Unlike probably all the rest of the pajamahadeen, I did not watch the debate. Instead I did something completely unrelated. I went to a concert.

Now I'll go catch up. I trust y'all have done your job, and it's time for me to go reap the fruits of your labors.

I don't think I could have stood listening to the MSM spin anyway, had I stayed home to watch.

UPDATE: Well it appears the consensus is that Kerry came across more polished, while Bush came across more reassuring. I predict a big upsurge in enthusiasm for the Kerry campaign amongst his supporters, but I also predict that any shift in the polls will be within the margin of error. Within a week this new enthusiasm will fade to disillusionment.

UPDATE 2: In reading the transcript, there is something really big that stands out. So big, it might have been missed (missing the forest for the trees). Kerry is still playing the "heads I win, tails you lose" game. It's not a flip-flop so much as it is a glaring inconsistency.

On Iraq, Kerry is insistent that our coalition of 30 nations was insufficient, that we failed to bring in the UN and more nations before proceeding. However on North Korea he is equally insistent that our coalition of five nations in dialogue with the North Koreans is a mistake, that we must go it alone and enter bilateral talks. Also on Afghanistan he denigrates the President for working together with the Northern Alliance to defeat the Taliban. He scornfully referred to that as "outsourcing the job".

Which is it Senator?

Are we supposed to build a worldwide coalition before proceeding on some matter, or are we supposed to go it alone? A little consistency would be nice.

UPDATE 3: Lileks caught another startling inconsistency that I missed:

And I find it interesting that someone who would complain about outsourcing peevishly notes that we hired HALLIBURTON to do the work instead of throwing buckets of billions to French and German contractors who sold them the jets and built the bunkers.

Give it your best.

IMAO: Hope is on the Way! (Hold for Laughter)

"Kerry: Hey, Eddie, why did the chicken cross the road?

Edwards: I dunno, Kerry, why did the chicken cross the road?

Kerry: I served in Vietnam!"

Classic!

Bunnies for Kerry!



First it was the blue bunny suit, now it's the subliminal carrot look.

I'm pretty sure rabbits are not eligible to vote, but I've heard a rumor that Democrat operatives are illegally registering them to vote anyway.

Absentee ballots, of course.


Carrot anyone?

Is there a downside to joining the Alliance?

Do people in some quarters point and laugh and say, "oh look, he's one of THEM!!"? Or do the Munuvians really chant "resistance is futile" under their breath?

I really like my independent status. Some of my favorite bloggers are independent. But I hate that the stupid polar bear calls me a "slithery reptile", just because I didn't artificially inflate my status by joining a collective. I'm not known for link whoring either.

Maybe I should join the Alliance and become asssimilated into Munuvia simultaneously. That oughta land me "large mammal" status where I belong, no?

Really. I want your opinions on this. Please scratch the litter and leave me a dropping.

Take the Votergasm pledge, and LOL! (Not work safe...)

That last part pretty much rules out the Moore-ons from participating. Heh! Poor wankers...

Via Rush (who DOS'ed the site for several hours today after he mentioned the site on his show).

The Zoo: The Blogosphere Political Compass Project

Noted for my future reference, but if you're a blogger (or even if you're not), take the quiz to find out where you are on the political compass.

My numbers (5.50, -1.28) put me in the conservative libertarian quadrant, as I expected.

Jed Babbin thinks so:
Jed Babbin on John Kerry, Troops & Iraq on National Review Online

In his New York University speech, Senator Kerry said we are failing to gain and keep the trust of the Iraqi people because we're not rebuilding Iraq quickly enough, and because we're failing to provide them security by not training Iraqi forces fast enough for them to have an election. He said that if we fixed these problems, and brought more troops in from allied nations, "...we could begin to withdraw U.S. forces starting next summer and realistically aim to bring all our troops home within the next four years." When the grunts hear this, they hear echoes of Somalia and Vietnam.

The soldiers' creed is not the civilians'. It is based on a concept of trust between them and their commander-in-chief: Spend my life if you have to, but don't waste it. Wasting lives means spending them in a fight we don't see through to its conclusion.

As (former Navy SEAL Dale) McClellan sees it, it's different (from Somalia or Vietnam) now. "I can go over there [to Iraq or Afghanistan] with a bunch of 22-year-old kids or 40-year-old men, and we'd go with a smile, because there's a reason to be there. And we're not leaving until the job is done. That means everything to the men who fight, and the families of the men who die there." But from what Senator Kerry has said again and again, it apparently doesn't mean much to him.

