Monday, October 25, 2004
Say Uncle gives a "compelling" endorsement of the Libertarian candidate, Michael Badnarik.
For the record, I voted Libertarian during both Clinton elections, and I did so because I thought the party was principled, and dedicated to cutting taxes, spending, and interference in the lives of American citizens. But, as SU says, Badnarik is the lunatic fringe version of Libertarian. He will probably do much worse than Browne or Marrou ever did.
Will there ever be a day when we will see a candidate with the above ideals who will make a serious run at the presidency? I doubt it. Not as long as the citizenry writ large keeps going to the public trough and taking something, and not as long as the political elites keep accommodating them. It's all about who can give the voter something. "What's in it for us?", they ask. To ask, "What will you pledge to NOT do?" or "How many programs will you pledge to cut or eliminate entirely?" just won't get you elected. Sad, but true.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
10:58 PM
Prime commentary from MSNBC:
It's one of the many lies that the book advances. To me the most interesting lie, John O'Neill, that I would submit to you that you should answer, is, you make a lying claim that John Kerry's antiwar activity prolonged the amount of time that prisoners of war were held in Vietnam. . . . That's a lie, John O'Neill! Keep lying, it's all you do! . . . Lies! . . . Which is not in John O'Neill's book, 'cause it's a lie! . . . That's a lie! It's another lie! That's a lie! Absolute lie! You lie in that book endlessly! . . . You lie about documents endlessly! . . . You're just lying about it! And you lied about Thurlow's Bronze Star! You lied about it as long as you could until the New York Times found the wording of what was on the citation that you as a lying writer refused to put in your pack of lies! . . . Disgusting, lying book! . . . You have no standards, John O'Neill, as an author, and you know it! It's a pack of lies! You are unfit to publish! . . . He just lied to you! He spews out this filth! Point to his name on the report, you liar! Point to his name, you liar! . . . You just spew lies! . . .I just hate the lies of John O'Neill. I hate lies. It's not an argument; they're proven lies. . . . O'Neill's a liar, he's been a liar for 35 years about this, and he's found other liars [unintelligible]. . . . They lied! . . . They're lying somewhere! . . . Lies! Just tell me the initials, you liar! Creepy liar! . . . You are a liar who makes things up! . . . You want the lies! That's how you make your living, on lies!
So what is Lawrence O'Donnell trying to say? And Kerry supporters are supposed to be taken seriously? Sheesh.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
10:44 PM
For some nighttime entertainment, go over to Gatorsports.com and read the forums. In case you don't follow SEC football, here's what you missed this weekend.
Gators lose to worst team this side of the Mississippi. Mayhem ensues. Coach Ron Zook is fired. Partying in Gainesville begins.
So... is the "ol' ball coach" coming back to resurrect the dead Gator football program? Well, apparently, he's interested. For the sake of the Vols - Gators' rivalry, I think it would be a real treat.
Stay tuned.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:29 PM
Eight days before the election, I finally found a sensible tax policy espoused by John Kerry:
Sen. Kerry is the only Democratic candidate to move past glib talk and address a concrete topic: "John Kerry has been a strong supporter of legislation allowing artists, writers and composers to take a fair-market value deduction for their works donated to a museum, library or archive."
This refers to the bills in the House and Senate aimed at righting a glaring inequity in the tax code. If a collector donates a work of art to a museum, he or she can take a deduction based on its current market value. If a living artist wants to donate one of their own works to a museum, their deduction is limited to the cost of the materials used to make it. The bills are languishing in committee. If there is a real arts issue on the table today, it's this one.
Now if someone could convince Kerry that marginal tax cuts encourage job growth, we might have something.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:15 PM
Just when I was this close to cancelling my Netflix subscription, they lowered their monthly fees to $17.99. With low margins and heightened competition in the market, Netflix had to do something in response to their fledgling stock price. The future is bright for online/mail order video rentals, although I'm not sure Netflix has the resources to stay competitive. Best guess - Amazon will buy Netflix to acquire an established presence in the market, or TiVo will merge with Netflix to create a digital content delivery juggernaut.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:05 PM
Over on the Blogfather's daily, guest blogger Ann Althouse had this to say:
My 21-year-old son, Chris stopped by City Hall in Madison, WI to vote, and he had this to say:
"No one ever asked for my ID, and in fact, I asked two different people if they wanted to see my ID, and they said no. So, anyone who wanted to could go in and write down somebody else's name if they knew their address, and vote for them."
