & Icons: May 24-26
7. Musicians: May 27-29
8. Politicians: May 30-June 1
9. Scientists, Inventors & Explorers: June 2-4

And the finals will be held from June 5-7.

 

Filibuster Compromise

[Posted by Laura]

John "Amnesty for Illegals" McCain is announcing the latest Republican failure to acknowledge that they won the last election. Surrounded by Dummocrats and RINOs, including my state's excuse for a Senator, faux Catholic Mary Landreiu, he said that the agreement averted a "crisis" that would have lasting, damaging impact on the Senate. Myers and Saad will be sacrificed to the tyranny of the minority. They may not have passed a vote, but they should at least have had the chance. The Democrats agree not to filibuster except in extraordinary circumstances - like in the case of Supreme Court nominations, for example? No, I'm sure they'll be models of restraint when the time comes. You betcha.

 

The Genius of the People

[Posted by kris]

With the judicial filibuster debate raging, I thought it'd be a good time to learn more about the Constitution and try to get an idea of what the Framers were really thinking back in that sweltering summer of 1787. So today I started reading Charles Mee's "The Genuis of the People". The book tells the story of the Constitutional Convention.

I'm about three quarters of the way through and it's funny how sometimes I side with the Madisonians and their concept of a strong central government. Other times, I shake my head at Madison and wonder how he couldn't understand the fears of the smaller states.

As I read, there are men I'm less than impressed with (Alexander Hamilton is one, I don't like his rather elitist dismissal of the people) and while there are obvious heroes like Washington, Madison and Franklin, one of the men I most admire so far is George Mason. Prior to today, my knowledge of George Mason consisted of the fact that he has a University named after him (a friend of mine went to it). But now I know that Mason, in spite of his patrician background, was yet another true champion of the people.

In addition to conflicts between North & South, big states and small states, and proponents of local vs. centralized government, the Constitution Convention tackled the question of how to deal with imminent inclusion of Western states into the Union. Many delegates tried to frame the Constitution to permanently vest power in the more "enlightened" East. As Gouverneur Morris said:

Westerners would certainly "not be able to furnish men equally enlightened to share in the administration of our common interests. The Busy haunts of men-not the remote wilderness-was the proper School of political Talents. If the Western people get the power into their hands they will ruin the Atlantic interests."

To this Mason, from the traditional seat of power in Virginia, said:

if Western states were to be brought into the Union at all, "they must be treated as equals, and subjected to no degrading discriminatins. They will have the same pride and passions whic we have, and will not unite with or will speedily revolt from the Union, if they are not in all respects placed on an equal footing with their brethren."

Later in the Convention, Mason, himself a large land owner, again stood up for the common people, when it was proposed that suffrage be restricted to freeholders. Mason said:

"every man having evidence of attachment to and permanent common interest with the Society ought to share in all its rights and privileges. Was this qualification restrained to freeholders? Does no other kind of property but land evidence a common interest in the proprietor? Does nothing besides property mark a permanent attachment? Ought the merchant, the monied man, the parent of a number of children whose fortunes are to be pursued in their own Country, to be viewed as suspicious characters, and unworthy to be trusted with the common rights of their fellow Citizens?"

One of the things that's so great about Mason (and really, this applies to so many of the Framers) is that he didn't go to the Convention strictly to advance the cause of "his kind". I know some Democrats won't understand this, but Mason went against his own self interest and instead tried to do what he believed was right for his country.

I'm not sure what the Framers would think of we should do about the judicial filibusters. They saw the Senate as a check on the passions of the House, not on the powers of the President. But, they were just as worried about a tyranny of a majority (hence the Senate check on the House) as of a tyranny of a minority (the House check on the Senate). Of course, at the end of the day, those men were capable of crafting compromises that preserved our more perfect Union. Hopefully the "wise" men and women in the Senate today can do the same.

 

Greatest Americans - Part 5 - Champions of Causes

[Posted by kris]

Henry Ford narrowly defeated Sam Walton in the "Business Leaders" category. He'll join Mark Twain, John Wayne, and Jim Thorpe in the finals.

