Fine, okay, it's a blog already!

Alright, I know it has been quite awhile since an update. Truth is, it has been an emotional roller coaster here. I still do not have a job but I have a very promising interview next week so wish me luck. Leslie is in training for her job so that keeps her way too busy. And then there is just the regular day to day stuff of both good and bad nature.

My uncle Toño passed away on July 3rd due to some heart complications. I think we have all done a half decent job of coping with that but if you know my mom, please let her know you are thinking of her. We are considering a trip down to Mexico later this year. It has been awhile since we've done so as a family.

On some lighter-type notes, I provide you links.

Our president is apparently too good for our email.

The French are taking anti-Americanism to a whole new level. I mean, seriously, you haven't actually been calling them "freedom fries" have you?

This? I just find it hilarious.

And now on to people who make this world almost unliveable. I don't know if you've heard about that idjut Pat Robertson asking people to pray for Supreme Court justices to basically have a heart attack, but I came across a link that is a response to it. Seeing as I try to get this page at about a PG-13 level, I won't link it here but I'm willing to send it to you via email. Yes, it is vile, profane, and offensive. So do NOT ask unless you are willing to undertake reading with that in mind.

For those of you who keep harping, rightly or wrongly, about how the Patriot Act is the end of Western civilization, take a moment and read this.

One more parting shot. I can't quite make out where I picked up this editorial cartoon, but I will credit it as soon as I can. You just hope this is kinda how it played out though. (Update: The editorial cartoonist is Doug Marlette of the Tallahassee Democrat. You can find more stuff from him on his webpage.)

Johnny Depp, making the most of the fact that we collectively have made him millions of dollars, decided to slam his home country today. You know, you don't have to like our leadership or the way a lot of this country works. But do not enjoy the benefits of being an American citizen while ripping it to make your current home gush with joy at having you live there. Granted, I'm no blind-to-reality super-patriot type myself, but sometimes its better to keep your uninformed opinions to your damn self. I should have waited to rent Pirates of the Caribbean.

Other stuff....

Great idea...incredibly stupid idea.

News that will age you in under a minute.

And for comic relief, a game courtesy of Matt Darland. You'll find it either disgustingly addicting or horrifically annoying. I made it into March last night.

Well, if you haven't all heard, Johnny Cash died the other day. Time has a pretty good article on his life that you may wish to check out. Its not often that you get a bona fide artist that can transcend genres so I suppose its a universal loss for a lot of us.

In the world of sports, you won't hear me praise the University of Michigan often, but kicking Notre Dame's teeth in certainly qualifies. Go Big Blue!

And now on to imbeciles. Texans got around to dealing with a certain faction of their citizens who forgot what the Civil Rights Act was all about. Too bad they had to waste time on whether or not it was "permissible" to change things.

And, if you were expecting residents of Florida to actually be smarter than they were three years ago; think again. Florida legislators are trying to give some students free passes to graduate without completing their senior year in high school. Remember earlier this year when a whole mess of students couldn't pass a test that would qualify them as having a good education? Yeah, same kids. And just in time for next year's presidential election.

And in Washington D.C., the move to potentially abuse our civil rights continues with a whole slew of new laws that make the Patriot Act look like a "Girls Keep Out" sign on a treehouse. You can read more on this at the New York Times (log in using "wallenfeldt" as the MemberID and "guest" as the password). I mean, let's be honest, how does checking out what I'm reading at the library have to do with capturing Osama bin Laden? We ARE still planning on finding him, right?

The Galva News has an article about the local National Guard unit being shipped out soon. In it, my brother Tom is interviewed about the situation (by the by, if someone could send that to me I'd appreciate it). Anyways, we've known about it for a few months but did not know what we could say or not. I've had a lot of time to think about it since then and you should probably all be able to infer that while I don't think our country got into Iraq on the best of international terms, I also do not think that leaving that place in total chaos is the answer either. So, should any of you choose to make some impassioned plea with me to get into line and shut up about questioning our government, kindly take a moment to realize that a) I have thought about it, b) I do have a history degree and am fully capable of taking the long view of recent events, and c) my brother is getting sent over to get shot at. Yes, I actually had a conversation tonight whereupon my patriotism and objectivity were questioned. I don't appreciate either suggestion and will stop venting about it now.

More signs that we have a long way to go with race relations in Texas. Hey, this time they were acting on orders from some national outfit. Well-intentioned perhaps, but way out of line.

In sports, if you have been following baseball at all, you might realize that I am so completely torn right now. I have some kind of genetic affinity for being a Cubs fan (thanks Dad), though I managed to learn to follow the Astros from when I was a kid living in Pasadena. Both are vying for a post-season spot and only one of them is likely to go to the playoffs. I figure if the Cubs go, I can then hope for the impossible: a seven-game Cubs-Red Sox series which would likely be an event so improbable the planet would tilt on its axis and it would stop being 100 degrees every day here in Vegas.

And yes, Japan now has Hello Kitty taxis. I've been meaning to link this for a few days now, but I think it speaks volumes about how different that country is from the US. Having been there, I can imagine how cute and yet sickening those things must be to look at. Face it, our taxis are no fun here.

Last, but not least, this link takes you to the MC Hawking site. Yeah, basically some software developer decided that the concept of uber-genius Stephen Hawking singing a pack of science-ish rap covers could make him money. I don't know whether to laugh hysterically or just shake my head in shame for our species.

*Sigh* Where do these people come from?

In Utah, Burger King has been forced to apologize to a mother who breastfed her child in a restaurant. Yes, it is entirely legal to do so in that state.

