Some bloggers says this ad goes too far. I say it poses a great question. Who do you want answering the phone at White House at 3AM? John McCain can pose this question regarding the two Democrat front-runners.
Success in Iraq means less coverage by media
Newsbusters points out how TV coverage of the war in Iraq has shriviled in direct proportion to the positive developments in that country. Without a negative storyline to cast the war as a "miserable failure" and borrow the Democrat's mantra of "the President's failed policy in Iraq" the media finds other things to target in their campaign to paint the nation in a negative light.
Showing success in Iraq would embarass Democrats who have staked their political careers on U.S. failure in that country. If major television and print coverage were to show how the U.S. military working together with Iraqis have destroyed nearly all of the al Qaeda in Iraq it would present the Democrats with the bothersome chore of explaining their predictions of doom and gloom for U.S. efforts in that country.
Showing success in Iraq would embarass Democrats who have staked their political careers on U.S. failure in that country. If major television and print coverage were to show how the U.S. military working together with Iraqis have destroyed nearly all of the al Qaeda in Iraq it would present the Democrats with the bothersome chore of explaining their predictions of doom and gloom for U.S. efforts in that country.
A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief - the David Johansen version
UPDATE: For the YouTube video, see my newer post: http://slcblues.blogspot.com/2008/09/if-youre-looking-for-poor-wayfaring-man.html
Since I couldn't find that hymn, here are David Johansen and Brian Koonin singing "Come, Come Ye Saints." Not the same thing at all, but nicely done.
Here's how the thought process evolved that led to my looking on YouTube and everywhere else for the hymn "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" sung by 70's punk rocker David Johansen of the New York Dolls. Strange as it may seem, everyone who hears it agrees it is possibly the most the touching rendition they've ever heard. But I get ahead of my story here.
Recently a friend of mine wrote a blog post about charitable acts and how easy it is to help from a distance without getting our hands dirty, so to speak (the actual post is about helping humanity vs. individuals, and he says it much better here). That led me to thinking further about charitable acts and service projects, and how sometimes we fail to see there may be better ways of helping someone.
And that led me to thinking of the Mormon hymn, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," which in turn reminded me of the David Johansen version of that hymn heard at the end of the documentary, "The New York Dolls."
A few years ago a documentary filmmaker wanted to do a film on the life of Arthur "Killer" Kane, bass player for the 70's punk rock band The New York Dolls. At the same time a reunion was organized for the band which hadn't performed together since 1975. The resulting film was one of the most surprising and touching stories I've ever watched. I was not prepared to see this wild rocker and burned out drug and alcohol addict as a converted Mormon, a soft-spoken gentle soul working in the LDS Family History library in L.A. Despite knowing nothing about the"Dolls" nor their music, I found the documentary fascinating. Arthur's co-workers at the church library, sweet little old ladies, called themselves groupies. Arthur's bishop gave him the few hundred dollars he needed to get his bass out of the pawn shop. It was nice to see a filmmaker not make fun of these sincere people on-screen. The reunion took place in London, Arthur and David reconciled after many years as bitter enemies. The seamy world of punk contrasted dramatically with Arthur's new life, and he suffered a lot of temptation and torment for his faith. After the reunion, Arthur returned to his church job. But just three weeks later, he took ill, was diagnosed with leukemia, and died shortly thereafter. The movie ended on that sad note. But I had heard, do not leave until the very end of the credits, for there you will hear David Johansen and Brian Koonin of the Dolls singing a tribute to their friend. I'm glad I waited. The hymn sung in those gravelly voices would melt the hardest of hearts.
So I have been looking for that on YouTube and all over the internet. Everwhere I looked, reviews I read, everyone mentioned the hymn and how they were affected by it. But nowhere is the video to be found online. I know the film is out in DVD, but I really just wanted to hear that hymn again. I guess I'll have to buy the video after all.
Since I couldn't find that hymn, here are David Johansen and Brian Koonin singing "Come, Come Ye Saints." Not the same thing at all, but nicely done.
Here's how the thought process evolved that led to my looking on YouTube and everywhere else for the hymn "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" sung by 70's punk rocker David Johansen of the New York Dolls. Strange as it may seem, everyone who hears it agrees it is possibly the most the touching rendition they've ever heard. But I get ahead of my story here.
Recently a friend of mine wrote a blog post about charitable acts and how easy it is to help from a distance without getting our hands dirty, so to speak (the actual post is about helping humanity vs. individuals, and he says it much better here). That led me to thinking further about charitable acts and service projects, and how sometimes we fail to see there may be better ways of helping someone.
And that led me to thinking of the Mormon hymn, "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief," which in turn reminded me of the David Johansen version of that hymn heard at the end of the documentary, "The New York Dolls."
A few years ago a documentary filmmaker wanted to do a film on the life of Arthur "Killer" Kane, bass player for the 70's punk rock band The New York Dolls. At the same time a reunion was organized for the band which hadn't performed together since 1975. The resulting film was one of the most surprising and touching stories I've ever watched. I was not prepared to see this wild rocker and burned out drug and alcohol addict as a converted Mormon, a soft-spoken gentle soul working in the LDS Family History library in L.A. Despite knowing nothing about the"Dolls" nor their music, I found the documentary fascinating. Arthur's co-workers at the church library, sweet little old ladies, called themselves groupies. Arthur's bishop gave him the few hundred dollars he needed to get his bass out of the pawn shop. It was nice to see a filmmaker not make fun of these sincere people on-screen. The reunion took place in London, Arthur and David reconciled after many years as bitter enemies. The seamy world of punk contrasted dramatically with Arthur's new life, and he suffered a lot of temptation and torment for his faith. After the reunion, Arthur returned to his church job. But just three weeks later, he took ill, was diagnosed with leukemia, and died shortly thereafter. The movie ended on that sad note. But I had heard, do not leave until the very end of the credits, for there you will hear David Johansen and Brian Koonin of the Dolls singing a tribute to their friend. I'm glad I waited. The hymn sung in those gravelly voices would melt the hardest of hearts.
So I have been looking for that on YouTube and all over the internet. Everwhere I looked, reviews I read, everyone mentioned the hymn and how they were affected by it. But nowhere is the video to be found online. I know the film is out in DVD, but I really just wanted to hear that hymn again. I guess I'll have to buy the video after all.
IN 52 SECS WHY BARACK OBAMA CANNOT WIN A GENERAL ELECTION
Obama makes George McGovern look like an outright hawk in this 52 second spot that outlines how he would decimate this country's ability to defend itself against nuclear and other high tech weaponry. Obama is the kind of guy Chomskyites the world over can get behind. The Illinois Senator portrays any American expenditure for self-preservation and defense as evil and unwarrented. By initiating a plan like the one he outlines in this video Obama would effectively disarm America and leave the nation vulnerable to attack from Islamic facists and countries intent on our destruction. Senator Obama says he would cut investments in unproven missile defense systems like the one that brought down the disabled satellite last week. Obama would slow development of future combat systems leaving us behind the development of weapons systems by unfriendly foreign nations. Obama says he would set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons. Nice try but that never worked very well with the Soviets. In fact those policies were such a miserable failures that we were left with dangerous vulnerabilities in our missle deterrent until a fellow by the name of Ronald Wison Reagon became President and coined the phrase, "trust but verify". Within nine years the walls of the Soviet Union and their Iron Curtain proxies came tumbling down. Obama, you're no Ronald Reagan!
Noam Chomsky vs. William F. Buckley Debate : Part 2 of 2
Classic video clip from the late sixties, William F. Buckley takes on odious Communist apologist, Noam Chomsky on Buckley's PBS program firing line. Buckley points out Chomsky's convenient lapses in the historical record to fit in with his anti-American narrative. Chomsky continually flits over the brutal and repressive invasion of Checkoslovakia in 1968 by the Soviet Union as Buckley presses in with, "If you can't distinguish between the nature of our venture in Guatemala and the nature of the Soviet Union's in Prague, then we have real difficulties." -- Rest in Peace, William F. Buckley.
Anti-American Obama's
"Principled" Senator Barack Obama won't salute the flag during this awful rendition of the national anthem at a campaign appearance with other leading Dems in Iowa. If you can stand to hear the rank amatuer belt out the worst version of the national anthem ever recorded you will see that all the other presidential candidates show their respect for the nation by saluting the flag of the United States. (At least he didn't choose to remain seated.) Oh, and of course the Obama's are really finally proud of our country.
US destroy spy satellite with missile. Best Quality
USS Erie launches missle that destroys old US spy satellite. Good video without commentary.
Barack Obama: Taliban Arms the US Soldiers
Barack Obama steps in it during last night's debate with Hillary Clinton. The Oracle of Chicago's south side proclaimed with sonorous solemnity that American troops are so destitute and in need of supplies that they are reduced to foraging for arms and ammunition from the bodies of dead Taliban. The Senator must think this is Czarist Russia in 1917! Is Obama trying to be America's version of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in the 21st Century? There is NO TIME that American troops have EVER been sent into battle without rifles from the dawn of last century to the sunshine of the present day! And, just to clue-in the Junior Senator, Captains command companies not platoons and NO platoon is ever split into two different theaters! Are we to believe that a man who went to Columbia University and the Harvard Law School where he was elected the Harvard Law Review's first black president in its 104-year history falls for the drek that comes spewing out of the mouths of crazy leftists? Senator John Warner has called Obama's bluff about this anecdote from an "anonymous source" (famous leftist synonym for making-the-whole-story-up) with a call for a Senate investigative committee to look into the Illinois Senator's allegations. C'mon Obama, put up or shut up! Do we see another Obama spin cycle in the making?
