I found the video of Prince Fielder sliding into second. Here's what some poster on the internets said about the slide:

that was the most gangsta slide i ever seen...this ***** straighted jumped INTO the base...then homeboy got him on a diving stop......priceless.

Labels: weekend

I have to get that Barbara Streisand post behind me stat! What better way to do that than a FREE outdoor pops concert featuring the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra! I have a colleague who always says, "if it's not free, it's too expensive." Indeed.

After four days of that oppressive climate in crisis kind of heat the weather is robe-wearing-super-fabulous.

I'm back bitches and now there's hell to pay! Attacked by a Bohrok-Kal. The only thing worse that being attacked by a Bohrok-Kal is being ANYWHERE near second base when Prince Fielder slides (YOU can't even begin to understand until I find the video).

Have a great weekend.

Labels: weekend

Barbara Streisand honoured in France

Barbra Streisand performed her first concert in France this week and was rewarded with a medal of the Legion of Honour.

President Nicolas Sarkozy awarded the singer at a ceremony in Paris, the first time the new President had bestowed the honour on anyone since he took over last month from Jacques Chirac.

"You are the America that we love," said Mr Sarkozy, seen as more US-friendly than his predecessor. "Women like you ... do a lot to bring our two peoples together."

Source

I just threw up a little.

Barbara as big time DEM donor

Labels: end times

Caption contest over at Wizbang. Ace has his own take.

My own alternate post title: Sheepishly nice consumerism!

Labels: end times

...it requires equal time for right-of-center "news" and "opinion" on NPR, NY TIMES, TIME, NEWSWEEK, ESPN, VANITY FAIR, HOLLYWOOD, THE DAILY SHOW, MTV, ABC, CBS, NBC AND ROLLING STONE.

My post is irrelevant (at least until the DEMS control all three branches of government ).

WASHINGTON, DC - By a vote of 309-115, the U.S. House of Representatives today adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) to the Financial Services and General Government Bill. The amendment bars the FCC from using federal funds to reinstate the so-called "Fairness Doctrine."

Source

Labels: democrats, the good guys

Move over, MoveOn: GOP's a-comin'

Veteran Republicans say they have quietly raised millions of dollars for a pair of nonprofit organizations that will launch this fall with the ambitious aim of providing a conservative counterweight to the liberal MoveOn.org, Politico.com has learned.

Source

Labels: the good guys

***UPDATE***

My question has been answered...

Hillary Clinton’s ‘Patriotic’ Tax Hike

Just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y) equated higher taxes with patriotism during the third nationally-televised Democratic Presidential debate Thursday evening.

Source

Warren Buffet is fabulously wealthy and he just hosted a fundraiser for HRC (also fabulously wealthy). The blogger-with-many-visions™ is somewhere between depression and acceptance in regards to HRC's guaranteed election in 2008.

What I wonder is whether or not her orthodoxy will mute the very mechanisms that made Warren Buffet so fabulously wealthy, and at what expense her affinity for centrally planned economies and her proclivity for leveling will become a drag on the economy?

HRC has a mission and it isn't driven by her desire to be "loved by all people" like it is [was] for her life partner [wink, wink].

Labels: clintons

...ain't gonna re-materialize. So says Stanley Kurtz (in a round about way):

All eras are not alike. I remember scanning the New York Times during the Clinton era (yes, the Times was my bible back then), and many a time being unable to find a single story that might count as actual news. The relative pace of events was slow. History seemed, at minimum, to be taking a break.

It’s different now–very different–and getting "differenter" all the time. The next president of the United States is going to have to face an immense heap of unsolved problems. We keep putting them off because they’re too painful to easily solve, and because we’re too divided to figure out what we want anyway. Yet sooner or later the piper is going to be paid.

