Told You So

It was too easy to predict this, and it's unfair to call attention to it, but I've gotta say... I told you so.

I said last week that we'd hear all sorts of absurd comments about the firing of Whoopi Goldberg. Let's see what people are saying...

Michael Paul Williams of the Richmond Times-Dispatch writes: "People who exercise their First Amendment right and criticize the Bush administration are liable to be called a traitor or a terrorist. The new political correctness calls for you to support the president - or else."

Sorry, Mr. Williams, this had nothing to do with President Bush. This had to do with tens of thousands of SlimFast customers who were offended and disgusted by the spokesperson hired by the company. The only sensible thing the company could do was let her go. It's about business, not politics, you idiot.

Diversity promoter Asa Khalif said, "I smell racism from beginning to end... SlimFast must realize that black women have every right to voice their views."

And, Mr. Khalif, SlimFast has every right to choose who they do and don't want representing their company. Apparently, they don't want a spokesperson who might alienate half their customer base.

On the other hand, the New York Daily News editorial page seems to have a clear idea of what's going on: "Whoopi Goldberg has every right to her embarrassingly witless political observations... And SlimFast has every right to dump a shill who's maybe not good for business... Goldberg is no victim. Just somebody who got rude and was asked to leave the table."

And one of my favorite comments comes from Paul Mulshine of the Newark, New Jersey Star-Ledger: "If this is now a country where diet- product companies are no longer enlisting artists and writers to pitch their products, then it is a better country than it was seven days ago. Perhaps we are making progress toward the day when no American who wishes to be taken seriously will ever be seen pitching a product."

Whoopi And Free Speech

Well, the makers of Slim-Fast have fired Whoopi Goldberg as their spokesperson, in response to her lewd and vulgar diatribe about President Bush. Now it's time for Ms. Goldberg and her liberal Hollywood cohorts to blame those evil Republicans for suppressing her right to free speech.

"See, if you speak out against this President, they'll come after you," she'll say.

"What happened to the First amendment? Freedom of speech?" some other knothead will ask.

"It's just like the Dixie Chicks, only worse because Whoopi is African-American," some civil rights leader will claim.

Mark my words, we will read or hear comments like this before the weekend is over. The sad part is so many Americans will agree. It seems like most people believe the First Amendment guarantees the freedom from consequences when someone speaks their mind. Just what does our Constitution say about free speech? Hmmm? Have you ever actually read the Constitution or the Bill Of Rights? Let's take a look at the First Amendment...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

We as Americans have every right to express our feelings and opinions. No one can take that away. Ms. Goldberg has the God-given right to call President Bush anything and everything she wants. She can refer to him in any offensive or derogatory manner she'd like. Even the crude comments she made at the fundraiser in New York City are protected.

Here's the part that steams the libs' collective clams...

The rest of us have the right to call her an out-of-touch, Hollywood elitist, left-wing wacko.

The rest of us have the right to call her remarks offensive, insulting and ignorant.

And (here's the really good part) each of us has the right to send a letter to Slim-Fast saying we will not purchase their products so long as Ms. Goldberg continues to be their spokesperson.

Apparently enough people got pissed off and sent those letters, because Slim-Fast has dismissed her. Smart business move. Why would you risk alienating as much as half of your marketbase? You'd be foolish to do such a thing. Once her comments became public, the company really had no other option. They're not in the business of electing Presidents; they exist to make shakes and snack bars and, in turn, make a profit for their stockholders.

This is so reminiscent of the Dixie Chicks debacle from last year. Weenies on the lib left believe they have the right to speak their slanted little minds, but no one (and I mean NO ONE) has the right to say anything critical about their remarks. This is how the left operates, folks.

From The Web

A Pot With A View
A public toilet surrounded entirely with one-way glass. Would you have the courage to use it? Those crazy Swiss!

Don't Smoke In A Porta-Potty
Flame + methane gas = BOOM! No serious injuries in West Virginia explosion.

Eight Legged Freaks
Our servicemen in Iraq have to watch out for the local indigenous spiders. These things are nasty!

The Forbidden Library
A very good resource on book-banning and censorship. Includes book lists, news,quotes, etc.

How Far Will A Nickel Get You? How About Jail!
A Washington State woman was overpaid unemployment compensation six years ago. The amount overpaid - five cents. The Washington Department of Employment Security demanded repayment of the debt, or a Superior Court summons would be issued. Gotta love bureaucracy.

