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June 26, 2008

Second Amendment Upheld

Today the SCOTUS ruled 5-4 that Americans have a right to own guns for self defense and hunting.  This strikes down DC's ban on handguns.

Here is a brief commentary/ summary from SCOTUS Blog.

Individuals have a constitutional right to possess a basic firearm (the line drawn is unclear, but is basically those weapons in general lawful use and does not extend to automatic weapons) and to use that firearm in self-defense. The government can prohibit possession of firearms by, for example, felons and the mentally ill. And it can also regulate the sale of firearms, presumably through background checks. The Court leaves open the constitutionality of a licensing requirement.

The Reuters article, linked above, is obviously against this ruling.  To mention a shooting in Kentucky within a story reporting on the facts of the ruling, is clear attempt to trick the reader into believing shootings will  increase as a result.  Par for the course.

Though a closer vote than I would have likes, I'm still very pleased that the Second Amendment has prevailed.  However, I've been hearing that future laws will target ammunition thus rendering the weapons useless.  I'm not sure to what extent there will be bans on ammunition but I'll post more when I find it.

For me, the bottom line is each American has the right to protect themselves and their families from those who wish to do them harm, be it criminals or government.  Some in government would have you rely solely on them for protection, and that's how they like it, but for now, we have an option. 

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June 25, 2008

Oil Solution and a Curious Problem

Eric Bolling, host on Fox Business Network and contributor to TheStreet.com, lays out a logical and completely reachable solution to our current "oil crisis".  I put that in quotes because, as Bolling points out, this is not a matter of the world running out of oil.  In fact, there are billion of barrels there for the taking.  And as he says, "Certain people in Congress would have us believe that those barrels are 10-plus years away from our refiners' cracking towers. That's just not true".

Drilling the Outer Continental Shelf, protected areas of the US, and adding nuclear power are all outlined.  However, there is an aspect that he touched on toward the end of his piece that really grabbed me.

After many discussions with these drillers, I am convinced that there is great reason to believe that Cuba has not only discussed the possibility of allowing China and Venezuela to drill on her sovereign leases, but has already begun seismic studies. This may seem innocuous, but it is not. You may say, "so what ... let Cuba ruin its coastline ... we are going to protect ours." There is a very important fact that no one has addressed. They all agree that these oil finds are immense. The scary scenario plays out like this:

Cuba, China and Venezuela develop some of these oil fields. They sit on Cuban land, which is adjacent to U.S land. The majority of the oil may actually sit underneath our land. If they get a jump on us and develop those fields, they may be pulling oil right out from under our feet.

If this is even a possibility, we have too take action to make sure this never happens.  To ignore our own fields may be naive on our part, but to allow other countries to steal oil from our own fields under Unites States land would be criminal.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Rubber Chicken Alert: Will Smith

It is a textbook example of a Rubber Chicken; Will Smith, while promoting his latest movie I won't see, let this quote loose:

You know I just, I just came back from Moscow, Berlin, London and Paris and it's the first, I've been there quite a few times in the past five to 10 years. And it just hasn't been a good thing to be American. And this is the first time, since Barack has gotten the nomination, that it, it was a good thing.

So Will, for the first time in 10 years it is good to be American?

Forbes has Will ranked #11 in its list of top 100 celebrities for 2008 earning an estimated $80 million for the year.  In 2007 he was ranked #57 earning $31 million, in 2006 ranked #49 with $25 million and in 2005 he was ranked #13 earning $35 million.

Pulling in $171 million over the past four years, I'd say American life has been pretty good to Mr. Smith.  Maybe that little dip between 2005 and 2006 is what he's talking about?  Oh the humanity!

Posted by Ed Z at 10:36 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 19, 2008

UN Official: Investigate 9/11 for Controlled Explosion

I've written before about the scam that is called the UN Human Rights Council.  Their transparent bias and utter failure to accomplish anything is well documented.  And now a UN official would like to spend resources on investigating if September 11 was an inside job.

Richard Falk, the special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, investigates alleged Israeli violations of human rights law for the U.N.’s Human Rights Council.