No matter what your stance is on gays, you've got to consider that putting up a statue commemorating Matthew Shepard's death is pretty deplorable. Especially in his hometown. Especially when it pretty much laughs and says he went to hell. Especially when a reverand is behind it all. You can read about this pathetic miscreant imbecile and his sick plans here.

Evil Ned points us to a bit of revisionist history at Time magazine. I've taken the liberty of using the Wayback Machine to verify the story (this is what I came up with).

Jessica Lynch suddenly realizes that she has been used by the government (curiously after her book came out). Go figure. I've heard enough rips on this gal from my brother to feel that I am unworthy of speaking out about how much a disservice this whole thing has been to her, us, and - more importantly - every other soldier that was captured, injured, or killed in Iraq.

Maybe we're all working (or trying to find work) in the wrong fields. CBS has a story about the 10 most overpaid jobs in the US.

First off, a couple of thank you's to pass along. Thanks to Jason Parchert for his holiday gig in Reynolds. Good to see you, and thanks to Alycia for meeting up with us there.

Thanks to Jason Lindstrom and his new band, Short Lived Fun, for a fun New Year's Eve show. Sorry we couldn't stick around longer as you guys were a lot of fun to watch.

Thanks to all our friends and family whom we were able to catch up with. It was good to see Tom one more time before he ships out to Iraq. Good luck to all you guys with your urban warfare training.

One last shout to my sister Belinda for pointing us to Potbelly Sandwich Works at Midway Airport. Fantastic pickles as recommended and the sandwiches were equally delicious. I strongly recommend you find one of these restaurants if you are in one of the chain's markets.

And now on to the ranting.

One of the (dis)advantages on the old home being close to Iowa is the bludgeoning the state gets every time there is a presidential election. I got to see a lot of the political ads while we were home and I can honestly say that I absolutely do not get why people like Howard Dean. The guy came off as a pompous ass the first time I saw him and it hasn't got any better. Granted, if that's all that gets offered to vote for in November I'll grudgingly do it, but people, let's try to find a better candidate please.

Speaking of egocentric people who fly off the handle with little provocation, I have some articles related to our dictator-in-chief. A tongue-in-cheek article from the Seattle PI attempts to explain the president's high popularity rates. I tend to think this article is true for the most part. MoveOn.org is hosting a contest for anti-Bush political ads. The top 15 entries are currently online at Bush in 30 Seconds. I can't say I agree with all of them, and am usually skeptical about anything involving Michael Moore, but it looks like this is quickly becoming an "enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend" kind of year.

In other administration news, the Labor Department is offering employers tips on how to not pay their employee's overtime. But remember, they aren't necessarily working hand in hand with big corporations. Right.

Slate tackles the whole outing of a CIA agent incident from last year, suggesting John Ashcroft is playing a shell game to protect Karl Rove, among others.

Another Slate snippet questions why the First Lady would willingly want to make her husband look stupid.

But hey, its not all bad news here. I've been following the Spirit landing on Mars and gladly link you to the NASA site covering the mission.

Australian figures show that music downloads do not seem to be affecting actual record sales. I think, and have always said, that the RIAA is trying to cast the blame from the fact that current pop music in America just overall stinks. Granted, I don't listen to almost any of it myself, but maybe if we find some musicians with actual talent the industry wouldn't be in its current position of suing children and old people to excuse away poor product.

Wired has come up with 101 ways to save the internet. Fun read if you follow the industry like I do.

To finish things off, Slate attempts to find the silver lining in the whole mad cow incident. I'm still going to stay away from beef for a couple more weeks. Better safe than sorry and all that.

The Galva News has been really cool about offering to provide pics from some of their articles (many of which I really have to start scanning and putting up on the unit page). Here is one from a profile of Tom in last week's edition.

Surprising at it may seem, Howard Dean actually said something I agree with. In dealing with was basically a heckler in Iowa who accused him of "mean mouthing" Bush, Dean pretty much told him to shut up and sit down. Here's the part I agree with: if, as Republicans would have you believe, disagreeing with the president is unpatriotic, then when does it become illegal to have any dissent at all? Sorry people, I'm not about to goosestep down to the voting booth and vote "Ja!" on the second term. I've got a right to think for myself and I'll support anyone who does so, even Howard Dean if it comes to it.

This is kind of becoming old news and hopefully the story will flesh itself out as more than a figment of one man's spiteful imagination, but apparently our administration was always planning to pick a fight with Iraq. Personally, I hope the story is false as it just means Bush has absolutely zero respect for our military; thinking it to be a toy to mop up what he perceives as his father's mistake. Pathetic.

Checking in on my note for Windows 98 users. Support has been extended for that product until mid-2006. So no need to panic.

Our fascist pals at the RIAA had resorted to hiring ex-cops and having them parade around as "music police", busting anyone selling bootleg CDs and the like. Excuse me, but am I the only one who sees people pretending to be police officers a highly illegal and unethical means of doing business?

This story just cracks me up. I can't imagine how the kid did it.

Anyone remember the old qbasic game where you threw exploding bananas at one another? Here is a Windows-based version of it.

Being a Astros fan as well as a Cubs one is like having boils and chicken pox at the same time most years, but this news brings some tentative hope for next season.

Incidentally, the topic today borrows its name from Aaron MacGruder's treasury of Boondocks comics, which I keep meaning to put in a permanent link on the WebComics section. I've posted the occasional strip up here and will likely do so from time to time. Its usually topical and almost always irreverant.

