California Supreme Court Takes on Mantle of Legislature and Makes Bad Law. Rest of Country Yawns.

Calif. Supreme Court rejects gay marriage ban
Constitutional initiative drive under way in state to restrict unions

updated 1:18 p.m. PT, Thurs., May. 15, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO - In a monumental victory for the gay rights movement, the California Supreme Court overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage Thursday in a ruling that would allow same-sex couples in the nation's biggest state to tie the knot.

Anyone who is surprised by this, speak up. *crickets chirp*

Domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage, the justices ruled 4-3 in an opinion written by Chief Justice Ron George.

Yeah. What the hell do those legislators know, anyway.

Outside the courthouse, gay marriage supporters cried and cheered as news spread of the decision.

I'll withhold comment.

"Our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation," the court wrote.

The city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples and gay rights groups sued in March 2004 after the court halted San Francisco's monthlong same-sex wedding march.

You mean the illegal one? Hhhhmmmm. I wonder why a court would do that?

"Today the California Supreme Court took a giant leap to ensure that everybody — not just in the state of California, but throughout the country — will have equal treatment under the law," said City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who argued the case for San Francisco.

The City Attorney demonstrates his incisive legal acumen, thus showing why he works for San Francisco instead of the private sector, where competent attorneys work. The California Supreme Court can affect California law, but not that of other states, especially the 26 or so that have passed variations on the DOMA acts.

As for equal treatment under the law, this was never at issue. Men were free to marry women, women were free to marry men.

Coalition to challenge
The challenge for gay rights advocates, however, is not over.

A coalition of religious and social conservative groups is attempting to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine laws banning gay marriage in the state constitution.

Damn those voters. Damn them, I say. Who the Hell do they think they are, anyway?

The secretary of state is expected to rule by the end of June whether the sponsors gathered enough signatures to qualify the marriage amendment, similar to ones enacted in 26 other states.

And if 26 states have passed laws against it, there isn't exactly a ground swell of support for the idea, as the pink swastika brigades would have you believe. Don't bother trying to tell them that, however. Facts are only cause to shout down who ever has the temerity to share the party sharing them.

If voters pass the measure in November, it would trump the court's decision.

As it should be.

California already offers same-sex couples who register as domestic partners the same legal rights and responsibilities as married spouses, including the right to divorce and to sue for child support.

So they get the benefits and the burdens without having to redefine what married people have, but of course this isn't good enough. They simply must be referred to in the same way or their riiiiiggggghts are being viiiiiolated. Wake up call, Nancy boy. He may live with you and get your health insurance and the right to screw you over in a nasty divorce, but it still ain't marriage. Thanks for cheapening mine, however.

But, "Our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation," Chief Justice Ron George wrote for the court's majority.

So, unlike Massachusetts, which at least took a stab at a legal reason with a technical argument, California is legislating from the bench based on emotion. I think every professor I had in law school said "Emotions make great cases, but bad law." And here, California had to go and prove it. Of course, this is the same court that rejected such hallowed common law concepts as coming to the nuisance, so anyone paying attention wouldn't be too terribly shocked by this ruling.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Marvin Baxter agreed with many arguments of the majority but said the court overstepped its authority. Changes to marriage laws should be decided by the voters, Baxter wrote.

A Justice on the Court who has a sense of restraint? Who understands that there is a separation of powers for a reason? A novel concept indeed.

Massachusetts is now the only U.S. state to allow gay marriage. Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont permit same-sex civil unions that grant largely the same state rights as married couples but lack the full, federal legal protections of marriage.

What federal protections of marriage are you talking about? This is and always has been the purview of the states. The feds have only gotten involved when the states have tried to tie the privilege to Race (Loving v. Virginia) or Unrelated Offenses (Zablocki v Redhail){where a party was denied the right to marry because he was behind on child support payments}.

"I respect the court's decision and as governor, I will uphold its ruling," said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in a statement. "Also, as I have said in the past, I will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this (ruling)."

But of course, he doesn't have to. If it is put to the voters, and it passes, then he doesn't win votes by opposing it (doing something) but he can pay lip service to his disappointment (an old trick used for decades by politicians in Quebec when they speak about sovereignty).

Let's be clear. I oppose this ruling because it does not appear to be supported by a legal rationale. Instead, the Court seems to have made, sua sponte, a decision to change the law because it doesn't match the majority's opinion of society today. If we let judges and not voters or legislatures make these determinations, then we abdicate our roles as citizens in a republic. Separation of powers exists for a reason. Courts have the right to overturn laws because they violate the Constitution, not because they do not feel them to be appropriate. However, the left long ago adopted the strategy of asking the courts to grant them what they want and could not get from legislatures or the voters. We continually allow a tyranny of a minority, with the express and explicit collaboration of a branch of government that fails to properly understand and act in accordance with its assigned role and limitations. If this continues, we may as well do away with legislators. Or elections, for that matter.

Thanks, PJM.

I just got back from the Doc. Its official. I have strep.

Happy Mother's Day

The calendar says its May, which in some parts of the country means spring. While I'm not certain spring has arrived in this corner of the Pacific Northwest, my rhodies say differently. Happy Mother's Day to all my blogfreinds, including those who are moms.

I think i used to work for this company

One Good Funny Deserves Another.

Folly posted the Lumberjack Song...one of my favorites from Monty Python.

So, From the Kids In the Hall, I give you every male attorney's worst nightmare:

Anyone Who Doubts That We Are In It For the Future of Civilization...

...needs to check this out.

How many Americans will have to die needlessly before we fully awake to this very real and intolerant threat?

Happy Friday!

The Episcopal Church Must Have A Differrent Bible.

Despite death threats, gay bishop plans civil union
It’s ‘what God is calling me to do,’ says controversial clergyman

TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 8:25 a.m. PT, Thurs., May. 8, 2008
Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson knows he is inviting death threats by entering into a civil union with his gay partner on the eve of his church’s biggest ecclesiastical conference. And he says it is worth it, because he is doing what God asks of him.

1. Death threats. If true, despicable. God takes care of his own business and in his own time.
2. What God asks of him??? He must be reading a different Bible. I have a King James, New King James, NIV, and NASB, and the prohibitions all read pretty much the same. I don't understand.

“When your life is at stake, you learn that there are things in life that are much worse than death,” Bishop Robinson told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Thursday in New York. “That’s the great reward of being a Christian. Not living your life — that’s worse than death. And if something were to happen to me, I would know that I am doing what I discern God is calling me to do.”

Of course the God who has specifically proscribed these behaviors probably has something very different for you in death then what you seem to be contemplating.

In 2003, Robinson became the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church when he was elected by the congregations of New Hampshire. Dubbed “the most controversial Christian in the world,” he faced death threats then and wore a bulletproof vest during his consecration. Now, he has announced that he will “marry” Mark Andrew, his partner of some 20 years, a move sure to outrage conservatives in his religion.

Maybe its just me, but I have real trouble with this guy using the appellation "Christian". I'm gonna go hurl now.

The Federalist 3 and 4

In Paper 3, John Jay discusses how a strong national government can do much to promote peace with neighboring powers by offering a whole perspective and response, rather than local independant units, and how as a nation, we can stand strong to grow commerce, rather than be forever divided and bickering amongst ourselves by stronger more established powers.

Paper 4 was about how a strong national government can protect us from threats within by offering a balanced perspective and response to local issues and demagogery.

No real money quotes in either one.

Too True

Sometimes, I Have a Lucid Moment...

...not often, but occaisionally. I was playing on this thread over at the Rott, and someone asked a question that none of my fellow rotties seemed to have the correct answer for. I helped them. As follows:

No, really - how do you envision an America under Obama?

A land where one will have to adopt a hyphen for their Americanism to even approach enjoyment of the blessings of Liberty.

