Are You Lonesome 2-Nite?

I love my Bird. I love my Dog. But I don't love them quite as intensly as this guy loves his horse. Be warned as the video contains some very in-tents love scenes!!!

Hat Tip: V the K.

Found a new music blog.

To All My Adoring Fans and Reader(s?)

Merry Christmas. Have to go last-minute shopping now!

Hat Tip: Digg

Elections? What Elections???

Well, that didn't take long. On another blog (Ausitn Bay's, I think) I made a comment suggesting that the MSM would do their best to downplay the enormous success that was the Dec. 16th Iraqi vote. So here it is one day later and I'm looking at my soon to be former home page, MSNBC News, and here are five of the top six featured stories:

Bush Spies.

Labor Strikes.

Russian Explosions.

Ice Storm Misery.

Al-Zarqawi detained, freed.

So, here we have all negative slanting features, one of coarse aimed at Bush, and there is one story in the group that deals with Iraq, and it's about another failure. But did they remember that there was a little thing called "Free Elections" that went on yesterday in Iraq. Well, kinda. But apparently it wasn't good news either:

"Experts cautious in assessing Iraq election.
Analysts: High turnout, low violence a positive step but not a turning point"

And the "good folks" at NBC couldn't sit down and write the story themselves. They had to import it from another newspaper. Having not yet examined the piece, I can guess that Juan Cole is mentioned in here somewhere, but lets see who is featured in the piece.

We have Bush, Rumsfeld, and Rice accentuating the positive. No surprise there. You have Sen. Lindsay "O" Graham with a couple of tiny, for all we know taken out of context, blurbs.

Then we have Anthony H. Cordesman, a Persian Gulf military expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies supposedly saying (this is not in direct quotes in the article, so I can't say if this is exactly what he said) "the vote is not the long-awaited turning point but rather a trigger for launching a new political process next year that will include amending a constitution. That, he said, will better determine whether Iraq has a chance of emerging out of turmoil".

And then we have - Hey! There He Is, Univ of Mich Prof Juan Cole, being optimistic as usual. And he gets direct quotes.

"The steady grind of this guerrilla war is going to go on. The elections are not relevant to it, and that's what is going to matter to the American people,"

The elections are not relevant to it? Then why bother. That's going to be the message. It just isn't possible that matybe the guerrilla's are LOSING because THEY ARE THE ONES KILLING THE INNOCENT IRAQI'S AND NOT THE U.S. OR SUPPORTERS OF DEMOCRACY!!! And have we already forgotten that the Sunnis voted en mass, finally turning their backs on Juans beloved guerrillas. I'm not going to fisk Juan here as so many have already done a much better job doing that than I could (more here). But, come on people. Can't we acknowledge the monumental hurdle that has just been crossed??

Nope. Guess not.

PS. VDH, the antidote for negative spin on the war.

Bush Admits Defeat

Scratch That! It's the BBC.



Somewhere I hear the quiet grumblings of anti-Bush, anti-war moonbats saying "Damn it, Damn it, Damn it. Where are the explosions" under their breath.

Is This Guy Trying To Pull A Ted Kennedy.

OK. Not this guy. Here is the story.

Here is the part that raised my suspicions:

"Prosecutors said they plan to pursue murder charges against Deojay, but with the shed on the Massachusetts state line, they were still sorting out issues of jurisdiction".

Can you say "Chappaquiddick???

"Cut and Paste" on the War

I have argued that we need to be patient and steady when dealing with the Iraq policy. Today in the WaPo editorial page a soldier, who is going back to Iraq for the third time, says it far, far better than I ever could. Here are a couple of snippets:

"It is difficult for most Americans to rationalize this optimism in the face of the horrific images and depressing stories that have come to symbolize the war in Iraq. Most of the violent news is true; the death and destruction are very real. But experienced military officers know that the horror stories, however dramatic, do not represent the broader conditions there or the chances for future success. For every vividly portrayed suicide bombing, there are hundreds of thousands of people living quiet, if often uncertain, lives. For every depressing story of unrest and instability there is an untold story of potential and hope. The impression of Iraq as an unfathomable quagmire is false and dangerously misleading."

"Anyone who has spent even a day in the Middle East should know that the Arab street would not thank us for abandoning Iraq. The blame for civil war would fall squarely on our shoulders. It is unlikely that the tentative experiments in democracy we have seen in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere would survive the fallout. There would be no dividend of goodwill from heartbroken intellectuals or emboldened Islamic extremists. American troops might be home in the short run, but the experienced professionals know that in the long run, quitting Iraq would mean more deployments, more desperate battles and more death."

Chew on this Yellow Spined Democrats.

Thank you MC. Major Ben Connable.

Hat Tip: Instapundit

PS. Here is a comment I made over at Miserable Donuts a couple of weeks ago.
__________________________________

Tim wrote:

"Does the Left consider losing winning?"

It depends on what the definition of losing is:-)

I find it amazing that those on the left, who are so energized by "ideals", "isms", and the power of the "movement" du jour, remain so ignorant of the ways in which these very things succeed and / or fail. The current WOT is like many others we have fought before; wars in which we are pitted against those who believe they should and will dominate us; that in some way or another we are, either because of race or religion or econo-governmental philosophy, we are inferior and should die. We have fought for the ideal and popular notions of liberty and independence from 1776 - 1783. We have fought against nationalism" and fascism" in WW's 1 & 2. We have fought against communism in Korea and Vietnam. All these wars have something in common. They were all driven by the belief, by one side or another, that their philosophy or way of life was better than that of the opponent or current populous. This is no different in the WOT. Of these wars, only one have we ended up on the wrong side of the winners circle, Vietnam (Korea was a push). Messer’s t.b. and his like absolutely MUST study an honest assessment of both how we failed in Vietnam, and the strategies Gen. Gaip used so well to defeat our will to fight.

Communism's promise of true equality and better living conditions for all was already a popular idea in the region as France's version of western style governance had done little to improve the lives of the ordinary Vietnamese (yeah, I know blame the French). We not only lost because the U.S. public lost its will to fight, and the war was poorly micromanaged by politicians (yes that's a warning to the Dems in congress), but we also lost because we failed to show the Vietnam population that our way could provide a better way of life.

Militarily, the Viet Cong lost the three month long tet offensive. But when Giap saw how the U.S. was reporting that as a U.S. defeat, he knew that he didn't have to win militarily, that all he had to do was keep our casualties mounting and we would lose our will to fight. He was right. Even if we would have "won" the Vietnam war. We may very well have lost the region at a later date because the "idea" of Communism looked more attractive than the what ever we could have provided at the time.

Though the Viet Cong killed and butchered far far more innocent civilians than we did, they won more followers because they had BETTER propaganda, which was partially supplied by us (thank you Dan "It's A Fake!" Rather). We only reported how many of our troops died or how many civilians WE killed, accidental or not. Our free press virtually ignored the vicious slaughter of innocents and massive body count incurred at the hand of the Viet Cong. And they never reported any hard-fought U.S victories as victories. Because people died, all battles were portrayed as failures. Sound familiar?