If Kerry wanted to demoralize our forces, he would say little that's different from what he is saying now. As he continues to tack with the breeze, it's clear that there is no underlying principle that guides him, no resolve in his mind that the lives lost should not have been in vain. Kerry's message does not promise the men and women who are risking their lives that their sacrifices will buy anything different from what dozens of lives bought in Somalia. Instead, Kerry says that we want to turn Iraq over to others, and bug out. Our troops' morale - as best I can gauge it - is not down. They're not happy about doing what they're committed to do: No one wants to fight or suffer or die. But their morale depends on the resolve and commitment of their commander in chief, and the bond of trust between them and the president. If their morale isn't down yet, it will sink more and more as they think about what Kerry would do as president. They know he will not finish the job.

Via Baldilocks

Somebody DESPERATELY needs to caption this. I just...words fail me!

UPDATE: I do believe we've found the answer! Thanks again to Rodger.

I Am A: Neutral Good GnomeBard Ranger


Alignment:
Neutral Good characters believe in the power of good above all else. They will work to make the world a better place, and will do whatever is necessary to bring that about, whether it goes for or against whatever is considered 'normal'.


Race:
Gnomes are also short, like dwarves, but much skinnier. They have no beards, and are very inclined towards technology, although they have been known to dabble in magic, too. They tend to be fun-loving and fond of jokes and humor. Some gnomes live underground, and some live in cities and villages. They are very tolerant of other races, and are generally well-liked, though occasionally considered frivolous.


Primary Class:
Bards are the entertainers. They sing, dance, and play instruments to make other people happy, and, frequently, make money. They also tend to dabble in magic a bit.


Secondary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.


Deity:
Oghma is the Neutral Good god of knowledge and invention. He is also known as the Binder of What is Known, and is the Patron of Bards. His followers believe that knowledge reigns supreme, and is the basis for everything else that is done. They wear white shirts and pants, with a black and gold braided vest, and a small, box-like hat. All priests of Oghma are known as Loremasters. Oghma's symbol is a scroll.


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)



I was an avid D&D'er back (WAY back) in High School. My primary character was a wizard named Gandalf. It became my online persona for many years to come as well, until I dropped it in favor of my current moniker. The LOTR was kind of passe after the 80's, until the new interest resulting from the movies. I thought Gandalf was superbly cast BTW. :)

Via RedSugar Muse

Someone has ENTIRELY TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS:
Cleaning pennies with taco sauce

Florida Governor Jeb Bush: "I feel like Bill Murray in 'Groundhog Day'".

Hurricane Fatigue

Weebls Stuff - Toons

ROFLMAO!!

Ace of Spades HQ

Another that was missing from the lynx...

USATODAY.com - CBS names two to investigate documents episode:

Investigations into recent journalism scandals ended with executives and reporters losing their jobs and widespread changes in those news operations.

This scandal is different, (Bob Steele of The Poynter Institute, a school for journalists in St. Petersburg, Fla.) said, because 60 Minutes' story targeted an incumbent president, aired at the height of the campaign and was reported by a network and an anchor whom many Americans believe have a liberal bias.

'CBS has suffered a number of self-inflicted wounds, and they are in deep water,' Steele said. 'When somebody is wounded, bleeding and in deep water, you have sharks around.'

Not to mention the piranhas in pajamas.

From Larry Elder's colum on WND, posted 9/23/04:
WorldNetDaily: Rathergate is a 'sign' of the times

Dear Larry,

Last Thursday, I put out one of my Bush-Cheney signs in my front yard. Between midnight and 3:00 a.m. someone stole it. On Friday night, I put out sign No. 2. Since I didn't have to get up early, I thought my dog and I would "stake out" our sign. This time I put the sign a little closer to the gate leading to my back yard. With my dog on an extra long leash, I planted myself on a lawn chair and read "Unfit for Command" by flashlight until about 1:00 a.m.

Here comes the fun part ... I noticed that the car coming down the street was slowing down and pulling over to the curb right next to my yard. Sure enough, he gets out of his car and heads right for my sign. Just as he was about to uproot and desecrate it, I opened my gate and let my dog make the initial introduction!

As he ran to hide behind the rear end of his car, I promptly moved to the driver-side door, which was still open. It was a fairly nice car with power everything and still running. While my dog continued to "introduce" herself, I rolled up the window and hit the power door lock button. With that, I slammed the door, grabbed my Bush sign and headed into the back yard.

And now for the "rest of the story." About 40 minutes later, I heard a knock at the door. I opened the door to one of our city's finest ... the Vancouver Police Department. The officer asked me what was going on and when I told him, he could not stop laughing!