But the former Princeton professor would also like to investigate whether “some sort of controlled explosion from within” destroyed the Twin Towers, he told FOXNews.com.

“I do think there are questions that haven’t been answered, questions about the way the buildings collapsed and the failure to heed a variety of signals that there was danger coming,” Falk said.

John Bolton calls Falk's beliefs "fruitcake city" and rightfully so.  A member of a UN watch group thinks he should be fired.  That too is a good idea.  But will it really change anything?  I think not.  As Bolton continued he said, "among many delegations to the U.N. it’s probably the conventional wisdom". 

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June 18, 2008

Obama Photo-Op Gone Bad

Ok, sometimes people do stupid things.  Maybe volunteers are the best people to be organizing photo shoots.

Two Muslim women at Barack Obama's rally in Detroit Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women's headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate

The Obama campaign quickly apologized and said this wasn't "the policy of the campaign".  But the thought comes from somewhere?  It may not be the policy, but certainly it is the culture of the campaign to distance him from anything remotely resembling a relation to Islam.  And this is the man who claims to deal in a different type of politics.

Posted by Ed Z at 11:51 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Only the Myth Matters

I read this Newsbusters piece on Monday and wanted to share it. It details an article by James Kirchick, assistant editor of The New Republic, where in his editorial to the LA Times, he discusses and dismissed the myth that President Bush lied in order to go to war with Iraq.

The article, Bush never lied to us about Iraq, shows us (as a Newsbusters commenter pointed out) only the myth matters for the liberal mindset. The amazing thing however is, if you know The New Republic, it is a Liberal magazine. To have one of their own turn is sure to ruffle some feathers. It may just get the Kirchick family off some "Seasons Greetings" card lists.

In 2003, top Senate Democrats -- not just Rockefeller but also Carl Levin, Clinton, Kerry and others -- sounded just as alarmist. Conveniently, this month's report, titled "Whether Public Statements Regarding Iraq by U.S. Government Officials Were Substantiated by Intelligence Information," includes only statements by the executive branch. Had it scrutinized public statements of Democrats on the Intelligence, Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees -- who have access to the same intelligence information as the president and his chief advisors -- many senators would be unable to distinguish their own words from what they today characterize as warmongering.

The above excerpt from Kirchick illustrates the importance an accomplice in myth building.  When the MSM willfully ignores that both sides used the same language the myth of lies is substantiated.  Well done.

In the end, Kirchick finds no shred of proof that Bush "lied" about anything. In fact, he scolds every Democrat and partisan leftist for saying that he did and that the claim that Bush lied us into war is an "unsubstantiated allegation" that is "cowardly and dishonest."

A good summary from Newsbusters' Warner Todd Huston, but read both pieces, well worth the time.

While it makes a good bumper sticker, the Bush Lied People Died mantra is itself a lie. So next time you hear that belch out of a liberal's mouth when discussing Iraq, direct them to Kirchick's article.  At the very least, they'll be annoyed a fellow lefty is going against the grain.

 

Posted by Ed Z at 11:02 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 13, 2008

Tim Russert Dead at 58

 

Tim Russert died today of an apparent heart attack.  He was only 58.

Truly a shock.  RIP Mr. Russert.

Posted by Ed Z at 03:56 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

June 04, 2008

Haven't We Heard This Before?

More of the same from Obama.  Hot Air shows a clip of Obama's speech last night and the striking similarities to a speech Mario Cuomo gave in 1984.

Everything that's old is new again.   And amazingly, the people just love it.

For a moment I was trying to figure out why people eat this stuff up.  Why doesn't it bother them that this man hasn't an original thought in his head?  But then I realized, look at what is around us.  Look at our culture and how things are recycled over and over.  Our theatres are filled with remakes, where a studio plops the hot face of the moment into an old script to make a buck.  

It makes sense that a candidate would be the same.  He could wear leg warmers and his minions would swoon at his fashion originality.

Posted by Ed Z at 01:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 13, 2008

Win World of Warcraft Tournament Splurge on Hookers & Fritos

Dude?  Dude!

A 13 year old from Texas who stole his Dad's credit card and ordered two hookers from an escort agency, has today been convicted of fraud and given a three year community order.

