Deleted by Mahablog

I try to read the opinions of many, and sometimes those opinions are quite contrary to mine. Today I spent some time at the Mahablog and found it interesting. One of her posts from today asks readers to read this. It's an essay by UCLA Associate Professor, Philip E.Agre that states that conservatism is "the domination of a society by an aristocracy" and it is "incompatible with democracy, prosperity and civilization in general". Several of her readers left comments about how incredibly long the piece is. I left a comment that was something like: "This from a UC professor? Why am I not shocked? As for its length, liberals love to hear themselves talk (write in this case)." Maha deleted my comment.

Had I been rude or vulgar? Was I completely off-base with my comment? I'm just a newbie blogger, but I thought one allowed comments to encourage the exchange of ideas and have a little fun. Perhaps she lacks much sense of humor. Maha did write this:

Sorry about deleting your other comment. I considered leaving it to serve as an example of the truth of the essay. But ... nah. We know you righties have been programmed to make fun of liberals. Next time, try to be original.

As for "the truth of the essay," she admits that she hasn't read the whole thing herself. Who links to something without first reading it? Never mind.

Stay "insufficiently delirious"

It's fine if folks want to remain emotionally reserved over the Iraqi election. The success in Iraq Sunday is only a step toward a new democracy and a safer world. If Maha at the Mahablog wants to remain "insufficiently delirious with joy", fine. But please, we cannot go back to this.

Democrats will say anything

Apparently democrats oppose anything President Bush favors regardless of their positions in the past.

Case in point: Today Nancy Pelosi accused Bush of a "false declaration of a crisis" with respect to Social Security. Earlier this month Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said "we have no crisis" and Teddy Kennedy exclaimed a crisis is "nonexistent".

But didn't all these democrats line up behind President Bill Clinton in 1998 when he said said Social Security was in trouble? In an address at Georgetown University, Bill referred to "the looming fiscal crisis in Social Security". "The fiscal crisis in Social Security affects every generation." Gore, Gephardt, Kennedy, Boxer, et al sang Clinton's mantra across the country, "Save Social Security first."

So, Social Security was in a state of "fiscal crisis" seven years ago but it's miraculously just fine today? Fascinating.

New to the Blogosphere...

While most of America slept, Vavoom was busy creating his new blog, Tedrowdrive and writing his first ever post. So confident am I that this spankin' new blog will be a worthwhile read, I've already awarded it a place of honor on my blogroll. Blog on Vavoom.

It's springtime in Oakland 

Huh?

“No one in the United States should try to over-hype this election.”

“I think this election is important. I was for the election taking place.”

“The [Iraq] elections don’t mean that much.”

John Kerry, demonstating exactly why he lost his Presidential bid in November, flip-flopped twice before noon today alone. All three of the above quotes were made by Kerry today during "Meet the Press" or to reporters immediately afterward.

Congratulations!

Iraqis walked great distances to stand in line to commit an act that could get themselves killed. Then they stepped out into the streets and ostentatiously displayed their badges of courage, the blue ink on their fingers that showed they had voted. Whatever the final tally, it's already clear that the world, and terrorists in particular, underestimated the resolution and bravery of the Iraqi people. Congratulations!

KU, back on track

KU crushes Texas 90-65 

Hangin' out with friends on Saturday night. He scored 98 on the Nerd Quiz! 

Another sunset

Today's sunset behind San Francisco. Oakland and The Bay Bridge in the foreground. 

 

I drove up to Napa Thursday to meet a client and snapped a couple of photos. The yellow flowers are mustard. The grape growers plant it to augment the soil this time of year. 

Sore losers or is it more serious?

It's been quite a week for democrats like Boxer, Kennedy and Ted Turner. Barbara Boxer continued her assault on Condoleezza Rice and got Ted Kennedy to slam her as well. Ted Turner's complaint included a comparison of Fox News to the Third Reich. These three simply cannot come to grips with the fact that Bush has been re-elected and they are out of control with bitterness.

Democrats were unable to defeat a very vulnerable President Bush because they nominated a ticket that was too far to the left. Slightly toward center and dems would have walked away with the White House and, most likely, house and senate seats too. Now the dems making headlines are more radical than ever and they're hurting their party.

