tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55483083586383382452024-02-18T23:11:56.769-06:00Disagreeably RightGoosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-86106530318225220722008-09-05T00:02:00.000-05:002008-09-05T00:03:41.852-05:00Palin's SpeechHere it is, Uncut and Entire CSPAN footage, for any of those who missed it.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UCDxXJSucF4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UCDxXJSucF4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-89061934782293057772008-09-03T22:21:00.001-05:002008-09-03T22:23:36.468-05:00Raisin' McCain<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qmKgITJejfg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qmKgITJejfg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />I am literally watching this from the convention on CSPAN as I type.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-69820079791475839742008-08-31T11:30:00.003-05:002008-08-31T11:41:52.744-05:00Cancel the Convention?There has a lot of talk that due to Hurricane Gustav the Republicans should cancel their convention. In my opinion that would not make sense. A sampling of the reasons would be "we should be evacuating people" and "they will appear unsympathetic." Now honestly, convention or no convention, FEMA and Bush are going to see this as an opportunity to redeem themselves from Katrina. McCain and Palin are currently on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and are a short flight away as soon as the convention is over. The evacuations are already in progress, and convention or no convention will continue. The evacuations started during the DNC, but it was difficult to find that covered in the mainstream media, so why so much pressure now? I think it is the media trying to fabricate a bump for Obama. The media is making it sound like when the republicans hypothetically cancel their convention the delegates are all personally going to rush to the disaster area and do somthing actively helpful. Talking heads and windbags won't get anything useful done, that will be the National Guard and private charities. Hopefully this time people don't try and wait for their welfare checks instead of evacuating.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-63556258246283622352008-08-29T16:16:00.005-05:002008-08-30T00:46:53.734-05:00Palin and McCain guarantee historic election.I like Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for VP. She balances McCain perfectly in my opinion. In McCain we have a tough experienced statesman who is great on foreign policy. From a conservative credential standpoint McCain is much softer on social issues than Gov. Palin. What really pleases me is that Palin will snare in some disenfranchised Hillary supporters, endear the campaign to the true conservatives, and balance the age discrepancy all in one big swoop. Obama-Biden and McCain-Palin creates some interesting contrasts. one has a young presidential candidate with very little experience, weak on foriegn policy, and (strangely) beloved by the people of his home state. Not everyone here in Illinois likes Obama, but the amount of people who do is not only sickening, but also disheartening. The other campaign has a veteran senator in the top slot, his specialty is foreign policy, and he is the truest center-right candidate in years. The GOP VP spot is a young governor who is beloved in her home state (80% approval ratings, thats like 8 times that of congress.) She has a solid economic position, is socially conservative, and her weakest point is foriegn policy. The Democrats are running a long-time Washington hack who supposedly is brilliant on foriegn policy, and is the third most liberal person in the senate. I really hope to see Gov. Palin bring more college votes to the McCain campaign. Overall I think she will be a brilliant pick. As my history prof pointed out today, no matter who wins this is a historic election simply due to the fact that no woman or African-American (or whatever the PC term of the week is) has ever been the president or vice-president. Another bit of trivia, this will only be the third time in US history a man (I can say man because no woman has been elected president) has gone straight from the senate to the presidency. The two who did were Kennedy and Harding. Ironically, both died in office.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-18665260071318524342008-08-27T16:36:00.002-05:002008-08-27T16:46:05.746-05:00Great Prof Quote #1"Heres a nasty old secret, when people accumulate stuff, other people want to take their stuff"<br /><br />So he was describing the reasons cities built walls, but it made me think about how the T&S crowd penalize success by taking the hard-earned rewards of those who work and save to accumulate wealth by taking and giving to those who don't deserve.