A land where “Whitey” will feel the anger and reprisal of mobs whipped into frenzies for the slights and injustices committed by past generations.

A land where the liberally perverted notions of fairness and ‘equality’ will enforce mediocrity and utterly destroy the spark of genius that breathed life into this country and all it has achieved.

A land where reason and logic will be divorced from the law, and legislation by judical fiat will become the unquestioned norm.

A land where our leaders will allow those who hate freedom and liberty to inflict insult and injury on our populace at will, while those charged with securing and defending our liberty continue to kneel and grovel before our enemies in an attempt ‘have a dialogue’.

A land where the scorn and derision that the elitist left in this country harbor for it becomes completely mainstream, and normal Americans will be taught to loathe and apologize for all that is good about this country.

A land where everyone is special, so that no one is.

A land where the decieved would soon hope for change…back to a country worth having.

Does that answer your question?

I Miss This Show

I hate reality shows. Not much real about them. I did enjoy this one, though. This was classic. Everyone but the mark knows its fake, but he's the one who keeps screwing up the script! Through it all, he revealed himself to be a pretty nice guy, which of course left them all feeling that much worse for messing with the guy. A truly great idea, which would be difficult to repeat. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you ...Joe Schmo

Today's Melodies

Dichotomy is a wonderful thing.

I woke up this morning singing "You Didn't Know Me When" By Harry Connick, Jr. and then switched to "International Bright Young Thing" By Jesus Jones.

Oh, and April? Thanks for planting that new Eagles song deep, deep into my subconscious.

...I rode a rollercoaster, from Coney Island to Key West. I hung on with one finger, so the other ten could rest...

Yeah, Right.

TV Reviews

I Don't Know What Upsets Me More...

These people who pray at a symptom instead of a cause, or the severely mocking tone of the article. Its a close one, but I think the 'journalist' wins my "Asshole of the Day Award", whether its for the derision of American cars, or his sneering at faith and people's understanding that prayer can change things. I'd like to smack him for both.

I had a headache this afternoon, so I watched

Casino Royale again. I forgot how good they did with the girl this time around. Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green,on the left side.





Stylish sassy brunettes. They rock.

An American Creation.

I watched IRON MAN yesterday. Freakin excellent,thanks for asking.

I sat and thought about it after and it came to me. The superhero is a uniquely American invention.

Really. I used to collect comic books years ago. Part of that phase of my life was understanding the history as well as the artists. (yes, I can look at it and know if it was drawn by Joe Kubert, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Gene Colan, Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and others), and yes, we did it first, as long as you discount some of Nitsche's writings.

And we developed it. From the larger-than-life such as Superman, to Marvel's stamp on the superhero, which was to make them human...people with messy relationships, rent to pay, etc.

Which had me thinking...who might they make a movie of yet? The characters they have so far: The Fantastic Four, Spiderman, The Hulk, the X Men, and now, Iron Man. Teams are obvious choices: The Avengers, The Defenders, The Champions, Alpha Flight, The Invaders, but the characters? Doctor Strange, and Captain America come to mind. Maybe the Sub Mariner. Moon Knight? Rom? Omega?

So many opportunities. And that's just Marvel. I'd pay to see Green Lantern...Hal Jordan, of course.

And this just in from the sad but true desk...

Wife convicted in husband's shooting of lover
Woman cried rape when caught with her lover, so husband shot him

updated 7:07 a.m. PT, Sat., May. 3, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - A Texas woman who caused her lover's shooting death by falsely crying rape was convicted Friday of involuntary manslaughter.

The girl who cried wolf and forgot what she was up to...

Tracy Denise Roberson, 37, cried a bit when the verdict was announced. The punishment phase was set for Monday, and she faces two to 20 years in prison.

Only a bit?

In late 2006, Darrell Roberson came home from a late-night card game to find his scantily clad wife with another man in a pickup truck in the driveway. Tracy Roberson was with her lover but cried rape, and her husband fired four shots into the truck as Devin LaSalle drove off, killing him.

I guess staying for one more really did kill him. I'd shed a tear but the guy willing to screw another's wife really isn't a sympathetic figure...

Darrell Roberson initially was arrested, but a murder charge was later dropped and a grand jury indicted Tracy Roberson instead.

Oh, yeah, that's right...he had reason to believe that his wife was actually being, you know, raped.

During her three-day trial, defense attorneys called no witnesses but blamed LaSalle's death on Darrell Roberson's jealousy and rage.

Yeah, that whole crying rape thing when he showed up had NOTHING to do with it.

But prosecutors placed all the blame on Tracy Roberson, showing evidence of the affair with LaSalle, 32, and a text message in which she invited him to her house that evening.

Sounds like "Case closed" to me.

Now This Had To Be A Fun Conversation...

I can just picture it. The band is rehearsing, and the phone rings. Its a call from their manager. "Hey guys, ABC just called. They want you to play on 'Dancing with the Stars'."

"You really have to stop drinking in the morning, or we'll fire you."

"No, really..."

Here's the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J09scAF7zsg

Obamessiah Shows True Colors...Film At 11

Obama strongly denounces former pastor
Candidate calls Wright's recent comments 'wrong and destructive'

But is anyone listening?

updated 1:41 p.m. PT, Tues., April. 29, 2008
HICKORY, N.C. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Tuesday he was outraged by the latest divisive comments from his former pastor and rejected the notion that he secretly agrees with him.

"I just let him marry me and my wife and baptize my children. I actually can't stand the guy." Obama was heard muttering under his breath.

Obama is seeking to tamp down the growing fury over Rev. Jeremiah Wright and his incendiary remarks that threaten to undermine his campaign at a tough time. The Illinois senator is coming off a loss in Pennsylvania to rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and trying to win over white working-class voters in Indiana and North Carolina in next Tuesday's primaries.

In other words, he's a drowning man. And as any Boy Scout knows, they are the most dangerous ones to deal with.

"I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday," Obama told reporters at a news conference.

Translation: I am outraged that the press has been paying attention and asking questions when they are supposed to be selling me as the Second Coming...

After weeks of staying out of the public eye while critics lambasted his sermons, Wright made three public appearances in four days to defend himself. The former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago has been combative, providing colorful commentary and feeding the story Obama had hoped was dying down.

Damn whitey for paying attention. Damn him I say.

On Monday, Wright criticized the U.S. government as imperialist and stood by his suggestion that the United States invented the HIV virus as a means of genocide against minorities. "Based on this Tuskegee experiment and based on what has happened to Africans in this country, I believe our government is capable of doing anything," he said.

Whitey Whitey Whitey Whitey! I don't have to take responsibility for myself or be a freaking leader in my community. I just have to whine until God kills Whitey.

And perhaps even worse for Obama, Wright suggested that the church congregant secretly concurs.

The trump card. If Obama gets too eager to dump on the left reverend Wrong, the Rev can throw him under the bus. Part 47 of 'When Libatards Attack'.

"If Senator Obama did not say what he said, he would never get elected," Wright said. "Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls."

Yes they do. I blame troglodytes such as yourself who refuse to demand more of the charges that they have authority over. When they don't see you being discerning and examining everything, rather than what fits your world view, the trouble begins at home.

Obama stated flatly that he doesn't share the views of the man who officiated at his wedding, baptized his two daughters and been his pastor for 20 years. The title of Obama's second book, "The Audacity of Hope," came from a Wright sermon.

A long, long time to be there without ever noticing that your pastor is a spittle-flinging nucking futs America hater.

"What became clear to me is that he was presenting a world view that contradicts who I am and what I stand for," Obama said. "And what I think particularly angered me was his suggestion somehow that my previous denunciation of his remarks were somehow political posturing. Anybody who knows me and anybody who knows what I'm about knows that I am about trying to bridge gaps and I see the commonality in all people."

If he believes this, even in the slightest, they need to send him home. Now.