Stupid Stick-up Artist
A bank robber in Rutherford, N.J., ordered the teller to call for a cab to take him to his getaway car, police said.

What Was That Awful Sound?

Baseball junkie that I am, I planted myself on the couch last night for the All-Star Game. Everything was great up until the National Anthem, sung by Fantasia Barrino from "American Idol". How in the heck did this girl win the American Idol contest? Her performance had to be one of the worst renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner I've ever heard. Ever.

If you missed it, and want to hear this disaster for yourself, click here, then scroll down and look for Fantasia under "More Headlines From Tuesday.".

Apparently I'm not the only one who thought it sucked. Here are some comments from around the Web...

"...she stunk. I mean she was horrible."

"She should have at least learned the words."

"...the National Anthem by Fantasia was horrible."

"...tonight's All-Star Game started with this piece of CRAP"

"Good grief, SSB may be hard to sing but its lyrics aren't THAT complicated, and if you're going to sing them on a nationally-televised stage, you'd better learn them."

"...screeched, screamed and sounded like an alley cat"

I could go on and on, but you get the picture...

Fighting For Equal Rights In High School

An 18-year-old student at Princeton Senior High School in Princeton, West Virginia has been fighting to protect the rights of students to express their political views on school grounds. Bryan Henderson has faced brutal opposition from some faculty and students, but has held his ground. He's got the Constitution and US Supreme Court on his side, but the liberal faculty members, parents and students want to shut him up.

Check out his story, and see how the left wants to take free speech and expression out of public (government) schools. Bryan, keep fighting the good fight.

Does Kerry Have A Man-crush?

Thanks to the DrudgeReport for pointing out Kerry's "hands-on" style...

Problems With This Blog and Mozilla

I spoke highly yesterday about Mozilla, the web browser I've just started using. I have quickly discovered one problem I'm trying to find a solution to. This blog doesn't display properly with Mozilla. The menu on the right side of the page doesn't display properly. It appears at the bottom of the page, below the last entry. It is the only problem I've found so far, so I still feel comfortable recommeding it.

Spider-Man 2: The Lego Version

Here's a great spoof trailer for Spider-Man 2, done using Lego blocks and stop-motion video. This is fantastic... Spider-Man 2: The Peril of Doc Ock (Lego Version)

Muslim Hate

The transfer of control in Iraq last week ushered in a new era in Middle East politics. Now there's a representative government, offering freedom and liberty, in the heart of the Arab world.

Most of the Middle East is governed by oppressive Muslim regimes. These regimes, along with most of the Muslim world, are at war with Western civilization. There sole ambition is to see the entire world under Muslim control. Don't believe me? Let's take a look, courtesy of professor, columnist and author Walter Williams.

"At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, several athletes were massacred. In 1979, the U.S. embassy in Tehran was taken over and 52 hostages held for more than a year. In 1983, U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut were blown up, killing 241 U.S. soldiers. In 1988, Pan Am flight 103 was bombed, killing 270 people. In 1993, there was the first bombing of the World Trade Center, and in 2001, it was reduced to rubble, killing more than 3,000 Americans. In 1998, U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed, resulting in more than 200 dead and 4,000 injured. Who are the people responsible for these and other wanton murders of innocents, including the recent barbaric beheading of two innocent men? They were all Muslims."

These people are fanatics. Fanatics who are not only willing to die, wanting to die, but who want to die while killing a few infidels. (By the way, are YOU a Muslim? If you answered no, then they consider you an infidel.)

Think of all the armed conflicts going on in the world. How many DON'T involve Muslims? They can't seem to get along with anyone: Spain, France, Britain, Israel, Turkey, Morocco, Indonesia, Chechnya, Bosnia, India, Tunisia, Somalia, Philippines...

Oh, and the USA.

Sticking our heads in the sand, hoping they'll leave us alone if we ignore them, is nothing more than suicide. The Libs in this country would have you believe that the Muslin world hates us because we impose in their business, trying to convert them to our ways.

Actually, they hate us because we exist. They loathe the fact that we share this planet without sharing their archaic, uncivilized belief system. They hate us for our freedoms, they hate us for our acceptance of others cultures and religions, they hate us for our power, might and influence.

They hate us. Not America, not the West, not Christians. They hate anyone who isn't like them.