Hopefully, I don't need to spell out the root of the conflict in the WOT. But I will say this. Look at the attention that Murtha's reckless "Army is broken" comments are getting in our press vs that of fellow Democrat Lieberman's more optimistic WSJ Op Ed. piece. Consider this. If Murtha is right, where are the Democratic proposals to funnel billions into the military budget to help fix the broken Army??? Don't tell me that kind of bill would never get through Congress because, of coarse, no politician would want to show how much MORE stuff they're giving to the military during a time of war. And you can (and probably do) dismiss Lieberman as a tool of the administration, even though he WAS Al Gore's running mate a few years ago, and by you accounts, should be the VP. Fine. But what is his motivation for doing this Op. Ed.? More important however. WHAT IF HE'S RIGHT IN HIS ASSESMENT??? And you wonder why the Pentagon has been giving positive stories to the Iraqi press. They HAVE TO, unless they want to loose in Iraq as they did in Vietnam.

Now, t.b., I'm not going to argue whether this war was planned well from the beginning, or that we didn't have enough troops or blah, blah, blah. All leaders on all side make all sorts of errors and blunders when fighting wars, as is evident if you study the history of all the wars I mentioned in the first paragraph. We can't just come home and forget we were ever in Iraq. In the short term, we may save a few American solders lives. Bbut in the long term, if we leave before the Iraqi government has a change to stand on it's own and defend itself from the violence that will continue no matter when we leave, then doesn't it make more sense to leave at a point when the Iraqi goevnment is ready and not before? Unless, of coarse, you wan't Iraq to fail, you have no faith in the Iraqi people and in the power and appeal of liberty and democratic rule.

Holy Crap!!!

That is one scary looking fro!!!

OH MY GOD!!!

These are too damned good. I'm not even going to tell you what they are. Just click on them and smile.

File in the "Isn't Technology Great!" Dept.

This is my best V the K impression.

1. Of all the horrible things I did to my sisters Barbie, I could never have done this!!!


2. Barbie! The Ultimate Fembot!!!


3. "And my head, I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brai..." Oh, Hey. That's MUCH Better!


4. Barbie. 2.0


5. After all these years, the Lawnmowerman actually gets to go on a real date.


6. Sadly, after she and Ken parted ways, Barbie became totally addicted to the internet.


7. Don't call her "dumb" anymore!


8. I always suspected Barbie was a Mac girl.


9. Oh, Hey. That's MUCH Better!



Hat Tip: Digg

Car Stuff

Haven't done a car post in a while. They're closing plants and laying off workers. They sold part of their financing unit. The GM fire sale continues. I find this interesting, as the initial attraction for GM was Subies' advanced, light weight AWD systems. I wonder if this means GM will be selling Saab also, since they have been using the WRX as the base of one of their models???

PS. For anyone who is curious about just how the U.S. auto industry got where is , you should read this book.

PPS. The Japanese are keeping a close eye on this over seas rival, whose product and quality have become quite competitive in the last few years.

Blogtopus Update

I've added a few more recently. They are:

Reason, Hit and Run, a blog from Reason.com, the consrevative - libertarian web site.

Miserable Donuts, a milblog.

Just One Minute,??? I'm not sure what the origins of this blog are. But he has been all over the PLame Game. It's fun, yet hard to follow.

Squirrel Blogging!

It's all the rage!

Polls, and not the kind from Poland!

Mystery Pollster

Since I'm Picking on France

This bit of news crossed my desk today via Slashdot. The French are trying to pass a law that will, in effect, make free software illegal. Here is a comment from a Slashdotter in response to the French and their proposal...

" I was on the fence, but now they've done it. I am officially giving up croissants, snobbery, and disdain for other people. I just can't be associated with them anymore".

File this in the "We're Not a Gang! We're a Club" department.

de Villepin does his best Belushi.

The quote above is how John Belushi described his LA gang in an old SNL skit. Which brings us to France's Dominique de Villepin descriptions of the riots, er, I mean "social unrest" in his country this fall.

PS. Gangs are also know as a "loosely knit neiborhood organization". I think I thought of this myself, but it is more likely that I heard it somewhere else, as I'm not clever enough to think of something like this.

Hat Tip: Insta...

Grand Standing!

"You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has Kurds. And those Kurds have to be killed by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Ali Al Adeeb? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for the innocent Iraqi's and you curse the Baath party. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that two or three million innocent Iraqi deaths, while tragic, probably saved my dictatorship. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves the insurgency...You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties and rape rooms, you want me killing traitors. You need me killing traitors.
We use words like honor, code, loyalty...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent killing someone. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the false freedom the U.S provides, then questions the manner in which I tried to provide it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and start shooting the occupiers. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to!"

Hat Tip: Caption This

Happy Thanksgiving!

Day late! A few dollars short. Went shopping at six. Eating breakfast at ten. Will post about my shopping experience later, but now I am too hunrgy. Not much else to say for now!

PS. Since it is the beginning of shopping season, this would make a great present for a Gen pre-X-er for X-Mas.

FUN!

Hat Tip: Digg

Question.

Do they have a "philia" for this?

If this were on "Caption This", you would expect to see the following:

..."You were SOOOOOO drunk last night"!

..."Hey! What can I say! She wanted me"!

..."But she looked so real"!

Win. Win. Win.

This should be the motto of every politician concerning the War on Terror, which, like it or not, does include the action of democratizing Iraq. Even if you think that the war was wrong, Bush lied, Al-Quada wasn't connected with Saddam, who had nothing to do with 9/11; Al-Qaeda is there and so are we. So we might as well stay and fight and, before we leave, make sure that the country is capable of not only self governance, but also capable of fighting and defeating the terrorists that reside within its borders.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives got themselves worked into a lather because hawkish Democrat John Murtha, a 37-year Marine veteran, in a public statement which echoed the statements of many other House Democrats, called for the IMMEDIATE withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Here is a quote from the statement:

"Our troops have become the primary target of the insurgency. They are united against U.S. forces and we have become a catalyst for violence. U.S. Troops are the common enemy of the sunni's, Saddamists and foreign jihadists. I believe with a U.S. troop redeployment, the Iraqi security forces will be incentivized to take control. A poll recently conducted shows that over 80% of Iraqis are strongly opposed to the presence of coalition troops, and about 45% of the Iraqi population believe attacks against American troops are justified. I believe we need to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis".

This looks like the same classic "Cut and Run" solution that ensured the Viet Nahm war would be lost. I am bothered by the defeatist tone of the whole statement. If we are the "Primary Targets" than why are the insurgence purposefully killing so many more Shia than Americans. And you want to base military policy on poling numbers from the war zone? That's insane. I don't think the Germans or Italians were happy to have us in country during World War II either.