I don't care at this point who wins the election, as long as they win it fairly, and within the bounds of the law. God help us if this is how voting is being handled nationwide.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
7:28 PM
Not only is the Red Sox ace Curt Schilling a great pitcher, but he might be an even better businessman:
Schilling, a bright, articulate man who negotiated his own terms, added another clause (to his contract). If the Red Sox were to succeed in their desperate quest for a first World Series win since 1918, his salary would rise by $2 million the next year and his contract would be extended for a fourth year at $13 million. So a championship for the Red Sox will bring Schilling an extra $15 million. Not bad for a man who, at 38 ,is reaching the end of his career.
Schilling obviously 1) knows how passionately the Sox want a World Series title, and 2) is more prescient than anyone gave him credit for. I hope the Red Sox win the series just to see them give a fine pitcher like Schilling an extra year.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
7:06 PM
Sunday, October 24, 2004
As in many past elections, Americans are closely divided over who should be the next president. It's not a clear-cut case of one candidate being far superior to the other. Yet history is not made by those who stand on the sidelines and wring their hands. The people must choose on Nov. 2, and (fill in the newspaper here) recommends George W. Bush over John F. Kerry.
Any guesses whose endorsement starts with this paragraph? Washington Times? New York Post? Wall Street Journal? If you guessed those, you were wrong. Try the venerable Hartford Courant. That's Hartford, as in Connecticut. Yes, my home state newspaper, a state committed to the "ideals" of confiscatory policy, and overt liberalism, today endorsed the Republican President.
Now, since I have not lived here for long, I wouldn't know if this is a historical trend, but I doubt highly that it is. In any case, it took me by surprise.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
4:38 PM
No blogging here lately, as we have been too busy in the Opinari household to sit down and opine about things. Sometimes, there's just not much worth saying that warrants taking a few hours out of my day and typing them here. Last week was one of those weeks.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
4:35 PM
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Engadget:
This doesn't come as a huge surprise, but a new report suggests that interest in buying downloadable music online from places like iTunes seems to be fading. The main reason? All of those thousands of promotions seem to have ended. Apparently, those "buy a Big Mac and get a free download" and "buy a Pepsi and get a free download" type promotions are starting to close up shop. While there was a lot of hype about these music download stores, everyone involved still seems to simply have their head in the sand about what's really going on, and what the real competition is. If they ever do take a step back and see the market for what it is, we should expect to see some serious price drops, along with additional benefits and features for buyers, along with a real effort to use the music as a constant promotion for selling other, more profitable, things. In the meantime, though, most of these companies will stick with the fiction that a buck a song is the right price.
When Real ran their $4.99/album introductory sale on digital downloads, I purchased several. I considered buying 2-3 per week at that price, mainly for the convenience. However, when the $9.99 price structure went into effect, I cancelled my account. I won't pay that price for a digital download, especially with the lack of selections available. Until the price drops, as the above review mentions, I won't be buying, and I suspect many others will not either.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:44 PM
"Female Viagra" will possibly to go to market in 2005 pending FDA priority review.
"We hope to have the (Intrinsa) patch available some time in 2005, if approved by the FDA," said Elaine Plummer, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati-based Proctor & Gamble.
P&G's female testosterone patch, dubbed Intrinsa, is designed to treat women whose lack of sexual desire causes them distress. The patch is for women with menopause that's triggered by surgery, such as a total hysterectomy, which tends to reduce sexual desire, P&G said.
Girl takes Intrinsa. Boy takes Viagra. Porno flick ensues.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:07 PM
A homeschooled child begs her mom to watch the debate...
Rhia: "Mom, I need to watch the debate."
Mom: No you need to go to bed.
Rhia: But mom it is the last debate, I need to hear some of it.
Mom: No you already hear the other two and saw the president speak.
Rhia: But this is the last time they debate. I will do a blog.
Mom: You were restless last time - it may not interest you.
