On a lighter note, today is Mariah Carey's 39th birthday. She is very well-preserved and still looking as good as ever.
UPDATE: Yes, I know she's crazy. I don't care. To quote a character from the short-lived Fox sitcom Hardball (I remember very distincly because I was in college and my roommates and I watched it religiously), "Psycho chicks are the best!"
By the way, if memory serves, I think that line was uttered by a character played by a young Joe Rogan.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
They tricked me because I'm old and stupid
That's the theme of this article claiming that some mortgage broker schooled some geezers out of their house.
First, the article is being deceptive. It's starts with this:
Retirees Ozell and J.W. McBee are in disbelief. They never expected to be forced out of the home where they have lived with their three teen grandchildren for years, and they're left clinging to hope that an Illinois attorney general office's lawsuit will help restore their shattered world.
For years? My first thought was why a couple of old people needed to refinance the house they've owned forever. Of course, here comes the only really tricky thing in the article (buried at the end by the liberal reporter Francine Knowles), not anything done by the mortgage broker:
The couple said they had to use money from their credit cards to make the two payments on their 4½-bedroom, two-bath home, where they had lived since 1999.
1999? Oh my, they go way back. The woman moved in as a youngster at the age of 77. Such an emotional attachment they must have.
Second, the type of loan they got is so common I wonder how these two ever fell for it. From what I understand, everybody and their brother was getting ARM's (except me) to "save money". I could have too, but I knew those rates were eventually go up. These two don't have anyone they could talk to about this? You'd think people who have lived this long would have built up a certain amount of skepticism about things.
Anyway, it's too bad they couldn't pay for their house. One other thing is bothering me, though. They live with multiple teen grandchildren, none of whom apparently work to help pay for things. Um, why not? There are jobs out there if they want them. My guess is they are too busy playing XBox 360 and telling their grandparents they are soooooo busy with schoolwork that they can't. Either that or they are social rejects who are unhirable (to invent a term).
As for me, I've been busy drinking and studying lately, thus the weak posting. One of those things is ending, but the other is increasing. I can't guarantee how much will be coming, but as you can read here, my misanthropy only builds like a volcano between postings.
First, the article is being deceptive. It's starts with this:
Retirees Ozell and J.W. McBee are in disbelief. They never expected to be forced out of the home where they have lived with their three teen grandchildren for years, and they're left clinging to hope that an Illinois attorney general office's lawsuit will help restore their shattered world.
For years? My first thought was why a couple of old people needed to refinance the house they've owned forever. Of course, here comes the only really tricky thing in the article (buried at the end by the liberal reporter Francine Knowles), not anything done by the mortgage broker:
The couple said they had to use money from their credit cards to make the two payments on their 4½-bedroom, two-bath home, where they had lived since 1999.
1999? Oh my, they go way back. The woman moved in as a youngster at the age of 77. Such an emotional attachment they must have.
Second, the type of loan they got is so common I wonder how these two ever fell for it. From what I understand, everybody and their brother was getting ARM's (except me) to "save money". I could have too, but I knew those rates were eventually go up. These two don't have anyone they could talk to about this? You'd think people who have lived this long would have built up a certain amount of skepticism about things.
Anyway, it's too bad they couldn't pay for their house. One other thing is bothering me, though. They live with multiple teen grandchildren, none of whom apparently work to help pay for things. Um, why not? There are jobs out there if they want them. My guess is they are too busy playing XBox 360 and telling their grandparents they are soooooo busy with schoolwork that they can't. Either that or they are social rejects who are unhirable (to invent a term).
As for me, I've been busy drinking and studying lately, thus the weak posting. One of those things is ending, but the other is increasing. I can't guarantee how much will be coming, but as you can read here, my misanthropy only builds like a volcano between postings.
Friday, March 21, 2008
NCAA Friday
Not a liveblog today, just notes of certain things that occur as I am home. I'll attempt to chronicle important things that occur, such as first beer, first shot, and the arrival of guests.
10:50 Arrival of Andy Reuter, who is sick today.
1:45 First Jagerbomb to celebrate a double-digit seed victory when Davidson (10) beat Gonzaga (7).
2:10 Second Jagerbomb to celebrate Western Kentucky's (12) win over Drake (5). Reuter sent celebratory text messages to his wife's cousin, who is the only Hilltopper (or "Top") alumnus we know.
Also, we cleared a layer of snow for the first time today. There will be more the way it's coming down.
3:30 Plothow shows up. He also christened the PBR 30-pack. Plothow = champion (except that he missed the Duke game last night due to a fancy dinner).
10:50 Arrival of Andy Reuter, who is sick today.
1:45 First Jagerbomb to celebrate a double-digit seed victory when Davidson (10) beat Gonzaga (7).
2:10 Second Jagerbomb to celebrate Western Kentucky's (12) win over Drake (5). Reuter sent celebratory text messages to his wife's cousin, who is the only Hilltopper (or "Top") alumnus we know.
