Conservative Donnybrook

Here are two stories that, somehow, go together. The bottom line, or course, is that if someone has their hand stuck out looking for your largesse, chances are they are scamming you. What’s a Christian to do?

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I don’t mind buying my congressman a stamp now and then (I mean, after all, how is he going to send me updates about all the screwed up stuff he’s trying to push in Congress or solicit money from me?), but I’ll be danged if I want to pick up the bill for Andre Carson’s ride. I don’t know what he’s sporting, but I imagine he’s a Hummer type of guy. With big oversized spinner wheels.

Charlie Rangel leases a Cadillac DeVille for $777 a month. But, he justifies it by asserting that his constituents want him to ride in style. Of the New York congressional delegation, Gregory Meeks of Queens takes the cake. He drives around in a Lexus LS460 which costs the taxpayers $998 per month.

On the bright side, the apparently far more ethical Senate forbids its members from milking their constituents for smart rides.

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Right now, Rev. Wright is addressing the Washington Press Club.  He has re-asserted his belief that the United States government created the AIDS virus, “they are capable of anything.”  He charged that the United States is a terrorist nation by saying “you can not do terrorism to others and not expect it to be done to you.”  According to Wright, the U.S. “grinds under her citizens.”  Mr. Wright also charged the United States with imperial ambitions.  Wright seriously believes that the publication of his racist, ignorant and prejudicial comments and sermons is an “attack against black churches.”  Wright, in between answering questions from a moderator, bites his lip, winks, smiles, glibly answers and folds back in to his arrogant and defensive posture.  True to form, instead of apologizing for his career offensiveness, his goes on the attack against America, her government and citizens, while simultaneously defending his defective positions.  He said all this while claiming “this comes from the Bible.”  umm, not the Bible I read.

This man is arrogant, rude, racist, uninformed and objectionable.  Keep speaking, Rev. Wright, Justice and Truth contrast brightly against your ridiculous lies and foolery.

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Miley Cyrus who plays Hannah Montana for Disney recently posed topless with famed photographer Annie Leibovitz. The problem, of course, is that Ms. Cyrus is only 15 years old. The photo is scheduled to run in the next issue of Vanity Fair. Reportedly, Ms. Cyrus is now embarrassed about the shoot.

According to Vanity Fair, “Miley’s parents and/or minders were on the set all day. Since the photo was taken digitally, they saw it on the shoot and everyone thought it was a beautiful and natural portrait of Miley. In fact, when Bruce Handy interviewed Miley, he asked her about the photo and she was very cheerful about it and thought it was perfectly fine.”

While the photo falls well short of being child pornography, it is nonetheless titillating, appealing to the prurient interest. When one considers Ms. Cyrus’ age, it seriously calls into question the judgment of Vanity Fair and Ms. Cyrus’s parents.

The character, Hannah Montana, is wildly popular among preteen girls and for these photos to be published inappropriately sends a message to young girls that sexuality is a tool to be used. This is not the first publicity stunt for Ms. Cyrus, who appears to be following in the footsteps of earlier teen idol, Britney Spears. Earlier this week, Ms. Cyrus posted a picture of herself in her underwear on her MySpace site where she was depicted pulling down her tanktop to expose her green bra.

Photos like these will tend to sexualize young girls well before they should ever be considering the possibility. These sorts of photos help to break down the resistance which should naturally exist to resist that impulse. In that sense, the photo is irresponsible and harmful to society. In a more cynical sense, Ms. Liebovitz certainly did not need to add this controversy to her resume to increase her fame. For her, this photo is gratuitous.

The photo graces a cover of Vanity Fair which also features a photo of Bobby Kennedy with the caption, “Miley Cyrus takes off” (emphasis added). Somehow, no one thought to Photoshop Kennedy’s eyes to be checking out the Lolita who appears to be coquettishly, while coyly, beckoning to the reader/voyeur to give her a tumble.