We can't get so caught up in ourselves that we forget to protect ourselves from outside threats. Islam is a threat to our nation and our world. They claim to be a "religion of peace". Why haven't any peaceful Muslim leaders denounced their brethren for the beheading on Nick Berg? Where are the calls from peaceful Muslim leaders for all suicide bombings to end? If Islam is a peaceful religion, why don't their leaders refute the belief that suicide bombers get into heaven simply for killing infidels?

For all the talk, the Muslim world holds the greatest threat to world peace. For us to overlook it, and allow it to continue to grow, would be a fatal mistake.

Dumb Crooks And Other Funny Stuff

Tokin' On The Train
If you're going to carry 17 pounds of cocaine on Amtrak, it might be a good idea to not smoke marijuana on the train.

At Least He's Honest
When asked why he robbed and beat an 81-year-old man, an English crook replied, "Because I'm a bastard."

W Ketchup
Because sometimes you just don't want Heinz.

Those Crazy Canuks
A blind University of New Brunswick student is kicked out because his guide dog only understands French.

Better Wind From Down Under
The Australian Braodcasting Company has a website which includes a feature in which children are encouraged to take part in a "Great Fart Survey", a "Great Baked Beans Fart Experiment", to submit poetry about bodily functions, and to teach kids how to break wind more effectively.

Will A Grinch Tag Be Far Behind?
A campaign is underway in Massacusetts to bring the Cat In The Hat to the state's license plates.

Windows XP

Aside from my Dad's surgery, there's another reason I haven't been able to post much recently. The Windows ME operating system on my computer finally cracked. It's the first system failure I've ever experienced. With all the problems I experienced with ME, I decided to install Windows XP. What an experience!

The installation took two hours Tuesday night, most of which I was downstairs watching TV. I have to admit I like XP so far. The two biggest problems I've encountered... First, I was forced to uninstall and reinstall my Norton Antivirus, Firewall and System Works programs. No biggie, just time consuming. Second (and bigger), Outlook Express no longer works. I get an error when I try to open it. I've reloaded, uninstalled, reloaded, edited the registry, worked on tips from the web... nada. But, it's okay. I solved that problem, along with the security issued involved with Outlook Express and Internet Explorer by switching to Mozilla.

The look is almost identical to IE, functions flawlessly so far and seems more intuitive. Also, the Windows XP version (don't know about Mac OS X) includes an e-mail program that I like as well as Outlook Express.

It's just been a couple of days, but I recommed you check it out. Even if you haven't had any big problems with IE.

Good News

Dad went home today, only five days after his first surgery! He still has one more surgery, probably in a month or so. So far, everything's gone exactly as it should.

Update On Dad

The surgery was Friday evening, and went according to plan. His doctor said he was the perfect patient. Recovery has gone well, and hopefully he'll be going home tomorrow. In a month or so they will go back in and remove the portions of his liver that have been affected, and hopefully that will be the end of this.

Thanks again for all the cals, e-mails, well-wishes and prayers. You all are great!

Stil Waiting On Medical News

We're still waiting to find out when surgery will be and what it will encompass, but Dad's doing well. After a bout with some unruly electrolytes, he's back to his normal self. Now it's a matter of scheduling surgery and keeping strong until the surgery. After that, recovery and return to work.

Thanks to you all for the prayers, calls and e-mails!

Kerry Gets It Wrong Again...

At a campaign appearance in Columbus, Ohio, John Kerry made the audacious claim that there are more blacks in prison than in college in the U.S.

"That's unacceptable," Kerry said. "But it's not their fault."

Rather than the inmates, the former Boston prosecutor blamed poverty, poor schools, a dearth of after-school programs and "all of us as adults not doing what we need to do."

Unfortunately, Kerry has the facts wrong...

The US Department of Justice tells us the number of blacks incarcerated at mid-year 2002 (page 11, Table 13): 818,900 black men; 65,600 black women; total 884,500 blacks.

The US Census Bureau tells us the number of blacks in college during 2002: 802,000 black men; 1,476,000 black women; total 2,278,000 blacks.

So, Kerry says the 884,500 blacks in prison outnumber the 2,278,000 blacks in college.

Sadly, the media will never call Kerry on his lies. Yep, I said lies. This information is so easy to verify (we did it), that one can only deduce that Kerry intended to mislead people with this misinformation.

Also, what's this about those in prison not being responsible for their crimes?

