“This petition is as radical as the Declaration of Independence, and it draws on that tradition in claiming a universal jurisdiction when governments fail to do what they’re supposed to do,” said Kurt Daims, 54, a retired machinist leading the drive. Keep living the dream Kurt, keep up the struggle!

Have Wes and Andre canceled their subscriptions yet? “William Kristol, one of the nation’s leading conservative writers and a vigorous supporter of the Iraq war, will become an Op-Ed page columnist for The New York Times, the newspaper announced Saturday.“

They must sit in a room and try and top one another. Stuff like this is a joke and some fundamentalists are laughing their butts off. “A church and Christian newspaper in Malaysia are suing the government after it decreed that the word “Allah” can only be used by Muslims.”

They do sit around and think these things up. The studios and networks need only to look east to find non-union comedy writers. “Considering the Jewish community’s comfortable living conditions in Iran and its deep common cultural roots with the followers of other religions in the country, Iranian Jews would never consider organized emigration,” the statement declared.” Also there are no homosexuals in Iran! Only Ron Paul would believe it.

“It’s that experience, that understanding, not just of what world leaders I went and talked to in the ambassadors house I had tea with, but understanding the lives of the people like my grandmother who lives in a tiny hut in Africa,” Obama said. Somehow that reminds me of: “He was a poor black sharecropper’s son who never dreamed he was adopted.” The tagline from The Jerk. Bernadette Peters was in The Jerk! Barrack’s grandma is one of his foreign policy credentials? How silly is that. You guys sure you want to hand this dude the keys to the foreign policy car?

No Harry, no Nancy and of course no to the Gaurdians of Outrage, by attacking something for political reasons only does not really weaken it. Who is at fault here? “Ms Bhutto’s entourage discussed deals with the American Blackwater operation, this newspaper has learnt” Read the rest of this entry »

We are proud to unveil our Man Bear ‘O Da Year: The Teddy Named Muhammad! Muhammad won this year because he single handily pantsed Muslim Fundamentalism.

Our courageous bear did not pick this fight, but he sure as hell finished it!

Without uttering a word our mute hero stood up to intolerance and prevailed.

He knocked the stuffing out of multiculturalism on behalf of non whackos everywhere. 

Our plush warrior took on radical jihadists the world over, and though his fire retardant synthetic fur was singed, he still proudly serves.

He walks the wall that separates the freedom loving west from those that would put Angelina Jolie in a burka.

He is the last line of defense between you and those who seek to take away your beer and the NFL and force you to watch soccer.

Oh yeah, he can kick Putin’s ass!

Happy New Year folks!

US special forces snatch squads are on standby to seize or disable Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal in the event of a collapse of government authority or the outbreak of civil war following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

The troops, augmented by volunteer scientists from America’s Nuclear Emergency Search Team organisation, are under orders to take control of an estimated 60 warheads dispersed around six to 10 high-security Pakistani military bases.

Keep in mind that: This is ALL the USA’s fault. Further: The solution to this so called war on terror is to pull back and treat this as just the criminal threat that is. They are just hooligans and thugs anyway. Those wascally wabbits, we’ll get em!  

‘It’s the security stupid!’

This seems to be the mantra of the Conclub conservatives on choosing the next Republican presidential candidate.  DFV discusses McCain’s qualifications for the presidency by exclaiming, “he has offered serious, specific plans for victory, and has often done so at great political cost to himself.”  PG piles on by saying that McCain, “is best equipped to lead us during what I believe will be the most dangerous time internationally our country has ever experienced.”  Both statements are certainly compelling as to why McCain would be a good choice for the GOP.  And unlike the Scribe, PG does a good job of acknowledging McCain’s troubled path on the domestic front. 

In Dave’s support for Fred Thompson, he outlines a list of 10, sometimes humorous, but uncompelling reasons to support Fred.  Number eight on his list is actually a reason to not vote for Giuliani.  Of Giuliani, he says, “He’d make a great secretary of state but if he is the GOP candidate the fact is that the social conservatives will stay home or certain factions will play spoiler. Being ‘right’ on one issue (the threat of Islamic fundamentalism) will not be enough to win the election or lead the country in the right direction.”

The problem with that statement is that it is primary talk.  As the various candidates jockey for position in the field, social conservatives often make bold claims about staying home on election day.  Steve Forbes was the victim of such talk in 1996.  Moreover, when faced with the choice of Giuliani or Clinton, conservative voters will rush to polling stations to vote for Rudy.  Here’s why:

Social Concerns

Rudy Giuliani is certainly no social conservative.  As Dave said, “Guiliani is pro-gay, pro-gun control, and pro-abortion.”  But my reply to that is, ’so what?’  When Giuliani says that he will appoint strict constructionist judges along the lines of Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito, I take him at his word.  As a ‘tough on crime’ prosecutor and Reagan appointee, Giuliani probably has little use for free speech liberals like Kennedy or Souter.  He is also buoyed by the support of high profile conservative lawyer and former Solicitor General, Ted Olsen.  Olsen will also make a fine A.G. for President Giuliani.  All of this will be neatly packaged and sold to social conservatives throughout the summer and many of Dave’s fears will be put to rest.

Economic Issues

Who can argue that Giuliani has the best credentials to continue to guide the economic future of the United States?  His transformation of New York City after decades of insufficient Democratic rule bear testimony to this fact.  Giuliani orchestrated this transformation with massive tax cuts and solid leadership.  Making New York the safest big city in America undoubtedly helped spur on economic growth.  If fiscal restraint is important to the average conservative, then Giuliani should be a compelling candidate for them.  Trusting the economic future to the likes of Mike Huckabee or John McCain is a crap-shoot at best.  I prefer to not roll the dice.

American Security/Foreign Policy

On securing the American homeland and enacting a strong foreign policy, the choice comes down to two candidates; Giuliani and McCain.  The sole argument that both DFV and PGW had for going with McCain is that he stuck by his guns on the Iraq War.  Far from coming up with an exhaustive list of foreign policy achievements, their sole argument is that he advocated more troops.  What they fail to acknowledge is that on other security issues, McCain’s positions are murky.  How can we be sure of the McCain’s ability to protect the homeland when he is diametrically opposed to waterboarding?  And how is the U.S. made more secure when he teams up with Ted Kennedy on immigration reform?  We don’t get much from the Scribe except that “McCain is so clearly superior to every other candidate on foreign policy, the War on Terror, governmental reform, and federal spending.”  The totality of that statement is so outlandish it makes one wonder if DFV is even paying attention.  On the other hand, we know from Giuliani’s no-nonsense style that he is more likely to enforce strong border security, more likely to continue the Bush intelligence gathering techniques, and more likely to act as an effective prosecutor of the War on Terror, free from deal cutting and compromise. 

In politics, it is prudent to judge a candidate by their past actions.  For this reason, I believe Rudy Giuliani is the best possible candidate to take on Hillary Clinton next year.

Maybe not the greatest bass player of all time, but she is kinda hot…Emma Anzai from Sick Puppies. Anyone else have a favorite female bass player?

Or was he, as his lawyers and father claim, “just a guy looking for adventure?” Well it looks like little Davey found one bless his heart. Again why should we feel for him? Patently Ridiculous Statement Alert: “The infamy now that Mr. Hicks feels,” said Ogloff, “will in fact exacerbate the problems he’s experienced and make it all the more difficult for him to return to any semblance of a normal life in the community.” So?

Cyber Jihad! Fatwas! Get yer Fatwas here! Better Fatwas through emails?:“I would like imams to give sermons in the mosques about the danger of seeking fatwas outside this country from unknown characters. There must be sermons given in the mosques for the youngsters to not fall into the internet traps.”

Man, just when we thought we could trust them. After all they are trying to help out on Global Warming with peaceful nuclear energy. 

So much for Da people speaking: “In Shariah, democracy is un-Islamic. Our movement is completely against what you call democracy in which a small majority can decide irrespective of the fact whether what they have done was good or bad,”

You say potato…: “We resist the language of warfare, and I think the government has moved on this. It no longer uses this sort of language.” Sir Kenny went on to say “London is not a battlefield”. That’s it Kenny old chap, reframe yer ass out of the cross-hairs. When they shove a nuke up your hoo-hoo what will London be then?