Also, we cleared a layer of snow for the first time today. There will be more the way it's coming down.
3:30 Plothow shows up. He also christened the PBR 30-pack. Plothow = champion (except that he missed the Duke game last night due to a fancy dinner).
Thursday, March 20, 2008
How early is Easter this year?
I thought it was earlier than I could remember, and by far so. I was right.
Daily Obama post
Abigail Thernstrom, whose opinions on racial matters I greatly respect, agrees with the commenters around here (and not me). Hmmm:
Rev. Wright, as Obama says, is the product of a certain era — thankfully gone. (As are Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, and most civil-rights icons, he could have added.) Do I wish Senator Obama had walked away from Trinity Church? Sure. I suspect the reasons he did not do so are psychologically complex. In any case, Wright’s Afrocentric, hate-America views, are clearly not those of Obama himself, who lives, as he says, in the only country on Earth in which his story is even possible.
Rev. Wright, as Obama says, is the product of a certain era — thankfully gone. (As are Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, and most civil-rights icons, he could have added.) Do I wish Senator Obama had walked away from Trinity Church? Sure. I suspect the reasons he did not do so are psychologically complex. In any case, Wright’s Afrocentric, hate-America views, are clearly not those of Obama himself, who lives, as he says, in the only country on Earth in which his story is even possible.
NCAA Tournament vacation
So what have I been doing besides antagonizing Barack Obama fans, you ask?
Why, I'm on a four-day weekend to watch basketball. After realizing a few years ago that when I was at work for the first round of the NCAA tournament I didn't do anything, I decided to just take these two days off and get DirecTV's package to watch any game I want. With my usual 3-TV setup, I've been watching games today.
The first 8 games today were pretty boring, with only 2 of them having any drama at all. I have high hopes for this evening's games, though, as already Belmont is playing Duke tough and Winthrop is tied with Washington State at the half.
So you think I've been a big slug today, right? On the contrary. I've studied for 3 hours for my actuarial exam. I also cleaned my apartment (including putting away my snow shovel, just in time to have to break it out for tomorrow for the last time). I did 5 loads of laundry. I went to the store to buy an antenna for my TV setup. Finally, I ripped a whole crapload of CD's to my PC.
In your face, people who worked!
Why, I'm on a four-day weekend to watch basketball. After realizing a few years ago that when I was at work for the first round of the NCAA tournament I didn't do anything, I decided to just take these two days off and get DirecTV's package to watch any game I want. With my usual 3-TV setup, I've been watching games today.
The first 8 games today were pretty boring, with only 2 of them having any drama at all. I have high hopes for this evening's games, though, as already Belmont is playing Duke tough and Winthrop is tied with Washington State at the half.
So you think I've been a big slug today, right? On the contrary. I've studied for 3 hours for my actuarial exam. I also cleaned my apartment (including putting away my snow shovel, just in time to have to break it out for tomorrow for the last time). I did 5 loads of laundry. I went to the store to buy an antenna for my TV setup. Finally, I ripped a whole crapload of CD's to my PC.
In your face, people who worked!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
More on my Obama post
I appreciate commenter "Lauren" adding her $0.02. I wasn't going to respond because I don't want to get into a tit-for-tat about this, but Jonathon Last over at the Weekly Standard Blog linked to an article by Jay Cost that asks a very good question of Obama. It's a good way to look at it other than "I don't like guilt-by-association":
My concern with the speech is the following. I am not sure what I think about Obama's claim that he never heard Wright make incendiary comments. I think that hinges on the definition of "incendiary." More importantly, I have always thought this was a moot point. Incendiary comments make for great television--but the bigger concern, especially for somebody as smart as Obama, is the philosophy that undergirds them. . . . .
This philosophy is divisive, and Obama was aware of it even if he had not heard its most extreme articulations. At the same time, this philosophy is clearly not the core mission of Trinity United Church of Christ. Jeremiah Wright does not wake up every morning dedicated to dividing people. However, the antipode of this divisiveness is the core mission of Barack Obama. . . .
Accordingly, this inclines me to ask what Obama did about this profound philosophical error. . . . I must ask whether he worked to persuade Wright and the parishioners who applauded so jubilantly at his divisive words that they were wrong on a matter of existential importance. If he did, what was the consequence of those efforts? Did he succeed in bringing about change at Trinity?
When Obama moved to Chicago some 20 years ago, he could have chosen from any of hundreds of churches in his neighborhood. He chose this one. He then became close to Wright. It's not as though he was raised in the church and thus feels an obligation to stay with it.
So why did he choose this church to begin with? The obvious answer is that he agreed with the pastor. After all, he's the face of the church and the first guy he with know a lot about.
My concern with the speech is the following. I am not sure what I think about Obama's claim that he never heard Wright make incendiary comments. I think that hinges on the definition of "incendiary." More importantly, I have always thought this was a moot point. Incendiary comments make for great television--but the bigger concern, especially for somebody as smart as Obama, is the philosophy that undergirds them. . . . .