It would appear that it is only a matter of time before Ms. Cyrus poses nude for one publication or another. Hopefully, whatever publication runs those pictures waits until she is 18 years old, regardless of what her parents consent to. And hopefully, by then her cache with the teen girl set will have faded and been replaced by whoever is next. Meanwhile, Disney might consider accelerating the search for Hannah Montana’s replacement.

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Torii Hunter of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (which, by and by, is not even in the same county as Los Angeles) thinks that a baseball team that does not have any black players should refrain from wearing number 42 to honor the late great Jackie Robinson.  Torii said that it should be an honor to wear number 42.  According to Pro Sports Daily, Torii believes that “a roster with no black players did not represent the progress for which Robinson stood, and baseball celebrated….”

Torii completely misunderstands or misconstrues what Robinson did for culture, society and baseball.  It is not simply one race that benefited from his groundbreaking achievement but all of them. Torii’s comments can be thrown on to the heap of racist garbage Mr. Robinson helped defeat.

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The good folks of Indiana are now being inundated with campaign ads as the Democratic primary focuses its attention there. This afternoon I caught this new, outrageous ad from the Obama campaign. The ad speaks for itself.

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A California Assemblyman (*cough* Democrat) is proposing to raise the state tax on beer from two cents per can or bottle to thirty cents per can or bottle. That’s an increase of 1,500%. The slope is getting more and more slippery.

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Absolut vodka is running an ad in Mexico that showcases a “perfect world” in which Mexico fulfills its reconquista dream. The ad shows the Mexican State as it was prior to the war of 1848, i.e. encompassing the western half of the United States.

The ad is an outrageous affront to the United States. An immediate boycott of the Swedish vodka is in order. I personally do not drink Absolut, Stoli is my choice and has been for some time. Vodka ought be made by Russians anyway. What do Swedes know about vodka? Obviously not how to slang it in the United States of America!

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In 2006 the Chicago Bears were the greatest team in the NFL. They had a high powered offense that was complimented by one of the best defenses to walk onto the gridiron. Devin Hester dominated the return game like no other before. Unfortunately, the season ended with the Bears being cheated out of a Super Bowl title by the maleficent Indianapolis Colts (I better watch what I say about the Colts or Bill Polian will sue me).

Fast forward to this past season. 7-9. The offense was ineffective and the defense was often times just pieced together. The only bright spot was Devin Hester. Who is to blame to such a turn around? I blame head coach Lovie Smith. His easy going Texas demeanor is not what the Chicago Bears, the Monsters of the Midway, need. They need a coach that yells, curses and gets in fights with players (i.e. Papa Bear George Halas or Mike Dikta). Smith does none of this. He remains loyal to coaches that are no good (defensive coordinator Bob Babich), like Dick Juaron and John Shoop, and Smith is quick is get rid of quality coaches that pose a threat to his authority (former NFC Champion defensive coordinator AND former Bear Ron Rivera).

I could go on and on about Lovie Smith’s shortcomings and why he should be fired. But now something new has come to light that has only strengthened my conviction that he has to go now. Lovie Smith, not surprisingly, supports Obama. Come on Bears, Jerry Angelo get your act together and get rid of Smith (and bring in Mike Singletary).

On a football side note. The reason I love NFL football like I do today, NFL Films, is having trouble. I urge any reader who is a fan of pro football to go out and by a NFL Films DVD ( I recommend From the Vault, Lost Treasures or The Greatest) to support this American institution.

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For those of you who have not heard, anti-war protesters interrupted Cardinal Francis George’s Easter homily yesterday. Here is what happened:

The individuals involved were arrested and face battery charges as well as felony trespass charges. As a Chicago Catholic I can only say I wish one good Catholic man would have jumped up when this began and put these fools in their place. Preferably physically, to show them that force can bring a decisive end to intolerance and hate. As well as to bring it all to a quick end.

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It is California after all.