In a highly publicized speech last month, Obama sharply condemned Wright's remarks. But he did not leave the church or repudiate the minister himself, who he said was like a family member.

I'm gonna make a sorta apology and hope that my ADD riddled electorate will accept it.

On Tuesday, Obama sought to distance himself further from Wright.

He scratches, pulls, and tugs, but the millstone remains around his neck. And the water's real deep.

"I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992, and have known Reverend Wright for 20 years," Obama said. "The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago."

"Bullshit."

Obama said he heard that Wright had given "a performance" and when he watched news accounts, he realized that it more than just a case of the former pastor defending himself.

I'm Shocked I tell you. SHOCKED!

"His comments were not only divisive and destructive, I believe they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate," Obama said. "I'll be honest with you, I hadn't seen it" when reacting initially on Monday, he said.

"That crazy N****r is gonna sink my campaign if he won't shut his hole" Obama was heard to say to a close aide.

Wright had asserted that criticism of his fiery sermons was an attack on the black church. Obama rejected that notion.

Why? If he's a representative example of their clergy, then attacks are in order.

Obama said his earlier mild reaction came because he gave him the benefit of the doubt, but that evaporated when he saw Wright's speech. Wright's comments may well have severed the relationship.

Turnabout, and all that, Whot, old chap.

"He has done great damage, I do not see that relationship being the same," said Obama.

"I denounce you!" "No. I denounce you!"

Wright recently retired from the church. He became an issue in Obama's presidential bid when videos circulated of him condemning the U.S. government for allegedly racist and genocidal acts. In the videos, some several years old, Wright called on God to "damn America." He also said the government created the AIDS virus to destroy "people of color."

Really? I hadn't heard.

Obama said he didn't vet his pastor before deciding to seek the presidency. He said he was particularly distressed that the furor has been a distraction to the purpose of a campaign.

Don't make me laugh. He sat in those pews for 20 years. And we know Wrong has been spewing his "Hate Whitey" message for quite a long, long time.

"I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia explaining that he's done enormous good. ... But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS. ... There are no excuses. They offended me. They rightly offend all Americans and they should be denounced."

The right words. Coming from a completely untrustworthy source. Give the Dems McCain, and let us choose a conservative candidate, already.

Did You Ever Wonder What R.E.M. Would Sound Like Liquored Up?

I don't. I know.

Cole Porter and Snark Too...Who'da Thunk It?

Yes, I AM In A Mood Tonight...What Of It???

Yes, there is a theme tonight...more than one, actually. If fewer embed disables were screwing with me, it might be downright INTERESTING...

Hot Drums, Horns, and Women...Who Can Say No?

But I Am A Fan of John Hiatt

No, I Am Not A George Michael Fan...

...But I have always loved this song.

Another meme to steal...

Stolen from USA Admiral.

1. Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. No cheating!
2. Find page 123.
3. Find the first five sentences.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people

The World Encyclopedia of Battleships By Peter Hore.

Equipment and procedures for transmitting the range and correction of the data between ships were devised and the range tables for all major guns were revised. New shells with more reliable and predictable trajectories were designed and gun mountings improved, including smoke extraction fans to keep the turrets clear. With these gunnery improvements and more thourough training, Evstafi and Ioann Zlatoust formed the core of the squadron which aquitted itself when it came up against the more recent Goeben.

Pre-Dreadnought Chapter, Entry on the Russian (czarist) Navy's Evstafi class.

Tap yerselves...

Sunday Dinner

Chicken Noodle Stuff...

Start by sauteing the celery and onions in olive oil and the sooper sekrit spice mixture..



Then saute the chicken breasts in the same...



Mix togther...



Add the egg noodles and cream of chicken soup...simmer covered for five minutes...



Then serve. I like a little crushed red pepper on mine...



Enjoy with your favorite beverage. I had a Hornsby's, then switched to mud tea.
Screw desert.

The Federalist 1 & 2

As promised, I started reading the Federalist last night.

No. 1, written by Hamilton, was a recognition that a nation under the Articles of Confederation was not really a nation at all, and laid out a very basic plan to change that bythe founding of a stronger national government. Nothing contained therein that I found particularly deserving of a quotation.


Not so with No. 2, written by Jay, celebrates the national character of the states united, with an eye towards formalizing the relationship under the aegis of a strong national government. A few lines did stand out to my eye:

"They considered that the Congress [of 1774] was composed of many wise and experienced men. That, being converted from different parts of the country,thye brought with them and communicated to each other a variety of useful information. That in the course of the time they passed together in inquiring into and discussing the true interests of their country, they must have acquired very accurate knowledge on that head. That they were individually interested in the public liberty and prosperity, and therefore that it was not less their inclination than their duty to recommend only such measures as, after the most mature deliberation, they really thought prudent and advisable."

A far cry from the myopic, self-interested yeahoos who come to Congress to slice portions out of the national plate for their Hypenated-american constituencies. When was the last time you watched any of them on CSPAN communicating useful information or accurate knowledge? Yeah, I can't remember such a thing, either.

Jay closed with another line possessed of a certain prescience that is almost freightening:

"They who promote the idea of substituting a number of distinct confederacies in the room of the plan of the [Constitutuional] convention seem clearly to foresee that the rejection of it would put the continuance of the Union in the utmost jeopardy. That certainly would be the case, and I sincerely wish that it may be as clearly foreseen by every good citizen that whenever the dissolution of the Union arrives, America will have reason to exclaim, in the words of the poet: "FAREWELL! A LONG FAREWELL TO ALL MY GREATNESS."

Think about the people in Congress today, and the people who sent them, and more importantly, the asshattery they propound, and tell me it isn't true.

Saturday Night

I took Heir No. One to Fort Lewis today, so we could join his fellow cub scouts in getting the museum badge with a trip to the military museum. He was pretty good. I was impressed by the exhibits. Artillery, tanks, armored vehicles, jeeps, humvees, a Huey, pictures, uniforms, and oh yeah...Guns.

Must have been four different 1911's on exhibit. But I fell in love with a very sweet M-I-C sniper rifle. Too bad I didn't have a camera...

Oh, and tonight, I wanted to keep it simple, since it was a warm sunny day. And I wanted an adult beverage. I'm just in that frame of mind.





Hot dogs and Hornsby's Crisp Apple Cider. I might even have several...

Saturday Night

Justice Scalia

When I was driving home yesterday, Hugh Hewitt was playing clips of Justice Scalia speaking with students at a Virginia High School.

I love this guy. He gets it.

The money clip was his response to a student's question about the Court giving rights. I do not recall his exact words, and would not want to misquote him, but the gist of the answer was that the question itself showed the perilous shift in thinking that has become the norm in America today. Instead of going through the purposely arduous task of specifically granting a right by amendment to the Constitution, a process that is legislative...as it should be...we, as a society have become eager to give away our rights to have a debate and publicly weigh the merits of any such proposal before making it law in the manner prescribed by the Constitution and its Amendments, instead opting to give this power by default to an unelected Judge or Justice, who was never intended to have it.

He then admonished the students to actually read The Federalist Papers. All of them, not just the biggies, to get a better sense of respect and understanding for the founders and the system they designed.

As long as we have folks like him around, there is still hope.

Emails, I get emails...

My spammer of the week is none other than "okadima dick". Typical Nigerian scam only he says he's from Borkina Faso.

Maybe someone should tell these hustlers to pick better names...

Current pieces of mental gravitas...

I haven't had a true rant thread in a while. I feel like it is time again.