Our latest category is "Champions of Causes", this one is kind of mismash and has some people that just don't fit anywhere else. Have at it:

Martin Luther King, Jr. was our runaway winner. See the results here.

Note: Here's the schedule for the rest of the categories:

1. Actors & Directors: May 9-11
2. Artists & Writers: May 12-14 (This will replace "Political Figures")
3. Athletes: May 15-17
4. Business Leaders: May 18-20
5. Champions of Causes: May 21-23
6. Heroes & Icons: May 24-26
7. Musicians: May 27-29
8. Presidents: May 30-June 1
9. Scientists (I'll include inventors): June 2-4

 

Calling All Movie Pirates

[Posted by Thierrion Kagan]

I want to take time out to encourage everyone, everywhere, to steal music.

Download it. Rip it, send it, burn it. And don’t pay.

Because musicians obviously feel uncomfortable with money.

Make no mistake. I AM TELLING YOU TO STEAL!! Download all the music you can, and do NOT pay a cent! In fact, don’t spend any of your time doing it. Time is money, right? Just make all your selections at once, click download and walk away.

Why am I doing this?

Because I’m a nice guy.

Look—I’m a white male over 35. People look at me as the Big Daddy Oppressive White Boss, and it hurts. This is one of those stereotypes you just can’t behave your way out of….and I would hate like hell for anybody else to feel that way.

So…for the good of all men (and womyn)….for the spirits of the musicians who provide us with something to crank so we don’t have to listen to that noise our cars are making….

STEAL. STEAL. STEAL.

Now, I know some of you may have been taught by “moralists” that stealing is wrong. But this is a victimless crime. Bands want to make music, but they don’t want to take money…or else they’ll get rich. Kids want to listen to music, but don’t always have the money to get all the music they want

See how oppressive money is? It’s keeping you from having everything you want!

We’re all consenting adults here: the band gets to do what they want….without having to feel bad….and you get what you want….just because you want it….without having to earn it!!

Everybody wins!

So go on. Go steal! Start here!

And furthermore….

…if you’ve got the resources, STEAL MOVIES!!

Hollywood, you’ve jacked up our ticket prices, jacked up rental prices, and for some reason STILL try to sell us the same Milk Duds that have been sitting there since the FIRST “Star Wars”…..while you continue to give us a more and more half-assed product…..and in return you insult the country that provides you with the freedom necessary to indulge your imaginations and transform your dreams into a life of luxury, hedonism, and privilege.

You piss in our faces, Hollywood. And we owe you.

All aboard, movie pirates!

YEEEEEAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGG!

 

Star Wars : A Rant

[Posted by John Tant]

It was easier when I was seven.

That's how old I was when Star Wars came out. Back then, of course, it was just "Star Wars." None of that "Episode IV" crap. Just Star Wars. And it was kewl.

Seriously kewl. My grandfather had a big Stanley tape measure that I fastened to the sawed-off end of a broom handle and voila! I had a homemade lightsaber (with adjustable blade, both in standard AND metric!). Later my mom took pity on me and bought the lightsaber toy made by Kenner...which was a flashlight attached to a frosted plastic tube (You know, these kids have it easy these days with toy lightsabers which actually retract, but when *I* was a kid we didn't have that luxury!). Oh, the memories. And at one point I even had all the action figures. All twelve of them. You would then send in the proofs of purchase and seventy five cents and Kenner would send you a free display stand. Shortly thereafter, Kenner came out with another twelve and screwed me up for life.

So what was it about for me? It was about fantasy. It was about watching robots and spaceships and lasers going all over the place. It was about wondering what a Jawa looked like without the robe. It was wondering what was up with that Darth Vader guy. It was about making my mom watch that Christmas Special with me. It was about wishing I had a lightsaber. Star Wars showed a black/white world. It showed baddies who were indisputably bad. Their motives didn't matter at all. They were just bad. And it showed good guys who were good. Again, because they were just good. To a seven-year old (and to those much older) that's really all you needed.