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-20035746435471534412008-08-24T09:45:00.004-05:002008-08-24T11:16:10.870-05:00Liberal Tactic: The Cover-UpAnyone who hasn't already, go on over to National Review Online and read Todd Gallagher's column. I'll even give you a <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODlmNmJhM2JhMGZmOWQxOTMzMGE1YWFmMzkzZDNlODM=&w=Mg==">link</a> if you feel to lazy to go up to the bar and type the site in. Gallagher proves quite concisely that women are inferior to men. In sports at least. I am going to avoid the touchy issue of Title IX for now, and instead hit on this point: Nobody is allowed to say it. This is still America, and the liberals haven't completely trampled the constitution yet, so I want say that viewpoints like this:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"For example, in October 2007, Eileen McDonagh of Northeastern University and Laura Pappano of Wellesley College published </span><em style="font-style: italic;">Playing with the Boys: Why Separate Is Not Equal in Sports</em><span style="font-style: italic;">. “The premise of this book, and our work,” McDonagh says, “is that sex segregation does not reflect sex differences between men and women, rather it constructs them.” </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I laid out the results of my research for Pappano and asked why male athletes outpace female athletes starting at 14 and 15. She answered: “Women are told around that time that they are athletically inferior to men and that they should start acting like ladies. That’s why we see the boys making such stunning gains at that age and the girls begin to suffer.”</span><br /><br />should be heard, so that they can be shut down by the much simpler and more logical explanation:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">While no one can deny that societal factors play some role, the research makes it pretty clear that there was a simpler explanation for the gap: puberty. The Centers for Disease Control publishes </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad361.pdf">growth charts</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> for the U.S. population which reveal that boys hit their major growth spurt between the ages of 14 and 15 — precisely when the best boy athletes begin to outperform the top adult female athletes.<br /><br /></span>To make the issue worse, Gallagher goes on to suggest this is not being debated because one side does not want the issue to come to light. He quotes a woman who suggests the issue is not being discussed because the feminists are so entrenched in the idea that men and women are not physically different that they ignore and go so far as to hide evidence to the contrary. Gallagher also uses three case studies which shows people on left side of this issue just will not listen to a differing opinion.<br /><br />Now, to those who aren't feminists, this isn't just a feminist tactic. This tactic is used heavily by all segments of the left. They use it to cover up the (significant) evidence against global warming, they use it to cover up the fact that a divine creator is quite possible, and they use it to cover up the fact that babies are people too.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-51723110079122723462008-08-23T16:42:00.003-05:002008-08-23T16:52:20.812-05:00So, where do I fit?As election season rumbles on I keep hearing about x, y, and z voting blocks. When will it end? there are subgroups for everything, and most people fit into a multitude of them, sometimes into groups with traditionally conflicting interests<br /><br />These are the ones i consider myself a member of off the top of my head, and i am sure there are more:<br /><br />conservative<br />youth<br />evangelical Christian<br />male<br />values voter<br />Caucasian<br />small town<br /><br />I'll probably edit this list as I think of more that fit.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-21012215594323626712008-08-23T14:23:00.001-05:002008-08-24T23:53:15.541-05:00The Barack Obama Song<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: italic;">To the tune of "If I Only Had A Brain"</span><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">(Obama)</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I could wile away the hours<br />Conferrin' with the dictators<br />Consultin' with the Hussein<br />And my head I'd be scratchin'<br />While wars were busy hatchin'<br />If I only had a brain<br /><br />I'd unravel any riddle<br />Tax any individ'le<br />With money or a gain<br /><br />(Biden)<br />With the thoughts you'd be thinkin'<br />You could be another Lincoln<br />If you only had a brain<br /><br />(Obama)<br />Oh, I would tell you why<br />We have to stay within our shore<br />I could think of things I never thunk before<br />And then I'd sit and think some more<br /><br />I would not be just a nuffin'<br />The pork barrels a stuffin'<br />My heart all full of pain<br />I would dance and be merry<br />With foreign dignitaries<br />If I only had a brain </p>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-36184080541154322852008-08-01T18:43:00.003-05:002008-08-01T19:15:07.500-05:00Barack the Baby KillerAlthough the issue of abortion is a hot button issue with many people because of the debate as to when life actually begins and the woman's "right" to have an abortion if she feels so inclined to do so, I have found very few people who will support partial birth abortions.