Psychiatrist Says: Liberalism Is A Mental Disorder
We knew it all along and now it has been confirmed. Liberals are nuts! Actually, they are spoiled brats who want no part of responsibility and want the government (surrogate parents) to take care of them.
Top Psychiatrist Concludes Liberals Clinically Nuts
Eminent psychiatrist makes case ideology is mental disorder
Top Psychiatrist Concludes Liberals Clinically Nuts
Eminent psychiatrist makes case ideology is mental disorder
WASHINGTON – Just when liberals thought it was safe to start identifying themselves as such, an acclaimed, veteran psychiatrist is making the case that the ideology motivating them is actually a mental disorder.
"Based on strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions, modern liberals relentlessly undermine the most important principles on which our freedoms were founded," says Dr. Lyle Rossiter, author of the new book, "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness." "Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave."
While political activists on the other side of the spectrum have made similar observations, Rossiter boasts professional credentials and a life virtually free of activism and links to "the vast right-wing conspiracy."
For more than 35 years he has diagnosed and treated more than 1,500 patients as a board-certified clinical psychiatrist and examined more than 2,700 civil and criminal cases as a board-certified forensic psychiatrist. He received his medical and psychiatric training at the University of Chicago.
Rossiter says the kind of liberalism being displayed by the two major candidates for the Democratic Party presidential nomination can only be understood as a psychological disorder.
"A social scientist who understands human nature will not dismiss the vital roles of free choice, voluntary cooperation and moral integrity – as liberals do," he says. "A political leader who understands human nature will not ignore individual differences in talent, drive, personal appeal and work ethic, and then try to impose economic and social equality on the population – as liberals do. And a legislator who understands human nature will not create an environment of rules which over-regulates and over-taxes the nation's citizens, corrupts their character and reduces them to wards of the state – as liberals do."
Dr. Rossiter says the liberal agenda preys on weakness and feelings of inferiority in the population by:
- creating and reinforcing perceptions of victimization;
- satisfying infantile claims to entitlement, indulgence and compensation;
- augmenting primitive feelings of envy;
- rejecting the sovereignty of the individual, subordinating him to the will of the government.
"The roots of liberalism – and its associated madness – can be clearly identified by understanding how children develop from infancy to adulthood and how distorted development produces the irrational beliefs of the liberal mind," he says. "When the modern liberal mind whines about imaginary victims, rages against imaginary villains and seeks above all else to run the lives of persons competent to run their own lives, the neurosis of the liberal mind becomes painfully obvious."
Posted: February 15, 2008
3:40 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
Chris Matthews Humiliates State Senator Kirk Watson On MSNBC
Obama supporter Senator Kirk Watson couldn't name ONE accomplishment for the preening orator from Illinois, Senator Barack Obama. Matthews grilled his guest mercilessly to come up with just ONE accomplishment that Obama has made during his limited tenure in Washington. Watson was completely stumped for an answer. This was just too good! It shows that Obama is all wind and no blow.
2004 Poggio Salvi CHIANTI COLLI SENESI (Tuscany, Italy)
This is a terrific, rustic Tuscan wine -- loaded with flavor -- from the region in Chianti that is closest to the adjoining and much more prestigious Brunello di Montalcino DOC.
Color: Opaque dark black ruby.
Nose: Big, deep, fruity/earthy. Cherries, balsamic notes, old barrels and gravel.
Mouth: Lots of dark chokecherry syrup flavors upon entry, with earthy minerals and iodine flavors. Full-bodied, with some fairly soft tannins making themselves known.
Cellar or drink?: With air, this wine drinks well now, but should keep and perhaps improve for another 2 years.
Score: 90.
Price/store: This wine was a gift from my friend Robert Finley, and I’m not sure where he got it, but Spec’s on Smith lists this one for $12 and change.
Color: Opaque dark black ruby.
Nose: Big, deep, fruity/earthy. Cherries, balsamic notes, old barrels and gravel.
Mouth: Lots of dark chokecherry syrup flavors upon entry, with earthy minerals and iodine flavors. Full-bodied, with some fairly soft tannins making themselves known.Cellar or drink?: With air, this wine drinks well now, but should keep and perhaps improve for another 2 years.
Score: 90.
Price/store: This wine was a gift from my friend Robert Finley, and I’m not sure where he got it, but Spec’s on Smith lists this one for $12 and change.
2006 Pascual Toso MALBEC (Maipu Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina)
An outstanding value, this wine had loads of flavor for under $10.
Color: Dense purple-tinged ruby.
Nose: Interesting nose of buttered wheat toast, gravel, and ripe plums and cassis.
Mouth: Round, ripe, soft, and concentrated. Persistent flavors of blackberries and sandstone. Full-bodied, with a long, balanced finish, and lots of soft, ripe tannin.
Cellar or drink?: Drinking very well now, but will age nicely for the next three years or so.
Score: 90.
Price/store: Was $9 and change at Spec’s on Westheimer.
Color: Dense purple-tinged ruby.
Nose: Interesting nose of buttered wheat toast, gravel, and ripe plums and cassis.
Mouth: Round, ripe, soft, and concentrated. Persistent flavors of blackberries and sandstone. Full-bodied, with a long, balanced finish, and lots of soft, ripe tannin.Cellar or drink?: Drinking very well now, but will age nicely for the next three years or so.
Score: 90.
Price/store: Was $9 and change at Spec’s on Westheimer.
Commander In Chief?
Top Hillary Clinton strategerist Mark Penn says that Hillary is going to mount an offensive where she will emphasize that she would make a better commander-in-chief than Barack Obama and John McCain. If this is Hillary's best, last gasp strategy, her campaign is in worse shape than I thought.
Despite what Hillary or Bill or any of their cronies say, she loathes the military. It is very likely she would be the worst commander-in-chief in our nation's history. Women are naturally anti-war. It's part of their DNA. They will go to much greater lengths to avoid war than men will, to our detriment. Ladies, I am not applying this to all women. I'm just referring to the majority of the female gender. Do men like war? No. Do men understand better than women when war is necessary? As a whole, I think so.
I used to think this country was ready for a woman president, and they may still be. However, it isn't this woman.
Global Warming Indoctrination
California Democrat Joe Simitian wants to make sure science textbooks cover the top of global warming to fill young, moldable minds with nonsense. Simitian said, "You can't have a science curriculum that is relevant and current if it doesn't deal with the science behind climate change."
Okay Joe. Let's put the science behind global warming in textbooks. Maybe some of those school kids who are smarter than you are will see that the "science" and "data" are completely erroneous and fabricated.
Your side has already managed to put an unchallenged theory of evolution in textbooks which has little credible evidence to support it.
You people are really strange. But you liberals tend to be the creative types who have no clue about science and concrete evidence.
Okay Joe. Let's put the science behind global warming in textbooks. Maybe some of those school kids who are smarter than you are will see that the "science" and "data" are completely erroneous and fabricated.
Your side has already managed to put an unchallenged theory of evolution in textbooks which has little credible evidence to support it.
You people are really strange. But you liberals tend to be the creative types who have no clue about science and concrete evidence.
Definition Of Conservatism
Has anyone ever asked you, "What is a conservative?" Or, "What does a conservative believe?" If you have struggled to answer those questions, here is conservatism in a nutshell provided by William Boetcker, a mid-20th century American minister. The list is titled "The Ten Cannots", a play on "The Ten Commandments."
- You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
- You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
- You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.
- You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
- You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
- You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.
- You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
- You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.
- You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.
- And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.
Europe's Anti-American Agenda
More on the motivation that drives the European Media to portray America in a bad light.
CBN Report on Anti-Americanism in European Media - Part 2
A short video on the rampant Anti-Americanism in Western Europe. Of particular note, the Anti-Family and Anti-Christian bias that underscores how the United States is portrayed in Europe. Notice how the European storyline of the USA mirrors that of the American Media, the Democratic Party and their Soro's funded allies.
See YOUR HOUSE on Google Maps
This gave me a bit of an eerie feeling. After reading the story on KSL.com, I pulled up Google Maps and typed in my home address and selected Street View. There I saw a full 360 degree view of my entire neighborhood. A recent photo, too, probably last fall judging from the yard and the car in the driveway.
It is truly amazing technology. Click on the arrows to pan around the neighborhood. Click on the street arrows to go for a drive and explore up or down the street, turns corners, keep going. How did they capture all of this?
Does this technology go too far? I'm undecided at the moment. It is very cool, but at the same time feels a little voyeuristic, a little "1984". I wonder who is taking all these pictures and whether they sometimes catch people in them. I'll need to think about this a little more before I can form an opinion.
It is truly amazing technology. Click on the arrows to pan around the neighborhood. Click on the street arrows to go for a drive and explore up or down the street, turns corners, keep going. How did they capture all of this?
Does this technology go too far? I'm undecided at the moment. It is very cool, but at the same time feels a little voyeuristic, a little "1984". I wonder who is taking all these pictures and whether they sometimes catch people in them. I'll need to think about this a little more before I can form an opinion.