Heard on the way into work this morning: the Washington Department of Transportation had study done on ways to reduce congestion on freeways. The study concluded that per-mile tolls on the major freeways would reduce congestion without any corresponding rise in congestion on surface streets. The agency was considering applying the tolls on I-5, SR 520, I-90, and I-405.
For those of you who don't know, that pretty much ties up any route in or out of Seattle. It was an RCOB moment for me. I'm not a traffic engineer, but I understand physics. If the cars come off the freeway, they HAVE to use the surface streets. Secondly, I pay taxes to maintain these roads, and now they want to tax me for using them? These idiots are determined to drive business out of this state.

Overheard from a member of my tribe this afternoon: He can't wait for Obama to "get in there". Said in reference to the Oval Office. I almost swallowed my tongue. This guy is a former naval aviator, and ha$ a lot to lo$e if the Obamassiah gets elected in November.

What passes for journalism and the sheep who still feed off of its offerings:
The mainstream media's love affair with Obama and the near criminal omission of reporting on his own statements that reveal who he is, the company he keeps,and the company that keeps him. Really. If it were an equally inexperienced white guy spouting neo-Marxist tripe, and self-incriminating by recording himself reading his autobiography, and hanging out with self-proclaimed terrorists who as recently as last year decided to affirm their hatred of this country, he could not show his face in public, let alone have throngs of adoring crowds follow wherever he goes. We are going to delude ourselves into early graves.

HHHmmmmm....The 80's don't look as cool as I remember...

In case anyone needed proof that a good mullet, swinish attitude, and wad of cash could make you popular with the ladies...



Yeah, I always liked this song...I think it was the snide asides...so sue me.

Tell Everyone You Know...

...To check these things out.

The more I find out about the Obamessiah and the company that keeps him, the more I am convinced that the media who loves him and the witless clods who follow him with a freightening reverence have upped the ante from willful stupidity to consciously suicidal behavior in the electoral politics.

Go here. Listen to these clips. Read the detail very carefully. These people have never renounced their hatred of this country, and they LOVE the Obamessiah. LOVE him.

Be afraid...be very afraid...

And in case the link doesn't work: http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2008/04/020358.php

Adventures in Parenting, Chapter 447...

Well, I got great amusement from this post over at PJ Momma's place and I let slip about the time when Heir No. 1 thought he got a button stuck up his nose.

I can hear you saying "He did what?"

Yeah. That was pretty much my reaction too.

It was a summer day two years ago. I stayed home to watch the boys because my childcare was not available. Heir No. Two was sleeping on our bed, and I was in the bedroom folding laundry. Heir No. One came out of his room and ran into the bathroom. He had been making a game of it, seeing if he could hold it until his eyeballs threatened to burst, so I didn't think too much of it, even after he had been in there longer than usual.

When he finally came out, he tried to sneak by my room. I called out to him, and he turned, revealing a trail of blood all the way down the front of his t-shirt. Alarmed, I asked "What did you do?"
He immediately started crying, and through the blubbering, I divined that he had, for some reason, shoved a button up his nose, and it got stuck. As soon as it became clear that he was not having difficulty breathing and wasn't suffering any significant pain, I tried to stifle my laughter at his predicament. He stood there, leaning up against me, crying and blubbering because he thought I would be angry with him. I wasn't thrilled. I figured that if this visit to the doc didn't get a follow up from CPS, nothing would. I tried to calm him down, then I called the doc. The nurse made me hold for a minute, then came back on and asked me to repeat the story. I can only assume she had to gather everyone around and put me on the speakerphone. I swear I heard her snicker as she said to bring him in right away.
You can guess what happened next. The doc, being a consummate professional kept her composure during the exam. I suppose she's looked into far more frightening orifices in her time. She couldn't find anything and referred us to the ears, nose, and throat specialists up the road. Back in the car and up the hill.

That doc took an xray because she didn't see anything on her exam either. It revealed nothing, so she took me aside and expressed the opinion that since nothing was on the xray, and he didn't appear to be suffering sinus pain, then he most likely dislodged the button. If his condition worsened, then of course she wanted to see him again.

Three hours and $75 later, the three of us got in the car to go home.

The good news is that he hasn't shoved anything up his nose since.

And if you are wondering, yes, I will recount this tale to the first serious girlfriend he has. Just because I can.

Something Else I Can Recommend

I just finished watching the 7th and final installment of John Adams.

The man lived an incredible story.

If youhave the opportunity, watch it

I think his and Abagail's Story is one of the great love stories.

Some Perspective

Thanks Dick,

Somehow I always knew the perspective would come in handy someday.

A Story To Feel Good About...For A Change.

Now I really take back what I said about an addict playing an addict.

I genuinely hope it works out for him this time.

Dog Bites Man, Film At 11

I wish I could say that this is a shock.

CNN reporter faces drug charge after arrest in Central Park
I've been convinced that they have been on drugs for years.

So I was thinking this week...

...about the Papal visit.

I like Benny. I'm not catholic, nor am I considering conversion. I'm about as PROTESTant as one can get. However, I have generally been impressed by the intellectual talent that has bloomed under Catholic tutelage, and I the older I got, the more I appreciated JPII. No matter how intense the scrutiny, no matter how critical the attacks, he stood firm in his beliefs and in some ways helped me to understand that you don't change God; he changes you. And he did it with a grace and sincerity that could not be faked. [Trust me on this. As an attorney, my bullshit detector is usually cranked up to 12. Not much gets by me.] When he passed away, I was genuinely sorry to see him go. He was a figure that gave hope in a world sorely lacking it.

When Benny was appointed to succeed him, I was intrigued. The mainstream attacks told me that he must have been a good choice. Whenever I hear about a conservative being referred to as a scholar's scholar, and an institution's attack dog, I know someone is about to be told something they don't want to hear. He didn't disappoint.

I liked him even more when I realized that he was going to be a thorn in the side of the religion of pieces. Even more reason to like him. After listening to what he's had to say this week, I like him even more. He gets it. He knows that western civilization is in the battle for its very survival, and he knows that if Europe is to be saved from submission to the bloodthirsty savages of dar al islam, that sadly, once again the task will fall to us. And still he comes, the embodiment of grace, patience, and a firmity that can only originate from the bedrock of souls that the world tries so hard to deny.

Thanks for coming, Your Eminence. I hope you enjoy your stay.

Sometimes, In The Heat of Spirted Discourse...

...it helps to take a moment and breathe.



I used to live in the Midwest, and I miss having REAL thunderstorms. The kind that shake the house. I really have never known another tranquilizer like it. This is evocative of it.

Ok, back at it!

A Freind Of Mine Is A Little Down...

So I thought it was appropriate to remind her of a silver lining or two.

Admiral tapped me on a meme

In which I have to show my favorite drinking vessel.


Here it is.





I don't why I identify with this little guy so much, but I do. Appropriate for coffee, tea, canadian whisky or vodka.

I won't say "I told you so."

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island - Gay couples had to struggle mightily to win the right to marry or form civil unions in certain states. Now, some are finding that breaking up is hard to do, too.

In Rhode Island, for example, the state's top court ruled in December that gays married in neighboring Massachusetts — the only state to allow the practice — cannot get divorced because state lawmakers have never defined marriage as anything but a union between a man and woman.

But I thought they wanted to get married because they were going to love each other forever? I guess that doesn't mean what it used to.

In Missouri, a judge is deciding whether a lesbian married in Massachusetts can get an annulment.

OOOOHHHH! OOOOHHHH! I know the answer! NO!


"We all know people who have gone through divorces. At the end of that long and unhappy period, they have been able to breathe a sigh of relief," said Cassandra Ormiston of Rhode Island, who is splitting from her wife, Margaret Chambers. But "I do not see that on my horizon, that sigh of relief that it's over."

That's because people who get divorces are able to m-a-r-r-y in the first place.

Over the past four years, Massachusetts has been the only state where gay marriage is legal, while nine other states allow gay couples to enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships that offer many of the rights and privileges of marriage. The vast majority of these unions require court action to dissolve.