<div><br /></div><div>Barack Huissen Obama is one of the few exceptions. BHO has a track record of supporting partial birth abortion. </div><div><br /></div><div>Partial birth abortion is a procedure that "is usually performed during the last trimester of gestation up to the end of the ninth month. The woman's cervix is dialated, and the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps. Then he proceeds to pull the baby into the birth canal. The abortionist then delivers the baby's body, feet first, all but the baby's head. The abortionist inserts a sharp object into the back of the baby's head, removes it, and inserts a vacuum tube through which the brains are sucked out. The head of the baby collapses at this point and allows the aborted baby to be delivered lifelessly" (<a href="http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/what-is-partial-birth-abortion-faq.htm">link</a>). In a different procedure, the mother delivers the baby natrually, and when the baby is delivered past its belly button, the vacuum is inserted and the brains are sucked out. Despite arguments of whether or not life begins at conception, this is an entirely different matter, since the baby is basically delivered when this procedure occurs. One cannot even argue that the mother's health as an issue because if she is going to partially deliver the baby, the extra push makes little to no difference on her health.</div><div><br /></div><div>"In 1997, BHO voted against SB 230, which would have turned doctors into felons by banning so-called partial-birth abortion" (<a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Barack_Obama_Abortion.htm">link</a>). Since the baby is mostly delivered and considered living, aborting the baby during birth would make it murder, since murder is defined as killing or slaughtering inhumanely or barbarously (<a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/murder">link</a>). Suctioning out a child's brains with a vacuum is an inhumane and barbarous act, and therefore those who preform such procedures should be prosecuted as murderers.</div><div><br /></div><div>In October 2007, BHO voted against banning partial birth abortion. (<a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm">link</a>)</div><div><br /></div><div>It's hard to believe that a man who claims to be a Christian is in favor of the murder of infants - because that's what it is, my dear readers, it is murder. I will admit that I do not like BHO for many reasons that I do not wish to get into in this particular post. However - those are the facts. BHO is in favor of partial-birth abortion - of killing living, breathing children.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-46641785350279993722008-08-01T18:34:00.003-05:002008-08-01T19:17:37.145-05:0020 Years of RushRush Limbaugh's 20th Anniversary is this week. Rush is a legendary conservative talk show host - like him or hate him, few do not know who he is. From a family full of judges and lawyers, Rush decided to follow his dream and be on the radio, where he has been for the past 20 years, despite many efforts by liberals to get him off the air.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-90433275563367065772008-07-29T00:04:00.002-05:002008-07-29T00:06:25.693-05:00We're Back!Sorry for the lack of posting here. My computer was broken and has been out of commission for the past few weeks, and I've been busy with work a lot lately. Goose doesn't have internet that frequently while he's at home for the summer. Please bear with us and check back later in the week - I have something I'm currently working on that will be up soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-80819039476678065632008-06-08T18:58:00.000-05:002008-06-08T19:01:26.024-05:00Good Stuff...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpd0Hbs-CL7OTIYeY084ScWckjtJ9MOE_pKU7yHnykavyE6D9EAYyrpE-iwltAHoAD0Pms6ZD8sszVkwx0El6pI8QDi1nQxcGyfJ93qozJ6ASxATyfOAOGMB3hzzjM6wlupjtYcwE5yQ/s1600-h/HPIM0627.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpd0Hbs-CL7OTIYeY084ScWckjtJ9MOE_pKU7yHnykavyE6D9EAYyrpE-iwltAHoAD0Pms6ZD8sszVkwx0El6pI8QDi1nQxcGyfJ93qozJ6ASxATyfOAOGMB3hzzjM6wlupjtYcwE5yQ/s320/HPIM0627.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209664777658076530" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So lets bring the price of diesel down and keep that good stuff affordable.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-65565315205246439412008-06-05T12:40:00.002-05:002008-06-05T12:51:19.085-05:00The Beginning of the End to Abortion?<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,363434,00.html">FOXNEWS story</a>: <span id="intelliTXT"><p style="font-style: italic;"><strong>"A mother who decided to abort her son because he may have inherited a life-threatening kidney condition is overjoyed that he survived the procedure.</strong></p> <p style="font-style: italic;">Jodie Percival of Nottinghamshire, England, said she and her fiancee made the decision to abort baby Finley when she was eight weeks pregnant.</p> <p style="font-style: italic;">Percival's first son Thane died of multicystic dysplastic kidneys — which causes cysts to grow on the kidneys of an unborn baby — and her second child Lewis was born with serious kidney damage and currently has just one kidney, the Daily Mail reported..."</p><p><br /></p><p>The baby was born normal! This has got to be a blow to the people who advocate abortion for reasons of "medical necessity." How many babies have been unnecessarily killed over the last thirty years? Coupled with the point from<a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWNjNTc1NjM3NmY2Njc3ZTNkY2RlMTc0M2UzOWZjMWU="> Nordlinger's Column on NRO</a> located below, we may finally see an end to infanticide soon.