BDS Alert: “The unconditional U.S. political support for the Musharraf dictatorship, coupled with massive American economic and military support, added fuel to the fire of extremism that ultimately claimed her life.” Yeah dudes, keep in mind that before America got involved it Pakistan was a quiet peaceful place. A friggin Nirvana! The MAS are our guys?

THE VOICE OF DA PEOPLE! ”The side of my head is about to explode. I’ve been sitting on the sidelines watching and waiting, waiting and watching for you to do something–anything– that resembles a leader, but nothing.” Tis the season you know, goodwill towards men. Is this the true Progressive Voice? I thought that pgwarner could rant!

You thought Jerry and Pat were nuts: “God signed His name in the tsunami that battered Sri Lanka and other countries on December 26, and sent it as punishment because humans have been ignoring His laws, Sri Lankan Muslims say.” Wait, they mean he really did “sign his name”, they are serious!

Just want you folks outside of Colorado to appreciate our Dave. Yes his site is real, it is not satire: “Human culture as we have known it for the past 200 years is drawing to a close. A revolution of civilization is upon us. Prepare.” Read the rest of this entry »

The World mourns for the playoffs. What a game!

Welcome to history, folks.

“Can ANYBODY beat this club?”

-Bryant Gumbel

One quibble on drudge:

Patriots Make History With 16-0 Season

By BARRY WILNER

(AP) New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss (81) leaps into Russ Hochstein’s arms after scoring…

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – With one mighty heave, Tom Brady and Randy Moss took care of the record books. Now it’s down to business for the unbeaten New England Patriots: stamping themselves as the greatest team in NFL history.The Patriots completed a perfect if somewhat joyless journey through the regular season Saturday night, finishing with a remarkable 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants.

“Dutch government firework safety ads featuring a spoof Islamist terrorist group have been criticised as insensitive and depicting a negative stereotype of the Muslim community.”

Find more here.

The Boston Globe is a lefty NYT-Clone but they finally got something right:

Perfection for the Patriots

December 29, 2007

IF EVER A system was created to prevent perfection, it is the revenue-sharing, asset-leveling, quasi-socialist enterprise known as the National Football League. Unlike other forms of corporate capitalism, the organizing principle of the NFL is rooted in the concept of parity. The purpose of parity is to make every contest competitive, to keep the promise of a mission statement that says any team should be able to beat any other team on any given Sunday.

This is the rigged, un-American system that Coach Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots have been defying throughout a glorious fall and winter. This is why every New Englander who ever dreamed of winning the lottery or breaking the bank at Monte Carlo will be watching one of the four TV channels hereabouts that are carrying tonight’s game – a game against a storied franchise that plays in the New Jersey Meadowlands yet still calls itself the New York Giants.

The real drama of this otherwise anodyne Jersey joust has nothing to do with the Pats’ chance to outdo the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who won all 14 of their regular-season games that year, plus three playoff encounters. There can really be no comparison between then and now.

The crucial difference between the two eras is not merely that the diabolical Richard Nixon won a landslide reelection victory over George McGovern that November. On a pigskin timeline, the Dolphins’ perfect season is tantamount to a museum artifact, something akin to a Hittite inscription from ancient Babylon.

There was no salary cap back then, nothing like the current free agency for players, and each year’s schedule was not tilted, as it is today, to give the previous season’s weakest teams the easiest opponents. All these equalizing devices were put in place to keep any team from doing what the Pats will have done if they whip the Giants tonight and waltz on through the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

So there really are profound historical and psychological reasons for jumping up and down in front of the boob tube tonight, rooting for Tom Brady and his mates to do what nobody else has ever done – and was never supposed to do. A Patriot victory tonight, signifying the completion of a perfect 16-0 regular season, may bestow a form of vindication on every Don Quixote who ever sallied forth against the invincible reality of the world as it is.

An unbeaten record would also be a persuasive riposte to envious outlanders who still fixate on this season’s videotaping controversy, for which the Patriots were rightly docked a first-round pick in next year’s draft. They never needed cameras. These Pats are not only winning clean; they are showing a society gone mad with narcissism what it means to place team before self. This is something worth cheering for.

Who else will be watching tonight?

Ever since I was a very young man, really just a boy trying to discover what real passion was, these words of Hemingway’s have always been in the back of my mind.

“The good writers are Henry James, Stephen Crane, and Mark Twain. That’s not the order they’re good in. There is no order for good writers…. All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called ‘Huckleberry Finn.’ If you read it you must stop where the Nigger Jim is stolen from the boys. That is the real end. The rest is just cheating. But it’s the best book we’ve had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.” — from Ernest Hemingway, “The Green Hills of Africa” (1934)

What do you think, were his words true at the time, are they still? All of you who cruise by and never comment, please stop this time and jot down your thoughts. In this I promise to not be a “brickwall”.

I have often wondered if we as a people will ever produce a single stanza to match…

No man is an island, entire of itself
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were,
as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were
any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls
it tolls for thee.

I know I am mixing questions about prose and 17th poetry from a sermon. I did not say I was clear, just passionate.

There is a lot to disagree with our own Andre the Defiant about and this is no exception.   In the past, Andre has reveled in Eli Manning losses and has posted the occasional “EEEELIIIIIIIII” chant punctuated with a picture of the dejected quarterback. 

Well, apparently being clueless is a trait that many residents of San Diego share.  Not only is Andre an obnoxious and foolish ‘Bolt’, but so is the Bolts quarterback, Philip Rivers.  I don’t recall ever seeing a quarterback taunt another quarterback during a game.  Until now.

What a bufoon!

In October I mentioned the importance of keeping an eye on Pakistan. In rather dramatic fashion we see why that was, and continues to be, an important and worthy focus of our attention. The tentative political marriage between Musharaf and Bhutto was never consummated and the Islamic militants of Pakistan have faithfully followed through with their vow to eliminate Bhutto. Despite what some candidates and a significant portion of the American electorate may feel, the War on Terror/The Long War/The War on Islamic Fundamentalism is not just a joke, or a sideshow, or a distraction, or just a few criminal acts requiring mere police action or some neocon plot to enrich Haliburton while depriving fine Muslim folks of their hard earned oil reserves. Instead the threat we face is a real and present danger by an worldwide interlocking network of faithful fanatics following the teachings of a bloodthirsty cult directly out of the seventh century. Worldwide economic, military and political systems are threatened and undermined and, unfortunately, we are closer to the beginning of this war than we are to its end.

This dirty deed will affect many things including the race for the US presidency. In the short run this will probably help Guiliani and McCain as well as Mrs. Clinton across the aisle. The pretenders will be increasingly tossed aside as the serious primary or causuc voter wants someone who will have ice in their veins and a strong backbone when it comes to National Security. The other, as yet unforeseen, results of this assassination should unfold fairly rapidly over the next few months. And we’ll be here to report and comment on those events as they unfold.

Video, links and photos of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Assassination

Bhutto death roils US presidential race

Let me clarify my views on the revisionist opinions of WWII and the Civil War. I think PGW’s analysis of WWII is perfect. It would have been pure folly for us to have left the final outcome to Europe, both at the time and in retrospect. I rate FDR as the 2nd greatest President in large part because he wisely insisted on absolute surrender from the Germans and insisted that the US should have control over much of Europe and Germany via sheer conquest. No Western leader would have the guts to assert such “imperial conquest” today.

I rank FDR 2nd, because I rank Lincoln 1st.

His foresight and guts made the issue of the Union absolutely non-negotiable. Lincoln knew that the emerging nation depended on this position, and that great positions are worth fighting for. But I have to disagree with PG Warner in asserting that the contrapositive to these positions is irrational, or regarding the Civil War position, insane.

In order to assert US sovereignty over swaths of Europe, FDR had to first coldly decide to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of US boys for the cause. I happen to think that ability to make such decisions is what makes him a great leader, but I don’t think it wholly impossible to sincerely and rationally have said at the time that the cost was too high. I have no doubt that there were thousands of US mothers who felt that way.

