The TIGERS?!

Ugh. I'm suffering from the worst allergy attack in history. My eyes are watering, and I've sneezed 20 times in the last 5 minutes. Something is in the air!

But to business:

The Red Wings were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, by a team that was eighth seed (I take some consolation in the fact that that team came within one game of winning it all.) The Pistons were shell-Shaqued (again, consolation in the fact that Miami went on to win it all.) And Team USA was eliminated by Ghana. GHANA! Did they even HAVE a soccer team four years ago? In the three games they played, they scored exactly one goal (I don't count the goal against Italy.)

So who woulda thunk that my best hope for a team I like to win a championship would lie with the DETROIT TIGERS?!

Seriously. Three years ago, this is a team that came within one game of setting a record for most losses in a season. As a manager, Alan Trammel was a hell of a shortstop. He may have loved the Tigers, but he did NOT know how to manage a team.

Enter Jim Leyland, a native of Perrysburg (just south of Toledo). In 1997, he managed Florida to a World Series win. And you can claim that it was the all-star players on that team, but having great players doesn't guarantee a good team--just look at the Yankees.

Enter Kenny Rogers, a veteran hurler who leads four all-star starting pitchers, three of whom rank in the top ten of the AL in ERA.

Enter a bunch of young players who helped the Mud Hens win the Governor's cup last year, among them Curtis Granderson and Marcus Thames.

Add all these things up and you get the team with the best record in baseball, which just completed a sweep of the Cardinals, the second best team in baseball. I'm just wondering how long it can last. As, I'm sure, are many people in Detroit...

Maybe I'll just enjoy the ride while it lasts. Red Sox fans rode that ride all the way to the World Series two years ago.

And I'll take consolation in the fact that the Cubs stink this year. When the Cubs play the Tigers in the World Series, then I'll know Armageddon is around the corner.

Making Me Crazy!

There are two reasons why I don't write very often in this blog (aside from the main reason, which is that I'm lazy!): One, I don't typically speak out unless I'm really outraged by something (which is happening with increasing frequency) and Two, I know that the only person whoever reads this blog is me.

O.K. folks. This is where you tell me that hundreds of people read it! Anyone?

(crickets chirp)

Ahem. Anyway, the source of my outrage today is the recent debates taken up in the Senate to first amend the constitution declaring marriage as being between a man and a woman and secondly to ban flag burning as a form of protest.

Getting past the facts that A) The first one violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and B) that the second violates the first amendment, period, can anyone think of a more useless waste of the Senate's time? It's making me crazy!

It's these little things that are making me crazy! It's the Republican's shameless pandering to their religious base, whose unblinking support for a party that is against everything they stand for still mystifies me. And it's making me crazy.

And it works! Every single time, for every election in the last 6 years, the Republicans seem to manage to muster this tiny-ass majority of supporters, whose views are often diametrically opposed to each other. And they keep winning elections with it. And it's making me crazy.

And I'm saying this because I'm deathly afraid they're gonna do it one more time. The Republicans have controlled all three branches of government for the last six years, and, as a result, taxes are higher for everyone but the rich, there are record deficits, gas is three dollars a gallon, environmental regulations have been gutted, Constitutional protections are in tatters, and our military is bogged down in a hopeless quagmire that may take it years, or even decades, to get out of. I just don't think this country will survive another two years of complete Republican control. I'm not sure it will survive the rest of the year.

Do I have to say it again?

Happy Father's Day

My father has been a part of my life for all of my 38+ years. I have tried to live up to the standards he set for me. With, shall we say, somewhat mixed results.

But I appreciate all he has done, and all he has sacrificed for his children, myself included. And I, along with my sister, are dreading the day that will inevitably come when we are forced to face a Father's day without a father. And I'm sure she joins me in praying that that day will be a long time coming. We've had some scares over the years.

So Happy Father's Day, everyone! Make sure you take the time to tell your dad you love him. Because you never know when the day will come when you will no longer be able to.

But whatever you do, for heaven's sake don't call him collect!