This philosophy is divisive, and Obama was aware of it even if he had not heard its most extreme articulations. At the same time, this philosophy is clearly not the core mission of Trinity United Church of Christ. Jeremiah Wright does not wake up every morning dedicated to dividing people. However, the antipode of this divisiveness is the core mission of Barack Obama. . . .
Accordingly, this inclines me to ask what Obama did about this profound philosophical error. . . . I must ask whether he worked to persuade Wright and the parishioners who applauded so jubilantly at his divisive words that they were wrong on a matter of existential importance. If he did, what was the consequence of those efforts? Did he succeed in bringing about change at Trinity?
When Obama moved to Chicago some 20 years ago, he could have chosen from any of hundreds of churches in his neighborhood. He chose this one. He then became close to Wright. It's not as though he was raised in the church and thus feels an obligation to stay with it.
So why did he choose this church to begin with? The obvious answer is that he agreed with the pastor. After all, he's the face of the church and the first guy he with know a lot about.
Obama's speech yesterday
The mainstream media is falling all over themselves to praise Barack Obama's speech yesterday on race in America (or so the media says it was about). And that's sort of true, in that Obama talked mostly about that.
However, everyone seems to be trying to forget that his recent problems stem from the racist and anti-American pastor at his church, Jeremiah Wright. Saying that he made a few goofy statements that he doesn't agree with, then seguing into blaming white people for making blacks think like that, doesn't cut it. Obama knowingly joined that church and has been a member for over 20 years. Obama calls Wright his "spiritual mentor". Wright married the Obamas and baptized their children. There's no doubt that Obama knew about Wright's insane views and did nothing about it.
In the speech he could have denounced Wright, but he clearly did not, regardless of the sugar-coating being done by the mainstream media. Michelle Malkin has lots of actual speech excerpts you can read on your own and decide. In addition, Investors Business Daily has a good editorial on the speech:
But Obama's recent troubles, which this much-hyped speech was supposed to put past him, are not about race relations. They're about one churchman who happens to be black, whose views from the pulpit are repugnant and from whom Obama doesn't seem to have the guts to distance himself.
Reacting to being linked with a bigoted conspiracy theorist by lecturing the nation on race is like disgraced ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer responding to his getting caught patronizing an international prostitution ring by giving a speech on the female physique.
The supposed divide between black and white is not the issue here; Obama's longtime association with Jeremiah Wright is.
This is a man who believes the U.S. government formulated the HIV virus to commit genocide against blacks and that it is also responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
Yes, Obama claimed in his speech to have "condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy." But he quickly proceeded to equivocate regarding them.
Do you think I am making too much of this? Here's a thought exercise: what if a white Republican attended for 20 years a church where the preacher, during service, regularly said that black people caused all kinds of problems in the world. Don't you think the media would do everything in their power to destroy him? Does Obama get a break because not only he's a Democrat, not only because he's black, but maybe also because the media is so condescending of blacks that they think it's OK for them have these insane ideas (rather than rational ones)?
I'm not bringing up a hypothetical. Let Peter Wehner take you back to the 2000 presidential race:
We actually have an example of how the MSM plays the “guilt by association” card when it comes to certain political and religious figures. In the 2000 campaign George W. Bush spoke once at Bob Jones University; it was an event used to bludgeon Bush with for the rest of the campaign and into his presidency. And, of course, Bush did not attend Bob Jones University, financially support it, or consider Bob Jones to be his spiritual mentor or close friend for 25 years. Yet these things mattered not at all. Bush spoke at Bob Jones University — and so to many in the press, he was joined at the hip with it. The association between Reverend Wright and Senator Obama is far deeper in every respect.
If Obama were truly the post-racial presidential candidate, shouldn't we hold him to the same standards as any other candidate?
UPDATE: I had written earlier about Obama that while I agreed with him on very little, he'd be preferable to Hillary because at least he's a good person. After the last week or so, I no longer think that. I'm not the only one.
However, everyone seems to be trying to forget that his recent problems stem from the racist and anti-American pastor at his church, Jeremiah Wright. Saying that he made a few goofy statements that he doesn't agree with, then seguing into blaming white people for making blacks think like that, doesn't cut it. Obama knowingly joined that church and has been a member for over 20 years. Obama calls Wright his "spiritual mentor". Wright married the Obamas and baptized their children. There's no doubt that Obama knew about Wright's insane views and did nothing about it.
In the speech he could have denounced Wright, but he clearly did not, regardless of the sugar-coating being done by the mainstream media. Michelle Malkin has lots of actual speech excerpts you can read on your own and decide. In addition, Investors Business Daily has a good editorial on the speech:
But Obama's recent troubles, which this much-hyped speech was supposed to put past him, are not about race relations. They're about one churchman who happens to be black, whose views from the pulpit are repugnant and from whom Obama doesn't seem to have the guts to distance himself.