</p></span><img src="http://article.nationalreview.com/images/bullet_blue.gif" align="left" /><span style="font-style: italic;">Few weeks ago, Ron Liddle had an interesting article in </span><em style="font-style: italic;">The Spectator</em><span style="font-style: italic;">. (</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/features/720926/part_2/a-century-from-now-we-will-be-appalled-that-we-allowed-abortions-at-all.thtml">Here</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, but a subscription is required.) It was titled, “A Century From Now, We Will All Be Appalled That We Allowed Abortions At All.”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">An excerpt:</span><blockquote style="font-style: italic;"><p>As a leftie, I had always been persuaded that abortion on demand is the right of every woman, with no arguments brooked. ‘Persuaded’ is perhaps the wrong word; the rights of a woman to do whatever the hell she liked with her foetus was simply not something open to negotiation or debate with someone in possession of a penis, even if it was quite a small penis like mine. [Good grief: Ron Liddle = Ron Little?] But a dark foreboding nonetheless gnawed away at me — much as, on a personal level, it gnawed away at many of the feminists who advanced this totalitarian no-surrender hypothesis. It is still, if you are on the feminist Left, an unchallengeable shibboleth, which is why the debate today is so fraught — the god-botherers on one side, the liberal Left on the other.<br /><br />I may be wrong about this, but it strikes me that in a century or so, or maybe even less, we will be appalled that we allowed abortions at all. I do not mean that we should not allow them now; it is merely a suspicion that the advance of our knowledge about the life of a foetus, coupled with an improved ability to prevent conception, will mean that we will be mystified as to how such a primitive and brutal procedure could have become state-sanctioned and commonplace. I can see politicians in 2108 erecting monuments and offering apologies to the unborn dead — divorced from the reality of where we are now, and why.</p></blockquote><br /><br />This is definately something to keep an eye on folks.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-14421050761296997012008-06-03T14:00:00.003-05:002008-06-03T14:41:11.878-05:00Destroying Our Nation, One Bill At A TimeJoe Lieberman and John Warner's (the man is a republican for goodness sake!) horrible cap-and-trade bill has already been discussed in depth, on <a href="www.nationalreview.com">NRO</a> especially. My favorite is<a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTk1MTQwYmY4NjM2YjQ5ZmQ2ODA1OWQ5ZmQ1MmU2Mzc="> Ben Lieberman's five myths</a> and <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Y2ZiMDc3ZjIxMzEzZjE1ZTg3YzEwYmI3NTBkM2Y4OGI=">Lawrence Solomon's Selective Precaution</a>. It was also discussed on many other blogs, so I am going to try to take a slightly different tact and try to use a case study. I can only hope it works. Rockford, Illinois is a very industrial city. Until the 1980's, it was widely known as "screw city" because of the massive hardware industry located there. Rockford never really recovered from the massive recession of 1980-81. Rockford suffers from 7.2 percent unemployment, the highest in the state. This went up by 1.7% in the last year. It is well above the state average of 5.4 % (<a href="http://www.ides.state.il.us/economy/laus.pdf">link</a>). Some of the biggest employers in the Rockford area, in no particular order. are Hamilton Sundstrand, Woodward Governor, Chrysler, and GM. The first two corporations produce parts for aircraft and heavy machinery, and I hope everyone knows the latter two produce cars. GM is very likely to announce that they are closing their Janesville WI (which is very close to Rockford) plant. This means a loss of some 3300 jobs. These are high paying jobs which will be hard to replace, and the loss of wages will hurt the entire area economy. (<a href="http://www.businessrockford.com/biznews/x670784803/GM-could-announce-Janesville-plant-closure-today">link</a>) This city of 150,000 will be absolutely devastated by losing the other three industries, which would lose a huge amount of business, be forced to lay off workers, and possibly close. There are similar cities all across the nation. Cap-and-trade would destroy these cities. Oh yeah, and it would give all the porkers something to squeal about in Washington. High unemployment directly correlates to high crime rates, broken families, and dissatisfied populations.