I followed him out to the perp's car and stood there while he asked the guy a few more questions. Upon learning that the guy lived a couple of streets down, I - knowing what was about to happen - asked him, "Why do you have Oregon plates on your car if you live just down the street (here in Vancouver, Wash.)?"

Larry, Oregon has no sales tax, so often Washington residents will buy and register cars in Oregon to avoid paying sales tax ... it's a crime and the fine is pretty stiff. Here comes the best part ... The look on this guy's face told me he knew he was about to get busted. When the officer asked for his license and registration, the "Democrat" mumbled that (his license) was suspended.

Just for kicks and giggles, I asked the officer if he smelled any alcohol coming from the guy! The officer looked at me, smiled and promptly gave him a field breathalyzer test. Guess what? You got it - he blew a .10, legally drunk in the state of Washington.

DUI, illegal registration and the brand of "MORON," all 'cause he hates Bush!

Sincerely,

John

Via Dadcat

SarahK has done some of her own investigative journalism and has come up with what could be breaking news regarding the contents of some new memos that the Kerry campaign planned to reveal in the next few days.

mountaineer musings--new memos!!

Go SarahK!

Fear our pajamas!!

SondraK has the text of Rush's comments today here:
SondraK.com: I was nearly brought to tears

I've been saying to myself for a while now that what Rush is doing with his radio show is really an "audio blog" of sorts. He certainly lumps himself in with other "New Media", including the blogosphere. I think it'd be great if he'd have "Koko" set up his website to look more like a blog. The transcripts of his commentary that he publishes every day could just as easily fit into a typical weblog format.

Pajamahadeen--I love it that he used the term. I love that term! I knew the pajama comment by that MSM blowhard (whoever it was) would be good for miles and miles of fun.

Roast crow for you!
cadethappy.com

Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air
In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,
Whose flocks supply him with attire;
Whose trees in summer yield shade,
In winter, fire.

Blest, who can unconcern'dly find
Hours, days, and years, slide soft away
In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day.

Sound sleep by night; study and ease
Together mixed; sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please
With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone
Tell where I lie."

Alexander Pope

...in the "summer of 300 years".

A gossamer-winged emmisary of Faerie showed up in my cube at work today:


While I am at it, I might as well show off what is growing in my backyard:


Sacred Blue Lotus (Nymphaea caerulea)

These beauties open at the first sunlight, and close again as evening approaches. They last but a couple of days each, then sink below the surface to nurture the seed.

The dragonflies love this little pool!

...in using forged memos. Not that they have yet admitted that the documents are clearly forgeries, nor do they sound especially eager to find out who forged these documents.

Not that they will ever admit that their eagerness to run this bogus story is a measure of their blatant partisan bias.

Not that they or anyone will ever hold CBS to account for attempting to influence the election, while posing as objective journalists.

John McCain, what are you going to do about THIS?!

CBS News | CBS: Bush Memo Story A 'Mistake'

Via Drudge

WaPo documents the navel-gazing and finger-pointing at CBS over the MemoGate flap here:

In Rush to Air, CBS Quashed Memo Worries (washingtonpost.com)

They still can't bring themself to admit that it was their own bias that led them to run with this story, when so much of what they had was screaming STOP! The story details the internal consultants they had on board, who raised several red flags regarding the authenticity of the memos.

They want to claim to have been snookered, but they can't. They wanted to be snookered. Rather so badly wanted the story to be true, wanted the memos to be genuine, that all journalistic integrity was tossed aside.

Now they want us to believe the story is true, even if the evidence is phony.

Oh sure.

And I've heard tell of evidence here that Rather is a transsexual, coke-snorting biker with a tender spot for bloody tyrants in uniform.

Really! It's true!

Believe me.

Never mind whether the evidence is genuine or not, we all know it's true, so let's talk about the REAL story here, can't we?

AllahPundit has more here.

Still haven't heard from my silli syster-in-law. It looks like her area (Florida panhandle) took the worst of the storm.

Maybe Daisycat will try again to contact her this weekend.

It's fascinating to watch how fast thoughts travel.

For example, this morning I read the story of Theresa Kerry saying that people in the Carribean didn't need clothes so much as they needed generators. "Let them go naked", she said. My first thought was "Marie Antoinette!", and I posted about it. Later in the day browsing other blogs, I am seeing the same Theresa Kerry as Marie Antoinette comparison all over the place, often in posts that predated mine, often in a somewhat different context than the one I pulled it out of. Now either a lot of us on the right side of the 'sphere just think alike, or there is some sort of "thought superhighway" that travels faster than a speeding blog post.

