Today's SF Chronicle editorial continues to beat Lott's dead horse. Where is the indignation over this lack of sensitivity.
"My role is small, admittedly, and probably won't earn me an Academy Award," Byrd, D-W.Va., said. "But it was exciting to participate in a project that is helping to promote our nation's history."
Oh really.
The tech industry trade mags are all atwitter over this or that killer app/tool. Not a single mention of the lowly weblog. Another media group that mostly doesn't get it.
Any suggestions for killer app of the year? Mine is an oldie-but-goodie: FileMaker Pro 6 Unlimited. StarOffice 6.0 would be runner-up.
Fred over at Fragments from Floyd got me to thinking about the full moon and some memorable moon rises. The Bay Area is pretty much fogged over in the summer when the rest of the country is enjoying June's spoony moon and the golden harvest moons. Winter's early darkness and clear nights provide the most specatular moons of the year.
One January we were driving home from a super bowl party in Marin. As we snaked down the Waldo a full moon was rising over the GG, bay and SF citycape...it was surreal. One of the few times we didn't mind the traffic delay. Here's an example of the full moon Monty ...and another. Spectacular as these photos are, they pale in comparison to the real thing...next winter moon rise photo opportunity is Feb 16th.
Many of us in the Bay area carp about the cost of living, traffic, ratbag Pols and weirdness that passes as normal...but the sheer beauty of the place trumps all. Just when you have had enough... a drive across the Golden Gate, a walk on the headlands, ridges or parkland surrounding the bay makes your heart sing...throw in a full moon or fog and it is enchanting.
California's head weasel is spending $1 mil for his inaugural BBQ. Given that the $35 Bil deficit occured on his watch and in large part as a result of his mis-management of the energy crisis which drained the state coffers. One would think that he might pass on a party when the situation is growing ever more dire for millions of people in the state as unemployment insurance runs out this week.
"Christmas is that time of year when the politically correct crowd offends all who celebrate Christmas in order not to offend those who were never offended by Christmas to begin with."
So kiddies, don Santa hats and reindeer antlers...sing carols loudly, ring dem bells proudly and wish all within earshot "Merry Christmas" ...make a liberal squirm today...it's the right thing to do.
This just in...."The day's events were punctuated by a statement from Pope John Paul II, who, despite his advanced age and physical frailty, had strong words for the British government. "O God," said the Pontiff to the ululating throng below, "shake the ground under Tony Blair's feet. Shoot lightning bolts up the Queen's ass. Destroy your enemies the Presbyterians, the sons of pigs and monkeys."
When questioned about his remarks afterward, the Pope replied, "I got a right to be hostile. My people been persecuted."
Following the broadcast of a BBC documentary suggesting that Jesus may have been conceived as the result of an illicit affair or of Mary's rape by a Roman soldier, enraged British Catholics poured out of churches after evening mass, smashing store windows, overturning cars, and attacking anyone of Middle Eastern appearance. Electronics stores were particularly hard hit, as rampaging mobs vented their anger on the television sets and radios that broadcast the hated words of the BBC. More....
Besieged by Jewish protesters, San Francisco's Rainbow Grocery backed away from a partial boycott of Israeli-made goods Sunday,
What boycott?
An excerpt from email sent by Rainbow's Board of Directors:
..."There is no boycott at Rainbow Grocery Cooperative against Israeli products. At no time did a boycott of Israeli products come up for a vote by the Membership. Our policy requires 51% of the membership to approve a boycott. We want to emphasize the following point: in no way do we tolerate any workers at Rainbow Grocery who support hatred, racism or any form of religious oppression in or outside of our workplace..."
Not only are they anti-Semites, they are lying, mouse-wording, self-serving anti-Semities.
Hmmm...mebbe they're French?
Yea! Bill Whittle's site ejectejecteject.com is up and promises to be a must read.
Jane's back in the protest bidness...on the Palenstinan side...but of course! This stupid bint learned nothing in the past 40 years.
Fonda said "This is the focal point of so many conflicts," Fonda said. "Both sides aren't hearing each other's narratives, and maybe that's our role as artists."
No, Jane. Your role as an over-the-hill, washed-up artist and traitor, is to the shut the fuck up.