Gay couples who still live in the state where they partnered can split up with little difficulty; the laws in those states include divorce or dissolution procedures for same-sex couples. But gay couples who have moved to another state are running into trouble.

Maybe because the citizens of their adopted states don't want the practice there? Naaaaahhhh. I'm sure that's not it. After all, we want everyone to have the right to do whatever they want to do, right?

Massachusetts, at least early on, let out-of-state gay couples get married there practically for the asking. But the rules governing divorce are stricter. Out-of-state couples could go back to Massachusetts to get divorced, but they would have to live there for a year to establish residency first.

Enjoy the taxes while you're there. Nothing comes without a price.

"I find that an unbelievably unfair burden. I own a home here, my friends are here, my life is here," said Rhode Island-based Ormiston, who is resigned to moving across the state border to Massachusetts for a year.

Boo-flipping-who. Cry me a river. You don't get to bring your lifestyle and force it on anyone else's legal system, just because you chose to avail yourself of a dubious legal benefit offered in another state.

It is not clear how many gay couples have sought a divorce.

But I bet its enough to sap some of the sparkle from Neal and Bob's eyes...

Getting divorced gets tough
In Massachusetts, where more than 10,000 same-sex couples have married since 2004, the courts do not keep a breakdown of gay and heterosexual divorces. But Joyce Kauffman, a member of the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association, said probably more than 100 gay divorces have been granted in Massachusetts, and possibly many more.

She's a member of that bar association and she doesn't know? I really don't believe that.

She said she suspects the divorce rate among gays is lower than that among heterosexual couples, because many of the same-sex couples who got married in Massachusetts had probably been together for years.

Unsupported self-serving supposition? From the pink swastika crowd? My, my. Hell must be frezzing over as we speak...

Vermont has dissolved 2 percent of the 8,666 civil unions performed there since they became legal in 2000. Those numbers do not include couples who split up in another state.

And since there apparently is no data tracking how many of them remained, the statistic is only slightly biased in the way that it is quoted...in the same way a cheerleader can be slightly pregnant.

Chambers and Ormiston wed in Massachusetts in 2004 and filed for divorce in 2006. But the Rhode Island Supreme Court last winter refused to recognize their marriage. That means at least 90 other gay couples from the state who got married in Massachusetts would not be able to divorce in Rhode Island if they wanted to.

Good on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. If their judical system is as taxed as others around the country, they have more than enough LEGITIMATE cases to handle anyway.

Getting a divorce could prove toughest in some of the 40 states that have explicitly banned or limited same-sex unions, lawyers say.

Only if Judges choose to enforce existing law rather than make it up out of whole cloth, and we know how judges avoid the opportunity to legislate from the bench.

In Missouri, which banned gay marriage in 2001, a conservative lawmaker has urged a judge not to grant an annulment to a lesbian married in Massachusetts.

And rightly so, you nattering excuse for a journalist.

'A novel concept'
Oregon started allowing gay couples to form domestic partnerships this year. But to prevent problems similar to those in Massachusetts, lawmakers added a provision that allows couples to dissolve their partnerships in Oregon even if they have moved out of state.

Wow. Judges must be thrilled at the concept. I, however, am troubled by it.

The measure is modeled on California's domestic partnership system and represents a major change in the usual rules governing jurisdiction.

Change? That's polite. How about "complete departure" from the usual rules governing jurisdiction. Civil procedure sucked as it was in law school. Now we just opened up a whole set of exceptions. Forget blackhole jurisdiction, now we have gay jurisdiction. Faaaaaaaaabbbuuulous, honey!

"It's a novel concept in the family law area," said Oregon lawyer Beth Allen, who works with Basic Rights Oregon, a gay rights group.

Hurumpf!

Same-sex couples can form civil unions in Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey and New Hampshire. They can enter into domestic partnerships or receive similar benefits in California, Oregon, Maine, Washington, Hawaii and the District of Columbia.

Even though the voters of Washington made it clear that they did not want it. Thank Washington legislature, and Queen Christine. May your unmittigated arrogance bite you in the ass.

New York does not permit gay marriage, but a judge there has allowed a lesbian married in Canada to seek a divorce. In 2005, Iowa's Supreme Court upheld the breakup of a lesbian couple who entered into a civil union in Vermont.

Your Honor, I'd like you to meet my wife, Sparky. Sparky is a border collie. She's been a little bitchy lately, and I want a divorce. Can you help me with that?

Some Rhode Island lawmakers are pushing to legalize gay divorce. But Gov. Don Carcieri, a Republican who opposes gay marriage, is against the idea. So are church leaders in the heavily Roman Catholic state.

No mention of religion other than as the evil buzz-killing moral authority determined to stop the slide down the slippery slope. So much for fair and balanced.

"Whatever name they want to give to it, it is a recognition of same-sex unions," said the Rev. Bernard Healey, a lobbyist for Catholic Diocese of Providence.

Dingdingdinging! Correct in one! Bob, tell the Reverend what he's won! Well, Wink, the good Rev has gotten an all-expenses paid trip to be pilloried in the public square for expressing an opinion consistent with centuries of his churches' teaching. That's right, you refusal to "change with the times", a/k/a "let people do whatever the hell they want" gets you free derision and scorn. Congratulations!

Sunday Dinner...BEEF!

I was at the store Sunday, and saw a pack of three petite sirloins for $4.15. I likes me my steak,so I bought it.

I was surprised that these were more than an inch thick...


So I cut them in half, trimmed them, and hand rubbed the garlic salt on Mrs. BiW's and Mesquite Seasoning on mine...


And threw 'em on the grill...


Served with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and steamed peas...


And a cherry chip cake made by Mrs. BiW


Yum.

Saturday Dinner...Pasta Fajole!

First, saute two onions in olive oil, and brown a pound of ground turkey, then mix.
I liked the result because the onions were both tender and crisp.



Then, get yer beans. Red beans and Pinquitos. Yum. Open, and rinse thouroughly.



Add the beans to the sauce...in this case, Classico Four Cheese and a can of diced tomatoes...


Then add the turkey and onions...simmer all together briefly.


Serve over pasta...I like shells, bellflowers, bow ties...


And yes it did smell amazing and taste even better. Thanks for asking.

I was listing to a columnist talking to a commentator about putting spyware on his kid's computer this morning...

And there were some real gems in the conversation.

"Parenting is not for the faint of heart."
No kidding. I have been peed on, a vomit target, the youngest expects me to help him wipe his butt, and he occaisionally beats the crap out of his older brother. Case in point? last night both were in the bathtub. Big one starts tickling the little one, little one smacks the big one in the head with a toy. Big one gets egg sized lump on his forehead.

At this rate, I am going to be a triage expert before they leave home.

The next great comment: "The internet is forever. Once you hit the send key, it can always be found."
Which is why the spyware prompted an "Absolutely." from me. Between the things that are available, and the perverts looking for a mark, no question I will monitor what they do on the web. Always.

Nice to see there are no limits.

Angry wife tries divorce-by-YouTube tactic.

Nuttin'

That's what I got this mornin'.

I got a haircut yesterday...

...and was dismayed at the grey that is coming out in my hair. It looks like the south is rising again, with the march starting at my temples. Good thing I'm blond, so it is a little harder to see.

You know we are in trouble as a nation...

When you see a Toyota Pious tax cab.

I give us three years...four at the outside.

Then we are just another turd world country.

The Hostages Had An Interesting Post...

...asking what song you have on your mp3 player that sucks but you still like.
I thought about this. I wondered if Sophie B. Hawkins "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover" would work, but I shook myself out of it. I don't care if she's a dyke. The song is hawt, and I have always loved it. So I thought about it longer and came up with the answer.




I listened again yesterday and today. Its a party in a jewel case. And after the girls go home at 11:30, and you want to dance with the women, you can play his follow up, "If it don't kill you, it only makes you stronger."