Similarly, I think that it is far from insane to suggest that had Lincoln known that over one million American citizens would perish from the war, he might have offered one of the many compromise proposals  that were in the works in early 1861. There were men on both sides who urged these compromises on Lincoln, just as there were many men who opposed the compromises, as well.

It is obvious that many who wish the US hadn’t marched to Berlin, are also soft on Nazism, and that a great majority of those who call Lincoln a warmonger today pine for the Old South. I won’t dispute PGW’s placing Buchanan and Paul in these categories. I merely point out that there are some bright minds who hold some of the same views that these men hold, on a variety of topics, including their off-beat historical analysis.

Dave, a little “Enviroes Gone Wild” bump for you…

Aussie Lifeguards: ‘400% Increase’ in Shark Alarms.

Money Quote:

Lifesavers on New South Wales’ north coast say there have been more than 100 shark alarms so far this summer.

Steven Leahy from of Surf Living Saving New South Wales, says that is an increase of more than 400 per cent from the total number recorded last season.

Mr Leahy says most sightings have been recorded at Byron Bay’s popular Main Beach.

Now, one must ask oneself why four hundred percent more sharks are seen along Aussie beaches this year as opposed to last year. Perhaps a little insight might be gleaned from this headline:

Aussie appeal: Put human lives before sharks; ‘environmentalism gone mad’

Money quote:

ALARM over rising numbers of killer sharks and attacks has prompted renewed calls from marine hunters, surfers and politicians for governments to place human life above “environmentalism gone mad”.

Critics have attacked the federal protection order placed on the great white shark a decade ago and NSW’s move to cut back on the use of “meshing” designed to deter sharks from popular beaches.

The NSW Greens yesterday countered with an emotive serve of their own, saying the “gruesome death” off Bondi of a grey nurse shark and her newborn pup pointed to “the obscenity of old-fashioned shark nets”

Poor sharks.

Poor us! (Note the bite radius on this dude – hip to armpit. Big fish – 12 footer at least.)

The Way I See It #289

So-called “global warming” is just a secret ploy by wacko tree-huggers to make America energy independent, clean our air and water, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, kick-start 21st-century industries, and make our cities safer and more liveable. Don’t let them get away with it!

–Chip Giller Founder of Grist.ort where environmentally minded people gather online.
(source) – found on a disposable Starbucks cup

The question remains whether the panic over climate change and global warming is merely the Y2K scare of the decade.

My latest contribution over at Watchblog is up if you are interested in checking it out. I quote The Hairy Beast so you know it can’t be that bad. (:

Exploiting Children in the Name of Climate Change

Time magazine would have us believe that person should be Vladimir Putin. Now I might agree with that assessment if the title was Strongman of the Year, or perhaps even Totalitarian of the year. Leave it the blushing socialists at Time to ‘reward’ someone like Putin with that distinction. Perhaps it reveals their inner heart and soul and the type of agenda that they secretly admire. The fact that other runners up included Al Gore, the creator of Harry Potter (what the heck?), and China’s leader Hu Jintao also would seem to shine a spotlight on what type of people Time was looking at.

Since we pretty much reject such ridiculous notions and practice a degree of common sense here on Conclub, I propose that the Constitution Club blog proclaim General David Petraeus as the 2007 man of the year. With a modest increase in troops and new tactics, the allied commander of the Iraqi theater has managed to virtually defeat Al-Qaeda and the most belligerent of the insurgents, defang the once dreaded Mahdi army, and worked with the Awakening movement with amazing success. The last half of 2007 has seen true stability and security arise from the ashes of near civil war, a vicious terrorist presence, and factional cleansing. Deaths, among both Iraqi and allied forces as well as civilians, are down drastically and it appears that we have finally ‘turned the corner’ in Iraq.

One man bears the lion share of praise for these developments.

Chapter One: “I’m trying to change the system!”

This is a statement each and every politician makes. Will Dr. Paul change things if he somehow manages to get elected? Possibly, his hybrid brand of libertarianism certainly makes claims of being radically different. First let us examine whether it looks even remotely possible for him to get elected.

Currently Ron Paul is running 4% nationally for the Republican Party’s nomination according to RCP’s poll averages.  It is true that he is a little higher in Iowa at 7%, and he has raised some money. It is germane to note that Governor Dean was raising what then was considered a massive amount of money on the internet right before Iowa too, in his disastrous campaign in 2004. Dean, a animated doctor with a decidedly different outlook from the conventional Democrat, ran on a vision of change. He set Democrat fund raising records leading up to the Iowa Caucus. In fact he shattered Clinton’s record by getting his “Deanie Babies” (activists, mainly young ones who the campaign claimed were those who had not voted yet, or who usually did not vote, so the did not register in a poll) to buzz the internet. These “Deaniacs” sent their hard earned shekels in to Dean in small amounts by the hundreds of thousands. This new internet dynamic was going to result in a ground swell that was going to propel Dean into the White House. Dr. Dean was not successful.

The natural question is: Is it fair to compare Dr. Paul’s in bid 2008, with Dr. Dean’s bid in 2004? The answer is clearly no. Dr. Dean actually had a chance to get his party’s nomination. He was the front runner for a while. Dr. Paul does not poll out of single digits, and does not have a chance of getting his party’s nomination. Dr. Dean’s ideas were fairly main stream Democrat. Dr. Paul’s are a bizarre fusion of libertarianism and self-developed delusions. Read the rest of this entry »

I would like to wish my old friends Andre, DFV, E and Steve a blessed and Merry Christmas. I would also like to wish our new friends Wes, PGW, and THB (and their families) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well. I have enjoyed getting to know you all this past year.

To all our regular readers and commentators, thanks for visiting our humble blog and the Conclub bloggers wish you a happy holiday and a prosperous new year. The wordpress Constitution Club blog is less than a year old but we have seen it become, with your participation, readership and contributions, an active and intellectually stimulating forum full of humor, debate, and the occasional nugget of wisdom. It is my fervent wish that it will continue to grow and mature as it approachs its one year anniversary. Our best days are before us, not behind us.

   From the Gospel of Luke
   
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,^[b] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
       14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”^[c]

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely^[d] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Circumcision of Jesus

   
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child,^[e] His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

   
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD”),^[f] 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”^[g]

Simeon Sees God’s Salvation

   
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
       29 “ Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
      According to Your word;
       30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
       31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
       32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
      And the glory of Your people Israel.”

33 And Joseph and His mother^[h] marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer

   
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years,^[i] who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord,^[j] and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

The Family Returns to Nazareth

   
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit,^[k] filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

Your messenger really hates to do it to the guy, but it is his own fault. He earned his own kiss of death by writing something worthy (I know, sick isn’t it) of inclusion in the messenger. Sorry Mike, but it is really your own fault.

OK: given all of this, Fred is looking better and better. My additions to ‘You might be a Fredhead if you think- ‘.. that the only video you want to see on terrorists is from the camera of a Predator before they disappear in a flash... that Harry Reid proves that some kids weren’t beat up enough on the schoolyard playground.. that affairs in the White House should be political in nature, not extramarital.. that environmentalism should start with reducing government paper wasted on printing non-English documentation.

“We did not want to give the signal of a withdrawal, which would have been a detestable signal at a time when we see the ravages that terrorism can do to the world,” Your messenger is liking this guy more and more. What some people want to know why Harry “Run Away!” Reid, and John “The So Called War On Terror” Edwards do not get this next statement. “A war, a war against terrorism, against fanaticism, is being played out here, that we cannot, that we must not lose.” OH yeah, the picture credit source for Carla Bruni. You have to hand it to Nick.

To further goodwill the US and Canada, your messenger would like to turn The Wise and The Scribe on to a weekly posting on Dust My Broom called Friday Night Blues and Beer. It looks like Tree Brewing’s seasonal Spiced Mid-Winter Ale is the subject of issue #86. Lefthand Freddy and the Aces are #86s musical offering. Who knows, the trackback may turn them on to Saturday Night Souse and Wednesday Night Blues on here. You guys have been slacking it is worth mentioning. The Guru has a valid reason on the music end, provider troubles. Why you guys haven’t been drinking nobody knows.