Rhia: I will sit right here and be quiet and listen. Who is speaking now?
Mom: _exasperated sigh_ sure come lay down President Bush is talking - but you are not eating anything and are going right to bed afterwards!
This from a child, aged five years. I can only hope my son is this motivated to watch the debates in 2008, and he will be just about the same age.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:39 PM
If you have trouble finding crap on your computer (things like Word Docs, PDFs, and especially emails), you are just the type of person that needs the Google Desktop Search tool. I just installed this handy little free utility on my laptop, and I have been able to find lots of previously lost files, like installation codes for purchased software, pictures of old living quarters, and even a Powerpoint file I forgot to submit for a software engineering class. (Oops!) One thing though... once you install it, go somewhere and let it index your system. Then come back 10-20 minutes later, and search away!
More GMail Goodies: This one isn't from Google, but from a programmer that thought it might be a good idea to use the GMail file system as a repository for your personal files. Try the GMail drive shell extension.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:26 PM
A Plea from a Southern Expatriate living in Connecticut:
If anyone in the Northeast knows where I can go to buy a palate, a case, a 12-pack, or heck, even a sip of Caffeine Free Diet Mountain Dew up this way, please post and tell me where. I am having withdrawals!
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:24 PM
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Debate Reaction:
The Blogfather: "Again, not bad for Kerry, but Bush is at the top of his game. He's still no Ronald Reagan, but he's good -- much better than at the beginning or in the earlier debates. If he'd been like this in the first debate he'd be up by 10."
Stephen Green: "The Fox News guys look happy. That's my own version of an exit poll."
Jeff Jarvis: "The only real conclusion from this debate is that we should have more debates -- for they are the only opportunities we have had to dwell on issues rather than mud and they have had big impact on the election -- and they should all be run by the citizens, not the journalists."
Dean Esmay: "I'm not watching the debate tonight. I suddenly realized it was a huge waste of time. How about you?"
Right Wing News: "I give a slight edge to Kerry for this debate. Kerry relentlessly criticized Bush with some success and while Bush fired back, but trying to hammer Kerry is like trying to nail jello to the wall because he's all things to all people. On the other hand, I don't think this should hurt Bush since Kerry has the edge on domestic issues anyway and since the it was a small win."
Hugh Hewitt: "Bush wins because of the faith question, the gay marriage question and the emphasis on education and Kerry's Global test. Kerry strong on jobs and health care, but weak on connecting with people. Shieffer probably doesn't even know how in the tank he was, a product of the deep, deep bias at CBS and MSM generally. Kerry on the defensive on many issues tthat matter to voters, and especially Catholic voters and voters with children. The worst fumble by Kerry: Not answering the cost question on health care."
Dan Drezner: " Bush stomped Kerry, without a doubt. Not only did he project a more interested demeanor, but he also showed a more pleasant speaking style and a superior grasp of detail. He projected an optimism that completely escapes Kerry, especially tonight. Kerry was the one stumbling through answers this time, including inexplicably on the question about his experience with strong women. Kerry could not stay on topic, and like John Edwards, wound up simply regurgitating his stump speeches. Bush offered more thoughtful answers, more extemporaneous, and seemed much more genuine as a result. This debate will wind up being recognized as a disaster for the Kerry campaign within the next 48 hours, and within 96 hours the polls will demonstrate it." Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:34 PM
On the debate:
This sure feels like the same debate we already saw. Wasn't this supposed to be something different? It makes me wish the fringe party candidates were allowed to participate.
Health care, jobs, taxes, Iraq.... blah blah blah. All things I care about, but seriously, they should have divided these debates into three distinct categories. Or maybe two, and left this third debate off.
In the liberal enclave of New England, I can guarantee you that very few "undecided" voters are watching this on a Wednesday night when the Red Sox are playing the Yankees.
Anyway, I don't see much new coming out of this. In fact, I think both candidates are doing worse than last time. Maybe they are bored with this whole process too? Maybe they should both get plastered before debating. Now THAT would be fun.
UPDATE: I actually like the self-deprecating lines from both candidates.
Bush - "Laura speaks English better than I do."
Kerry - "The three of us certainly married up. Some would say I did better than others."