In a nod to the Fyreman...

...who recently commented on his affinity for a new Ramstein track, I had to wonder, what is it about hard edged deutchers that eneables them to dig up and swing a musical motif like an abottoir's hook and snag the male psyche so well? Must be subliminal messages. Anyway, Doug, I see yer Ramstein and raise you a KMFDM.
Mheh.

Blue-eyed soul's enduring contributions.

I've always thought of these songs as two sides of the same coin, but lets face it.

"Tempted" is the polished gem here. No question, if you know the song, you sing along. Its hard not to.

The Album of the Day

If you like a layered, bluesy sound, with good vocals and you haven't heard it, give it a spin.

I woke up this morning with "Sold Me Down the River" playing in my head. I really couldn't help singing it in the shower. Something stoking that welsh spirit of rebellion, I think.

Other standout tracks:
Love Don't Come Easy
Devolution Working Man's Blues
Where a Town Once Stood

I woke up this morning...

...and it felt like someone was squeezing my left eye. Just holding and squeezing it.

When its too bright in my office with all the lights off, the blinds drawn, and my darkest sunglasses on (Dammit I wish I could get the lenses in my Ray Bans fixed), then I know I'm in for a tough one. It never got better. I did something I never have done: I left work because of a headache.

It doesn't help that its a very nice day here. I swear, and have done so since moving here in 2001, when it is sunny here, it is much brighter than a sunny day in Michigan. The drive home was excruciating. I came home and went to bed. I slept for over two hours, until I heard the garage door at 5:15. Mrs. BiW came home despite the fact that she was going to go out with friends to celebrate a birthday. (Sorry, David, I did tell her to go ahead and go but she didn't listen.)

The pain is diffuse now, but light drops my eyes to very narrow slits. I hope this is over by tomorrow.

School was never like this...

PAHRUMP, Nev. - Nicki Amouri hands her camera to a friend, throws her arm over another and smiles wide as she leans in for a shot with the monument her class came to visit.

Greetings From the WhoreHouse...Come On In!

It's a typical field trip memento — except that Amouri is in a brothel. The monument is a fluffy, queen-sized bed in a Western-themed party room reserved for VIPs and big spenders.

IF I were the type to frequent such establishments, and I were a big spender, the only scenery I would be concerned with is the woman who's services I would be paying for.

Amouri was one of a dozen Randolph College students who toured the Chicken Ranch, a legal bordello in the desert 60 miles outside Las Vegas. Thursday's class trip, which included seminars from the working girls, capped a course on American consumption and "the ideas that consume us."

American consumption, indeed. I believe its called THE WORLD'S oldest profession for a reason...

"I think it's fascinating, this is fun for me," said Amouri, a junior at the private liberal arts school in Lynchburg, Va., that until last year admitted only women. "Not many people get to do this."

Aim High, sweetie! Maybe you can join the workforce later!

Academic and media inquiries are daily occurrences at many of Nevada's 27 legal brothels. Some shy away from the scrutiny, others, like the Chicken Ranch, welcome the publicity.

Because if you're gonna be a whore, you may as well get all the free advertising you can...

"We're always open to trying to educate the public about legalized prostitution," said Chicken Ranch general manager Debbie Rivenburgh, who acknowledged this was the first class tour request she'd received in 21 years.

And I imagine she's entertained some fairly interesting requests over those 21 years. Must be an interesting resume she has.

'Don't just study America — live it'
The brothel tour was a natural fit for a class that tells students "don't just study America — live it," said Julio Rodriguez, the director of the college's American Culture Program.

Who said in a off-record remark "Hey, if I can get a trip to the brothel and get the school to pay for it, then its all gravy, isn't it? I LOVE my job."

Each semester the course examines a strain of American culture and ends with a class trip. Past destinations included post-Katrina New Orleans, Walt Disney World and the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Ala.

Well, I suppose a brothel could be likened to a Disney World for adults. Academia has sold itself out to far more dubious ideas in the last 20 years...

This year's focus on Nevada started with a professor's interest in water rights and conservation. It grew to include discussions of the wedding and entertainment industries and, inevitably, prostitution.

A professor's interest in water rights and conservation as part of the American experience with consumption? No, I'm sure there wasn't an end goal in mind here, right from the start.

Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal. Brothels are allowed in 10 Nevada counties, though not in Las Vegas.

No legal prostitution in Sin City? What's wrong with this picture?

As part of their research, students were assigned "The Beauty Myth," by feminist author Naomi Wolf, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," by Hunter S. Thompson, and a "20/20" episode on prostitution with Diane Sawyer, among other research, professors said.

Yeah, I always got to cite opinion, travelogues, and of course television as sources in my college research.

"We gave them all the option to either opt out or express reservations privately. No one did," said Rodriguez, adding that he received no objections from parents or administrators.

"Of course, we did forget to tell the parents until after the trip had occurred", he muttered after the tape recorder was turned off.

Prostitutes at the Chicken Ranch had plenty of reservations. Most don't jump at the chance to talk to strangers about what they do, Rivenburgh said. They worry about friends or family finding out. They know how others see them. It can be uncomfortable.

At least someone still has some sense of shame. However, I suspect the reservations have more to do with an inability to bill for the time they spend talking to the students...

"Ninety-nine percent of the working girls will not participate. Each woman's got her reason and her limitations," Rivenburgh said. "I couldn't have done better with the two that said yes, though."

Flexibility and free time
Alexis, 38, and Alicia, "over 30," sat on white folding chairs in front the young, earnest women in the brothel's Victorian-styled parlor, usually the setting for the "lineup." They would not give their last names. The group took close notes as a handful of television cameras and reporters looked on.

Free Advertising...sagging sales, perhaps?

A blonde in jeans and platform boots, Alexis talked about the job's flexibility and the free time it has allowed her to write a book about her life. Alicia wore a black-and-white gingham nighty and a tattoo on her left breast that read "Famous."

Ahhh, yes, the 'tatted breast' trick. No doubt she charges extra to have your photo taken with it in the frame.

"I enjoy giving back what some people don't get in their lives, as far as companionship, time, just the touch of a woman," she said. The job allows her to take care of her mother and grandmother. She's also in real estate.

She doesn't 'give' any of these things. She charges for them, but I'm sure that is an inconvenient point to the spin put on it by the 'journalist'.

The introductions gave way to questions.

Do you consider yourself a feminist?

Alexis: "Most women in this business wear the pants in the family."

Except for the ones who work for pimps, of course.

Is there a certain look most men prefer?

Alicia: Every man wants something different. "There's all different kinds of girls."

And the level of intoxication also impacts the choices made, I'm sure.

Why aren't there brothels with male prostitutes?

Rivenburgh: Former Hollywood Madame Heidi Fleiss is trying.

Because its harder for men to fake it, duh. (no pun intended)

Do you still give a military discount?

Rivenburgh: Yes.

Nothing but the best for our men in uniform.

What's the worst part?

Alicia: "Being confined, being cooped up. I have to be here 24 hours a day."

But Alexis gets all this free time. Hey....what gives?

With a tour and time to mingle, the students packed up gift bags containing a menu of services, a Chicken Ranch key chain and a brochure. They had to get back to Las Vegas in time for a backstage tour of the risque revue "Jubilee." With any luck, they might get to interview the showgirls.

A menu of services...I tell you, I'm just soooo damn proud of this country and all the educational opportunities it offers, I could just burst!

PJ Momma Tagged Me...

...and I knew this one was going around. I've been dredding this one. The six-word memoir. Thanks PJM, I think I'd rather have my gums removed, by way of my nostrils.

Here it goes.

Expectation Limitless Yearning Parent Joy Discovery




Folly, 'baddy, SoHoS, Count, and Fyreman. Yer it.

Song of the Day

New Game

The Hostages stole this from yet another of our growing number of bloggers.