Barbara Boxer didn't win over any red-staters by assailing Secretary of State, Condoleezz Rice. And neither did Kennedy by calling her a liar and going on to call our military "part of the problem" in Iraq. (It's still unclear how much Scotch was involved). What can you say about Ted Turner making comparisons of Fox News to Nazis as his own CNN has been losing market share to Fox by the bucketload?

The remarks from Boxer and, especially, Kennedy coming just a few days before the election in Iraq have caused much speculation about the timing. Speculation, hell. It has all been timed to undermine the election and give insurgents (AKA, terrorists) an advantage. Democrats want the Iraqi election to be unsuccessful. Screw world peace.

No smoking in Berkeley?

Mayor Tom Bates of Berkeley, when asked about the new smoking ban in public parks in San Francisco, said he loves it and will seek to make it illegal to smoke in a cars carrying young children in Berkeley. "I'd like to say you couldn't smoke in Berkeley," said Bates.

There's a movement gaining momentum in the Bay Area to legalize marijuana but Bates didn't say if he was only referring to banning tobacco. After all, we're talkin' about Berkeley.

If it had only been a Wal-Mart

About a dozen Costco employees are credited with helping pull injured Metrolink passengers from the train wreck in Glendale on Tuesday. Wal-Mart, the other big warehouse store, has been struggling to improve its image, especially in California where it has been the subject of great criticism. Can't you just hear the boardroom conversation in Bentonville: "Why can't we get a massive train wreck outside one of our stores?"

Too much inbreedin'

Maybe the trouble with American politics is there's not enough new blood, literally. There are just too many marriages within the same gene pool. Here are a few examples.

Andrew Cuomo, who plans to run for Attorney General of New York, is the son of former Governor Mario Cuomo and is married to Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, sister of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. They were separated last year.

Senator Barbara Boxer's daughter, Nicole Boxer married Tony Rodham in a White House wedding in 1994. Tony Rodham is Hillary Clinton's brother. They were divorced in 2000.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is married to Maria Shriver, daughter of Sargent Shriver whose wife is Eunice Kennedy Shriver whose mother is a sister of President John F. Kennedy.

John Kerry took a run at marrying into the Kennedy clan in 1962 when he dated Janet Jennings Auchincloss, Jacqueline Kennedy's half-sister. That romance didn't go any further, but Kerry would later marry Teresa Simoes-Ferreira Heinz, best known as heiress to the ketchup fortune. But Teresa's deceased husband, H. John Heinz, was also a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a Republican.

Millions to clean up grocery bags?

San Francisco's environmental commission is contemplating "an ordinance requiring a 17-cent fee on each bag provided at supermarket checkout counters to reduce the proliferation of unnecessary bags and provide funds to mitigate the negative impacts caused by them." In order to remain calm about the proposed ordinance, one must understand the facts.

Paul Goettlich, who wrote this story for the Open Forum section of today's San Francisco Chronicle, says that the city spends "tens of millions of dollars annually" cleaning up the mess of grocery bags littered across San Francisco. C'mon Paul, are you serious? There are many who would argue that San Francisco doesn't spend tens of millions of dollars cleaning up anything, much less grocery bags. That number is just unbelievable.

Not included in the reckoning of the 17-cent fee are the direct effects of the bag litter on a wide range of public programs. In addition, there are six times more plastic particles than plankton by weight floating around in the middle of the Pacific; there are two such floating-plastic garbage patches in the Pacific that are each the size of Texas. The plastic fragments collect pollutants, which are biomagnified up the food chain when they are mistaken for planktonic food, according to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation.

Two "floating-plactic garbage patches in the Pacific that are each the size of Texas"? I've got to see these!

Paul Goettlich is an analyst and writer on technology and health issues for Mindfully.org based in Berkeley. Mindfully.org, by the way, does not believe that the twin towers of The World Trade Center were brought down by jet airliners, but rather, it was "a demolition job".

Living in Northern California has distinct drawbacks. However, while half the country is covered with snow, this is what we saw on our walk today. 

