Long Time, No Blog

Hello Faithful Readers-

As you can see, it has been a good while since I last posted. A number of circumstances have converged which are indicating that I may need to renegotiate my web presence.

I will keep you posted on my decision but for now, it looks like my blogging days may be over. I have enjoyed blogging immensely as my many posts and comments to some of you have indicated. For now, I will leave it here in limbo until I make a firm call.

Thanks for your patience.

Baltimore Cop Arrests Couple for Asking Directions

If you're headed down to Baltimore anytime soon be sure you avoid any run-ins with the law.

They'll arrest you even for asking directions.

A couple from VA learned this the hard way recently when they were arrested and released after eight hours without being charged for a crime. The two reportedly asked Natalie Preston, a Baltimore city police officer, for directions and eventually found themselves on her bad side (my sources tell me she was picked on a great deal in high school). In the end, the couple was arrested by Preston and taken to jail before they were released.

If the story above pans out, I smell a lawsuit coming. Baltimore would be wise to dismiss Preston before it gets to that point.

See the article above for details.

NYT: Democrats Should Try to Lose in 06

Only a liberal publication would advocate such a ridiculous idea and only the Democrats would pause to consider it. Such is life in the world of politics.

The NYT ran an article today by Adam Nagourney which lays out the rationale for why Democrats should seek not to win control of Congress in the Fall. All sources indicate that the strategy was widely applauded by RNC Chair Ken Mehlman.

Joking aside, the basic strategy for defeat is that if the Dems lose in the fall, then the many problems which exist can be blamed on the GOP and tip the Presidential election to the Democrats in 2008. Brilliant.

The fact that the strategy would be put forward in a major publication underscores the point that Democrats aren't ready to govern, much less win. It also highlights the differences between the two parties. Although Republicans have fallen on tough times, they're still the only party generating any ideas to address problems facing the United States. Consider, the President rolls out a strategy for immigration reform while the Democrats roll out a strategy for defeat in November. Not exactly forward thinking.

You know, then again the strategy for defeat really does make a lot of sense. Which party knows how to lose better than the Democrats?

Have You Had Your Oxygen Today?

If you are a resident of Japan, the question may become as routine as your morning cup of joe.

A few Japanese entrepreneurs are going to be selling Oxygen in a can at local 7-Elevens across Tokyo. The 'oxygen product' (viz. air) will be called "O2 Supli" and should be available nationwide in June.

Yet more proof that people will buy anything.

Today's "Doh" Moments in International Politics

There were two news items both related to Iran which triggered a Simpsonian reaction from your humble blogger. These two made me inwardly hit my forehead and say, "Doh!"

First, someone needs to seriously question the wisdom of our allies in Europe. I was more than a bit surprised to read that Britain, France and Germany have proposed giving Iran a nuclear reactor in exchange for Iran abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

According to the AP, one of the many problems with the idea is the following:

Light-water reactors are also not proliferation-proof because they use enriched uranium as fuel. While uranium enriched to low levels cannot be used in a weapons programs, it can be processed relatively easily to high "weapons-grade" material, for use as the fissile core of nuclear warheads.

So, let me get this straight, in order for Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions, we need to give them a nuclear reactor which they can then use to make nuclear warheads? Doh!

As if there weren't enough, I also read that Venezuela intends to pass along its fleet of American F-16s to Iran if America doesn't revoke its ban on arms sales to Venezuela.

Again, so Venezuela is basically saying that unless we sell them more weaponry, they'll give what we've already sold them to our enemy.

You know, it's not the best public relations strategy ever devised. But then again you have to consider the source. This is a government still experimenting with socialism some two decades after it's formal demise. Doh!

Oklahoma Rep Leads on Ag Relief

It's always good to see our Oklahoma representatives taking the lead on agriculture issues. Contrary to popular belief back east, Agriculture is still a mainstay of the American economy and Oklahoma is among the Nation's leaders in agriculture produce.

Congressman Frank Lucas of OK's 3rd District, recently sponsored a measure aimed at insulating farmers across the west who sustained crop loss due to natural disasters. Lucas' measure is the House equivalent of a Senate bill allocating 4 billion as part of the supplemental spending bill for Hurricane Katrina aid and the Iraq war.

CNN: Bush border plan gets good reviews from viewers

I couldn't believe the headline myself. Not the assertion made, but that CNN would report the facts.

At risk of delving into polls once more, it appears that the President's Five Point Plan on illegal immigration went over well with the American public. And why shouldn't it? The suggestions made are all practical and they make sense. In most respects, it draws from the work of a number of suggestions and produces a plan that works toward compromise but wholly satisfies none.

I was most impressed by the candid tone of the President's remarks. He had no political incentive to get involved in the Congressional debate in such a strong way. But Americans are concerned and the President took steps toward action. Time will tell but it appears that the Senate compromise which failed earlier this year will again be the template for future drafts of the legislation. Let's hope Congress also has the fortitude to address this issue on behalf of the American people.

BBC Interviews Wrong Guy

Hilarious. The article linked to above is absolutely hilarious.

The AP reports that the BBC mistakenly interviewed a man on live TV who was applying for a job with the company.

The mix up came when two men with the same, distinct, first name "Guy" appeared at the BBC's London offices on the same day.

Guy Goma who was applying for a job arrived early and was immediately ushered into the recording studio before he could offer a flustered dissent. The interviewer immediately began to ask his opinion on a variety of issues related to internet music downloads and the major verdict between the Beatles and Apple Computers.

Apparently, as the interview progressed Guy Goma became increasingly confident of his own abilities and was unfazed at the mix up. The real man set for interview, Guy Kewney, thought Goma did a swell job albeit a bit rushed.

