He Almost Made an Absolute Statement

He caught himself in mid-sentence. Just in the nick of time.

'Twas John Edwards, the once and future failed candidate for President of the United States. Yup, the same John Edwards who almost made John Kerry look good. The hack shyster who has made life miserable for obstetricians throughour the country by using criminally sleazy tricks to fool juries into making huge awards to mothers with real and imagined problem births and overly lengthy labors. His quasi-legal arguments have served to increase malpractice insurance premiums to impossible levels for obstetricians all around the country.

Just moments before he was exposed for the sleazeball he is by his critics, he stepped aside to attempt an even sleazier career, that of another kind of quasi-legal theft: politics.

His lackluster run that ended up with his accepting the Vice-Presidential nomination of the evil Democrat Party and that campaign's subsequent failure, seems to have taught him nothing. He's in Iowa again.

Eschewing the Iowa State Fair (a major blunder in its own right), he's kissing hands and shaking babies elsewhere in the state.

Now, I may have the name of the restaurant wrong--I didn't hear it clearly, but the important thing is, Williams sad the following:
"[Butterman's] has the best....one of the best burgers on the planet."

Almost a huge blunder. Almost an absolute statement. How could he ever again offer an insincere complement to another burger joint had he said what he almost said? "[Butterman's] has the best burgers on the planet."

Boy, I'll tell ya, that lawyer training sure saved his bacon that time! Shows you just how hard a job it is, running for the job of thievin'-parasite-in-chief of this country.

Remember, VOTE FOR NO INCUMBENT!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

....Because We Said So!

An old socialist in my virtual acquaintance, who seems to buy into the blatherings of the likes of Algore, Robt Kennedy, Jr and their sort wrote the following, when pressed about their personal extravegances, and I quote:

"And if he travels by [private] jet to educate millions of people on green living, the accumulated impact overcomes the amount of energy he consumes."

Now, I've written about some of this before here, and again here, and here.

I am getting a mite tired of all this global warming crap and maybe lost my patience with the man. I sent out the following rant, which reads not too badly, if I say so myself....I have to say so myself, nobody else will.

Quote:

"That's what the gods of totalitarianism always say. Hitler and his generals lived luxuriously while German citizens went hungry. Lenin ate caviar while Russians starved. Castro wears custom-tailored fatigues while Cubans wear rags originally sold during Batista's time.

"Wannabe courtiers and apologists forgive it in the hopes of gaining favor with His Worship, and perhaps they really do think the dictator is better than they. Perhaps he is. But he's not better than I.

"Those who see clearly know that the dictator is but a smooth-talking con man, with delusions of grandeur and a psychotic need for power over others.

"There is no man-made global warming nor anything of the sort.

"Those who are familiar with the concept, "The Big Lie," know that if you repeat a falsehood loud enough, often enough and put a lot of pseudo-authority behind it, pretty soon many easily-led folks will believe it.

"Once the "True Believer" makes the lie his, it's virtually impossible to change what's left of his mind. "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it." as I've heard said.

"I will never be green, in any way the evil Ralph Nader--or Algore--means. I will probably wear green on (or near) March 17th each year. The odd pint of beer will accompany the wearin' o' th' green.

"Meanwhile, I'll drive my three classic cars, all of which have V8's and 4-bbl carbs. I'll keep my HVAC pegged at 74 and I'll keep enough lights on to light my way. Algore can roll that up into one of his very own home-grown cigars (grown on his own tobacco farm) and stick it into whichever personal orifice he deems proper."

I know that the earth will get along just fine without my help; it has done so for untold millions of years. I don't quite get the irrational self-importance involved in these "green" idiots actually thinking that their use or non-use of air conditioners and automobiles will actually have an effect on the workings of the planet, but I think there's lotsa work for a psychiatrist within their pointy little heads.

Planet Earth is going to last for millions of years still, and if we humans should somehow manage to wear it out, we will have long since found other new planets to use.

They've killed freedom! Those bastards!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Going Full Circle

In the spring of 1992, I was laid off from a very good job in San Diego. After floundering about for a few months, I got what I thought was a reasonably good job in Huntington Beach. 'Twas a killer commute, that 90 mile-each-way drive, so Debbie and I resolved to move north.

Eliminating some details, we ended up buying a house in Sherman Oaks--about 50 miles north of Huntington Beach. Very nearly the worst fifty mile commute in the known solar system.

However, I loved Sherman Oaks! Our house was about two blocks from Ventura Boulevard, a major boulevard lined with dozens of hip restaurants, coffee shops, little theaters, cute shops and chain stores. It's a delightful area, great for walking, close to many cool San Fernando Valley hot spots.

In fact, it's even close to the Universal, Warner Bros and Disney studios and, more importantly, it's not far from the venerable Pickwick Ice Center!

Well, the fun ended on January 17, 1994 with the Northridge Quake. Now, the quake didn't do really serious damage to our house, but it fairly devastated the neighborhood. The opposite side of our street has several small 3-story apartment buildings, many of which were destroyed. Most of the single-occupant homes weren't seriously damaged. Part of our house was shifted slightly on its foundation. There was some stucco damage. A wooden property line fence fell over and worst of all, our water heater fell over--in spite of its restraints--and I had to shut off the gas.

A number of people were injured on our street, but none killed that I know about. I had to rescue an elderly lady from a third floor apartment, who couldn't get out because the stairs were damaged. It turned out that, though the stairs looked deadly, after a bit of empirical testing (I jumped up-and-down on 'em), they turned out to be better than they looked. I had to carry the lady out of her apartment, because she was a knick-knack collector. She had dozens of glass and crystal and ceramic items on and in glass cases. All of it lay in bits and shards on the floor and she couldn't even get to her shoes.