Your messenger is was opposed to the death penalty. There comes a point where you realize that certain creatures are too obnioxiously stupid to live. That is the case here. Yes, execute the attorney who made the motion, the slime that killed the victim should get life without parole. Again it is amazing that people manage this without the ACLU. (HT to DMB)

Ahead of the curve once more: Your messenger saying for a while that Uncle Paul was going to run as a third party candidate after he was repudiated and humiliated by the Republican Party. Just a little while ago he declared he would not do this, now he wont rule it out. Only Doc Paul could get me to agree with TalkLeft: “He’s a dangerous nut.” Got to them through Alan at Fresh Bilge, who shares a similar view.

Category of Lets Get Real: “Under the unfortunate circumstance that this matter remains unresolved,…I will ask the Senate Commerce Committee to hold hearings on how the emergence…” That quote is from John F***ing Kerry. He is talking about putting the weight of the United States Senate behind an investigation of a, get this, a football game! Now I know our Beast would be bummed, but come on! The Ketchup King is not alone. “Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have threatened to reconsider the league’s federal antitrust exemption if the sides do not come to an agreement.” Dudes, this a football game which the NFL holds the rights to. Gaius at Blue Crab puts it this way…”Every, single one of these Senators is guilty of attempted extortion and are abusing their offices. Period. Try acting like elected officials and not like low-level mob enforcers, Senators.”

Some fun news for the New Year: “…it could lead to the death of between 16- 28 million Iranian civilians, and 200-800 thousand Israelis.” Conclub has and will document how the war we are fighting is global in scope, a single hot-bed is the Middle East. Pulling back into America is pie in the sky. Don’t worry, be happy, it is just all in Bush and the”neocons” minds! Have a Jolly…(through Blue Crab) 

Through our Wise One, the immortal words of Bugs: “What a Maroon!”

[The Cartman house. A delivery man walks towards it with a package and rings the bell. Cartman answers]  

Delivery Man: Package delivery for Mrs. Cartman?  

Cartman: A package? Oh, really? Well, I think I can sign for that!  

Delivery Man: Sign heah, and heah, and heah. [Cartman signs and the delivery man goes away. Cartman closes the door and dances with glee]  

Cartman: I got a Christmas present! I got a Christmas present! [stops] …Maybe I can see what it is. I’ll just open one little corner. [lifts up a corner of the wrapping] Let’s see here. [yanks the wrapping off and away] That’s good, I’ll rewrap it later! [the box reads, “LIFESIZED Blow-Up ANTONIO BANDERAS LOVE DOLL. WITH REALISTIC GENITALIA”] Oh, sweet! Life-sized blow-up Antonio Banderas love doll! With realistic geni-ta-lia. [takes the doll out] Oh, this kicks ass! What a cool Christmas present my mom got! [blows it up through the penis]

Your messenger hopes Santa brings you everything your heart desires. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you. A special shoutout to the North Georgia Hillbillies!

Does This Boy Need U.S. Military Oversight ?

No, Michael Blaine, but these folks might

Below, a man named Michael Blaine commented on one of the posts. Blaine has a blog that he linked to, so I thought I’d check it out. In a truly egregious post, he posts this picture of a smiling African boy and then laments the American efforts to have a forward military base in Africa. The picture, by the way, is of a South African boy, as westernized an African country as there is, and one helped immensely by the US military. Or see here, for example, as S. Africa’s defense minister raves about the US/S. African military partnership. So it’s not surprising that S. Africa is also the most prosperous African nation, and also the freest. After all, that’s what tends to follow US military involvement. It also tends to produce smiling African children like those above, instead of the stacked corpses in areas of Africa left untouched by American intervention.

Just don’t tell that to Michael Blaine.

No not your fashion sense, your Gore Quotient.

The Global Warming Test

All I want to say to you Punk, Grunge, Headbanging, ganja token Rastafarian, blond haired harmonizing California, show tune lovin hippies is…

“I don’t like that surfin‘ shit. Rock ‘n’ Roll’s been goin‘ downhill ever since Buddy Holly died.”

I know we say that Conclub is generally way ahead of the curve but this is ridiculous!  From PGWarners ‘I am your humble messenger’ post two days ago:

Your messenger wants to know what good faith is if you do not believe in anything. Hey don’t get your messenger wrong, being the Papist I am, I realize every time his Worship opens up his multicultural mouth Holy Mother Church picks up 10,000 new converts! At this rate we will get back all the churches and cathedrals Hank the 8th stole from us.

As if on cue, Tony Blair then springs into action:

Tony Blair, who often kept his religious views private while serving as Britain’s prime minister, has converted to Catholicism, officials said Saturday.

Blair, who had long been a member of the Church of England, converted to the Catholic faith during a Mass held on Friday night at a chapel in London, the Catholic Church said.

Conclub may be the best kept secret of the blogging world.  You might want to tell your friends now so that you can say you were an original reader of such dazzling talent.

THE GIPPER

“The Nativity story of nearly twenty centuries ago is known by all faiths
as a hymn to the brotherhood of man. For Christians, it is the fulfillment
of age-old prophecies and the reaffirmation of God’s great love for all of
us. Through a generous Heavenly Father’s gift of His Son, hope and compassion
entered a world weary with fear and despair and changed it for all time. On
Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ with prayer, feasting, and great
merriment. But, most of all, we experience it in our hearts. For, more than
just a day, Christmas is a state of mind. It is found throughout the year
whenever faith overcomes doubt, hope conquers despair, and love triumphs over
hate. It is present when men of any creed bring love and understanding to
the hearts of their fellow man. The feeling is seen in the wondrous faces
of children and in the hopeful eyes of the aged. It overflows the hearts
of cheerful givers and the souls of the caring. And it is reflected in the
brilliant colors, joyful sounds, and beauty of the winter season. Let us
resolve to honor this spirit of Christmas and strive to keep it throughout
the year.” —Ronald Reagan (http://Reagan2020.US/)

INSIGHT

“The concerted effort to minimize Christmas has resulted in it being our
national Happy Holiday holiday. The Christmas season is now the holiday
season. Christmas parties are now holiday parties. Christmas is a time for
giving and receiving presents and in many homes, nothing more. Who is this
fellow, Jesus Christ, anyway?” —Lyn Nofziger

Senate reports on over 400 top scientists who question Gore

I’m talking about a recent Senate Committee report on global warming. The report documents the views of over 400 well qualified scientists who severely question the views about human causation of global warming most popularly espoused Nobel prize winner Al Gore. The report lists scientists from many top tier and government organizations, including Harvard University and NASA.

In a disturbing paragraph, the report reveals that such global warming “skeptics” are often fearful to disclose their opinons:

Many of the scientists featured in this report consistently stated that numerous colleagues shared their views, but they will not speak out publicly for fear of retribution. Atmospheric scientist Dr. Nathan Paldor, Professor of Dynamical Meteorology and Physical Oceanography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, author of almost 70 peer-reviewed studies, explains how many of his fellow scientists have been intimidated.

 

“Many of my colleagues with whom I spoke share these views and report on their inability to publish their skepticism in the scientific or public media,” Paldor wrote.

That’s scary. It’s difficult for me to ponder a world where facts are being intentionally withheld from the public in order to foster a desired public advocacy. It’s petrifying to think that those facts are in science.

I keep getting told over and over again that the issue has been settled. We’ve just got a extremely short time to drastically change our lifestyles, economies and culture or the world will end (while we give a pass to places like India and China but that’s another story). Those of us who have not joined the anguished mobs wailing and gnashing their teeth over their carbon footprint, or have dared to bring forth yet another generation to consume and pollute, are flat earthers wallowing in our ignorance and selfishness. But the more I look into it the more I see the ideological and political agendas behind the Green movement and the less I see of a truly honest attempt to understand climate change and seek sane ways to reduce the impact of humans upon the environment while simultaneously seeking to improve the conditions of the vast amount of humanity that lives in squalor and poverty.  Increasingly, especially when it comes to Al Gore, a brave few are venturing forth to point out the fact that the Emperor has no clothes. Some may still choose to follow this pied piper of gloom and doom, but I will not be among them.

Missed this one on Thanksgiving, but I think it may apply to holiday family get-togethers in general.  Who hasn’t experienced a moment or two like this during the holidays.