Ralph Hardy, a 13 year old from Newark, Texas confessed to ordering an extra credit card from his father's existing credit card company, and took his friends on a $30,000 spending spree, culminating in playing "Halo" on an Xbox with a couple of hookers in a Texas motel.

The credit card company involved said it was regular practice to send extra credit cards out as long as all security questions are answered.

The escort girls who were released without charge, told the arresting officers something was up when the kids said they would rather play Xbox than get down to business.

As if that isn't good enough, "They told the suspicious working girls they were people of restricted growth working with a traveling circus, and as State law does not allow those with disabilities to be discriminated against they had no right to refuse them."

Posted by Ed Z at 03:18 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dialing for Obama in Gaza

Via Alarming News

Palestinians in Gaza phonebanking for Obama

Also, here is one of the best descriptions of Obama I have have read to date.

Yes, he’s an arrogant, cocksure, elitist, affirmative-action baby, the product of a lifetime of leftist indoctrination, seething with resentment at a racially segregated society he’s only ever heard about in the one or two times in 20 years he actually attended Rev. Wright’s church. He’s Gramsci’s long march through the institutions come to life: the new Soviet Man, American-style: the change we have been waiting for.

 

Posted by Ed Z at 02:50 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 12, 2008

Service Dog Threatened by Muslim Student

This story via Hot Air:

A St. Cloud State University student teacher decided to leave school because a Muslim student threatened to kill his service dog because he considers it unclean.  What side does the school defend?  Ed Morrissey sums it up:

That’s easy. They upheld the rights of the side that threatened capitulation or violence. Instead of expelling the student for his threat and making an example of him, they chose to coddle the student and chase the teacher out of his job. Afterwards, they issued the normal multi-culti mewlings of “misunderstanding”, “growth process”, and emphasizing respect for different cultures.

And there you have the formula folks.  Placate the ones who threaten with violence and sacrifice the innocent at the altar of misunderstanding.

 

Posted by Ed Z at 01:06 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 02, 2008

Freed from Gitmo, Man Promptly Blows Self Up

Via Jihad Watch

A Kuwaiti man released from the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay in 2005 has carried out a suicide bombing in Iraq, his cousin told Al Arabiya television on Thursday.

You have to wonder if this man was one of the "innocents" who've been held unjustly at Gitmo.  When you hear/ read MSM stories about the poor souls locked away for no reason, think of this guy who couldn't wait to blow people up.

In his intro to the story Robert Spencer mentions that American soldiers use gloves to handle the Koran, and that  may just confirms that the prisoners are the ones in charge.  Commenter Mentat provided the language in the DOD memorandum on the handling of the Koran:

4. Handling.

a. Clean gloves will be put on in full view of the detainees prior to handling.

b. Two hands will be used at all times when handling the Koran in manner signaling respect and reverence. Care should be used so that the right hand is the primary one used to manipulate any part of the Koran due to the cultural association with the left hand. Handle the Koran as if it were a fragile piece of delicate art.

I'd like to see the reaction if this kind of treatment was afforded to the Bible.

Posted by Ed Z at 02:47 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 28, 2008

It's Only Wafer Thin

While men and women are paying hundreds to thousands of dollars on weight loss programs and corrective surgeries, we have an inmate who filed a lawsuit because the prison he is in didn't  feed him well enough for him to maintain his 413 pound figure.

Broderick Lloyd Laswell says he isn't happy that he's down to 308 pounds after eight months in the Benton County jail. He has filed a federal lawsuit complaining the jail doesn't provide inmates with enough food.

According to the suit, Laswell weighed 413 pounds when he was jailed in September. Police say he and a co-defendant fatally beat and stabbed a man, then set his home on fire.

"On several occasions I have started to do some exercising and my vision went blurry and I felt like I was going to pass out," Laswell wrote in his complaint. "About an hour after each meal my stomach starts to hurt and growl. I feel hungry again."

We had better straighten this mess out pronto. 

And finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin mint.

Posted by Ed Z at 02:26 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 21, 2008

Food Rationing?

A frightening event is taking place, something I've never experienced in my life.  Food rationing.

Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are also anecdotal reports that some consumers are hoarding grain stocks.

In the New York Sun article, some are speculating that businesses are flocking to retail stores since commercial prices have doubled.

It is a troubling scenario, because you don't really know how to react.  Are people just overreacting and causing a panic?  But what if I do nothing and there is a genuine shortage?

The article quotes an anonymous writer  in the investment site Seeking Alpha:

he recently bought 10 50-pound bags of rice at Costco. “I am concerned that when the news of rice shortage spreads, there will be panic buying and the shelves will be empty in no time. I do not intend to cause a panic, and I am not speculating on rice to make profit. I am just hoarding some for my own consumption,” he wrote.

That is very disturbing.

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April 04, 2008

Food Stamps in the Headlines

Drudge ran two different headlines about food stamps in the last few weeks.  One on March 24 read "OHIO: Nearly one in 10 now receives food stamps; highest number in state's history..." and another on March 31, "NUMBERS OF AMERICANS ON FOOD STAMPS HITS RECORD...".

On April 1, British paper The Independent declared "USA 2008:  The Great Depression".  The opening line stated, "Food stamps are the symbol of poverty in the US. In the era of the credit crunch, a record 28 million Americans are now relying on them to survive".

So that's it then?  Food stamps on the rise, we're all going to be living in cardboard boxes and the sky is falling.  Maybe.

Richard Rector of the New York Sun examines the numbers behind the increase in food stamp use and puts the situation into context.  The impression most media want to impose is that if a record number of Americans are using food stamps then by default that same number must be in poverty.  However, as Mr. Rector points out, this is not true.

The recent Food Stamp stories also feed off the idea that most of the 36 million Americans who the government defines as "poor" face ongoing, serious material deprivation.

The facts show otherwise. According to the government's own data, nearly two-thirds of "poor" households have satellite or cable television. Nine out of 10 have microwave ovens and 80% have air conditioning. Nearly three-quarters own a car and almost a third own two or more cars. For decades government data have shown that more than 40% of the poor own their own homes, typically a three bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths.

On average, poor children have the same high levels of protein, vitamin, and mineral consumption as upper middle class kids. Only 1.5% of the poor report they "often" did not have enough food to eat during the last four months, although another 6% state this "sometimes" happened.

He lists three reasons for the food stamp activity which are all logical; the increase in in American population, the food stamp operation being cyclical allowing spikes in economic slowdown, and aggressive campaigns with relaxed standards.

Does it come as a surprise that people (and many who may not need the help) would take advantage of government handouts, especially when it is made easier for them to get it?

Posted by Ed Z at 12:10 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

No Global Warming Since 1998

Some more global cooling.

The World Meteorological Organization's secretary-general, Michel Jarraud, told the BBC it was likely that La Nina would continue into the summer.

This would mean global temperatures have not risen since 1998, prompting some to question climate change theory.

Though "experts" are still calling for a warming trend over the next five years.  Of course in five years there may be a whole new theory.

Via Drudge

Posted by Ed Z at 10:53 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 31, 2008

The Real Hillary Bosnia Story

From Peggy Noonan's Getting Mrs. Clinton WSJ piece:

What struck me as the best commentary on the Bosnia story came from a poster called GI Joe who wrote in to a news blog: "Actually Mrs. Clinton was too modest. I was there and saw it all. When Mrs. Clinton got off the plane the tarmac came under mortar and machine gun fire. I was blown off my tank and exposed to enemy fire. Mrs. Clinton without regard to her own safety dragged me to safety, jumped on the tank and opened fire, killing 50 of the enemy." Soon a suicide bomber appeared, but Mrs. Clinton stopped the guards from opening fire. "She talked to the man in his own language and got him [to] surrender. She found that he had suffered terribly as a result of policies of George Bush. She defused the bomb vest herself." Then she turned to his wounds. "She stopped my bleeding and saved my life. Chelsea donated the blood."

Heh.

Posted by Ed Z at 09:21 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 17, 2008

Breaking: New Gov. Patterson Admits Affair

Really folks, you can't make this stuff up.