I've noticed the phenomenon before. Now I'd like to flatter myself and think everyone is copying my brilliant thoughts and analysis (even Rush echoes thoughts and ideas I have posted about only hours earlier sometimes), but the truth is, my traffic stats just don't support that hypothesis. Darn.

Still it's fascinating to watch and think about. Are we creating some sort of "supermind", linked together via the blogosphere and capable of quick leaps of intuition, knowledge and analysis? If so, the thought of such a leviathan turning it's focused gaze upon him, ought to keep li'l Danny Rather up late and shivering in his 'jammies.

Jeff at Beautiful Atrocities has a roundup of what bloggers REALLY wear while blogging. Some of these are quite hilarious and spot on!

...puts senior couple in danger.

Clarksville police apologize for raiding wrong home

Clarksville Police Chief Mark Smith said he will offer two residents a written apology for officers' mistakenly raiding their home Friday night.

The residents, Teresa Guiler and James Elliott, who are in their 50s, were home watching television when the masked men stormed into the house.

Guiler, whose arm was in a sling from a previous injury, told police that they had the wrong man as they pointed a gun at her and Elliott, who is deaf and had recently received a liver transplant, she said.

Guiler went for medical help after the raid, and Elliott had planned to go to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville yesterday to be seen by his doctors.

Smith said that although he feels terrible about the raid, he insists that the officers never used excessive force. But because Elliott resisted, officers had to control him by "bringing him down," he said.

"We (ensure) it's done safely and with minimal amount of force as possible," Smith said.

But Guiler and Elliott's attorney, Tommy Meeks, said what the police did is unacceptable.

"What justification can you give to kick a 54-year-old man who's down on the ground," Meeks said about Elliott, who is a Vietnam War veteran. "All he saw was men in masks with rifles. He was terrified. Then to get knocked down and stomped. They picked him up like a suitcase. The Police Department said they acted in normal procedure, but that's not normal."

"There's going to be some answers," said Meeks, who will wait to see what his clients' doctors say before moving forward with any possible legal action against the Police Department.

This is the kind of tomfoolery that will do more than terrorize fragile innocents. This is the kind of crap that will get decent police officers killed, and not necessarily by drug dealers. If someone started bashing down my door--I have no reason to suspect I'd be the subject of a legitimate police raid--it's as likely as not that the first invader or two would fall to a couple of shotgun blasts.

They are not only foolish and dangerous, these "dramatic entry" raids are also probably unconstitutional.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,

The wiggle-room is the definition of "unreasonable". But government itself gets to define the term--the government whose powers the amendment is expressly written to curtail!

But for the average citizen--who is just as likely to mistake a group of masked gunmen bashing down their door for robbers or terrorists--there is nothing "reasonable" about such a search. If you can't get the drug dealers without putting innocents in unreasonable danger and trashing the Constitution, then maybe the "cure" is worse than the "disease".

And kicking the guy around after telling the police they had the wrong house, just added injury to insult. To their lawyer I say, "SIC 'EM!!"

Link via Dadcat

CBS 2 Chicago: Kerry Losing Lead Over Bush In Illinois

Hubba hubba!

Oboi! They let her out of the cage again!

Hurricane Ivan

Teresa Heinz Kerry joined volunteers packing supplies for those worst hit by the storm in the Caribbean but said she feared they were concentrating on sending too many clothes and not enough water or electricity generators.

"Clothing is wonderful but let them go naked for a while, at least the kids," she said. "Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food, and then clothes."

Echoes of Marie Antoinette?

Yes indeedy! We need generators churning out that precious electricity long before we need food to eat, or clothing on our backs.

And water? Methinks the residents of Jamaica have seen quite enough water in the last week, no? Water purification tablets maybe, but I cannot imagine the looks on the faces of the residents of Kingston when they open the crate and find cases upon cases of Perrier...

Oy! Talk about being out of touch...

I just awoke five minutes ago with the certain knowledge in my head that New Orleans had been spared, and that Mobile, Alabama was not so bad off either. Checking the news just now, that appears to be the case.

Last night as hurricane Ivan approached the coast I uttered a prayer, and I knew there were hundreds of thousands of people praying for safety and protection from the storm.

Thank you God for answered prayers! We know and acknowledge your merciful hand. You have inclined your ear to the prayers of your saints. You have heard their cries and were moved with compasssion to intervene on their behalf. Thank you for sparing them from the worst of Ivan's wrath.

I was about to order this bumper sticker, when I stopped and realized that 99% of the general driving public would not have the foggiest clue what it was about.