Case in point:

(And yes Craig, I've been properly chastised and promise to eat beef again.)

Amazingly, after only a few days I'm overloaded with links and stuff for you. Wait! Come back!

Let's start with the bad news. I'm sure by now most of you know that Captain Kangaroo passed away last week.

Along with bad news comes a story about people who think racism is funny. Like these kids. Now, if after reading this story you think the runts actually had a point in arguing what an African-American is, think again.

If you weren't sure that was a racist incident, our Grand Wizard pal David Duke is planning on running for Congress. If you had to ask, yes, he's running as a Republican because we currently don't have a Nazi party.

I had, coincidentally, finished reading John Kerry's A Call to Service: My Vision for A Better America before all the caucus and primary stuff occurred. While I have no clue what I think of him yet, at the least I think he'd make an excellent VP. If you have the time, pick up the book. I'm trying to read all the candidates' stuff as I can just so I can make an informed decision, but I'm only doing it through the library so we'll see how long that takes.

Here is a nice resolution for that kid, Mike Rowe, who about had a few dozen Microsoft lawyers performing what amounts to a legal anal probe on the poor guy.

We commence with a Bushism showing we left at least one child behind. How did he get into Yale anyway? Michael Kinsley asks where the Compassionate Conservatism went. Tom Tomorrow discusses the dangers of a free society. And Carol Lay ponders the stupidity of how people name their children.

You probably missed it, but when two Democratic senators ask whether or not it is ethical that a Supreme Court justice hangs out with a litigant in an upcoming court case, the Chief Justice says its none of his business. So was Florida buddy.

This one keeps moving around and there are variations of its, but its that Outkast song you may have heard FIFTY THOUSAND TIMES with a slightly different take.

Finally, Forbes magazine discusses the Worst Cars Of All Time.

Admittedly, I enjoy a sporting event free of political attacks; however when CBS decided to not air a MoveOn.org ad during the Super Bowl and still bombard us with two anti-smoking ads and one anti-drug one (and don't forget the "pot smokers are terrorists" one from last year), that isn't exactly a politics-free zone. Apparently, not just anyone who coughs up a couple million dollars has the right to free speech on the family-friendly CBS network. In any case, the ad is here if you haven't seen it yet.

Business 2.0 magazine has a story on the "101 Dumbest Moments in Business" from last year. It was a good laugh for me. Enjoy.

Speaking of 2.0, you've probably already seen this, but its already making me add another category to my mental "types of people too stupid to have children" list. Other stupid people: the "father's rights" groups complaining about this line of clothing. Its called a sense of humor. Look into it.

On the Support page I have a write-up on Mozilla as a browser of choice. Kuro5hin has a similar article in favor of Firebird.

Oh, and now the quote of the week. When asking exiting voters about the electability of the various Democratic candidates, a pollster got the following reaction:"I don't care who wins" the Democratic primary, said Judy Donovan of Tucson, Ariz. "I'd get my dog to run. I'm not kidding. I would get Mickey Mouse in there. Anybody but Bush."

Oh, and since I've been fairly open about who I've been against thus far, I may as well advertise my slightly-hopeless-cause candidate of choice: Wesley Clark. Though, after a narrow win and a trio of second place finishes, its not all bleak news. I've been trolling his site for weeks and I just love this: an open request for people to drop Dean and move over to the Clark camp. Heck, maybe it will even work.

You've probably heard this one about the pilot who told all the Christians on his flight to raise their hands, called all the non-Christians crazy, which then led people to grab their phones thinking they weren't coming off that plane in anything resembling a proper landing. Look, if you have to try to convert people, don't insult them, ostracize them, or make them fear for their lives in this realm. You can't get a convert with a gun to their head.

Speaking of violence and conversion, Al Qaeda has started using our lowest common denominator of culture - rap "music" - to get violent psychopaths to sign up with militant extremists and start blowing up Western civilization. I'll wait for the P. Diddy remix that should come out before Christmas.

Time Magazine and AOL have put out an online Q-and-A guide that you can use to determine who you actually want to vote for as president. Yeah, I know, its competent yet funded by AOL. Go figure.

If you don't want to be bothered by politics (and you visit this site?), go play this online game where you have to pick a Dictator or TV sitcom character (I don't know, I didn't make it) and see if you can stump the program.

Remember how we're treating our incoming foreign visitors like criminals at the door? Notice how they have nearly all been at least hospitable about the program, realizing our genuine fears? Too bad we can't do the same when we go overseas.

I'm not gonna say much about Bush's Meet the Press interview except to give you: a) the transcript, b) a liberal take on it, c) a libertarian-to-conservative-ish take on it, and d) conservative notes on it (and yet another from that perspective). Not a blockbuster performance.

And now, beer as seen through an optical microscope.

The story originally starts here, with PETA wanting the town of Slaughterville to change its name to Veggieville. I kid you not. Anyway, the town voted against such ridiculousness (the town is named after a family, not an action anyway), thus hopefully saving other towns similar attacks of stupidity.

Wondered what the Internet actually is? This article details one view which I find to be about accurate.

I'd like to point out that the family of 1LT Chris Dougherty have started a Yahoo group for those from the Galva area who have family and friends already stationed or on their way to the Middle East. Sign up if you are amongst that group of people.

From Slate, a story on the problems on getting armored Humvees to Iraq and Afghanistan. Memo to the administration: Seriously, quit overpaying Halliburton for a moment and fix this problem.