"I believe with a U.S. troop redeployment, the Iraqi security forces will be incentivized to take control".

"I believe"??? I don't want belief. I want proof. We also believed that the Vietnamese would be OK after we skipped town. Why would the violence stop just because we are no longer in Iraq. The sunni's want there power back, Al-Qaeda wants a new home, and our absence now would only leave the Iraqi government in a weak and vulnerable condition.

And no, I am not calling Murtha unpatriotic or what-ever; I am expressing my reasons why I think his proposal is wrong.

Getting back to congress, the legislation Murtha subsequently introduced did not offer an immediate pull-out, but offered a six month troop reduction schedule instead. It was a classic bait and switch, say one thing and propose another. The Murtha bill never would have passed, but had his resolution been voted on, it would have split along party lines. By voting for the Murtha bill, Democrats would have a way of nullifying their vote authorizing the war three years ago, for which they are still held to account by their very vocal anti-war base. The Republicans finally saw a way to call the Democrat's bluff. The House Republicans shelved Murtha's proposal and authored a substitute that read more closely to the statements Murtha had made the previous day. God I love politics. Unfortunately, during the debate that accompanied the new resolution, newbie Republican Jean Schmidt read a statement given to her by a Marine colonel currently on active duty in Iraq, in which he expressed that anyone who favored the "Cut and Run" solution was a "coward". Of coarse that was immediately interpreted as a slap at Murtha, the former marine. Pandemonium ensued, but no fist fights broke out. Even though the Dems are peeved that the Republicans pulled their own bait and switch, I think we all can claim so victory here.

WIN #1: By rewriting the resolution into a "Cut and Run" proposal, the Republicans turned it into a political poison pill, and got the posturing Democrats to AGAIN vote to support the war.

WIN #2: Though they almost all voted "NO" on the rewritten resolution, Democrats do have an out as they are screaming that the resolution they had to vote on has different language than the Murtha bill. It was political trickery at its worst, and therefore this vote doesn't count.

PS. To Democrats:
Sure it was sneaky and underhanded, but, hey, what do you expect. That's Politics! And don't give me that "They're Horrible! They're Playing Politics with the War" business. Both side have been playing that game for quite some time now.

PS. Three Dems did vote yes to cut and run, God rest their souls. They're probably in safe districts.

WIN #3: So much of modern warfare is all about public relations. If the congress would have voted on Murtha's original bill, because so many Dems would have voted for it, it would have been reported / spun around the world as a sign that the American people have lost patience in the war. That would have been a BIG, BIG win for the insurgence, fueling their fires even further and creating a greater "catalyst for violence" than our presence ever could. It would be interpreted as an acknowledgement that "WE LOST THE WAR". Public opinion is the more powerful weapon for insurgents in the type of guerrilla war we are fighting. Don't believe me? Believe HIM. And HIM.

Blogs = Power.

Good for the guys over at Daily KOS. Being a liberpublican, I disagree with them on a lot of issues, but they did a good job here persuading / forcing their congressional employees to craft sensible legislasion protecting political free speech throughout the internet. It also looks like we, the average (and not so average) Joe's and Joan's of the blogosphere, helped kill the Alaskan "Bridge to Nowhere" too, but I'm holding my breath on that one. I must say I am giddy at the prospect of the ordinary citizen, via the blogosphere, having a greater say in politics and having a hand in guiding policy. No matter your political stripes, WE are, after all, the largest special interest group!

PS. I'm still of the opinion that the time is ripe for a legitimate third party to arise.

Blogosphere Writer

In response to Polibloggers post (who altered the lyrics from the BOC song "Don't Fear The Reaper"):

Hey anyone, will you read my work?
It took some time to write, will you take a look?
It takes up way to much time I fear
I will lose my job, but I want to be a blogosphere writer,
Blogosphere writer.

It's the wandering thoughts of a musician
And I write it simple so you'll understand.
You can leave a comment or send an e-mail,
I just lost my job so I want to be a Blogosphere writer,
Blogosphere writer.

Blogosphere writer

It's a thousand words, give or take a few,
I'll be writing more in a day or two.
I can post jpegs I know they'll make you smile,
I'll pretend I'm smart cause I want to be a Blogosphere writer,
Blogosphere writer.

If you really like it you can hyperlink,
It can make you laugh It can make you think.
Blogging's easy I've got google ads too
But I need some traffic cause I want to be a Blogosphere writer,
Blogosphere writer.

Blogosphere writer

Blogosphere writer - Blogosphere writer
Blogosphere writer - Blogosphere writer

But Do They Dream In Color?

Where can I buy my Squirrel decoder ring?

Hat Tip: digg nation

Control Alt Delete - or Ignore

Lately, there has been a kerfufal in the world community over who should have authority concerning internet addressing. Right now addressing authority lies with an organization called ICANN, a privately run non-profit organization that has US government oversite. This gives more background info for ICANN. The internet evolved from a US defense program started in 1958 called DARPA. In a nutshell, after Sputnik was launched, some forward thinking government chap (wow, that doesn't happen often) realized that the Soviets could sooner or later launch rockets or lasers or something at communication sites in the US, thus cutting the line to the Bat-phone, er, I mean the White House, crippling any response to their aggression. Thus a complex and redundant communications network with Multiple routes and hubs was created, so that if one or several hubs or lines got knocked out by the evil Pinko Ruskies, many others would still exist for information transfer to occur. These are the roots of the internet (when people bitch and moan about military R & D spending, remind them the world wide web and radar are a product of this). This framework of communication was eventually adopted world wide (you see where I'm going with this) and in the late 1980's, some bloke figured that this network could one day be used by everyone and coined the term "World Wide Web". Anyway, the internet is home grown as are the bodies that regulate it. Well, some in the "international community" (the EU, dictators in Tunisia and Cuba) have their panties in a wad and don't like the current ICANN set-up because, well, it resides in the US and has US government oversite and they hate the US. So what is a mob of internationalist to do? Well, they threaten to start using their own naming and addressing protocols, which would of coarse cause IP name and address duplication and break the very thing they want control of.

This from CNN:

"U.S. officials said early Wednesday that instead of transferring management of the system to an international body such as the United Nations, an international forum would be created to address concerns. The forum, however, would have no binding authority."

So the US has agreed to create a debate club to discuss international issues concerning internet addressing that has no binding authority or power. In other words, they've just created a mini UN. Well , if it makes the internationalists happy, well, more power to them (or less). This seems like a pretty good reason to keep the almost useless UN around. It provide a model on which to base other useless acronymed organizations around.

Europe

More Ouchness from Victor Davis Hanson.