All things considered, the BBC did not hire its plucky applicant.

Mother's Day Silent Protest

The rumor mill has it that Susan Sarandon joined Cindy Sheehan in a silent, Mother's Day protest against the war yesterday in downtown Washington, DC.

Conservatives across the country lament the event's completion.

Southwest Airlines in the NYT

The NYT ran a wonderful story about my favorite airline.

To check it out, click the title above.

It's a great reminder about how a can-do attitude drives the American dream.

Loneliest People in the World

Ever feel like the loneliest person on Earth? Unless you're tuning in from Ireland, chances are you're probably not.

Reuters passed along the good news to the rest of the planet that Ireland is the loneliest country in the world according to Google.com.

Google Trends, the research arm of Google.com, tracks web searches on the word lonely and found that the Irish won the crown for loneliest country in the world for the year 2006.

I have to admit, I'm a little surprised. You'd think with all the Guinness and pubs that the Irish would do a little better- on St. Patty's Day at least...

Racist Democrat Runs for Alabama Attorney General

Democrats down in Alabama have an odd situation on their hands. They are left in the unenviable position of defusing the candidacy of one of their own- a racist candidate for Attorney General.

Although you might expect a few quacks from either party to make a run from time to time, what the party might not have expected is the candidate's popularity among Alabama Democrats.

In a recent poll, the candidate Larry Darby captured some 12% of the vote despite having made only a few statements and public appearances en route to denying the holocaust and advocating an agenda aimed at re-empowering the "White Man."

Although the Alabama Democratic Party has repudiated the man's candidacy, it looks like their ability to hinder his run may be stymied. Should he win the nomination, the Party's only form of redress is to not certify the results.

Permanent NBA Team in OKC?

It increasingly appears that this will be the case. Although nothing blatant has come out attesting to this point, the New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets have already arranged to play 35 regular season games in Oklahoma City's Ford Center.

But what makes the move seem all but inevitable is the article above in the Daily Oklahoman. Seems that team and city officials have advanced in their relationship to talk about interior decorating. You know, once you have the conversation with her about drapes and furniture a big change is all but in the works.

So it goes in OKC. OKC and Hornets officials are talking about renovations for the Ford Center in order to take the stadium to the next level. Just as all major commitments require a substantial down payment, usually in the form of expensive diamonds, the price tag for the up-grades are pricey. Sing the tune of $10 to $50 Million and you're in the right, ahem, ballpark. Proceeds would go toward new scoreboards, a/v equipment, team store and new practice facility for the Hornets.

And why not? Oklahoma City boasted the tenth largest attendance for home games in the league. Though the commitment is big, both parties seem well prepared to take things to the next level.

Speaking of Polls...

New Policy: Normally, my policy here at Pax Plena has been to let all comments ride. Everyone gets a free pass to say what they want. This was the case for a couple of reasons, but mainly because I wanted things to be somewhat fair. I get to opine in every single post and comments are readers brief way of staking their claim on an issue after I've already taken over most of the land. But increasingly, I find that discussion of the issues is an important part of blogging so I'm going to put the policy to rest and reply to comments made on a post from Friday.

Matt of Matty Fred had a couple of interesting comments/links on the Washington Post poll, pointing out mainly that some were skeptical of the poll's findings and that a separate poll done by Newsweek contradicts it. Unfortunately for the WP's critics, Saturday's op-ed did little to disabuse them of their skepticism- though their fear of the WP becoming a bastion of conservatism is beyond me. At any rate, the Post ran an editorial by Brookings Institution scholar (again, no bastion of conservatism) Richard A. Falkenrath praising the NSA spy program.

The outcry from the radical left was substantial to say the least. One thoughtful and articulate blogger from Iowa offered that a constructive solution to the problem was for the Brookings Institution to burn in hell. Oddly, the title bears striking resemblance to some leftist arguments on global warming. Still others have said that the real poll numbers to look at are the ones from Newsweek- you know, that beacon of journalistic integrity that ran false stories about American troops desecrating the Quran (and later retracted them) around this time last year.

Here's the rub- I can't really argue that people have no right to be skeptical of polls. They do. And polls, by definition, are imperfect beasts. Even public opinion is hardly a static entity. In the end, however, what's missing in this vacuous discussion is a genuine critique of the actual poll conducted by the Washington Post. The left may prefer the Newsweek poll because the magazine matches their political inclinations but this does nothing to discredit the Washington Post's equally compelling aggregation of public opinion. No critique to date has actually offered any legitimate, statistical criticism of the poll's findings. Given this, it seems some on the left are more interested in the truthiness of the matter, rather than finding out exactly what Americans believe.

Regarding the program itself, there's little wonder why most Americans support it. USA Today's account notes that the information regarding cell phone calls was provided by the companies in question voluntarily. Because there is no prohibition against federal agencies receiving voluntarily provided information, the program is legal. In other words, the government didn't bug your phone. It doesn't care who you're dating or what's going on in your personal life. It's simply using numbers to look for patterns to find terrorists. Supercomputers. Cell phone numbers. Patterns. That's it. If you're not a terrorist, don't worry.

In reply, some are arguing, The whole point of having civil liberties is that they are not supposed to be subject to a majority veto. Hobbes may not have believed in natural rights, but our founders did. And their opponents, the anti-Federalists, were even more zealous about restraining the powers of the federal superstate, which is why they forced the Federalists to write the Bill of Rights directly into the Constitution.