However, the canned closing statements have got to go. Ugh.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:39 PM
Monday, October 11, 2004
Roger Pilon writes an astute column about how free-market policies can be applied to drug reimportation.
The (reimportation) ban should be lifted, therefore, not to encourage reimportation, which isn't likely to happen, but simply to allow market practices to surface. Today, with their high-profit American market protected, companies don't have to bargain hard abroad. The ban shields them, allowing them to claim they have to accept foreign price controls. Practically, Americans are subsidizing socialized medical systems abroad.
But with the ban lifted, and the threat of underpriced drugs flooding the American market, companies would be "forced" to adjust. They could still try to maximize profits by segmenting markets. But they'd have to guard against parallel markets the right way, through no-resale contracts or supply limits. They could offer a country lower prices, but the country would have to police its exports, since America would no longer be policing imports. That places the incentive where it belongs, on the country benefiting from the bargain. And if that failed, companies could limit supplies, as they're doing now with Canada.
[...]
With the ban lifted, no one knows whether prices will rise abroad and fall here, or just rise abroad. That's for markets to decide. The last thing we want, however, is the bipartisan Dorgan-Snowe Senate bill, which would lift the ban and then prohibit companies from "gaming the system" -- limiting supplies or raising prices abroad. In effect, the sponsors want to freeze the current situation, then import below-cost drugs from abroad -- at those prices. The sponsors seem not to appreciate that the only reason a company can sell a drug for $20 in Germany is because it's sold for $100 in America. The bill would actually import foreign price controls, and that would be the end of future R&D and the miracle drugs it produces.
One can only hope a solution such as that proposes by Pilon is given a chance, instead of the foolish intervention of Dorgan-Snowe.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
2:04 PM
Paying Their Fair Share:
According to the Kerrys' own tax records, and they have not released all of them, the couple had a combined income of $6.8 million in income last year and paid $725,000 in income taxes. That means their effective tax rate was a whopping 12.8%. And it was all (presumably) done legally.
[...]
Under the current tax system the middle class pays far more than the Kerry tax rate. In fact, the average federal tax rate -- combined payroll and income tax -- for a middle-class family is closer to 20% or more. George W. and Laura Bush, who had an income one-tenth of the Kerrys', paid a tax rate of 30%.
Of course, there is delicious irony in the Kerry family tax-return data. Here is the man who finds clever ways to reduce his own tax liability while voting for higher taxes on the middle class dozens of times in his Senate career. He even voted against the Bush tax cut that saves each middle-class family about $1,000.
John Kerry... man of the middle class. Heh.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
1:41 PM
Saturday, October 09, 2004
Australia != Spain:
PRIME Minister John Howard has claimed victory in the federal election that returned him to office for a fourth term in a vote that saw surprise gains for the Coalition across the country.
Labor failed to make any significant gains and senior party figures were conceding defeat just hours into the counting tonight.
Labor leader Mark Latham conceded defeat in a phone call to Mr Howard around three hours after polling finished in the eastern states.
Soon afterwards Mr Howard addressed supporters in Sydney and said he was "truly humbled" by the result and promised to "rededicate myself and all of my colleagues to the service of the Australian people".
He acknowledged Mr Latham's concession and thanked him for "the gracious things that he said."
"There can only be one winner when an election is held," Mr Howard said.
"We are joyful that the verdict has been given by the Australian people but never forget the fact that governments are elected to govern not only for the people who voted for them, but also for the people who voted against them."
The strength of support for the Coalition surpassed all expectations as Labor's vote collapsed in Tasmania and nationally the Coalition looked set to increase its majority in Parliament.
Early Senate results show the Coalition may also command a majority in the Upper House, which would allow Mr Howard to proceed with the sale of Telstra and other controversial Government plans held up by the opposition over the past three years.
The last paragraph there is just as significant as the first. Imagine a Bush administration with a super-majority in the Senate, with the ability to avoid threats of filibustering. Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:24 AM
Friday, October 08, 2004
Here's a thought.