Nevermind.

One of the "guys in pajamas" on Fox News:
Interview - How the Blogosphere Took on CBS' Docs

One problem though. He's in a suit and tie, like he is every day at his job as a lawyer and law school professor: IMAGE

What did we ever do before Google?

As a proud pajama wearing member of the New Media, I had to do a search on pajamas and cat's just to see what I could find.
Google Search: cat's pajamas


I not only wear pajamas, I AM the Cat's Pajamas!
Hah! I love it!

Look at the size of that eye!


Currently it is Category 5 again, with winds over 160 MPH. Fortunately it looks like the eye is going to slip through the Yucatan Channel without making landfall.

Next up: New Orleans or the Florida Panhandle. We haven't been able to reach my sister-in-law in the Panhandle, either by phone or e-mail. Silly girl doesn't have an answering machine, and doesn't always check her e-mail. If you've been praying for people in the path of Ivan, I'd appreciate your continuing prayers for the people who have yet to face it's wrath.

Click the image for the full-size version. Image courtesy of NOAA

I SO want this truck!

Posted in full here, because LA Times are stinkers about registration (who really registers to read a linked story? I didn't think so.) Click and read and send kudos to SondraK for sticking her neck out.

SondraK.com: Buckhead is Karl Rove...HA!

Har!

via SondraK

True blue.

"Sorry I haven't written much lately. There's nothing I can do to remedy this - but I have brought a note..."

LOL!

Little Miss Attila: Exclusive! Must Credit Little Miss Attila! New Information on Dan Rather!:

The following document just fell into my hands. It came from a source I can't disclose, but that's okay because it was authenticated by experts whose names I can't disclose. Except for the ones whose names I announced who now say I've been lying all along, but I can't be lying because what I say is always the truth, Q.E.D.

It's a page from Dan Rather's diary! I have a special, special source. Whom I can't disclose.

Heh! Indeed.

Bush Guard papers 'forged' - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - September 12, 2004

"'They're forged as hell,' said Earl W. Lively, 76, who during the era in question was director of Texas Air National Guard operations in Austin."

Zing!

Hah! I found it again. Great analysis here! This is an excerpt, but the whole thing is very worth reading if you have any interest in the story:
Daily Pundit Archives

"Now look at the structure of the blogosphere. The power of the press is distributed, not individually owned. Glenn Reynolds or Atrios spend not much more money than I do to publish, and I don't spend much more than a blogger with a daily readership of half a dozen. The individual members of the blogosphere do not function as portals: we functions as publishers, filters, and feedback mechanisms. Moreover, since the structure of the blogosphere mirrors that of its medium, the internet, itself, our tens of thousands of units tend to identifty dishonesty or error almost automatically and route around it. Any piece of information passed through the collective, or distributed intelligence of the blogosphere as a whole will be viewed at some point by an expert on that piece of news, and very likely commented on by that same expert. The comment then becomes attached to the news as an integral part of it and will be, just as the original news item was, examined by other experts. The end result is a structural tendency toward factuality and honesty in the final judgment of 'conventional wisdom' delivered by the blogosphere as a whole on the original news item.

And the primary characteristic that gets a blogger a reputation, and lets the blogger keep it, is the ability to survive the fact-checking function of the structure. You can have all the opinions you want, and as beautifully written as can be imagined, but if you falsify basic factuality, you'll be caught out, and you'll be damaged. Yes, the right side of the blogosphere can argue about Atrios' opinions, and vice versa, but if either of us start claiming that the sun rises in the west - or that an obvious forgery like the Killian memo is a legitimate document when the fact-checking function of the blogosphere as a whole has concluded that it is not - we're going to get splattered, and we know it.

Hence the structural incentives of the blogosphere as a whole push it inexorably toward honesty and accuracy, not the opposite, as is the case with the old-style "portalized" mainstream media.

Cox and Forkum has a take on the CBS Fake Memo story. I won't post the cartoon here, because they've got a ton of additional info and links here for you to peruse.

Click and read:

Cox & Forkum: Down From The Mountain

Just for the record, I wanted to make sure I have a link to the story that is at the center of much of all this. Parts of the blogosphere are in analysis mode, not of the story, but of the process, the phenomenon we have witnessed. Some discussions have noted the speed with which the 60 Minutes debunking occurred. Apparently the first post (at freerepublic.com) came about three hours after 60 Minutes aired. This story came about 12 hours later: Power Line: The sixty-first minute

Looks like I didn't catch the story until 24 hours after the fact. Laggard!

