This just in from the Department of Hollow Threats...

U.N. Orders Iran to Suspend Nuke Program

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- For the first time, 35 nations in the U.N. atomic watchdog agency demanded Saturday that Iran freeze all work on uranium enrichment - a technology that can be used for nuclear arms - and said they would judge Tehran's compliance in two months.

Oh yeah, that oughta bring 'em right into line... not. This was one of the problems I had with the run up to the Iraq war. Everyone was going on about how President Bush, by actually following thru on threats made, was making the UN irrelevant.

Wrong.

The UN, by its own inaction, encourages tin-pan dictators and theocratic whackjobs to do whatever the hell they want to without fear of repercussion. The UN, not President Bush, was making the UN irrelevant.

If the UN doesn't grow some stones and actually back up its resolutions, Iran's going to keep on keepin' on. That is, until the US has to step in a knock some heads in.

An event that, when it finally must come to pass, will no doubt piss off most of the world.

This just in from the Department of Well, Duh...

N.Korea Vows Will Never Dismantle Nuclear Arms

Reuters -- In a rare commentary that carries considerable weight, KCNA said disclosures about unsanctioned nuclear experiments in South Korea in 2000 and 1982 showed Washington applied double standards, criticizing the North but understanding the South.

Gee, really? We treat a communist dictatorship that is hell bent on getting itself nuclear weapons differently than a free republic that has no intentions of arming itself with nukes.

Huh.

Latest Gallup Poll's in... Desperate Flailing Increase to Follow...

Bush clear leader in poll

USAToday -- President Bush has surged to a 13-point lead over Sen. John Kerry among likely voters, a new Gallup Poll shows. The 55%-42% match-up is the first statistically significant edge either candidate has held this year.

The "Chill Wind" in West Virginia, an Update

(Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin)

Apparently the recent photograph of a Kerry supporter ripping up the poster of a three year old Bush supporter that's set the right side of the blogosphere on fire has caught on with the left side... kinda.

They smell a Rather... er... a CBS... er... a fraud. Alleging that the sign-ripper in question is one of Mr. Parlock's ten (ten!?) children and that the whole thing was a set up. Hmm... a setup? Possible. Of course, in such a small town I dare say somebody would be able to drop the dime outing the sign-ripper/alleged family member. I mean, families with ten kids aren't exactly a common thing anymore... even in West Virginia.

"But he's had these run-in's before!" they claim. Big friggin' deal. So what if the guy's gotten roughed up by DNC supporters before? How many "career protestors" that were arrested outside the RNC at MSG were arrested before? That doesn't offer one shread of proof that this was staged. It just means that he feels strongly about his positions and gets out there and exercises his First Amendment rights of free speech. If he's been roughed up before, it speaks more to Liberal intolerance and hypocracy than it does to anything about Parlock.

"He's putting his child in danger!" they claim. If it was a setup, and the sign-ripper was his son, there was no danger. If Democrats, Liberals et al actually practiced what they preach (respect for free speech, respect for differing viewpoints, peace, love etc.) there'd be no danger.

If it wasn't a setup, and he knew there was a possiblity that there'd be trouble, he pulled off one of the oldest tricks in the protestor's handbook: Trick your opposition into making themselves look bad. If that's the case, then hell yeah, he put his daughter at risk. That does not excuse the attack however. "She had it coming for dressing like that" has never been a good defense against a rape charge.

"It's an obvious PhotoShop job!" they claim. Oh my star n' garters. With all due respect, what the hell are you smoking? So, you're trying to tell me that the AP, its reporters, and its photogs are now members of the VRWC? When did this happen?

In the meantime, the General President (General President? WTF? Is this union HQ'd in some small third world nation?) of the IUPAT has issued an apology for the actions of the sign-ripper/alleged son/union member.

Senator McCain: Defender of Democracy... finally

McCain Urges Court to Put Nader on Ballot

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., urged the Florida Supreme Court to allow Ralph Nader on the state ballot after it hears an appeal Friday by the independent presidential candidate.

In the run up to the 2000 election, I'd finally gotten over the problem many Libertarians suffer from. I call it "trying to build the pyramid pointy end down". They seem intent on taking the White House first, then building support, instead of the other way around.