Three years later I remember being totally bummed by Empire because it was such a downer (who would want to marry Darth Vader?!?). And three years after that I thought seeing Jabba was kind of kewl, and the new Death Star was OK, but...Ewoks?!? What, stormtroopers could slaughter Jawas but Ewoks were beyond their capabilities? If only the Jawas had hang gliders, everything would have been OK?

And that's when it left me. I was 13 when Return of the Jedi came out, and was in the process of graduating to more adult things. See, I never looked at the movies as anything other than a couple of hours of escapism. Frankly I was more impressed with Carrie Fisher as a slave girl than I was with the spaceships. But I still watched. And I still caught the "making of" specials on television. And that's when I finally realized that George Lucas may be a gifted man, but there's one thing that remains forever out of his reach...the art of bullshitting.

When Star Wars first came out, Lucas wasn't out there saying he had eight more films. He wasn't talking about a grand saga he had written. No, this was a standalone story. It was "Episode IV" because that was a device to make the Star Wars universe look like it had a lot of history behind it. It had throwaway events like the Clone Wars mentioned as if they happened a loooong time ago to create a sense of mystery and intrigue. It was only after the runaway success of the film that suddenly there was a larger story to be told. We had 20th Century Fox go to Lucas asking about a possible sequel, and like any good writer Lucas said yeah, I have lots of stuff, and the myth of eight more films came to life.

But it was lukewarm bullshit at best. If you have a big story to tell, why not start at the beginning? Well, because there WAS no "beginning." Star Wars (Episode IV) was it. Everything else was made up by Lucas on the fly and as he went along. Scads of continuity errors make this pretty evident. Lucas tried to "fix" those with numerous re-releases under various rationalizations (yeah, like Lucas didn't have the technology at the time to make Greedo shoot first. Whatever.), but the reality is the "clear vision of Lucas" for the flicks have always been mercurial, bending to the whims of the franchise owner.

And now we have "Episode III." Now we have Lucas out there changing his story AGAIN...that Star Wars wasn't about Luke Skywalker after all, but rather the redemption of Darth Vader. Funny that, because in his novelization George Lucas quite clearly described it as "From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker" and Darth Vader's portrayal was decidedly different than Lucas is now selling it. And if you want to channel your uber-geek, read the first drafts of the film, back when Darth Vader was "a tall, grim-looking general" hanging around the "evil Governor Hoedaack." None of the broad themes Lucas is now saying were always there were actually evident. So frankly, if Lucas had Vietnam on his mind when he wrote even that first draft, he isn't even bullshitting...he's delusional.

Look. I like the first movie, and I'm OK with the second one (The rest of them? Well.....). But let's not lose sight of the appeal of the franchise. It's popular because it's simple. It's a clear presentation of universal themes. It's good vs. evil. This whole business of Darth Vader suddenly being Luke's father was nothing more than a soap opera moment, with a brother/sister followup in the third movie. But even with that, I still like the flick. So why is there this sudden insistence by the Left to claim it as some kind of morality play? I can (mostly) ignore Lucas' inconsistent ramblings because I think he's just trying to sell the flick. If saying it has an anti-American bent will get more butts in French seats, then he'll say it. If saying there's a larger story surrounding the first movies will create intrigue and buzz, Lucas will say it. Lucas has long been proving that his god is the dollar (Exhibit A: Darth Vader Cheezits). But I do kind of resent the Left trying to claim this franchise as their own. It's like they're trying to rob the memories from that seven-year-old kid playing with a tape measure and a broom handle.

 

The Nature of Dissent

[Posted by kris]

Recents posts like my post on a Seattle school's opposition to having military recruiters on campus and John's story about how liberals have latched on to the latest Star Wars movie as some kind of anti-American diatribe have got me thinking about the nature of modern dissent in America.

Men and women have fought and died to make sure that we have the right to disagree with our government. I thank God for them because, as Ronald Reagan said:

"The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away."