The RIAA is being sued for exterior and racketeering by those who consider their methods to be similar to mob protection rackets. I doubt the suit will go far but its nice to see recognition of the trend. If all businesses sued people who didn't buy their product because it was garbage, we'd have a lot more lawsuits than we do today.

An article on how the president has become a reluctant peacenik of his own devising. And one that accuses the administration of tweaking scientific data to meet its agenda.

Over the weekend I'll try to get some of our Grand Canyon trip pictures up. In the meantime, I have a few of Tom and the unit from the Galva News on the new Photo Gallery database I'm trying to get up and running.

Well, we've got an administration running for re-election that: a) pimps off of the deaths of thousands, b) screws its troops on gear (seriously, ask any soldier how much they've spent on goggles, night vision, and the like), and then tries to silence any dissent on the public airwaves. And that's the good news. William Saletan and Joe Klein weigh in on the campaign (another by Saletan here). You'll hear some hatchet men from the GOP call Kerry a Boston Brahmin as the year goes on; here is what that means and why he isn't.

The high price of gasoline - by necessity or design - is having an impact on auto sales. Check the story here. Incidentally, we are paying about $2.10 a gallon here in Nevada. Hope its not as bad where you are.

In school news, we are leaving no child behind by using duct tape. Another teacher tries to force feed their "morals" to students by: presenting an R-rated movie, illegally obtained, with religious overtones in a public school setting. And what lessons exactly were to be gained by this? At least the school lunches will be healthier.

Two views from Vegas. One comical, the other poignant. First, we have a report from a visit to the Gun Store, a little shop a couple miles down the road from us. Next, regardless of where you stand on the gay marriage debate, take a moment to read this article from a local reporter. She explains, in terms no one has taken the time to use, what she and others are actually fighting for when it comes to civil rights. I offer it not to change anyone's mind but to give you a non-politicized, individual look at the issue.

The genuises over at the GOP have decided the best way to get out the vote is so send out pop-up advertising while you surf the net. The prospect has sure encouraged me to vote against them. How about you? Do you like being irritated by people who want your support? If so, I'd see if your health insurance covers a psych evaluation. I got the story from Slashdot, who also link you to a story on how to check on your neighbor's political contributions. Kinda creepy but I know a few of you are just that bored.

In any case, I refer you again to Jim Rapoza's story about the stupidity of pop-up ads and point you to the Mozilla and Firefox download pages so you can finally get a browser that stops ads from getting to you in the first place.

Our GOP buddies have been probably successful with our less intelligent citizens in painting anyone against their lying reasons to go to war as unpatriotic and possibly treasonous. So, if you are one of those I just offended, please explain why is the widow of a fallen soldier not falling into line in blind obedience and awe to the Big Lie? Because she's right, that's why.

Our pals the French are cozying up to Saddam again. At least one of their more insidious lawyers. Let's be honest though; his call was probably only minutes ahead of Johnny Cochran's.

You want to know why the Israelis still marginally hold the moral high ground in their fight against their own local bomb throwers? This is why.

Watch how fast I stop using Travelocity. Did ya miss it? Want to know why? Read on. Granted, probably all the travel agencies are going to do this, but I'll at least I only know about this situation at the moment.

I'm ranting again. Actual real life posts will re-appear soon.

Apparently there's this email floating around from a certain SFC Raymond Reynolds from Denison, Iowa which highlights the good things going on in Iraq by our troops and is highly critical of anyone who says otherwise. Its posted on the Galva-Kewanee Armed Services Group message list if you are interested. Basically, he ends the statement with a veiled threat to beat up John Kerry, which is just my interpretation of it. I could be out of line there, but there was a certain vehemence to it. SFC Reynolds' previous internet appearances have come in the form of a request for sweet corn and in a statement much less belligerent and focused. Simply put, I feel for the guy, but don't agree with his motivation.

I agree with one thing the NCO says. There is not a lot of positive spin in the mainstream press. I read about it because I'm gathering news from all types of sources just to keep up on events; but I realize Tom Brokaw isn't making that the highlight of his evening routine. If anything, watching the Iraqi people actually accept the work of our troops at least makes it easier for us to realize the good we can do when we use our people wisely.

SFC Reynolds is certainly entitled to his opinion. After being home for a couple weeks, I am sure he heard a lot he did not care to hear. That said, while I realize our military is doing good things and commend them for it, these acts in no way make the president's decision to invade any more wrongheaded and incorrect. Its quite pathetic and opportunistic for conservatives to jump on one man's opinion and try to make political hay out of it; especially trying to use his frustration to turn the entire motivation of the president into a theory that is more evocative of the Peace Corps or Unicef than of his combative bluster of last year.

Saddam Hussein was a jerk from, well, probably the day of his birth. This was never news. It was also not a revelation that he abused, mistreated, and murderered his citizens. There was ample motivation to gather up the world and remove him from power on that alone. However, this was not the approach taken by our leaders. A vendetta to atone for some unfinished business by George H.W. Bush (which even the former president himself never bought into as an argument) and this concept that Iraq: a) had WMDs that could b) actually be delivered all the way to the US because c) the B'aath Party was in bed with Al Qaeda was not the way to gather the world together to achieve this worthy goal of liberating a society. Which is fine, as that was not the stated goal.

Let's review. We did not go in to save the Iraqis from their leader. If that were the case, Galva, Illinois wouldn't be pulling the equivalent weight of the country of Lithuania. Any moves to make people believe that is a lie. We have not found WMDs, the supposed ones could never reach American soil while launched from Iraq, and Iraq was not in cahoots with Bin Laden and the Bully Boys.