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-7588277396105817342008-06-03T13:28:00.004-05:002008-06-03T13:59:24.626-05:00Politics, Illinois Style -or- Another Reason to Avoid BHO<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The General Assembly must be illiterate. It is obvious from the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/conent.htm">state constitution</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> that a budget MUST be balanced. See </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con8.htm">Article VIII</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. " Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget." (8.2) It is also the responsibility of the governor to submit a balanced and passable budget to the GA, but I don't expect much from Roddy anymore. The GA passed a budget to him which was two billion dollars out of balance. Roddy came to the completely obvious conclusion that it was unconstitutional. </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.rrstar.com/news/state/x43066537/Governor-says-state-budget-is-out-of-whack">Link</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. This means that the GA will once again be stuck in emergency session, battling it out for an acceptable budget. We have not had a capital improvements plan for a decade. The legislative leaders, Chicago democrats Emil Jones and Michael Madigan, have turned on their former friend and fellow Chicago democrat Rod Blagojevich (aka Roddy). It is out of this cesspool of political bickering, partisanship. and special interests from which Barack Obama got his start. Do we really want to see a man like that running this nation? I sure don't. It has been a long time since the days of Stephan Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.</span><br /><br /></span>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-17618863476537817042008-06-02T14:22:00.003-05:002008-06-02T15:25:32.746-05:00Leaving Trinity UCC Now?Obama quit his Chicago church. Too many people must have finally figured out (despite the best media efforts to cover it up) that it was not just Rev. Wright who was radical, anti-American, and out of touch with a lot of voters, but the entire church culture. To me the biggest question is why now? The worst of the shelling has been endured, it is not as if he had quit it right when this stuff came out. Why now, unless there was worse to come. BHO has very questionable judgment when it comes to assocites though, Not just Wright and other controversial black leaders; but he is also connected to Tony Rezko, the fundraiser on trial for corruption, Rod Blagovitch (not sure how to spell that) the wasteful, uncompromising, and possibly corrupt governor of Illinois;<br />and the fact he wants to meet with terrorists and intolerant regimes without preconditions.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-45342063886328267082008-06-01T21:06:00.004-05:002008-06-03T13:27:34.781-05:00Indiana v. Logic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ghh4FTGdQM1m3BEKDLpWRfKkPCnlYnu7XAemmdgH0omRo8-SbnYq5t-Xe5eBFS2KcY7U7Ga1wiwSEoJ67O9Wlmx3RNuZxOarMUQ-N2WDgLc3f3PAGClX3buWwr_HryKn5VFR1MXdyOs/s1600-h/Copy+of+OUTOFIROQBORMAN10_16__07+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ghh4FTGdQM1m3BEKDLpWRfKkPCnlYnu7XAemmdgH0omRo8-SbnYq5t-Xe5eBFS2KcY7U7Ga1wiwSEoJ67O9Wlmx3RNuZxOarMUQ-N2WDgLc3f3PAGClX3buWwr_HryKn5VFR1MXdyOs/s320/Copy+of+OUTOFIROQBORMAN10_16__07+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5207100082988964514" border="0" /></a>I know I don't post that often, but I saw something today that absolutely infuriated me. My father and I were driving back from Indiana today - because we go there for the cheaper gas because prices around me are just getting ridiculous - and I saw a billboard (see picture above) on the side of the tollway. It was rather hard to miss, a giant, white billboard with the words <span style="font-style: italic;">"Out of Iraq"</span> in big black letters across the top and the word <span style="font-style: italic;">"Now!"</span> in bold, red letters. At the very top and very bottom of the billboard were urls for two different websites... before I get to the websites, I'd like to say my piece about the quick, total withdrawal of troops from Iraq.<br /><br />It is ludicrous. Plain and simple.<br /><br />I believe Ann Coulter sums up the reason we are over there best: <span style="font-style: italic;">"There can be no 'political solution' in Iraq until the Iraqis are safe, which I think requires a military solution. Political solutions tend to present themselves in the wake of military solutions."</span> We went to Iraq initially on a quest to fight terrorists. Terrorists are everywhere, but, as the news continues to prove, they are especially in Iraq. Our troops are over there with the mission of making Iraq safe for those who live there. Until that job is done, they cannot withdraw. To leave now would be to repeat history: after World War I, all foreign countries withdrew from Germany, leaving it in complete ruin (economic, political, physical). This led to a totalitarian government in Germany, which ultimately allowed Hitler to rise to power, preying on the worst fears of the citizens. To leave Iraq in a state of chaos, which is what would happen were troops to pull out on January 20, 2009 (should a Democrat be elected to office - Heaven forbid), the country would have the perfect conditions for the rise of a Middle Eastern Hitler... only instead of the Holocaust targeting Jews, homosexuals, and the mentally retarded, everyone in America would be targeted; instead of killing with carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide showers, they'll use suicide bombers.