Reacting to being linked with a bigoted conspiracy theorist by lecturing the nation on race is like disgraced ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer responding to his getting caught patronizing an international prostitution ring by giving a speech on the female physique.
The supposed divide between black and white is not the issue here; Obama's longtime association with Jeremiah Wright is.
This is a man who believes the U.S. government formulated the HIV virus to commit genocide against blacks and that it is also responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
Yes, Obama claimed in his speech to have "condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy." But he quickly proceeded to equivocate regarding them.
Do you think I am making too much of this? Here's a thought exercise: what if a white Republican attended for 20 years a church where the preacher, during service, regularly said that black people caused all kinds of problems in the world. Don't you think the media would do everything in their power to destroy him? Does Obama get a break because not only he's a Democrat, not only because he's black, but maybe also because the media is so condescending of blacks that they think it's OK for them have these insane ideas (rather than rational ones)?
I'm not bringing up a hypothetical. Let Peter Wehner take you back to the 2000 presidential race:
We actually have an example of how the MSM plays the “guilt by association” card when it comes to certain political and religious figures. In the 2000 campaign George W. Bush spoke once at Bob Jones University; it was an event used to bludgeon Bush with for the rest of the campaign and into his presidency. And, of course, Bush did not attend Bob Jones University, financially support it, or consider Bob Jones to be his spiritual mentor or close friend for 25 years. Yet these things mattered not at all. Bush spoke at Bob Jones University — and so to many in the press, he was joined at the hip with it. The association between Reverend Wright and Senator Obama is far deeper in every respect.
If Obama were truly the post-racial presidential candidate, shouldn't we hold him to the same standards as any other candidate?
UPDATE: I had written earlier about Obama that while I agreed with him on very little, he'd be preferable to Hillary because at least he's a good person. After the last week or so, I no longer think that. I'm not the only one.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
People are dumb
Since I spend most of my life around people who are rational and intelligent (or at least more so than most), I can sometimes forget just how stupid and rude much of the populace is.
Some girl who works for a pizza place answering the phones is reminded every day, however, and gives some suggestions to those people. The rest of us get to read it and be appalled.
Here's number 2, for example, and look how she immediately knows that people like me are not going to believe how dumb some people are (before she says I would do it too):
2. KNOW YOUR ADDRESS! Don't giggle, you overpaid salaried- MBA reading this during your lunch-hour. YOU are the IDIOT that calls and says "We just moved. It's by the store on the corner." Really? Thank goodness there is only one store on a corner in all of Washington State. For a moment, I thought I might actually have to look on a map to see where you live or verifiy the northeastern part of this town or the west side of the next city. Oh, and when I politely mention that I need an exact address, don't huff and act like I'M the one making things difficult. Find a piece of mail. Look on your lease or morgage papers. Go outside. You DO have an address, contrary to the nameless customer who insisted "they" took his address away (but he's got other problems).
Some girl who works for a pizza place answering the phones is reminded every day, however, and gives some suggestions to those people. The rest of us get to read it and be appalled.
Here's number 2, for example, and look how she immediately knows that people like me are not going to believe how dumb some people are (before she says I would do it too):
2. KNOW YOUR ADDRESS! Don't giggle, you overpaid salaried- MBA reading this during your lunch-hour. YOU are the IDIOT that calls and says "We just moved. It's by the store on the corner." Really? Thank goodness there is only one store on a corner in all of Washington State. For a moment, I thought I might actually have to look on a map to see where you live or verifiy the northeastern part of this town or the west side of the next city. Oh, and when I politely mention that I need an exact address, don't huff and act like I'M the one making things difficult. Find a piece of mail. Look on your lease or morgage papers. Go outside. You DO have an address, contrary to the nameless customer who insisted "they" took his address away (but he's got other problems).
Weekend movie reviews
I'm pretty busy, but here are the three movies I watched this weekend, in order from worst to first (very light on links, sorry). I was surprised at how strong this group was:
American Pie Presents Beta House
This is something like the 3rd movie they have made that went straight to video, and they have all been good. The other two have good stories, but this one was lacking. I'm willing to overlook that, as there were lots of times I laughed out loud during this one. If you are also in a perpetual state of immaturiy and enjoy movies about fraternity rivalries (even though I wasn't in a frat), you should get a kick out of this one.
The Simpsons Movie
I thought this movie was very funny, and it's only not in the top slot due to the other movie's surprising greatness. I went in with moderate expectations, as Simpsons fans I know crapped on it. I could have done without all of the environmental hippie-ness, but they did it in a funny way. Matt Groening and crew had a very difficult job in making this movie, as they wanted it to feel bigger than a TV episode but not over-the-top in silliness. I think they succeeded. Plus, the animation was outstanding.
Kickin It Old Skool
I'm not completely surprised at how funny this was, but I didn't expect it, especially since it started pretty slowly and had some weak moments. It was also very formulaic. The great moments were enough to overcome that, however. Plus, it's a formula for a reason: it works. I loved Malibu's Most Wanted, so I figured Jamie Kennedy wouldn't give me a metaphorical pile of poop. He didn't.