Source

It's dead. A BIG win for conservatives. Reid probably gets a victory because an overwhelming majority of Americans opposed the bill. Michelle Malkin had the best coverage (hour by hour since this morning). She quotes Senator DeMint at length:

"When the U.S. Senate brought the Amnesty bill back up this week, they declared war on the American people. This act created a crisis of confidence in their government. Thankfully, the American people won today," said Senator DeMint. "This is remarkable because it shows that Americans are engaged and they care deeply about their country. They care enough for their country to get mad and to fight for it, and that’s the most important thing of all. Americans made phone calls and sent letters, and convinced the Senate to stop this bill."

"The Senate rejected this bill and the heavy-handed tactics used to ram it through. Americans do not want more of the same – amnesty and broken promises on the border. Americans want legislation to be written in public – not in secret – and they want Congress to engage in an open and fair debate."

"There is a better way forward without this bill. The President has said that the border security measures can be implemented over the next 18 months, and they can be done under current law. Now the Administration needs to prove it and stop holding border security hostage for amnesty."

I'm still on the fence (no pun intended) re: my official position. It was a pique against GWB by a faction of his own base; however, he [the President] isn't a conservative.

The loss of our majority status in 2006 was significant and MANY conservatives believed that some time in the wilderness would benefit our party by helping our leaders return to those conservative principles - limited government and fiscal responsibility - that have been the hallmarks of our party. Maybe it's working.

As a postscript...

My litmus test (whether or not a bill grows BIG government) was always Ted Kennedy and he seemed vehement about passing this bill. Why can't BIG government use the agencies ALREADY in existence to enforce the law?

GWB demonstrated once again that he does what he feels is right AND not what some pollster tells him.

Ramesh Ponnuro over at NRO writes:

Post Mortem

President Bush's humane and generous instincts combined with his moralistic and arrogant ones to produce a political fiasco that could have been a policy fiasco as well.

Labels: immigration

Iran Erupts In Flames After Petrol Rationing

Since the fuel restrictions came into force on Tuesday night, twelve petrol stations have been torched in Tehran and there are unconfirmed reports that supermarkets and banks have also come under attack.

With inflation now running at 20-30 per cent, the government is taking a stand.

The rationing is predicted to last four months, maybe as long as six. And the knock-on effects could be profound.


Source

Labels: economics, iran

Part of the DEM strategy for retaking Congress depended on the removal of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The DEMS found a friend in Ronnie Earle who pursued DeLay with a frenzied zeal (and glee). It now appears as if the charges against Delay are collapsing...

AUSTIN — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals today refused to reinstate criminal conspiracy charges against former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and two co-defendants.

Source

According to the article DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said DeLay would comment later today. The GOP needs DeLay and he should interject himself into this fracas ASAP. It's time for Rham Emmanuel to get his comeuppance.

Labels: the good guys

The DEM bill with the Orwellian/Newspeak name is dead and it proves the GOP is better in the minority.

If you're keeping score at home here's a list of the Reid/Pelosi achievements:

Senate Republicans blocked a vote on the "Employee Free Choice Act" today via a cloture vote, effectively ending consideration of the legislation that would ironically enough end private votes for union certification in favor of public, mandatory "card checks."

Source

Labels: democrats, the good guys

***UPDATED & BUMPED***

Over at NRO Jonah Goldberg deep fries Quinn's fantasy.

The moonbats face a serious challenge in their efforts at impeaching GWB. In order to impeach him they must first remove Dick Cheney.

You need to hug your inner-nuance(TM) and fill your innards with lefty bile before you negotiate this logic. Here goes:

(a) Bush is evil, but Cheney is a cat-killing puppet-master who probably possesses the soul of Machiavelli.
(b) Ergo, in order to impeach Bush, Cheney must be removed first (the arguments for impeaching Cheney were detailed in an issue of GQ and reinforced in a 50,000 word article in the Washington Post) lest we're left with Cheney as POTUS.
(c) Free and clear of Dick Cheney, we impeach GWB for; (1) stealing the election in 2000, (2) fooling us, the MSM and all those members of Congress for authorizing military action against Iraq, (3) for his general inarticulateness, (4) public displays of faith, and (5) because Jon Stewart just doesn't like him.