However, Ramallah Jane did not go unchallenged; Women in Green confronted Fonda. 'Lunch with Jane Fonda in Jerusalem' their serentipitous encounter with Fonda can be found here. (thanks to Israpundit)
Fonda's PR lady is right out of Central Casting circa 1965...but then Fonda herself is a relic of the loony left, anti-war Sixties.
Handel's joyful noise is heard in China; on Dec. 1, a performance of Handel's "Messiah" was permitted for the first time in the Forbidden City Music Hall. Now that would have been something to see/hear.
Christmas wreaths and lighted trees, white-foam snowmen and special dinners, as well as an ethos of "jingle-bell cool" are wafting in on the wings of global culture, bringing a holiday atmosphere to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. (via Instapundit)
The spread of western style Christmas must reinforce the Islamofacist hatred of the US and our culture. We spread the symbols of our religion without actually exporting the religion itself...without turning the population into hostages or splodydopes. No proffers of virgins or paradise ...just a little tinsel, St. Nick and turkey... that must make them really nuts.
"Mack, you done rolling that thing yet?
Mebbe Ad Aware for your car radio is the next killer app.
High-tech billboards tune in to drivers' tastes
Roadside signs coming to Bay Area listen to car radios, then adjust pitch
The billboard is listening.
In an advertising ploy right out of Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report," electronic billboards in the Bay Area and Sacramento are being equipped to profile commuters as they whiz by -- and then instantly personalize freeway ads based on the wealth and habits of those drivers.
For example, if the freeway were packed with country music listeners, the billboards might make a pitch for casinos. If National Public Radio were on, the billboards could change to ads for a high-quality car or a gourmet grocery. (sfgate.com)
Oh yeah? What they gonna display when they discover their focus group data is skewed, this is the #1 drive time station.
Interesting box office stats for Wednsday 12/18:
The Two Towers : $26,159,972
Bowling For Columbine: $74,212
The real shocker is not that LOTR is an eagerly awaited blockbuster, but that Moore grossed $14,015,347 to date with that pile of excrement.
Which of course tells us that their are plenty of idiots out there who believe Patty Murray is right.
Did you catch the current episode of "This Old House" where host Steve Thomas takes a look at a major renovation of perhaps the most famous cantilever in the country, that of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.
Steve's comment " It's not very big is it?"
:::snicker:::
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe started the racist drumbeat today in an attack on Senator Bill Frist. Let's compare Uber-donk, Bill Clinton's recent trip to Africa and Sentator Frist's
This photo gives lie to McAuliffe's claim that Frist is a racist:
Shall we see how Bill Clinton spent his trip to Africa?
Is this a cool photo or what?
Clickin' through a short day: The sun, nearing winter solstice, travels low across the sky, from sunrise, at left, to sunset, in this multiple exposure made at the Marshall Point Light in St. George, Maine. The sun's position is recorded at 50-minute intervals during the short nine-hour day. (SF Gate DIP)
Well, well, well...the lying weasel we so fondly call Governor just discovered that California is in serious fiscal difficulty.
It's going get very ugly as Californians fight for scarce resources and employers continue to cutback or bail on the state altogether. Wanna bet an anti-illegal immigration backlash springs up as minorities and the poor suffer loss of Medi-Cal, food and educational programs?
I clicked on the good Professor Bunyip's link and a banner ad rotated in with this guy
...for a few seconds I thought Al Gore had found his niche in telecommunications.
Kudos to Rachel for maintaining a blog where posters such as Bill Whittle speak from the heart. Is this great country or what?
Big day for fantasy junkies...TTT opens and SimsOnline debuts today...is it a dating service...a wankers paradise or the next, iteration of RPG?
I admit to being hooked on "The Sims"...yes, I am a control freak. Not Complusive mind you...HEY! are you slurping coffee or paying attention here! ;-)
Take The Sims Online Personality quiz to determine your Sim alter-ego.
Should you run across a really bossy Sim avatar online, say hi.
An entertaining and educational trollfisking over at Little Green Footballs.
Instapundit sez:
UPDATE: A reader emails:
From the coverage I saw on CNN, Lott's performance last night brought to mind the line Shakespeare gave to Julius Caesar:
"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once."