Fascinating though. A new term has been coined for this phenomenon--"open source journalism", after the model followed by open source software.

The New York Times > Washington > Campaign 2004 > An Ex-Officer Now Believes Guard Memo Isn't Genuine

"A former National Guard commander who CBS News said had helped convince it of the authenticity of documents raising new questions about President Bush's military service said on Saturday that he did not believe they were genuine.

The commander, Bobby Hodges, said in a telephone interview that network producers had never showed him the documents but had only read them to him over the phone days before they were featured Wednesday in a '60 Minutes' broadcast. After seeing the documents on Friday, Mr. Hodges said, he concluded that they were falsified."

Just keep sticking by your guns, Rather.

Pete Slover writing for The Dallas Morning News has found this additional evidence that the CBS documents are forgeries.

(link requires free registration)
KRT Wire | 09/10/2004 | Man named in Bush memo left Guard before document was written

"AUSTIN, Texas - (KRT) - The man named in a disputed memo as exerting pressure to 'sugar coat' President Bush's military record left the Texas Air National Guard a year and a half before the memo was supposedly written, his own service record shows.

An order obtained by The Dallas Morning News shows that Col. Walter 'Buck' Staudt was honorably discharged on March 1, 1972. CBS News reported this week that a memo in which Staudt was described as interfering with officers' negative evaluations of Bush's service, was dated Aug. 18, 1973.

That added to mounting questions about the authenticity of documents that seem to suggest Bush sought special favors and did not fulfill his service."

Just keep sticking by your guns, Rather.

I have these links in a permanent location at the top of my site, but today seems to be an appropriate day to highlight them again.

9/11: Never Forget
Heroes

Also Serenity has a post and three more memorial links.

Excite - News:

"'I am a hunter and I'm a gun owner and I have hunted since I was about a teen-ager and I respect it,' he said. 'And I'll tell you this, as a hunter, I've never ever thought about going hunting with an AK-47 or an Uzi or anything else. Never.'"

Kerry, the mistake you and other liberal northeastern "bluebloods" keep making is that the second amendment does not protect the right to go hunting. It protects the rights of citizens to defend themselves, their homes, their families and their communities, from criminals, terrorists, invaders, and yes to also defend the rest of the Bill of Rights from an overzealous and oppressive state.

I pray it would never come to that, but get real yourself! Duck hunting is not something that the Founders would have though worthy of inclusion in the Bill of Rights, and you know it!

The incomparable Scott Ott has a take on the story:
ScrappleFace: 1972 Email Casts Doubt on Bush Guard Service

Truth Detector: Suspicious Documents Went from DNC To Kerry Camp To CBS, Rather NOT a Victim:

"You know, (CBS is) not watching but they are losing. They're losing respect. They are losing credibility. They are losing audience. They are losing impact. They are losing influence, and it is precisely -- you know who caught these? The blogosphere! The Internet caught these guys. The Internet caught CBS. Their days are over, and if they don't start realizing this and understand that the customer does come first, they're soon to be nonexistent. "

Thank you Mr. Limbaugh for noticing.

Ten thousand pairs of eyes watching. Ten thousand minds, each with unique skill sets, analyzing. Ten thousand voices plugged into a network that spans the globe--however small each voice may be individually--can make quite a noise when we have a mind to.

Might as well join the party! The story is HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and many more places in the blogosphere and now the mainstream media, regarding the allegedly forged documents that were the basis of a CBS 60 minutes hit piece against the President.

Seems we have a bit more...er, SHODDY reporting (or outright fraud) from the mainstream media going on here. Only blatant bias would lead CBS to run with this story with such insufficient vetting of the documents in question.

Mainstream journalists, as I've been saying...

Kerry has got to stop it with these gun "photo ops". His ineptness in handling guns makes it obvious these are nothing but political stunts. I don't think the NRA membership is about to start voting for Kerry anytime soon...

Via True Blue Gal

Serenity speaks out against the Assault Weapons Ban renewal and ABC News bias.

Well, I sure am glad that ABC and Ted Koppel showed absolutely no bias towards the AWB being lifted. How refreshing. ::rolls eyes:: The fact of the matter is, until people stop blaming an inaminate object for crime and start blaming the actual people who commit crime, instead of making the victims the criminals and start holding criminals responsible for their actions, instead of “feeling sorry” for the criminals and making their time in jail like an amusement park rather than a time to pay for their crimes, we will have crime problems in this society. It is not a semi-automatic that causes violence and raises crime statistics. What people need is firearm education and perhaps a trip or 50 to the range.