Sally Quinn (via the Washington Post) is floating this idea of a GOP plan to oust Cheney. I'm sure someone somewhere in the administration understands that Cheney maybe the only thing protecting GWB from the long knives of the DEMS (and the influence of special interest groups like MOVEON) and members of the plutocracy (many in his own party).

Her article is full of whimsy and fun for a chuckle. Also, the GOP needs to end this war with the VP we have and not some second-stringer.

Labels: democrats

The photo has NOTHING to do with this post but Bobby Cox just tied Hall of Famer John McGraw on Saturday by getting run (ejected) for the 131st time of his career.

What else can a depressed Braves fan and self-proclaimed Yankee hater do except take a little pleasure in these statistics?

Simple math tells you how tough the Yankees’ chore is.

Starting with last night’s game in Seattle, the Red Sox had 88 games left. If they go 44-44, they would finish 92-70. In order for the Yankees to reach 92 wins, they would have to post a 56-33 ledger the rest of the way. That’s .629 baseball for more than three months by a team that has played at a .493 (36-37) clip this season. And who is to say the Red Sox, who have an interest in acquiring Chicago lefty Mark Buehrle, will play .500 ball the rest of the way? They are at .640 (48-27) after last night’s loss in Seattle.

Source

Labels: baseball

...but your rock concert(s) on seven continents for our climate in crisis should be fun!

This survey data is important because it underpins my theory that globalists and bureaucrats (communists) will struggle (meet resistance) to increase the size and scope of government (although this doesn't seem to be the case in the UK) if they can't convince the public that we're the primary cause of it. It looks like common sense may prevail if these stats hold against larger samples, etc.

Three Quarters Believe Global Warming A 'Natural Occurrence'

ALMOST three quarters of people believe global warming is a 'natural occurrence' and not a result of carbon emissions, a survey claimed today.

This goes against the views of the vast majority of scientists who believe the rise in the earth's temperatures is due to pollution.

Source

Labels: global warming

***UPDATE***

Amnesty cloture passes. The BIG winner is HRC.

The DEMS are so riddled by BDS that they're going to torpedo the amnesty bill tomorrow delivering some much needed life into a conservative base that appears listless. The great news is that GWB isn't running in 2008 and by allowing cloture to fail those illegals can't join unions and get addicted to DEM social services. More importantly, this is the final separation of conservatives from GWB.

A Bush Loss Is a Good Thing -- for Everyone! [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
From a grassroots coordinator:

Boxer is a likely NO; there is a rumor on the Hill that Dems are saying "Bush is going to lose his cloture vote." I hope that is true.

06/25 04:06 PM

These are the Senators whose decisions will likely determine whether the amnesty passes or not:

Bond (R-Mo.)
Bingaman (D-N.M.)
Burr (R-N.C.)
Boxer (D-Calif.)
Cochran (R-Miss.)
Conrad (D-N.D.)
Ensign (R-Nev.)
Levin (D-Mich.)
Gregg (R-N.H.)
Nelson (D-Neb.)
Hatch (R-Utah)
Webb (D-Va.).

Source: Michelle Malkin

Labels: democrats, immigration

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Home foreclosures hit record levels the first quarter, jumping sharply from a year ago level due to economic weakness in the Midwest and the battered housing market in the overbuilt Sunbelt.

The report is the latest look at the hit to the home loan market caused by the problems in the subprime mortgage sector that first started getting national attention early this year. Those problems have led to bankruptcies and tighter lending standards, which in turn have hit the sales of both new and existing homes.

A glut of supply means bargain hunting opportunities (Orange Mocha Frappachino!!!).

Labels: economics

Israel braces for July war with up to five enemies

JERUSALEM (SOURCE) — Israel is preparing for an imminent war with Iran, Syria and/or their non-state clients.

Israeli military intelligence has projected that a major attack could come from any of five adversaries in the Middle East. Officials said such a strike could spark a war as early as July 2007.

On Sunday, Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin told the Cabinet that the Jewish state faces five adversaries in what could result in an imminent confrontation. Yadlin cited Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and Al Qaida.