I originally wrote the things I liked about this movie in paragraph format, but it was very poorly written. Here's a list:
1. The cast was excellent, and the female lead was played by the comely Maria Menounos. Also included was Shooter McGavin, Forman's mom, Juwanna Mann, and (very briefly) Cameron.
2. There was tons of great 1980's music, including Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" being played about 10 times and a crapload of old rap.
3. There were lots of references to 1980's toys and other cultural stuff in the dialogue, as might be expected when the movie is about a 32-year-old man who woke up from a 20-year coma in 2006.
4. The breakdancing scenes were quite enjoyable.
Quote of the movie: "They also made jeans washed in acid. Which is AWESOME!" (Maybe you have to see it in context.)
I cannot recommend this movie highly enough if you like some combination of the things I described in the list above. It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
OK, I had to find some pictures:
American Pie Presents Beta House
This is something like the 3rd movie they have made that went straight to video, and they have all been good. The other two have good stories, but this one was lacking. I'm willing to overlook that, as there were lots of times I laughed out loud during this one. If you are also in a perpetual state of immaturiy and enjoy movies about fraternity rivalries (even though I wasn't in a frat), you should get a kick out of this one.
The Simpsons Movie
I thought this movie was very funny, and it's only not in the top slot due to the other movie's surprising greatness. I went in with moderate expectations, as Simpsons fans I know crapped on it. I could have done without all of the environmental hippie-ness, but they did it in a funny way. Matt Groening and crew had a very difficult job in making this movie, as they wanted it to feel bigger than a TV episode but not over-the-top in silliness. I think they succeeded. Plus, the animation was outstanding.
Kickin It Old Skool
I'm not completely surprised at how funny this was, but I didn't expect it, especially since it started pretty slowly and had some weak moments. It was also very formulaic. The great moments were enough to overcome that, however. Plus, it's a formula for a reason: it works. I loved Malibu's Most Wanted, so I figured Jamie Kennedy wouldn't give me a metaphorical pile of poop. He didn't.
I originally wrote the things I liked about this movie in paragraph format, but it was very poorly written. Here's a list:
1. The cast was excellent, and the female lead was played by the comely Maria Menounos. Also included was Shooter McGavin, Forman's mom, Juwanna Mann, and (very briefly) Cameron.
2. There was tons of great 1980's music, including Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" being played about 10 times and a crapload of old rap.
3. There were lots of references to 1980's toys and other cultural stuff in the dialogue, as might be expected when the movie is about a 32-year-old man who woke up from a 20-year coma in 2006.
4. The breakdancing scenes were quite enjoyable.
Quote of the movie: "They also made jeans washed in acid. Which is AWESOME!" (Maybe you have to see it in context.)
I cannot recommend this movie highly enough if you like some combination of the things I described in the list above. It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.
OK, I had to find some pictures:
Friday, March 14, 2008
McCain's earmark legilation defeated
It's not a surprise that a proposal to make earmarks in the Senate need a 2/3 vote to pass has failed, and easily. Bloomberg's Brian Faler misses the bigger point for McCain, though, when he writes the following:
The Senate's 71 to 29 vote to reject the earmark proposal was a setback for Arizona Senator McCain, who has made the fight against such spending an issue in his presidential campaign.
Yes, it failed, but it helps McCain's presidential campaign. It helps burnish his credentials as an outsider, and thus helps his appeal in another election cycle when the Republican brand is in tatters.
As an aside, this part of the article was actually pretty funny:
"This may be the last bastion in America where they don't get it, that Americans are sick and tired of the way we do business here in Washington,'' McCain said.
Um, unlike immigration, Senator?
The Senate's 71 to 29 vote to reject the earmark proposal was a setback for Arizona Senator McCain, who has made the fight against such spending an issue in his presidential campaign.
Yes, it failed, but it helps McCain's presidential campaign. It helps burnish his credentials as an outsider, and thus helps his appeal in another election cycle when the Republican brand is in tatters.
As an aside, this part of the article was actually pretty funny:
"This may be the last bastion in America where they don't get it, that Americans are sick and tired of the way we do business here in Washington,'' McCain said.
Um, unlike immigration, Senator?
SAVE Act in Congress
There is a good illegal immigration enforcement bill in the House of Representatives. It's being held up by the Democratic leadership because they are pro-open borders (but rarely admit it):
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the House Democratic leadership are open-borders advocates who want no part of the SAVE Act, and have thus far managed to keep the bill buried in the Judiciary Committee. To get around this roadblock, supporters of the SAVE Act need 218 signatures on a discharge petition to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. As of yesterday afternoon, according to NumbersUSA, they had 169 signatures — 161 Republicans and seven Democrats — who had signed the discharge petition. (Updated totals are available at www.numbersusa.com.) It is likely that many of the 38 Republicans who had not signed as of yesterday will do so in the coming days. The critical question is what will happen with the Democrats — there are more than 30 of them who have signed on as cosponsors of Mr. Shuler's bill who have thus far been unwilling to take the next step: signing the discharge petition.