Tom Tancredo's Open Letter to Mexican President Calderon
Mexican President Felipe Calderon's recent whirlwind visit to the United States, was crammed with stops for various speaking engagements and meetings with immigration activists, legislators and governors along both coasts. During one such engagement, Mr. Calderon asked in remarks before the California State Assembly in Sacramento, California, "Did we work together to provide organized and humane migration, or did we continue to allow hundreds to die each year?" He noted that Mexico and the United States, "must take a comprehensive approach" to immigration that is "legal, safe and organized."
In response to these and other remarks made by the visiting head of state, Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton, CO) published an open letter to the Mexican President. I have published the full text of the letter.
President Calderon:
I was disappointed by misguided comments you recently made regarding U.S.-Mexico relations and U.S. immigration laws. Purveying misinformation and absurd allegations is hardly a positive step to building a constructive partnership.
According to the Associated Press you recently said, “You have two economies. One economy is intensive in capital, which is the American economy. One economy is intensive in labor, which is the Mexican economy. We are two complementary economies, and that phenomenon is impossible to stop.” Yes, both countries benefit by the 85% of Mexico’s manufacturing exports that come to the U.S., but people are not commodities. While I appreciate your concern for our joint prosperity, the economic and social ills that plague your country cannot be resolved by simply exporting your citizens to the United States.
It is undeniable that Mexico faces major challenges. Endemic corruption and the power of violent drug cartels still dominate everyday life across Mexico. Beyond the headlines, Mexico has deep institutional maladies. Mexico’s absurdly antiquated Napoleonic-inquisition styled legal system and the squandering of robust energy-industry opportunity by a poorly managed, state-run Pemex monopoly are just two examples of the kind of self-inflicted wounds that hobble your troubled nation.
I understand that you are attempting to resolve some of these problems and applaud your leadership in trying to do so. But what would contribute more to the long term stability of your economy and your country would be to focus more energy on addressing your domestic challenges and less on lobbying the U.S. to provide amnesty for Mexicans who have illegally entered this country with the blessing of your government. In doing so, you might be able to keep Mexico’s “best and brightest young men” in Mexico – where they can contribute more to Mexico’s economy than remittance payments. Unfortunately, your recent comments indicate that Mexico will continue its policy of encouraging illegal immigration and treating the United States as little more than a dumping ground for your social and economic problems.
In your speech yesterday to the California State legislature, you lectured the American people on how to improve our immigration policies. Why did you not propose that we model our policies on Mexico’s own policies toward illegal entry across your own southern border? Mexico expends enormous resources to prevent Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadorans from entering the country illegally, but you castigate the United States for wanting secure borders. Mr. President, in my neighborhood that is called hypocrisy.
You proposed in your Sacramento speech that “migration” be made “legal, safe and organized.” Mr. President, we already have such a program and it is called legal immigration. Over one million legal immigrants come through our ports of entry each year, not across our border fences. The American people set limits on the number of legal immigrants through our immigration laws, and it is not the job of the Mexican government to revise or expand those limits.
President Calderon, you are insulting the American people when you tell us that fifteen to twenty million illegal aliens in our country bring only benefits and no costs. I challenge you to give one concrete example of how the enforcement of our existing immigration laws violates anyone’s human rights. The people of Oklahoma are not anti-Mexican for passing laws to require verification of employment eligibility. The people of Indiana are not anti-immigrant for passing laws to require photo identification for voting. The people of California are not anti-Mexican for denying driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. The people of Arizona are not anti-immigrant for passing laws that deny welfare benefits to people who are in that state unlawfully.
It is no secret that the purpose of your visit is to influence the American election, and in fact your trip has been billed as a high-stakes effort to shape the immigration debate underway in the U.S. presidential race. What is perhaps more disappointing, however, is your attempt to insinuate that anti-amnesty sentiment here in the U.S. is the same as anti-Mexican sentiment. I am referring to your statement, “I need to change in the perception that the Americans are the enemy, and it is important to change the perception that the Mexicans are the enemy.”
It is both disingenuous and dangerous for you to inject this kind of xenophobia into this debate. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans support the enforcement of our immigration laws and take issue with the notion that we should reward illegal behavior, hardly qualifies as ethnic animosity or international enmity. What you must understand is that a treasured aspect of our national foundation is a respect for the rule of law. Perhaps if corruption were not so widespread and commonplace in Mexico, it would be easier for you to understand this.
President Calderon, in many ways your trip thus far has been a long series of mixed messages. You accuse the United States of recent protectionist trends, yet you heavily restrict foreign entry into Mexico’s energy sector through a massive, state-run Pemex monopoly. You assure American politicians that an open flow of cheap Mexican labor is not only benign but vitally necessary, but you take great care in securing your own southern border with Guatemala. You come to the United States purportedly to promote better political and economic ties with the U.S., but then issue a thinly veiled threat that Mexicans will regard the U.S. as an enemy if we refuse to provide millions of illegal aliens with unconditional amnesty.
President Calderon, I respectfully suggest that the next time you visit our country, rather than trying to influence U.S. policymakers or our election process, you take time to listen to Americans rather than lecture them. If you want to make changes in government policies, apply your energies to Mexico’s laundry list of problems rather than meddling in domestic American politics.
Frank, honest and to the point.
In response to these and other remarks made by the visiting head of state, Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton, CO) published an open letter to the Mexican President. I have published the full text of the letter.
President Calderon:
I was disappointed by misguided comments you recently made regarding U.S.-Mexico relations and U.S. immigration laws. Purveying misinformation and absurd allegations is hardly a positive step to building a constructive partnership.
According to the Associated Press you recently said, “You have two economies. One economy is intensive in capital, which is the American economy. One economy is intensive in labor, which is the Mexican economy. We are two complementary economies, and that phenomenon is impossible to stop.” Yes, both countries benefit by the 85% of Mexico’s manufacturing exports that come to the U.S., but people are not commodities. While I appreciate your concern for our joint prosperity, the economic and social ills that plague your country cannot be resolved by simply exporting your citizens to the United States.
It is undeniable that Mexico faces major challenges. Endemic corruption and the power of violent drug cartels still dominate everyday life across Mexico. Beyond the headlines, Mexico has deep institutional maladies. Mexico’s absurdly antiquated Napoleonic-inquisition styled legal system and the squandering of robust energy-industry opportunity by a poorly managed, state-run Pemex monopoly are just two examples of the kind of self-inflicted wounds that hobble your troubled nation.
I understand that you are attempting to resolve some of these problems and applaud your leadership in trying to do so. But what would contribute more to the long term stability of your economy and your country would be to focus more energy on addressing your domestic challenges and less on lobbying the U.S. to provide amnesty for Mexicans who have illegally entered this country with the blessing of your government. In doing so, you might be able to keep Mexico’s “best and brightest young men” in Mexico – where they can contribute more to Mexico’s economy than remittance payments. Unfortunately, your recent comments indicate that Mexico will continue its policy of encouraging illegal immigration and treating the United States as little more than a dumping ground for your social and economic problems.
In your speech yesterday to the California State legislature, you lectured the American people on how to improve our immigration policies. Why did you not propose that we model our policies on Mexico’s own policies toward illegal entry across your own southern border? Mexico expends enormous resources to prevent Guatemalans, Hondurans and Salvadorans from entering the country illegally, but you castigate the United States for wanting secure borders. Mr. President, in my neighborhood that is called hypocrisy.
You proposed in your Sacramento speech that “migration” be made “legal, safe and organized.” Mr. President, we already have such a program and it is called legal immigration. Over one million legal immigrants come through our ports of entry each year, not across our border fences. The American people set limits on the number of legal immigrants through our immigration laws, and it is not the job of the Mexican government to revise or expand those limits.
President Calderon, you are insulting the American people when you tell us that fifteen to twenty million illegal aliens in our country bring only benefits and no costs. I challenge you to give one concrete example of how the enforcement of our existing immigration laws violates anyone’s human rights. The people of Oklahoma are not anti-Mexican for passing laws to require verification of employment eligibility. The people of Indiana are not anti-immigrant for passing laws to require photo identification for voting. The people of California are not anti-Mexican for denying driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. The people of Arizona are not anti-immigrant for passing laws that deny welfare benefits to people who are in that state unlawfully.
It is no secret that the purpose of your visit is to influence the American election, and in fact your trip has been billed as a high-stakes effort to shape the immigration debate underway in the U.S. presidential race. What is perhaps more disappointing, however, is your attempt to insinuate that anti-amnesty sentiment here in the U.S. is the same as anti-Mexican sentiment. I am referring to your statement, “I need to change in the perception that the Americans are the enemy, and it is important to change the perception that the Mexicans are the enemy.”
It is both disingenuous and dangerous for you to inject this kind of xenophobia into this debate. The fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans support the enforcement of our immigration laws and take issue with the notion that we should reward illegal behavior, hardly qualifies as ethnic animosity or international enmity. What you must understand is that a treasured aspect of our national foundation is a respect for the rule of law. Perhaps if corruption were not so widespread and commonplace in Mexico, it would be easier for you to understand this.
President Calderon, in many ways your trip thus far has been a long series of mixed messages. You accuse the United States of recent protectionist trends, yet you heavily restrict foreign entry into Mexico’s energy sector through a massive, state-run Pemex monopoly. You assure American politicians that an open flow of cheap Mexican labor is not only benign but vitally necessary, but you take great care in securing your own southern border with Guatemala. You come to the United States purportedly to promote better political and economic ties with the U.S., but then issue a thinly veiled threat that Mexicans will regard the U.S. as an enemy if we refuse to provide millions of illegal aliens with unconditional amnesty.