Barbara Boxer and Willie Brown

Barbara Boxer, interviewed by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (now there's a pair), said that she questioned Condoleezza Rice the way she did because "it would have been condescending to Dr. Rice, a black woman, not to".

Huh? First of all, it was more grandstanding than questioning and what in the world does Dr. Rice's race have to do with anything?

Hotel California

 

This is probably not what the Eagles' song was about. It looks like a really nice hotel, and I'm sure it once was. But now it's in a really crappy part of Oakland and is inhabited by people who have never seen a blog.

Nerd Ranking

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

Definitely not nerdy, you are probably cool.


I got this quiz from Julie at The Happy Catholic and she got it from Rebecca at Doxology.

Election wrap-up

The 2004 election is nearly three months behind us and George W. Bush has been inaugurated for a second term. Republicans not only retain the White House for four more years, but also strengthend their ranks in Congress and state governorships.

The Democrat ticket faced an incredibly vulnerable incumbent. The war in Iraq was going poorly, the U.S. economy had been weak and Bush can't even pronounce "nuclear". But the party would field the most liberal ticket imaginable and one doomed not to get any crossover vote from registered Republicans. That's why this country seems so politically polarized. Kerry/Edwards vs. Buch/Cheney kept voters from crossing party lines. Had Democrats nominated a ticket with just a touch of conservative appeal, this election would have been different. A candidate like Joe Liebermann could have garnered some support from moderate conservatives and could have been inaugurated on Thursday. Democrats have no one but themselves and their party to blame.

Now, as Terry McAuliffe's days as party chairman are numbered, Dems have an opportunity for positive changes. One emerging prospect for party chairman is former Indiana congressman Tim Roemer. This guy's conservative enough he could be a Republican and he's exactly what Democrats need.

My team's smarter than yours

The KU Jayhawks are getting absolutely trounced by the Villanova Wildcats as I post this, so I'll choose to focus on this team's academic prowess discussed in my post yesterday. These Jayhawks posted a team record GPA for the fall semester of 2.88. Outstanding.

Isn't it ironic that the Villanova team, the first to defeat the Jayhawks this year, is such an intellectual powerhouse. This is the team that suspended 12 players for "unauthorized use of a school access code" for long distance. These geniuses used the code to call their own relatives. Brilliant.

OK, I have a case of sour grapes. Villanova 83, KU 62. Final.

Cisco and me bloggin'. 

Kansas Jayhawk Basketball

The Kansas Jayhawk basketball team could win it all this year. Starting this season winning every one of their first 14 games, this team has the talent, depth and desire to win a National Championship. But more importantly, this team has set a new team record academically. In the fall semester, the Jayhawk men posted a team grade point average of 2.88. Championship or not, these guys are winners! 

Inauguration day in the Bay Area 

What do they want?

Maybe I'm missing something here, but just what is it that the insurgents in Iraq want? (First of all, let's call them what they really are, terrorists). If what they want is for U.S. troops to leave, what good is it to blow stuff up? They have it all wrong. U.S. troops will leave when they STOP blowing up people and things. If the bombings in Iraq were to stop today, troops would begin leaving in droves within weeks.

If it's democracy that these terrorists really oppose, let me make a suggestion. If they would put as much effort into electing candidates of their choice as they put into blowing stuff up, they might really like democracy. They could even elect another ruthless tyrant, if that's what they want.

Oakland Sunset

Today's sunset over Oakland. 

John Kerry's Intellect

Compliments of The Shaggy Dog, Dr. Rice indicates her estimation of the intellectual depth (among other things) of Senator John Kerry. 

Barbara Boxer Abducted

 

Barbara Boxer shown yesterday and last year. Obviously not the same person. She has been abducted and a frumpy, disheveled imposter has taken her place. 

Boxer vs. Rice

Senator Barbara Boxer, seen here crying over the vote in Ohio, today attacked Condoleezza Rice about the war in Iraq along with John Kerry. Coming from anyone else, criticism might have credibilty, but from these two it just seems like partisan sour grapes. 