So, while I believe more of the good deeds of our troops should be acknowledged in the media - and the sooner the better - I still stand on the fact that we were lied to, our troops were put into a dangerous situation made worse by poor planning and someone supposed to be a world leader who taunts terrorists to "bring it on" and shoot at our friends and family. In short, this is not the type of person who should be running a day care, much less a nation.

I've been doing my fair share of ranting here lately and I know it just irritates some of you. Granted, I can't turn on the TV without my government lying to me; but that's alright as I wanted to introduce you to others who feel as I do. These are letters to the editor from the Peoria Journal Star. I was trolling on their site the other day looking for any stories I might have missed and ran into the following: a) a statement from a soldier in Iraq currently given yet another extension, b) a citizen from Tiskilwa addressing the "vision thing", and a Galva resident stating what should be obvious to all of us not blinded by partisan propaganda. Read 'em fast as I don't know how long these stay online.

Don't think you have the right to draw whatever you want; granted this kid was out of hand, but I doubt he's the next John Walker Lindh either. The Other Mrs. Bush? Read on.

People who feel loyal to computers. Actually, I've done this a time or two myself. In more tech news, head here to get a host file that will block most domains that spawn pop-up ads. You'll thank me later. Just for fun, a profane interview with Jack Valenti.

Still think conservatives have your best interests at heart? Wrong again. When Nightline runs its tribute to our fallen soldiers tomorrow night, any affiliates owned by the Sinclair group will be forbidden to air it. And yes, they are unabashed Bush backers. So much for that First Amendment.

Meanwhile the government is apparently too busy spying on Castro to look for Bin Laden. I can't even make up stuff this irresponsible.

Bonus feature: how to play with religion to your own sick ends. The show is on PBS this weekend. You'd think people would be ashamed at this level of intolerance and ignorance, but perhaps I give the species too much credit.

To top it all off, we've managed to piss off the very people we came to grab WMDs from liberate.

First off, before anything else, crack open a cold one for Tom's 21st birthday. Here's hoping his next one is safe at home.

Some folks on the Galva-Kewanee Armed Services Group (can I just call it GKASG or something from now on?) just plain disappoint me. The latest discussion, as with most people, concerns the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. While most have been shocked and remain fairly level-headed, we have some members who pretty much praise the stupid MPs who did this and assume these are regular interrogation practices. Yeah, but only in Oz.

Let me clear this up. Yes, I doubt most of the guys they captured are nice guys. I also doubt they've been very cooperative. However, humiliating them and getting photo proof of it will: a) not likely get them talking anyway, and b) will now only get our troops - and civilians apparently - into many more life-and-death situations. As much as I lay the blame for the 740+ dead at the feet of our current administration, they are now going to have to share the blame with those shameful MPs from here on out.

More importantly, the very acts alone ensure that our troops over there are more likely to get in harm's way. Sweeping the incidents under the rug and pooh-poohing it all away will increase that danger by another order of magnitude. Yes, it is not pleasant to think our troops - our side even - are capable of such cruel acts. But let's not lie and pretend it did not happen. Acknowledge it, actually apologize for it, try and charge those guilty of the criminal behavior, and do our best to be open and honest about never letting something like this happen again. When half the Arab world thinks that a beheading is a proper response to the way we treat our prisoners, that says a lot more about our practices than the imbecile criminals we're fighting. Let's worry more about regaining the moral high ground than on whether or not we can handle bad news.

I'm not talking about a witch hunt. I'm also not talking about having to see every piece of evidence on display on the evening news. Acknowledge the problem, deal with it fairly, and move on. Could we just do something without going to extremes for once?

And while we are at it, I agree with those naysayers on one thing at least: let us report the good we actually are achieving in Iraq and give us all a reason to be proud of our efforts there. Not for political gain, not to be portrayed as stooges of the government; merely because it should be newsworthy.

*NOTE: The 4-5 ADA site has listed the Galva Guard subsite as the main link for Foxtrot Battery. While I am honored at the attention, it has brought heat down on Tom because - go figure - the powers that be do not approve of the politicized nature of this page and others on the domain. Look, I do not speak for my brother, his unit, or the Family Readiness Group in Galva. I have never implied nor intended that message to come across. I have also done my utmost best to keep anything of a blatant politicized message off the Galva Guard part of the site.

To those in charge, please respect my right to an opinion, my attempts at conforming to the better nature and presentation of the subsite, and to the integrity of the information I pass along within that part of the site. I pay for this, I work hard at it, and have always tried to keep the lines between this and the Galva Guard part distinct and unblurred. Plus, if you could, if you have a problem with me, kindly send me an email regarding your complaint. Thank you.

Now back to the regularly scheduled ranting and raving....

We start off with "Things You Have to Believe to be a Republican". Not too far off base actually for a partisan write-up. Here's a story on how Cheney tries to play up the concept of Bin Laden as a Democrat. And who bought him his first Stinger missile, Mr. Wizard?

Continuing with the whole Reagan thing. Some - a few of you anyway - have asked for a less-than-fanboy approach to his passing and legacy. You can find that here. I also provide the more extreme version, in both censored and non- flavors. Seriously though, don't even link to those if you just want to let bygones be bygones.

I said the other day I wouldn't comment much on it myself but it was a reader-requested subject; which I do try to acknowledge and act on. If you don't like it, counter the requests or suggest other content yourself.

In another vein, this whole move to put him on the $10 bill needs to be stopped. Read more about it and weigh in over at Doonesbury. And let's put the kibbosh on the whole Mt. Rushmore thing too please.