The problems I have with the Scribe’s choice for the Republican nomination, Senator John Sidney McCain III, go way back. The Keating Five Scandal is as good a place as any for me to start my litany. Whether his conduct could have been excused as just proceeding with the flow of traffic or not, it was certainly not as above board as it should have been. It was commendable to attempt to overcome his shame by championing campaign finance reform. He finally succeeded by making a terrible situation worse by getting the First Amendment trashing McCain-Fiengold Act passed. Though well intentioned on behalf of Senator McCain, it trampled on freedom of speech. Restrictions on the timing of speech (ads) and the proliferation of 527s have been particularly pernicious.

His reactionary “bulldog” attitude during the 2000 election was off-putting. The poor loser image that he projected after failing get the nomination was bad enough; he compounded it by continuing to act petty after the general election that his party won. Further, his little faint at running in 2004 was hurtful and counter productive. He did to his credit then support the president in his reelection.

He opposed the Bush tax cuts. I do not agree with his stance on the issue of harsh interrogation techniques. Though certainly there have not been many people who have had to pay more for a ticket to that dance. His views on Global Warming have caused me some aggravation. His support of the deplorable immigration reform ideas of earlier this year was troubling.

Now let me tell you why I support Senator McCain to be my party’s nominee for President of the United States. First, and ever so most importantly, the Senator is best equipped to lead us during what I believe will be the most dangerous time internationally our country has ever experienced. Unfortunately the Global War On Terror has just started, and it most likely will get worse before it gets better. One might think that I want the Senator as Commander in Chief because of his military background and his POW experience. No, not really, you do not need to have been a veteran, or to have suffered as a POW, to know sending young people to die is a terrible thing. His background is helpful in how it has shaped his innate character. The reason why I want him making the decisions is because of how he has stuck by his principles regarding the Iraq War. Despite real political consequences he has stood by what he knew to be right. Along with the president, vice president and Senator Lieberman, Senator McCain has shown more courage than any other politician in Washington over the last six years. Not only has he been honorable and courageous, he has been right!

Second, he is pro-life. This is essential for me in a candidate. Further he is also compassionate. This compassion was shown in his support of immigration reform. Immigration reform also showed how he is willing to learn and listen. He now supports a reasoned approach on boarder control and dealing with illegal aliens. He also changed his views on the Bush tax cuts and voted to keep them. He opposed the dangerous and intolerant constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. The rest of his “short comings” I can live with.

My young friend Wes may cry out that I said character does not matter! What I said was Principle and Party come first, then Candidate. There will be ways he will let me down I am sure. I do believe he has shown that I can trust him to do his best. He should do fine holding the reins until 2012 or 2016 when General David Petraeus will bring us into a new era globally!

Primary season in New Hampshire has been as cold and bitter as Hillary’s heart. But nothing takes the chill out of a hard day on The Stump like a steamy hot bowl of delicious NecCon Chicken soup! Ok – it’s a bit too rich, but it makes liberal use of simple elements to extract every iota of taste. Built around the core ingredients; carrots, onions and celery and fried in a conservative dollop of oil, they combine to create a powerful base upon which a wonderful meal can be erected. Give it a try and you will agree – this Soup is a winner, year after year!

This is the Beast’s own recipe, not cribbed from a cookbook or off the internet. It’s perfect Bachelor chow – only one pot and utensils to clean up. It does involve a bit of chopping and prep times depend on how good you are with a knife. Water amounts are left deliberately vague – adjust depending on how thick or dilute you like your soup.

Tips: don’t overcook the chicken or the veggies – some flavor should be left in them when you eat the finished soup. Follow the ingredient addition order in this recipe and you should be fine. This soup freezes well for two months and keeps in the fridge for 4-7 days.

NEOCON CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients

1 6-7 lb Roasting Chicken or cut-up parts.
3-4 med. Onions
3-4 Carrots, peeled
5-6 Stalks, Celery
4 lg. Garlic Cloves
1 32 oz can of stewed or diced Tomatoes
20 (approx) cubes Chicken Bouillion
1/2 cup diced fresh parsley
1 cup white wine
1 Bay leaf
4oz (1/2 bag) frozen peas
8oz (1 bag) frozen green beans
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni or other pasta
Black pepper to taste

Prep Time: 20 – 40 Minutes
Cooking Time: 90 – 140 minutes

Cooking Instructions:

Dice garlic and chop onions. Set aside. Chop half the peeled carrots and celery into med-fine dice. Chunk remainder. Include leaves of three of the celery stalks. Dice parsley. Heat tablespoon of vegetable oil in stainless steel 4-5 gallon pot. Do not use aluminum or aluminum clad pot, as the oxide will react with tomatoes later in the recipe and turn the soup bitter. If all you have is aluminum, omit tomatoes. Add onions and stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic. Cook until onions are translucent, but do not brown the garlic. Set aside. Reheat pot.

Add another shot of oil and fry the celery, carrots and parsley on high heat. Stir constantly – the veggies should wilt a little and add a brownish residue to the bottom of the pot. Fry until the sugars begin to come out of the celery and caramelize, maybe 3-5 minutes. You will be able to tell because the odor from the pot will become very rich. When they just begin to soften, add onions and chow to heat through – 20 seconds.

Deglaze with a cup of wine. Reduce till half the liquid boils off, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Cut up chicken into leg quarters, wings, whole breast and back. Add to pot and cover with water, about a gallon. Add bay leaf, tomatoes, pepper and 10 bouillon cubes. Bring to boil then lower to a simmer. Cook chicken til just before done – 30 – 40 minutes. Remove breast first as it cooks fastest. De bone and reserve meat. Repeat with wings and legs. Throw away backbone. Skim fat. Top off with more water if needed. Simmer for another 30 – 45 minutes.

Add 5 more bouillon cubes, peas, green beans, pasta and meat. Return to boil and cook until pasta is Al Dente. Taste and add water and bouillon as needed.

Serve in deep bowls with lots of hot fresh-baked bread and butter or biscuits for you Southern Phillistines.

My first (and probably only) contribution to Friday Night Punk.  This is the Dropkick Murphys from the movie The Departed.  I think it’s cool.  The movie is great.  Since grandma was from Ireland it must speak to the Irish in me.

Happy fecking Christmas edition.

“Fairytale of New York”

BTW, The BBC (always a ConClub fave) tried to edit out a certain word from The Defiant One’s favorite Christmas song for the first time this year.  Fortunately, they blinked under pressure (including from punk-loving gay folks like me who were far more offended by censorship than the dreaded “other F-word”).

As I was writing my last post, I noticed some unusual tags in the ‘categories’ section.  They are only visible in the ‘write post’ page so I will check them and see if they appear above.  If they do, they will now appear as tags on our site and will soon be extinguished.  It is funny nonetheless.  I think it is further evidence of the refined and twisted humor of this group of bloggers.  Anyone going to take credit?  My guess is the Beast.

Yesterday the jolly old elf gets his man business abused, today he gets cold-cocked and his sleigh came under anti-aircraft fire. And still people wonder if we have lost the true Christmas spirit!

Hey Mo! Hey Mo! Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Darcey at Dust My Broom wondered “Wasn’t this the kind of stuff Mark Steyn wrote about?”

“We see from this study of Muhammad’s name that Islam is on the rise and cannot be stopped no matter what your crusader governments do,” said Muhammad Abdel-Al, spokesman and a leader of the Popular Resistance Committees terror group.” “In Europe there is no need for war because if people keep on joining Islam in these countries then Islam will become the majority, which I think is the process that is taking place now, so there will not be any necessity to have war with [non-Muslims],” he said. (WND)

Did somebody mention Pat Buchanan and Uncle Ron lately? Two peas in a pod. Two anti-Semite assholes. Look what good ole Pat did here.  Then he gets Andre’s Uncle Glen to comment on Rudy “He is an I-talian you know” Giuliani a Fascist. How so very cute. Some views do not even deserve courtesy. If you believe in these guys, then shove off you wankers.

Even though your messenger has the strength of a five year old these days, he sure wishes he could get his hands on this slimy little chickensh*t!

“Sure there’s less violence but that’s because we’ve ethnically cleansed most of Baghdad.”