<br /><br />Arguing that the number of deaths in Iraq are a reason for withdrawal is also a weak argument. Since the start of the War, approximately 4000 US troops have died in combat (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_terror#Number_of_Persons_Killed_in_the_.22War_on_Terrorism.22_as_defined">link</a>). Not to downplay the noble deaths these American troops died, but if the Democrats want to complain about "deaths that could have been prevented," there were approximately 1.21 million abortions in 2005 alone (<a href="http://www.abort73.com/HTML/II-A-abortion_statistics.html">link</a>) - talk about needless deaths, those far out number the soldiers who honorably died fighting a war to preserve freedom not only for our country, but for the Middle East as well.<br /><br />The first <a href="http://exitiraq.org/">website</a> is rather basic and run by the Northwest Indiana Coalition Against the Iraq War (NWICAIW). They advocate rallies and radio show appearances to spread their cause... they have minutes for their meetings, schedules for upcoming rallies and events... and a printable fact sheet about the war - that the link does not work to. They do not state reasons they are against the war, other solutions to the war, or anything other than the fact that we should leave... now.<br /><br />Now, on to the other <a href="http://peaceroots.org/">website</a>, which is also rather basic. The PeaceRoots Alliance states that they are <span style="font-style: italic;">"working together for a peaceful, just and sustainable world."</span> A noble goal to be sure, however, this is not a realistic goal. Peace cannot be attained by negotiating with the "nice man" who has a bomb strapped to his chest, a detonator in his hand, and a wicked grin on his face. In the top corner of their banner, there is a young child holding a sign that reads, <span style="font-style: italic;">"stop war, bring peace & love."</span> Again - unrealistic if the enemy you are fighting sees you as an infidel who must be killed in order to honor their god. Another main slogan: <span style="font-style: italic;">"Farms not arms: farmers say no to War & terror."</span> Apparently, the farmers do not understand that the War in Iraq is a war ON terror itself... therefore, they cannot be against the war and terror... because if they were truely against terror, they'd have to be for the war. Their vision statement states: <span style="font-style: italic;">"We seek to create a peaceful, just and sustainable world for future generations by emphasizing our common humanity, promoting non-violence and working to remove the root causes of war."</span> I still find it difficult to find what the humanity in the smiling man with the bomb strapped to his chest... By removing the root causes of war, one would have to remove man himself from the equation. Without man, there would be no war. Since this is not possible, preventing war is not possible. If they wish to promote non-violence, they should start with the terrorists, not with the American soldiers, who are over there protecting the Iraqis from the violent terrorists and, also, preventing the terrorists from coming here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-13811984230083277392008-05-29T13:40:00.003-05:002008-05-29T13:53:59.746-05:00Who Really Gets Hurt By Environmentalists?The enivro-nazis have a little trick they want to pull over us. They want what amounts to a penalty on people who drive "wasteful vehicles" or in other words, SUVs and trucks. What these people fail to realize is that alot of people have a very legitimate reason to drive such vehicles. It could be that are in an industry they need a truck. Construction, agriculture, maintenance, transportation, lawn care, and many other industries need their trucks. A big tax on these would be a devastating blow to the men and women already struggling to fill their gas tanks and still turn a profit. What about the people who have a large family? My Aunt and Uncle have 7 kids and drive a Chevy Suburban. I doubt anyone in their right mind would try to fit 9 people into a little hybrid tin can. Another Aunt and uncle have 8 kids and drive a Ford Clubwagon. It is not wasteful for these people to have large vehicles, it is not only practical but necessary. Churches, Schools, and Boys and Girls Clubs often use large "wasteful" vehicles to transport people around, to those get taxed too? What happens if a carpool group uses a larger vehicle? Do some people get breaks on this tax? if so, who decides it? Will it become a method for legislatures to "buy" votes from the "gimme culture" so prevalent in America today? Do some people drive larger vehicles than they need? perhaps, but many people need the larger vehicle, and it is much less wasteful for one Suburban to be on the road than three or four Civics.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-45669184049559534512008-05-28T08:31:00.002-05:002008-05-28T08:51:50.670-05:00VP options...My friend and I were discussing possible McCain VP choices the other day, and the standard names (Huckabee, Pawlenty, etc.) came up, but then he brought up a strange possibility-- Joe Lieberman. At first this seems like a daring, but logical strategy, Lieberman is one of the more conservative democrats (sad to say), he and McCain have been in congress together a long time, and McCain could capture some swing votes that way. Knowing there had to be a reason not, I turned it around in my head a bit, and came up with this: its been tried, and failed. In the original form of the United States Constitution, the winner of the Electoral College became president, and the runner-up became vice-president. This failed so badly that the constitution was amended in 1804, a mere seventeen years after being adopted (<a href="http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am12">12th amendment</a>). The twelfth amendement does not require the two offials be from the same party, but the reason was due to the political infighting of the day. in fact, it was so bad that at one point the Vice-President shot the treasury secretary in duel. (Go ahead, make a Dick Cheney joke.) Another very obvious reason against Lieberman is the issue of succession, if McCain were to die or otherwise be unable to hold office, Lieberman would then become president. Not such a good idea. The last reason I came up with is very practical, many hard right conservatives are at best skeptical of McCain, if he chose a democrat running mate, they would see it as a final act of treason against their principles, a metaphorical slap in the face and McCain would lose their votes. On the other hand, if he chose a more conservative Vice-Presidential nominee, The right would see it as an act of conciliation, and McCain would be able to ensure their votes, while being able to keep his moderate facade. After all, McCain may be the left of the right, but he is still infinitely more conservative than BH Obama, and I think most of the right-wing will confirm it on election day.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-74928130984125558512008-05-27T15:40:00.005-05:002008-05-27T16:19:02.378-05:00Why People Are Conservatives, and Other Random Thoughts.I hate people who don't really know anything, or even really care, about issues but call themselves liberals. They are really conservatives because they don't care enough to challenge the status quo. A very simple definition of a conservative is a person who is happy enough with how things are that they don't agitate for change. The people who are apathetic are therefore conservatives. This is different from being lacking compassion.<br /><br />If somebody asks you to sign a petition to get a 3rd party candidate on the ballet, sign it. Election laws are very unfairly tilted towards only allowing the two traditional parties on the ballet. A plus to getting Nader and company on the ballet is that they will take votes away from the two left-wing nuts still duking it out for the democratic nomination.<br /><br />I saw diesel prices hit $5 per gallon today, and up go the farmer's costs and therefore food prices.<br /><br />I really don't understand what the feminist movement is all about.<br /><br />Illinois is going into emergency legislative session again if they don't agree on a budget by the end of the week, and as much as I would love the federal government to adopt a balanced budget amendment, this scares me what would happen on a national scale.<br /><br />Illegal Immigrants are criminals, and should be treated as such.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-27689909478159327492008-05-22T13:14:00.004-05:002008-05-22T15:45:05.421-05:00Gas TaxesSomething to think about, the Federal Government charges an 18.4 cent per gallon tax on gasoline, and a 24.4 cent per gallon tax on diesel. State taxes averaged 21.5 cents per gallon NOT including sales tax. 11 states charged additional sales tax (<a href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/gasolinepricesprimer/index.html">link</a>). The average U.S. gas price as of May 19th 2008 is $3.791, and they have gone up in the last few days, and probably will keep going with the holiday weekend (<a href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_home_page.html">link</a>). Working with the number of $3.791, with a moratorium or repeal of taxes on gasoline, the price would be down to about $3.391 for a national average. This would be a huge boost to the economy, since it would cause prices across the board to fall slightly, and therefore drive up demand. Everything that is sold in the United States uses some gasoline at some point in its' production, transportation, and inputs; which also require gasoline. Lowering prices of gas by forty cents would lower production costs of food, shipping costs for all goods, costs for services, and government costs. This subject is also discussed <a href="http://disagreeablyright.blogspot.com/2008/05/say-yes-to-tax-cuts-on-gas.html">here</a>. Illinois adds a 6.25% sales tax to a 19 cent per gallon flat tax, which using the numbers you just saw, puts it right at an average 3.792. Some states have a higher flat tax, and others charge more sales tax. Cut the taxes, and boost the economy. Even if income taxes needed to be increased to make up the revenue, the psychological effect of lower prices will make it worthwhile.