AARP Takes On Bush

Earlier this month, the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) launched a $5 million print ad campaign to express its position that Personal Retirement Accounts will hurt millions of Americans who rely on Social Security as their only source of retirement income. PRAs are a key component to President Bush's economic plan.

"Winners and losers are stock market terms. Do you really want them to become retirement terms?" asks one ad. Another dipicts a couple in their 40's saying, "There are places in retirement planning for risk. Social Security is not one of them." The campaign urges Americans to contact members of Congress to show opposition to Personal Retirement Accounts.

In an open letter to AARP members the organization says "Social Security is strong now and in no danger of going broke". But on its website the AARP admits that if nothing is changed, benefits will need to be dramatically reduced for retirees by the 2040's. Nowhere does the AARP mention that the proposed PRAs would be voluntary or that only younger workers would be eligible.

The AARP, whose mission is to serve older Americans, needs to be honest with retirees rather than frightening them into becoming servants of its political agenda. The AARP should be educating its membership about the Social Security system and providing accurate information about the problems and proposed solutions.

More Whining

In a classless display, Senator John Kerry chose the Boston Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Breakfast to complain about the November election. He criticized President Bush and whined about "voter disenfranchisement." While clearly entitled to comment freely about the election and the Bush administration's policies, his choice of venues today shows a lack of respect for Dr. King. He continues to point out what's wrong in America, but doesn't propose any solutions. Kerry's lousy track record for writing new legislation and abysmal voting record in Congress were critical factors in his loss to President Bush in November.

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

What's The Matter With Kansas?

In his book, What's The Matter With Kansas?, Thomas Frank paints an uncomplimentary picture of Kansans, arguing they vote against their own economic and social interests because they do not share his liberal views.

After reading the very first paragraph of his book, one must ask, what's the matter with Thomas Frank? He writes: "The poorest county in America isn't in Appalachia or the Deep South. It is on the Great Plains, a region of struggling ranchers and dying farm towns, and in the election of 2000 the Republican candidate for president, George W. Bush, carried it by a majority of greater than 80 percent." The reader has to look to the back of the book for the footnote that explains that this county he refers to isn't in Kansas at all, it's in Nebraska.

Frank's own biography is a stretch. He wasn't "born on the wild plains of Kansas" at all, but in Missouri, although his family did live just across the state line. As far as "pulling himself up by his bootstraps" and learning to "read, write and cipher," Frank grew up in Mission Hills where the average household income is $189,000 and attended Shawnee Mission schools, one of the best school districts in the nation.

Give Mr. Frank credit though. Liberals who seem to want to wallow in their misery are buying Mr. Frank's book, and that makes him a very Happy Capitalist.

Dow Sets Record High . . . Five Years Ago Today

Five years ago today the Dow Jones Industrial Average printed an intraday high of 11,908 and closed at a record high 11,723. Since that time, the dot-com bust, 9/11 and corporate malfeasance drove the Dow to a low of 7,286 on October 9th, 2002, a decline of 39% over 33 months. The DJIA closed today at 10,558.

As badly as the Dow has suffered, it's nothing compared to the Nasdaq. It would post a record close on March 10th, 2000 at 5,049 and drop to 1,108 on October 10th, 2002, losing 78% of its value.

Kerry Supporters are Lazy

Kerry supporters are lazy, evidenced by all of the Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers still stuck on Bay Area cars more than two months after the election.

Bush supporters might not be any better, but this same ultra-scientific measurement technique can't be used since there were never any Bush bumper stickers here to begin with.

Blogging and CBs

It was sort of a geeky fad in the early seventies but it grew to become part of American popular culture. Born from a desire to experiment with technology and a need for community, CB radio let people communicate with relatively large audiences anonymously. It developed its own jargon and etiquette. Originally used by truckers to share traffic information it was soon adopted by millions of motorists and would be further popularized by TV, movies and song.

Remind anyone of blogging?

You are a true Kansan when:

1. You no longer associate bridges or rivers with water.



2. You have never met any celebrities (Bob Dole isn't a

  celebrity; he's your neighbor.)