President Calderon, I respectfully suggest that the next time you visit our country, rather than trying to influence U.S. policymakers or our election process, you take time to listen to Americans rather than lecture them. If you want to make changes in government policies, apply your energies to Mexico’s laundry list of problems rather than meddling in domestic American politics.
Frank, honest and to the point.
2006 Steele Vineyard "Pacini Vineyard" "Old Vine" ZINFANDEL (Mendocino County, California)
This was a terrific youthful Zin that is really good now but will benefit from another year in the bottle.
Color: Very dark black ruby color.
Nose: Gorgeous and intense -- spicy black raspberry fruit, sweet cream, and a background note of pine forest.
Mouth: Intensely concentrated, but not overblown, with a youthful angularity in the mouthfeel. Lots of focused fruit and black pepper flavors. Some heat in the long finish (which didn't seem to jibe with the relatively low 13.5% alcohol listed on the label).
Cellar or drink?: It will be hard to resist this focused, yummy, concentrated Zin now, but the angularity should settle down over the next year or so.
Score: 90+.
Price/store: Was $16.99 at Spec's on Smith, making it an excellent value in the brave new world of inflated-price Zins.
Color: Very dark black ruby color.Nose: Gorgeous and intense -- spicy black raspberry fruit, sweet cream, and a background note of pine forest.
Mouth: Intensely concentrated, but not overblown, with a youthful angularity in the mouthfeel. Lots of focused fruit and black pepper flavors. Some heat in the long finish (which didn't seem to jibe with the relatively low 13.5% alcohol listed on the label).
Cellar or drink?: It will be hard to resist this focused, yummy, concentrated Zin now, but the angularity should settle down over the next year or so.
Score: 90+.
Price/store: Was $16.99 at Spec's on Smith, making it an excellent value in the brave new world of inflated-price Zins.
2005 Domaine Massamier La Mignarde "Cuvée des Oliviers" (Southwest France)
This wine, from the Coteaux des Peyriac region in southwest France near Minervois, was cheap but just so-so.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Cinsault, and Grenache, this wine has a dark ruby color, but only a medium-intensity nose of very bland berry fruit and stones. Medium-bodied and balanced, but with almost non-descript flavors of generic berries and minerals. Not bad swigging at a party (it was only $7 a bottle), but little else. Got it at Spec's on Richmond. 79.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignane, Cinsault, and Grenache, this wine has a dark ruby color, but only a medium-intensity nose of very bland berry fruit and stones. Medium-bodied and balanced, but with almost non-descript flavors of generic berries and minerals. Not bad swigging at a party (it was only $7 a bottle), but little else. Got it at Spec's on Richmond. 79.
2005 Domaine du Bouqueteau CHINON (Loire, France)
Just when I finish a post about how unusually ripe the 2005 Loire reds are , I get an unripe one. Figures.
This 100% Cabernet Franc was too unripe and vegetal for my taste.
Dark black ruby color. Interesting but not altogether pleasant nose. On the good side, there were some nice cherry and underbrush scents. On the bad side, there was a persistent vegetal (bell peppers and green beans). Surprisingly full and concentrated given its unripeness. Soft-textured as well, but the overriding impression is that of the unripe flavors. With several hours of air the vegetal scents receded just a tad, but still was disappointing. 79. I believe this was about $14 at Central Market.
This 100% Cabernet Franc was too unripe and vegetal for my taste.
Dark black ruby color. Interesting but not altogether pleasant nose. On the good side, there were some nice cherry and underbrush scents. On the bad side, there was a persistent vegetal (bell peppers and green beans). Surprisingly full and concentrated given its unripeness. Soft-textured as well, but the overriding impression is that of the unripe flavors. With several hours of air the vegetal scents receded just a tad, but still was disappointing. 79. I believe this was about $14 at Central Market.
2006 Commanderie de la Bargemone COTEAUX D'AIX EN PROVENCE ROSÉ (France)
This was a light, fresh, but very austere rosé.
Very light coppery/cantaloupe color. Light intensity nose of tomato skins, tropical fruit and bananas, and some pungent briny stones. Crisp and very minerally in the mouth, with fruit in the background instead of in the fore. Focused and austere, this rosé isn't so great on its own, but would be a nice foil to a sweet, unctuous seafood like scallops. 84. Was $9 and change at Spec's on Smith.
Very light coppery/cantaloupe color. Light intensity nose of tomato skins, tropical fruit and bananas, and some pungent briny stones. Crisp and very minerally in the mouth, with fruit in the background instead of in the fore. Focused and austere, this rosé isn't so great on its own, but would be a nice foil to a sweet, unctuous seafood like scallops. 84. Was $9 and change at Spec's on Smith.
Pictorial Essay on Berkeley Protests
Zombie Time has the first of a large pictorial essay here on what happened yesterday in Bezerkley, California.
Berkely City Council Steps Back from the Cliff
Berkeley California made national news last week after its city council adopted a resolution calling the Marines "Uninvited, Unwelcome Intruders" due to the presence of one of their officer recruitment centers on Shattuck Avenue in the city known for its many eccentricities. The council further granted the deviant protest group Code Pink a parking permit directly in front of the Marine recruiting station. The result was that persons trying to access the recruiting station were treated with taunts and threats and prevented from entering the premises by Code Pink activists barracading and sometimes chaining themselves to the door while Berkely police stood by and did nothing.
These craven and dispicable actions on the part of a derranged local administrative body and its police force sparked a groundswell of protest by people of good conscience from around the country. Phone calls, letters and emails of protest flooded the city to demand a retraction of their resolution. The city's email server crashed from the sheer volume of email that flooded the city councilmen's inboxes. Some members of the council reported that they had received 26,000 rebuking them for their vote in favor of the resolution.
People from around the nation, conservative and liberal took airplanes, cars, buses and trains to be present for counter-demonstration against those who were attacking the Marines by their disruptive actions and the city government that enabled the anti-military protesters.
Yesterday saw clashes between protesters on both sides of the issue with allegations that the Berkeley police and local office of the California Highway Patrol stood by and did nothing as some counter-protesters from Move America Forward were assaulted by deranged members of the Code Pink crowd. (Although deranged is a great way to describe Code Pink in general)
Radio commentator and Move America Forward organizer Melanie Morgan describes the scene as it developed through the day:
Berkeley, the birthplace of free speech, is now officially the center of intolerant hatred for anyone who sticks up for the men and women who are fighting and dying to protect THEIR rights.
Before our sound system was nearly sabotaged, a young man posing as a pro-troop supporter asked to speak to the crowd. I allowed him to talk (about his family’s ‘service’)when he started spewing obscenities about the ‘illegal, immoral, unjust war’ . I grabbed the microphone back, and he tried to clobber me with it.
Gold Star Dad Mark Crowley knocked him to the ground, where he found a faceful of dirt to keep him company.
Our side sang God Bless America, America the beautiful and other stirring songs that seemed to enrage the elderly commies.
25,000 petitions were collected by Move America Forward with the help of other pro-troops groups like Gathering of Eagles, EaglesUp, Vets for Freedom and others. There were Eagles EVERYWHERE today.
And Patriot Guard Riders.
And American Legion vets.
And members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
5,000 petition signatures were also collected by an organization in Washington headed by Nicholas Provenzano, who flew out to Berkeley on the red-eye to deliver to the City Council. Red, White and Blue Americans rushed to our side from Atlanta, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, San Diego, and other parts of the United States.
Our crowds numbered into the thousands throughout the day.
So gratifying. So humbling.
People of all ages, races, and political backgrounds (yes even some incensed liberals) honored our active duty service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in other parts around the world.
Clashes between supporters of the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces and the anti-U.S. dregs of society known as Code Pink, International ANSWER and assorted teenagers released from their Stalinist indoctrination classes at Berkley High School culminated that evening with a series of speeches by members of both sides during that community's planned city council meeting.
At the end of a very long city council meeting where the usual suspects of Code-Pinkos, International ANSWER and faux veterans claiming innumerable horrors and injustices of the military were followed by Veitnam Veterans, Moms and Dads of those now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as real Veterans of the Gulf War and Iraq and Afghanistan. The council stepped back from their earlier resolution voting 7-2 to rescind its earlier action informing the Marine Corps that its local recuiting office was not welcome in the city.
The council later voted not to apologize to the Marine Corps for its actions in January. Council member Linda Maio said "We do not want to ostracize our troops, they are our sons and our daughters. We care about them. We love them and we want to bring them home."
Oh sure, they really care about them. That's why the council passed that outrageous resolution last January. And to show their support for our troops, Code Pink plans to introduce a resolution on the local ballot to oust the Marine recruiters from Berkeley. Jodie Evans, a Berkeley yoga studio owner and co-founder of the anti-military group says, "We want voters to be able to decide" adding, "just like they have a say whether a liquor store or porn shop opens near a school".
Code Pink equates a Marine recruiting center with a porn shop or liquor store so that young people ("Children" in leftist jargon) won't be exposed to the opportunity to serve their country. Code Pink would like to close all recruiting offices across the country so that no one would be able to serve in the armed forces of the United States. Code Pink's ambition is that all American cities treat the Marine and other military recruiters in the same shabby fashion as the Berkeley city council and police have done. Code Pinkos and International ANSWER types know that as long as the United States has an assertive President willing to use a strong military backed by a supportive civilian base, their dreams of creating an Internationalist Socialist Dictatorship will never be realized.