So, I had decided I was going to see what the GOP had to offer. I'm more of a right-leaning Libertarian, so the current incarnation of (much of) the DNC makes me want to put a fork in my eye rather than vote for them. So, then VP Gore was totally out of the running. And if he wasn't out before he hired a career feminist to teach him how to be a man, or at least trick us into thinking he was a man, he definately was afterwards.

I liked Senator McCain, as I've mentioned before, but after his primary loss to then Governor Bush he seemed to have either began showing his true stance on positions, or had lost his friggin' mind!

He came out in favor of even more gun control (infringing on Second Amendment rights). He continued his "campaign finance reform" silliness until it became law (infringing on First Amendment rights). So, needless to say, the good Senator has been pretty high on my shit-list for a while. That is, until now.

Everyone has the right to run for President, even if they're (to paraphrase that highly annoying new Army tagline) a 'Party of One'. Granted, I think Nader is a screaming whackjob of the highest order. Granted, I support President Bush and think Nader pulling a Perot will help him get reelected. Granted, I'd rather trade in my boxers for a rusty chipper-shredder than have Nader for President, but he has a right to run.

This just in from the Reality Check Cashing Department...

"A chill wind is blowing in this nation... Every day, the air waves are filled with warnings, veiled and unveiled threats, spewed invective and hatred directed at any voice of dissent." -- Tim Robbins (National Press Club April 15, 2003)

Long Story Short: The Republicans and Conservatives (FYI: I'm neither, I'm a registered Libertarian) in general are a bunch of mean bullies, picking on those weaker than themselves and running around silencing dissenting viewpoints. While the Democrats and Liberals in general are the group of peace and love and diversity, where all opinions are welcomed and encouraged.

The Reality:

(AP) -- Three-year-old Sophia Parlock cries while seated on the shoulders of her father, Phil Parlock, after having their Bush-Cheney sign torn up by Kerry-Edwards supporters on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004, at the Tri-State Airport in Huntington, W.Va. Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards made a brief stop at the airport as he concluded his two-day bus tour to locations in West Virginia and Ohio.

Do I even need to say anything?

Shut Up and Sing...

... Jesse Factor style.

NOFX and all of these anti-conservatism bands are doing one thing wrong: Sellling records. You can't sell records and make money if you're against republicans, hypocrite. You're taking advantage of America's youth being confused with political ideas and then pushing your's in their faces because punk is the cool thing to do. That's called capitalism! I'm all for capitalism, but only if the person doing it is selling me oil or feeding me a mocha coffee from Starbucks (not that I drink there). If you're promoting a socialistic way of life, avoid capitalism or else 14 year old kids like me are going to see through it.

Been reading this guy's stuff for about a week. I can already see that he's got his shit straighter than a lot of people twice, or three times (or... how old's Dan "Fake, but Accurate" Rather again?) his age.

Guns, Elections and John Lott

Misfires

John Kerry's flip-flopping on the Iraq war is well known. His statements on hotly contested social issues have also been all over the place. (Kerry says that that life starts at conception, but he votes consistently in favor of abortion.) On guns, the senator's position is even more confusing.

Great article. I especially love Lott's annihilation of the Kerry campaign's claim that "John Kerry's opponents are worried because he's the first Democratic candidate to support Second Amendment gun rights and to be an avid hunter..."

The just in from the Department of Pop Quizzes...

What do the following have in common?

That's right... they're fake, but accurate.

Now I just have to wait for football season to start...

Just got my Soul season ticket upgrades squared away. Moved out from behind the rebound nets to right on the 25 yard line! (That's midfield for the uninitiated) Now I just have to wait 'til February.

Ugh.

This just in from the Department of the Lone Rangers...

Major U.S. Allies Reject Annan Iraq Claim

LONDON (AP) -- U.S. allies Britain and Australia on Thursday rejected a claim by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the war in Iraq was "illegal" because Washington and its coalition partners never got Security Council backing for the invasion.

Wait a second. Allies? I thought we went into Iraq totally alone. No international coalition. No multilateralism. President Bush acted unilaterally. We "went it alone".

Right?

France, Germany, Russia and China fought the proposed invasion of Iraq and ouster of Saddam Hussein because they were in business with him. In voilation of UN sanctions mind you. So them balking makes sense. But the UN? It couldn't be that Kofi was getting some of that "oil for food" money the UN was raking in, could it?