24,900

That number is the number of hits I got for going to Google and typing in the phrases "6-6-06 end of world".

Try it! It's fun!

By far, the favorite site I found was this one.

I guess the world will end tomorrow. I'm not quite sure if it will end at midnight tonight, noon tomorrow, or even whether the end of the world will observe daylight savings time.

At any rate, assuming we're all still here tomorrow, I guess we can all console ourselves with the fact that most of us will be dead by the time the next 6-6-06 rolls around.

Peace out!

Tilting at the Windmills of FOX

Bill O'Reilly is a coward.

There. I've gone and said it. Y'see, I'm still trying to get put on his enemies list. I can't think of a faster way to increase readership of this my humble blog.

It seems that he regularly rants on his shows about how the good folks over at Media Matters repeatedly slander him, apparently by taking what he says during his rants and repeating it back for all to read. This is apparently how he defines slander: Anyone who repeats what he says in a way that makes him look bad. I'm just not getting it myself.

So recently, one of the writers of Opednews.com wrote this article about how Billo will not invite David Brock, the founder of MM, on his show to debate the issue face to face.

The article encourages its readers to send a letter to FalafelMan urging him to have Brock, or another MM representative, on his show. It even provides the e-mail address (oreilly@foxnews.com).

So I did it. I sent a letter to Phone Sexman. Here is the text:

Dear Bill O'Reilly:

You have repeatedly claimed on your show(s) that Media Matters, the organization founded by David Brock, repeatedly slanders you.

I would very much enjoy seeing David as a guest on your show, so you may tell him in person what you think of his organization, and so that he may have a chance to respond to you, also in person.

Can you please tell me when this will happen, and when I should tune in to watch?

Thank you.

I expect I'll be hearing from Fox Security any second now!

By the way, BillyBoy, in case this blog entry crosses your eyes at some point, I just want to say, Up your nose with a fire hose, you fatuous windbag!

(Still trying to make that enemies list!)

Never Forget

Today, on Memorial Day, I'd like to tell you about my Uncle, James McAfee.

Born the youngest of four children, and born many years after my Aunt Jeanine (can you say "Whoops"?!) he was called up to serve in Vietnam.

Now, I know very little about what happened to him over there, but I do know that my Mom, my Uncle David, and my Aunt all said repeatedly that before he went over there, he was a happy, well-adjusted person. And they said that he came back forever changed.

I admit I didn't know him very well. He cut himself off from us, moving himself and his family to Colorado. He visited rarely. He was often short-tempered--although he did his best to control it when us kids were around, we all saw the signs.

He was a good man, though. He loved his family, and was a good father to his children, judging by the fact that they all turned out pretty well. I would guess that he was one of the lucky ones.

But I still lump him as one of the thousands who died in Vietnam but didn't stop moving until years, or even, decades, later.

War, any war, has a profound effect on those who fight in it, even if they are one of the lucky few to emerge from it unhurt. The rapidly dwindling number of veterans who fought in World War II can console themselves with the fact that while they endured a hell that no human being should be forced to endure, they were fighting to destroy a great evil, one that would surely have enslaved the world had it been victorious. The veterans of Vietnam, and, now, of Iraq, have no such consolation.

And that may be the overriding reason why so many of them came home as completely different people.

I Hate American Idol

Frequently I imagine this conversation:

"Let me get this straight: You want a loan to start a business that will produce bottles of water and sell them for a dollar a piece. And you think people are going to pay a dollar for sixteen ounces of water, when they can go to any drinking fountain or sink and get all the water they want for free?! Get the hell out of my office!"

Or this one:

"Do I understand this correctly? You want money to start a business that's going to sell COFFEE for three, four dollars a cup! When people can get all the coffee they want out of the office coffee machine for less than 25 cents a cup! (Presses button on phone) Miss Watkins, would you please call security and have them escort this crazy person out of my office?!"