Paris is trying to ban SUVs. Now, the knee-jerk reaction here is to call it another French oddity. But, I think there's something to this. Why ruin your century's old city at the expense of someone's conspicuous consumption. If we can ban cell phone use in cars as a road hazard, surely we can attribute the same to a monstrosity on a narrow city street.

Wrapping up a story covered a long time ago: an Oklahoma court has decided that a Muslim girl can wear her headscarf to school. Good for them. Let's remember that we are allowed to be different in this country folks.

In another story by Ellis, involving the dangers of hosting a website. I haven't seen his kind of traffic yet, but wouldn't be too surprised if it happened someday.

Slate covers the passing of Ray Charles. To be honest, that death affected me a tad more where it counts than the other major passing this week.

More collected Boondocks coming this week. Tom has some pictures on the way that I'll hope to get up for ya. And a shout out to Mooney and his pal. Glad you are enjoying the show.

Been busy moving into our new apartment. As such I've been offline for quite a bit too. Which is frustrating, but doable.

Biggest story blown over by the media: Cheney being an ass. Think about it, if you walked onto the Senate floor and cussed out a Senator, you'd probably expect to do time, wouldn't you? This blowhard thinks it's just an everyday event, "These things happen" being a quote from the White House. EvilNed appropriately tackled the issue by passing along the following NSFW image. Seriously, do we really want this class of idiot running our country. Not Ned, Cheney and Blunder Boy.

Speaking of EvilNed, I'd like to thank him for passing along one of his free G-Mail invites. I'm moving over all site mail references to that account so I can get some of that spam out of my Yahoo account. That, and it's my new sign-up email for stuff.

I'm trying not to focus on politics but this stuff literally just lands in my lap. Our troops - in a combat zone, sent by a president who lied to get them in harm's way (have I set this up enough? - have at some time been asked to fill out a form and pray for the guy getting them shot at. Seriously, how mental are these people? Granted, the source is odd for this story, but here is the original. Bonus article on the semantics of linking Al-Qaeda and Iraq.

I'm letting Ned gloat about Fahrenheit 9/11. I just hope Moore does what he's never been able to do and get his facts straight. May even eventually see it. I mean, it's not like I need to be convinced that George Bush is bad for this country.

Now for odd news. Your cell phone may be sterilizing you. The ultimate Bryan Adams fan - and her ex-husband. Iraq's internet naming woes - courtesy of a pack of felonious Texans - no, not that one. Sex and the Republican Senate candidate (now somewhat dated since he's pulled out of the race....Cue: rim shot). And one giant "Oops" from the world of firefighting.

I'll probably just lump some a lot of stuff into a rant and leave it there for folks to comment on if they wish to - and they won't of course, but that's okay.

Thanks to Leslie's mom Cindy for rolling into town and spending a week with us. Got to play tourist some more and check out Penn & Teller's show at the Rio (following our Blue Man Group visit previously with Tracy - by the way, thanks for conspiring with Leslie to have a case of Leinie's shipped to me; GREAT birthday present!). Also ran around Red Rock and hung out on the Strip some more. That and it's just fun to have some visitors from time to time.

More good news for Vegas on the show front. We're getting Phantom of the Opera as a regular run. See? This is a real city after all. As for other Vegas events, you might expect me to have an opinion on the Linda Ronstadt thing. I really don't. If you haven't researched the talent you are planning on viewing a performance of, you are the fool, not the entertainer. More reactions available here. And don't start me on that idiot Schwarzenegger.

Two articles from the Las Vegas Weekly. One on the religious right and another on the whole politicized entertainment industry we are now seeing emerge. Just presented as food for thought.

And now, commentary:

The ultimate flip-flop: Our "war president" wants to be the "peace president." Dr. Jeckyl, meet Mr. Hyde. (The phrase from the first link is there somewhere about ten paragraphs down.)

The Las Vegas Review-Journal gets it right for maybe the first time this year:

Meddling from the GOP and their stalwarts, and a broader perspective on the race issue.

Days before Bush went to Detroit to take nice pictures make nice with the Urban League, GOP State Rep. John Pappageorge had some plausibly off-color remarks concerning the election and black voters. Basically, I believe he didn't want those words said out loud, but it doesn't mean he didn't want to say them. Speaking of racial support lacking for the president, it is now found missing among Hispanics (damn I hate that phrase) as well.

Then there's the whole "Kerry is a Bin Laden supporter" bumper sticker smear job. If anything, Bush has been their biggest recruiter, but saying that in public should be beneath a national political party. Guess that tells you who we are dealing with on the other side. Then there are the fools who plan to attack media vans at the Democratic National Convention. Sounds like a fear of having people hear another side of their guy's story to me.

A response to the whole "Kerry is a liberal" tag the GOP is trying to apply. Besides, since when was giving a crap about your fellow man a bad thing? (Use someone@bugmenot.com and someone to log on.) Another Post story concerning military support for the administation - and the growing lack thereof. The Guardian carries a similar story.

And I wanted to let this go, but it bugs the heck out of me that the administration would even considering moving election day. I'm pretty sure it's not un-Constitutional, but seriously, talk about trying to stack the deck. Would they even tell those of us who aren't GOP declared what the new date would be? I would have laughed at that a couple years ago, but now it's just kind of frightening.

And now a quickfire round. Homeland Security whaling on our international visitors. For all accounts, still AWOL. Thoughts on the annoying Jeopardy Guy. The always racially sensitive rural Texas solution. The ultimate beer run. Corporate creeps still profiting despite being class-A jerks. Dead man walking. The Donald weighs in. Lonely wimp (not to mention bad husband). Drunken idiot. Alright, you've had enough.