The plain truth is that the difference between an "assault weapon" and a regular semi-automatic is primarily cosmetic. Bayonets, pistol grips, yadda. I've seen a weapon that had an interchangeable stock that added the dreaded "pistol grip" with a simple change of a few components. This country is not on the verge of chaos as a result of the pending expiration of this law. The only effect will be that law abiding gun collectors and enthusiasts will be able to legally purchase these weapons again.

Criminals never cared what the law said anyway. Get real.

The only reason this is an issue is that the gun control freaks saw this law as the first step to a total gun ban in this country. Well the people have spoken, and with such a voice that the Democrat Party stopped talking gun bans years ago.

Let the law expire. Guns aren't the problem.

We have terrorists in this country who will use boxcutters and fertilizer to wreak havoc. We have drug laws that are feeding and funding a robust black market economy and fueling the associated violent crime. Disarming law-abiding citizens is not the solution in either case.

Automobiles cause twice as many deaths per year than guns do from all causes (police shootings, accidental shootings, as well as violent crime). Yet no one (besides Algore) is suggesting a ban on the automobile. In fact enviro-activists seem to want to push less safe, small lightweight cars for the sake of lower emissions and fuel economy. So how is it? 25K gun deaths is a national massacre, but we are ok with more than 50K car deaths if it means less fumes for Mother Gaia to deal with?

Perspective.

As Serenity noted, 25K gun deaths represents less than 0.01% of the population. Not exactly carnage.

Sometimes I wonder if many on the left seem to believe that we'd all be immortal if it weren't for the e-e-evil Republican schemes to kill us off. Really people. Have you considered the fact that you are going to die, no matter what you do? You will die from some cause. It's not avoidable. Trying to avoid dying is a wasted effort.

The only thing that matters is the manner in which you live, and the manner in which you die. That is, by the way, why the 1000 troop deaths in Iraq are not a "tragedy". But that's a topic for a different post.

With sustained winds of 165 mph, Ivan is now a rare Category 5 hurricane. The three day forecast has it tearing through Jamaica, and the five day forecast is currently pointing it straight at Tampa, Fl.

Geez...

I've been joking about a mass exodus out of Florida, but I'm beginning to wonder now...

ivan090804-2015z.jpg (JPEG Image, 1919x1199 pixels)

John Hawkins has scored an interview with John O'Neill of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth here:
An Interview With John O'Neill - Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)

Oy, this is good!

SONDRAK EXCLUSIVE

Blogspot was shot yesterday. The publish function was busted.

What a relief! I was getting the DT's...

(I should note that the items below were posted yesterday, but did not publish until just now.)

Despite continuing to make myself busier all the time (I am in the process of buying an investment property, and have a laundry list of fix-up items to complete before showing the house), I'm still here. I've even given up time playing Unreal Tournament in favor of blogging. THAT's something...

Click on the image to go to sacredcowburgers.com. There is tons more like this one at the site. Very funny stuff!

Americans for Fair Taxation describes a world without the IRS, without paycheck witholding, without income tax, period! The income tax would be replaced with a consumption tax and a "rebate" of taxes paid up to the poverty line.

Imagine!

People stop blogging for a variety of reasons, and they don't always announce to the world what those reasons are. If I stop posting for a significant period of time (which, for me, would be a week or more), it might mean I've fallen ill, or I've lost my access to a computer, or I've been abducted and taken to Guantanamo Bay or Outer Mongolia. It probably doesn't mean I've gotten fed up with the blogosphere and just quit. If that ever happens I'd probably go out with more of a flourish, like leaving up a blank screen with a cryptic message, or something similar.

There are always discreet inquiries the curious and concerned could make. My e-mail address is down there, linked at "contact Desert Cat", or messages left in the comments may be answered by family members.

But there is another possibility too, and one that some of you may use to brand me as a nut. So be it. See, I'm looking forward to the imminent return of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like countless generations of believers, by the way. It's part of our faith. However, there is more reason to believe that we are on the very portal of this event today than there has been in over two thousand years of history. I am not going to make this post a rehash of all of those reasons. For a very good look at the case for this particular season, I urge you to read Herb Peter's book Recommendation 666 and his website, Fulfilled Prophecy. So that other possibility is that I am just not around anymore.

I wish you luck, my friends. Because if this is the case, things are going to get really wierd for you in the next few years. And possibly...unpleasant.

If I'm no longer here for this reason, don't expect too much uproar in the media. In fact, don't expect much but soothing platitudes. Prominent Christian leaders--ministers of the major Protestant denominations, Catholic clergy, and popular church movements will appear on TV talk shows to demonstrate that nothing so absurd as the "rapture" could have occurred. After all most of *their* congregations are intact. Surely if such an occurence were to have taken place, they and their flocks would all be gone, right? No, these scattered reports of missing persons have some other explanation, and one that probably makes perfect sense.