HooAhhh Marines! Semper Fi!
These craven and dispicable actions on the part of a derranged local administrative body and its police force sparked a groundswell of protest by people of good conscience from around the country. Phone calls, letters and emails of protest flooded the city to demand a retraction of their resolution. The city's email server crashed from the sheer volume of email that flooded the city councilmen's inboxes. Some members of the council reported that they had received 26,000 rebuking them for their vote in favor of the resolution.
People from around the nation, conservative and liberal took airplanes, cars, buses and trains to be present for counter-demonstration against those who were attacking the Marines by their disruptive actions and the city government that enabled the anti-military protesters.
Yesterday saw clashes between protesters on both sides of the issue with allegations that the Berkeley police and local office of the California Highway Patrol stood by and did nothing as some counter-protesters from Move America Forward were assaulted by deranged members of the Code Pink crowd. (Although deranged is a great way to describe Code Pink in general)
Radio commentator and Move America Forward organizer Melanie Morgan describes the scene as it developed through the day:
Berkeley, the birthplace of free speech, is now officially the center of intolerant hatred for anyone who sticks up for the men and women who are fighting and dying to protect THEIR rights.
Before our sound system was nearly sabotaged, a young man posing as a pro-troop supporter asked to speak to the crowd. I allowed him to talk (about his family’s ‘service’)when he started spewing obscenities about the ‘illegal, immoral, unjust war’ . I grabbed the microphone back, and he tried to clobber me with it.
Gold Star Dad Mark Crowley knocked him to the ground, where he found a faceful of dirt to keep him company.
Our side sang God Bless America, America the beautiful and other stirring songs that seemed to enrage the elderly commies.
25,000 petitions were collected by Move America Forward with the help of other pro-troops groups like Gathering of Eagles, EaglesUp, Vets for Freedom and others. There were Eagles EVERYWHERE today.
And Patriot Guard Riders.
And American Legion vets.
And members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
5,000 petition signatures were also collected by an organization in Washington headed by Nicholas Provenzano, who flew out to Berkeley on the red-eye to deliver to the City Council. Red, White and Blue Americans rushed to our side from Atlanta, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, San Diego, and other parts of the United States.
Our crowds numbered into the thousands throughout the day.
So gratifying. So humbling.
People of all ages, races, and political backgrounds (yes even some incensed liberals) honored our active duty service members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in other parts around the world.
Clashes between supporters of the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces and the anti-U.S. dregs of society known as Code Pink, International ANSWER and assorted teenagers released from their Stalinist indoctrination classes at Berkley High School culminated that evening with a series of speeches by members of both sides during that community's planned city council meeting.
At the end of a very long city council meeting where the usual suspects of Code-Pinkos, International ANSWER and faux veterans claiming innumerable horrors and injustices of the military were followed by Veitnam Veterans, Moms and Dads of those now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as real Veterans of the Gulf War and Iraq and Afghanistan. The council stepped back from their earlier resolution voting 7-2 to rescind its earlier action informing the Marine Corps that its local recuiting office was not welcome in the city.
The council later voted not to apologize to the Marine Corps for its actions in January. Council member Linda Maio said "We do not want to ostracize our troops, they are our sons and our daughters. We care about them. We love them and we want to bring them home."
Oh sure, they really care about them. That's why the council passed that outrageous resolution last January. And to show their support for our troops, Code Pink plans to introduce a resolution on the local ballot to oust the Marine recruiters from Berkeley. Jodie Evans, a Berkeley yoga studio owner and co-founder of the anti-military group says, "We want voters to be able to decide" adding, "just like they have a say whether a liquor store or porn shop opens near a school".
Code Pink equates a Marine recruiting center with a porn shop or liquor store so that young people ("Children" in leftist jargon) won't be exposed to the opportunity to serve their country. Code Pink would like to close all recruiting offices across the country so that no one would be able to serve in the armed forces of the United States. Code Pink's ambition is that all American cities treat the Marine and other military recruiters in the same shabby fashion as the Berkeley city council and police have done. Code Pinkos and International ANSWER types know that as long as the United States has an assertive President willing to use a strong military backed by a supportive civilian base, their dreams of creating an Internationalist Socialist Dictatorship will never be realized.
HooAhhh Marines! Semper Fi!
Obama Volunteers Rally Before Che Guevara Flag
Fox TV News in Houston features the opening of a campaign office funded by volunteers of the campaign to elect Barack Obama, the junior Senator from Illinois who scoffs at wearing an American Flag pin on his lapel and objects to placing his hand on his heart while the national anthem is being played.
The newscast shows without comment, an unofficial campain office for the Senators' run as President of the United States which prominently displays a Cuban flag as a backdrop featuring the likeness of the murderous "revolutionary" Ernesto "Che" Guevara on the wall. The video segment can be viewed here.
What is the Senator's opinion of saluting the flag of the Cuban Revolution?
The newscast shows without comment, an unofficial campain office for the Senators' run as President of the United States which prominently displays a Cuban flag as a backdrop featuring the likeness of the murderous "revolutionary" Ernesto "Che" Guevara on the wall. The video segment can be viewed here.
What is the Senator's opinion of saluting the flag of the Cuban Revolution?
The Russian Strategic Bomber Tu-95 being intercepted
Just to show what great guy Putin is now that he has taken a more threatening tone with the West, a Russian Tu-95 like this one buzzed an American Aircraft Carrier in the Western Pacific over the weekend. The AP reports that a Tu-95 "Bear" flew directly over the USS Nimitz twice while another Tu-95 circled 58 miles from the carrier. Four F/A-18 fighters were launched in response to the arriving Bears and escorted the bombers as they flew in the vicinity of the Nimitz. The ploy was a way of telling the U.S. Navy that if the bombers wanted to they could get close enough to fire a shot at the Nimitz. I'm sure it was all in good fun though. The Tu-95 probably had a big smiley face painted on its side to say, "Have a nice day" to the fleet. I always thought the Tu-95 looked kind of cool with its counter-rotating props and 35 degree swept wing. It would be a shame if the Russians were to do something stupid in the air while they were within striking range of our ships. That Vladimir, such a kidder!
Former Democrat Governor's Plan to Destroy America
Michelle Malkin posts former Colorado Governor Dick Lamm's plan to destroy the U.S.A. I have posted part of this amazing admission for your perousal.
I have to confess that I had to look at this post several times to make sure that I was reading this post right or that his entry wasn't being written with tongue firmly in cheek but Governor Lamm seems to be deadly serious when he writes, "I have a secret plan to destroy America."
I couldn't believe what I was reading and figured it must be some sort of hoax but the Governor's remarks were made as he addressed a conference sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington back in 2004. Dick Lamm's outlandish speach is even referenced in snopes. But I digress.
Governor Lamm continues, "If you believe, as many do, that America is too smug, too white bread, too self-satisfied, too rich, let’s destroy America. It is not that hard to do."
Now I grant you that there are a number of sick, twisted demented people out there who share Dick Lamm's animous for the United States and all of its traditions but only a few of these mental cases can lay claim to having been elected to public office. (Witness the modern day Democrat Party) So now we have a man and a group with a purpose which would explain everything about their motiviations, talking points and methods when the issue of immigration and protection of the country's sovereignty comes up.
Governor Lamm observes, "No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and they all fall, and that “an autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.” Here is my plan:"
(By this point I'm sure the DNC and their familiars are at the edge of their seats)
1. We must first make America a bilingual-bicultural country. History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; it is a curse for a society to be bilingual.
2. I would then invent “multiculturalism” and encourage immigrants to maintain their own culture. I would make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal: that there are no cultural differences that are important. I would declare it an article of faith that the black and Hispanic dropout rate is only due to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out-of-bounds.
3. We can make the United States a “Hispanic Quebec” without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity.
4. Having done all this, I would make our fastest-growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50 percent dropout rate from school.
5. I would then get the big foundations and big business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of victimology. I would get all minorities to think their lack of success was all the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population.
6. I would establish dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would “celebrate diversity.” “Diversity” is a wonderfully seductive word. It stresses differences rather than commonalities.
7. Then I would place all these subjects off-limits–make it taboo to talk about. I would find a word similar to “heretic” in the 16th century that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like “racist”, “xenophobe” halt argument and conversation. Having made America a bilingual-bicultural country, having established multiculturalism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of “victimology,” I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws.
8. Lastly, I would censor Victor Davis Hanson’s book “Mexifornia” –this book is dangerous; it exposes my plan to destroy America. So please, please–if you feel that America deserves to be destroyed–please, please–don’t buy this book! This guy is on to my plan.
Malkin ends her post with a cogent quote from U.S. media and foreign policy critic, Noam Chomsky, “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion..."
Tell me these people are not traitors.
I have to confess that I had to look at this post several times to make sure that I was reading this post right or that his entry wasn't being written with tongue firmly in cheek but Governor Lamm seems to be deadly serious when he writes, "I have a secret plan to destroy America."
I couldn't believe what I was reading and figured it must be some sort of hoax but the Governor's remarks were made as he addressed a conference sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington back in 2004. Dick Lamm's outlandish speach is even referenced in snopes. But I digress.
Governor Lamm continues, "If you believe, as many do, that America is too smug, too white bread, too self-satisfied, too rich, let’s destroy America. It is not that hard to do."