Name five movies you'd like to see a sequel to.

I really had to think about this. Many of my favorite movies do not have happy endings.

1. Captain Horatio Hornblower. This movie took up the middle three novels pretty well, and the A&E/BBC productions did the first 3 fairly well, but I'd like to go further and get the film version of Commodore Hornblower.

2. My Science Project. Yes, I know it was cheesy. I still laugh when I watch it. The idea of Dennis Hopper going back in time and putting his stamp on our present still makes me gigile.

3. People Will Talk. One of my favorite Cary Grant movies, and a great story about how wrong assumptions can be about the things people keep private. Make the second one about the authorities catching up with Shunderson, and Pretorius defending him.

4. Dance With Me. Yes, I know it was a chick flick, so shut up about that. I have fond memories of this movie. It was my first set of exams in law school, and I was wound tighter than a drum. My wife dragged me out to the movies when I was trying to live in my notes. I'm glad she did. It really was a nice story, I loved the music, and I relaxed and we had a wonderful evening.

5. The Shadow. Yes, I know it had one of those looney-tune Baldwins in it, but I have always loved that era and how it looked, and Jonathan Winters reminds me of my Grandpa.

Alligator Blood Studied For Anti Infective Properties

I'm not making this up, and I got more intrigued as I read the story.

Go read it. The money line:

"They don't need to be exposed to any microorganism such as bacteria, viruses, fungi for their bodies to respond against them," Danville says.

Viruses? How innnttteeerresttinggg. Unfortunately, those don't appear to be the focus:

"Ultimately, we would like to determine what the chemical structure is," Darville says. "Once we can do that, we could eventually develop these into different anti-bacterial and anti-fungal drugs."

Sure. Nobody likes the stubborn athlete's foot or flesh-eating bacteria, but whatcha gonna do when bird flu mutates and passes by human to human contact?

And I Thought I Had A Story To Tell About My Wedding Night

This Headline Caught Eye:

Bride, groom spend wedding night in jail


The Story Is Funny.

An "Absolut" Smackdown

Sig has an answer to the insult that Absolut tried to pass off as an ad campaign. Go see it. Spew warning in effect.

So I Was Driving In To Work This Morning...

And I was looking at the apple blossoms, and the cherry blossoms, and the fog that was obsuring my view of the mountain, and I realized I needed something different this morning. I rumaged around, and dropped this in the player:




Now I can hear y'all saying "BiW, have you lost your miiiinnnnddd?"

No. I haven't. Does she flash the goodies? Yes. Does she sing about the goodies, and what she does or wants to do with them? Yes. But can she actually sing like a house on fire? Oh yeah. This album is filled with hommages to various influences and makes it a fun listen anyway.

Three standout tracks on this album:

1. Candyman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4kR8OQCrlQ (Sorry, Youtube disabled the embed). Drums and horns in a swing arrangment with layered vocals? Candy indeed.

2. Ain't No Other Man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cy3B2M7S70 (Again, disabled embed.) I don't think any woman would have ever felt this way about yours truly, but I still like the song. Makes the head bob.

3. Pray. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCFn6HEgJ0k (Again, with the embed.)
Listening to this really loud, there is a lot going on in this track, and I still haven't figured it all out yet.

Now go back to work, and grumble about the minutes from your life you are never going to get back.

Since I Commented On This A Few Months Back, I Just Can't Seem To Leave It Alone.

In the Chinese Zodiac, I am Boar, and in real life, I am a bore.

Anyway, I was reading a placemat a few months back, and I noticed that the Chinese have chosen to saddle me with marital strife. And to think, I didn't get them anything. Since then, I have enjoyed reading different versions of the Chinese zodiac trying to figure out if they all want to screw me over, or if it was that particular printer who had it in for me. I offer a few samples, with some commentary.

From Rainfall.com:
Boars are self-reliant, very sociable, dependable,and extremely determined. Boars are peace lovers and don't hold grudges. They hate arguments, tense situations, and try to bring both sides together. In life they make deep and long-lasting friendships. Boars enjoy social gatherings of all kinds, and look for parties to attend. In fact, Boars must watch themselves so that their incessant pursuit of pleasure doesn't interfere with other aspects of their lives. Boars belong to clubs and they make terrific fund raisers. They have a real knack for charity and social work. Boars always listen to problems. They won't mind getting involved and try to help. Boars have big hearts. A problem that Boars have is that they are too innocent and naive. Being honest and trustworthy themselves, they have a hard time understanding the motives of those with less scruples.

Where to start?
I am not a peace lover, I am not necessarily very sociable, and I have always hated fundraisers. I have no quarrel with the rest of it.


Boars do not dazzle or shimmer. They possess the old-fashioned chivalry that grows on you until you totally depend on it. It is so easy to trust Boars. They have a calm expression and a sincere manner. They are blessed with endurance and work steadily at tasks with great patience until completion.

Depends on the task. If I don't find it scintilating, my patience has limits.

Once Boars arrive at a decision nothing stops them. Of course, before they reach that decision they weigh all the pros and cons. They definitely want to avoid complications. Sometimes they ponder so long they miss the opportunity altogether. But never mind, Boars always believe in miracles, and miracles always happen to them. Fortune favors Boars. They always find someone to help them without having to beg.

Maybe there's something to this. Things have a way of working out sometimes.

In romance, if not careful, Boars may be taken advantage of. Boars trust everyone and believe everything they hear. They are unselfish and enjoy helping their friends. Although they are gullible, they are actually quite intelligent and know how to take care of their own. If you hurt their feelings, Boars often carry the pain for years. They have a hard time saying no to those of concern. Often they wish they had said no.

I'm going to reserve comment.

Boars will always be looking for ways to work off all their extra energy. They work and play hard. Even if they lose everything, Boars manage to bounce back. Their life path supply them with all they need. The Chinese believe Boars own the Horn of Plenty.

That's ok. I'll take it. At least you didn't see fit to try to screw with my marital life.

From www.c-c-c.org:
The Year of the Pig


1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007


People born in the Year of the Pig are chivalrous and gallant. Whatever they do, they do with all their strength. For Boar Year people, there is no left or right and there is no retreat. They have tremendous fortitude and great honesty. They don't make many friends but they make them for life, and anyone having a Boar Year friend is fortunate for they are extremely loyal. They don't talk much but have a great thirst for knowledge. They study a great deal and are generally well informed. Boar people are quick tempered, yet they hate arguments and quarreling. They are kind to their loved ones. No matter how bad problems seem to be, Boar people try to work them out, honestly if sometimes impulsively. They are most compatible with Rabbits and Sheep.

Ok, they don't hate me either.

From www.chinatoday.com:

PIG: You are a splendid companion, an intellectual with a very strong need to set difficult goals and carry them out. You are sincere, tolerant, and honest but by expecting the same from others, you are incredibly naive. Your quest for material goods could be your downfall. The Pig would be best in the arts as an entertainer, or possible a lawyer.

Quest for material goods? Hahahahahahahaha! Missed that by a mile. so I would be good as a lawyer? That's good to know....

From Chinese.astrology.com:

Contrary to its rather negative reputation in the West, the Pig of Chinese Astrology may be the most generous and honorable Sign of the Zodiac. Pigs are nice to a fault and possess impeccable manners and taste. They have so much of the perfectionist in them that others may be inclined to perceive them as snobs, but this is a misconception. Pigs are simply possessed of a truly luxurious nature, one that delights in finery and riches (in surroundings, food, lovemaking and otherwise). This Sign believes in the best qualities of mankind and certainly doesn't consider itself to be superior. Pigs also care a great deal about friends and family and work hard to keep everyone in their life happy. Helping others is a true pleasure for the Pig, who feels best when everyone else is smiling.

Nothing to complain about there...