Uhmm...

~~~~~~shocking~~~~~

Hat Tip: Malcontent and Gay Patriot. Oh hell, just make it a party.

GOP-roblems

Summed up nicely by Deroy Murdock. If they want to stop the slide, and yes, the iceberg is coming apart, they should head this man's advice.

Mid-Midterm Elections.

What does it all mean for the nation??? Who cares! Out here in California, we are our own sovereign nation, or at least we think that way. Here we had a set of propositions (74 - 77) that the Govenator wanted soooo desperately for us to get on the ballot. So we did that earlier this year, with those of us here in Central California providing a HUGE base of support (we often get screwed by the Sacramento politico's, so I guess this was to be payback of sorts). And then what? The union machine spends something like $180 BAZILLOIN dollars running ads opposing the props, which is what you would expect, since the props in question were aimed directly at reducing their strangle hold on government influence in Kaleefornia. Union ads attacking the props ran non-stop from January until election day. I've never seen anything like it really. I wonder how much property they had to second, third, or fourth mortgage, to come up with the cash to pay for the ad blitz? Anyway, on the one hand you had the unions running ads every two seconds non-stop for almost a year, and on the other hand, you had Arnold's team doing...










...Um, doing nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch (BTW, the amount of spaces in the blank space is equal to the amount of days where the Arnold team did nothing) (Ok. I didn't really count the spaces. But hey; it's my blog. So if I say it's equal, then it's equal). First rule in politics - don't let the opponent frame the debate. Not only did they frame it? The shellaced it! They wrapped it! They sold it! They stole it! And then, when election night is almost here, what does the Arnold team do? They make those annoying dinner-time pre-recorded phone calls that do nothing but turn people off. So is ANYONE really surprized that the Arnold propositions went down in flames.

In conclusion I want to say this. If you pick a fight with someone, and you and the opponent agree to meet after school to duke it out, but YOU, the instigator don't show up. That's called being a GIRLIE-MAN!!!!

If you're not going to fight for what you believe in? Why bother.

PS. Oh, and Arnold, thanks for wasting $50 mil on the special election. Please, DON'T run again. Don't waste our time.



Here are some thought from other people:

Ron Brownstein says: last night lifts the hopes of Democrats, though he does make note that Dems won both these races in 2001 when Bush's approval rating was at it's post-9/11 peak.

John Podhoretz says: "To sum up: Incumbent party victories in two states and one city. A Republican state rejected Democratic initiatives. A Democratic state rejected Republican initiatives. Don't let the Democratic spin doctors fool you. Election Day 2005 has nothing to tell us about where the electorate is going in the wake of Bush's terrible year."

Author unknown.

Larry Sabato says: "There's no way to spin this than anything other than a major defeat for Republicans and for President Bush. This [Virginia] is a red state, he came in on Election Eve and he had no discernible effect. If anything, he may have cost Kilgore some votes."

Stuart Rothenberg says: ``Given the state of things, the Republicans really needed to win one of these races. Because of the way the cycle is setting up, the way the momentum is right now, it's not good enough for the Republicans to say, `These were Democratic seats, we put up a good fight and still lost.' ``

Charlie Cook says: "Republicans on Capitol Hill are so scared already. This is just going to make them more fearful that 2006 could be a disaster."

Rahm Emanuel says: `This confirms that our voters are extremely mobilized, agitated and activated; theirs are despondent. Right now, I've got about 15 [potential candidates] I'm recruiting; this makes the sale a lot easier."

Ken Mehlman says: "From the beginning, we have viewed these as not national but state races. History is consistent with that, and the results tonight are consistent with that."

Quotes lifted from Real Clear Politics. The links to these quotes are there.

UPDATE: Here is the official results of the propositions, if anyone is interested. Click on the Maps buttons to see the results county by county. This is how bad it looks when you go down in flames. The chart represents the vote on spending limits. How can you NOT sell spending limits? The redistricing results look the same. And these were the two cornerstones of the Arnold campaign. The Terminator just got terminated.

France Is Burning, Pt. 1

"Well, there's two messages. One, that we in America can see where an unassimilated un-integrated a population goes, and where that leads to, it leads to a sort of an apartheid. And two, we can see what happens with an EU that can't create real economic growth, and has high stagnant unemployment of 10%. And three, this is I think a little bit more controversial, that we can see what happens to a society that doesn't ask the immigrant to integrate, and the immigrant doesn't feel that he has to integrate, or to learn the language, or learn the traditions of the West. So you have this Orwellian situation when thousands of people are rioting, you want to say let me get this straight. You do not want to go back to the country, an hour or two away by air, that you praise in the abstract, but you surely want to stay in a country that you want to burn down to the concrete. It doesn't make any sense, other than this strong, psychological urges of envy, jealousy, wanting something you can't have. Then, besides all that landscape, you get the impression there's something very wrong in Europe that has high unemployement and generous joblessness benefits, so that it allows people not really to have to go look for a job, because there isn't any, but to stay home and sort of nurse these wounds, with enough money to survive."

Victor Davis Hanson, former Fresno State prof., offering his thoughts on the riots in France.

List-O-Law Blogs

So many blogs. So little time. And, it's all Greek, er, Latin, to me anyway.

Update: This blog, one of my fave's for a couple of years, kinda fits between this post and the post below. Will write more about it soon.

Finally...

I get around to linking Boi From Troy to my blog. And Ann Althouse too.

"This does explain why Chekov looked so nervous all the time".

The best reaction I've seen to the news that actor George Takei, a.k.a. U.S.S. Enterprize's helmsman Mr. Sulu, is gay.

Number 10

I know I was supposed to do the "Top Ten Favorite Albums" thing over a month ago. Well, you know the story. Been busy! I was going to do all ten in one sitting but that is not going to happen either. Busy. So it's going to be one album at a time. Maybe it's better off this way so you can absorb the work of each artist. Here we go.

The 10'th album on my all-time favorite list has only recently come across my ears, but maybe the oldest record on my list.


"Like a Parrot in a flaming tree..."


The cover is appropriate for a Halloween post I reckon. And YES, that is what they wore onstage. "Second Thoughts" by the New Zealand band Split Enz was released in 1975. For those who are not privy to my musical tastes, I am a HUGE fan of the Finn brothers, Neil and Tim, and Enz brought them world wide recognition when the Neil penned tuned "I Got You" broke the US top forty in 1980 (more info on the band here). Tim invited younger brother Neil to joined the band while touring to support this album. "Second Thoughts" is a "do-over" sort of an album, as many of the songs were featured on two previous albums, and were re-recorded with Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera producing, to take advantage of the kind of improved sound quality a bigger recording budget can buy. The songs are progressive and are reminiscent of early Bowie and Genesis, but they also convey a sense of vaudvillian wit and whimsy that makes this album shine. Check out "Late Last Night", "Sweet Dreams", and the spoon solo on "The Woman Who Loves You" (yes, I said "spoon solo"). Thoughtful tunes. Great musicianship. Great arranging. Fantastic harmonies. These are the qualities that brings this album to the "List". I try to imagine what it would have been like to have seen the band touring then. This would have been so much fun to see and hear in a pub or small venue. When I think about it, I find myself smiling and wanting a beer.