Now I grant you that there are a number of sick, twisted demented people out there who share Dick Lamm's animous for the United States and all of its traditions but only a few of these mental cases can lay claim to having been elected to public office. (Witness the modern day Democrat Party) So now we have a man and a group with a purpose which would explain everything about their motiviations, talking points and methods when the issue of immigration and protection of the country's sovereignty comes up.
Governor Lamm observes, "No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and they all fall, and that “an autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.” Here is my plan:"
(By this point I'm sure the DNC and their familiars are at the edge of their seats)
1. We must first make America a bilingual-bicultural country. History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; it is a curse for a society to be bilingual.
2. I would then invent “multiculturalism” and encourage immigrants to maintain their own culture. I would make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal: that there are no cultural differences that are important. I would declare it an article of faith that the black and Hispanic dropout rate is only due to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out-of-bounds.
3. We can make the United States a “Hispanic Quebec” without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity.
4. Having done all this, I would make our fastest-growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50 percent dropout rate from school.
5. I would then get the big foundations and big business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of victimology. I would get all minorities to think their lack of success was all the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population.
6. I would establish dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would “celebrate diversity.” “Diversity” is a wonderfully seductive word. It stresses differences rather than commonalities.
7. Then I would place all these subjects off-limits–make it taboo to talk about. I would find a word similar to “heretic” in the 16th century that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like “racist”, “xenophobe” halt argument and conversation. Having made America a bilingual-bicultural country, having established multiculturalism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of “victimology,” I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws.
8. Lastly, I would censor Victor Davis Hanson’s book “Mexifornia” –this book is dangerous; it exposes my plan to destroy America. So please, please–if you feel that America deserves to be destroyed–please, please–don’t buy this book! This guy is on to my plan.
Malkin ends her post with a cogent quote from U.S. media and foreign policy critic, Noam Chomsky, “The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion..."
Tell me these people are not traitors.
Geraldo After Hillary Gets Waxed: She Needs a Hug
Hillary gets swept in Lousiana, Nebraska, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington state by Senator Barack Obama in the Democratic run for the White House. The former first lady, looking quite haggard and depressed over her loses chooses this as an opportunity to flail yet again at her favorite whipping boy (not Bubba) but George W. Bush. She spins a yarn of nearly eight years of lies, cronyism, and corruption that summ up the Clinton years in the White House and tries to pin that legacy on the current administration. Judging from the reaction of the crowd to Mrs. Clinton's bogus assertions it shows the old phrase attributed to P.T. Barnum that "there's a sucker born every minute" is true. Geraldo wants to give Hillary a hug.
Changing Horses
Over the past few months I have been opposed to Mike Huckabee's campaign. As an Arkansan I have seen his views on the issues and he is somewhat liberal. However, he is far better than John McCain. McCain is an anti-conservative time bomb waiting to go off.If Ron Paul had a snowball's chance in Ecuador of winning, I would support him, even though his anti-Iraq stance is very hard to swallow.
Since Ron Paul is out of the picture, I am going to throw my support to Mike Huckabee. If McCain wins, I am seriously considering voting for a conservative third-party candidate. If that helps Hillary or Obama win, so be it.
The GOP leadership had better hear the conservative voices loud and clear this time. And they had better listen.
2004 San Felice CHIANTI CLASSICO (Tuscany, Italy)
This wine is downright cranky at first, but after a few hours of air time, really opened up into a very high class Sangiovese.
Very dark ruby garnet. Nose very closed at first, but after it opened, it displayed some real elegance, with scents of spiced, sweet balsa wood, cherry, granite, and earth. Concentrated, medium-bodied flavors of cherry liqueur, menthol, and lots of liquid minerals. Long finish, with substantial, but fine-grained, tannins. 89. This will will likely age and improve over the next 3-4 years. Was $18 at Spec's on Smith.
Very dark ruby garnet. Nose very closed at first, but after it opened, it displayed some real elegance, with scents of spiced, sweet balsa wood, cherry, granite, and earth. Concentrated, medium-bodied flavors of cherry liqueur, menthol, and lots of liquid minerals. Long finish, with substantial, but fine-grained, tannins. 89. This will will likely age and improve over the next 3-4 years. Was $18 at Spec's on Smith.
2006 Domaine Dupeuble BEAUJOLAIS (France)
Nice nose, but a bit thin in the mouth.
Crystalline ruby with bright magenta highlights. Lively nose of crunchy, grapey cherry fruit and smokey granite. Crisp and light in the mouth, with dry, dry cherry and stone flavors. Lacking concentration, even for a Beaujolais, which is supposed to be somewhat lighter in style. Lean, medium length finish. This was refreshing to drink with a meal, but was meager on its own. 82. Was about $14 at Central Market.
Crystalline ruby with bright magenta highlights. Lively nose of crunchy, grapey cherry fruit and smokey granite. Crisp and light in the mouth, with dry, dry cherry and stone flavors. Lacking concentration, even for a Beaujolais, which is supposed to be somewhat lighter in style. Lean, medium length finish. This was refreshing to drink with a meal, but was meager on its own. 82. Was about $14 at Central Market.
2006 Doña Paula MALBEC "Los Cardos" (Mendoza, Argentina)
This was a very ripe, well-balanced red with a lot of character.
Saturated black ruby/mulberry color. The nose needs a lot of air time to develop, but then displays deep fruit (crushed, oozing blackberries, sweet cream, coffee and balsa wood. Rich, spicy black raspberry fruit, with a smokey granite component as well. Full-bodioes and mouthfilling. Substantial tannin in the finish, but it's relatively ripe for Malbec. Reminded me of a very ripe, old vine Zin from Contra Costa County like Rosenblum or Cline make. Very nice. 89. Was about $14 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.
Saturated black ruby/mulberry color. The nose needs a lot of air time to develop, but then displays deep fruit (crushed, oozing blackberries, sweet cream, coffee and balsa wood. Rich, spicy black raspberry fruit, with a smokey granite component as well. Full-bodioes and mouthfilling. Substantial tannin in the finish, but it's relatively ripe for Malbec. Reminded me of a very ripe, old vine Zin from Contra Costa County like Rosenblum or Cline make. Very nice. 89. Was about $14 at Whole Foods on Bellaire. It's About Issues, Not Personalities
Poor John McCain. People are so jealous of him. They're jealous of his power. They're jealous of his position.
If you listen to people like former Sen. Phil Gramm that's what you will hear. Sen. Gramm, I have news for you. The people who are speaking out about John McCain are not jealous. It has NOTHING to do with his position, his power, or his personality.
IT IS ABOUT ISSUES, Senator!!
Listen closely. John McCain is NOT a conservative. He is very moderate, bordering on liberal.
I appreciate his military service very much. His years in Vietnam were horrible and I honor him for his perseverance and strength.
But those things don't give him a free pass to move the Republican party wherever he wants it to go. He is destroying our identity. Dismantling our foundational principles.
If you look at John McCain's public service record up to now and you extrapolate that into a presidency, this country and the GOP are in serious trouble. He can talk nice and speak at Liberty University all he wants to but I want to see action. Proof that McCain is a "true conservative" as he says he is.
As of today, I will not vote for McCain in November. But I will be watching and listening. If all I hear is empty promises, I'll stay home on election day.
If you listen to people like former Sen. Phil Gramm that's what you will hear. Sen. Gramm, I have news for you. The people who are speaking out about John McCain are not jealous. It has NOTHING to do with his position, his power, or his personality.
IT IS ABOUT ISSUES, Senator!!
Listen closely. John McCain is NOT a conservative. He is very moderate, bordering on liberal.
I appreciate his military service very much. His years in Vietnam were horrible and I honor him for his perseverance and strength.
But those things don't give him a free pass to move the Republican party wherever he wants it to go. He is destroying our identity. Dismantling our foundational principles.
If you look at John McCain's public service record up to now and you extrapolate that into a presidency, this country and the GOP are in serious trouble. He can talk nice and speak at Liberty University all he wants to but I want to see action. Proof that McCain is a "true conservative" as he says he is.
As of today, I will not vote for McCain in November. But I will be watching and listening. If all I hear is empty promises, I'll stay home on election day.
Let's Get Ready To Rumble!!
In today's Super Tuesday primary Republicans nationwide have spoken. Disappointing as it is, it appears that liberal/RINO John McCain will be our presidential nominee for this fall's election.McCain has always tried to accomplish things by bringing together strange bedfellows like the Gang of 14. Today, I call on John McCain to reach out to conservatives. If he refuses to do so and the leadership sits idle, I am FINISHED with the GOP. If he continues to be hostile toward conservatives, I WILL NOT vote for him in November.
I remember Ronald Reagan, responding to a question about why he left the Democrat party, saying he didn't leave the party, they left him. I feel like my party is leaving me. Abandoning the principles that made this country strong. The principles that gave equal opportunity to all Americans. The principles that kept our nation secure. The principles of Ronald Reagan.
Newt, where did we go wrong? How have we fallen so far in 20 years?
Hillary the Movie Trailer
Hillary the movie. Subject matter more scary than Alien or Predator put together.
Most recent Romney ad highlights the kinship between Hillary Clinton and John McCain's views on the issues. Two sides of the same coin.