Perhaps Bush's performance in the first debate was poor by design. Why, you ask? By doing so poorly, he lowered the bar that much more for himself, while instilling a feeling of superiority and overconfidence in Kerry's camp. Thus, Bush is enabled to be the "comeback kid", just like Reagan was in his candidacies. Kerry is turned from the offensive to the defensive, is caught off guard by the unexpected improvement in Bush as a debater. As such, Bush impresses the proletariat. Bush looks much better than he would have with higher expectations. As a result, Bush wins the second (and ostensibly the third) debate, swaying the "swing" voters to his favor, and winning the election.
Farfetched? No more than any of the hundreds of other liberal conspiracy theories. Blame Karl Rove, I say.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:55 PM
Impressions: All I want to know is where was this version of Dubya last week? I still wish that Kerry would tell us some of his plan specifics, although I think that is by design. ABC says that this debate was infinitely more important than the previous one. If that's the case, I think the advantage goes to Bush so far in the debate season.
I was curious about why Kerry didn't mention the jobs report today, and why Dubya didn't point out that Kerry voted AGAINST the Kyoto Treaty in the Senate. The candidates need better researchers (maybe they should read the blogs.)
Also, it would be nice if Bush, instead of a "nuanced" answer about stem cell research, would point out that there is a difference between ADULT and EMBRYONIC stem cells, and the differences between the two. People need to understand the difference.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:58 PM
Gibson: Neither of you has addressed how you will reduce the deficit by 50%. How will you do so?
Bush: I will ask the Senate to quit spending so much.
Kerry: [crickets chirping]
Heh.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:11 PM
Yawn... I was going to blog the second debate, but why?
Same shoo-shoo. Different day.
NOTE: Guess I changed my mind. Heh.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:05 PM
Nope. No news media bias going on here. Nothing to see here. Move along.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
7:45 PM
Hugh Hewitt on the General Shinseki claim made by John Kerry:
This is a test of MSM: lf Kerry goes unchallenged on an obvious and significant lie, how can the MSM claim to be anything except the Democratic nominee's cheerleading section?
Inquiring minds want to know, and all that.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
7:41 PM
I have this nagging question that keeps coming to me at odd hours. It involves the constant pessimism, the insistence of the left, specifically the boosters of John Kerry, that says that the Bush administration will be the first presidency to lose jobs in a single term (585,000 or 913,000 net jobs lost, depending on which report you consider). Today's jobs report showed an increase of 96,000 jobs, but this was apparently not good enough for the mainstream media. Since the aftermath of September 11th, there have been subsequent job increases. In fact, in 2004, the economy has added 1.69 million jobs (according to the household survey). Even so, this is a figure that just doesn't make the grade for the Bush detractors.
Consider this. President Bush inherited a recession, a tech bubble burst, corporate accounting scandals, and the events of September 11, 2001. Recall how paralyzed the national psyche, and, by extension, the economy was in the wake of those events. The Democrats have made a big issue of the aforementioned job losses, as they are so entitled. Given the climate of uncertainty in the United States during the first half of the Bush presidency, how exactly would a Kerry administration have handled the economy differently? Would his monetary policies have differed from the Feds? Would he have raised taxes in a recession? Would he have adopted more Keynesian policies?
I'm weary of hearing that Bush is bad and Kerry is good. I want to know specifically what Kerry would have done differently. That's not too much to ask during an election season.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
3:18 PM
There has been an e-coli scare not too far from my house. Fortunately, our water supplier is not the same as in Ellington. Still, it makes me question the wisdom in consuming public water.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
3:13 PM
Florida Voting Blues:
The state Democratic Party filed a federal lawsuit accusing Florida's secretary of state of violating federal law when she told elections supervisors to reject incomplete voter-registration forms. The party asked a judge to order Glenda Hood to reverse her instructions to the state's 67 counties.
Hood's office told counties they should disqualify voters who failed to check a box confirming they are U.S. citizens, even if they signed an oath on the same form swearing they are. She and other state officials maintain that state and federal laws require the box to be checked.
"The Secretary of State's Office says they want to err on the side of the voter, yet they want to disenfranchise people," party Chairman Scott Maddox said.