Helga Phugly!

Look like Mr. Stipe needs to pay a visit to the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" guys. Or is that "Sorta Straight Guy"???


More of these at this web site!

PS. Below is the original Helga Phugly from the TV show, "The Oblongs". It only lasted a season, but it was Helga funny none the less.

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"It was a dark and stormy blah blah blah"

This is great fun at Karl Rove's expense. Join in the story telling.

Hat Tip: Insta...

Not True

Please. Someone tell me this is not true:-(

Sneaky, Underhanded...

This morning I find myself in San Diego. No, I wasn't kidnapped or anything like that. I am hear to rehearse with Rare Form, my San Diego band. I stayed at my best friends condo last night. Well, it' 9 in the morning, I'm awake and Paul isn't. So, I decided to highjack his eMac and make a few modifications. I am adding my blog address and Chris Pays Guitar address to his bookmarks folder. I'll add some horrible right-wing nut job site to his favorites. That should indear me. I should add something really naghty to his bookmar.......... Oh, never mind. He beat me to it!

Unemployed???

Don't know if the pay is good, but you may get to travel, AND, there is probably some mention of seventy-two virgins in the fringe benefits. Of coarse THAT is only provided after you blow yourself up.

PS. Question? Why would you need the promise of seventy-two virgins when dying for a holy cause? You would think that dying for your faith and God would be a good enough motivation. Why would you need the extra virginish type perks thrown in?

Testing, Testing, One. Two...

I am a sucker for these kinds of tests..

You are a Social Liberal (65% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (70% permissive) You are best described as a: Libertarian You exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness. loc: (56, 74) modscore: (42, 39) raw: (3936) Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Someone has been jealous of the attention dog has been getting.

I wonder who???



PS. That's our Black-Capped Lorikeet, Miss Bird, the Queen and Ruler of the household!!!

Judy's on the Mend

Last Tuesday, Judy had her back dew claws removed. This pic was taken the day after the surgery, and she was still a bit groggy from the sedative. Her back feet were taped up, and if you look closely, you will see sandwich bags covering her bandages. That was our idea as the vet warned us that we needed to make sure her bandages stayed dry. After a few days, she was walking around without too much trouble, though you could hear the pitter-pat of her bagged feet when she walked. It was very cute. She got the bandages off today and has been quite happy about it. I must say she is a very well behaved dog, even the vet says so. He also admired our sandwich bag prophylactics, if you can call them that.

The State of Government $$$$

Pork Busters is an attempt by many in the bloggisphere to bring fiscal sanity back to Washington DC. As you scan the site, notice how few senator / representatives have identified budgetary pork they are willing to sacrifice. To make things easy, scroll down and you can look up responses by state to see how your reps are responding. Mine in California are abysmal. How is it that Nancy Pelosi (props to her) is the ONLY politician so far in this state willing to put stuff on the chopping block?

Trees Fall, Make Sounds

Someone else FINALLY reported Tony Blair's move away from Kyoto. The picture of Blair looks a bit sinister though. He looks like he is about to snatch a child or something.

'Cause In Space, No One Can Hear You Curse!

I was exchanging comments with Robbie at Prism Warden, and got into a convo about political / blog cursing. It seems liberal bloggers are much more adept at it than conservatives. Then I remembered seeing this on the web at Digg.com. Maybe because libs seem to approach things from a more emotional POV, that they are more prone to tap into their primal emotions when expressing themselves.

Primatives!

Just kidding. We all curse. Even my dad throws a naughty or two. Of coarse my mom, 1/2 Sicilian, throws the "F" bomb as if she's auditioning for a Mamet play. Taught me every "f"ing thing I know.

PS. I kinda like some of the sci-fi space cursing. You had "Frell" in Farscape (great show), "Frag" in the new Battle Star Galactica (even better than previous), and some unpronounceable Chinese expletive in Firefly (can't wait for the movie in a couple of weeks). Now that I think about it, maybe that's why I don't like the Star Trek Next Gen stuf as much - no cursing. Though there was no cursing, I do favor DS-9. It had a darkness that the others lacked. Oh, and I don't recall if there was any cursing on Babylon-5, but between the Narn fighting the Centauri, the invasive Psi-Corps, and Garibaldi endlessly getting screwed by life, there must have been some cursing somewhere. Besides, the Vorlons and the Shadows were way, way cool!

Blair @ CGI

"I think that – three points I would like to make here. The first is that I think, whether for reasons to do with concern over global warming or for reasons to do with concern over energy security and supplies, I think this issue is coming together in an important way. It’s there now on the agenda and I’m pleased about that. I think it’s very important.

The second thing, though, is that I think – and I would say probably I’m changing my thinking about this in the past two or three years. I think if we are going to get action on this, we have got to start from the brutal honesty about the politics of how we deal with it. The truth is no country is going to cut its growth or consumption substantially in the light of a long-term environmental problem. What countries are prepared to do is to try to work together cooperatively to deal with this problem in a way that allows us to develop the science and technology in a beneficial way. Now, I don’t think all of the answers lie in just – in developing the science and technology, but I do think there is no way we are going to tackle this problem unless we develop the science and technology capable of doing it.

And that really brings me to the third point, which is I think the point that you were really raising, which is, well, how do you create the forces that drive people then to develop the science and technology?... "

(entire text of conference found Here)

Blair is admitting that severely cutting CO2 emissions hampers economic growth. This< I contend, is one of the reasons for Europe's lagging economy. Here is the most recent data I could find on their economy as a whole. Compair those stats to ours.

OK. So all you who derided Bush because he didn't sign on to the Kyoto Protocol for these reasons, will you now admit he was right after all on at least this point. Here is some info on the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which includes the US, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia. Expect more nations to sign on. Also expect no credit being given to Bush for recognizing the fatal flaws in the Kyoto Protocol, which was in essence nothing more than a national money and enegry drain for almost any country that signed on... except Russia. Did anyone besides TSC notice the potential financial bennefits outwieghted Russia's scientific rejection of the thing???

No Liberal Bias alert!

Dateline: Friday Sept. 15. 2005

Is Kyoto protocol a Bust??? Today, Tony Blair admitted it at the Clinton Global Initiative. If you google it, not one MSM outlet covered this bit of news from the Clinton conference. Maybe it never happened. You know. Kind of like the saying that goes something like "when a tree falls in a forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound"? Except now it's " if a politician admits a major liberal policy is a failure but no one covers it, did the politician really say it"?