The thunderous applause was still ringing in his ears when the state's new governor, David Paterson, told the Daily News that he and his wife had extramarital affairs.

In a stunning revelation, both Paterson, 53, and his wife, Michelle, 46, acknowledged in a joint interview they each had intimate relationships with others during a rocky period in their marriage several years ago.

In the course of several interviews in the past few days, Paterson said he maintained a relationship for two or three years with "a woman other than my wife," beginning in 1999.

Oy!

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March 13, 2008

Spitzer's Hooker Revealed

If you haven't seen it already, The Smoking Gun has photos of Spitzer's hooker.

The NY Post has a profile.

**Update**

The NY Post also has a pictorial.

Posted by Ed Z at 03:26 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 12, 2008

Langone: I Know It

The New York Post is saying Spitzer has been using prostitutes for at least six years.  So what happens when you have enemies who have the funds and connections to know everything about you?  Ken Langone might know.

I know for sure, he went himself to a post office and bought $2,800 worth of mail orders to settle the hooker...  I know it.  I know someone who was standing in back of him on line.

How much could it cost to hire someone to tail him every day?  And there were probably people waiting in line to rat on Spitzer.

Posted by Ed Z at 10:03 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 10, 2008

Spitzer Involved in Prostitution Ring

The NY Times is reporting New York Governor, Eliot Spitzer is admitting to being involved in a prostitution ring.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer has informed his most senior administration officials that he had been involved in a prostitution ring, an administration official said this morning.

Mr. Spitzer, who was huddled with his top aides early this afternoon, had hours earlier abruptly canceled his scheduled public events for the day. He is set to make an announcement about 2:15 this afternoon at his Manhattan office.

Mr. Spitzer, a first-term Democrat who pledged to bring ethics reform and end the often seamy ways of Albany, is married with three children.

Mr. Clean, eh?

More after the press conference.

Perhaps we should add an item to the checklist?

**Update**

NBC is reporting that he may be connected through cell phone records.

FOX News is reporting sources saying Spitzer will resign.

Around 3:13 he released a short personal statement apologizing to his family.  Nothing on a resignation.

Oh Governor, client number 9?

Karol at Alarming News has a look between the lines of Spitzer's apology.

Posted by Ed Z at 01:13 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Barak's Spiritual Advisor

IBD has an eye opening profile of the man Barak Obama claimed was his "spiritual advisor", Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Their close relationship is especially disturbing. By any objective measure, Wright is an America-hating race-monger. He blames practically every ill on "white America," including 9/11. Just this past November, he honored bigoted Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan with a "lifetime achievement" award presented in Wright's name.

Wright gushed in a cover profile of Farrakhan in his church's magazine that his old pal Farrakhan — who has bashed whites as "blue-eyed devils" and Jews as "bloodsuckers" — should be a model for blacks because he "truly epitomized greatness."

In the '80s, the two traveled to Libya together to pay homage to terrorist Muammar Qaddafi.

Wright could have a direct line to the the potential President's ear .  A scary thought.

Posted by Ed Z at 08:59 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 08, 2008

I Don't Believe What I Just Read

You know when you read something so mind-boggling in its idiocy you just can't believe someone would have audacity to write it?  Not mad at first because you must have read it wrong and then you think it must be a joke and then you realize, yes this person is a complete waste.

My father pointed out what someone wrote in to the New York Daily News' Voice of the People section on March 2, 2008.

Campaign trail III

Brooklyn: Wake up, America. John McCain is no war hero. He sat out the war in a prison camp. He didn't do any fighting.

J. Montana

To that my father wrote back, however it wasn't published, "If it ever becomes necessary for me to defend my country, I hope I am in the company of  non-war heroes like John McCain."

Well said dad, well said.

Posted by Ed Z at 04:42 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 07, 2008

Separate but Accommodating

Is it a matter of accommodation or just being afraid of those who threaten with riots and decapitations?

Take a look at Evan Coyne Maloney's rundown of Harvard bending to Sharia law.

He quotes Mark Steyn: Forty years ago, advocating separate drinking fountains made you a racist. Today, advocating separate taxi cabs or separate swimming sessions makes you a multiculturalist.