It's not disenfranchising people to require them to follow the instructions as laid out by the law. Let me go on record by saying that I don't care if it's a Democratic voter, or a Republican voter registering to vote. If the person does not follow the procedure as delineated by law, they are not, and should not be, a qualified voter. Period.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
3:04 PM
Marc Anderssen:
""One of the most amazing things over the last six or seven years is watching Microsoft basically get a monopoly over the browser and then not use it."
They had better get going on fixing the myriad problems with their IE product, or they will have a monopoly no more.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
2:59 PM
The Dell Digital DJ is a little cheaper today:
Dell has taken an aggressive pricing strategy in its competition with Apple in the music player space. Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox reported in his blog Friday that Dell has dropped pricing on the 15GB Dell DJ to US$149, which is $100 less than the 4GB iPod mini, and half the price of a 20 GB iPod. Dell's 20GB Dell DJ is currently being offered at $195, $100 less than the 20GB iPod.
The 15GB Dell DJ normally lists for $199, and the special pricing is a promotion being made available through a coupon in conjunction with Apple's erstwhile Windows jukebox partner, MusicMatch. The 20GB unit normally lists for $279, and the $195 discounted pricing is available directly from Dell's Web site as of this writing.
This is a clear attempt to compete with the iPod craze, and knowing how the iPod is priced, along with compatibility issues with other formats, I can see several thousand of these units going off the shelves during the promotion. It makes me wish I hadn't bought mine yet. Heh.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
2:52 PM
Do you own a Dell PC? You might want to know about a product recall.
Dell Inc. is recalling 990,000 AC adapters made for their notebook computers, warning that the adapters may overheat to pose fire risk and electrocution hazard to users.
Dell's recalled adapters were manufactured in China and sold between Sept. 1998 through Feb. 2002. Dell's Web site and customer service center sold the computers with adapters from September 1998 through February 2002 for $1,500 to $3,200.
{...}
Customers can identify the adapters with the word "DELL" and "P/N 9364U," "P/N 7832D" or "P/N 4983D" printed on the back of the unit.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
2:31 PM
U.S. School Floor Plans Found in Iraq:
Federal law enforcement authorities notified school districts in six states last month that a computer disk found in Iraq contained photos, floor plans and other information about their schools, two U.S. officials said Thursday.
The downloaded data found by the U.S. military in July -- all available on the Internet -- included an Education Department report guiding schools on how to prepare and respond to a crisis, said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Think Russia and Chechnyan separatists, and then ask yourself why anyone in Iraq would want, or need school floor plans from the U.S.
Iraq and terrorism not connected? Hogwash.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
2:27 PM
Sunday, October 03, 2004
I have some items on eBay this weekend... included are C.J. Date's Introduction to Database Systems (7th and 8th editions), a PalmPak Road Atlas, the Led Zeppelin box set, and Visual Basic .NET 2002 and 2003. Bid away!
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:00 PM
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Senator Tom Daschle may lose South Dakota, and this could explain why:
In 1991 Daschle told the Washington Post that the "first thing that comes to my mind in a vote is: Can it [the issue] pass the 30-second test, how successful will it be in applying it to a 30-second ad?" The cynicism and being on both sides of every issue is catching up to him.
I really hate this kind of politician. I want leadership that takes a stand on the side they believe is the right side, and I want them to tell me why. President Bush is great at the first, not so good at the second. But at least I can follow his actions, and know from them what his positions are. Kerry, Daschle, and many of the Clintonian Democrats, just don't know how to govern that way.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
9:09 PM
October Reading:
This month, I'm working on four books simultaneously. Will I finish them by Election Day? I doubt it. But I'm going to try.
From the political genre comes Intellectual Morons, which interests me because I often wonder why people go off the ideological deep end.
From the suspense category, we have the Romanov Prophecy, detailing the adventures of Miles Lord in Russia and ties to the Bolshevik Revolution and a cryptic message from Rasputin. (I have a thing for historical thrillers).
Since I liked the DaVinci Code, I thought I would like more background into the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion, etc. The Templar Revelation looks like just the thing to satisfy my curiosity into the conspiracy theories that abound regarding Mary Magdalene, Christ, and John the Baptist.