I'll be out of town for the better part of the next month on work stuff, so it will be very slim on updates. Consider the past month lower expectation training. More fun articles in the coming days.

Alright, a couple of plugs, one long overdue. I've been reading Reason by Robert Reich, which is maybe the only level-headed political book on the shelves these days. Much recommended, even though I'm only about 50 pages in. On the music scene, I have been forgetting to point out Sevendust's Southside Double-Wide. Thanks to Tom for the referral (that PX must be stocked). Anyways, I can't stop listening to it; probably the best live album I've ever heard. Solid stuff by a solid band.

Hey, our economy is "turning the corner." Wait, no it's not. I guess we're just watching Bush "Moving America Forward." Into what, for whatever reason, we just don't know. What we do know is that our pals the Saudis have decided to open up the oil taps...just in time for the Republican National Convention presumably. Joy.

Speaking of what George has done for us, apparently his damage control people are all over the moment last week when he said he'd consider a national sales tax. Reason being is that it would hit the middle class and poor a lot harder than the wealthy. Which, considering his tax cut strategy, is probably not anything he gives a damn about.

Alan Keyes is running for a Senate seat in Illinois. Which, being from Maryland, makes him uniquely qualified. But don't call him a strict constitutionalist conservative. In fact, he wants to get rid of that whole pesky "public voting for senators" thing. Seems he, like his party, can't trust the American people to do their bidding for them. At least it's more creative than getting the Supreme Court to trump the electorate.

One last article concerning the Olympics and the low profile our citizens (and athletes by extension) are being asked to take in light of the fact that the entire planet is pissed off at us. Thanks George!!! To be fair, it's not just us being jerks. An Iranian judo athlete is refusing to fight an Israeli because...well, he's a Jew. Thanks for making us look better than you silly racist punks Iran!!!

UPDATE: I am passing this along so that you can all do your part to help our troops out. I doubt neither Mike nor Tim Bowman would agree with all of what I post on this part of the site so do not consider the following being placed here as their consent of my opinions in other subjects. This is me trying to spread the word out and hopefully do our troops a favor. Mike, if you want this pulled, go right ahead and ask and it will be done and I'll address this in another fashion.

What follows is the email I received from Mike Bowman (and his son's follows):

Many of you are aware of the situation with the new up-armored humvees that the Army is sending over to Iraq. Some of you have heard that our boys have a shortage of them, YOU ARE CORRECT. Below is an email that my son sent me about the current situation. Our boys are in danger and they are asking for our help. 

I have been asked to send this to all families in Foxtrot so that they could write and call their Congressman, CNN, FoxNews, or anyone else that can make noise about this issue. Our boys will resume daily patrols next week. This needs action immediately (not my words, my son's and Sgt Miller's). 

You can search for your Congressman at this link - http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/index.html by address. It will list email and fax number as well as mailing address based on your address. Be sure to include our boys unit information if you decide to contact someone about this issue so they will know exactly where we are asking for help. 

Thanks, Mike Bowman

Hey dad,

Here's the low down on the things Sgt. Miller would like you to bitch about, and you can use his name, he gives you permission.

We recently acquired 6 of the 1114 series humvees. Those are the up-armored humvees with the turbo and all the trimmings. The retail on one of these vehicles just to make it is $155,000. Sgt. Miller watched these 6 humvees for a period of 1 month and they were never used. When we attained them we discovered that many of them had deficiencies, which we fixed to our standard. We drove the vehicles for 1 week after fixing them, and then were asked to return them to their rightful place. We was asked if these vehicles were going to be used, and the answer was "probably not". The vehicles belong to the incoming general who is going to take over command. This general is not going to be here for another three weeks, and we were told that when he does get here they were still probably not going to use the humvees. 

As you know Spc. Baldwin was recently sent home due to injuries received during an IED. His team was in an 1114 series that night and the vehicle itself sustained quite a bit of damage. Had it not been for the up-armor on the vehicle, at least 1 if not 2 of our soldiers would have came home in a body bag. Right before I returned from leave a vehicle from ALPHA battery was struck with an IED. All 4 soldiers in that truck would have been killed had they not been driving an 1114. 

Our battery now only has 4 up-armored humvees, which is not enough for us to do our patrols and designated duties at the same time. While I was home a new rule was instated that said anybody leaving the wire must be in an 1114 series humvee, because the 1025 with added armor was unsafe. They have now bypassed that rule and our battery, is being ordered to conduct patrols in the 1025 series humvee. Had the soldiers that got hit by IED's been in 1025's they most likely would not be alive today, we would have at least two dead from our battery, and ALPHA battery would have lost everyone in the truck. Sgt. Miller would like you to do whatever you can with this issue, you can use his name for any of it, and I will definitely not be held responsible this time. I'm not sure what you have to do, but he would like a considerable amount of bitching to be done on his behalf.

Again I say, if we were in 1025's and not 1114's we would have more dead than our battalion does already.

So that's the low down. 

Thanks, Tim

Thanks for bringing this up Tim.

Well, it wasn't hate mail (thankfully) but I did get a contrary note from a visitor who offered up a perspective I hadn't imagined. In case you were not aware of it, this is not a news site. I merely present stories I either think are important, poignant, missed from large-scale coverage or humorous and let you choose to either accept the stories as linked or go run around and try to find out more about it on your own time. I also get my fair share of links from our regular contributors like EvilNed and Mooney, so hey, give it a shot. As long as it's not propaganda I'll at least look it over.

I was also accused of not linking to FoxNews enough. I see them as biased and probably dangerously so, but I went and visited them anyway. Other than linking to an AP story I was already planning to link to (catch it again here just in case it flies off their radar), all I saw was some major spin put on stories concerning condemnation of the Swift Boat Vets ads (unlike every other news agency on the planet, apparently Fox thinks Bush was against their tactics all along). Then there are the ads to meet singles (on a news site?) and the requisite "what to do in case terrorists SPAWN FROM YOUR CLOSET AS IF YOU WERE PLAYING DOOM 3" scare tactic links. Alright, enough of that failed experiment.

News flash. We may have "miscalculated" on Iraq, says George. The larger article is here, wherein he states that people will vote for him because he doesn't change his mind. Look, being stubborn in the face of conflicting reality and facts makes you an idiot, not decisive. Mom taught me that while I was still in short pants. Plus, despite touting an improved economy (not like I've gotten a raise lately), reports show an increase in poverty and the uninsured. To make matters worse, the government released the report early to try to catch lawmakers on vacation. Hmm, concerned it makes all their rosy assessments just so much hot air? I think so.

An unfortunate story on how a father reacted to news of his son's death in Iraq. Our troops are not tin soldiers and their families are having a hard time dealing with the reality of this callous treatment by our government. They are not alone. Apparently two trends are evolving in Iraq. The armed forces are earnestly trying to get out the vote, and soldiers are not all planning to go straight GOP when they do vote.

The Bush campaign is planning to ignore the US Olympic Committee and still run it's ad that pimps the Olympics for political gain. Oh, just to be shallow, a mock loyalty oath. And yes, that's meant to be humorous. A Bush lawyer just happened to be involved with the Swift Boat Mafia and had to quit the campaign.

With the Republican National Convention about to be underway, we assess how NYC is working to stop protestors and not pimp the subject of September 11 too much.

Alright, I plan some fun - or at least less political - posts in the near future. If the powers that be quit screwing up so much where I can allow myself to do so.

Well, the Republican National Convention is about to start this week in NYC. They've come in guns blazing. Not content to just attempt to pimp and politicize 9/11 for their own gain, they've also planned to leech onto the legacy of Johnny Cash with an auction planned at Sotheby's. Yeah, there are people who seriously object to that.

And, as expected, the protestors are out trying to let Bush know that not everyone is on board his "let's burn the Constitution and get rich off the blood of our soldiers" platform. And of course, some of these protestors are ill-mannered and probably kooky in your eyes. Hell, I probably would agree with you. Then again, most conservatives don't like the KKK but vote the same as those freaks do too.

Bonus convention stat: The GOP is touting a 70% increase in minority representation! That's like saying my amount of Canadian currency doubled when I found a Canuck quarter on the ground this week. It jumped so high because I had so little of it to begin with.

Still trying to figure out what their platform is about but currently, if you plan to vote GOP, you are in favor of:
- drilling in ANWAR because we have no other fuel plan other than petroleum

- giving the rich a permanent tax cut

- messing with the Constitution due to fear of gays (so much for strict constitutionalism)

- "alternative methods of teacher certifications" - whatever that is, but remember this party equates teachers as terrorists

- stem cell research restrictions, and other scientific research restricted across many fields

- no abortion and likely the restriction of birth control as well

- teaching abstinence at the expense of teaching kids sex ed, not as a supplement

- trying to disbar judges who don't think like they do

- and so on and on: less civil liberties, less freedom of choice, less equality of sex and race and pretty much anything that is diffferent than a Jesse Helms/David Duke type

If this is compassionate conservatism, can we just have the mean, rude guys who just wanted to protect their bank accounts back? At least they had a point to their arguments.

Meanwhile, Kerry wants to debate Bush every week. You just know that isn't gonna happen. The economy is officially sluggish again despite Bush's words to the contrary, with a record deficit projected. And American workers are still getting the shaft. Meanwhile Democrats are trying to look out for our Guardsmen and Reservists. Yeah, it stinks like a political ploy, but it beats being ignored by the GOP.

A few views from the Olympics as that wraps up. Finding more important things to do than be labelled a murderer, Colin Powell decided to leave Greece early. Our moronic basketball team salvaged a bronze medal. They deserved less to be honest with you. And one more article about our countrymen in Greece. Reuters has a nice "best performances" article that, from what I saw, is pretty dead on.

One more thing. Since, we're all in this spirit of brotherhood at the moment, why don't we as a nation strip our basketball bronze medals from the NBA all-duds squad and give them to the Iraqis for really knowing how to play your hardest and come just short of unexpected success.

Good news from Iran, where fat boy Muqtada Al-Sadr took his daddy's army and his sizable misplaced ego and left the Iman Ali mosque the other day. Seriously, can we just - in writing - get a UN resolution that condemns anyone who holes up in a church and holds a holy site hostage because they have no other way of establishing a credible threat? First those morons in Bethlehem a couple years ago, and now these idiots. (Edit: Just for fairness sake, I guess we should count the Alamo in there too.)

A few more passing notes. Peoria journalist ponders sending an Illinois Republican to Maryland to run for major office there. Reprehensible behavior by us and those who hate us. Stupid planning by Microsoft. And, just to remind you how conservatives like to control your private lives, Banned Books Week is coming next month and I wanted to let you in on why reading is so damaging to our society. Don't let Harry Potter and Huck Finn destroy democracy. HA!