A Pig with no one around to appreciate its giving nature is a sad sight. Pigs are so magnanimous they can appear almost saintly; this can lead some less-than-well-intentioned souls to stomp all over this Sign, and the bad news is, the Pig will take the blows! Pigs make great companions in part because of their refusal to see the more negative or base qualities in a partner, but that rose-colored view can lead to this Sign's allowing itself to be taken advantage of. Contrary to their seemingly benign dispositions, however, Pigs can be quite venomous in response to being crossed by a lover, friend or business partner.

Uhhh, I have to rely on the perceptions of others here. I obviously am incapable of objectivity.

Pigs are highly intelligent creatures, forever studying, playing and probing in their quest for greater knowledge. They can be misinterpreted as being lazy, however, due to their love of reveling in the good stuff; this Sign could happily spend hours on end making love, napping, taking a long bubble bath or dallying over an incredible spread of rich foods. Pigs tend to make wonderful life partners due to their hearts of gold and their love of family. Even so, Pigs can be rather exclusive, choosing to spend time with those who will appreciate them most and ignore the rest of the populace. Pigs would do well to realize that there's more to life than being needed. When they open up their world to a diverse group of people, they will truly bloom.

Seem to have nailed this...


I can see the commonalities, and I guess I'll let the chinese off the hook, this time, but apparently I shouldn't be trusted with my own heart. I wish someone had told me that sooner.

While we are on the subject of movies...

I was talking about this movie the other day.

To my surprise, its available on DVD. Very cool.

I'm gonna have to get it in the next few months.

The Power of Cinema

I sit here watching The Patriot and try to pinpoint what it is that I have always loved about this movie.

I think that it is the fact that it truly embodies so many of the best qualities we may aspire to as a people.

Benjamin Martin was a man who did terrible things in his youth, a bloody retribution for horrible things inflicted against his people. It stopped more death, but cost him a piece of his soul. For this, he was a hero to all who knew of his deeds. He built a life, and a family, in an attempt to make up for what he had done. And lost a wife in childbirth.

War came calling again. The peace he had sacrificed so much for was evaporating, and threatened his family. When he lost a child to an act of barbarity, instinct took over, much to the sorrow of the British. A quiet resolve, and occasional gallows humor, took over and through the pain and horror that followed, he chose to "Stay the Course", as so many did, to gain something for future generations.

He was a haunted man who saw his misfortune as his sins revisiting themselves upon him. But this quiet resolve and and endless devotion to his family helped to bring about something better. Something I sometimes fear we have lost as a country. But I always carry it away with me when I see this movie. I can only hope that if presented with similar challenges, I can face them with equal determination.

Godspeed, Chuck. Say Hi To The Boss For Me.

From the AP, Charleton Heston died today.

Don't tell me that the roles you pick don't matter, because you can touch more lives than you know.

What a crock!

At least around here...

Really, when I read this kinda stuff and I think about the cooking, cleaning and laundry I do around here, I just wanna flip someone the bird...

If You Aren't From Michigan, You Might Not Understand...

...this story. Hat tip to my brutha Alex, who didn't bother to call on his return to the land of the Kogels, and home of the dry coney sauce.

I was reminded this week...

...just how divorced from reality some people in this state really are. Honestly, if I ever start spouting liberal and revisionist history inanities...SEND HELP. Really.

I was sitting a table of the weekly meeting of service organization x, when a long time member sitting next to me starts espousing a book he read about how this country wasn't founded as a Christian nation, it was founded as a religious nation, and how that meant that everyone was welcome right from the start, christians, jews, agnostics, atheists, Mohammedans...

I thought about congratulating him on his recognition that atheists have a religion too...its just that they are at the center of it, but I didn't think I could endure the predictable backpedaling with a straight face. The same was true in asking for an example of "Mohammedan" influence on early American law or culture, but I wouldn't be able to listing to the stammering without humming the Jeopardy tune and doing the buzzer with some snarky remark about betting the wad and coming up short.

But the offense wasn't over. Someone else at the table had to give their not-so-carefully considered two cents worth on why strict constructionism was a flawed concept in Constitutional law. "The founding fathers just couldn't conceive of what we could accomplish with technology. Abortion wouldn't have been something they could anticipate." I'm sorry, infanticide is new? All we did was change the timing and location, but life is life, and if you look at the freaking PREAMBLE, its clear they held it in high esteem. One of my table mates, who I suspect shares my closet conservative outlook looked up from his lunch, and said in my direction (as one of two attorneys sitting at the table) "It isn't so hard to apply strict constructionism, is it? Attorneys do it all the time."

Before I could answer, legal scholar number three chimed in and said "Its really about common sense. It isn't so hard. Its just that these conservatives don't get it." At this point, I would have paid money to have Justice Scalia sitting at the table, but I didn't rise to the bait. Legal scholar number four chimed in, "Didn't we have a founding document called that?" Light, condescending laughter followed. By now, I was swallowing my tongue in an attempt to avoid saying "Really? I thought that was a pamphlet designed to rally a patriotic spirit at a time when colonial morale was deservedly low? Perhaps you can tell me how 'Common Sense', by Thomas Paine, had such a unique and lasting impression on the law and its interpretation in this society?"

Then, religious historian starts talking about how 'the media' really has done the Left Reverend Wright ("God Damn America!") a terrible wrong, and how he really is a fine man of God with a great track record of helping his community. I almost choked on the water I was drinking. "A great man of God who takes God's name in vain as he gives a sermon in church? His community? That would be Americans? No, hyphenated Americans. I forgot." all rose to the surface in my head. Then, the other attorney at the table said that he was really leaning toward Obama. I shut my mouth to keep my jaw off the floor. I absolutely stifled the urge to say "I wouldn't lean toward Obama if I were relieving myself and his head was on fire."

At that point, I was glad for two things. One, I didn't buy the lunch. I don't think I could have kept it down, and two, the meeting was called to order.

The purpose of this story? To demonstrate that even otherwise reasonable and sane people can be stark raving batshit insane on important things. Oh, and my table mate who tried to bait me into the fray? I noticed he didn't finish his lunch. He pushed the plate away shortly after the Obama remark.

Ten Things You Didn't Know About BiW. (You don't get to play, Alex.)

I liked this so much at Folly's Place, I decided to copy her. Hopefully, she doesn't tell the teacher...

1. I used to be a Democrat. (Then I grew up, got a job, and had a family.)

2. I didn't even know what a blog was a few years ago.

3. I used to play the oboe. (No tongue skill jokes, please.)

4. I marched in the Electric Light Parade in Disneyworld.

5. I have a history of being completely oblivious when women come onto me.

6. I am a Sci Fi geek, but it has to be good sci fi.

7. I used to write poetry.

8. I did an Internship in the Canadian House Of Commons in 1993, when NAFTA was passed, and was standing just a few steps from Joe Clark when the CAW worker punched him in the nose after the vote.

9. I wasn't sure I'd like being a father.

10. I rode my bike across the state of Michigan in one day.

I Watched the Iron Man preview earlier this week.

I take back my snarky remarks about an addict playing an addict. Robert Downey Jr. sooo nailed Tony Stark. And Cuba Gooding Jr. as Rhodie.

Oh yeah. I WILL be seeing this in the theatre.

I don't know how Fyreman Doug gets these...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Sir Blackiswhite the Canine of Hopton Goosnargh Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I didn't think that I was allowed to accept a peerage as a US Citizen.

I think I'll keep the title I obsconded with, thank you very much.

Why?

Normally, I don't dream or if I do, I don't remember. I used to have two different recurring nightmares, but I don't think that counts.

Last night I drempt. Of Detroit.
Why was I dreaming of the last place on the planet any sane person might want to venture? I really don't know, but the worst part is, I'll be spending the rest of the day puzzling over it.

Detroit. Mheh.
*shivers*