Hillary Promises to Garnish Wages For Her Healthcare
Senator Clinton promises to enact an "enforcement mechanism" to force people to enroll in a National Healthcare System. Whether that involves garnishing the wages of unwilling citizens to pay for HillaryCare or use some other mechanism to force compliance, Hillary plans to have every citizen enrolled like it or not. Sounds exactly like the kind of forced compliance the Soviets would impose on their hapless citizens.
"...While the Waves Blew All Around"
Listening to Al Stewart's "Past, Present and Future" album, a wonderful review of the century past. Today's title line comes from the song "Old Admirals," the story of Admiral Jackie Fisher. Fisher is arguably the most prominent figure in the Royal Navy after Lord Nelson. He is credited with encouraging the shift to liquid fuel from coal, being an ardent supporter of the development of the dreadnought battleship and perhaps, most famously for battling with Churchill during World War I. Churchill, as First Lord of the Admiralty, has been an ardent supporter of the disastrous landings at Gallipoli in an attempt to open up a second front against Germany and draw their strength away from the trenches of France. Fisher felt that the most effective way to do this was to stage an amphibious landing along Germany's Baltic coast. The lines of re-supply would have been much shorter and the landing force would not be facing a relatively fresh ally of Germany's. Fisher repeatedly begged to be called back to active service to get him out of the political realm and back to sea even though he was pushing 75. He was pugnacious and audacious in his thought. For someone that grew up on wooden sailing ships, he saw the Royal Navy enter the modern era. Sadly, by the time he died in 1920, the failure of the political class and the utter draining and devastation of World War I, saw his beloved fleet in decline.
I am not sure why I am sitting reflecting on this on a cloudy but warm Super Sunday in Nashville, but there is something in the lyrics of the song that give me the same sense of foreboding and ennui that the current political situation gives me. Don't get me wrong - as a political "junkie," I am jazzed by the goings on in both parties right now. But I am deeply concerned that we are avoiding the obvious on both sides. The three great truths that stare us in the face are the global war on terrorism/radical Islam/Islamo-fascism; the fact that our current governmental spending patterns are unsustainable; and the reality that we are economically and demographically challenged by a rising China and increasingly competitive India.
The satirist, P.J. O'Rourke has stated in the past that "Republicans are like God, while Democrats are like Santa Clause." Watching Hillary and Obama go after each other, albeit lovingly, this week past, I would add the caveat that they are like Santa Clause only they want to deliver the same toys and you had better damn well take the toys or else. What freedom loving person can listen to these two talk about how they will "mandate" health care coverage for all and that there have to be "enforcement" measures to ensure the mandates are accepted and not feel an icy blast blow over the sacred grounds of Valley Forge and Yorktown? What fantasy world do they live in that brings them to conclude that what is really wrong with America is that we don't have enough give-aways? Here, read the following paragraph from a report to the Congressional Budget Office:
The Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid spending increases are projected to drive federal program (i.e., non-interest) spending from 18 percent of GDP to nearly 28 percent by 2050. Historically, tax revenues have remained relatively close to 18 percent of GDP. If lawmakers do not reform runaway entitlements, keeping up with this runaway spending will require raising taxes annually, with total taxes eventually reaching 57 percent of GDP, or nearly $11,000 per household (in today’s economy).[14] Such tax increases, in addition to being politically unlikely, would severely damage long-term economic growth, not to mention making it nearly impossible for most families to make ends meet.
Democrat conclusion? Increase Federal spending...while "the waves blew all around."
The remaining Republicans aren't much better. They at least have an adult approach to dealing with the global physical threat posed by the nut-job Muslims and they talk openly about reforming our medical system in the country. Romney, to his credit speaks often about dealing with the economic and eventual military threat posed by China. But, Republicans had the opportunity to fix a lot of things when they controlled both houses of Congress AND the White House and they squandered it on pet projects and "bridges to nowhere." Their credibility is virtually nil at this juncture. Mercifully, two years of having Democrats in Congress hasn't stemmed the spending...so, in the public mind, it's probably a wash. One of the great problems with our current system is that we have ignored our founding father's wishes. Our national capitol was sited on the banks of the Potomac because it was a mosquito infested swamp. It was felt that by putting it in such an inhospitable clime that lawmakers would come there, do their business and get out. Before the invention of air-conditioning, members of Congress spent the majority of their time in their home districts living with and listening to their constituents. Arguably, the Trane Corporation has done more to harm democracy than Al Qaeda ever could.
But getting back to my ennui, one of my hopes is that the level of discourse improves so that the serious issues can be dealt with seriously and not in some schoolyard brawl. A lot of Republicans felt they got "even" for the Dem treatment of Nixon with Clinton. Similarly, a lot of Dems feel that "getting" W is all about getting even for what happened to Bill. But the sharp polarity of the debate has left little room for compromise or even serious discussion. A "bi-partisan panel" is code-speak to many arch-conservatives and wacky liberals for "surrender." It need not be; but that is only if both sides go into it with the intent of reaching a resolution. I was recently in a mediation dispute and the mediator had a great line at the beginning: "My job here is to get you out of your trenches into no-man's land (why does World War I keep coming up on this dreary day?) and make you puke." Now I must temper this warm, happy-bunny wishfulness with a quote from a personal hero of mine, Vice Admiral Stockdale (yes, he did serve as Ross Perot's running mate and will sadly, long be remembered for the "why am I here?" and "out of ammo" lines in the VP debates of 1992). Stockdale, who was the highest ranking officer in the Vietnamese POW hells, said, in a speech to our graduating Surface Warfare School Class "where matters of principle are concerned, there can be no compromise."
But we can start with the common principle that both sides love their country even if their visions of it's role in the world and people's lives are radically different. And we can couple that principled approach with the recitation of the facts and a sober analysis of where we are today. My sense is that we stand at a cross roads unlike any other since perhaps, the Civil War...or the "Waaah butween the Staytes" as we say down here. It is that serious and yes, I do feel like an Old Admiral who "feels the wind and never puts to sea." But, in the spirit of the times, let me lay out some quick thoughts on each of the BIG THREE that I have mentioned above. (Chuckle moment: listening now to Billy Joel's "The Entertainer:" the song says "if you you're gonna have a hit, you have to make it quick; so they cut it down to 3:05.")
I. Beating back Radical Islam: I have said in these posts before that the ultimate solution is going to come from within. Constant, gentle pressure to encourage the closing of the radical madrassas and opening of trade opportunities will help this along. But in the interim, we have no choice but to stay engaged in the fight in order to prevent a repeat of 9/11. We need to stay the course in Iraq and we need a surge in Afghanistan like the one staged in Iraq. Yes, this may take years, but it is vital to our safety. To accomplish this, we need a larger military. No, I am not advocating that we police the entire world, I am simply stating the obvious: no great power ever failed because it became too strong. There has never in the history of mankind been the combination of strength and goodness that is exemplified by the United States Armed Forces.
II. The Entitlement Pacman: First, do no harm - don't start any new entitlements! I have yet to forgive W for launching a Senior Citizens Drug Entitlement program while we are at War. OK, here's one of my principles: the free market does a better job of allocating scarce resources than the government. Where possible, allow for privatization in existing programs - social security and medical savings account options are obvious choices. Finally - if both sides agree that the insurance industry is what is bogging down the medical establishment, go one step further, and acknowledge that what is bogging down the insurance industry AND the medical establishment is the lawyers. End frivolous lawsuits tomorrow by adding in the British custom of "loser pays" to the court system.
III. China and India: The former is, I believe, our long term threat. The latter has the potential to be a great long term ally and friend. But if you had fears that the Red Dragon was going to have submarines surfacing off our shores and missiles flying soon, take a look at the news of the past week...millions of peasant Chinese stranded in rail stations by bad weather (a snow storm in this globally warmed era!) trying to get home for the Chinese New Year. When we fought the Cold War, we used to say of the Russians that they were a first world military supported by a third world country. The Chinese have built a first rate economy and, to date, a second world military, on the backs of a fourth world society. How long can that hold? I don't know, but a firm hand and a powerful Pacific Fleet are going to be needed to meet the threat. The "nightmare" scenario I dream of is an internal revolution that gets sidetracked by an external military action. In all of this, India could emerge as one of the great super-powers in the next thirty years and it should be welcomed. They would provide another bulwark against radical Islam, a counter weight to the sheer magnitude of China and they are culturally closer to us thanks to the years of the British Raj.
So now, I will settle back into my rocker to watch the great Super Bowl and in 72 hours, tune in to the news of Super Tuesday hoping in all of this that enough of us are conscious of the momentousness of the occasion that we don't just "dine on beer and herrings while the waves blow all around."
I am not sure why I am sitting reflecting on this on a cloudy but warm Super Sunday in Nashville, but there is something in the lyrics of the song that give me the same sense of foreboding and ennui that the current political situation gives me. Don't get me wrong - as a political "junkie," I am jazzed by the goings on in both parties right now. But I am deeply concerned that we are avoiding the obvious on both sides. The three great truths that stare us in the face are the global war on terrorism/radical Islam/Islamo-fascism; the fact that our current governmental spending patterns are unsustainable; and the reality that we are economically and demographically challenged by a rising China and increasingly competitive India.