Or how about this one:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gates, but I just can't see how anyone can create an 'operating system' that will allow anyone to use a computer easily. I mean, everyone knows you need a degree in computer science just to turn on a computer these days! And your idea of placing this system on every computer in the country will never fly. The government did away with the monopolies a long time ago. They'd never let it happen again. I just can't allow our financial backers to invest in your company--what'd you call it? Macrosoft? Microscope?"

(by the way, the irony that I'm using Windows Explorer to make this blog entry while sipping from my bottle of water is not lost on me!)

I know. You're asking me, "What the hell does all this have to do with American Idol?!" Well, Chester, I'm glad you asked!

Because, y'see, I imagine the following conversation taking place in the pitch rooms at one of the big networks besides Fox:

"OK, so as I understand it, your idea for the next big hit TV show is to take hundreds of no-talent hacks, have them sing pop songs badly in front of a panel of judges that includes a washed-up pop Diva and a sarcastic British guy? And then to take the few gold nuggets that get sifted out of those thousands of grains of sand and stick them up on a stage in front of a huge audience? You know, there's a reason Karaoke is only performed by drunken people in bars! It's because nobody wants to make a fool of themselves on national television! Get out of here, you morons!"

I mean, COME ON! Can someone please explain to me the appeal of this show? I have left standing orders to my family and friends that if they ever catch me watching American Idol they have my permission to stick me in a rubber room.

Perhaps it's the curse of Andy Warhol. Everyone and their brother wants their "15 minutes of fame". These days, it's a lot more like "15 minutes of lame"

(I realize I'm probably not the first one to come up with that. I still think it's quite clever, though!)

Words cannot begin to describe

how much I will miss The West Wing

Let me share with you the speech by the WW president that caused this show to grab me by the throat and never let go:

(The President has just intervened in an argument between some West Wing staffers and some religious conservatives):

Now, I love my family, and I've read my Bible from cover to cover so I want you to tell me from what part of Holy Scripture do you suppose the Lambs of God drew their divine inspiration when they sent my 12 year old granddaughter a Raggedy Ann doll with a knife stuck through its throat?

You'll denounce these people Al, you'll do it publicly, and until you do you can all get your fat asses out of my White House.

Can you imagine any politician in this day and age saying that to a faction of religious conservatives?

Jesus, I can't stop crying! I will miss this show!

Happy Mother's Day!

Yeah, Yeah, I haven't posted in a long time. STFU already! I could spin a tale of misfortune and woe, with the requsite violin music and everything, but you'd all see through that pretty quick, so I'll just take this moment to remind everyone that I'm REALLY FUCKING LAZY!!

Anyhoo, I want to wish everyone a happy Mother's Day! Yhis year, for the first time in four years, my family has a reason to celebrate it again!

You may recall that last year I was a little bitter about the whole Mother's Day thing. Well, you may also recall that my nephew, Grant, was born in February. So now, once again, there is a mother in our immediate family, and this is once again a happy day, and not just a reminder of the gaping hole that was left in our lives when my mom died.

So enjoy the day! Peace out!

Patriot Act Follies

You may recall from my last post that I explained that anyone now seeking a government job in Ohio or seeking to do business with the state must, by law, complete a Declaration of Material Assistance/Non-Assistance to a Terrorist Organization (DMA).

Well, it seems the A.C.L.U. has decided to fight this. Not on the grounds that it's an incredibly STUPID law (which it is) but on the grounds that the the General Assembly unfairly applied the requirement to the practice of law. Or, as quoting from the original article in Saturday's Blade:

"The suit was filed before the Ohio Supreme Court on behalf of lawyer Marc Triplett. He objected to the Bellefontaine Municipal Court’s requirement that he sign a form declaring that he has not assisted or supported a terrorism-related organization as a condition of receiving court appointments to represent indigent defendants.

"The court challenge does not go as far as challenging the law itself, but rather what it characterizes as the Ohio General Assembly’s unconstitutional application of it to the practice of law, which is regulated by the Supreme Court."

In other words, it's good that somebody's challenging the, but bad that nobody seems to care that it's an incredibly stupid fucking law!