Sports fans maybe asking themselves, "Heath Shuler, the former quarterback?" The answer is yes, he's now a Democratic congressman from North Carolina. He won in the 2006 Democratic landslide in a conservative district by running as a conservative Democrat. To his credit and for his district's benefit, he has largely voted like one, too. He also wrote the bill. Here is an editorial from Shuler and California Republican Brian Bilbray in today's Washington Times:
Finally, to eliminate the primary cause of illegal immigration — illegal employment — the SAVE Act expands the E-Verify program to provide all employers with the tools they need to ensure that their employees are here legally. E-Verify is a quick, easy and free Web-based system that cross-references Social Security numbers, and other pertinent information, to ensure that a worker is legally entitled to be employed in the United States. It is already being successfully used by 56,000 American employers on a voluntary basis. The SAVE Act gradually phases it in for all employers over four years, allowing businesses time to adapt. Making E-Verify mandatory will protect American workers and law-abiding businesses from the unfair competition created by a massive illegal workforce.
The use of E-Verify also means that individual employers are no longer expected to be document experts. The liability of determining the legal status of an employee is placed on the government, not the business owner. Since employers will be required to check all potential employees, racial profiling will not be an issue. Additionally, in the rare case where the system makes an error the employer is held harmless.
Let's hope they succeed. If they do, we'll see if the Senate can resist voting on it in an election year.
Here's Shuler before he became good at his profession:
UPDATE: More on the SAVE Act from Mark Hemingway at NRO:
Rosemary Jenks, the director of government relations for NumbersUSA, an organization that favors tighter immigration controls, notes there is already a movement afoot by the Democratic leadership to attach something to legislation which will either kill the legislation or add provisions that make it more palatable to the Hispanic caucus.
“Essentially the Democratic leadership has been trying to work out some deals with various different groups of Democrats, but the key is that they want congressman Schuler to sign off on them,” Jenks tells National Review Online. “So far he has stood very firmly against any form of amnesty, which is what the Hispanic caucus wants.” She says, “he is telling them that he doesn’t want extra visas — H2-B visas, or H1-B visas or amnesty visas added to his bill, that he wants it to come up for a vote the way it is.”
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the House Democratic leadership are open-borders advocates who want no part of the SAVE Act, and have thus far managed to keep the bill buried in the Judiciary Committee. To get around this roadblock, supporters of the SAVE Act need 218 signatures on a discharge petition to bring the bill to the floor for a vote. As of yesterday afternoon, according to NumbersUSA, they had 169 signatures — 161 Republicans and seven Democrats — who had signed the discharge petition. (Updated totals are available at www.numbersusa.com.) It is likely that many of the 38 Republicans who had not signed as of yesterday will do so in the coming days. The critical question is what will happen with the Democrats — there are more than 30 of them who have signed on as cosponsors of Mr. Shuler's bill who have thus far been unwilling to take the next step: signing the discharge petition.
Sports fans maybe asking themselves, "Heath Shuler, the former quarterback?" The answer is yes, he's now a Democratic congressman from North Carolina. He won in the 2006 Democratic landslide in a conservative district by running as a conservative Democrat. To his credit and for his district's benefit, he has largely voted like one, too. He also wrote the bill. Here is an editorial from Shuler and California Republican Brian Bilbray in today's Washington Times:
Finally, to eliminate the primary cause of illegal immigration — illegal employment — the SAVE Act expands the E-Verify program to provide all employers with the tools they need to ensure that their employees are here legally. E-Verify is a quick, easy and free Web-based system that cross-references Social Security numbers, and other pertinent information, to ensure that a worker is legally entitled to be employed in the United States. It is already being successfully used by 56,000 American employers on a voluntary basis. The SAVE Act gradually phases it in for all employers over four years, allowing businesses time to adapt. Making E-Verify mandatory will protect American workers and law-abiding businesses from the unfair competition created by a massive illegal workforce.
The use of E-Verify also means that individual employers are no longer expected to be document experts. The liability of determining the legal status of an employee is placed on the government, not the business owner. Since employers will be required to check all potential employees, racial profiling will not be an issue. Additionally, in the rare case where the system makes an error the employer is held harmless.
Let's hope they succeed. If they do, we'll see if the Senate can resist voting on it in an election year.
Here's Shuler before he became good at his profession:
UPDATE: More on the SAVE Act from Mark Hemingway at NRO:
Rosemary Jenks, the director of government relations for NumbersUSA, an organization that favors tighter immigration controls, notes there is already a movement afoot by the Democratic leadership to attach something to legislation which will either kill the legislation or add provisions that make it more palatable to the Hispanic caucus.
“Essentially the Democratic leadership has been trying to work out some deals with various different groups of Democrats, but the key is that they want congressman Schuler to sign off on them,” Jenks tells National Review Online. “So far he has stood very firmly against any form of amnesty, which is what the Hispanic caucus wants.” She says, “he is telling them that he doesn’t want extra visas — H2-B visas, or H1-B visas or amnesty visas added to his bill, that he wants it to come up for a vote the way it is.”
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Daily Show on Code Pink
Dean Barnett over at the Weekly Standard Blog posted a video of the Daily Show's segment on Code Pink and the Berkeley Marine recruiting center. It's done by Rob Riggle, who is that big dude who used to be on SNL and now is in the Budweiser commercials. He's also a Marine, which makes parts of the video even funnier. (I've heard that Marines like to say that there are no "former" Marines, so I'll mention that it seems he is no longer on active duty.)
My favorite part is his question at 3:23 in.
My favorite part is his question at 3:23 in.
Mr. T art exhibit
This is in Poland. (I love Poland.)
Courtesy of John Hawkins.
UPDATE: Thanks to intrepid commenter "Ahow" for pointing out my semi-literacy and that this museum is actually in Portland. I think I just wanted it to be in Poland so darn much!
Courtesy of John Hawkins.
UPDATE: Thanks to intrepid commenter "Ahow" for pointing out my semi-literacy and that this museum is actually in Portland. I think I just wanted it to be in Poland so darn much!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Heeeeeeere's "Kristen"!
The New York Times has identified the girl who brought down New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Here is her My Space page (warning: annoying music, apparently of her singing). And here are some pictures from The Smoking Gun.
All thanks to Drudge and his great collection of links.
Meanwhile, here is Jim Cramer crying about the whole thing. I'm not sure why any Wall Street insider like him would defend him, but I guess they went to law school together.
Finally, it looks quite possible that this will end in indictments. Couldn't happen to a better guy.
All thanks to Drudge and his great collection of links.
Meanwhile, here is Jim Cramer crying about the whole thing. I'm not sure why any Wall Street insider like him would defend him, but I guess they went to law school together.
Finally, it looks quite possible that this will end in indictments. Couldn't happen to a better guy.
British war hero honored
The details of the medal and such aren't interesting, but his awesome work in the field of battle sure is:
A BRITISH soldier who almost single-handedly took on 150 Taliban after he and his 50-man convoy were ambushed in Afghanistan has been awarded the Military Cross.
Fusilier Damien Hields used his grenade machinegun to destroy seven Taliban positions before his ambushers realised he was their main threat. After peppering his vehicle with bullets, they hit the 24-year-old soldier. He had to be dragged off for treatment by his driver after he tried to continue fighting.
...
They were on their way back to Kandahar on June 3, driving south in a valley, when the Taliban attacked. One of the Land Rovers hit a landmine and was flipped upside down by the blast. “There were Taliban dug in all around and they started hitting us with AK47s and mortars. We could not see where they were at first.”
Hields followed the trail of RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades coming towards him and started firing grenades one at a time, trying to home in. “Then I switched to automatic fire,” he said. A grenade machine gun has a box with 32 grenade rounds. “I emptied a box onto that position and you could see all the dust and smoke flying about where they hit.
“After that no fire came back from that position and I moved on to the next one. One or two rounds until I got onto the target, and switch to automatic and empty the box.”
Realising that Hields was the main threat to them, the remaining Taliban fighters homed in on him with their RPG7s, Dushka heavy machineguns and Kalash-nikov rifles. Hields was undaunted and continued firing.
“I got through six boxes in about 15 minutes and we were winning the fight,” he said. “They started it. We were going to finish it.”
A BRITISH soldier who almost single-handedly took on 150 Taliban after he and his 50-man convoy were ambushed in Afghanistan has been awarded the Military Cross.
Fusilier Damien Hields used his grenade machinegun to destroy seven Taliban positions before his ambushers realised he was their main threat. After peppering his vehicle with bullets, they hit the 24-year-old soldier. He had to be dragged off for treatment by his driver after he tried to continue fighting.
...
They were on their way back to Kandahar on June 3, driving south in a valley, when the Taliban attacked. One of the Land Rovers hit a landmine and was flipped upside down by the blast. “There were Taliban dug in all around and they started hitting us with AK47s and mortars. We could not see where they were at first.”
Hields followed the trail of RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades coming towards him and started firing grenades one at a time, trying to home in. “Then I switched to automatic fire,” he said. A grenade machine gun has a box with 32 grenade rounds. “I emptied a box onto that position and you could see all the dust and smoke flying about where they hit.
“After that no fire came back from that position and I moved on to the next one. One or two rounds until I got onto the target, and switch to automatic and empty the box.”
Realising that Hields was the main threat to them, the remaining Taliban fighters homed in on him with their RPG7s, Dushka heavy machineguns and Kalash-nikov rifles. Hields was undaunted and continued firing.
“I got through six boxes in about 15 minutes and we were winning the fight,” he said. “They started it. We were going to finish it.”
Client 9 steps down
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned this morning.
Much has been written about him this week and in the past. I'll just mention that he should have resigned (and not waited two days to do it), so this is good for the people of New York. Messing around with high-class prostitutes is a terrible idea for a politician, since he can become a target of blackmail by the organized crime figures who run the operations.
Also, as former and current Mercer employees have noted, he's a bad guy for whom no one is shedding any tears. It's even hard to be sorry for his wife, as she's been mentioned as pushing him on Monday to not resign and thus stay on as governor. By abusing his power as state Attorney General in attacking various corporations, he ensured that despite a record margin of victory in the 2006 election, he wouldn't have much of a base of support if things went south for him.
Good riddance to an arrogant, abusive man.
Much has been written about him this week and in the past. I'll just mention that he should have resigned (and not waited two days to do it), so this is good for the people of New York. Messing around with high-class prostitutes is a terrible idea for a politician, since he can become a target of blackmail by the organized crime figures who run the operations.
Also, as former and current Mercer employees have noted, he's a bad guy for whom no one is shedding any tears. It's even hard to be sorry for his wife, as she's been mentioned as pushing him on Monday to not resign and thus stay on as governor. By abusing his power as state Attorney General in attacking various corporations, he ensured that despite a record margin of victory in the 2006 election, he wouldn't have much of a base of support if things went south for him.
Good riddance to an arrogant, abusive man.
New South Park tonight!
Season 12 of South Park kicks off tonight at 9 Central. I'm excited. I know not many others care.
Celebrity birthday - Jaimie Alexander
OK, who is Jaimie Alexander? She's the girl who made Dennis be her prom date in the It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia episode "Underage Drinking: A National Concern". She's 18 and she loves to party, so Dennis had nothing to worry about (other than the extortion part).
Apparently, Jaimie has been doing some work on TV shows called Watch Over Me and Kyle XY. I don't know what those are.
Pictures? Find your own pictures. I just wanted to post this because she had possibly my favorite cameo ever on the show.
Apparently, Jaimie has been doing some work on TV shows called Watch Over Me and Kyle XY. I don't know what those are.
Pictures? Find your own pictures. I just wanted to post this because she had possibly my favorite cameo ever on the show.
A former liberal writes
David Mamet is some kind of playwright or whatnot (his name is familiar to me, but I don't know what he does). He has a fascinating column in the Village Voice today where he describes how he has come around to the viewpoint of the world that could be called conservative. Here is an excerpt. I love the Thomas Sowell shout-out:
Prior to the midterm elections, my rabbi was taking a lot of flack. The congregation is exclusively liberal, he is a self-described independent (read "conservative"), and he was driving the flock wild. Why? Because a) he never discussed politics; and b) he taught that the quality of political discourse must be addressed first—that Jewish law teaches that it is incumbent upon each person to hear the other fellow out.
And so I, like many of the liberal congregation, began, teeth grinding, to attempt to do so. And in doing so, I recognized that I held those two views of America (politics, government, corporations, the military). One was of a state where everything was magically wrong and must be immediately corrected at any cost; and the other—the world in which I actually functioned day to day—was made up of people, most of whom were reasonably trying to maximize their comfort by getting along with each other (in the workplace, the marketplace, the jury room, on the freeway, even at the school-board meeting).
And I realized that the time had come for me to avow my participation in that America in which I chose to live, and that that country was not a schoolroom teaching values, but a marketplace.
"Aha," you will say, and you are right. I began reading not only the economics of Thomas Sowell (our greatest contemporary philosopher) but Milton Friedman, Paul Johnson, and Shelby Steele, and a host of conservative writers, and found that I agreed with them: a free-market understanding of the world meshes more perfectly with my experience than that idealistic vision I called liberalism.
Prior to the midterm elections, my rabbi was taking a lot of flack. The congregation is exclusively liberal, he is a self-described independent (read "conservative"), and he was driving the flock wild. Why? Because a) he never discussed politics; and b) he taught that the quality of political discourse must be addressed first—that Jewish law teaches that it is incumbent upon each person to hear the other fellow out.
And so I, like many of the liberal congregation, began, teeth grinding, to attempt to do so. And in doing so, I recognized that I held those two views of America (politics, government, corporations, the military). One was of a state where everything was magically wrong and must be immediately corrected at any cost; and the other—the world in which I actually functioned day to day—was made up of people, most of whom were reasonably trying to maximize their comfort by getting along with each other (in the workplace, the marketplace, the jury room, on the freeway, even at the school-board meeting).
And I realized that the time had come for me to avow my participation in that America in which I chose to live, and that that country was not a schoolroom teaching values, but a marketplace.
"Aha," you will say, and you are right. I began reading not only the economics of Thomas Sowell (our greatest contemporary philosopher) but Milton Friedman, Paul Johnson, and Shelby Steele, and a host of conservative writers, and found that I agreed with them: a free-market understanding of the world meshes more perfectly with my experience than that idealistic vision I called liberalism.
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