Someone make a note: In looking for a new Majority Leader, put "character" and "courage" on the list (along with "intelligence" and "judgment").
Indeed.
Hello!
We're talking about politicans here, by nature they have a very short supply of the above qualities.
While I too like Frist, he will make very little difference to the tone or the level of rancor between the parties. The Donks will block any attempt to take their core issues off the table before the elections.
It is likely that Lott will resign by the end of the weekly news cycle; the media and the left of the aisle will high-five believing they won a victory...but have they really? Isn't Congress segregated by caucus and interest? The media doesn't have a great track record for hiring and/or promoting African-Americans into upper management; the face of the media is mostly white male.
Discounting the self-serving media frenzy, isn't the Lott temptest a variant of the unease between black and white America that came to a head during the Simpson trial? When modern racial politics exposed the big lie that liberals and conservatives alike denied. That the rend in our society created by slavery and racism is not so easily mended and that our system is still oppressive or inaccessible to many.
At the end of the day, after Lott relinquishes the leadership and the media focuses elsewhere, what will have changed on a granular level?
Oh sure, they say it's a camel transporter...
...but is it really a camo-scud launcher?
(thanks to Little Green Footballs for a belly laugh)
This is pure speculation...but maybe Al's Q rating and internal polling was so poor after his latest round of appearences that he had no choice but to accept reality. Al Gore is simply not likable...his wonky policy statements, wardrobe confusion, faux hipness and forced cheer is not sitting well in middle America.
The irony is that Al's best and worst bit of luck was to become enmeshed with the Clintons. They brought out his worst impluses, while propelling him center stage where the electorate could witness his lack of grace and judgement.
Suddenly I don't feel so inadequate...James Lileks has it all...talent, style, wit, cute toddler, smart wife, a fine dog...matchbooks...but I have the the pizza of his dreams.
Zachary's Pizza adds the sauce last.. a thick pool of chunky, tomato-y, spicy sauce.
Go (no delivery), be patient (no reservations), take money (cash only); eat well.
Now this IS cool.
Air NZ's chief operating officer Andrew Miller launches Air NZ's bold worldwide promotion of Lord of the Rings - Unveiling a special Boeing 747-400 emblazoned with Frodo imagery.
New Zealand’s ‘Greatest’ Rings Fan Becomes ‘Airline To Middle-Earth’ Ambassador Air New Zealand has appointed the man dubbed New Zealand’s greatest ‘Ring’s fan’, Ian Brodie, as its Lord of the Rings Ambassador.
He is the author of the official Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook – New Zealand’s number one best seller, which sold out within the first four days when it was published last month and is already in its third reprint.
And he knows more about the movie trilogy than possibly anyone other than the core production team.
He formerly worked for Air New Zealand for 11 years in a variety of sales and marketing roles and is a passionate aviation enthusiast.
Sometimes a job well done is not the only reward.
Sorry but this is not turn-about fair play or illustrative of anything other than poor judgement by Matt Smith, a columnist for SF Weekly, who printed the material. Smith was surprised that it hit the web. (via Instapundit)
Sure.
Proving a point does not give Smith the right to endanger Poindexter's family and neighbors. It may be effective gotcha journalism and fun for the geeks...but this is not defensible. Abusing people's rights to point out the danger of abuse by a third party is morally reprehensible. The perpetrators become what they profess to fear.
The slippery slope makes no distinction between black and white hats.
Al Gore's appearance on SNL last night proves that he is indeed not ready for prime time.
The "West Wing" bit was painful to watch...with friends like that Gore doesn't need enemies.
Let's hope Gore finds something satisfying and useful to do and doesn't follow Jimmy Carter's footsteps of ass kissing every tinpot dictator who will give him air time.
Amish tech Support fisks the Houston Chronicle's panic scare over a terrorist nuke in downtown Houston. This statement...
Stunned and injured, those who can walk among the approximately 15,000 survivors downtown stagger away from ground zero covered with invisible and deadly particles of radiation and dust from crumbled buildings.
...reminds of the same looniness that was going on in the early 80's. Hollywood had it's panties in a bunch over Reagan's election and was preparing to release a spate a of doomsday movies. The Administration played into the scare when FEMA pressured states and cities to prepare evacuation plans and hold drills.