Gore Can't Stand Being In The Shadows

Apparently Al Gore is afraid he'll be forgotten, as so many former vice-presidents have been. He feels the need to keep shoving his mug in front of TV cameras. Now, the Drudge Report is reporting that, on Thursday, Gore will accuse the Bush Administration of intentionally misleading the American people by continuing to falsely claim a connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda.

Sorry, but it just ain't so. From Kerry, Dean and Kucinich down through Michael Moore and all the other Bush-hating leftists, this lie has been told and retold to the point that many people believe it. There's only one problem... Bush never claimed a connection between Saddam and 9/11. Not once. Ever. Period.

Now they are using the September 11th Investigative Commission's report, which stated no Saddam connection to 9/11, as their proof. The commission actually did say that, but they did not say there was no connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda. In fact, we know there indisputable ties (read this if you dare).

The 9/11 Commission has received new information indicating that a senior officer in an elite unit of Saddam's security services may have been a member of Al-Qaeda. Not just a member of Al-Qaeda, but one involved in the planning of the 9/11 hijackings. This is another in a long line of contacts and cooperation between the Al-Qaeda terror network and the government of Saddam Hussein.

Even Russian President Vladimir Putin let it be known that he warned the U.S. after 9/11 but before the invasion of Iraq that Saddam Hussein was preparing terrorist attacks on America and its interests abroad. Apparently the Russian intelligence community has very deep operatives in the terrorist communities.

When you look at the facts (not fear-mongering) with a clear mind and without bias, the truth is clear. The left is spreading lies, the media seems to be all too happy to spread them, and so many Americans are too dumb, lazy or indifferent to care.

As for Gore... just think of him for what he seems - the biggest sore loser around.
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Medical Update & Explanation

As I've written before, there have been some family medical situations that have prevented me from updating this blog lately. I've avoided giving details until we knew some particulars. Now I can explain a bit of what we're facing.

For the past few months, my Dad has, little by little, been getting sicker. This is a man who hasn't been in a hospital as a patient since Eisenhower was President. We now know he has a small cancerous tumor on his pancreas. The doctors and the family are all upbeat, but it's still scary. Hopefully, the doctors will perform surgery this week to remove the main tumor, and check on any spread. I will let you all know how things go.

Thank you for your prayers and concerns!

A Tribute To Reagan

There's a national movement I'm taking part in and I want to make you all aware of. In memory of President Reagan, and in tribute to his "shining city on a hill" speech, drivers across America are asked to turn their headlights on when and where ever they drive between now and July 4th.

It's such a simple way to help pay tribute to and honor the memory of a great American and beloved president.

Republicans and Democrats

Republicans & Democrats

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The woman replied, "Your are in a hot air balloon approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."

"You must be a Republican," said the balloonist.

"I am," said the woman. "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help so far."

The woman below responded. "You must be a Democrat."

"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air.

You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."

Reagan State Funeral

I hope you had the opportunity to watch the state funeral for President Reagan last night. The solemnity and grandeur of the event, along with the incredible outpouring of love from the hundreds of thousands who lined the procession route, was unforgettable.

Being a TV geek (I work in the business, whadda 'ya expect?), I checked out the coverage on all the cable news networks. My channel of choice for most of the event was Fox News. Not because their funeral coverage was "fair and balanced", but because they let the ceremony speak for itself. As the caisson carrying the casket moved slowly through the streets, Fox News let the sound of the horses, the crowd and the soldiers tell the story. There were times when five to ten minutes would pass between people speaking.

One of the best comments I heard last night, oddly enough, came on CNN. I'm not entirely sure who the two gentlemen were, but the conversation went something like this...

Person #1: Is there anything we need to explain to our viewers around the world to help them understand what they're seeing here, this truly American event?

Person #2: Actually, I think they understand it quite well. In many nations around the world, people are accustomed to seeing funerals similar to this when monarchs or other royals die. The President of the United States is the closest thing we have to royalty, so this compares to what we might see, for example, in Britain.

...< Stepping Up On Soapbox Now >...

One thing disappointed me, though, here in Macon. While every other network station here covered the funeral, the local Fox affiliate did not. WGXA, "Fox 24", ran their nightly sitcoms instead. It saddened me not only because it seemed so thoughtless and disrespectful, but also because I used to work there.

Under previous ownership, and as an ABC station, we would always have carried an event like this. The current ownership, though, sees things differently. Apparently the income from the commercials they would not have aired means more to management than the impression this leaves in the minds of the viewers.

Sigh...