Meanwhile, THIS is somehow newsworthy.

Oh, and before I forget, there's this little exchange from Nightline last night after Bush's speech. The reporters questions were very leading, and he seemed desperate to find someone who blamed Bush for the Katrina aftermath. Not that there isn't room for criticism aimed at FEMA and Bush, that's a healthy process and can lead to better disaster relief efforts in the future. But soo many still want to paint this as solely as a Bush failure, when it seems a better example of what happens when state and local governments don't communicate or cooperate with each other, don't prepare well for probable disasters, and / or don't have competent leaders.

UPDATE: It's Monday. Still no confirmation that T. Blair made a sound.

Why I Don't Tow The Party Line

When I first started this blog, I though I would write volumes about politics and the like. As I approach the one year anniversary of "Sonicfrog" in January, I am a bit suprized at how little my political views have ended up being expressed here. Maybe politics is boring in between election cycles. Maybe I understand that, due to time restraints, I don't do enough research to properly back up my assertions. I read and listen to a lot of political stuff representing different view points, but that is different from doing real, thorough research. Maybe I realize that other bloggers do it better. Maybe I just have too many other irons in the fire to get too caught up in politics.

Anyway, many of my gay friends (and my little brother) don't understand how I can be gay and replublican-ish (libertarian-ish really). How can I be so blind to the hatred spewed by the "R's"? This post, though not my words or my experience, mirrors my thoughts and feelings on the matter of political affiliation.

I don't know, but I keep asking myself this question about segments of the left: "How can a party who espouses such high ideals concerning civil rights feel that G.W. Bush is pure evil, and yet embrace the likes of Che Guevera and Fidel Castro"?

Hat Tip: North Dallas Thirty.

Gay Marriage in CA - Are We Ready???

Greg and I have been debating this back and forth since it hit the news. Arnold has taken heat for vetoing the Gay Marriage bill... and well, just being Arnold. The standard defense for the veto has been that Californians already voted against gay marriage in 2000 when they voted yes on Prop 22. This is a legitimate argument. So isn't the legislature once again going against the will of the people (google California Drivers licenses for Illegals for an example)? I had been wondering though, what the pol numbers currently show concerning this issue. Do Californians still hold the same sentiments that they did five years ago? According to TCS writer Ryan Sager, the numbers are changing. I know my little bro hates this site as the views expressed are conservative, pro capitalism, pro industry and vocal Global Warming skeptics (partially funded by big oil... OoOoOooOo), but I have often found the site thought provoking even if I disagree with some of the premis's of the articles.

Hat Tip: Sully

Sleep Finn Posted

Sleepy Finn

So You Want To Be A Rock -N- Roll Star...

Read THIS first BEFORE you sign on the dotted line!

Hat Tip: Digg

Greg Sizzles!

The Party's Over

Definitely over for the big spending, big government faction of the Republican party.

I was going to post today about the idiotic notion being thrown out that this disaster is George Bushes fault for not signing onto the Kyoto protocol (would have cost more than the Iraq war). Or that this is karma asserting itself (a member of the Kennedy family shouldn't talk of bad karma). If that were true, wouldn't the hurricane have destroy the ranch in Crawford? I wonder if the press would have covered the evacuation of Cindy Sheehan? Or better yet, the return of the prophet , Michael Marcavage, who I never heard of... and for that I thank God! But then I came across this, and in an instant recognized that we have crossed a line, pulled a trigger of termultuous change on the political scene. The last straw has just snapped. Here's why.

For the last two years I have been suggesting that the political landscape is ripe for emergence of a strong third party, and not just a flash in the pan like the Perot reform party (political parties based on a strong personality generally don't work - ask Teddy Roosevelt). In the American experience, this means the splitting or break-up of an existing political party, which can siphon off members of the stronger party as well. This has often been due to dissatisfaction with immigration policy and / or economic policy. In case no one has noticed, we have that now. Many republicans are appalled at Bush's resistance to control the borders. The libertarian and fiscal conservatives has been watching with disbelief the spending binge of congress and the president. Take that, and add the spitting contest going on between the Howard Dean DNC and the Clinton / Lieberman led DLC. No, I take that back. If you read the Daily Kos, it's not a spitting contest - - It's War!!!

The last few budgets from the Bush administration pulled money directly from the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, or SELA, which was in charge of buttressing the levee that contains Lake Pontchartrain, and carried out by the Army Corps of Engineers. This article states:

"after 2003, the flow of federal dollars toward SELA dropped to a trickle. The Corps never tried to hide the fact that the spending pressures of the war in Iraq, as well as homeland security -- coming at the same time as federal tax cuts -- was the reason for the strain. At least nine articles in the Times-Picayune from 2004 and 2005 specifically cite the cost of Iraq as a reason for the lack of hurricane- and flood-control dollars."

The Democrats are going to have a field day with this - and rightly so.

I had in the past defended some of the spending that started after the 9/11 attacks. What ever actions are taken to try and secure the nation from terrorist attacks, be it by a democratic or republican administration, will cost money. I supported the tax cuts as a method of helping bolster the economy, thus getting us out of the recession, which, in turn, provides more revenue to the government. I support the ideals that, even without the WMD issue, more than justify removing Saddam, and breaking the tyrannical dictator / islamo-fascist grip on the whole Middle East region. And there seems to be progress, though the cost is so very high. But the pork barrel spending!!! My god. Look at the recently passed Energy and Transportation bills! Can you justify the destruction of a city for that?

OK. Maybe that is a little hysterical. After all, there is no way to know if the same horrors would not be playing out if the funding of SELA remained in tact. But it's VERY, VERY easy to know that not funding the project sealed New Orleans fate. I mean, unlike the 9/11 attacks, no one in their right mind can say they couldn't see this coming. At least once every hurricane season, for as long as I can remember, it was always... "Uh oh! Is this storm going to destroy New Orleans??? They probably had been taking bets each year in Vegas!

Now Democrats are not exactly known for their spend-thrift tendencies. Kerry's proposed budget was even more massive than Bush's. This is one of the main reasons why I didn't vote for either one. But, if the reporting on this pans out, this disaster is going to settle squarely on George Bush's shoulders.

The Republican party is surely, and deservedly, going to pay dearly for their fiscal mismanagement.

I don't need to go into any details about Katrina. Sleepybomb, a blog / music friend who visits my blog a lot (actually he is about the only one who does - but that's not important now) lives and makes music in the bog that was once New Orleans. I have tried to contact him through his blog, but it won't load at the moment. I hope that he and family and friends managed to get out and are safe.

Take care my friend.

Instapundit has a good collection of links to rescue and relief agencies to donate to. Please give if you can.

Album Title

"My Other Guitar is a Syringe"



Hat Tip: Caption This

New Addition to the Family

This is Judy.