SF Bay Area had many primary military targets. The Pentagon's "Blue Cube in Sunnyvale alone made us toast. Readily available kill charts and first strike maps estimated that we would get oh...say...200-300 warheads incoming.
Mayor Dianne Feinstein pretty much ignored the whole kafuffle until the Reaganites made it a political issue and "Testament" that dreadful Jane Alexander doomsday sob story set in Marin county was released panicking the Dem's party faithful (read: donors) north of the GG Bridge.
Mayor DiFi held a press conference in front of target/kilo-tonnage maps. After she explained the maps she asked exactly what and whom they (the Feds) thought might be left to evacuate as her city was in the vaporized zone. No drills, funding or further discussion required.
Mayor DiFi had cajones, then her Pod ripened and the rest as they say; is history.
Footnote: An interesting aside is that the above-mentioned charts & maps are no longer available. Green Peace once plastered them around SF like mandarin pancakes in a dim sum parlor. We have made progress.
My apologies to Edward Lear.
The Senator said to the Statesman, "You elegant fellow,
How charmingly sweet the lies you sing!
Oh! let us with the media parry;
too long we have tarried:
But for which Anchorman shall we sing?"
They sailed away, for a week and a day,
To the land where the news cycle grows;
And there in a wood an Anchorman held sway,
With Ted's ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With Ted's ring at the end of his nose.
"Dear Anchorman, are you willing to sell for one penny
Your soul?" Said the Anchorman, "I will."
So they interviewed away, in the last cycle of the day
By Aaron who lives off the fools on the hill.
They wheedled and whined, client lists declined,
Apologies were offered with a wink and a nod;
Skipping a light fandango across the room,
They danced away by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced away by the light of the moon.
The loud whine emanating from California comes not from power generators...but from the Governor's flacks and the SF Chronicle.
Washington -- In a decision that outraged California officials, a federal regulatory judge ruled Thursday that energy firms owe far less than the $8.9 billion the state has demanded in refunds for electricity overcharges during the power crisis and that, instead, California consumers should pay generators $1.2 billion in unpaid bills.
It's several years too late to be crying foul. In February 2000, Governor Davis acknowledged that "if I wanted to raise rates I could have solved this problem in 20 minutes." So why didn't he? Power rates skyrocketed anyway and taxpayers must foot the bill for the long term energy contracts Davis foolishly signed at the peak of the shortage. Davis emphasized polls (the re-election campaign had begun) rather than prudent policy, failed to meet with industry leaders, failed to allow utilities to sign long-term contracts and raise retail rates, and did not recognize the severity of utility losses.
True to form...the universal response to political malfeasance and/or a failure of governance in the Bay Area is to create a victim group and engage lawyers to mouse word a blameless exit.
In the spirit of Kinky Simon and his readers, a little different form:
offensive speech
reputation severed
resign Trent must
Busy,busy day at work...no time to blog 'til evening...this photo jumped out of the morning paper.
Oh, what fun it is to ride an Amana: In wintry Queens, N.Y.,
Dario Sumberac takes 2-year-old daughter Katarina dashing
through the snow on a one-dad open refrigerator door.
Photo:SFgate.com/AP/Ed Bailey
Meanwhile I am sipping tea in warm sunshine in a Tee-shirt...Krazy Kalifornia does have it's rewards.
Worst lede of the day?
"When United Airlines declares bankruptcy it will go down in history as the largest bankruptcy in aviation history."
-Trish Regan, CBS MarketWatch
Den Beste pokes a little fun at the Germans:
To head off criticism (especially in light of German promises of contributions to a new NATO rapid reaction force) they're preemptively trying to sell this idea that they can reduce the money spent while at the same time increasing their capability.
Wait a minute wasn't that the Clinton two theater theory....they cut spending and closed facilities while expanding the military mission.
Still, this suggests that the German political system is in deep crisis. You can tell that's true with any government when it faces really serious problems, and the only solutions it can propose don't pass the horse-laugh test.
Yeppers...that was those merry Clinton pranksters awright.
Armed Liberal obviously feverish, remarks:
I’ll comment that while my posts are pretty critical of the DNC establishment, they are critical with an eye toward creating an unassailable Democratic hegemony…so watch out!!