Nah.[/sarcasm]

This just in from the Let Them Eat Cake Department...

Heinz Kerry Visits Hurricane Aid Center

NEW YORK (AP) -- Teresa Heinz Kerry, encouraging volunteers as they busily packed supplies Wednesday for hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean, said she was concerned the effort was too focused on sending clothes instead of essentials like water and electric generators.

"Clothing is wonderful, but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids," said Heinz Kerry, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. "Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food, and then clothes."

Okay, perhaps their priorities are a little cart-before-the-horse, but can Ter-Ay-zah possibly say anything without sounding absolutely foolish? I mean, it's great that she can speek umpteen languages, but she can't seem to actually say anything without sounding stupid.

On Healthcare: If Kerry is elected, Heinz Kerry predicted that opponents of his health care plan would be voted out of office. "Only an idiot wouldn't like this," she said.

On Disaster Victims: "Clothing is wonderful, but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids."

For someone as intelligent as she keeps reminding us that she is, she sure says some stupid stuff.

Someone Feel a 'Draft'?

Edwards: No Military Draft if Dems Win

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - Vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites) promised a West Virginia mother on Wednesday that if the Democratic ticket is elected in November the military draft would not be revived.

Someone better tell that to Charlie Rangel.

"I'm going to introduce legislation to have universal military service to let everyone have an opportunity to defend the free world against the threats coming to us," Rangel said on CNN's "Late Edition."

Congressman Rangel's been harping on reinstituting the draft for years. Well, ever since a Republican got into the White House.

Oh, and Congressman Rangel, everyone has an "opportunity to defend the free world" under the current all volunteer military. What you're talking about is no longer making it an opportunity but making it manditory. My guess is, so you can poison the well of public support.

Senator Edwards on the other hand, is making his "promise" trying to suggest that under a Republican, specifically under President Bush, the draft will be reinstituted.

In case anyone, including the good Congressman, is wondering. I served (voluntarily just like the brave men and women that are serving today) 1987-90. 43E Regular Army.

This just in from the Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend Department...

'Fahrenheit 9/11' Premieres in Iran

(AFP) -- Cinemagoers in the Iranian capital were given their first glimpse of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' this week, but appeared to enjoy more the rare chance to watch an American movie than its assault on their regime's arch foe George W. Bush. Michael Moore's Bush-bashing polemic may have cruised through Iran's unforgiving censors thanks to its indictment of US policy...

Color me shocked.

... but the premiere of the film also had the side effect of making some viewers relate the same questioning to their own state of affairs.

Not sure whether I should file this tidbit under "Many are already questioning the state of affairs in Iran, ya dope." or "I see, so President Bush, when not busy being Hitler, is an oppressive Ayatollah".

Gotcha.

This just in from the Death by a Thousand Cuts Department...

Bait-’n’-Switch

(Hat tip: Geekwitha45)

Dave Kopel-- Gun-prohibition lobbyists are after much more than AK-47s.

You're damn straight they are. Even when the AK47s they're talking about aren't even true AK-47s. The goal of the exercise is to deny law-abiding citizens the right to keep and bear arms. Period.

And no, I'm not saying the gun control advocates are all doing it out of some nefarious motivation. Some actually believe they're helping to keep people safe. Those folks are, of course, decidedly ill-informed and hopelessly naive. Granted, they may be doing it with the best of intentions in mind... but we all know what road is paved with those.

All gun control laws are fundamentally flawed. Laws are followed only by the law-abiding. Criminals, by definition ignore laws, including the ones regarding rape, robbery, assault, murder... and guns.

The so-called "assault weapons ban" wasn't about making people safer, it was about getting people used to accepting more and more infringements on the right to keep and bear arms. The AWB was meant as a stepping-stone to more and more gun control laws. Nothing more.

The death by a thousand cuts.

Fortunately, many of the congresscritters paid the price for foisting it upon the American people before they could press the advantage. Unfortunately, not all of them paid. But enough have learned that infringing on our rights comes with consequences. Enough to ease back on overtly pursuing their goals. Key word: overtly. They aren't going to give up. It's our job to fight them every step of the way. The best way to do that is to inform yourself, inform others, and pressure the government, both State and Federal.