I am just the messenger. The 2007 Splodies are out: Mohammad Khalil, 27, from the An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades (PRC) blew himself up in Beit Hanoun. They had to change the sign at the entrance to Gaza back to “0 days since the last work accident.”

What a twit! DFV’s favorite archbishop Doc Rowan “Believe Any Ole Crap Ya Wanna” Williams is up to it again. After he told kids at a grade school there was no Santa, Easter Bunnie or Tooth Fairy he threw the Three Wise Men under the bus. He then went on to tell the faithful, of course faith is relative, that its cool if you think Jesus had a mom who was easy. You know, kinda of a young street chick. He then changed the name of his church, which is now down to 12 members, to the Church of We Don’t Believe In Sh*t. Your messenger wants to know what good faith is if you do not believe in anything. Hey don’t get your messenger wrong, being the Papist I am, I realize every time his Worship opens up his multicultural mouth Holy Mother Church picks up 10,000 new converts! At this rate we will get back all the churches and cathedrals Hank the 8th stole from us.

In keeping with our religious theme: Putin was both the Apostle Paul and King Solomon in previous lives. If that does not work for you can worship a former provincial traffic policeman, Sergei Torop, as the second coming of Christ. It is all cool, His Worship said it was.

Look I know you are Times Man of the Year, a living icon and a deity, but can spell Chechnya? “Russia’s President has denounced attempts to link Islam with terrorism, saying terrorism has no national or religious identity.” 
 

“Around 6 percent of those surveyed were classified as having “violent tendencies,” while 14 percent of respondents had “anti-democratic” tendencies.” That’s fine, only 6% out of 3,000,000.

Listen carefully kids, there will be a quiz later. The Bad Man Said This: “If we would delete the ultimate objective of establishing a global system from the Haj rituals, the remainder would be deeds devoid of a soul.” Extra points if you can spell Global Caliphate.

Look at it this way, Jacko would be fine in Iran even under Sharia.

Ye shall compile a Domesday Book! Everything under the sun shall belong to thy Liege Lord! So sayeth the King! (Its good da be da King!)

Our newest conclubber, Jeff, was curious about our choices for candidates.  This is just my gut feeling based on my vast wisdom.  Lets start with the two Dems:

Andre – John Edwards        I’m not sure if he has declared his candidate yet.  But I picture Andre being wooed by the nicely coiffed hair of the Senator from North Carolina.

Wes – Barack Obama     After having watched the Obama girl video 214 times, Wes believes that Barack Hussein Obama is a fresh and moderate face in a field of has-beens.

Dave – Fred Thompson     So in love with the now infamous ‘Meet Fred Thompson’s Wife’ post (the post that launched a thousand ships), Dave finds himself completely enchanted with all things Fred.  Politically, Dave thinks Fred strikes the right balance on immigration, faith, and foreign policy.  Plus, he declared his candidate earlier than anyone here.

Guru Steve – Rudy Guiliani     Rudy reminds the Guru of his longings for Wall Street and the security that a successful mayor can bring to the White House.  He is also fond of the frequent pictures Andre posts of Rudy in drag.

The Hairy Beast – Mitt Romney     Northeasterners are a fickle bunch and don’t seem to mind that thier candidate switches positions on issues from time to time.  They are also notorious for supporting all things New England, including football teams with coaches that employ nefarious tactics.

PGWarner – Mike Huckabee     Huckabee is running the God Squad and PG is in the choir.  With firm stances on social issues, PG is finding himself increasingly intrigued by the possibility of President Huck.

DFV the Scribe – John McCain     Like McCain, DFV declared early and fizzled out on the turn.  Look for the Scribe (and McCain) to mount a serious comeback down the stretch and establish themselves as serious contenders.   But something tells me that DFV is secretly pulling for Hillary just so he can say “I told you so.”  He is funny that way.

EtheWise – ????     The wit and wisdom of the Wise One is only used at the expense of the other sorry saps on this site.  There is no telling who this bastion of knowledge and honor will endorse.  The world (and the Republican field) anxiously await. . .

Other commenters:

ME in 08 – Mitt

Mike (aka Mopenshaw) – Guiliani

Jeff – Ron Paul (obviously)

Dana – Huckabee

Blubonnet – Ralph Nader

MoK – Mitt

Blondie  -  Huckabee

Our friendly neighborhood scribe has been known to sniff out a good story or two on occasion and I have taken the initiative to write about his discoveries from time to time. Awhile back we decided to take a look at the mysterious claims and ultimate untimely demise of dentist Dr. David Graham.

The Mystery of 9-11, Dr. Graham and Jamal Khan

In short, Dr. Graham claimed to have known about and had contact with a cell of the 9-11 hijackers prior to 9-11 and reported them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Dr. Graham was later apparently poisoned and eventually died but not before writing a book describing his experiences and chronicling his story. I was fortunate enough to apply a couple of  ’investigative journalist’ type techniques and through one of Dr. Graham’s friends managed to get my hands on an original copy of Dr. Graham’s never before published book. Conclub now has a couple copies in its possession and I have considered how wise or foolish it might be to release Dr. Graham’s book on the Internet. Both friends and family have at times advised against it, mainly because they have expressed the desire to see me escape (worst case scenario) the possible fate of Dr. Graham himself. Are they paranoid? Probably. But then again, someone apparently whacked the good doctor after he began telling his story.  My worries were more along the copyright/legal issues line. The decision to publish or not publish what I had managed to acquire has now been removed from my hands with the release of the ‘the book’ by Sander Hicks. If anything, it is an intriguing sidebar to the unfortunate and tragic events on  9-11.

The 9-11 Graham Report

I am happy to see that it is now available. I do believe it is a story worth telling.

The next time E decides to lecture us about some commenters from a few left wing blogs and expects an intelligent response, he has to answer for Jonah, and the scribblings in his new tome:

My favorite:  “The white male is the Jew of liberal fascism”. 

I’ll freely admit that I will never buy his book, much less read it.  Still, no matter what possible justification follows a statement like that (Perhaps “They said ‘Happy Holidays’ to me at the DMV!  It’s a veritable Krakow! *snort*”), it is one of the most stupid series of words ever penned.  When K-Lo fires him from his position as a contributor to one of the leading right-wing sites in the land, I may be somewhat more inclined to answer for the ravings of TehBushHater42 or whoever the hell posted on ThinkProgress about the fire in the EEOB.

This whole persecution complex by the “white male”, mostly middle-class population in this country still confuses me. 

In my earlier post regarding Canada’s legal structure to silence political views unapproved by The State, Andre reassured us that it would all go away: “And my guess is that this will turn out the same way the “Gays suck” preacher thing did… laughed out of the Canadian Supreme Court.” I’m not sure if Andre has a different case in mind, but the case of Stephen Boissoin hasn’t caused quite the mirth among judges that Andre had thought.

In a ruling released just last week, Alberta’s Human Rights Panel has ruled that this “Gays suck” preacher has criminally spoken aloud, and must be punished.

His sentence will be announced soon, most probably by the Queen of Hearts, I fear.

Me, Dec. 17:    “The Astonishing Triumph in Iraq“

Freddie the Beetle, Dec. 19:    “An Astonishing Turnaround on Iraq“

Me the Writer: “Can we sue Barnes for plagiarism?”

Me the Lawyer: “No, stupid, and stop bothering me.”

“The moonbats that make up Andre’s daily news source the left wing blogosphere is ripe with love and concern for all parties involved. ”

Since the charge has been leveled at me again and again… What are your news sources, fellow ConClubbers?

Most of the time, when I don’t have customers in town and a sixty-five hour work week as I currently do, my news comes from the following:

I wake up every day to Morning Edition on NPR.  Once I finally get out of bed I turn on either CNN or a local channel.

The first blog I check in with is The CarpetBagger Report, mostly for the 9:00 AM (local time) political round-up.

After a meeting or two I head straight for Sadly, No!, followed by Balloon-Juice, because I need a quick laugh (TBogg is dead to me now, after his move to FDL- not exactly my favorite blog in the world).  Eschaton (Atrios) soon follows.