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-41645224018520321982008-05-21T09:00:00.004-05:002008-05-21T11:32:39.147-05:00The Activist Judges Ignore the People Again, Part 2These guys just don't get it! This time it is in Virginia, where a panel of judges from the federal appellate court wrote a 31-page document to try to justify the fact that the law they declared unconstitutional was nearly identical to a federal law the Supreme Court upheld. The law in question was not even attempting to overturn the precedent set by the Roe vs. Wade case. which any law could legally do, but rather was a ban on late-term, partial-birth abortion. Almost everyone can agree that late term abortions are inhumane, because with today's medical technology, almost any child in the third trimester has a chance to live. This case is just another example of the few trying to subvert the will of the many. <a href="http://disagreeablyright.blogspot.com/2008/05/activist-judges-ignore-people-again.html">Part 1</a> <a href="http://hamptonroads.com/2008/05/virginia-lateterm-abortion-ban-remains-unconstitutional">Story<br /></a>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-49329626717561844372008-05-21T08:37:00.003-05:002008-05-21T11:55:30.008-05:00An Opportunity?Ted Kennedy has cancer. As much as I dislike the man's policies, It is horrible for any human to be given that diagnosis. I am not celebrating the fact that he has a brain tumor, but it does open an opportunity for the conservatives in Massachusetts. In all likelihood, unless his chemotherapy goes remarkably well, his senate seat will be vacated within a couple terms as he decides to concentrate on other things, or God forbid, if he were to pass on. This is a chance that has not been nearly as available with the popular incumbent. Hopefully, someone can find some good in this very human tragedy and a conservative can win Kennedy's seat. The one thing I fear is that Kennedy will retire but essentially name his successor, and the people of Mass. will unquestioningly follow. Of course, if we had term limits, he would have been out of the senate a long time ago.<br /><br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">edit "</span>some good can come out of the very human" has been changed to "someone can find some good in this very human" because I think it better conveys my meaning.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-6401389167933232882008-05-20T14:40:00.003-05:002008-05-20T15:19:31.732-05:00Oil, Gas, and the Supply Side of Things.Easiest way possible to lower gas prices is sitting on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, under some caribou in Alaska, and sprawling across Texas and Oklahoma.<br /><br />Thats right, we drill our own damn oil!<br /><br />The most basic tenets of market economies are the Laws of Supply and Demand. Therein you can find the following principle: As supply increases, price decreases as the market tends toward equilibrium. Restated, this means that if we increase the amount of oil in production, gas prices will tend downward. This is without the 1970's style lines at the pumps and violence over severely rationed gas. This self-same idea is behind GWB's requests that the Saudis raise production, or risk facing a partial embargo (military goods)as a sanction. More OPEC production would drive down the prices, but we would still be dependant on a foriegn nation, and anytime they wanted, they could cut production and raise prices back up. In order to ensure independence we need to increase drilling on US soil. There are massive amounts of oil in Alaska, including but not limited to, the wildlife refuge. The Chinese are drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, there is no reason we could not drill alot more there. There is even oil under US territorial waters. Scarcity of oil is the reason why prices are so high, so by increasing it's commonality we can drive prices down. In America, gas prices are highly inelastic, because a massive number of people live in rural areas, and even our metro areas are often so spread out that public transportation and bicycles are often literally impossible to use as alternatives. If you can use them, great and more power to you. I live 7 miles from the nearest town, there is no other option than to drive. The other issue with high gas prices is that it drives the prices of everything else up. No matter what, every good you purchase, and many services rely on fuel. Shipping, fertilizers, farm equipment, and even public transportation require<br />fuels.<br /><br />A good explaination of basic economic theory can be found <a href="http://krypton.mnsu.edu/%7Erenner/supdem.htm">here</a>.Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5548308358638338245.post-55918432242318929802008-05-16T12:08:00.001-05:002008-05-16T12:09:43.129-05:00The Activist Judges Ignore the People Again<p class="MsoNormal">The activist judges in <st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:State> don’t care what their people think. In the manner typical of the left, the voice of the people was ignored (i.e. a matter passed by direct vote) in a 4-3 split decision by the State Supreme Court. The people of CA decided to ban homosexual marriage. The supreme court decided the people don’t matter. Activist judges are incredibly annoying, they are the liberal way of circumnavigating the sea of popular opinion and ending up in the puddle of pseudo-intellectualism. I don’t care what your views on the issue of “gay marriage” are, The will of the people, not the will of 4 judges is what should be enforced. Every time a “landmark” court case like this occurs, I am incredibly saddened, because we all just gave up our voices. The Roberts court seems to have promise, but we have a long way to go for them to just be doing their job- interpreting, not writing laws.</p>Goosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05425919642933133023noreply@blogger.com11