The truth, the stats, the facts are all on our side. We just have to know them and get them out there. The media certainly isn't going to do it for us.

This just in from the Playing on Our Fears Department... Part 2...

Bush and Kerry Duel on Health Care, Weapons Ban

(Reuters) -- "So, tomorrow for the first time in 10 years when a killer walks into a gun shop, when a terrorist goes to a gun show somewhere in America, when they want to purchase an AK-47 or some other military assault weapon, they're going to hear one word: 'Sure,"' Kerry told supporters in Washington.

I've had it with this (alledged) life-long gun owner and hunter. This is an example of what the pro-RKBA (Right to Keep and Bear Arms) people are up against. Either Senator Kerry is pulling a CBS (and is in need of having "his ass fact-checked") or he's pulling a CBS (and is intentionally lying to mislead the American people) about what was, and what was not, covered by the so-called Assault Weapons Ban.

• The firearms covered by the AWB were not military assault weapons.


• Some, but not all, were semi-automatic copies of military weapons. The AR15 is the semi-auto version of the M16. The AK47 is the semi-auto version of... well, the AK47. The rest were semi-automatic firearms of their own design. (Unless I am unfamiliar with a fullauto Tek 9)


• Most of the weapons banned under the AWB were still available during the ban. The only difference was the "evil" accessories targeted by the AWB (that did nothing to change the lethality of the firearms one bit) were removed from the designs.


• Semi-automatic means 'One pull of the trigger = One round fired'.


• Fully automatic means 'One pull of the trigger = Firearm continues to fire until trigger is released or the ammo is expended'.


• ALL of the firearms banned under the AWB were semi-automatic only.


• Military assault weapons are capable of fully automatic fire.


• Fully automatic weapons have been heavily regulated since 1934.


• Fully automatic weapons will still be heavily regulated tomorrow.


• When John Kerry or any other politician tells you that tomorrow military assault weapons will be once again legal for "killers" and "terrorists" they are either ignorant or they lying to you. (Suspect the latter.)


• It is illegal to kill (commit murder).


• If a "killer" is going to ignore the laws against murder, they will ignore every gun control law.


• Not a single round was fired by the Sept 11th terrorists.

If you didn't already know these points (and there are plenty of folks out there who don't) memorize them. Print them out. Carry them in your wallet (or purse or pocket or whatever). And if you find yourself in a town hall meeting with Senator Kerry, or someone like him, use the facts to nail their asses.

Bloggers, Pajamas, and other deep thoughts...

I'd Rather Be Blogging

John Fund -- A watershed media moment occurred Friday on Fox News Channel, when Jonathan Klein, a former executive vice president of CBS News who oversaw "60 Minutes," debated Stephen Hayes, a writer for The Weekly Standard, on the documents CBS used to raise questions about George W. Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service.

Mr. Klein dismissed the bloggers who are raising questions about the authenticity of the memos: "You couldn't have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of check and balances [at '60 Minutes'] and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing."

This is sure to launch the next great trend to sweep the blogosphere. Glenn Reynolds is suggesting that we take a tip from Honest Abe, Blackfive has a nice family shot, while Frank J's recreation puts the History Channels new Decisive Battles show to shame.

I don't wear pajamas. Haven't in years, and while I'm sure everyone is just dying to see me in a set of footies... I'm gonna do ya one better.

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(Someone who is totally not me, filling out a set of PJs better than I ever could.)

I'm gonna go out onna limb here and say, this was probably a better choice.

Ding! Dong!

The so-called "Assault Weapons" Ban is dead... well, close enough for goverment work anyway.

Good riddance to a useless feel-good law that did nothing to stop crime and only served to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.

The question now is: How will the so-called "life long hunter and Second Amendment supporter" use the sunset of the AWB to try to float his sinking candidacy.

Pointing out that the sunset was built into the law before President Bush was in the White House, or that he did nothing to fight its renewal, or that he said he'd sign it if it got to his desk, would be silly on my part.

These are facts. And things like facts (or truth or logic) don't seem to be strong suits of those trying to "retake" their power the White House.

Not Good News...