Over lunch at my desk I go to CNNSI to see how badly the Avs/Rockies/Twins/Vikings/Padres/Chargers are doing, though lately I have been pleasently surprised.  I then hit Kos for the Midday Open Thread, and then usually put on my hip-waders and head over to the Corner (again, mostly for easy laughs).  If I’m not to busy, I head to the WP for the political stories (the “next story” feature is very nice).

Mid Afternoon I head back to TCBR for Quick Hits, TPM, and check out The Rude Pundit.   Sometimes I read either RedState or My Pet Jawa, but that’s only about once a week.

My drive home is either All Things Considered or the the local man with “convictions” (literally) Rodger Hedgecock.

Keith follows (obviously).  DVR is your friend.  And believe it or not, I often watch Special Report with Brit Hume, cable remote/fast forward button in hand.  The Daily Show and Colbert are sometimes watched, and I usually fall asleep to CNN or, more often, C-SPAN (falling asleep to C-SPAN?  That’s a first).

On the weekends MacLaughlin is a staple, as are MTP and This Week.  I sometimes watch The Beltway Boys, but for the same reason I occasionally go to Instapundit.  You can call it the WTF factor.  If I am particularly hung-over and don’t want to function and/or want something more painful than my headache, I watch Washington Journal, again on C-SPAN.

I read The Nation, US News, and Newsweek, and I avoid DU like the plague. 

Of course this is an overview, not every day, but I am sometimes amazed that I still have a job.   So like the title says, I am curious:  What are those who accuse me of getting my news from one side reading and watching?  Hopefully the list is more than The Weekly Standard, The National Review, Fox News, and The WSJ Opinion Page.

Update: Speaking of falling asleep to C-SPAN, I just learned that Bay Buchanan is a Mormon (according to Pat), who is working on the Tancredo, rather than Romney, campaign.  For some strange reason that makes me like her a little more.  I don’t know why I feel that this is worth mentioning, but there it is.  Of course the Tancredo Train is supposedly making its last stop tomorrow in Des Moines, so Mitt might have a new supporter.

“Sweet baby Jesus. I need a shower. And a new set of eyes.” We could be behind the curve on this one, but its milk through the nose hilarious! Funny, your messenger had Drew Carey pegged as a hobosexual! Be sure to check the older posts.

You think your messenger exaggerates don’t you? “This has got to be imposed on people whether they like it or not.” (David Thompson’s site is always worth a glance)

Remember folks they do all this without the help of an ACLU! “Four federal agencies dealing with Mohamud all cited his privacy rights as a reason for not warning the public or disclosing whether he is now in an immigration lockup or in a minimal-security halfway house, as parole officials recommended.” Your messenger bets that they will tell ya where Mark Steyn is!

Hey besides the pimps, human trafficking, money laundering and drug abuse its a victimless activity! You have to love how out of touch Libertarians can be at times. Of course in the Netherlands the have no age of consent either. “The city is not afraid of losing the “boorish Brits” who currently throng the 800-year-old district, he said, adding they should be replaced by tourists wanting to see its churches.” You gotta love em!

A stomach turning idea for the hard to shop for would be terrorist. “It strikes me as being incitement to terrorism. I hope that the people that distribute the material will be arrested and charged.”

In showing solidarity with their Canadian brethren: Hojatolislam Hassani declared “These women and their husbands and their fathers must die” Your messenger remembers when his sister was sent home by the nuns for having her skirt too short. Talk about a tuff dress code. Well its not like Hassani is nuts or anything, in 2002 he went after the underlying problem of Iranian society. “I demand the judiciary arrest all dogs with long, medium or short legs – together with their long-legged owners. Otherwise I’ll do it myself,” said the outspoken cleric, who leads Friday prayers in the north-western city of Urumiyeh. “In our country there is freedom of speech, but not freedom for corruption,” he said.

“My virginity was restored in a delicate operation just last week…” Speechless here! Pakistan 90210. Cue Madonna!

Read the rest of this entry »

As Conclub readers know, we’ve been on the story. Now, Parker claims it was all a misunderstanding.

The left is in a tizzy over the fire in the Eisenhower building.  The thinking from the trifling ideologues on the left is that Cheney is attempting to hide some damning evidence and so he concocted a spectacular blaze.  Instead of shredding the documents (or having your chief of staff hide them in his pants outside of the Archives) the Administration thought it would be wise to light a fire.  You know, there is nothing more subtle than burning documents with a walloping bonfire in the heart of the nations seat of power.  This thinking should come as no surprise to anyone since many on the left also believe that BushCo. took down the twin towers.

The moonbats that make up Andre’s daily news source the left wing blogosphere is ripe with love and concern for all parties involved.  Here’s a sample from ThinkProgress:

I’m sure the Nazi Chimp will somehow manage to blame Iran.  And start WWIII.  -  Kay

Looks like an evidence burning party got out of hand.  -  Alphaliberal

Of course Cheney was in the Oval Office at the time.  After starting the fire he had to get somewhere visible to throw off suspicion.  -  Bartlebee

Huffington Posts readers were so worried that they had to turn off comments for that thread.  The server probably couldn’t handle all of the well-wishers.  LGF managed to capture a few of the concerned comments like this one:

Please all pray that Lord Cheney was not effected by smoke inhalation and that his feeble heart is still ticking.   Long live Lord Cheney!

And readers of the Washington Post made their ‘get-well-soon’ greetings known to all:

I have one question: Were the S.O.Bs in the building? We would be so lucky!  -  Analyst72 

Rehersal for the upcoming Tony SnowJob cremation gone bad…  – Kase

Maybe Condi dropped her crack pipe  -  Rabbitman

Now I know that Andre has some rule about not using comments of whack jobs to make a point but it is just too easy when the racist, fascist pigs on the left wish for death for our public officials.  Besides, I don’t give a crap about that rule.  When your news source Huffpo has to consistently shut down comments on issues that involve the health of Republicans, you know you belong to a bankrupt ideology.

The 2008 presidential race is far more interesting than it was even a month ago.

Mike is setting out to prove that his ego is even larger than his immensely huge wallet. The question is whether his run would hurt the Democrats or the Republicans more. The jury is still out on that one. I’d vote for Hillary over that nanny state, open borders buffoon anytime.

Meanwhile, Thompson declares “I’ve had my mojo the whole time“, there is some handwringing over whether it is sexist to discuss Hillary’s wrinkles (what about her cankles?) and speculation whether Edward’s “Love Child” story was a Christmas present from Hillary in response to his surge in Iowa.  Obama decides to ignore Osama and fights his own ‘axis of evil’ on stump.

Even as Mitt catches Huck in Iowa, Thompson ’saddles up’ and more voices are advancing the McCain scenario. Some on the Right say Aw Shusks-a-bee, why not Huckabee while others wonder if the sly ole’ Huckster is Clintonizing the GOP.

The Mondale of the GOP has managed to tie Guiliani in national polls while the nutcase declared that when fascism comes it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross. Of course, when lunacy comes it will be towing a blimp and asking for contributions.

Huckamania may prove to have been a mere media bubble, but will the old warhorse resurrect himself early and DFV be vindicated?

As Iowa and New Hampshire approach with rapid speed, the real contenders will finally start to seperate themselves from the pretenders and wannabe’s. In the end, there can only be one.

Teacher’s Video Becomes YouTube Sensation

Science teacher Greg Craven had one night before the last day of school to finish “The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See” in time to let his high school students know about it.

Downing cans of Red Bull, Craven holed up in a science lab at Central High here, editing all night. At 6 a.m., bleary-eyed, he posted his 91/2-minute global warming video on YouTube.

His students linked to it on their MySpace pages. By that night, 60 people had clicked on it. The next day, 300. Soon after, 1,000. Craven was psyched. That kind of “viral” growth gets you noticed on YouTube, the Internet’s anarchic video smorgasbord. Within two more hours, his wife called: It’s up to 10,000, she said.

Now, six months later, Craven’s earnest and quirky appeal to act on climate change has collected more than 4 million views worldwide — roughly 500 times the population of Independence. That puts it near the top of YouTube’s all-time list for views in the news and politics category, despite competition from videos featuring Britney Spears, Satan’s face in a 9/11 explosion and an Alabama leprechaun.