Walking backwards with blindfolds on.

Posted by Ed Z at 11:42 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 06, 2008

Celebrity September 11 Conspiracy Club

Rubber Chickens abound!  The Washington Times takes a look at the growing Celebrity September 11 Conspiracy Club.  But as the article points out, there is barely a blink when one Hollywood's own spews this nonsese.  Possibly because anything that is anti Bush is ok by them.

Yet in a liberal Hollywood where to express skepticism about man-made global warming is to be labeled — with all its obvious connotations — a "denier," Miss Cotillard's insinuation that the U.S. government was complicit — by its silence, if nothing else — in the destruction of the Twin Towers and the murder of 3,000 people has elicited nary a peep in condemnation.

Where, one is compelled to ask, is the outrage on the left?

The article quotes David Horowitz explaining that believing in these conspiracy theories is an act of denial.  A conclusion I wrote about a while back in my post, Conspiracy Becomes Mainstream.  In it I wrote:  It's easier to believe your government did this because you can vote them out of power, they can be held accountable, you can scream, spit venom, and call for impeachments without fear of retribution. It is easier to sleep at night when there really aren't fanatics waiting to blow your morning flight out of the sky.

Posted by Ed Z at 05:32 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bombing at Times Square Recruiting Center

Shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday, March 6, an explosive device detonated at an military recruiting center in Times Square.  There were no casualties, but the explosion was strong enough to shake the Marriott hotel four blocks away where guests on the 44th floor could feel the concussion of the blast.

The recruiting station, located on a traffic island surrounded by Broadway theaters and chain restaurants, has occasionally been the site of anti-war demonstrations, ranging from silent vigils to loud rallies.

Violence against military recruiters has been increasing lately as highlighted by Melanie Morgan.

Code Pink, an anti-war group that gave more than $600,000 to terrorists’ families in Iraq, is calling for anti-military agitators to escalate attacks on U.S. Government offices where the military work with potential recruits on their futures. The group outlines ways for followers to terrorize recruiters, shut down recruiting stations and stop people from exercising the Constitutional rights to pursue their life’s goals.

Anti-war and anarchists groups have already attacked military recruiting centers in Washington, D.C., Berkeley, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Santa Monica, Calif.; Toledo, Ohio; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Pittsburgh, Penn.; Haverhill, Mass., and New York, N.Y. This is a partial list.

It wouldn't be that difficult to watch these groups take the next step from vandalism to outright terrorism.  Ecoterrorists have taken to burning and bombing so it isn't much of a step.

We live in a country with a fully volunteer military where men and women choose to serve and protect our freedoms.  Instead of being thanked for this, they're characterized by an anti-American left as murderous half-wits with so little going for them they're effectively forced to join the military.  Yet their characterizations have done little to diminish enlistment, or sway the overwhelming respect the majority of people have for those men and women serving.

**Update**  CBS is reporting that a hooded man on a bike was seen acting is a suspicion manner right before the blast.

Mayor Bloomberg had this to say, ""The fact that this appears deliberatey directed at the recruiting station insults every one of our brave men and women in uniform stationed around the world fighting to defend our freedoms and the things that we hold so dear."

Click the image for the news conference.

Posted by Ed Z at 10:17 AM | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

March 04, 2008

Dungeon Master Gary Gygax, 1938-2008

Gary Gygax, co-creator of D&D died Tuesday, March 4, 2008.

Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and one of the fathers of tabletop role-playing games, died on Tuesday at the age of 69. He had suffered from heart problems.

The news was first announced on the message board of Troll Lord Games, the publisher of Gygax's most recent works. It has since been directly confirmed by the company, which will post an announcement on its Web site later Tuesday.

I spent many hours of imagination filled fun playing D&D with some of my best friends.  Thank you Gary for giving us geeks an outlet,

Posted by Ed Z at 03:00 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

March 03, 2008

Some Peace and Quiet

My question is, do they have a handheld version?

Teenagers who hang out inside one apartment building in Jamaica, Queens are getting an earful these days.

A new security device called "The Mosquito" has been installed in the lobby of a building on 170th St. where there have been chronic problems with noisy teens.