It's an interesting turn of phrase, but here's what the Founding Father, George Washington actually said with regards to secret intelligence gathering: The necessity of procuring good intelligence is apparent and need not be further urged- all that remains for me to add is, that you keep the whole matter as secret as possible. For upon secrecy, success depends in most enterprises of the kind, and for want of it, they are generally defeated.

Like public opinion, times change and some instances require placing a premium on security. Washington understood this. The President understands this. And I believe most of the American people do as well.

Americans Support NSA Efforts

Even as the Washington Post bemoans the NSA's monitoring of American cell phone call logs, the same publication is forced to admit that the American people support the effort.

The big story for most of yesterday was the USA Today revelation that a secret government program exists to find patterns among the Nation's cell phone users. The effort is part of a greater project to identify terrorist threats through patterns found in the call logs and to then apprehend the suspects. And boy did the media have a field day telling the story- over and over again. Political heat. Gloom and doom. President Bush is in trouble. Some even predicting the failure of Bush's nominee to head the CIA.

But in an interesting turn of events, according to poll numbers released today, 2/3's of actually Americans believe that the need to fight terrorism outweighs a right to privacy. Some have called this common sense.

Here is an excerpt from the WP's admission:

Underlying those views is the belief that the need to investigate terrorism outweighs privacy concerns. According to the poll, 65 percent of those interviewed said it was more important to investigate potential terrorist threats "even if it intrudes on privacy."

There you have it. Try though the media might to spin the issue one way, the public is smart enough to realize that we need to identify terrorist threats.

Democrats on Impeachment: Trust Us

The left likes to say that the Administration's major talking point on security issues is the phrase: "trust us."

Yet, in effort to hide how out of touch Democrats truly are with the rest of America, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued a remark saying the same thing.

Pelosi and her usual suspects said today that if the Dems were to win a House Majority that they will not pursue the impeachment of the President.

According to the WP: Daly said Pelosi never considered impeachment a priority. Republicans "are in such desperate shape," he said, "we don't want to give them anything to grab on to." He said Conyers agrees with Pelosi's thinking.

Remarkably, Pelosi seems to have had a change of heart (she got the bleeding to stop for a little bit).

Just this past Sunday Pelosi had this exchange with NBC's Tim Russert:

TIM RUSSERT: "Is impeachment off the table?"
NANCY PELOSI: "Well, you never know where the facts take you ... for any president."
(NBC's "Meet The Press," 5/7/06)

Her hollow promise doesn't inspire a lot of trust.

Iran Ready to Talk?

Word on the street is that the Iranians are ready to enter talks on their nuclear weapons program.

Iran's President Mahmod Ahmadinejad said, We want to use technology for peace and the welfare of the Muslim people around the world. But they want to use it to invade other countries. This is the difference between us and them.

Cute but a little difficult to believe when it is followed up with this: Israel is a tyrannical regime that one day will be destroyed.

I suppose it's too early to judge, but it looks like posturing to me. Time will tell.

For the sake of the region and our Nation, I hope my assessment is incorrect.

Up-date: I neglected to mention earlier why I felt the move by Iran was posturing. This article in the NYT explains well Iran's conditions for talks. In sum, Iran insists that any discussion of their nuclear program be held without the threat of force.

Two points. One, all Western powers have repeatedly said they prefer to resolve the situation using diplomatic means. So no threat of force currently exists. Two, if Iran is earnest about negotiations, then whey have they consistently rejected offers for diplomacy the past several months?

It seems to me that the best explanation for Iran's sudden turn of heart is to jockey for more time to complete their nuclear program. Using the guise of diplomacy, the Iranians will continue to build until one day, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces before a military review that Iran too has the bomb and will rally all Muslim countries to its side.

Some have written-in before to say that I'm a conspiracy theorist on Iran. I accept some of this criticism but in this case, the theory is not unprecedented. It's basically the same strategy employed by North Korea during the Clinton administration- minus rallying the Muslims.

Steyn on Da Vinci Code

A few weeks ago, I uncharacteristically bemoaned Mark Steyn's article on the GOP. Today I am forced to admit that Steyn has totally redeemed himself.

His recent article in the Canadian Maclean's Magazine is a riot delving into English grammar as a critique of Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown.

It's a lot of fun for anyone who enjoys a good twist of words and learning about the proper usage of article adjectives.

Baptist Schism

The ever resourceful Church Report, keeping tabs on all the news in the Evangelical community, ran the above article yesterday on the American Baptist Denomination.

Conservatives within the American Baptist Churches, USA (ABC) have decided to split from the denomination over issue of homosexuality within the church following a long line of denominations which have been rocked by similar divisions- including the Methodists, Southern Baptists, and Presbyterians.

My Grandfather served on the General Board of the ABC during most of my time in high school, before I opted to join a Southern Baptist church.

Many times he talked about the division within the denomination and how this particular issue dominated the agenda of his meetings. It is an unfortunate incident, but given the history not one completely unexpected.

Russian Government: Have More Kids

You did read the title correctly.

The Official position of the Russian Government is that its citizens need to have more children. The policy was put into place after the Russian population began a steady decline by nearly 700,000 people per year.

Russians have apparently been exiting for warmer climes, better hats and other nations that are truly free.

People may joke about Bush's poll numbers but at least Americans aren't choosing the Russian path of extinction.

Nano Revolution, Full Speed Ahead

This article from Fox News addresses a small fascination of mine- nanotechnology.

Outlining a few of its many uses, the article talks about some of the current obstacles facing the technology including health risks to the public.

There's no doubt that we will hear much more about nanotechnology in the future. The article provides a good historical background and highlights some advancements we have to look forward to.