The 38-year-old family man has sifted through some 7,000 comments and discussions, mostly critical. One said: “My toddler drools more cogent arguments.”

I guess scare tactics have always been the tried and true method of the fear monger. The sudden obsession with, and fad of, climate change is increasingly interesting to watch. The sheer panic it is triggering among some members of the population is disturbing and the agenda and ultimate goals of its architects are just beginning to be revealed. As usual, Conclub has been ahead of the curve reporting the agenda of wealth distribution, limitation of personal freedoms and vastly increased government control of every aspect of your life that goes hand in hand with the Green Agenda. The Watermelon Warriors are streaming forth to conquer society and civilization in the name of Climate Change and we are watching it unfold.

Good find, Peej, on the Iraq violence graph. If you look closely at the graph, you can see that the decline begins almost precisely when the surge fully kicked in. Recall that in the surge’s early days, Democrats were gloating expressing sorrow that the surge didn’t seem to be working, and the Pentagon said, “wait until all the troops are there.”

If Andre and Wes are right, and Democrats truly want to win in Iraq, then shouldn’t some of them, any of them, one of them, mention the fact that their original analysis was so spectacularly flawed??

After all, if their purpose in giddily reluctantly pointing out when the surge didn’t seem to be working was merely to advise on a productive course of action, then nobility requires them now to admit their error and urge a continued course of action, right?

Yes, yes, I know. I’m not naive. I fully understand that the whole “we really want to win” line is little more than boilerplate pap. And I’m well aware that the ginned-up outrage at “having their patriotism questioned” — especially since the charge was almost never in response to an actual attack on their patriotism — is mostly a manifestation of the dark insecurities their conscience harbors.

Again I ask: If all of the vitriol has been offered for the most patriotic of reasons, then shouldn’t there be some Democratic politicians, writers, bloggers, or ConClubbers who sometimes take to task their own party’s ideas? And let me clarify something. Last time I asked this, ConClub’s Dems responded by trying to prove their bona fides as Democratic Party critics… by asserting how angry they are with their party for not being more anti-Bush, more anti-surge, more radical, more leftist, more obstructionist, and more confrontational.

Well, don’t go too far out on a limb, boys, but what would really demonstrate a commitment to American success would be a willingness to assail your party for their own missteps on Iraq, as they occur. How come there’s not a single Democrat (either elected or in the punditocracy) who will acknowledge the disastrous notion of a US withdrawal? Why are there no Dems who are willing to give voice to the obvious conclusions that experience affords? Why isn’t there anyone on the Left who has a truly defensibly patriotic position??

Unsure how to proceed? Let me help you out. Here’s a template for a liberal, realistic, patriotic dove position –

My sole focus is on what’s best for America, the world, humanity, decency, and all that is good. That’s why I’m a liberal Democrat.

[*clearing of the throat* Work with me here]

In Iraq, I only advocate what I believe to be the most effective course for both America and the Iraqis, without regard to the political ramifications of my positions.

For this reason, I opposed the initial invasion.

I deplored the Bush Administration’s lies, the media’s acquiescence, the country’s jingoism, and my own party’s weakness. After eventually becoming resigned to the war itself, I then became outraged at the administration incompetence and corruption. I have weighed in on Abu Ghraib, waterboarding, Gitmo, nighttime raids in Iraq, Hamdi, and Padilla, but in each case, solely because of my love for this nation.

That’s why now, I sometimes recognize and proclaim, the sheer irresponsibility of some Democratic positions. Ideas like ‘complete withdrawal’ and ‘rapid redeployment’ strike me as absurd. Even the notion that we would now cede influence in the emerging Iraq to other nations by breaking camp and splitting, seems unwise to me.

But what’s more, because I’m not bound by any code of loyalty (except my professed love of country and humanity), I am willing to assail Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi for their failure to join me in some of these conclusions. And because I’m an honest broker, and not some whore for ‘my side,’ I’m even willing to declare that the Reid-Pelosi position is one borne solely out of political calculation, and it sickens me that my party’s leaders are advocating obviously foolish policy in a naked attempt to gain more political power. But because I owe my soul to no man, I’m not afraid to say this publicly.

Is there such a man among the Left? Anyone? Anywhere? I suppose the very public hit job on Joe Lieberman for his honesty has had the intended chilling effect.

[And not a soul can doubt that Lieberman is vastly more honest and true to himself in his sentiments than all of the plastic, "honest-we-really-want-to-win" gang.]

But if today’s American left-wing has even a shred of intellectual integrity, someone will emerge to face the slanderous arrows of their fellow leftists and the approbation of all of the lefty blogs.

But is there such a man?

The Rabbi has had the courage to decry the forces who threaten to tear western civilization apart. He understands that multiculturalism separates and divides.

A tolerant society is one that ignores difference and a multi­cultural one is one that highlights them. It is confidence in your own heritage that allows you to be generous to those of another heritage.”

A number of us have been objecting to the forces of the reactionary left, and their desire to control. Rabbi Sir Johnathan Sacks has the courage to state something even the defenders of culture are afraid to say sometimes.

“I think we are seeing a new intolerance,” he said. “There is an extravagant over-zealousness in trying not to offend anyone and little do these people realise that other faiths would like Britain to be a Christian country.”

Now why would he say that? Truly, I would like to hear people’s  ideas on this.

Sir Johnathan elaborated further on the dangers of multiculturalism in a previous article.

Liberal democracy is in danger. Britain is becoming a place where free speech is at risk, non-political institutions are becoming politicised, and a combination of political correctness and ethnic-religious separatism is eroding the graciousness of civil society. Religious groups are becoming pressure groups. Boycotts and political campaigns are infecting professional bodies. Culture is fragmenting into systems of belief in which civil discourse ends and reasoned argument becomes impossible. The political process is in danger of being abandoned in favour of the media-attention-grabbing gesture. The politics of freedom risks descending into the politics of fear.

Is there any doubt as to why their minority populations are more radicalized than ours are? That they have taken to violent action sooner than ours have? Ours are on that road my friends. OH, Canadian authorities I live in the USA, and as of this date I can still say these things.

I offer as politely as I know how to, to my friends to on my left: This is not us being intolerant, prudish, or refusing to progress. This is us trying to fight what is eating at the fibers of the cloth that unites us.

Iraq by the numbers: Graphing the decrease in violence

By Bill Roggio

My Friend Andre said…

Less dead GIs… GREAT! Less dead Iraqis… GREAT! No change in the Iraqi government… not so much.

I know he truly meant that. The truth is what has taken place, even if it only is this, is nothing short of a miracle. Mr Roggio continues to do ground breaking work to bring us a first person account of what is happening on the ground. He does this at the risk of his life. Please read his article in total and stop by and donate.

This probably has no merit but is worth noting anyway.  Apparently an insider is telling the site Westbygodvirginia that the agent for Nick Saban has recently contacted the University of West Virginia about their recent coaching vacancy.  This should come as no surprise to anyone who watched Saban vehemently deny that he was leaving the Miami Dolphins only to leave the Miami Dolphins. 

These sources tell us that Saban is extremely unhappy in Tuscaloosa and has failed to recapture the situation he had in Baton Rouge with LSU. The purpose of the agent’s call was to express initial interest in the position and to have WVU athletics put together a compensation package enough to lure Saban from Alabama. This package would not need to be as much as Saban is currently making at Alabama, but enough to not result in a 50% paycut. So, we’re obviously talking more than the $1.9 million former coach Rich Rodriguez was making.

Now Saban isn’t going anywhere but the fact that rumors would swirl around such a scoundrel is indicative of his opportunist reputation.  The Dophins just won their first post-Saban era game and their 1 – 13 season is directly attributable to Saban’s terrible NFL stint.  He left the once proud Dophins in a state of disarray.  This post is also funny because the same site excoriates Rich Rodriguez for taking the Michigan job!  They call Rodriguez “slimy” while plunging themselves over the prospect of Nick Saban!  Nice.

Hopefully Colorado beats U of A’s ass in the ‘Who Gives a Shit’ Bowl.  Colorado’s coach, Dan Hawkins, embodies all of the class that Nick Saban lacks.