Well, we got down to the street before the next aftershock, and she was fine except for a few minor cuts, which which were handled by another neighbor who had medical experience.

We found out later that it would be days before we could get the water heater and the gas lines repaired and possibly weeks before the gas company could inspect it. They had to inspect everything for many miles around.

So since I was working in Huntington Beach, and our insurance paid for our displacement costs, we took an apartment here in Santa Ana, where we remain to this day.

After several difficult weeks of repair work, in which we also had some unrelated work done at the same time, we placed the house on the rental market. We were able to get rent about double what we've been paying here in the OC (for an apartment). This is why we've stayed. Well, Orange County has its fine points, too.

Our current tenant gave us notice she was moving a few days ago.

We've decided that the time was right to move back.

My writing might get a bit sporadic soon, as we get into the serious throes of packing and moving. Right now, we're involved in making the place habitable for our own fine selves. Paint, new carpets, a few repairs, etc.

The commute will still be bad, but I now work somewhat closer to Sherman Oaks than I used to. I think it's gonna be fun!

They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Would Isolationism Really Be Worse Than This?

The United States has helped just about every nation on earth, one time or another, and sends aid money to many "developing" nations (read primitive totalitarian dictatorships). We're there to help in every natural disaster with both public and private aid. We try to humanely intervene in international struggles and help sooth the disagreements.

It never works. Most of the nations of the world regard United States to be arrogant and controlling. The United Nations, a body that wouldn't exist without our efforts, is basically anti-American. Even countries which would no longer exist, but for our help, side against us more often than not.

I don't entirely blame them.

A hundred years or so ago, the United States of America was a country to be emulated by emerging countries all around the world. We had very nearly perfect liberty. Our government protected our rights, but was not intrusive. Individuals could determine their own futures to a degree never seen on earth before or since. Advancements were being made by these same individuals, in both technology and philosophy, to a degree we can't equal today.

In spite of all that, we've become the country 'pon which blame for all the earth's ills have been affixed. Some of it is justified. Most of it isn't.

Face it. The United States federal government is and has been for over 100 years, unbelievably inept at international relations. Like one might imagine of the antiMidas, everything we've touched has turned to sh(fecal matter)t.

Our dipsh(fecal matter)tlomats get us into wars, both trade and shooting, without exception, with every alliance or treaty signed or attempted. No nation should ever regard itself a super power or a world leader.

It's been the height of arrogance on the part of the neocons that, since Reagan put a well-deserved end to USSR--for which we deserve the world's thanks--they think our intelligence agencies, our state department, our diplomatic corps and our military are infallible, omniscient, godlike.

Meanwhile, everything they touch turns to sh(fecal matter)t.

I propose that the federal government tend to the internal affairs of the United States exclusively and not communicate in any way with foreigners. I propose that the US military and all intelligence agencies suspend foreign adventure and devote all of its resources to protecting the United States from attack by foreigners--either governments, individuals or groups.

In the interest of trade, I propose that the private firm that wishes to conduct international trade, do so in the absence of any government action, and at their own risk. What problems they get themselves into, they must get themselves out of.

If individuals wish to travel outside the borders of the US, they must do so at their own risk, and get themselves out of any trouble in which they find themselves.

I suspect that those nations that want to engage in trade or that favor international tourism will take steps to make their country receptive to foreign visitors.

Our government has botched things so badly that we ought to look into criminal prosecutions of those incompetents who can be shown in a court of law to have caused difficulty.

I'm up to here with the criminal negligence that resides in Washington DC.

These people need to be looked after!

Remember, VOTE FOR NO INCUMBENT!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

But....It's For the Children!

According to a story on C-Net, Congress is dead serious about controlling access to social network sites to minors. These sites include MySpace, Livejournal and Facebook. I'm behind the bell curve on these sites, only having visited a couple of friends' sites on MySpace. While youngsters will still be able to access these sites on their own computers, they will be blocked from doing so on computers in government children's prisons and government libraries.

Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick, a Neocon Republican from Pennsylvania, along with the fat and waffling Rep. Dennis Hastert and other unscrupulous Republicans are pushing a bill called the Deleting Online Predators Act, or DOPA. It's rather an apt acronym, because it describes both the Act and its proponents.

One of the many problems with this proposed law is that it's very broadly written. It would include Blogger.com, as well as AOL and Yahoo's instant messaging features and the XBox 360, which allows in-game chat, for example.

Thanks to Laura Ingraham's radio show, I hear that the bill has been voted 'pon in the House and passed with a large majority (who's going to vote against the children in an election year?). Remember, though, congressfools, that these same children will be voting in a few years, and they just might remember!

Sadly, and tellingly, Ms Ingraham (donning her very own neocon cloak), supports this distressing proposed new law, once again illustrating her own unease with the Bill of Rights in particular and human liberty in general. Wasn't it conservative Republicans, not too many years ago, who often voiced the sentiment, "why don't they understand that 'Congress shall make no law' means 'Congress shall make NO LAW?'"

This new proposed law, "DOPA," is obviously a blatant violation of the First Amendment. We can't predict, totally, what the unintended consequences of this new law might be. I mentioned the (maybe remote) possibility that today's youths might vote their anger, a few years hence. More seriously, it almost certainly will drive young students away from public libraries during the exact time in their lives when they ought to be acquiring the habit of using them.

Another important intended consequence is that this intrusion takes even more of a parents' rights away from them and places them in the hands of government. It's very sad if the parents resent this, and even more so if they don't.

Remember, VOTE FOR NO INCUMBENT!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California