Due to family members battling cancer, something I can more than sympathize with, Chris Muir is putting 'Day by Day' on indefinite hiatus.

Perfect

Are You Ready For some Football!?

I know I sure am. Unfortunately, I still have a little over a hundred days to wait. I've been a football fan since I was a kid. Baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, whatever, none of them I followed as much as I did football.

Even though, as I've mentioned before I've been a diehard Cardinals fan. Even though I was born and raised just outside of Philly. Even though they moved. Even though they... well have pretty much sucked pretty much my whole life. Through it all, I looked forward to football season.

That changed two years ago.

A buddy of mine in Grand Rapids got me watching Arena football. After catching the games on TV (I adopted the Buffalo Destroyers, a team which both sucked and moved in the space of one season) I didn't realize I was hooked. That didn't occur to me until the start of last season's kickoff of the NFL.

Compared to arena football, the "outdoor game", as it is referred to by AFL fans and announcers, is painfully slow and borders on downright boring. The players are too often egotistical schmucks. The prices are too high... for everything. How many teams now have seating licenses that you need to shell out for before you can shell out even more for season tickets?

Last season, Philly got themselves into the eighteen year old Arena Football League, thanks to developer Craig Spenser and rocker Jon Bon Jovi. (Ex-Eagle QB Ron Jaworski had been priming the pump for years) Last season I became a season ticket holder for the Philadelphia Soul. The first time I was a season ticket holder for any team.

I made it to almost every home game. The Soul lost more games than they won, but they made a helluvan effort for a team that was cobbled together, from the front office to the field, in something like four months. But more than that, the game, the entire experiance of an arena football game is something one seriously needs to do in person.

For starters, the price is very family-friendly. For the cost of the season ticket package (eight games) you might be able to attend two Eagles games. But more than that, the whole league treats you like they're glad you've bothered to take the time out of your busy life to come out to the game. Everything from the prices, to the timeout and commerical-break contests, to the "Fan's Bill of Rights".

Yeah, yeah. I know. So what if the players are contractually obligated to stay on the field for at least thirty minutes after the game (win or lose) to interact with the fans? So what if the home games are family friendly? So what if they play Spongebob for the kids to sing along with? So what if they have contests for adults and kids? Did I mention the Soulmates?

The big question is... How's the gameplay?

Fast. Exciting. High-scoring. And did I mention fast? Or the walls?

Today it really sank in. Watching the NFL after catching a couple AFL games on ESPN two years ago was one thing. Watching the NFL after going to a bunch of AFL games in-person... fugedaboutit! It was painful. Granted, the Cards losing... again, didn't help matters, but it wasn't the root cause.

I know the "football purists" enjoy poo-pooing the AFL. Most of them haven't watched a single game. Much less, caught one in person. They wouldn't know a Mack Linebacker from an Offensive Specialist. To them I say, give it a shot. Learn the rules. Go to some games.

'Course, it might end up ruining the NFL for ya.

It did for me.

This just in from the Department of Reeducation...

Brainwashing 101 -- A seriously disturbing documentary about the goings-on at our nation's institutions of higher learning.

Just Another Isolated Incident...

U.S. Says N.Korea Blast Probably Not Nuclear

SEOUL (Reuters) -- A huge explosion rocked North Korea last week but U.S. and South Korean officials said on Sunday it was unlikely to have been a nuclear weapons test despite the appearance of a "peculiar cloud" over the area.

Someone must not being paying enough attention to North Korea's Chia-Dictator again. I so hate it when spoiled children act up for attention.

This just in from the Department of High Crimes and Misdemeanors...

California, the state on the left coast long-known as the originators of new trends is once again well ahead of the curve by... outlawing sex with corpses.

Err... huh?

Schwarzenegger Signs Bill Banning Sex with Corpses

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -- Having sex with corpses is now officially illegal in California after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill barring necrophilia, a spokeswoman said on Friday.

Whoops, there goes the necrophiliac vote.

The new legislation marks the culmination of a two-year drive to outlaw necrophilia in the state...

Question: Who the hell was fighting to keep necrophilia legal??

And now, for the Most Troubling Quote of the Day™:

"Prosecutors didn't have anything to charge these people with other than breaking and entering."

[Insert Rigor Mortis Joke Here]