Y'see, if you lie on the form, and you are caught, it's a fifth-degree felony, punishable by up to one year in prison. I guess the geniuses in the G.A. think the threat of prison for a year will keep potential terrorists from seeking government jobs, contracts, or certain licenses. Or from lying about their status as terrorists, when telling the truth means that they will not get the job and be reported to homeland security.

I can't believe anyone is taking this seriously. And that the people who proposed this in the first place weren't laughed out of the office of whoever has the job of making sure this sort of silly shit never gets out of committee. Has the long-time Republican-controlled Ohio Government finally gone completely off the deep end? With shit like this, it's hard to imagine otherwise.

But the best part is how the law is being defended. To quote from the same article:

"Lying on the form would constitute a fifth-degree felony, punishable by up to a year in jail. 'This is preventative,' said Greg Saul, aid to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jeff Jacobson (R., Vandalia). 'If it’s uncovered that they’re involved in a plot but the attack hasn’t been carried out yet, you could charge them with lying on the questionnaire,' he said. 'The whole goal is to prevent them from carrying out an attack.'"

Seriously. So, apparently, if you're a member of, say, Al Qaeda, and you apply for a state job and say that you aren't, then after you've gone into a crowded shopping mall and hosed down the place with an AK-47, they can prosecute you for lying on a government form.

I'm thinking there's probably a few other things that they may want to zing you on first...

Plus, how could they prove your membership in such an organization? After all, I seriously doubt such organizations keep membership records...at least I've never seen any evidence that they do.

Y'know, if I hadn't seen the law with my own eyes, I'd think this was all a really bad April Fool's joke gotten way out of hand. Of course maybe it is...

Seriously. This is like something from The Daily Show. Say, that gives me an idea! I think I'll write to them about this. They would eat this shit up!

If You're a Terrorist, Please Tell Us!

All potential employees of the government of the state of Ohio must now submit a "Declaration Regarding Material Assistance to a Terrorist Organization" or D.M.A.

This also applies to any person or business wishing to contract with the state.

So what does this mean, exactly?

Well, it means that anyone applying for a job with state, county, or city government in Ohio must submit this D.M.A.

And what is the D.M.A. exactly?

Well, it consists of six questions:

1) Are you a member of an organization on the U.S. Department of State Terrorist Exclusion List (USDSTEL)?

2) Have you used any position of prominence you have with any country to persuade others to support an organization on the USDSTEL?

3) Have you knowlingly solicited funds or other things of value for an organization on the USDSTEL? (I guess if you did it unknowingly, it's OK!)

4) Have you solicited any individual for membership in an organization on the USDSTEL?

5) Have you committed an act that you know, or reasonably should have known, affords "material support or resources" to an organization on the USDSTEL?

6) Have you hired or compensated a person you knew to be a member of an organization on the USDSTEL, or a person you knew to be engaged in planning, assisting, or carrying out an act of terrorism?

I honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry.

But that's not the best part. No, the best part is what happens if any of the above questions is answered "yes":

"The issuing agency must deny the application and notify the Department of Public Safety's Homeland Security Division of the positive indication"

Translation: Not only will you NOT get the job/contract, but we'll report you to Homeland Security!

I swear to Christ I'm not making this up!

Seriously. Go here and see for yourself.

Let's break this down, shall we? Let me translate those questions into plain English:

1) Are you a terrorist?

2) Have you used the influence of your position to inspire others to become terrorists?

3) Did you raise money for terrorists?

4) Have you tried to turn anyone else into a terrorist?

5) Have you given money or other aid to terrorists?

6) Have you hired any terrorists?

Answering "yes" to any of those questions will, of course, not only result in you not being hired, or not getting the contract, but in YOUR being put on the Terrorist watch list yourself! In other words, answer yes and go directly to Gitmo. Do not pass go, do not collect $200!

How can anyone seriously expect anyone to take this seriously?!

One question: I'm a contributing member of MoveOn.org. Have they been placed on the Terrorist Exclusion List? 'Cause if they have, then I'd better quit my county job immediately and report to Gitmo.

This is what happens when incompetents are in charge.

Seriously. Imagine this conversation:

Government Bureaucrat #1: What if someone wants a government job or a state contract, but they're terrorists? How do we stop them?

Government Bureaucrat #2: I know! We'll ASK them if they're terrorists!

GB#1: Brilliant!

The mind...boggles.

Police State, Much?

There was a rally today of local union workers in downtown Toledo to show support for the embattled union of The Blade workers, the local newspaper. According to the news there were about 400 people there. They were surrounded by over 100 cops. Check out this picture of one of the nearby streets:



Now imagine that picture multiplied by a factor of ten, and you get some idea of how strong the police presence was.

Now I realize that just a few months ago, there was a large riot in the north end, sparked by a group of Neo-Nazis. And the police response to that was muffed at best, and downright incompetent at worst. But geez! That doesn't justify using the excuse of a presumably peaceful union rally into an excuse to turn downtown Toledo into a police state!

UPDATE (4/11/06, 2:00 p.m.) The Blade buried the story on page 7 of the Second News Section.

Santos!

So. I will not be burning all of my combined disks and VHS tapes of The West Wing.

Why? Because Matt Santos won a very close Presidential election on the show.

And, even with the death of John Spencer (Leo McGarry), the show has gone on. And in this the fictional world, the right person still wins.

You may recall that I swore to never watch the WW again if they allowed a Republican to be elected, no matter how likeable he was. Well, now, that's not a problem anymore.

Praise to you, NBC. You have re-gained my repect.

Try hard not to lose it again!

Hens Opener

Tonight was the home opener for the Toledo Mud Hens. It was a good night for baseball. The rain, which had been threatening all day, held off. It was about as warm as it gets in Toledo in early April, by which I mean you only needed to wear two layers of clothing instead of three. It was only marred by the fact that they lost a 1-0 pitcher's duel. Actually kinda boring.

Anyhoo, here's a few pics, taken with my spiffy new camera phone:



This is a shot of the Governor's cup, which they won last year for being IL champions.



This is a shot of the outfield. That guy in the blue jacket is Larry Parrish, the Hens' manager and last year's IL manager of the year.



And here's a shot of the stands. Officially, it was a sellout, but there were a lot of empty seats. I guess the weather probably affected that.

Well, here's hopin' they can repeat again this year. A lot of last year's players are back, but there are some new faces. You may recall I got a little excited last September when they were in game three of the GC finals. I hope I will be doing the same thing this year!

Play Ball!!!

They Said it Better Than I could, Cont.

From the L.A. Times (A letter to the editor):

McCarthys still exist on the airwaves
April, 1 2006


TIM RUTTEN'S review of Tom Wicker's new biography of Sen. Joe McCarthy ["McCarthy's Very American Career," March 29] was excellent until the overly optimistic last sentence: "We're less likely to share [the paranoid political style] today, as we've all learned a great deal more about the paranoids' continuing capacity to make all of us suffer for their delusions."

McCarthy's paranoid style lives on today in Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and the other heroes of talk radio, especially in their ceaseless invention of horrible threats to their listeners' values (like O'Reilly's trumped-up "war on Christmas") and their insistence that anyone who disagrees with them is not merely wrong but must be pushing some sinister hidden agenda. And the fact that they are able to use the word "liberal" as a damning epithet for anyone they don't like, the way McCarthy used the word "Communist," just shows how successful they and the people who bankroll their shows and the conservative movement as a whole have been in moving America's discourse seemingly permanently to the right.

Somewhere there's a circle of the inferno in which Joe McCarthy is laughing his head off and savoring his sweet revenge against the liberals and true conservatives who disgraced him.

MARK GABRISH CONLAN

San Diego

Mark, I couldn't agree more. And I just wish I could be down there in that inferno and see O'Reilly's face when he gets there (the sooner, the better). Or Hannity's. Or Rush's. Maybe they'll videotape it for future generations of angels to enjoy.

Link to the page here (free registration required)

My Plan May be in Jeopardy

I had it all planned out this year. Y'see, before I went to work for my boss, the County Auditor (a Republican), I had voted in only one primary--as a Democrat. Every primary since then, I had not voted for any party, preferring to remain as a registered independent.

But then, in '00, I voted for John McCain. At the time, I liked what he had to say (I've since come to realize the error of my ways.) So I became a registered Republican (GASP!) Thus was my mailbox opened to a flood of Republican fundraising solicitations, requests for votes from candidates, and, of course, that infamous survey--You know, the one that asks questions along the lines of "Do you support the war on terror, or are you a worthless traitorous terrorist?"

At any rate, in 2002, my boss was facing a primary challenge, so I was once again forced to vote in the Republican primary, since it's good to be able to say that you voted for the boss. And in 2004, when he ran for congress (and lost), I again voted for him in the Republican primary.

But this year, I planned to vote in neither primary, and to once again place myself back in the blissful, political-junk-mail-free-mailbox realm of the registered independent voter. My boss is not facing any challengers in the primary, so there WAS no reason to vote in it

But then, along came Ken Blackwell. Ohio's Secretary of State, he is running for Governor this year. And he stands more than a good chance of winning.

I can't begin to describe how much I hate this man. He, the man in charge of counting votes in the state, ran DUIbya's (tm) re-election campaign in Ohio. I mean, just how impartial can someone in that position be?

BTW, the Reform Ohio issues, one of which would have taken responsibility for vote counting out of his hands, went down to ignominious defeat last November. It was a stunning example of what can happen when no expense is spared to defeat something. It may also have been a stunning example of what lengths a Secretary of State would go to to retain his power. I'm just sayin'!

So I may have to vote in the Republican primary yet again, just to be able to say I voted against Blackwell twice. But, by doing so, I will once again subject my poor mailbox to two more years of assault from the Republican party.

I'm not sure it's worth it.

One Year Later

One year ago, Terri Schiavo finally was at peace, having already died 15 years before.

The media had a field day with the case, with thousands of interviews with everyone from Jeb Bush to Crossing Over "psychic" John Edward.

The Republicans in congress got involved, and evenDUIbya (tm) himself took the unprecedented step of cutting short his vacation to return to D.C. to sign the legislation aimed specifically at the Schiavo case--which ultimately proved useless when the courts took the very wise, in my opinion, action of not getting involved.

So, one year later, now what?

To begin with, we have the autopsy. It showed that Terri's brain had been severely damaged, and that she had no hope of ever recovering. It also showed that she was blind, giving the lie to those who claimed she was reacting to people she saw in the room.

Then we have the governor, who, after the aforementioned autopsy results made him look stupid, asked a Florida prosecutor to investigate Michael on suspicion that he might have caused his wife's condition. This was a page from the "Beating a dead horse senseless" file.

Then we have Michael himself, who, in a giant "fuck you" to the people who put him and his family through hell for years, buried her under a grave marker with the following inscription: "Beloved Wife. Born December 3, 1963. Departed this Earth February 25, 1990. At peace March 31, 2005"

I really can't blame the guy for being bitter. People threatened the lives of him, his children, and the mother of his children. They called him a murderer, an abuser, and several other things that were much worse. He was universally vilified by the wright.

Quite frankly, the whole thing disgusted me. Four years and two months ago, my mother was in the hospital, dying. And at one point, we were faced with the decision of removing her from the respirator. Now, just imagine our reaction if the state governor, several United States Senators, and even the President of the United States, had come to our room and prevented us from doing it.

I don't know about you, but I would have been thrown in jail that night for assault. And I wouldn't have been alone.

So I had great sympathy for Michael and his wife back then, and I sympathize with him now. And if, by his recent actions, he drives another stake through the heart of the radical wright, then I say, more power to him.

And the to the monsters of the wright, I say this: Your day is coming. You have managed to corrupt the Republican party with your fanatical view of the world. And the day is coming when you will be forced to answer for your actions.

I just hope when that day comes, you won't take the rest of us down with you.

You Might be a Redneck

Last week I got a forward from one of my redneck relatives entitled "You might be a redneck if..." I opened it, expecting humor, but instead I got a lot of sap. So I decided to get a little creative and expand on the original. So here it is, with my response to each point in parentheses:

You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
(probably because you couldn't read them...)

You might be a redneck if: You still say "Christmas" instead of "Winter Festival."
(Because you've never been to any place that actually has winter...)

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.
(But the last time YOU prayed was on the last frame of that perfect game you bowled 5 years ago)

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.
(and you think it ends with the words, "Gentlemen, start your engines!")

You might be a redneck if: You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.
(Like John Kerry, for example?)

You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag.
(But you HAVE burned a cross on someone's front lawn.)

You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
(as long as your wife doesn't hear.)

You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.
(And if they don't, you'll beat them!)

You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.
(And by doing so, you gave away half of your family fortune)

Heh.

Iraq: 3 Years Later

So here we are. 3 years after the initial invasion. 2,317 American soldiers killed as of this writing, with 2,180 of those casualties coming since DUIbya declared "major combat operations have ended" while standing in front of a big "Mission Accomplished" banner. And more than seven times that number of troops wounded, many scarred or maimed for life.

I won't mention the cost of the war so far to the U.S. Just look at the counter to the right.

Meanwhile, read some of the quotes the various news pundits from the so-called "liberal media" were making once hostilities had started (thanks to Fair.org for these:

"Now that the combat phase of the war in Iraq is officially over, what begins is a debate throughout the entire U.S. government over America's unrivaled power and how best to use it."
(CBS reporter Joie Chen, 5/4/03)


"Congress returns to Washington this week to a world very different from the one members left two weeks ago. The war in Iraq is essentially over and domestic issues are regaining attention."
(NPR's Bob Edwards, 4/28/03)


"Tommy Franks and the coalition forces have demonstrated the old axiom that boldness on the battlefield produces swift and relatively bloodless victory. The three-week swing through Iraq has utterly shattered skeptics' complaints."
(Fox News Channel's Tony Snow, 4/27/03)


"The only people who think this wasn't a victory are Upper Westside liberals, and a few people here in Washington."
(Charles Krauthammer, Inside Washington, WUSA-TV, 4/19/03)


"We had controversial wars that divided the country. This war united the country and brought the military back."
(Newsweek's Howard Fineman--MSNBC, 5/7/03)


This is just a small sampling. To read the rest, you can go here.

And, of course, the President keeps stumping, trying to rally support for a war that is rapidly spiraling out of control.

How did we get into this so deep? Where is the outrage? Where are the cries of "Shame"? Have we, as a nation, become so complacent that we are content to sit back and allow our misleaders to get away with anything?!

How much longer does the liberal blogosphere have to continue to shout at the top of its lungs before the rest of the country finally hears a Who?

(With apologies to Dr. Seuss)

Good night, and good luck.

Murrow for a Minute

Last week, I submitted my own entry in Crooks and Liars "Murrow for a Minute" contest. The idea was to create a short sentence that sounded like something the revered Edward R. Murrow might say.

(By the way, if you haven't already seen "Good Night and Good Luck", then GO SEE IT!)

Anyhoo, here's what I wrote:

"If the definition of patriotism is love of country, then would we not be considered unpatriotic if we did not love our country enough to stand up to those who would destroy it, no matter who they may be? Throughout history, far too many tragedies have come to pass because this did not happen. And if we as a people do not wish to be relegated to the dustbin of history, then we as a people MUST do ourselves what our political leaders have sworn, but failed, to do: To defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign AND domestic."

Alas, I was not one of the 37 finalists, but I thought I would throw my entry up here, so it doesn't get lost in the crowd.

And maybe it's nothing like Murrow might have said, but we will never know for sure.

Murrow knew how to speak truth to power. And he was not afraid to go against the establishment. How many people in the traditional media can we say that about today?

Not many.