3. You know the meaning of Rock Chalk Jayhawk.



4 Your closest neighbor is more than a mile away and you

 can still see him from your front porch.



5. You can properly pronounce Salina, Basehor, Cimmeron,

  Schoenchen,Kechi and Osawatomie.



6. Going on vacation means going to Hutch to the fair or

  to Abilene to Ike's museum.



7. A traffic jam involves two cars staring each other down

  at a four-waystop, each determined to be the most polite

  and let the other go first.



8. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol. A Ford F10

  4x4 is. (Except in Johnson County)



9. You discover that in July it takes only 2 fingers to

  drive your car.



10. The terms Sooners and Huskers cause hairs on the back

   of your neck to stand up straight and your blood

   pressure to rise.



11 You have owned at least one belt buckle bigger than

  your fist.



12. You think people who complain about the wind and

   weather in their states are SISSIES!



13. You are not surprised to find movie rentals,

   ammunition and bait all in the same store.



14. You know that the true value of a parking space

   is not determined by the distance to the door but

   by the availability of shade.



15. You have been asked, "Where is Toto" more than once.



16. You had at least one summer job that was bucking

   bales or custom cutting.



17. More than once you've made a beer run to another state.



18. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned to

   multiply.



19. Your school classes have been canceled because of

   the cold.



20. You know in your heart that K-State can beat

   Oklahoma in football.



21. Traffic congestion is ten cars waiting to pass a

   combine on the highway.



22. You have had to switch from heat to A/C in the

   same day.



23. You know everything goes better with Ranch.



24. Your school classes have been canceled because

   of the heat.



25. You have ridden the school bus for more than an

   hour each way.



26. In August, you break a sweat the instant you

   step outside at 7:00 a.m.



27. You instantly know someone is from Johnson County

   when they call everything west of Topeka...

   "Western" Kansas.



28. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out

   in the yard and look for a funnel.



29. You know the real way to pronounce the name of

   the river... arKANSAS.



30. You think the opening day of pheasant season is

   a national holiday.



31. "Vacation" means going to Kansas City or Wichita

   for the weekend.



32. You measure distance in hours.



33. You know several people who have hit more than one deer.



34. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.



35. You install security lights on your house and garage and

   leave both unlocked.



36  You think of the major food groups as beer, beef and beans.



37. You carry jumper cables in your car and make sure your

   better half knows how to use them.



38. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over

   a snowsuit.



39. You know the 4 seasons as: summer, road construction,

   still summer, winter.



40. It takes you 3 hours to go to the store for one item

   even when you're in a rush because you have to stop

   and talk to everyone in town.



41. You lock the doors to your truck but leave the

   windows rolled down.



42. You call sodas just plain ol' "Pop"!!



43. FINALLY..... you are 100% Kansan if...........

   You actually understand these jokes and forward them

   to all your friends from Kansas.

I can't stand it

I cannot stand to watch the really close Kansas basketball games. I'm a huge fan and love the fabulous Jayhawks, but when the games are really tight I start screaming at the TV and the blood pressure soars.

Right now, the 'Hawks are in the second half vs. Iowa State in Ames, but I'm in the kitchen trying to occupy my time until it's all over. OK, so the Jayhawks are up by 5 with about 3 minutes to go. Maybe I can tough it out for 3 minutes. . .

Predictions for 2005

This time of year all of the big investment firms publish their "ten predictions" or "ten surprises" for the new year. Often the forecasts are pretty conservative but occasionally there will be some that are really over the top. I guess when a really outrageous one actually happens they can boast of their omniscience. Here are a few predictions with my personal spin. None of them are very daring, but it should be fun to refer back to them during the coming months to see how accurate they are.

Stocks will outperform bonds and cash. 2005 will be the third year of a bull market and, as such, stocks will not perform as well as in the last two years, but will still lead bonds and cash. We live in an 8/5/2 world where stocks will average 8%, bonds 5% and cash 2%.

The Ten Year Treasury yield goes to 5%. In 2005, the Fed will raise the discount rate at a "measured pace" and push it to 3.5%

Lots of mergers and acquisitions. American companies are sitting on tons of cash and their organic growth is slowing. Look for increasing m & a activity particularly in financial services, technology and healthcare.