And finally, there's this little novel. Call it an intellectual exercise studying the not-so-intellectual world of college football fanaticism. Warren St. John's Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer follows the cult of the Alabama Crimson Tide for a season in a $5500 beat up RV. So far, this has been a very interesting tome.
All four of these are available on e-book, so I can get lots of reading done in places like... the bathroom stall at work, the grocery store line, and in bed when sleep is elusive. On second thought, maybe I will finish them by Election Day.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:34 PM
Funny, this sounds just like what happened when Nixon was being so paranoid back in the 70s.
Three laptop computers containing campaign plans were stolen overnight from the Bush-Cheney state headquarters office, Republican officials said Friday.
[...]
The computers contained much of the Bush-Cheney campaign strategy for the state and advertising schedules, (state GOP chairman Chris) Vance said.
"This looks like it was politically motivated," Vance said in an interview from the Republican party offices in Tukwila.
There's no way to know whether it was politically motivated, but it sure smells funny to me. Oh, I know, Karl Rove engineered the theft, and is going to plant them somewhere in John Kerry's campaign headquarters. Maybe that's the October surprise Teh-REH-suh was talking about.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:29 PM
Here We Go Again in the Sunshine State:
Florida officials say thousands of Floridians who think they're registered to vote could be turned away at the polls November second because their voter registration forms weren't completely filled out.
Secretary of State Glenda Hood says some groups registering voters are turning in application forms with information missing, such as unchecked boxes asking whether applicants are citizens, mentally incompetent or felons.
I don't care if the applicants in question are Democrats or Republicans. If you are too stupid to fill out a voter registration card, and too proud to ask someone for help with it, you shouldn't be voting anyway.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:26 PM
At the half - Auburn 31, Tennessee 3. Well, tonight, they DEFINITELY look like kids out there. I said at the beginning of the week that if we could take 1 out of the 2 games with Auburn and Georgia, I would be thrilled. I'm not sure we can do that, but here's hoping that it happens.Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
8:24 PM
Friday, October 01, 2004
TiVo for the Internet? I think I will try out this little piece of software.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
2:51 PM
BREAKING NEWS: A friend of mine just informed me that Mt. St. Helens erupted. She lives within clear view of the volcano. I don't see anything yet on the news. I'm working on getting some pictures as well.
UPDATE: FoxNews reports "Steam Eruption Visible at Mount St. Helens ".
UPDATE AGAIN: Most of what is coming from the volcano is steam, but it was enough of an eruption to stir her chickens. This is what my friend in Washington reports. No pictures available, but you can monitor the volcanic activity here.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
2:24 PM
Read this excellent article by Pat Forde on Vol head coach Phil Fulmer:
(J)ust in case Tide backers require a cherry atop their bile sundae, consider this sacrilegious scenario: Sometime in 2016, Fulmer surpasses Mr. Paul Bryant's SEC record of 159 conference victories -- a mark many have labeled unassailable in today's coaching climate.
At the still-spry age of 54, Fulmer owns 75 SEC wins going into the 3-0 Volunteers' Saturday showdown in Knoxville with 4-0 Auburn. He says he'd like to coach 10 more years, and the Big Orange lifer (player, assistant, head coach) wouldn't do it anywhere other than Tennessee. If he maintains his current winning pace for another decade and stays a few extra years beyond his 10-year goal, he'll demote Bear from Ursa Major to Ursa Minor in Dixie's coaching constellation before he's through.
Heh.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
12:50 PM
Erik Ainge will be starting for the Vols this weekend. He has definitely earned it, but I am a superstitious sort where sports are concerned. So, for this reason, I am picking the Vols to lose to Auburn (although I hope I am wrong!)
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
12:47 PM
Rex Hammock:
Personally, I have decided that the best way to watch a presidential debate is to open an IM conversation with someone who is against the candidate you support. You realize that debates are merely a rorschach inkblot test. Over the past 90 minutes, I've discovered in the real-time, stream-of-consciousness flow of IMing comments how our preconceptions totally dictate how one reacts to the "performance" of each candidate. Now as I watch the pundits, it's so obvious that they have no idea how this debate is playing on the other end of the camera.
This explains why some people think Bush did well, and others think Kerry did.
Labels: Archives_2004
.: posted by
Dave
12:41 PM
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