In fact, immediately after these disturbing rumors have blown over, you can expect to see a new ecumenical movement, a new effort to bring all the world's religions together into one accord to bring a lasting world peace. But the true intent won't be so obvious for a few years yet.

Still, I don't want to delve into the details here. There is much that is not fully clear in terms of the timing and so forth. The events are certain. How they play out is yet to be seen.

There are two places I urge you to go, if you're still curious after all the official explanations have been given. First, this woman has a vast trove of archived articles pertaining to these times. Peruse it while you can. I expect her site, mine, and many similar will disappear in a few short months after we disappear.

And of course, there are my own archives, where I have written on this topic from time to time.

I'm sorry. I wish you were with me. It is not too late, by the way. Receive Jesus and flee into the wilderness. It's going to be one tough row to hoe from here through about 2014.

Labels: watching the skies

Mostly for future reference, but also for your viewing pleasure, I've linked to a collection of Kerry's worst moments on camera here:
eyemoxie :: Because the camera sure don't love John Kerry

I've used a lot of these myself already, but they're still good for a few hyuks, hnars and guffaws!

AP originally reported, and many papers printed the story, that Bush supporters at a rally booed when Bush offered his condolences to former President Bill Clinton on his pending heart surgery. Captain's Quarters reports that this was a complete fabrication. Also linked from his story is an audio clip at Drudge's site, so you can listen for yourself and see if you hear these mythical boos. I hear applause and cheers in response to the President's best wishes for Clinton.

He's also got contact information if you want to give 'em hell.

Mainstream media journalists, we don't trust you because you fail us time and time again.

UPDATE: Rodger at SondraK.com reports that AP has retracted the story. A little late, considering how many print media outlets had already run with the original fictional version...

"They're sorry 'cause they got caught!"

New kitten in the household this month! Roscoe makes seven (counting Rumsfeld, who is indoor-outdoor, and not counting the neighborhood freeloaders at the backdoor).

Kittens are great! They liven up the older cats with their antics, and are capable of making the sun shine in the bleakest room with their effervescent cuteness.



Kitten at Play

Da poor princess went to da hospital for a widdle upset tummy...

Excite News:

"Late Saturday, Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of the Democratic presidential candidate, was taken to a hospital in Mason City, Iowa, after complaining of an upset stomach, a spokeswoman said. She was taken to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa by ambulance from the airport.

'As a precaution, Mrs. Heinz Kerry had a series of routine tests performed and was released,' said Sarah Geggenheimar, a spokeswoman for Heinz Kerry. 'She is feeling better and is traveling to her home in Pittsburgh tonight as planned.'"

There are often times when I wonder why the heck I don't put good blogs on the list quicker. Protein Wisdom is one of those. Running rings around mainstream "journalists" and having hella fun doing it, from what I can tell. :D

Plus, I have him to thank for a nice traffic spike last week, due to his mention of my site.

I have not watched it, as I long ago swore off the boob-tube. But I have read many of the speeches, much commentary, and caught a bit of Bush's speech at a restaurant bar this evening.

My take?

The USS John F'in Kerry has just been broadsided by a Republican Destroyer vessel. It's busted in half and rapidly sinking. But unlike his monogram-sake, he ain't-a gonna be no hero to his crew, as the Democrat party goes down in flames.

Journalists! Wonder why we don't trust you anymore? Serenity (and others) have caught a journalist in the act of either 1) Time travel or 2) Fiction in the guise of reporting.

Lewis Lapham wrote an article for Harper's Magazine describing his reaction to the speeches at the Republican National Convention. The only problem is, the magazine appeared on the newsstands A WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE CONVENTION!!

Oho!

I didn't realize they awarded four-year degrees in bullshittery.

Now I do.

Senator John McCain criticized Senator Zell Miller, saying that Senator Miller should not challenge John Kerry's patriotism. Setting aside the fact that Senator Miller did NOT challenge Kerry's patriotism in his speech last night, I have a question for the Democrat Party:

"Wanna trade a McCain for a Miller?"

Watch out Frank J.! Hope you're getting out of Orlando this afternoon as planned.

Watch out Rush! Get your butt out of there after the show today!

Jeff Parker is a shitnozzle whose cartoons aren't worth the toilet paper they're printed on.

Ever heard of Fair Use?

Take your DMCA notice and shove it.