Oil stays between $40 and $45. There will continue to be peaks and troughs in the oil market reflecting the news of the day in the middle east. But oil spends most of 2005 in this range.

Large-cap value stocks outperform. The stocks of big companies that pay dividends will be the best performers of the year. The best stocks to own might even be tobacco and pharmaceuticals.

Increasing bickering between republicans and democrats. The vitriolic political rhetoric worsens (imagine that!)

 

The KKK Adopts a highway

(KRT) - WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Missouri's appeal in a long-running drive to bar the Ku Klux Klan from the Adopt-A-Highway program, possibly spelling the end of the state-sponsored litter control effort.--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Otherwise the KKK would be able to participate in Missouri's program, thus forcing the state to recognize the organization for its public service and post signs along the roadway with the Klan's name. Other states have been watching this case as it is expected the KKK will be looking to do this wherever it can.

A couple of ironic points: First of all, many folks already associate the KKK with trash. Secondly, the stretch of Missouri highway that the Klan wants to adopt is just north of Potosi--home of the Potosi State Correctional Facility. . . how convenient is that?

Ain't it the truth

"The one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were."--David Brinkley

How do you get seven cats to pose like this? Photo taken at a Chinese zoo.

Proud

In the Oakland Tribune's lead editorial today it reported U.S. private donations to the tsuanmi relief effort to be $200 million. This is in addition to the $350 million pledged by our government and does not include the cost of equipment and manpower for a major military rescue mission. As generous as this is, the private effort is just getting started. We should be proud.

Of course the Tribune couldn't resist ranking countries by how much each has pledged, something that has become incredibly tiresome and counterproductive. The news media have goaded countries into making pledges they will not keep. A year ago, according to the Tribune, more than $1 billion was pledged after the earthquake in Iran. Only $17.5 million has been received.

The Tribune also couldn't resist saying how our donations to the tsunami relief effort is "dwarfed" by what was given to victims of 9/11. What a rediculous comparison! We take care of our own first.

Coaster 

 

Surprise!

Ex-Hillary Clinton Finance Director Indicted

Rosen Accused Of Causing False Campaign Finance Reports

Are we really suprised? Keeping in mind that this occurred while the Clintons were still in the White House. Over four years and the dirt still keeps coming.

 

Is your doghouse up to code?

Apparently the people of San Francisco are so stupid that they need the Board of Supervisors to tell them how to care for their pets.

This week, the supervisors gave preliminary approval to a new law requiring pet owners to provide up-to-code doghouses for dogs kept outside. The ordinance says doghouses must be clean, dry, raised off the ground and big enough for the dog to "lie in a comfortable position.''

The new law also demonstrates a tricky thing about new laws, because it states that a doghouse "shall have five sides, including a top, a bottom and three sides.'' But the priciest, toniest doghouse at Pet Food Express is a round plastic igloo, and round things do not have sides, even round things that cost $300.--SF Chronicle

There are already laws on the books regarding the humane treatment of animals and they should certainly be enforced, but what's next? Is the Board of Supervisors going mandate Science Diet for your canine?

Barbara Boxer 

Barbie B--What are you thinking?

“Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., signed a challenge mounted by House Democrats to Ohio’s 20 electoral votes, which put Bush over the top. By law, a protest signed by members of the House and Senate requires both chambers to meet separately for up to two hours to consider it.” (Associated Press, January 6, 2005)

Boxer’s political grandstanding on behalf of her party calls into question the direction that Democrats are headed. Here in California the Democratic leadership is represented by Speaker Fabian Nunez, who is a joint author of legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in California. Members of his caucus have reintroduced legislation to legalize drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants and have also introduced legislation to legalize doctor-assisted suicide in the state.

California Democrats actually believe this sort of thing brings respect to them and to the state from the rest of the country. Ain't California somethin'?

Tsunami Photos

The Shaggy Dog has some really incredible before and after satellite photos of the tsunami disaster. Check them out, they are really incredible.

Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown