1) Blonde Sagacity in Philly calls for Fred.
2) Born Again Redneck calls for Fred.
3) Intellectual Conservative calls for Fred
4) Volunteer Voters ask the question about Fred
5) My Words blog you are not alone on the Fred front.
6) Provoking the Muse blogs about Thompson / Rice ticket.
7) Rightsided - Thompson seems to be.
8) Novatownhall - Thompson stands tall.
9) Soft Green Glow - Thinks Fred can beat the flip-flopper, the closet liberal or that other guy who won't win the nomination.
10) Elephantbiz.com wonders if Fred Thompson is prepping for a presidential run after the field clears. And Again
11) The blogometer is noting the Fred for Prez trend.
12) The Tenneesee Volunteer Dispatch might be showing some bias when they call Fred a Conservative Rock Star.
13) Freedom of Philadelphia is currently leaning to Newt, but could be swayed.
14) Hang Right Politics writes about Fred again and again.
15) Hillbilly White Trash thinks Guiliani would be OK, but is hoping for a true conservative.
16) Comments on The Hotline think Fred should be Rudy's VP. How about the other way around.
17) The American Spectator gives Fred some electronic ink.
18) Paul Bedard whispers about Fred.
19) Shining City Atop a Hill is looking into Fred's position on Radical Islam and Immigration before he takes the leap.
20) The Influence Peddler linked to a link about Fred, but had no comment. Yet.
21) Reformed Chicks Blabbing is call for all conservative bloggers to vote for Fred on on-line polls.
22) Instapundit is helping spread the good word on Fred.
23) Weekend Pundit posted about Fred on a Saturday in February.
24) The Pine Blog sez Fred for Prez and gave a nod to this list.
25) Lead Us Forward is helping lead the Fred push. They also posted Fred's position on important issues here.
26) The Knoxville Trivia Blog has a question for Fred.
27) The Discerning Texan says quality over quantity in the GOP field. Fred is Quality.
28) OpiniPundit may consider supporting Fred over Mitt if Fred Runs.
29) The World According to Oatney has a long blog about Fred.
30) The AOLelectionblog gives Fred some electronic ink too.
31) Pete Republic likes Fred Thompson or Gingrich
And then there is the Draft Fred Thompson unofficial official website.
I guess Red State Kids is in good company
2004 Domaine de L'Espigouette "Plan de Dieu" CÔTES DU RHÔNES VILLAGES (Rhône Valley, France)
A fabulous example of an old-fashioned red from the Southern Rhône. 
Medium ruby color belies the intense nose and flavors that follow. Intense nose of herbs, iodine, olives, and earth. With air, sappy, oozing spicy raspberry juice shows up also. A dead ringer for a good, old style Gigondas. Lean, intense flavors of earth, olives, and berries. Full-bodied, with still a bit of soft tannin. Very distinctive. 90. Was $14.99 at Spec's on Richmond.
(For Austin readers, this is listed on the Austin Wine Merchant website for the same price.)
Medium ruby color belies the intense nose and flavors that follow. Intense nose of herbs, iodine, olives, and earth. With air, sappy, oozing spicy raspberry juice shows up also. A dead ringer for a good, old style Gigondas. Lean, intense flavors of earth, olives, and berries. Full-bodied, with still a bit of soft tannin. Very distinctive. 90. Was $14.99 at Spec's on Richmond.
(For Austin readers, this is listed on the Austin Wine Merchant website for the same price.)
2005 Régis Minet POUILLY-FUMÉ "Vieille Vignes" (Loire Valley, France)
A textbook Pouilly-Fumé. Beautiful light silvery-gold color. Distinctive nose of salty seashells, wet metal, gun flint, and grape skins. Bracing and intense in the mouth, with tangy, minerally, lemon-herb flavors. Bone dry and strikingly delineated. Would be a beautiful counterpoint to sweet seafoods like shrimp or scallops. 89. Was $22.99 at Central Market. (The 2005 looks just like the phot of the 2003 pictured here.)
Pelosi Visits Injured Pigeons in Iraq
Conservative Kids. Please learn from Islamic extremists mistakes. Never bite the hand that feeds you.
This past week, a Sunni bomb hidden in a box of pigeons at an animal market exploded killing all the boxed pigeons and countless other animals. A few people were killed too. Upon hearing about the horrific news, Nancy Pelosi flew over to Baghdad to pay respects to the pigeons.
Then in a surprising turn of events, Pelosi not only made comments in support of Bush's surge plan of 20,000 additional troops, but also called for doubling that number.
The Sunni extremists made a critical mistake pissing off Pelosi's voter base, PETA members.
Although some Federal officials suspect that PETA actually planted the bomb in the animal market to divert attention from the trial of two PETA members accused of killing animals.
Another lesson for Conservative Kids: Sometimes facts are stranger than fiction.
This past week, a Sunni bomb hidden in a box of pigeons at an animal market exploded killing all the boxed pigeons and countless other animals. A few people were killed too. Upon hearing about the horrific news, Nancy Pelosi flew over to Baghdad to pay respects to the pigeons.
Then in a surprising turn of events, Pelosi not only made comments in support of Bush's surge plan of 20,000 additional troops, but also called for doubling that number.
The Sunni extremists made a critical mistake pissing off Pelosi's voter base, PETA members.
Although some Federal officials suspect that PETA actually planted the bomb in the animal market to divert attention from the trial of two PETA members accused of killing animals.
Another lesson for Conservative Kids: Sometimes facts are stranger than fiction.
A Night of Crappy Wines
Well, I must have done something bad this week. Popped the cork on three crappy wines in a row tonight.
1998 Philippe Naddef GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN "Vieilles Vignes" -- A 9-year old red with no sediment: a bad sign right from the get-go. Means that someone filtered the living s___ out of it. Sour, barnyard-y nose. Nail polish too! Oh happy day! Sour flavors with lots of harsh tannin and loads of acid. F. Crickey, it's easy to get burned in Burgundy.
2004 Leapin Lizard Sonoma County ZINFANDEL -- Usually a good value winery, Leapin Lizard disappointed with this one. Pungent aroma of acetate kept the Zinfandel berries cowering like frightened Chihuahuas underneath. A bit more fruit than the preceding plonk, but acidic and diluted. 65.
2003 Cellier de Capcanes MAS DONIS "barrica" (Montsant, Spain) -- Parker gave this a glowing review, and it's imported by my favorite importer (Eric Solomon), but I think the winery pulled the ol' bait-and-switch. This wine literally tasted like someone dumped an equal amount of water into it. What flavors remained weren't bad, but the phrase "weak, watery, and worthless" pretty much sums this one up 69.
Burned the steak too. I'm going to bed.
1998 Philippe Naddef GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN "Vieilles Vignes" -- A 9-year old red with no sediment: a bad sign right from the get-go. Means that someone filtered the living s___ out of it. Sour, barnyard-y nose. Nail polish too! Oh happy day! Sour flavors with lots of harsh tannin and loads of acid. F. Crickey, it's easy to get burned in Burgundy.
2004 Leapin Lizard Sonoma County ZINFANDEL -- Usually a good value winery, Leapin Lizard disappointed with this one. Pungent aroma of acetate kept the Zinfandel berries cowering like frightened Chihuahuas underneath. A bit more fruit than the preceding plonk, but acidic and diluted. 65.
2003 Cellier de Capcanes MAS DONIS "barrica" (Montsant, Spain) -- Parker gave this a glowing review, and it's imported by my favorite importer (Eric Solomon), but I think the winery pulled the ol' bait-and-switch. This wine literally tasted like someone dumped an equal amount of water into it. What flavors remained weren't bad, but the phrase "weak, watery, and worthless" pretty much sums this one up 69.
Burned the steak too. I'm going to bed.
Pardon for Ramos and Compean is Good PR
Federal officials fanned out across Southern California over the past week in one of the biggest sweeps of its kind, arresting 761 illegal immigrants. Fanned out. Come on. You can't find 761 illegal immigrants on one city block in LA? Why didn't they look in one High School were we all know illegals are getting "free" education?
This PR stunt "biggest sweeps of its kind" is laughable. The timing before the State of the Union Address is dubious.
Do you know what's even more laughable. To get this incredible number of illegals 761 (among What?, 20 million illegals) they had to round up illegals who were already rounded up. Yep, 450 were rounded up in while in jail. Sounds like they rounded up 311 which I guess is not a record and then got one at a time (also not PR worthy) as each illegal got caught committing a crime.
We need comprehensive immigration reform now. We need to lock down the borders. We do not need more strain on Home Land Security by adding the bureaucracy of a temp worker program.
If Congress and our liberal president do pass an amnesty bill, then please least make English the official language and encourage these immigrants to assimilate into our society like my grandparents did.
To get a job and avoid prejudice, my Italian grandmother changed her name from Gaetana to Catherine. She and her husband learned English quickly. And they did not let their kids speak Italian so they would assimilate as fast as possible. They came to the USA for a better life, not to recreate the same impoverished life they had in Italia. So they worked hard to be Americans.
Conservative kids need classmates who do not slow the class down. Conservative kids need classmates who love America.
Also, I was disappointed that President Bush did not pardon Agents Ramos and Compean during the State of the Union Address. Mr. President please pardon these agents who were protecting themselves and our great country.
By the way, Mr. President pardoning these men during the State of the Union would have made for better PR than an over dramatized round up. Please do not do a cowardly plethora of pardons as you walk out the door like Clinton. Don't let these men wait that long.
Free Agents Ramos and Compean Petition:
This PR stunt "biggest sweeps of its kind" is laughable. The timing before the State of the Union Address is dubious.
Do you know what's even more laughable. To get this incredible number of illegals 761 (among What?, 20 million illegals) they had to round up illegals who were already rounded up. Yep, 450 were rounded up in while in jail. Sounds like they rounded up 311 which I guess is not a record and then got one at a time (also not PR worthy) as each illegal got caught committing a crime.
We need comprehensive immigration reform now. We need to lock down the borders. We do not need more strain on Home Land Security by adding the bureaucracy of a temp worker program.
If Congress and our liberal president do pass an amnesty bill, then please least make English the official language and encourage these immigrants to assimilate into our society like my grandparents did.
To get a job and avoid prejudice, my Italian grandmother changed her name from Gaetana to Catherine. She and her husband learned English quickly. And they did not let their kids speak Italian so they would assimilate as fast as possible. They came to the USA for a better life, not to recreate the same impoverished life they had in Italia. So they worked hard to be Americans.
Conservative kids need classmates who do not slow the class down. Conservative kids need classmates who love America.
Also, I was disappointed that President Bush did not pardon Agents Ramos and Compean during the State of the Union Address. Mr. President please pardon these agents who were protecting themselves and our great country.
By the way, Mr. President pardoning these men during the State of the Union would have made for better PR than an over dramatized round up. Please do not do a cowardly plethora of pardons as you walk out the door like Clinton. Don't let these men wait that long.
Free Agents Ramos and Compean Petition:
American Justice System In Shambles
I have hesitated in commenting on this story because I wanted to get as many facts as I could, rather than jumping to a false conclusion. Now I can comment.I want to start with a simple question. Well, it is simple for common sense people like you and me but apparently not for law enforcement officers, a prosecuting attorney, and our court system.
Can someone explain to me the following?
- Osvaldo Adrete Davila, a Mexican, illegal alien drug dealer was in the United States peddling over 700 pounds of marijuana to Americans, many of who will be juveniles. It is a crime in the U.S. to be in possession of a controlled substance, especially with the intent to sell it.
- Davila encountered two U.S. Border Patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. In their attempt to apprehend Davila, he had something in his hand that appeared to be a gun. Shots were fired and Davila was struck in the buttocks. He fled back to Mexico.
- After Ramos and Compean realize Davila did not have a gun, they became concerned because they shot him. The agents picked up their shell casings and did not "accurately" report the incident.
So, illegal alien drug dealer with over 700 pounds of marijuana shot in the butt, flees back to Mexico, border agents get a reprimand. Right? WRONG!!!!
- Border agents arrested.
- Illegal alien drug dealer who had $1 million dollars worth of marijuana in his possession gets FULL IMMUNITY to testify against the border agents.
- Border agents get sentenced 11 and 12 years for "violating Davila's civil rights" by shooting the illegal alien drug dealer in the butt.
- Illegal alien drug dealer gets off scot free, sues U.S. government for $5 million. And he'll probably get it.
"Violated Davila's civil rights?" If you come to this country (a) illegally and (b) with the intent to distribute drugs that are illegal in this country, then it is my contention that you have no rights as an American citizen. Yes, you have rights as a human being but you are not an American and you should not be given the same rights as an American citizen who lives in this country, works in this country, and pays taxes in this country.
Finally, to my question. How could this happen in the United States of America? How could we imprison our law enforcement officers for doing their job, which in this case was protecting us from an illegal alien drug dealer with over 700 pounds of marijuana he intended to foist upon Americans?
If President Bush doesn't pardon these two agents who were doing their duty to protect our borders and us, then he will have lost all credibility with me. I have always believed in him to do the right thing, even in the face of opposition. The right thing here is to pardon these men as quickly as possible.
What does this action against our own border patrol agents say to illegal aliens who come here to commit crimes? What does it say to our border patrol agents? It says we have no border enforcement. We will not prevent you from coming to the U.S. with drugs to sell them. To the border patrol it says do not draw your weapons. Do not make an effort to apprehend illegal aliens, even if they are transporting drugs.
I just read what I wrote above for proofreading purposes and it is almost like a fictional story. I cannot believe this is happening in the United States. What has happened to us?
2005 Bodegas Juan Gil "WRONGO DONGO" (Jumilla, Spain)
Now here's a widely-available red that's actually pretty good. I'm guessing that, since it's from the Jumilla region in Spain, it's all or mostly Monastrell (Mourvedre) grape. Medium intensity nose of raspberries and blueberries, with smoky minerals. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with decent (not great) concentration, and flavors of blueberries and the same smoky minerals. Decent finish. A good quality, widely-available red for weeknight dinners. 86. About $10 or $11 at Spec's, this wine is frequently discounted at lots of other places for less than $10.
2004 Dancing Bull California ZINFANDEL (and Lodi Zins in general)
I haven't had the basic Dancing Bull low-priced Zin in years, so I thought I'd try it again. I was not impressed.
The back label says the grapes were from the Lodi region, and the look, smell, and taste of this wine (unfortunately) confirmed that. A dullish black ruby color, this wine has a very loamy, earthy nose with ripe but slightly stale berries underneath. As it aired out, the earthiness subsided and the fruit freshened somewhat, but this style of Zin (loamy earthiness and dull fruit) is, to my mind, a dead giveaway that the grapes were sourced from the Lodi region.
Here's my biased take on Lodi Zins: in general, I'm not a fan. A little background is necessary. Zinfandel has become much more popular over the last 10 years. In the mid-1990s, it was the ugly duckling of California. As it began to gain in popularity, folks also started catching on to the fact that, all other things being equal, old vines make better wines. As these two phenomena occurred, the demand for "old vine" Zins from top-flight regions (such as Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Napa, Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, Paso Robles, and Amador County) began to outstrip the remaining supply. Zin producers, to be able to continue to grow their Zin production to meet supply, began buying more and more Zin grapes from Lodi. (Lodi has LOTS of Zinfandel acreage, and before real Zinfandel re-surged in popularity, I imagine that most of it went into the crappy White Zinfandels that plagued dinner parties in the 1980s.) Initially, wineries didn't put the "Lodi" appellation on the bottle, presumably because no one knew where that was. (Lodi? Isn't that an old Creedence song?) They were sold under general appellations like "California" or "North Coast." But there were (and still are) lots of old vines there, so as "Old Vine" Zinfandel continued to regain in popularity, someone had the great idea to begin touting Lodi as a specific appellation for "old vine" Zin. Now, lots of producers actually put "Lodi" on the label.
Now to the part about taste and smell. Lodi is in the north part of the Central Valley, famous for huge fruit and veggie farms. Good wines are typically made in crappy, stony soil. Fruits and veggies like rich, fertile soil. My guess is that there's either something about the Lodi soil or the climate (or both) that is much more conducive to fruits and veggies than great Zin. Nonetheless, because it allows wineries to put "old vines" on the label, wineries are buying Zinfandel grapes there in increasing amounts. But I almost invariably find these wines to lack the vibrancy, depth, and complexity of Zins grown in the better regions listed above. Generally speaking, Lodi Zins are duller in color, duller in smell, and duller in taste. And they can have a wet-loamy earthiness. So don't be fooled -- this is not Class A real estate for Zinfandel. Sure, there's a few nice ones, but they're the exception, not the rule.
Back to Dancing Bull. Although I don't taste wines blind, I would like to think that I could have pegged this one as being from Lodi. It had the decent, simple, dullish, earthy fruit that I think is typical of Lodi. Nothing wrong with it, just a dullard. A non-repeat purchase. But because it's widely-available and cheap, you have my blessing to buy it if you're racing off to a party and have to stop at the local supermarket for something to shove at the hostess. $10 or under just about everywhere. 78.
The back label says the grapes were from the Lodi region, and the look, smell, and taste of this wine (unfortunately) confirmed that. A dullish black ruby color, this wine has a very loamy, earthy nose with ripe but slightly stale berries underneath. As it aired out, the earthiness subsided and the fruit freshened somewhat, but this style of Zin (loamy earthiness and dull fruit) is, to my mind, a dead giveaway that the grapes were sourced from the Lodi region.
Here's my biased take on Lodi Zins: in general, I'm not a fan. A little background is necessary. Zinfandel has become much more popular over the last 10 years. In the mid-1990s, it was the ugly duckling of California. As it began to gain in popularity, folks also started catching on to the fact that, all other things being equal, old vines make better wines. As these two phenomena occurred, the demand for "old vine" Zins from top-flight regions (such as Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Napa, Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, Paso Robles, and Amador County) began to outstrip the remaining supply. Zin producers, to be able to continue to grow their Zin production to meet supply, began buying more and more Zin grapes from Lodi. (Lodi has LOTS of Zinfandel acreage, and before real Zinfandel re-surged in popularity, I imagine that most of it went into the crappy White Zinfandels that plagued dinner parties in the 1980s.) Initially, wineries didn't put the "Lodi" appellation on the bottle, presumably because no one knew where that was. (Lodi? Isn't that an old Creedence song?) They were sold under general appellations like "California" or "North Coast." But there were (and still are) lots of old vines there, so as "Old Vine" Zinfandel continued to regain in popularity, someone had the great idea to begin touting Lodi as a specific appellation for "old vine" Zin. Now, lots of producers actually put "Lodi" on the label.
Now to the part about taste and smell. Lodi is in the north part of the Central Valley, famous for huge fruit and veggie farms. Good wines are typically made in crappy, stony soil. Fruits and veggies like rich, fertile soil. My guess is that there's either something about the Lodi soil or the climate (or both) that is much more conducive to fruits and veggies than great Zin. Nonetheless, because it allows wineries to put "old vines" on the label, wineries are buying Zinfandel grapes there in increasing amounts. But I almost invariably find these wines to lack the vibrancy, depth, and complexity of Zins grown in the better regions listed above. Generally speaking, Lodi Zins are duller in color, duller in smell, and duller in taste. And they can have a wet-loamy earthiness. So don't be fooled -- this is not Class A real estate for Zinfandel. Sure, there's a few nice ones, but they're the exception, not the rule.
Back to Dancing Bull. Although I don't taste wines blind, I would like to think that I could have pegged this one as being from Lodi. It had the decent, simple, dullish, earthy fruit that I think is typical of Lodi. Nothing wrong with it, just a dullard. A non-repeat purchase. But because it's widely-available and cheap, you have my blessing to buy it if you're racing off to a party and have to stop at the local supermarket for something to shove at the hostess. $10 or under just about everywhere. 78.
Hillary is in to Win, The Race That is not the War
I find it troubling that Hillary is "in to win" the Presidential nomination, but she is not "in to win" the war. At least I don't think she is. Depends on who you talk to and on what day. Anyway.
What's more troubling is that Hillary will spend $107,000,000 to get the nomination in 2007 alone. But she will be on the side of the aisle that stands in the way of the funding that is needed to win this war in IRAQ.
Hillary, Conservative Kids want to win this war on foreign soil now. They do not want to fight this war on our soil with you as President.
Spend what you want to seek power, but be in the war to win.
What's more troubling is that Hillary will spend $107,000,000 to get the nomination in 2007 alone. But she will be on the side of the aisle that stands in the way of the funding that is needed to win this war in IRAQ.
Hillary, Conservative Kids want to win this war on foreign soil now. They do not want to fight this war on our soil with you as President.
Spend what you want to seek power, but be in the war to win.
Fred Thompson Reaganesque?
I commented in a recent post A History Lesson for Conservative Kids - that a John Zogby poll concluded that the Nation Now Needs a New Reagan. They also concluded that Hillary is the most Reaganesque which tells me the poll was flawed and I should find another topic.
But this did not sit well with me.
I also commented in a recent post Obama, Madressa Education. Class or No Class that we can only hope a conservative with some star power emerges.
When I thought about these two posts together - I came to one conservative conclusion.
Rudy Guiliani has star power, but he has a lot of baggage and his social ideology will not sit will with the Christian Conservatives. McCain lacks energy and charisma. Fred Thompson is conservative. He's an actor. He has charisma and a sense of humor. Who is more Reaganesque than Fred Thompson?
Conservative Kids say Run Fred Run.
But this did not sit well with me.
I also commented in a recent post Obama, Madressa Education. Class or No Class that we can only hope a conservative with some star power emerges.
When I thought about these two posts together - I came to one conservative conclusion.
Rudy Guiliani has star power, but he has a lot of baggage and his social ideology will not sit will with the Christian Conservatives. McCain lacks energy and charisma. Fred Thompson is conservative. He's an actor. He has charisma and a sense of humor. Who is more Reaganesque than Fred Thompson?
Conservative Kids say Run Fred Run.
Partial Birth Abortions Good, Spanking Bad
Does anyone find it curious that a member of the political party that supports partial birth abortions is sponsoring an anti-spanking bill to protect children? I do.
California Assemblywoman Sally J. Lieber (sponsor of the bill), we need laws that protect children from child abuse. No doubt. But this bill amounts to over-legislation. Overall Americans have been raising productive Americans for generations. And generation after generation it has been American parents who decided what's right for their American kids.
I do not spank my conservative kids, but I demand discipline and there are consequences for lack of discipline. Hard labor (weeding) is my favorite consequence. All children need discipline to cope and succeed in this world.
California Assemblywoman Sally J. Lieber (sponsor of the bill), we need laws that protect children from child abuse. No doubt. But this bill amounts to over-legislation. Overall Americans have been raising productive Americans for generations. And generation after generation it has been American parents who decided what's right for their American kids.
I do not spank my conservative kids, but I demand discipline and there are consequences for lack of discipline. Hard labor (weeding) is my favorite consequence. All children need discipline to cope and succeed in this world.
Hillary, Conservative Kids Can Keep Secrets, Can you?
China tests an anti-satellite ground to air missile.
The exchange of money and accomodations in the Lincoln Bedroom for technology in the Clinton White House is starting to rear its ugly head. Can conservative kids survive another Clinton White House?
The exchange of money and accomodations in the Lincoln Bedroom for technology in the Clinton White House is starting to rear its ugly head. Can conservative kids survive another Clinton White House?
Is America Doomed?
I just read a post on RedState.com where a depressed person said they felt like America as we knew it during the Reagan years (and prior) is being dismantled and that Americans just don't care anymore about things that are important. That post really hit home with me and I posted a response. Here it is:Obama. Madressa Education. Class or No Class?
Conservative Kids need an honest President.It did not take long for Mrs Clinton to start destroying her political opponent, Barrack Hussein Obama. The day before she announces that she is in. Insight Magazine runs a story "Hillary's team has questions about Obama's Muslim background"
Coincidence, I think not.
So how does this revelation impact conservative kids. Well, hopefully a conservative with some star power will emerge. If not, dare I say, it might be better to deal with the devil we know over the devil we don't. (Please note that was not an endorsement of Mrs. Clinton)
Muslim or not, Obama's lack of honesty is troubling. We need honesty in a president. Which is why we do not need Hillary either. Obama will, of course, blame his clandestine approach regarding his Muslim upbringing on the prejudice of the American populace.
Conservative Dad Prediction: Obama will downplay Muslim upbringing at first. Hillary will turn up the heat. (This is the only way the story will get into the mainstream press). Obama will then play the role of victim and try to convince America they are bad. Americans will accept blame. Some Americans will even vote for him to prove they're politically correct.
His concerns are probably founded. I think America would elect the right woman. I think America would elect the right African American, Asian American or Hispanic American. I do not think that America is ready for a Muslim. Not now during a jihad.
You can call it prejudice. I call it cautious.
Michelle Malkin says let the games begin. Michelle they already have.
Madressa
Conservative Kids - Brainteaser
A brainteaser for conservative kids. Listen to this presidential candidate and see if you can hear any ideas or any solutions.
(Parents - do not let you kids get too frustrated. The talk is calm, cool and collected, but make no mistake, like the more common irrational and animated liberal diatribe there are no ideas nor solutions. There are just denunciations, criticisms and attacks).
Obama might be the media darling now. But the Clinton political machine has not yet kicked into gear to knock him down.
(Parents - do not let you kids get too frustrated. The talk is calm, cool and collected, but make no mistake, like the more common irrational and animated liberal diatribe there are no ideas nor solutions. There are just denunciations, criticisms and attacks).
Obama might be the media darling now. But the Clinton political machine has not yet kicked into gear to knock him down.
Parental Rights In The Crosshairs
Most of us who are now adults remember getting our behinds whacked at least a few times for disobedience or being mischievous. The days of correcting your children via what I will call "negative physical reinforcement" are on their way out.A liberal, California Democrat is pushing for legislation to outlaw the spanking of children up to three years of age. First, I do not condone an all-out thrashing of a three-year-old or any child younger. But a firm, non-injurious whack on the behind or hand will not emotionally scar a child. What will emotionally ruin a child is the lack of discipline and boundaries.
I have a question for Ms. Lieber. If parents are not allowed to correct their children via a mild spanking, then what do you propose as an alternative? I suppose you want parents to sit down with their one or two-year old and reason with them. That is a bunch of Freudian hogwash. At that age children do not understand adult reasoning. However, they do understand 'no' and they understand that they want to avoid spankings.
I remember getting whipped with a thin, green branch of an elm tree. What did I do? I lied to my grandmother about something. Some mentally unstable psychoanalysts out there would say that the spanking was detrimental to my young, fragile psyche. Again, hogwash. I learned the consequences of lying. I learned respect for others. I went on to graduate from high school at the top of my class and graduate from college with a bachelor's degree. I didn't need counseling to heal my "emotional scars".
Every child needs a different type of discipline and at different levels. I have one child who wants to get a spanking and get it over with. The other would prefer being dragged by wild horses over a spanking. However, I don't have any wild horses.
The bottom line for me is this. The government has absolutely no business and no authority to tell me how I raise and discipline my children as long as I am not physically or emotionally harming them. Proper spanking will do neither.
I pay my taxes even though I do not believe the government has the Constitutional authority to levy taxes on its citizens. I obey the laws of the state and federal governments, even though some contradict common sense and infringe on individual rights. When it comes to my children, that is where I draw the line. To prevent liberal indoctrination that the government should be the provider for the people and that the government is necessary to ensure equality for all people, I send my children to a private school where individual achievement is rewarded, laziness is punished, and disruptive behavior is not allowed. East Coast, Left Coast, and large city public schools have become little more than a tool for liberals to brainwash American children with their agenda.
People, pay attention. It is liberals like Sally Lieber and Hillary Clinton who want the government to raise your children, or at least have you raise them under governmental guidelines. Do we want to unleash more undisciplined children onto the people of America? Undisciplined children are more likely to become unproductive adults, and many will become criminals.
By the way, Ms. Lieber has no children.
Source: Mercury News
2004 Trentadue "OLD PATCH RED" (Sonoma County, California)
Tasted pretty good, but I think this one was loaded with sulfites. My wife is a "canary in a coal mine" when it comes to sulfites. If she drinks a wine with lots of sulfites, her face flushes red and feels hot. That happened with this one. (It happens a lot to her at receptions and parties where cheap, mass-produced, industrial reds are served.)
To me it tasted fine and seemed like a very good value. Very classic sweet cream and mountain berry nose (very Zinfandel, which makes up 76% of the blend). Medium full body and rich ripe raspberry and earth flavors. Good finish, though not quite concentrated enough to make it outstanding. If I didn't know about the sulfite thing, I'd rate it an 87. But with the sulfite reaction my wife had, I won't get another bottle. Was $11.79 at Spec's on Richmond.
To me it tasted fine and seemed like a very good value. Very classic sweet cream and mountain berry nose (very Zinfandel, which makes up 76% of the blend). Medium full body and rich ripe raspberry and earth flavors. Good finish, though not quite concentrated enough to make it outstanding. If I didn't know about the sulfite thing, I'd rate it an 87. But with the sulfite reaction my wife had, I won't get another bottle. Was $11.79 at Spec's on Richmond.
Young Conservative Kids Should Not Herd Buffalo
Tip of the day from Conservative Dad.
Do not let young kids herd buffalo in remote areas of a jungle unattended. This practice may promote a strong work ethic, but I think that there are better methods.
Half-Animal / Half - Woman found in Cambodian Jungle
Breaking News even The Drudge Report does not have yet.
Hillary is considering this Cambodian woman as her running mate in '08. Howard Dean thinks that a Clinton / P'ngieng ticket can garner votes from feminists, PETA and Asian-Americans. Bill thinks it's a great idea and even volunteered to domesticate this woman.
Blue State Kids Want School Choice
I think that we can all agree that Communist countries produced some inferior cars. They made inferior cars and other products because there was no incentive to produce better cars. The engineers, designers, line workers, etc. made the same amount of money regardless of the quality of the car. And there was no other car company producing better cars. Lack of competition leads to complacency.
Result - Yugo not very far.
Well many schools in the US are graduating inferior students especially our inner city schools.
Result: You go no where.
Liberals (and I include Bush) continue to throw money at the problem and the problem is not going away. It is time to try a new approach, it is time for school choice and vouchers. It is time for competition.
According to the research, the voucher program is particularly promising for African American students. And polls show that 70+% of African Americans want it.
So who's keeping this from happening. The ACLU under the guise of separation of church and state. The Rev. Jesse Jackass of course opposes it so he can keep his loyal base ignorant to his profiteering ignorance. The Democrats oppose it because, well, the Republicans favor it.
School vouchers are gaining momentum. The Arizona Supreme Court refused to hear ACLU opposition to vouchers this week. There will soon be more conservative kids in blue state cities.
Result - Yugo not very far.Well many schools in the US are graduating inferior students especially our inner city schools.
Citing data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), political scientist Abigail Thernstrom and her historian husband, Stephan Thernstrom, have written about how African-Americans, by the 12th grade, "are typically four years behind white and Asian students," with Hispanics "doing only a tad better than black students." Translated, this means that black and Hispanic students are finishing high school, on average, "with a junior high education."Part of the problem is poor parenting. This will always be the biggest factor. But there are many caring and supportive parents whose children struggle in these inner city schools because the environment is so detrimental to learning. There are no incentives for the teachers, principals, superintendents to produce better kids in these schools (The jury is still out on "no child left behind".) And without a school voucher program there's no competition. Sounds like a YUGO factory to me.
Result: You go no where.
Liberals (and I include Bush) continue to throw money at the problem and the problem is not going away. It is time to try a new approach, it is time for school choice and vouchers. It is time for competition.
According to the research, the voucher program is particularly promising for African American students. And polls show that 70+% of African Americans want it.
So who's keeping this from happening. The ACLU under the guise of separation of church and state. The Rev. Jesse Jackass of course opposes it so he can keep his loyal base ignorant to his profiteering ignorance. The Democrats oppose it because, well, the Republicans favor it.
School vouchers are gaining momentum. The Arizona Supreme Court refused to hear ACLU opposition to vouchers this week. There will soon be more conservative kids in blue state cities.
2003 Tommasi "Vigneto Rafael" VALPOLICELLA Classico Superiore (Veneto, Italy)
Textbook Valpo! Medium ruby color. Pretty nose of cherry candy, sweet lemons, and stones. Bright, light-bodied flavors of cherry-berry fruit, and smoky, high-toned minerals. A very food-friendly wine -- refreshing, flavorful, and balanced. 88. Easily the best 2003 I've had from the region. This is not a rich, blockbuster of a wine (which I like too), but is a wine that makes a perfect, restrained complement to a simple Italian meal (we had it with a great pasta dish*). Was about $12 at Spec's on Smith.
* The pasta was "Zita with Tomatoes, Capocollo, and Diced Mozzarella," from one of my favorite cookbooks, "The Italian Country Table," by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Fortuitously, someone re-printed the recipe on the Internet -- in violation of copyright law! -- here.
History Lesson for Conservative Kids
Hillary Clinton is no Ronald Reagan
In a recent John Zogby poll, he claims the world would select Reagan to help get the US through this time of terror.
Roosevelt, Kennedy and Lincoln were also listed. But perhaps the president with the best record at fighting Islamic Terrorism was Thomas Jefferson. Yes our founding fathers encountered the evils of radical Islam fought it and won.
This poll also suggests that Hillary is the most Reagan-like candidate.
The liberals hijacked Christmas to make it winter haven holiday. The liberals hijacked the 10 commandments.
The liberals hijacked Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday. We now have Presidents Day. Now the liberals are now trying to hijack Reagan and replace him with Hillary. Laughable. Rude.
Reagan was principled - Hilliary follows the wind.
Reagan was lovable - Hillary is an ice queen.
Reagan was engaging and humorous - Hillary is cold and calculating.
I do not think that I need to go on. I can not think of one attribute that is even remotely similar.
Kids, liberals will try to rewrite history, but make no mistake there is absolutely no comparison between Ronald Reagan and Hillary Clinton.
In a recent John Zogby poll, he claims the world would select Reagan to help get the US through this time of terror.
Roosevelt, Kennedy and Lincoln were also listed. But perhaps the president with the best record at fighting Islamic Terrorism was Thomas Jefferson. Yes our founding fathers encountered the evils of radical Islam fought it and won.
This poll also suggests that Hillary is the most Reagan-like candidate.The liberals hijacked Christmas to make it winter haven holiday. The liberals hijacked the 10 commandments.
The liberals hijacked Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday. We now have Presidents Day. Now the liberals are now trying to hijack Reagan and replace him with Hillary. Laughable. Rude.
Reagan was principled - Hilliary follows the wind.
Reagan was lovable - Hillary is an ice queen.
Reagan was engaging and humorous - Hillary is cold and calculating.
I do not think that I need to go on. I can not think of one attribute that is even remotely similar.
Kids, liberals will try to rewrite history, but make no mistake there is absolutely no comparison between Ronald Reagan and Hillary Clinton.
Scary Curriculums Home and Abroad.
The indoctrination of hate starts early in the Islamic World. This boy bloodies himself for Imam Hussein, grandson of Muhammad. There are other very disturbing pictures of jihad kids (some graphic) on the link.Here's a situation that plays out everyday in a typical al Qaeda home.
Hassan come here.
Yes mom
What is this?
What is what?
This report card?
What, I am trying my best.
You got a C in Bush bashing. What is wrong with you?
I could not understand that woman's accent.
Your dad did not kill himself so you can just fool around.
I know, he killed himself for 72 virgins.
Go to your room!
No women, you go to your room!
(As she goes to her room) You are so not ready for this world, Hassan.
Islamic Elementary - REPORT CARD
C --- Jew Hating (Abdul-Alim Aziz)
C --- Christian Hating (Abdul-Azim Muhammed)
B --- Terrorism (Akram Hussein)
D --- Martyrdom (Baha Bishr)
B --- Arabic (Hajjaj Hakeem)
B --- Beginning Quran (Abdul- Hani Ali)
A --- Concubine 101 (via satelite Bill Clinton)
C --- Bush Bashing (via satelite Nancy Pelosi)
C --- Bomb Targeting (via Google Earth)
Islam is teaching hate from cradle to grave.
Meanwhile in the USA
Johnny come here.
Yes mom
What is this?
What is what?
This report card?
What, I am trying my best.
I am so proud of you. Your dad would be so proud of you too if he did not kill himself working night and day to send you to college.
I think about him often.
You are so prepared for the world. Let me be the first to call you graduate.
Ahh mom
University of WhattheF - REPORT CARD
A --- Non-violent Responses to Terrorism (George Lackey - Swathmore College)
A --- Phallologocentrism (Jeffery Tobin - Occidental U)
A --- Queer Musicology (Mitchell Morris - UCLA)
B --- Mail Order Brides (Fanella Canell - Johns Hopkins U)
A --- Marx - Should we give him another chance? (Pavel Machala - Amherst U)
A --- Phys Ed - Dodgeball without balls (Marcel Marceau - Univ of San Francisco)
Parents of conservative kids do not pay for the credits to any of these courses.
Update: 1/25/07
Now you can add Abortion 101 taught at Yale as reported on Michelle Malkin blog.
New Feature, Voting Reminder
I will be adding graphics depicting the labels of wines I really liked a lot (if I can find pictures in the "Internets"). I've done it for a few of the more recent highly-recommended wines. I hope this will aid in finding these wines when out shopping.
In addition, here's a reminder that there are only 3 more days left to vote in the Wine Blog Awards thing. If you're inclined to vote, here's the link. The deadline is January 18.
In addition, here's a reminder that there are only 3 more days left to vote in the Wine Blog Awards thing. If you're inclined to vote, here's the link. The deadline is January 18.
It Takes a Village Idiot to Raise a Kid.
In Spain, a 67 year old women has twin boys. Is this a miracle of God? No, it's a product of IVF medical science and stupidity.
Hey Hillary, here's a case where I actually agree that it will take a village to raise a kid because of the selfishness of the village idiot and an egomaniac American doctor.
Chances are high these kids will not be conservatives.
Hey Hillary, here's a case where I actually agree that it will take a village to raise a kid because of the selfishness of the village idiot and an egomaniac American doctor.
Chances are high these kids will not be conservatives.
2004 Can Blau MONTSANT (Spain)
This wine has a very funky label that is made up primarily of a bunch of diamond shapes arranged into a cross. Very little writing on it.
Anyway, it's excellent. A blend of basically 1/3 each of Carinena, Syrah, and Garnacha, this wine reminds me of a Spanish rendition of a Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.
Medium dark black ruby. Nose was meaty and leathery at first, but then after 20 minutes or so began to showcase sweet, upfront ripe raspberry and blueberry syrup and wet granite. Soft, yet quite concentrated and balanced, this wine has full body and intense flavors of black raspberries and minerals. Long finish, with a barely perceptible bit of heat showing through at the end. Drinking really well right now. 89. Was about $13.49 at Richard's on South Shepherd (making it a very good value), but also available around $16 at Spec's.
Anyway, it's excellent. A blend of basically 1/3 each of Carinena, Syrah, and Garnacha, this wine reminds me of a Spanish rendition of a Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.
Medium dark black ruby. Nose was meaty and leathery at first, but then after 20 minutes or so began to showcase sweet, upfront ripe raspberry and blueberry syrup and wet granite. Soft, yet quite concentrated and balanced, this wine has full body and intense flavors of black raspberries and minerals. Long finish, with a barely perceptible bit of heat showing through at the end. Drinking really well right now. 89. Was about $13.49 at Richard's on South Shepherd (making it a very good value), but also available around $16 at Spec's.
Ideology Metamorphosis
After blogging about Cinnamon Stillwell's transformation from Liberal leaning to Conservative leaning, I realized my wife has probably transformed somewhat since we first met.
When I first met my wife, she was a mental health case worker. In those days, she might have considered herself liberal leaning, if she cared enough about politics to label herself (which she did not). At the time, her financial situation was tenuous at best and her job put her into dangerous situations almost daily. She used to travel to very scary neighborhoods and go into some scary homes. Her mission was to get very unstable people to take their meds. God Bless people who do this type of work. During our first year of marraige, I remember getting some very scary calls in the middle of the night from some of the people she helped treat.
Now she's is a stay-at-home country club mother of three. She gave up case work, but she volunteers for Children's hospital and Meals on Wheels.
One would conclude that she still has a kind heart. One would also conclude that life is somewhat less scary. The so called experts showcased in the Psychology Today article would conclude that she should be more liberal.
So, I had her take the World's Smallest Political Quiz. The test rated her as a Conservative - almost a Statist. The difference. She has more to lose now (husband, kids, home, money). Perhaps having more makes you more scared and therefore more conservative. Perhaps living with a guy who insists on maintaining a mini - Reagan Library in our house and flying an American Flag 24/7 has biased her a little? The Statist bent. She still wants the government to protect people down and out.
For the record, I was a Conservative - Libertarian.
When I first met my wife, she was a mental health case worker. In those days, she might have considered herself liberal leaning, if she cared enough about politics to label herself (which she did not). At the time, her financial situation was tenuous at best and her job put her into dangerous situations almost daily. She used to travel to very scary neighborhoods and go into some scary homes. Her mission was to get very unstable people to take their meds. God Bless people who do this type of work. During our first year of marraige, I remember getting some very scary calls in the middle of the night from some of the people she helped treat.
Now she's is a stay-at-home country club mother of three. She gave up case work, but she volunteers for Children's hospital and Meals on Wheels.
One would conclude that she still has a kind heart. One would also conclude that life is somewhat less scary. The so called experts showcased in the Psychology Today article would conclude that she should be more liberal.
So, I had her take the World's Smallest Political Quiz. The test rated her as a Conservative - almost a Statist. The difference. She has more to lose now (husband, kids, home, money). Perhaps having more makes you more scared and therefore more conservative. Perhaps living with a guy who insists on maintaining a mini - Reagan Library in our house and flying an American Flag 24/7 has biased her a little? The Statist bent. She still wants the government to protect people down and out.
For the record, I was a Conservative - Libertarian.
2003 Ramos Pinto "ADRIANA" (Duoro, Portugal)
I expected more from a table wine from this long-established port house. Dark ruby color, but not particularly saturated. Light intensity nose of sweet cream and tart raspberries. Chalky flavors of cherry and crushed rock powder. Medium bodied, but with a decent finish. 81. Was about $11 or $12 at Kroger's on Westpark.
2005 Muirwood Arroyo Seco PINOT NOIR (Monterey County, California)
A cheap, but mediocre, Pinot Noir.
Medium light ruby. Decent, vaguely Pinot nose of cherry cough syrup, scorched earth, and pumpkin bread. Straightforward cherry flavors are marred somewhat by high acidity and some tannic astringency. A decent quaff, but there's so many better wines out there there's no reason to get a wine like this. 77. Was about $12 at Spec's on Richmond.
Medium light ruby. Decent, vaguely Pinot nose of cherry cough syrup, scorched earth, and pumpkin bread. Straightforward cherry flavors are marred somewhat by high acidity and some tannic astringency. A decent quaff, but there's so many better wines out there there's no reason to get a wine like this. 77. Was about $12 at Spec's on Richmond.
Great Letter To The Editor
A few days ago I ran across a great letter to the editor of our local newspaper. Here it is:
Source: Times Record, Fort Smith, Arkansas Sunday, January 7, 2007
The Democrats now promise “A New Direction For America.”
The stock market is at a new all-time high, and America’s 401(k)s are back. A new direction from there means what?
Unemployment is at a 25-year low. A new direction from there means what?
Oil prices are down drastically. A new direction from there means what?
Taxes are at a 20-year low. A new direction from there means what?
Federal tax revenues are at an all-time high. A new direction from there means what?
The federal deficit is down almost 50 percent, just as predicted, over last year. A new direction from there means what?
Inflation is in check, hovering at a 20-year low. A new direction from there means what?
Not a single terrorist attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001. A new direction from there means what?
Osama bin Laden is living under a rock in a dark cave, having not surfaced in years, if he’s alive at all, while 95 percent of al-Qaida’s top dogs are either dead or in custody, cooperating with U.S. intelligence. A new direction from there means what?
Several major terrorist attacks already thwarted by U.S. and British intelligence, including the recent planned attack involving 10 jumbo jets being exploded in mid-air over major U.S. cities. A new direction from there means what?
Now let me see, do I have this right? I can expect: The economy to go south, illegal immigrants to go north, taxes to go up, employment to go down, terrorism to come in, tax breaks to go out; Social Security to go away and health care to go the same way gas prices have gone.
Now I know why I feel good after the elections. I am going to be able to sleep so much better at nights knowing these dedicated Democratic politicians are thinking of my welfare and me.
Source: Times Record, Fort Smith, Arkansas Sunday, January 7, 2007
Tiki Barber, Role Model for Conservative Kids
For Christmas I wanted to get my son a giant, seemingly 3D, Fathead sports player poster for this room. There were many player choices. I needed the right one. One that exemplified sports success (hustle and determination) but I wanted the player to be a great role model too. Baseball and Football are my son's favorite sports. I looked at our home town team. I did not find any players who were not already featured on a police blotter. I looked at my favorite teams NY Giants and NY Yankees. For the Giants, Tiki Barbar and Lawrence Taylor were featured. Lawrence Taylor was one of my favorites growing up - but he was no role model. So it was between Tiki Barbar and Derek Jeter. I picked Tiki.
There is no better role model in sports since the late great Lou Gehrig than Tiki Barber.
Tiki was (he retired last week) an unbelievable football player. Tiki was an well informed and very articulate Fox and Friends morning host summer sub (I am sure that Katie Couric was jealous). Tiki Barber retired on his terms with his health and he did it while he was still on top. Tiki always has a welcoming smile. Tiki is a children's book author. Tiki is my son's and my favorite NFL player. Now he moves on to ABC where he will work on Good Morning America, 20/20 and ESPN. I think that GMA and 20/20 will benefit from adding a conservative voice.
Tiki thanks for the great effort. I will miss you as a football player, but I will follow your every word on TV.
Conservative parents help their kids choose the right role models.
There is no better role model in sports since the late great Lou Gehrig than Tiki Barber.
Tiki was (he retired last week) an unbelievable football player. Tiki was an well informed and very articulate Fox and Friends morning host summer sub (I am sure that Katie Couric was jealous). Tiki Barber retired on his terms with his health and he did it while he was still on top. Tiki always has a welcoming smile. Tiki is a children's book author. Tiki is my son's and my favorite NFL player. Now he moves on to ABC where he will work on Good Morning America, 20/20 and ESPN. I think that GMA and 20/20 will benefit from adding a conservative voice.
Tiki thanks for the great effort. I will miss you as a football player, but I will follow your every word on TV.
Conservative parents help their kids choose the right role models.
Want Conservative minded Kids? Then Scare Them to Death
Seems fear of death is the most powerful driver of conservative thought.
This post was inspired by Psychology Today's most emailed and popular article, The Ideological Animal. Some of the conclusions in the piece are laughable. Let's explore.
It starts by introducing Cinnamon Stillwell, a women who did a 180 from left to right after 9/11. Cinnamon, a former liberal, is now a conservative columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. The liberals felt a need to study this because she must certainly have a mental disorder. One of course that can be fixed with a mood altering prescription subsidized by President Hillary Clinton's Health Care Bill.
She changed because she realized that liberals had more sympathy for terrorists than the victims. And becasue liberals were consumed with hatred toward our country. She turned to conservative talk radio to hear thoughts more aligned to her enlightened thinking on the war on terror. She soon realized that after opening her mind to conservative thought that "smaller government, traditional societal structures, respect and reverence for life, the importance of family, personal responsibility, national unity over identity politics." and even "the idea of self-preservation in perilous times. (gun rights)" made sense.
The article tries to explain this change.
We tend to believe our political views have evolved by a process of rational thought, as we consider arguments, weigh evidence, and draw conclusions. But the truth is more complicated. Our political preferences are equally the result of factors we're not aware of—such as how educated we are, how scary the world seems at a given moment, and personality traits that are first apparent in early childhood. Among the most potent motivators, it turns out, is fear.... The fear of death alone is surprisingly effective in shaping our political decisions—more powerful, often, than thought itself.Seems that rational thought prompted Cinnamon to change after weighing the evidence. She did not get any more educated and 9/11 did not impact her early childhood. The article goes on to blame fear of death. How about vengeance? How about righting a wrong? How about good versus evil? How about patriotism? How about the fear of an economic calamity destroying savings or our beautiful way of life? No fear of death explains it all. At least they didn't blame breast feeding or lack there of again.
I can see the republican strategists now scheming ways to speed up the avian flu pandemic and granting amnesty to all illegal Islamic extremists.
Do you suppose that Micheal Jackson's son will be a conservative?
Other excerpts from the article that was a complete waste of time. (I thought I was going to read something useful in my exploration of how to raise conservative kids)
In 1969, Berkeley professors Jack and Jeanne Block embarked on a study of childhood personality, asking nursery school teachers to rate children's temperaments. (Anybody see any flaws here. Liberal researchers from ultra liberal Berkeley, asking liberal teachers to rate temperament of 3 year olds)
Twenty years later, they decided to compare the subjects' childhood personalities with their political preferences as adults. (To draw asinine bias conclusions. What a waste of 20 years)
Studies show that people who study abroad become more liberal than those who stay home. (The study should have concluded that people who seem to hate America tend to travel abroad more than people who love America)
Professors at major universities are more liberal than their counterparts at less acclaimed institutions. (I guess it couldn't be discrimination in hiring at the major universities. Don't worry fellow bloggers I already call the ACLU to take on the case.)
Publication: Psychology Today Magazine
Publication Date: Jan/Feb 2007
Don't Underestimate Your Conservative Kids
Last month, My daughter and I were sitting in the stands watching my son practice football. Several parents were doing the same. My daughter loves math, so she asked me to quiz her on some math problems to pass the time. I challenged her with addition, subtraction and multiplication problems. She answered every problem correctly.
An impressed parent turned to my daughter and said, "Wow, you're one smart little girl. What grade are you in?" My daughter replied, "kindergarten". The women turned to me and said, "Really?, wow my kid was just learning to count in kindergarten and I am not even sure that she's learning multiplication yet and she's in third "
I replied that my daughter is a special little girl. But what I was really thinking. Lady, if you don't know if multiplication is or is not a part of your kid's curriculum you're not that engaged.
My daughter is smart for sure, but she's no super genius. The difference between my daughter and that other parent's daughter is that my wife and I take the time to teach her and practice with her. We never let the limits of society dictate what she should be learning, especially if the limits are set low to make sure Johnny's self esteem remains high. We let our daughter's interest dictate if she will move ahead of the class. Nothing more, nothing less.
Similarly, I was recently reading about a smart little 12 year old boy in the UK who's a problogger making $500/month talking about technology. His blog is called Techzi Technology. Gadgets. Internet. And Breaking News by a 12 year old kid. The kid can write.
This kid obviously has parents who doesn't let society norms dictate what he should and should not be striving for or achieving. Blog on young man.
An impressed parent turned to my daughter and said, "Wow, you're one smart little girl. What grade are you in?" My daughter replied, "kindergarten". The women turned to me and said, "Really?, wow my kid was just learning to count in kindergarten and I am not even sure that she's learning multiplication yet and she's in third "
I replied that my daughter is a special little girl. But what I was really thinking. Lady, if you don't know if multiplication is or is not a part of your kid's curriculum you're not that engaged.
My daughter is smart for sure, but she's no super genius. The difference between my daughter and that other parent's daughter is that my wife and I take the time to teach her and practice with her. We never let the limits of society dictate what she should be learning, especially if the limits are set low to make sure Johnny's self esteem remains high. We let our daughter's interest dictate if she will move ahead of the class. Nothing more, nothing less.
Similarly, I was recently reading about a smart little 12 year old boy in the UK who's a problogger making $500/month talking about technology. His blog is called Techzi Technology. Gadgets. Internet. And Breaking News by a 12 year old kid. The kid can write.
This kid obviously has parents who doesn't let society norms dictate what he should and should not be striving for or achieving. Blog on young man.
Conservative Kids Beware the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Don't be fooled by the liberal media who is portraying Nancy as this sweet stay-at-home mom. She is and has always been a threat to the tradition family.
Was Aesop writing about Nancy here?
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.
Was Aesop writing about Nancy here?
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.
Appearances are deceptive.
Hey Aesop, after looking at this photo maybe looks really aren't that deceiving afterall.
The Ass in the Lion's Skin
An Ass once found a Lion's skin which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native village. All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he was a proud Ass that day. In his delight he lifted up his voice and brayed, but then every one knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound cudgelling for the fright he had caused. And shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: "Ah, I knew you by your voice."
Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool.
This fable of Aesop's also describes Nancy Pelosi. But how can that be? Well, Nancy, like many in Washington, is a chameleon who will wear whatever clothes are expedient at the time to usurp power and money. She is a liberal ass, a lion, a wolf, a sheep, a mom, a Catholic, a supporter of partial birth abortions, a chocaholic, a grandmother and Italian American. Whatever whenever. Reminds me of Bill Clinton. He was a liberal, a centrist, a family man, a churchgoer, a philaderer, a father, a white, the first black president, a gray haired AARP member, a dark haired Sax playing MTVer, and a liar.
Great role models for our children, they are not.
Read Aesops fables to your conservative kids.
2005 BORSAO (Campo de Borja, Spain)
This perennial best buy is a best buy again in 2005.
Deep, fairly saturated purply/ruby color. Ripe, sweet blackberries augmented with crushed gravel on the nose. Round and full-bodied in the mouth, with rich, extracted flavors or berries and scorched earth. A bit of semi-course tannin and a little angularity on the finish are the only detractions, but that should resolve over the next year as the wine settles down and softens. Lots of wine for the money. 87. Was an unbelievable $5.67 at Spec's on Smith, but widely available elsewhere too.
Deep, fairly saturated purply/ruby color. Ripe, sweet blackberries augmented with crushed gravel on the nose. Round and full-bodied in the mouth, with rich, extracted flavors or berries and scorched earth. A bit of semi-course tannin and a little angularity on the finish are the only detractions, but that should resolve over the next year as the wine settles down and softens. Lots of wine for the money. 87. Was an unbelievable $5.67 at Spec's on Smith, but widely available elsewhere too.
The Naked Truth About Liberal Education
Full Story posted on The Drudge ReportBirthday-suit parties all the rage for Ivy League students
by CRAIG HOWIESTUDENTS at America's prestigious Ivy League universities are rebelling against their colleges' stuffy reputations, casting off society's norms along with their clothes to hold naked parties....
.......Of party etiquette, Mollie Farber, a senior student at Yale, said: "You're allowed to give everyone a quick once-over as you say, 'Hey, what's up?', but after that, you've got to maintain pretty good eye contact.
This makes you wonder about the quality of the liberal education Mollie received throughout her life. Think about it. She gives a naked guy a quick once-over and doesn't know what's up.
What did she think those condoms her liberal schools handed out for free since she was in grade school were for anyway?
The Accuracy in Academia the research group who is trying to bring sanity and conseverative values to our college campuses have their work cut out for them.
Wine Blog Awards Voting
Unlike in regular politics, I'm not gonna tell ya how to vote in this election. But if you're interested in voting, here's the link. The deadline is January 18.
ISLAM....Religion of Peace?
Warning - this contains graphic images. Nevertheless, we need to be reminded of what we are up against.
Having the YouTube technology does make one a little lazy...but videos like this are shocking and to the point. I have been reading Victor Davis Hanson's "Autumn of War," a collection of essays written in the aftermath of 9/11 and it is astounding how much we have already forgotten. The daily drone from our TV's and radios about "failure in Iraq" have made us overlook the fact that Iraq is but a battle in a global war. This is a war that will continue to be fed by fanatical fascist Islamists recruiting new crazies from the ranks of the unemployed in the grossly unproductive Third World. Walking away from the fight will not make it end.The recruiting will go on until they either a) achieve their objective of world domination under a new caliphate or b) they are defeated. As this video makes plain, talking to them and trying to reason with them is a non-starter. So, how do you defeat this madness? And, what role does American military power have in that defeat?
You defeat the madness when the pain becomes unbearable for the enemy or when they have something else to do. When Sherman marched to the sea leaving a 60 mile wide swath of destruction from Atlanta to Savannah, he only lost around 500 men. Meanwhile, at the Battle of Cold Harbor, Grant lost almost 13,000 men in 12 days. But in the minds of the "enemy," of which I guess I would have been one, who is remembered for savagery? Sherman! Why, because he ruthlessly pursued a strategy of eliminating the capacity for the enemy to wage war. The capacity for our current enemy to wage war is in the madrassas that are funded by Saudi oil money and in the pitiful economies of the Middle East and beyond. The bombers of 9/11 were not poor, downtrodden waifs...they were middle class Saudis (mostly) who had gotten their heads twisted by the bloodthirsty rantings of fascist Islam. However, the thugs that are out planting the IED's and/or blowing themselves up in markets in Iraq are not middle class high-school graduates. These are the downtrodden ones. So the Sherman strategy is two-fold. First, demand that the madrassas be shut down and close them forcibly if necessary. "Savage!" you cry, "how culturally insensitive can you be!!" Well, Sherman was pretty insensitive too. It's time for a (pardon the phrase!) "come to Jesus" with our Saudi "friends." They need to stop exporting the madness and liberalize at home.
The other angle on shutting off the font of hatred is to demand that so-called "moderate Muslims" stand up and condemn their co-religionists. No more "religion of peace" language out of our leadership. You want your religion to get respect, start earning it. Let's see a high ranking Muslim cleric do what Pope John Paul II did and place a prayer for forgiveness in the Wailing Wall. Failure to condemn is the equivalent of complicity.
Now, the other issue is the economic one. If we can get these nut-job bombers to start thinking about the next soccer game or getting their kid through high school, it will dramatically cut down on the TNT. Economic reform and liberalization will be a diplomatic and economic initiative but one that will be well worth it in the long run. Here again, we have to be more discerning in the dispensing of our foreign aid. How about we have some simple tests like "does this country preach hatred of the US?" If the answer is "yes," no aid. Fact of the matter is that some of the worst basket case governments are being propped up by our foreign aid dollars. They take the money with one hand and then slap us around in front of their people with the other.
OK, what about the military? Where is the Sherman strategy there? In the immediate conflict of Iraq, the answer is probably a swath of destruction through the Shiite militias. Al Sadr and his thugs have to go. The example set by bringing that gangsta to justice will, I predict, cut down significantly on the violence. We must also change the rules of engagement. First, let our military do what it is damned good at doing: killing people and breaking things. If a sniper is hiding in the minaret of a mosque, take the mosque out. We had no problem bombing the Germans at Monte Cassino in WWII. If a building is housing combatants, it is a target. If guerrillas are hiding among civilians, waste the village. It will only take one or two before the word gets out that the Americans mean business. "Ruthless, heartless, insensitive," I hear you cry. My thinking on this is simple: wars are won by convincing your enemy that you can be more savage than they. The Japanese capitulated after the second atomic bomb was dropped. If we want to end this thing, we have to make it very unpleasant for the foe. Do this and more people will cooperate in routing out the evildoers...they don't want their villages razed.
Couple this ruthlessness with the carrot of a Marshall Plan type of reconstruction. Remind our enemies of the old Marine Corps maxim: no worse enemy in battle, no greater friend in peace. Japan and Germany are unprecedented examples of post-war generosity. Never, in the history of civilization has a conquerer done so much to help the conquered and it is symptomatic of the American spirit. Let the world know that we really just want to be left alone to watch the NFL playoffs and build businesses. But if you mess with us, the hell you will experience will make Dante's Inferno look like Paradisio. AND, if you've learned your lesson about messing with us and are ready to play nice again, we'll help you rebuild so you can get back to watching Britney Spears on YouTube and building businesses!
President Bush, your new strategy is ready sir!
Conservative Kids Prefer Sponge Bob to Katie Couric
Yesterday, I was out with my 14 year old boy, who is a freshman at a local Catholic HS. Over a slice of NY Style Pizza, I asked him if he was worried about terrorism.
In his typical one word style he said, "no". He has never shown any interest in the news.
I told him that when I was growing up near NYC, I was afraid of the Russians.
One word "why?"
I explained that they had nukes pointed at our biggest cities and NYC was a primary target. I told him that we had air raid drills at our elementary school. I explained that they were like fire drills except we didn't go outside. We went into the hallway and sat down against the wall and put our heads down.
I told him that I had trouble sleeping at night thinking about those evil Russians. And I explained that it is OK to be concerned about terrorism and if he wanted to talk about it to just let me know.
He looked around and around. He glanced up at the TV. Fox news was on with a breaking story about an avalanche in Colorado. The he looked back at me and he said, "Parmesan Cheese?"
Well two words. That's a start.
My son sleeps like a champ. He lives in a cocoon.
You'd think that this generation would be over informed, not under informed. Then it hit me. I watched the news every night as a young kid. The local NYC CBS News with Jim Jensen followed by the national news with Walter Cronkite. I watch it because it was the only thing on TV around dinner time and that's what my parents watched. In the 1970's there were 4 channels not 500 and three of the four carried the news. I'm sure I would have skipped the depressing news (murder, fire, terror, sports and weather day after day) if we had an extra TV with sports and cartoons on 24/7.
Anyway, my conversation inspired me to watch the movie United 93 this morning from 6am to 8am. I still have trouble sleeping. We received the movie for free as part of a fundraising campaign before the last election. I have thought about watching it several times over the last 2 months, but could not bring myself to watch it until this morning. It was powerful.
I know all that there are theories that the United 93 was shot down by F16s, but I prefer the American Hero story theory depicted in this film. Regardless of which theory you think is true, I am not sure how this story (and all 9/11 stories) have not galvanized the right and left to work together. How can Murtha, Pelosi, Ms. Clinton, John Kerry, Harry Reid and the bloated Teddy put their own quest for power and money ahead of a united stance.
But the question I am asking here is; How do you teach your conservative kids and liberal minded kids about terrorism?
Radical Islam is teaching hate in their primary schools. They teach their young to hate Jews and all other religions. To hate Americans. Then it gets even crazier. They teach them to hate the other Muslims that do not follow their particular brand of radical Islam. They teach them to revere martyrs. Glenn Beck had a disturbing story about this on his TV show.
We should not teach our kids to hate, but we should make sure that they are aware that their world is dangerous and is changing. Right? I think that my 14 year old is old enough to watch United 93, so I am going to ask him to watch it with me. Ignorance is not always bliss.
Oh got to go. My son needs to get on the computer to watch some silly videos on YouTube.
In his typical one word style he said, "no". He has never shown any interest in the news.
I told him that when I was growing up near NYC, I was afraid of the Russians.
One word "why?"
I explained that they had nukes pointed at our biggest cities and NYC was a primary target. I told him that we had air raid drills at our elementary school. I explained that they were like fire drills except we didn't go outside. We went into the hallway and sat down against the wall and put our heads down.
I told him that I had trouble sleeping at night thinking about those evil Russians. And I explained that it is OK to be concerned about terrorism and if he wanted to talk about it to just let me know.
He looked around and around. He glanced up at the TV. Fox news was on with a breaking story about an avalanche in Colorado. The he looked back at me and he said, "Parmesan Cheese?"
Well two words. That's a start.
My son sleeps like a champ. He lives in a cocoon.
You'd think that this generation would be over informed, not under informed. Then it hit me. I watched the news every night as a young kid. The local NYC CBS News with Jim Jensen followed by the national news with Walter Cronkite. I watch it because it was the only thing on TV around dinner time and that's what my parents watched. In the 1970's there were 4 channels not 500 and three of the four carried the news. I'm sure I would have skipped the depressing news (murder, fire, terror, sports and weather day after day) if we had an extra TV with sports and cartoons on 24/7.
Anyway, my conversation inspired me to watch the movie United 93 this morning from 6am to 8am. I still have trouble sleeping. We received the movie for free as part of a fundraising campaign before the last election. I have thought about watching it several times over the last 2 months, but could not bring myself to watch it until this morning. It was powerful.
I know all that there are theories that the United 93 was shot down by F16s, but I prefer the American Hero story theory depicted in this film. Regardless of which theory you think is true, I am not sure how this story (and all 9/11 stories) have not galvanized the right and left to work together. How can Murtha, Pelosi, Ms. Clinton, John Kerry, Harry Reid and the bloated Teddy put their own quest for power and money ahead of a united stance.
But the question I am asking here is; How do you teach your conservative kids and liberal minded kids about terrorism?
Radical Islam is teaching hate in their primary schools. They teach their young to hate Jews and all other religions. To hate Americans. Then it gets even crazier. They teach them to hate the other Muslims that do not follow their particular brand of radical Islam. They teach them to revere martyrs. Glenn Beck had a disturbing story about this on his TV show.
We should not teach our kids to hate, but we should make sure that they are aware that their world is dangerous and is changing. Right? I think that my 14 year old is old enough to watch United 93, so I am going to ask him to watch it with me. Ignorance is not always bliss.
Oh got to go. My son needs to get on the computer to watch some silly videos on YouTube.
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