AS IF. :::grinning, ducking and running for cover:::::::
I wish the left would get it's act together for the next election cycle. We need a robust debate. So many of us have registered as Indies because neither party is serving our needs or offering long term solutions.
At the moment the nutlogs on both sides of the aisle are so souring political debate that too many are abandoning the soap and ballot box.
Many Americans wondered how Johnny Jihad went so wrong. In Marin county rules and societal conventions such as impulse control are not to be taken seriously. It's probably wise that they are rabidly anti-gun.
But protester Shepherd Bliss of Sebastopol said the suspensions were grossly unfair.
"We're here to give them praise," he said. "It is clearly a punishment and an attempt to socialize them so that they learn that the government and school controls them. They should be allowed direct action."
Davis may take $1.9 billion from schools to help close $21 billion shortfall
No!!! Davis, friend of educators, defender of poor children? I've gone all swoony... must have a little lie-down with a cool soothing cloth pressed to my brow.
Can anti-semitism be fueled by me-too-ism, ill-considered political theory and stupidity rather than actual hatred for Jews? The story of S.F.'s Rainbow Grocery Coop may be just such a case. SF Chron's reportage of the story is here. A few quotes from Columnist Debra Saunders appear below and her column here.
THE STATEMENT at San Francisco's Rainbow Grocery Cooperative customer service counter read: "Thank you for your concern. We currently do not have a storewide boycott on Israeli goods. After a lot of storewide discussion and debate, some departments have decided to continue to sell products from Israel and others have decided to not carry them anymore in support of freedom for Palestinians and all people."
Saunders asks:
Is Rainbow boycotting any other countries, such as that champeen of human rights abuses, China? The answer is no. Worker/owner Cyrus Heiduska explained that China sells too many products, and often much cheaper than goods from other countries.
So why the Israeli boycott? Heiduska said that store workers knew that both sides had committed atrocities, but they wanted to show solidarity with "the most oppressed party."
Note the typical Liberal whine at the close of the Chron article:
Bradley said it's clear that some customers are turning away. "A lot of workers are worried about it," he said. "It hurts. We've never had a response to anything like this before."
Well fuckingduh? What did they expect? Good press? A dramatic increase in Jewish customers?
Sadly, much of the protest in the Bay Area is a herd mentality, knee-jerk response to imagery fed by ideologue wolves cloaked in the sheep-skin of fairness and equality. This shit has to stop.
Here's their URL drop them a line, let them feel a little heat.
UPDATE: Stefan Sharkansky provides a phone number and a chilling photo.
UPDATE: The Chrons web site, sfgate.com, bumped the story up to lede position on the home page.
Did you catch John Kerry on Imus drive-time this morning? Imus took a pass, which was disappointing since Kerry offered up warmed over Dem talking points...he even shamelessly parroted the lie that the Donks balanced the budget. Clinton's last budget before the '94 elections had deficits 11 years out.
Kerry's careful parsing of tax cuts was Clintonesque. Kerry is for keeping the funded tax cuts, but not for any new tax cuts. The word new is key to this fudge... he went on to explain that the tax cuts scheduled eight years out are really new and thusly should be rolled back. A much better idea would be to give everyone (the top 1 % too?) an immediate tax cut with a payroll tax holiday. I cringed at Kerry’s condescending explanation that an immediate tax cut would kick start the economy by placing disposible cash in everyone's pocket. Apparently, in Kerry's view, tax payers are mindless spend thrifts who run straight to the nearest mall refund check in hand. Some in the African-American community, a key Democrat constituency, don’t agree that a spate of quick cash is a good thing either. I recall that a problem with the Bush refund was that too many people banked the windfall.
Senator Kerry also fails to mention that payroll tax funds Social Security...his plan would raid the SS fund would it not? Even Al Gore is smart enough to avoid the SSI third-rail.
Kerry smoothly changed gears to the failings of Bush WH policy, offering Esquire’s John J. DiIulio Jr., interview as proof that the Bushies are concerned only with politics, the worst ever he says. Oh really? Have they lobbed cruise missiles into aspirin factories to control the news cycle?