The wall-mounted device emits a high-frequency screech that can only be heard by people aged 13 to 25. Most older people cannot hear it.

My subway ride home may be more tolerable from time to time.

Posted by Ed Z at 09:43 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 28, 2008

Quote of the Day

I meant to post this yesterday, but I didn't have the time.

"If someone gets into your house, which would you rather have, a handgun or a telephone? You can call the police if you want, and they'll get there, and they'll take a picture of your dead body. But they can't get there in time to save your life. The first line of defense is you."

-Tom Pamer, from The Cato Institute, as quoted by John Stossel.  Stossel explains clearly that gun control is not crime control.

Posted by Ed Z at 02:57 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 27, 2008

William F. Buckley, November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008

William F. Buckley has died today at the age of 82.

Thank you for all your contributions.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

The National Review has the announcement and Hot Air has some info and clips of WFB in action.

Posted by Ed Z at 12:55 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 20, 2008

A Visit to Bizarro World, aka the BBC

From The Corner:

BBC: McCain is al-Qaeda's choice

It just boggles the mind how these liberals think.

Posted by Ed Z at 03:27 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 18, 2008

Michelle Obama is Disappointed in You (If you don't support her hubby)

Today in Milwaukee Michelle Obama commented on her feelings for America during her "adult life".

"What we have learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. It is making a comeback and let me tell you something, For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I have seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic common issues. It has made me proud."

That is quite a statement coming from a potential first lady.  Bryan at Hot Air lays out some basic achievements since she turned 18 that should make her proud, but apparently that doesn't matter.  How completely tasteless.

So what did she think of our country?  It would be interesting to know.

She's only impressed that some have taken an interest in her husband being President.  So if you're not in favor of a no experience, empty promising, class warfare candidate she'll be disappointed in you.  Please, put me on the top of that list.

Posted by Ed Z at 05:59 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 13, 2008

The Safety Valve

Here is scenario: Obama wins the nomination based on slogans, slick YouTube videos, and the fact that right now, he isn't Hillary Clinton.

He says nothing, he stands for nothing and truly, he has accomplished nothing that makes him qualified to run the country. Hot Air recently highlighted an Obama focus group that could barely form sentences when asked to name one of his accomplishments.

Hope and Change. That's it.

So, what happens when more Democrats start to think like Dawn?

Obama is untested to say the least. He's 40, has won exactly one statewide election -where his opponent was a transplant from another state - and he didn't even give a crap about that job enough to so much as finish a half of it before he decides no running the United States is what he'd be better at.

The safety valve.

An associate of mine brought to my attention the enduring myth that Democratic delegates are "bound on the first ballot". They are not. So, come convention time, if Obama's hollow act is played out and his numbers versus McCain are suffering, you might see Hillary come in to save the day. Would there be any better script for her? There is no doubt in my mind that she and her cronies will be working behind the scenes to put this into play.

Posted by Ed Z at 01:07 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 08, 2008

All About the Sun

I've always been skeptical of the impact human beings have on the plant's weather.  While I know we can be brutal to other species, even driving them to extinction; the big picture may reveal that our SUV's have little consequence.

Back in 1991, before Al Gore first shouted that the Earth was in the balance, the Danish Meteorological Institute released a study using data that went back centuries that showed that global temperatures closely tracked solar cycles.

To many, those data were convincing. Now, Canadian scientists are seeking additional funding for more and better "eyes" with which to observe our sun, which has a bigger impact on Earth's climate than all the tailpipes and smokestacks on our planet combined.

It is all about the sun.

Posted by Ed Z at 11:29 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 01, 2008

Female Suicide Bombers Were Mentally Disabled

You might hear about this story today.  

Remote-controlled explosives strapped to two mentally retarded women detonated in a coordinated attack on Baghdad pet bazaars Friday, police and Iraqi officials said, killing at least 73 people in the deadliest day since the U.S. sent 30,000 extra troops to the capital this spring.

The world will be silent.  There will be no outrage.  Berkley will continue to protest US military recruiting centers and we're all evil because of our carbon footprints.

Also, is this just another example of anti-Islamic