Let's face it, often times the government is inefficient at best and simply wrong at worst. However, the looney left isn't saying the American government is wrong. They're saying the American government is evil.

To illustrate the difference, consider the following two arguments:

1. "I don't support the war in Iraq. I, like most Americans, originally supported the war because I believed Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and under a leader like Saddam Hussein, thought it was an imminent threat to the United States. However, we didn't find any big stockpiles of WMDs there, and that made me question our motives for going to war. Bush says he wants to bring democracy to the Middle East, and while that's a noble goal, I don't think it's the best way to fight the War on Terror. I think we're going to radicalize a bunch of Muslims and make the region far worse before it gets better. Wouldn't we be better off getting out of Iraq as soon as possible and concentrating our fight against terrorism on securing our borders with the occasional covert action about specific targets? Bringing democracy to the Middle East would be great, but, in my mind, the risks associated with that goal far outweigh the rewards."

2. "Everybody knows that Bushitler lied about WMDs in Iraq because he wanted to attack Saddam to avenge his father and get oil for Halliburton. America is well on the way to becoming an evil empire to rival the Soviet Union. Just look at what happened at Abu Ghraib and what's going on down in Gitmo. I'm ashamed of this country and I can't blame the insurgents for hating us."

The first argument is one that, while I disagree with it, I can respect. I know many people who oppose the war in Iraq. Some of them even post here. It's worth examining why they feel they way they do.

The second argument has all the gravitas of a drunken baseball fan shouting "Yankees suck!". Uh, no, the Yankees don't suck, you just hate them. They are mistakening passion for facts. It reminds me of these lines from the movie "Dogma":

BETHANY: Having beliefs isn't good?

RUFUS: I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant.

I don't see any ideas coming out of the looney left these days. All I see is the continued belief that Bush=Hitler, conservatives are fascists and American power is bad. If debate in this country has been stifled, it's not because of any chilling effect on dissent, it's because too many people have nothing to offer but rhymes and rhetoric.

 

What Ann Compton Thinks Is News...

[Posted by John Tant]

I just heard one of the goofiest news segments since, well, Dan Rather saying his memos were fake but accurate.

Ann Compton did a brief piece on ABC radio saying (paraphrased):

"Many people watching the new Star Wars movie are equating Darth Vader's line 'if you aren't with me, you're my enemy' with President Bush's war on terrorism. But President Bush isn't the only president with lines from these movies. President Reagan also used lines from the movies when he dubbed his Strategic Defense Initiative 'Star Wars' and when he called the Soviet Union the 'Evil Empire.'"

Where to begin?

First, I really don't think President Bush can claim ownership of the concept of "If you are not with me, you are against me." And if Lucas had Bush in mind when he wrote it...so what? I mean, it's not like Lucas is the master of subtlety. It's like reporting that "in a story, the super evil Badooley from the planet Quatmire said 'if you're not with me, you're my enemy' which many people equate to President Bush's comments about the war on terrorism." Again...so what?!? This is news?!?

Second, let's examine the etymology of the phrase "Star Wars" when it was used to describe SDI. Reagan didn't dub SDI "Star Wars." It was what critics called it, in an attempt to trivialize and ridicule it.

Third, is the term "Empire" now to be copyrighted by George Lucas from 1977 on? I know this is hard to imagine, but empire is hardly a new term. I can talk about an empire without once drifting into allusion over Star Wars. I can hear it without thinking about Star Wars. But as reporters at the time dubbed that speech the "Darth Vader" speech, I have to again characterize it as a way for the media to trivialize and ridicule what Reagan was trying to say.

Fourth, "many people?"

Fifth, well, I don't want to get too far into Star Wars geekery, but in the movie Obi-Wan castigates Anakin for thinking in absolutes. But isn't the Star Wars universe ALL ABOUT absolutes? At its core, it's good v. evil. And to get more specific, it's the Jedi who are dealing in absolutes. It's the people Lucas holds up as "good." I don't want to spoil anything, but if anything the process that leads Anakin astray is characterized by the very rejection of absolutism. So on one hand he's an absolutist, and on the other hand he isn't? And this is considered by "many people" as brilliant political commentary?

This piece of "reporting" by Compton is ridiculous. It's nothing more than an attempt to use something...anything...as a way to attack Republicans. But then, the media using Star Wars lines to attack Republican administrations isn't exactly news either....

 

My Prejudice, and My Problem with Driver's Licences for Illegal Immigrants

[Posted by Thierrion Kagan]

I’m preparing an article about race, but first I’d like to lighten the mood with some good ol’ prejudice! I don’t mean ethnic or religious prejudice; I mean those quirky little beliefs that are you uniquely yours.

You know the ones I’m talking about—the ones where other people look at you like you’re outta your mind…then a minute later those same people are thanking you up and down for saving some damn time with your weird way of thinking!

My first—and most accurate—prejudice was gleaned in PA, immediately after I got my driver’s license. As a 16-year-old, I was deathly afraid of being in a car crash. So any time somebody drove like a maniac or otherwise did something stupid, I flew into a panic-stricken rage.

I soon found a common thread to all my anger—NEW JERSEY DRIVERS!!

Hey, Jersey? Your driver’s ed SUCKS! And lower the driving age to 16, that’s how it is everywhere else, and they ain’t drivin’ like Mr. Freakin’ Magoo on a drunken rampage!

New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland—you all feel me, right? Every time somebody does something stupid in the street, you wait for ‘em to pass—and there’s that ugly powder-blue plate starin’ at you. (Or maybe the yellow one, now).

It was a good, healthy, ACCURATE prejudice. I see Jersey plates ahead of me; I don’t speed up. I may even take the next right just to get away from ‘em.

Sadly, when I moved to L.A., I had to start all over. California’s a much bigger state; consequently, everybody has CA plates.

Now, when I’m driving, I really can’t see who’s operating the vehicle. I don’t pay that much ATTENTION to the drivers themselves; I’m too busy watchin’, you know, the ROAD. All I can make out on most cars is what’s on the back, which are three things: the plate….the make and model of the car….

….and any freakin’ BUMPER STICKERS!!

Anybody that has a looney left OR FAR RIGHT bumper sticker will age you 10 years. I kid you not. I understand what makes liberal drivers so crazy: “Rules are oppression! Don’t oppress me with your Euro-patriarch rules of the road! Traffic lights are unfair to the color-blind; ergo, I shall ignore them!”

The Righties? I don’t know what the hell their SLOW-POKIN’ ASSES are thinking…or IF they’re thinkin’…but this is one area where you cannot claim superiority over the secularist liberals.

Which brings me to my conclusion: Driver’s licenses give one legal permission to operate a motor vehicle. WE SHOULD NOT BE GIVING THEM TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SIMPLY FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES. Especially in New Jersey….especially if they have a sticker on their car of the fish with feet (Darwin)…. especially if they have a sticker of a fish EATING the fish with feet (Truth).

We give out licenses like they’re Cracker Jack toys. Are we forgetting their stated purpose? Driving tests are a joke because the DMV clerks know that failing a test means no ID for you! I know you’re gonna ding every parked car on your way outta here because you steer like a drunken epileptic…but if I fail you, you can’t write a check, use a credit card, board a plane, get into a bar, yadda yadda yadda.

How much money do highway accidents cost us each year?

A NATIONAL ID ACT. Please.

Thanks for putting up with me.

 

Los Angeles Elects New Mayor

[Posted by Thierrion Kagan]

Antonio Villaraigosa defeated James Hahn in the mayoral race on Tuesday. Now, with illegal immigration such a hot topic nationally, I’m sure there are some people who are gonna hear this news and see the beginning of the end. A colleague of mine keeps lamenting that L.A. will soon be part of Mexico.

Um…..dude, do you HEAR yourself?

The man was elected mayor. MAY-OR.Not president. Not governor. He has jurisdiction over one city in one county of one state. Do you realize how far down that is?

He can’t regulate immigration policy; that’s a federal issue. He can’t give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants; licenses are state issued.

The biggest knock on Villaraigosa is that he once belonged to MeChA, a racist separatist group or a peaceful, spiritual movement, depending upon whom you believe.

Racial tensions have already flared at a high school where Villaraigosa was scheduled to appear (although the link reports it was about a schedule change. In May. This close to the end of the school year. They’re gonna change the schedule. On the day the mayor-elect is scheduled to appear).

Should a MeChA member have won an election to public office? I’m just not outraged over that—today. I don’t know much about MeChA, so I can’t work up the froth I did when a former Klansman wanted to be governor. I don’t follow ethnic-based groups. I think they’re all stupid organizations for stupid people.

In my mind, they’re all offshoots of the Klan. We’re all Americans, dammit! Let’s quit Balkanizing ourselves.

I liked Jim Hahn. I don’t mind Antonio Villaraigosa. I don’t think he’s gonna make L.A. a separate Mexican city-state (more so than it already is).

Relax.

Update: Villaraigosa was once PRESIDENT OF THE FREAKIN’ SOCAL ACLU!

Forget that I said to relax!

THIS is what scares me.

And y’know what’s gonna happen? When people rail him about the ACLU and its agenda, they’ll be accused of being racist and picking on him because of his MeChA past.

What a freakin’ cesspool.

 

American Idol Results-Who Got Voted Off-The Final Three Edition

[Posted by kris]

According to our own online poll, Vonzell is gettin' the boot tonight. Let's see if we're right.

And it begins. Bo is looking more and more like he just stepped off of an Allman Brothers album cover lately. And yes, I realize that about 90% of you just went "who"? Follow the link kids (and while you're at it, listen to "Sweet Melissa" and "Blue Skies").

In an impressive bit of synergy, last night's Idol audience was treated to a trip to the new Star Wars movie. That's a nice bit of marketing. What's not so nice is Carrie's horrible Yoda imitation. Oh, sweetie, that's just wrong on so many levels.

In addition to getting down to the Final Two tonight, we're also going to get to see our contestants' trips home. Vonzell is up first. Everybody loves her at the Post Office. No shootings there (yeah, I know, that's an old, old joke, but it always works, just like the French and surrendering), instead her former co-workers are decked out in goofy "I [heart] Vonzell" t-shirts. After that, the Solomon family takes a trip on a $4 million yacht to a yoooge celebration. You know, I'm fairly cynical, but that's actually pretty cool. Vonzell was just another nice girl a few months ago and now she has thousands of folks in Fort Myers excited about her. It's the American Dream!

After the feature, Vonzell repeats her performance of "Chain of Fools". This time though, she decides to just have fun and sing it directly to Simon. All the girls sing to Simon. I bet Randy feels so left out. Poor dawg.

After the break, it's the latest Ford commercial. Bo's behind the wheel and so the whole "One Way or Another" looks like Bo and his ever-so-diverse little harem. Speaking of Bo, let's take a look at his trip home to Alabama. FREE BIRD!!! Bo is greeted by members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, cheering fans and the key to the city. I wonder where his pregnant girlfriend was?

Predictably, Bo once against performs "In A Dream". This performance is nice, but it's nowhere near as intense as what he did last night. That was special. Still, the crowd eats it up and it's hard to believe that Bo is in any danger of going home tonight.

It's off to Oklahoma with Miss Carrie Underwood. 10,000 people come to see Carrie in her hometown. Oddly enough, only 4,000 people live there. Carrie sings the National Anthem for something. Heh, something tells me she's done this before. Carrie gets the keys to the city, but she trumps Bo because the Governor of Oklahoma declared it "Carrie Underwood Day". If she wins she should demand an entire week!

Can I just tell you how afraid I am that Carrie's going to sing "Making Love out of Nothing at all" again? Whew. She wisely opts to sing "Crying" instead. Damn, this is much, much better than what she did last night. The results show is hardly the time to pull out a great performance. Is it a case of too little, too late? We'll find out...after the break.

And now it's time