I could go on but it's pointless, we all recognize campaign hack-speak. It's a pity too because Kerry is an attractive candidate if only he would speak with his own voice from the heart.
Jesus, Joseph and Mary...I heard some whack shit on the radio today. Seems Christmas is not black enough...it's bringing the Hood down. A black dissident wants to ban "White Christmas"...WTF? "The song is about SNOW, fer Pete's sake!!" I shouted at the ole Philco.
Hit the scan button..whaaaammmmmm..ziziz...
A Wahhabi Imam, with his head up his butt (that may be redundant), was ranting on about finding violence in the Bible if one just looked...ARGGGGHHHH!
That a CIVILIZED people would condemn those who incite violence in the guise of piety/religion was beyond this dim bulb's watt rating.
Jane Galt holds forth on the music industry and downloading:
Just to get one misconception out of the way, getting rid of the record labels does not mean that their market power will accrue to the artists, my children. There are a lot of players in the music industry, and pretty much all of them have more power than the artists. Currently, the record labels step on the venue owners, the equipment suppliers, the DJ's, and what have you. If the record companies get out of the way, it is those people -- the people sitting on the valuable and scarce capital goods -- who will reap the market power, not the artists. There are a lot more people who want the world to listen to them sing than there are, for example, live music venues. Artists have always starved, and will continue to do so, the wishful musings of artistic types notwithstanding.
Read ...she makes a very good argument against unauthorized music downloads.
The new IAO logo creeps me out...but have a look at this:
A hat tip to N.Z. Bear who wrote this.
Is "the Red and Blue America" a new meme propagated by media hackdom? The construct of an America divided solely by political idealogy is very pervasive online.
But is it truly a meme or a catch phrase?
A given percentage of voters are party faithfull, another are single issue voters...but the middle is driven by self-interest. Of course, your view of self-interest is mostly likely driven by which side of the color spectum you reside. Yikes.
Listen! Hear the steady drumbeat...racism...racism...racism...rising from within the dark chambers of the Guardian of the Left; dour, cheerless Journo-Trolls toil, serving their Masters of Political Correctness; vanquishing all that is written in ancient tongue and pale in countenance with the broad Sword of Diversity.
When did the Left turn into such pecksniffian bores?
News travels slowly Left of the Potomac...some one should tell Harley Sorensen at the SF Chronicle that the Bin Laden letter is a fake, a non-starter...of course that wouldn't matter to Sorensen...he's on a blame-America roll.
"Just offhand, would you think that anyone in America is curious as to why Muslim fundamentalists hate us so much?If we were given the answer, straight from the horse's mouth, would anyone pay attention?If Osama bin Laden wrote, "This is why we hate you," and then laid it all out, chapter and verse, do you think we'd be curious enough to read what he had to say? The answers to these questions seem to be no, no and no."
No, Harley we ain't reading no fake OBL letters or pondering questions put by hand wringing apologists... we are too busy snatchin' up them $149 TeeVees down at the Wal-Mart.
These are hard times at the nation's media outlets, hard times indeed. Few endorsed candidates elected, the pundit class demoralized, Iraqi Armageddon stalled. Why even one of their own, Bob Woodward, pens a peaen to the President. What are the keepers of Truth to do?
Interview/research each other! Brilliant. Newspapers mine magazine interviews for material, magazines cover newspapers. At last the perfect readership.
Okay...another reason the world hates us...we have way too much fun.
footnote: image compliments of The Drudge Report...couldn't google up the attribution...leave a comment if you know the source and I'll post the link.
"Robert Fisk: Ariel Sharon has walked into a trap. And we are following him"
We? I am sure this rant will will be efficiently fisked in the bloggerverse by morning's end...William Sjostrom (via Instapundit) offers an excellent deconstruct.
Fisk has become an Internet Quisling... it is ironic and deeply satisfying to realize that his obituary will be footnoted:
verb. To deconstruct an article on a point by point basis in a highly critical manner. Derived from the name of journalist Robert Fisk, a frequent target of such critical articles in the blogosphere (qv).
Usage: "Orrin Judd did a severe fisking of an idiotic article in the New York Times today..."
Thus his career is diminished by his own words. Doesn't get any better than that.
UPDATE: Michele (A Small Victory) harshes Fisk's mellow.