Dartmouth Grads Found Kenyan Clinic

I have a lot of fun with this blog. It's great to wax eloquent about politics both domestic and international. It's amusing to poke fun at popular culture and complain about the Democrats. But every now and then I run across an item that makes me realize how unimportant a lot of what I write about really is. The article linked to in the title is once such article.

The Daily Dartmouth reports that two Dartmouth graduates, Milton and Fred Ochieng (Dartmouth '04 & '05 respectively) have founded a clininc in their hometown of Lwala, Kenya. When complete the Lwala Community Clinic will serve the approximately 4,000 villagers in the region who are currently living without healthcare. While this is noble in itself, what makes the story so compelling is that the area around the clinic is home to the highest rates of HIV in the Nation. At present, villagers travel over 40 miles to reach the nearest medical facility. In brief, Milton and Fred saw a very real, practical need and took steps to address it.

To accomplish this goal, the Ochieng brothers had to employ a number of talents, including fundraising. Milton and Fred took great effort to reach out to members both within and outside of the Dartmouth community. They first enlisted the help of Dartmouth's Craig Parker, Director of the Navigators, who chairs the steering committee which is busy raising funds. The group has pulled together nearly $27,000 towards the project with a goal of raising at least $50,000 before all is said and done. Milton Ochieng who currently attends Vanderbilt Medical School in Nashville, TN, has also made some great in roads within the Nashville area. The Vandy Med School has a website devoted to the project aimed at getting community members involved.

Meanwhile, great progress is already being made. With the basic structure in place, crews are now working on installing electricity and water. They hope to be able to serve patients in January of 2007. Not bad for a couple of guys just out of college.

Many people talk about leadership. Some of us complain about it. Others do it. For their efforts, I am humbled by the leadership both Fred, Milton and their entire team have shown. It takes a lot of pluck to accomplish any project on this scale. But this is one instance in which people are directly helped by the efforts of two individuals. Fred and Milton may have advanced the idea, but the people of Lwala, Kenya will reap the benefits.

Hillary Clinton Says Something Nice about Bush

At first, I thought a very warm place had frozen over.

And then I reminded myself that we have an election year coming up and a Presidential election to follow.

NY's Junior Senator, Hillary Clinton had some unexpected praise for President Bush saying, "He is someone who has a lot of charm and charisma," at a National Archives event Tuesday night.

For all I write about bipartisanship, this one really surprised me. We expect it from her husband. He's practically a Bush brother now. But coming from "Hill" it obviously raised eyebrows- enough for my beloved AP to write an entire article.

It's important to note, for the sake of cynical sensibilities that Clinton did not volunteer the remarks but made them after having been asked to say one nice thing about the President.

Random Website of the Week

I used to pass along random websites of the week back in the nascent days of Pax Plena. Continuing the tradition, here is one I enjoyed a great deal recently.

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation operates the website above featuring Monticello, home of our Nation's Third President. The site offers a virtual reality tour and amazing pictures of the estate for those of us unable to visit the location.

It's a lot of fun and a unique approach to sharing history with many who would be otherwise unable to experience it.

A great use of twenty minutes.

Why Freedom is Worth the Fight

For any American wondering if our actions in Iraq and Afghanistan are still worth it, we need look no further than China. This article from the NYT examines the life of Hu Yingying, a sophomore at a Chinese University. Hu is a student/internet traffic cop who monitors the message boards of her university. Anything which smacks of politics, negativity or potential offense is immediately reported to her school's webmaster for deletion without notice to the instigating student.

Hu's effort is part of an April task forced called, "Let the Winds of a Civilized Internet Blow," which is part of a "socialist morality" [article's words, not mine] aimed at thwarting offensive content. This can include everything from porn to political dissent.

I've written at length on this topic before ( my senior thesis last year defended this view regarding Christian Native Americans) but it's always a message worth repeating. Freedom is worth the fight because all people deserve the right to their own voice.

Here's a personal story: I took a walk in downtown Washington, DC last fall amid one of the largest anti-war protests to hit DC in recent years. There were protestors carrying signs with slogans I found absolutely reprehensible. Some chanted, others screamed, and a large group formed a drum circle on the National mall in typical hippie fashion. A friend walked with me and was completely outraged at the display. She took great issue with their right to free speech, saying it contributed to the destruction of the country. It occurred to me in that instance that our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are fighting as much for the protestors right to speech as they were for Iraqis in a Fallujah market.

Free speech is never to be restricted on the basis of disagreement. My friend was wrong to seek it's restriction, though correct in seeking to counter it's voice through argument. Another good friend told me that the way to combat free speech is through more speech while seeking to persuade others of the validity of the claim. I believe this is true of the Democratic process as well.

For all the fun I have making fun of Democrats, I gladly defend their right to their own voice. As much as I disagreed with the protestors that day, I gladly defend their right to foolishness. But my contribution is to counter both through the presentation of my own views. For the Chinese, they face a massive effort to restrict the freedom of speech in their land. Consider that we have numerous points of view here in the United States with our population of 296 Million people. Imagine the disparate perspectives found within a Nation like China which bolsters a population of over 1.3 billion people. It is, in effect, fool-hardy.

As President Bush said in his 2005 Inaugural address:

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world. America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security, and the calling of our time.

Although obvious, freedom is worth the fight because it is an inherent part of our security. Freedom is worth the fight because Americans by definition reject the notion that speech should be silenced. And freedom is worth the fight because it is an innate part of our existence as human beings.

Here's a Surprise...

AP: Major powers fail to agree on Iran strategy

I swear, reading the AP is a lesson in redundancy.

The Party of No Looks Ahead

There was an interesting article in today's Washington Post that does as much to critique as it does intrigue. Written by Robin Toner, the article discusses the Democrats internal divisions as they ride a burgeoning wave of optimism for the 2006 mid-term elections.

Here is an excerpt [and my translation in brackets]:

But some of these analysts argue that the party needs something more than a pastiche of policy proposals. It needs a broader vision, a narrative, they say, to return to power and govern effectively- what some describe as an unapologetic appeal to the "common good," to big goals like expanding affordable health coverage and to occasional sacrifice for the sake of the nation as a whole.

[Viz, big government]

This emerging critique reflects, for many, a hunger to move beyond the carefully calibrated centrism that marked the Clinton years, which was itself the product of the last big effort to redefine the Democratic Party.

[Viz, leave the last strategy that actually worked]

Before I tear their ideas apart, I'll give credit where credit is due. Given the election cycle, Democrats are really hurting for a big win in November which will buoy their party to a win in 2008. The Democrats recognize this. It's taken awhile- the Democrats have been shopping for a victory strategy and a set of values since President Bush's election- but kudos to them for finally realizing that.

However, as the article duly illustrates, there's a problem. Although the Democrats recognize the need for a victory strategy, they still do not actually have a victory strategy.

Here's why: while a broader vision for the DNC may counter stereo-types that the Dems are a party of self-interested coalitions, it doesn'tcompensatee for the fact that the Democrats ARE a party of self-interested coalitions. The inherent problem for the Democrats is that they rally behind these disparate special interest groups because they must in order to build a party which will win. It's called coalition building and all major political parties in modern history have engaged in it to some extent.

But the solutions put forward in the excerpt above are clearly not the answer. If the Dems are interested in being fiscally conservative as most Americans are, then big government is not the solution to rising deficits as they have proposed. If Democrats are interested in winning in November, then appealing to the far left of their party will not bring about victory- as both Howard Dean and John Kerry proved in their failed attempts to gain the Presidency.

What then? The Democrats remain left with an identity crisis and in the unenviable position of persuading Americans that the "Party of No" deserves the right to govern without actually having a real vision for America.

Media Spins CIA Pick

Even if you disagree fundamentally with it, as I do, you've got to admire the media's creativity and uncanny ability to deceive. Such was the case in the news surrounding President Bush's nomination of General Michael Hayden as the next CIA Director.

The AFP's headline on the story reads US lawmakers concerned about White House CIA pick.

Here are two points of order: Democrats would have opposed anyone the President chose to nominate because their default position on all nominations is to oppose them.

Second, the only Republican lawmaker on record as being against the nomination is Pete Hoekstra of MI who heads the House intelligence committee. Hoekstra hails from the 2nd district of MI where he has long been a maverick of sorts. Just last fall he advocated declassifying millions of pages of documents captured during the Iraq war without first conducting an intelligence analysis.

Given the above, one can hardly say that lawmakers are concerned about the nomination. In reality it is one lawmaker who is concerned and the opposition party. For now, at least, others seem on board.

Media: "Silly citizens, facts are for kids!"

The Hacking Community?

For some reason the BBC title of the above article struck me as being really, really funny.

It reads: UK hackers condemn McKinnon trial

First, it reads like the hackers are an official, unionized organization such that they officially condemn the trial of their fellows. But they're not an official organization, they're a group of hackers spread out disparately across the world causing mayhem for IT security experts. It's not like they have team meetings over coffee and snacks.

Second, why is this news? Of course the hackers will condemn the trial- one of their own got caught (for hacking into American military computers, no less). It's like saying suicide bombers have a death wish.

Duh...

New Relationship Trend: Living Apart Together

Only in Manhattan. The ever chic and cutting edge NYT ran this article about new relationship trends in today's Home & Garden section. Apparently, the 'in' thing to do is to have a long-distance, long-term relationship but never actually make the commitment to integrate the other person into one's life.

Two explanations are given as possible reasons for the phenomenon. One is that older couples see LAT relationships as a way to avoid inheritance issues (which may work for the 0.05% of older couples so involved). But for the vast majority of couples seeking such a relationship the other reason is a lot more simply put: selfishness.

Take the case of Ms. Roehm quoted from the article:

Ms. Roehm said she is not interested in making compromises to move in together, even if that makes her sound selfish. "I have my own life, my own identity and want to keep it," she said. "I like having the things I love around me." They have even identified a new demographic category to describe such arrangements: the "living apart together," or L.A.T., relationship. These couples are committed to sharing their lives, but only to a point.

Let me first say that I am not judging people who pursue this type of relationship (as I now proceed to judge them), but in my view, this couldn't be more counter-productive to creating a stable, healthy relationship. For all of the feminist and existentialist ideas emphasizing personal advancement over family, and self over others, one resultant pitfall is that our generation has been hoodwinked into believing that life somehow does not involve compromises. We are constantly bombarded with messages that scream we can have things our way on our terms without having to give up anything of the everything we want. Based on this false assumption, some now believe that the very essence of a relationship (sharing life with another person) can now be altered from its basic premise; we are led to believe that we can have our own separate life and space while integrating another person only up to a point.

At least one of the experts in the article agrees that the approach is problematic: Marriage presents an opportunity to learn selflessness as well as giving and forgiving, he said, whereas a long-term romantic arrangement that doesn't involve cohabitation "glorifies individual needs."

I recognize that there are times when people in relationships, for whatever reason, must be separated- perhaps even for extended periods of time. But never should a couple aim for this type of separation to become the status quo. To do so, neglects the most significant part of a relationship- the process of living life and enjoying together the idiosyncrasies brought on by each new day. Although separations can be mitigated, the new trend takes the mitigation to a new level and poses the problem as a solution.

M:I3 Lags at Box Office

According to CNN- Fewer people chose to accept Tom Cruise's latest mission, a possible sign that the odd behavior of Hollywood's biggest star may have taken a toll on his box-office charm.

I have to say, I find this really surprising. I saw the movie Friday night in a theater in downtown Boston. Both shows were sold out and the crowd was one of the more animated I had seen at a movie in a long time.

The special effects are great. The plot does a good job of pulling you in and the action is well done. It's by no means an intellectual film and it makes no pretense to be one. But it is a good action show that accomplishes it's goal of entertaining. If you like action movies, ignore Tom Cruise and see the show. It's one of those action movies you can only appreciate on the silver screen.

Blair Fires Foreign Secretary Jack Straw

I have to admit I was more than a bit surprised, not being one to closely follow British politics, when Prime Minister Tony Blair gave his Foreign Secretary Jack Straw the gate. Straw had always seemed an earnest defender of the Iraq war and seemed to stand solidly behind Tony Blair.

But, as always, there is more to a story than meets the eye.

While the WP has interesting background info on yesterday's election, the real story about the rift between Blair and Straw can be found here courtesy of the UK's Guardian. To sum up, the paper argues that Straw was sacked due to a public difference of opinion on Iran with the Prime Minister. Straw repeatedly ruled out a military attack on Iran, while Blair seems more inclined to agree with President Bush that all options are viable in dealing with a potential nuclear Iran.

Margaret Beckett will now come on board as the new Foreign Secretary and is projected to establish cordial relations with her counterpart in Washington. Mr. Straw, although demoted, will by no means be exiled from British politics. He will assume leadership of the British House of Commons.

Red River Shoot-out Stays in Dallas

The news out of Norman is that Oklahoma and Texas will continue to clash in Dallas for some time to come- four more years to be exact.

The more really comes as no surprise. The tradition of the game is legendary. Having been played in Dallas every year since 1929, the stadium acts as a midway point for traveling Oklahoma and Texas fans. Split at the 50 yard-line, supporters of the two teams diverge one wearing colors of crimson and cream and the other puke orange. The sheer intensity of the game make it among college football's greatest rivalries.

While there are no binding obligations on the part of Dallas City officials, they have proposed a $50-million renovation that would push capacity beyond 90,000. Though, the new deal does not require any improvements to the stadium.

It's just as well. The game belongs in Dallas.

More importantly, all signs indicate that OU is set to clobber Texas in celebration.

The Rum With a Special Taste

A group of Hungarian builders drank up a 20 year old barrel of rum while working on a house renovation.

They said the rum had a special taste.

But what the workers didn't realize was that what gave the rum its unique flavor was a pickled corpse that had been shipped in the barrel 20 years ago.

This gives spiced rum a whole new meaning...

A Nation of Prayer

I nearly missed this. Nevertheless, President Bush took part in the National Day of Prayer services at the White House earlier today.

President Bush said, At decisive moments in our history and in quiet times around family tables, we are a people humbled and strengthened and blessed by prayer.

I wanted to mention this quote because it largely describes memories of the life back in Walters that I miss. Prayer at our table was never an oddity and the Lord's blessings always brought with them a sense of awe and gratitude and the notion that we serve a big God.

Our Nation (my current community is no exception), has long relied upon the power of prayer to sustain us through times of turmoil, darkness and periods of thanksgiving. American has largely been blessed because we rely upon infinite power vested in an interested God who listens, loves and cares. A Nation of prayer some would ask?

Indeed we are.

See the complete text of the President's remarks here.

Web Censorship Increases Around Globe

The BBC also had an interesting article on web censorship around the world, which I found particularly insightful as a blogger opining in the massive void of the internet.

Here is an excerpt: Although the internet is changing the way the media works as blogs, chat forums and social networking sites turn passive consumers into active critics, it is not just citizens who are taking advantage of its technological power warned the report.

China and Iran were the biggest offenders. No surprise there. To the Iranian leadership, computers themselves are an offense to Islam (Muhammad apparently was no fan of Dell); and in China, the "Party" is so afraid of popular unrest that its version of the internet is a watered down amalgamation of Communist talking points bereft of free thought.

Perhaps they have reason to be afraid. In the United States alone, the internet and blogging have effectively turned millions of average Joe's into arm chair pundits. The masses are now as capable of presenting a view as a six-figure talking head on CNN and they will almost certainly present their side with more candor. In many regards, blogging and the internet have indelibly changed how mass media operates. The availability of information on demand has aided the 24-hour news cycle, while blogging itself creates a variety of paradigms through which information might be processed.

As a blogger and participant in this new media, articles like these make me appreciate all the more our freedoms of thought, expression and speech here in the United States. I can not imagine a government which would penalize me for articulating my views- whatever they may be.

More Good News on Economy

The left doesn't want you to know this, but today's economic news indicates that things are on the up and up.

The BBC article above is saturated with concern about the potential for rising interest rates (a valid concern), but the bottom line is that American workers increased productivity by 3.2% for the first three months of the year whereas the final three months of 2005 marked a 0.3% productivity decrease.

Here are some more figures adding to the good news.

• Productivity rose at an annual rate of 3.2% between January and March, compared with a 0.3% fall seen in the last three months of 2005.
• Consumer spending increased by 0.6% in March, up 0.4% from February, indicating that the US economy is growing strong at a 4.8% annual rate.
• Retail Sales increased accordingly in March, with sales up 0.6% after a 0.8% drop in February.
• Jobs were also up in March as the unemployment rate dropped to 4.7% with some 190,000 new jobs created.
• Service Jobs grew at an surprisingly according to the Institute for Supply management. Using its index, service jobs rose from 60.1 in February to 60.5 in March surpassing a forecasted downturn to 59. Services account for 80% of the US economy.

New Plagiarist in Town: Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson

It appears that Kaavya Viswanathan isn't the only one to catch the latest plagiarism bug, in fact she is in good company. Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson recently confessed to 'borrowing' portions of his book "Swanson's Unwritten Rules of Management" from other texts on the same subject. Some of his sources include Dave Barry, Don Rumsfeld, and W. J. King (a UCLA Engineering Prof from the 1940s).

In contrast to Viswanathan, it could be that Swanson's mistake was a genuine error. According to Swanson, the book idea came from a presentation he made to company engineers in 2001. His staff reportedly prepared the presentation from file material that had been gathering for a long while. When Swanson wrote the book, he failed to re-check the sources of his presentation.

In response, Raytheon's board of directors decided to 'freeze' Swanson's salary and stocks at their 2005 level.

In all, it's a fairly innocuous story compared to our dear plagiarist from Harvard, but still...Poor Bill. With the pay cut, he'll only make $1.12 million in salary and $2.96 million from stock.

Pop Removed from Nation's Schools

In a move bemoaned by elementary students across the country, beverage magnates from Coke, Pepsi, & Cadbury Schweppes have agreed to stop selling pop at schools.

The agreement does allow for these companies to sell some beverages to school aged children- water, unsweetened juice and low-fat milk among them. But all pop will be nixed from the vending machines. For High School students, only diet soft-drinks will be available.

The move was largely championed by the William J. Clinton Foundation foundation in effort to reduce childhood obesity.

To the children of America I have this message- blame the Democrats for taking away your pop. Just kidding. You should be drinking milk anyway- so my mother tells me.

Shake-up White House Press Briefing?

An increasing number of former White House Spokesmen are suggesting just that. But while there is disagreement on the way to alter the system, almost all are in agreement that the daily briefing is too adversarial.

Reuters quotes the ubiquitous political analysts, Larry Sabato of UVA, "It doesn't serve the White House and it makes a lot of Americans less friendly to the press," he said.

Indeed. Someone should pass along that memo to David Gregory.

Final Johnny Cash Tune Set for Release

The last song Johnny Cash ever recorded is set for release later this month.

In addition to Cash's final song Like the 309 songs by other artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Hank Williams and Gordon Lightfoot will also appear on the CD- along with an assortment of hymns and love songs.

The album is called A Hundred Highways and will be on shelves May 23.

A Red/Blue Europe?

The Christian Science Monitor suggests, yes. The CSM link above provides an interesting look into European politics and presents well, a similar, colord-coded, and divided electorate.

If the US electorate is split almost evenly between "red" and "blue" voters, the European political picture might be drawn from a more muted palette. But pink or mauve, European voters are also riven into nearly matching camps, recent elections suggest.

I found this interesting because for a long while I had written Europe off as the world's largest blue state. Rightfully so, in many instances. But what the article helped me to appreciate is that in Europe as in America, there are deep political divisions and real debates about what the best course is. Citing recent elections in Italy, Germany and the UK, the article offers unique insight into the divisions within the European community and presents similar fault lines to the US.

More on Colbert...

Just in case you're not tired of it yet, the NYT has a nice consensus piece up this morning on Stephen Colbert's performance at the WHCD on Saturday night.

The consensus? There is no consensus- particularly in the Blogosphere and even on the humble blog of yours truly.

I'm putting this one to bed, but I will add that I don't think it is a coincidence that both Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart have performed at the same venue within the past two years, and that both have garnered mixed reviews at best.

Their humor is simply lost in translation as even Colbert tacitly admitted himself.

London Mayor Saves Urine

Sort of...

The Mayor of London just took conservation to a new level. According to the AFP, Mayor Ken Livingstone revealed in interivew that he has refused to flush his personal toilet for the past 15 months.

London is experiencing its worst drought in a century, so the good Mayor offered a bit of advice to fellow Londoners as they follow suit and conserve their urine:

"Red Ken" said it was all based on the old adage "if it's yellow, let it mellow" and advised gardeners to fill up a bucket and hurl it on the plants.

I promise- I am not making this up. Click the title to read it yourself.

And so we see, yet again, exactly why we should never trust government.

ABC's Commander In Chief Yanked

ABC mercifully decided to torture the American public no more.

The network announced Tuesday evening that it was pulling its initially much acclaimed series Commander in Chief effective immediately.

The show featured Geena Davis who who a Golden Globe this fall for her performance as the Nations first female President.

The "Coolest" Small Towns in America

I stumbled across this article just before bed. It's an interesting article if you like to read about the obscure, exotic and the historic- also known as small town America for those on the left and right coasts.

The article, however, is completely false. You see, Walters, OK is not listed among the coolest small towns in the US and this simply makes the article in error.

104 Year-Old Woman Marries

Putting to rest the notion of the lonely, female spinster, a 104 year old woman from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has landed quite herself quite the catch: a 33 year-old husband!

According to the groom, it was love at first sight. But only half of the newlyweds are new to love. It's his first marriage; her 21st.

No word on where the couple will spend their honeymoon.

"Vermont is home to half-baked socialists"

Not my words. But an amusing phrase none the less from Geoffrey Norman of the National Review.

Here's a snippet:

Burlington, Vt.- Seems everyone is climbing on the impeachment bandwagon these days here, in Vermont, anyway. Though it is admittedly tempting to write off little Vermont (the state's roughly 600,000 residents couldn't make a city worthy of a professional sports franchise), it is the American epicenter of progressive political thought, so one probably ought to pay attention. As I pointed out the last time I wrote in, Vermont's national politicians (Dean, Leahy, Jeffords, Sanders) cut a very high profile, and they get their ideas from somewhere.

For the record, Vermont has justly earned its liberal reputation. But if there's anything redeeming to fellow Red Staters it's that it is a very beautiful state- particularly the areas near the southern portion of Lake Champlain to to the Green Mountains/Mid Vermont region.

Still, nothing terribly Earth-shattering here. I mean, who didn't know VT was a blue state after Howard Dean? Nevertheless, it is amusing to poke fun and VT is an easy target.

The article is a hoot.

Elie Wiesel Set to Deliver Dartmouth Commencement Address

The Daily Dartmouth is reporting that Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel has been tapped to deliver Dartmouth's Commencement address to the Class of 2006. Below are some of Wiesel's accomplishments as listed in the D.

Since receiving American citizenship in 1963, Wiesel has become one of the United States' most prominent Holocaust survivors. The Boston University professor was President Jimmy Carter's chairman of the President's Commission on the Holocaust and he later founded the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize, Wiesel has also received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, the Medal of Liberty, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and over 100 honorary degrees from institutions of higher education.

Perhaps, soon to be more famously, Wiesel is the newest addition to Oprah's Book Club.

BBC: Hamas Moves to Fix Salary Crisis

Is it just me or does anyone else find the above title ironic? Try though they may, Hamas can never fix the salary crisis (or the crisis among its own people) until it renounces violence and embraces a path to peace.

Colbert Bombs at White House Correspondents Dinner

I like Stephen Colbert. I'm such a fan that I check out Comedy Central's "Mother Load" each time they update the Colbert Report archives. Needless to say, I was most surprised of all to see Stephen go down in flames at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday evening.

The blog Crooks and Liars has the video, though they bemoan the fact that larger media outlets are not lauding Colbert's performance. News flash: the media doesn't want to celebrate the performance because Colbert was awful. Painfully awful.

It was a performance filled with nervous giggles and vacuous punch lines. Stephen couldn't buy a laugh because most of the crowd was a mixture of the people he wanted to offend. In the end, Stephen's aggressive NY humor just didn't translate in Washington, DC.

I used to think that Colbert was fairly equal in his distribution of fun-poking. In general, I think he is. But his show Saturday night was by all accounts a very un-Colberian performance and aimed primarily at criticizing Bush. At the end of the night, it was the President's routine with an impersonator who got the most laughs, showing up Colbert who came across as simply being a mean-spirited New Yorker.

Ann Coulter on High Gas Prices...

Rarely, and I mean rarely, do I find myself supporting any of the foolishness that typically comes out of Ann Coulter. But her recent article on the high gas prices currently affecting much of the Nation has forced me to reconsider my disdain.

Coulter's article, linked to above, does a great job of pointing out all the Democrat hypocrisies on this issue- with a good deal of substance and a dash of her typically polarizing humor, no less. For what it's worth, I recommend ignoring her funny business and reading what she actually has to say about the policy positions the Dems have taken.

Here is her argument in a nutshell:

I would be more interested in what the Democrats had to say about high gas prices if these were not the same people who refused to let us drill for oil in Alaska, imposed massive restrictions on building new refineries, and who shut down the development of nuclear power in this country decades ago.

Amen.

Labor Protests Roil Iran

Contrary to his cavalier remarks, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have some political problems at home to quell before he threatens the world with nukes.

Upwards of ten thousand protesters took to the streets in the Iranian Capital city of Tehran earlier today as part of a May Day protest of short-term contracts.

The short-term contracts were implemented by previous administrations and left in place by Ahmadinejad in order to make the state-run economy more efficient. However, the measure also allows managers to fire workers with greater ease, drawing the ire of working class Iranians.

As a result, many Iranians have expressed increased frustration with Ahmadinejad over his failure to deliver on his populist campaign promise to improve laborers quality of life.

I wonder how frustrated these workers will be if Ahmadinejad pushes his country closer toward war.

Dems Belittle Iraq Milestone

On a day re-affirming a major breakthrough in the formation of Iraq's new, unified National Government, Democrats were eager to blow the progress made to pieces- three pieces in fact.

President Bush hailed the Iraqi political parties' selection of a new Prime Minister to lead the government as a major 'turning point' in the struggle to form a free, democratic Iraq. Although buoyed by the prospects of a unified Iraq, Bush was also keen to acknowledge that more challenges remained.

So, what did the Democrats say in response? The Party of No, led by intellectual powerhouse Joe Biden of DE, has proposed undoing the work already done by the Iraqi politicians. Seeking to re-invent the wheel, Biden has proposed destroying the unified government and breaking Iraq into three separate states while withdrawing US troops almost immediately.

Biden's "third option" amounts to little more than a cut (into thirds) and run alternative.

Illegal Immigration Rallies Planned Across Nation

You know, nothing says, "I'm honest, hard-working, glad to contribute to the American economy" quite like refusing to go to work.

Such is the hypocrisy of today's illegal immigration rallies.

For the record, I support Senator Frist's efforts to beef up border security and I think a guest worker program is going to be a practical reality we have to embrace- unless we want to face the logistical/financial nightmare of sending 11 million people packing. But demonstrations like today make the package a tough good to sell.