She adopted us just over a month ago. She planted herself on our front porch and lived there for a few days. We were hoping she would move on in a few days but there she stayed. We put ads in the "Lost and Found" section of the paper, but the few calls we got were dead ends. So now she is part of the family. She chose us, so what can you do. She is likely part chow with something else mixed in. She is so sweet and calm and well behaved. Now I wonder if we should get another dog to keep her company. The due claws on her back feet are way too long and need to be trimmed. But we will let the vet do that when we bring her in for her first vet check-up under our care.

Some Friends...

... having fun in Europe.

PS. This is Brian and Sarah's blog. If you look at the Chris Plays Guitar website you will find a striking resemblance to the drummer and his wife, who are, coincidently named Brian and Sarah.

PPS. Though he is not our drummer anymore, we still love him.

Strange Things...

...you didn't likely know.

Hat Tip: digg

School Power Point

This post is for those in my National University 611 class. So if you're not in the class, and you download these files and they are meaningless to you, well, I'm sorry. If your in the class, and you download these files, and they are meaningless to you, well then I'm still sorry:-) Anyway, the files are HERE. To download click on the appropriate chapter. If you have problems, you can e-mail me or just leave a comment.

PS. Feel free to browse the blog. Check out the "Hear Ye!, Hear Ye!" section for free and legal music downloads.

PPS. While you are here, you might as well download gobs of free and legal music compliments of Chris Plays Guitar. I hear the bass player is really, really cool; and needs dinner, and a beer. Mmmmmmmmmmmm Beeeeeeeeer!!!!

PPPPS. This "little favor" will cost each of you a dinner, and a beer. Mmmmmmm. Beer!

Why I Love Arubus's!

This analysis from NorthWet Pat reveals all:

"That's no redneck, that is one of the most respected Alternative-Fuel Engineers in the world. His Subaru contains an advanced destructive-distillation cell that can turn that 1/2 cord of wood into enough energy to power a 2000-lb vehicle 350 miles. Pretty soon YOU will be seen driving down the road in a beauty just like that".

Hat Tip: Ultimate Subaru Message Board

Contemplating...

... the Real Reason the Internet Exists.

Hat Tip: Kevin Rose and Co at digg.

Help Us Name Our Next Album

My band Chris Plays Guitar is busy working on the new album. We are trying to decide on the title and album cover. One suggesttion has been "How to Teach a Pussy to Rock and Roll!". Take the album pictured here, replace the cow with a cat, and give the cat a guitar, and maybe a "Chris" nametag, and there you go. I don't like it.. No, I HATE it. But, hey, the concept is probably too straight for me, or it could be that I have no imagination left as I spent it all in my youth. Ah, the things we give up to grow up. The Web Site the "cowlbum" was lifted from probably won't help, but it sure is fun!!!
















PS. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad the seventies ended and are NEVER coming back.












PPS. I know, they'll be back in another 65 years, but I'll be pushing daisies by then, so it's not my concern......



.....and here's one for Cory and Olie and North Dallas Thirty.

Forget Rove!!!

I just found out who is the REAL mastermind behind the goings-on in the Bush administration.

Hat Tip: NDT

A Reply

Sarah Z said...

"Just a little thought - One of the core beliefs of Islam is the unity of church and state. Makes American Democracy not really workable for the Muslim people".


But don't many argue that Iraq under Saddam was a secular government, as is Syria purported to be? Yet they are / were run by loyal Muslims. And isn't that why Osama supposedly did not collaborated with Saddam?

Church and State unity has extreme variations. There are many democracies where Church and State coexists successfully. Israel is one, England is another. After the Constitution was signed, several of the U States had official state religions. One of those was Thomas Jeffersons home state, Virginia. As far as I know, the first acknowledged democracy, the Greek prototype, had no such separation. The kind of situation I'’m deriding is where the State functions at the privilege and whim of the church or religious sect, such as that under Taliban rule.

My Rare Form drummer, Dan, made a similar argument that trying to install a democracy in Iraq was futile, but his argument was based on a book that came out a couple of years ago that suggested that Muslims, due to their culture, learn from birth to deal with the world with two faces, by saying one thing but doing another, and therefore cannot be trusted. It is second nature to them. One example was Arafat. During the 90s, he would talk of truce to the western leaders and news forums, but when back in Palestine, he would still preach "“Death to Israel" to his comrades and countrymen. A current example could be the Saudis. They look like they are getting tougher on terrorism, but most experts conclude that there is still some family (and oil) money funding the Wahhabi terrorist groups, and that many connected to the royal family are providing safe haven for terrorists. So does this mean that all Muslims and two-face and canÂ’t be trusted? I think not! But that book used that very Buchannonish argument to deride our involvement in the Middle East. And what if, instead of Muslims, I implied the same logic to Jews or Africans. I would be called a racist or bigot.

The statement “Makes American Democracy not really workable for the Muslim people” seems presumptuous to me. Before the American Revolution, most Englishmen could not fathom a workable government without a sovereign. Yet here we are without a sovereign. And if democracy doesn't work for Muslims, then why do so many immigrate to western, democratic countries such as Britton, France, and the US? Why did 8 million plus in Iraq risk their lives to go to the polls to vote this year? Assuming the Iraqi effort succeeds, their democracy certainly will not look exactly like ours; but where does it say that it has to in order to succeed?

PS. I love you Sarah (don't tell your hubby).

One Other Thing

No, make that two!

A. For those who espouse the idea that the Afghanistan invasion was justified but the Iraq invasion was not, and is what lead to the bombings in London today, do you really think that kicking the Taliban out of Afghanistan would not be reason enough for the attacks?

B. Don't call the insurgents in Iraq "Freedom Fighters". That term is reserved for people who are fight for the cause of freedom, not only from foreign occupying forces, but also from repressive forces from with-in. "Freedom Fighters" fight for the rights of the individual along with the rights of the country. The terrorists in Iraq only want either a return to the murderous ways of Saddam, when they had power, or a new repressive Taliban type government, where church and state are one. Neither of these can be allowed to happen, no matter the cost.

PS. Why some libs are so against a church + state government here, but tolerate it there I will never understand.

Sorry. I needed to vent.

Blast in London

I want all the Bush-hating, lefty terrorist sympathizers to look at this and tell me they still believe Michael "There is no terrorist threat" Moore is their sage. Through-out Europe, every known radical Muslim extremist needs to be detained and shaken down for info, like they do at Gitmo. The pacifists in Europe (I'm looking your way, Chirac) needs to realize we are at war against these extremist, and have been since at least 1979, circa Iran, if not longer. Playing nice won't satisfy them. It never satisfies any group with stated ambitions of world domination. Wanting peace is great and noble and all, but there is no peace when one side sees glory in blowing up trains and buses and buildings filled with innocent people. They want to destroy all infidels. That includes YOU! They don't care if you sympathize with their cause or not. Do you think one of the terrorists was on a bus, counted the number of pacifists on it, and decided "Too many of our allies are on this bus. I won't blow it up." That's stupid. Spain and France bought themselves some time by laying down in the face of the threat. They bought a false peace, because sooner or later they will do something, prosecute someone, that ticks off the extremist, which will make them a target also. This attack today must unify Europe and intensify their resolve against the Muslim extremist who think it is their duty to kill innocent civilians. Unless of coarse you subscribe to the Ward Churchill "Little Eichmann's" philosophy, in which case, all Westerners deserve to die.