The satirist, P.J. O'Rourke has stated in the past that "Republicans are like God, while Democrats are like Santa Clause." Watching Hillary and Obama go after each other, albeit lovingly, this week past, I would add the caveat that they are like Santa Clause only they want to deliver the same toys and you had better damn well take the toys or else. What freedom loving person can listen to these two talk about how they will "mandate" health care coverage for all and that there have to be "enforcement" measures to ensure the mandates are accepted and not feel an icy blast blow over the sacred grounds of Valley Forge and Yorktown? What fantasy world do they live in that brings them to conclude that what is really wrong with America is that we don't have enough give-aways? Here, read the following paragraph from a report to the Congressional Budget Office:
The Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid spending increases are projected to drive federal program (i.e., non-interest) spending from 18 percent of GDP to nearly 28 percent by 2050. Historically, tax revenues have remained relatively close to 18 percent of GDP. If lawmakers do not reform runaway entitlements, keeping up with this runaway spending will require raising taxes annually, with total taxes eventually reaching 57 percent of GDP, or nearly $11,000 per household (in today’s economy).[14] Such tax increases, in addition to being politically unlikely, would severely damage long-term economic growth, not to mention making it nearly impossible for most families to make ends meet.
Democrat conclusion? Increase Federal spending...while "the waves blew all around."
The remaining Republicans aren't much better. They at least have an adult approach to dealing with the global physical threat posed by the nut-job Muslims and they talk openly about reforming our medical system in the country. Romney, to his credit speaks often about dealing with the economic and eventual military threat posed by China. But, Republicans had the opportunity to fix a lot of things when they controlled both houses of Congress AND the White House and they squandered it on pet projects and "bridges to nowhere." Their credibility is virtually nil at this juncture. Mercifully, two years of having Democrats in Congress hasn't stemmed the spending...so, in the public mind, it's probably a wash. One of the great problems with our current system is that we have ignored our founding father's wishes. Our national capitol was sited on the banks of the Potomac because it was a mosquito infested swamp. It was felt that by putting it in such an inhospitable clime that lawmakers would come there, do their business and get out. Before the invention of air-conditioning, members of Congress spent the majority of their time in their home districts living with and listening to their constituents. Arguably, the Trane Corporation has done more to harm democracy than Al Qaeda ever could.
But getting back to my ennui, one of my hopes is that the level of discourse improves so that the serious issues can be dealt with seriously and not in some schoolyard brawl. A lot of Republicans felt they got "even" for the Dem treatment of Nixon with Clinton. Similarly, a lot of Dems feel that "getting" W is all about getting even for what happened to Bill. But the sharp polarity of the debate has left little room for compromise or even serious discussion. A "bi-partisan panel" is code-speak to many arch-conservatives and wacky liberals for "surrender." It need not be; but that is only if both sides go into it with the intent of reaching a resolution. I was recently in a mediation dispute and the mediator had a great line at the beginning: "My job here is to get you out of your trenches into no-man's land (why does World War I keep coming up on this dreary day?) and make you puke." Now I must temper this warm, happy-bunny wishfulness with a quote from a personal hero of mine, Vice Admiral Stockdale (yes, he did serve as Ross Perot's running mate and will sadly, long be remembered for the "why am I here?" and "out of ammo" lines in the VP debates of 1992). Stockdale, who was the highest ranking officer in the Vietnamese POW hells, said, in a speech to our graduating Surface Warfare School Class "where matters of principle are concerned, there can be no compromise."
But we can start with the common principle that both sides love their country even if their visions of it's role in the world and people's lives are radically different. And we can couple that principled approach with the recitation of the facts and a sober analysis of where we are today. My sense is that we stand at a cross roads unlike any other since perhaps, the Civil War...or the "Waaah butween the Staytes" as we say down here. It is that serious and yes, I do feel like an Old Admiral who "feels the wind and never puts to sea." But, in the spirit of the times, let me lay out some quick thoughts on each of the BIG THREE that I have mentioned above. (Chuckle moment: listening now to Billy Joel's "The Entertainer:" the song says "if you you're gonna have a hit, you have to make it quick; so they cut it down to 3:05.")
I. Beating back Radical Islam: I have said in these posts before that the ultimate solution is going to come from within. Constant, gentle pressure to encourage the closing of the radical madrassas and opening of trade opportunities will help this along. But in the interim, we have no choice but to stay engaged in the fight in order to prevent a repeat of 9/11. We need to stay the course in Iraq and we need a surge in Afghanistan like the one staged in Iraq. Yes, this may take years, but it is vital to our safety. To accomplish this, we need a larger military. No, I am not advocating that we police the entire world, I am simply stating the obvious: no great power ever failed because it became too strong. There has never in the history of mankind been the combination of strength and goodness that is exemplified by the United States Armed Forces.
II. The Entitlement Pacman: First, do no harm - don't start any new entitlements! I have yet to forgive W for launching a Senior Citizens Drug Entitlement program while we are at War. OK, here's one of my principles: the free market does a better job of allocating scarce resources than the government. Where possible, allow for privatization in existing programs - social security and medical savings account options are obvious choices. Finally - if both sides agree that the insurance industry is what is bogging down the medical establishment, go one step further, and acknowledge that what is bogging down the insurance industry AND the medical establishment is the lawyers. End frivolous lawsuits tomorrow by adding in the British custom of "loser pays" to the court system.
III. China and India: The former is, I believe, our long term threat. The latter has the potential to be a great long term ally and friend. But if you had fears that the Red Dragon was going to have submarines surfacing off our shores and missiles flying soon, take a look at the news of the past week...millions of peasant Chinese stranded in rail stations by bad weather (a snow storm in this globally warmed era!) trying to get home for the Chinese New Year. When we fought the Cold War, we used to say of the Russians that they were a first world military supported by a third world country. The Chinese have built a first rate economy and, to date, a second world military, on the backs of a fourth world society. How long can that hold? I don't know, but a firm hand and a powerful Pacific Fleet are going to be needed to meet the threat. The "nightmare" scenario I dream of is an internal revolution that gets sidetracked by an external military action. In all of this, India could emerge as one of the great super-powers in the next thirty years and it should be welcomed. They would provide another bulwark against radical Islam, a counter weight to the sheer magnitude of China and they are culturally closer to us thanks to the years of the British Raj.
So now, I will settle back into my rocker to watch the great Super Bowl and in 72 hours, tune in to the news of Super Tuesday hoping in all of this that enough of us are conscious of the momentousness of the occasion that we don't just "dine on beer and herrings while the waves blow all around."
2005 Frederic Mabileau ST. NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL "Les Roullieres" (Loire Valley, France)
2005 looks to have been a terrific year for the Cabernet Franc-based reds (Chinon, St. Nicolas de Bourgueil) of the Loire Valley. This is a region where, traditionally, the reds struggled (not always succesfully) to fully ripen. But one convenient truth about global warming is that recently, this region has experienced warmer summers, and, consequently, the reds have been more consistent (and good!). There are still many good reds under $20 to try, and I have a few in my wine closet I'm going to be opening in the next few weeks.
This one is very good -- lots of flavor but with alcohol levels much lower than reds from other regions around the world. The lower alcohol levels create a really elegant, almost ethereal mouthfeel.
Black ruby color with bright purple highlights. Medium intensity but gorgeously perfumey nose of black cherries, stony minerals, and a briary/walnut-oily scent in the background. Concentrated and bright, with flavors of dry cassis extract and briary underbrush. Very light-feeling in the mouth, but with good concentration nonetheless. Long, balanced, lithe finish. Very distinctive. 88. Was $16.99 at Central Market.
This one is very good -- lots of flavor but with alcohol levels much lower than reds from other regions around the world. The lower alcohol levels create a really elegant, almost ethereal mouthfeel.Black ruby color with bright purple highlights. Medium intensity but gorgeously perfumey nose of black cherries, stony minerals, and a briary/walnut-oily scent in the background. Concentrated and bright, with flavors of dry cassis extract and briary underbrush. Very light-feeling in the mouth, but with good concentration nonetheless. Long, balanced, lithe finish. Very distinctive. 88. Was $16.99 at Central Market.
2005 Morgan PINOT GRIS "R & D Franscioni Vineyard" (Santa Lucia Highlands, Cal.)
California Pinot Gris -- which is sometimes called Pinot Grigio -- to my taste can frequently feel and taste too flat and lifeless to me. From Italy, they're a bit livelier, but frequently have virtually no taste. From Alsace, they have lots of flavor, but can be overbearing buttery or cloyingly fruity. I've had quite a few from Oregon that I've liked over the years, however (like this WillaKenzie one).
This here's one of the classic California flat ones.
Very light and amazingly transparent gold color. Interesting nose of creamed minerals, spiced pear, and quince. Broad, flat mouthfeel, with almost cloying flavors of earthy marzipan and pear, that grows more bitter in the long, but not particularly pleasant, finish. 78. Not gonna tell you what I paid for this -- it's embarassing.
This here's one of the classic California flat ones.
Very light and amazingly transparent gold color. Interesting nose of creamed minerals, spiced pear, and quince. Broad, flat mouthfeel, with almost cloying flavors of earthy marzipan and pear, that grows more bitter in the long, but not particularly pleasant, finish. 78. Not gonna tell you what I paid for this -- it's embarassing.
Ann Coulter: I'll Vote For Clinton if McCain's the Nominee
Ann Coulter says she'd campaign for Clinton if the GOP nominates McCain as its 2008 presidential candidate.
Suprisingly Liberal-John McCain
Good ad from a group called Citizens United Political Victory Fund. John McCain is NOT a conservative but the flip side Hillary Clinton. Go Mitt!
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