Now, thanks to Justice Walter Croskey and two of his fellow appellate judges, California has made a serious bid to be recognized as the King of the Regulatory States (although such an appellation may be too patriarchal to be politically correct - perhaps Monarch of the Regulatory States would be better and less sexist). Last February 28, the California Court of Appeals ruled that it is illegal to instruct children without a certification from the state, effectively outlawing home schooling. According to Justice Croskey, “parents do not have the constitutional right to home school their children.” In fact, “[b]ecause parents have a legal duty to see to their children’s schooling within the provisions of these laws, parents who fail to do so may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”

Apparently the Court has been itching to placate the teachers’ union for some time, because the justification for this sweeping ruling, affecting 166,000 families, was a single incidence of child abuse of a homeschooled child. Repeatedly throughout the decision, the Court states that parents have no constitutional basis for opting out of the public school morass and that these cases do not present a federal question (at least in the Ninth Circuit). I know quite a few people who home school their children and generally they do it out of religious conviction. In fact, the family under California’s boot did assert their First Amendment right about which the Court stated:

The parents in the instant case have asserted in a declaration that it is because of their “sincerely held religious beliefs” that they home school their children and those religious beliefs “are based on Biblical teachings and principles.” Even if the parents’ declaration had been signed under penalty of perjury, which it was not, those assertions are not the quality of evidence that permits us to say that application of California’s compulsory public school education law to them violates their First Amendment rights. Their statements are conclusional, not factually specific. Moreover, such sparse representations are too easily asserted by any parent who wishes to home school his or her child.

Apparently, before a person’s religious rights may be recognized in California, the burden is on the person asserting them to prove their genuineness. This Court is telling parents that the regulatory power of the State is sufficiently powerful to countermand their right to their exercise of  religion and the rearing of their children in that religion. Especially if one simply asserts their right without justifying why the State should allow you to exercise it.

Let us hope that transfer is granted and this terrible decision is rectified at the California Supreme Court soon. If not through the courts, then the legislature. But, it would be nice to think that a court of law can still exercise some self-restraint.

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Palestinian terrorists raided a Jerusalem seminary today and killed at least 7.  Earlier, an Israeli soldier was killed in the line of duty by terrorists from Gaza.  The same terrorists then attacked an approaching rescue crew.

Peace, for now, seems to have slipped away.  Palestinian terrorists and warmongers have more than likely succeeded in drawing the wrath of the IDF.  The only question that remains is will the IDF show restraint or will they finally seek to decimate the Palestinian terror machine?

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First, there is the (spurious) claim that New York-style pizza is the best in the world. This is demonstrably false as New Yorkers’ excuse for pizza is barely discernible from a cardboard cut-out of pizza. Luckily, there are those with a much clearer vision when it comes to the paradisaical pie.

Now, New Yorkers propose this. Hot dogs in a vending machine? Are you kidding me? Probably served with little ketchup packets. News flash, New Yorkers: Ketchup does not belong on hot dogs! Get a clue.

I will say this: Nathan’s makes a decent dog, but it is nowhere even close to the king of all dogs, the Vienna Beef Dog.  If they put these little Red Hots in vending machines, they might be on to something, but a flabby little Nathan’s dog is not going to get anyone with a modicum of taste excited.

Good rule of thumb: When a New Yorker starts talking about food, he has no clue what he is talking about. I would check the orifice out of which he is talking.

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Here.  Apparently he tucks tail and runs faster than a liberal.

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Our good friend Senator Arlen Spector from Pennsylvania is at it again. Worrying about the integrity of professional football in America, he has seen fit to wield his authority as a the ranking Republican (note not conservative) member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to open up hearings in the near future over the “Spygate” controversy that enveloped the early weeks of 2007 NFL season. Those unfamiliar with spygate can catch up here. At issue is why the NFL destroyed the that were confiscated from the New England Patriots.

Senator Spector claims that he is worried that the NFL may put it’s anti-trust exemption at risk if the tapes were destroyed inappropriately. Considering that the original merger agreement, which was passed into law by the 89th Congress granting the NFL-AFL anti-trust exemption, prevented teams from relocating the threat of Congress revoking the exemption is laughable. Since the merger several teams have relocated (see, Baltimore to Indianapolis, Cleveland to Baltimore and the Raiders hopping back and forth between Oakland and Los Angeles). These moves have never put the leagues exemption in harms way but all of the sudden internal NFL discipline might? Continue Reading »

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Walter Williams has an alarming story concerning a proposed energy amendment in California. Apparently there is a proposal whereby any newly installed thermostat will be required to have the capability of being remotely controlled by the government. Why in the world would anyone want that? Well, to control energy usage. Let’s get California greener.