My First Album

Corey over at OPIEblue got me thinking about the first LP I ever bought. It was "Out of Sight" by K-Tel, released in 1975 (ish). It featured "Rock the Boat" by Hues Corp., "Having My Baby" by Paul Anka, "I've Got The Music in Me" by Kiki Dee, and "The Streak" by Ray Stevens. THIS is the only decent link I could find so far, but it does list the tracks on the album. I don't remember just why I had to spend my hard-earned allowance on this, but there it is. The next album I remember buying was Foriegner's debut album in 1977. I think I still have it. Why did I wait so long between LP purchases??? Maybe I was traumatized by the realization that I had blown my hard-earned allowance on K-tel's "Out of Sight".

Love The Boots!!!!

To improve sagging sales, Matell tries to appeal to an untapped target demographic by unveiling a live version of the newest member of the Barbie line, "Bitch-Slap" Barbie.

Hat Tip:Caption This

The Death of the 5th Amendment

Justice Thomas on the New London, NJ eminent domain case:

"Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's interpretation of the Constitution. Although citizens are safe from the government in their homes, the homes themselves are not."

Hat Tip: Volokh Conspiracy Friday, June 24, 2005

Santa, Are You Listening?????

I want one of THESE... REALLY BAD!!! I'm Jones'n. This is the most awsome thing EVER!!!!

Hat Tip: Kevin at Digg

Here's to the Furute

I will be a technlogically enhanced 90 years old when this becomes reallity.

More on Michael Jackson

A) If Jackson DID molest the accuser as testified, then this child has paid a horrible price x3 for the sins of the mother. Not only did she teach him that lying pays off (J.C. Penny). Not only did she doom the case. But she left him in the hands of a suspected child molester.

B) Isn't a monetary out-of-court settlement with a person who had sex with your young child the same as running a child prostitution ring, except the price of the sex act is negotiated after the fact?

NOT a CPG New Song

Ah... The good ol' days.

Biased???

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Another New CPG Song.

It's called Roadside Cafe. This is, I think, the apex of CPG so far. Keep in mind that this is still a scratch track, i.e. it has not been EQ'd and processed for mass consumption and does not sound as polished as a mixed track that you would hear on the radio. It is like a piece of unfinished furniture. The structure is there but it hasn't been lacquered and polished yet. But it still sounds quite good and I am a bit pleased with the way the backing vox sound even though I am not quite comfortable singing falsetto. I guess it's something I have to work on and gain more confidence. I think we're ditching the MIDI bits during the 2nd verse. Pay especially close attention to the guitar work from the middle break to the end of the song. Chris Carey has arrived as a guitar player! I can now put him in the same elite guitarist class that Cliff Ecternach from Rare Form and Joe Luna from Juni Moon occupy. More-over, as the two year anniversary of Chris Plays Guitar fast approaches, I am amazed at how the band has developed. It has been a great pleasure watching all the guys in CPG grow into the musicians they are today. This may well be the best band I've been in, except for all the others of coarse;-)

The Mystery of Pseudo-Commerce Revealed

This will only make sense if you have been following the Supreme Court recently (hint- Ashcroft v. Raich). I just have to ask: "What are they smoking over there in the hallowed halls of justice?

Hat Tip: Eugene Volokh & Co.

Personality Defects Are NOT Covered Under Warranty!

Personality Defect Test.

Hat Tip: North Dallas Thirty

Introducing - Drumroll Please - My Car Murphy :-)

As some of you know, I have been trying to rebuild this car for over a month. It is done!

Here it is in all it's $500 glory.

Murphy's Good Side.
sonicfrog

PS. More Pics can be found Here.

Murphy's Not-So-Good Side!
Note the little dent by the front tire. What do you expect for $500. But check out the interior....sonicfrog

Probably the most intact interior I have ever had.
sonicfrog

I finaly own a car with a sun roof.
sonicfrog

Say Ahhhhhhhhh!

It's JUST WAITING to be stuffed with band equipment!
sonicfrog

Sorry... Sorry...

I humbly appologize for not posting anything for a while. Been busy. Yeah, I know. Thats what I always say.

But It's True!!!

The car LIVES. I will get into more detail on that soon. But in the meantime, here is something to help you pass the time while I go and see the last Star War pic.

Beware The Dark Side!!!

Hat Tip: Slant Point.

And you might as well check out Caption This! too.

An Old Friend.

Uh, Oh. I felt it was a perfect night for some Genesis. Three Sides Live is stunning. I am digitally recording the album even as I type. Sometimes Phil Collins can out Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel on the live stuff. I always found myself listening to the third and fourth side the most. I always had a special spot in my heart for "You Might Recall" and "Evidence of Autumn". Those songs speak to me. And the musicianship. Anyone who doesn't thing Phil is a phenomenal drummer is, well, quite loopy. Mike Rutherford is a HUGE influence on my Bass playing. When I'm playing CPG's "Fortune 500" there is one little riff that is totally a Rutherford rip-off. And I think of him EVERY TIME I play it.

PS. Duke is my # 1 album of all time. I call it my "Coma Album". If I don't wake up when you play this album whilst in a coma, go ahead and pull the plug!!


DAMN IT - The recording has audio glitches. The recording skips, and it's not the album (yes, I do mean LP). I was listening during the recording, and it didn't skip once STUPID WINDOWS XP!!!!!!!! Should have used Linux.

The Car - So Far...

OK. As some of you know, I bought a dead 1987 Subaru Turbo Wagon last month for $500. I am throwing a new engine and transmission into the car. I was going to work on it last week-end, but life got in the way. So TODAY was the day I was going to get it all together and drive it. Here is my progress.

On the new engine, here is the list of accomplishments:
Removed all that needed to be removed, including intake manifold, water pump, timing belts, gaskets and cam, front and rear-main seals. I installed the seals and valve cover gaskets. The engine is almost ready for its new home.

Now for the setbacks:
The long intake manifold bolt head broke off, so it tool me an hour to weasel the manifold up and off. I thought the reason it wouldn't come off was because there was a lot of corrosion on the bolt. The more likely reason it took me an hour was that I forgot to disconnect the EGR pipe that screws into the intake manifold (duh). The crank-shaft pulley bolt would not budge, instead breaking my home made flywheel stopper I have had for twenty years. Wedging a C clamp onto the flywheel did the trick, but my torque wrench wasn't torquie enough, so eventually I had to go and buy a breaker bar (should have done that long, long ago). Had to make three shopping trips to various parts stores for bits and do-dads I forgot to get last week-end. And last but not least, I trashed the new rear-main seal trying to put it in with a plastic cup. The seal went in crooked, and the edge of the cup bit through the inner part of the seal.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure the tranny I bought from LA is the wrong one, so I guess I'll try and seal the old one as best I can in the meantime.

So tomorrow is another auto shop day. Thank god I have a garage AND bought that engine hoist last week. I would have spent more money on a rental.