The California Energy Commission has recently proposed amendments to its standards for energy efficiency (www.energy.ca.gov/2007publications/CEC-400-2007-017/CEC-400-2007-017-45DAY.PDF). These standards include a requirement that any new or modified heating or air conditioning system must include a programmable communicating thermostat (PCT) whose settings can be remotely controlled by government authorities. A thermostat czar, sitting in Sacramento, would be empowered to remotely reduce the heating or cooling of your house during what he deems as an “emergency event.”

Say you disagree with the czar’s temperature setting for your house, the California Energy Commission is one step ahead of you with the provision: “The PCT shall not allow customer changes to thermostat settings during emergency events.” In other words, the thermostat must be configured in a way that doesn’t allow the customer to override the czar’s decision.

The offending provision is on pages 63-64.

In a completely unrelated, but somehow pertinent, article. Michelle Malkin expresses her desire for a man. A man who rejects Big Nanny government. It would seem that Walter joins you in such a desire. Although, he would (as we would) probably find a different way to express it.

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I’m not joking. This passes for an upper level course in college? Makes me proud that I didn’t go to the University of Michigan.

With thanks to The Superfluous Man.

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We know that the Ron Paul train is full of Nazis, pimps, hos, and Daniel Larison. Add Google employees into the mix and it’s not a pretty sight. I’ll let you all decide for yourselves how to interpret the disturbing level of support that Ron Paul is attracting among this sordid rabble of XML experts, database gods, stock-option millionaires, C++ jockeys, and–let’s not sugarcoat this–nerds. How can you guys be associated with these people? Their logo is terrible!

What’s more, I’m sure you’ve all heard about the Ron Paul Blimp. Of course, it should really be called the Ron Paul Zeppelin, what with the disturbing teutonic origins of airship technology. Does anyone honestly think that’s a coincidence? And check this out:

Google employees, in fact, represent the single top contributor to Ron Paul’s campaign. They narrowly beat out men and women in the U.S. Army and Navy, who are in second and third place, respectively.

You know who else had an army and navy, which nearly destroyed the entire world? (Think lebensraum, goose-stepping, short guy with funny mustache, blimps.)

It is plain to see how Ron Paul’s platform of noninterventionism and devolution of federal power fits into the neo-Nazi/pimps/software engineers’ plan for world domination. Open your eyes, people!

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With the new year comes a new smoking ban in my hometown of Chicago. It was announced yesterday that several states in France and Germany, including those states housing Paris and Berlin, have passed smoking bans. This all started notably with a country wide ban of smoking in Ireland in 2004 and Italy in 2005.

I admit that there are places where smoking bans are necessary. Corporate offices, hospitals and airplanes are some that come to mind. But when you start regulating smoking in bars, whose very purpose is to cater to vices of different kinds, you’ve gone too far. I would go so far as to argue that smokers should be able to light up at outdoor sporting events (Not being able to smoke outside? How rediculous) . Attendance in these establishments is optional and if smoke in them is so offensive let the market work and allow private citizens to open smoke free watering holes. I’d rather that government worked to solve problems that are in their domain (i.e. national security, coining money, etc.) rather than protecting me from myself.

UPDATE:  Here is an updated list of the groing nanny state in Europe.  It includes everything from smoking bands, to the regulation of smog produced by individual cars, to restricting TV commercials for foods heavy in fat, salt and sugar.  It will probably only be a matter of time before liberals here, who tend to view Europe as progessive and forward thinking, start trying to hammer the same laws down our throats in a blatant effort to create their vision of uptopia (read, preventing individuals from making decisions for themselves).

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Via Gutfeld, Sanrio is planning to introduce a line of Hello Kitty clothes and merchandise for men. I’m like, what?

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