I don't know if the World Tribune has ANY credibility, but this article in the WSJ is sobering.

Winds of War
Iran is making a mistake that may lead the East into a broader conflict.

Several conflicts of various intensities are raging in the Middle East. But a bigger war, involving more states--Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and perhaps the United States and others--is growing more likely every day, beckoned by the sense that America and Israel are in retreat and that radical Islam is ascending.

The radicals are becoming reckless, asserting themselves for little reason beyond the conviction that they can. They are very likely to overreach. It is not hard to imagine scenarios in which a single match--say a terrible terror attack from Gaza--could ignite a chain reaction. Israel could handle Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria, albeit with painful losses all around, but if Iran intervened rather than see its regional assets eliminated, could the U.S. stay out?

With the Bush administration's policies having failed to pacify Iraq, it is natural that the public has lost patience and that the opposition party is hurling brickbats. But the demands of congressional Democrats that we throw in the towel in Iraq, their attempts to constrain the president's freedom to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program, the proposal of the Baker-Hamilton commission that we appeal to Iran to help extricate us from Iraq--all of these may be read by the radicals as signs of our imminent collapse. In the name of peace, they are hastening the advent of the next war.

Source

Labels: democrats, iran

FOX NEWS ran a program last evening ("Banned on PBS: Muslims Against Jihad") about the tax-payer funded documentary that PBS refused to air about the difference between moderate Muslims and the radicals who want to kill us. (they also aired the documentary). I blogged about it here, here and here.

Tune in this weekend, as FOX News Channel presents the documentary the Public Broadcasting System didn't want you to see.

FOX NEWS Description
It's a film about the difference between moderate Muslims and the radicals who want to kill us. It asks where are the moderate Muslims and why aren't they speaking out against the jihadists? And it was financed with $675,000 of taxpayers' money.

It was commissioned as part of the PBS series "America at the Crossroads" about the post 9/11 world, but PBS executives rejected it.

PBS claims the filmmakers were "alarmist, overreaching and unfair."

The filmmakers say they were censored because of liberal bias at PBS.

On a topic this important, we think you have the right to decide for yourself.

You can learn more about the FOX NEWS program here and here.

Labels: left-wing media

The DEMS are trying to use the government to level the playing field in talk-radio.

Surveying 257 stations owned by the top-five commercial station groups, the report’s authors found the unsurprising news that 91 percent of total weekday talk programming is conservative, and just nine percent "progressive." Rather than attribute that imbalance to the generally conceded superiority of conservative programming — most radio professionals would tell you that Rush Limbaugh is simply better at what he does than any of the liberal opponents who have tried to compete with him — the report finds a deeper, more sinister case. "The gap between conservative and progressive talk radio," it concludes, "is the result of multiple structural problems in the U.S. regulatory system." According to Podesta’s Center, those structural problems can only be solved by government action.

First, the report proposes new national and local limits on the number of radio stations one company can own. Second, it recommends a de facto quota system to ensure that more women and minorities own radio stations. And finally, it says the government should "require commercial owners who fail to abide by enforceable public interest obligations to pay a fee to support public broadcasting."

The fact is, liberals simply haven’t attracted talk-radio audiences. It’s not their market. But since they still largely have Hollywood, academia, the New York Times, PBS, NPR, a network news division or two...they’ll survive. And we on the Right will, too, if we keep the Center for American Progress’s dangerously wrongheaded ideas off the table.

Source

Labels: democrats

I like the factoids (did you know) at stophernow.com in the left-hand navigation:

As a senior at Wellesley College, Hillary Rodham wrote her thesis on the tactics of radical community organizer Saul Alinsky. In 1993, this thesis was hidden from view at the request of the Clinton White House.

The Hillary Show is frightening (and thus achieves its objective). Rodham is just as polarizing as GWB. She's a little bit Oprah and Rosie insofar as her new age(ish) belief in the power of self and her virulent disdain for tradition and religion. I suspect that Hillary decided a long time ago that religion was a nuisance and something she must endure as a politician. It's been my experience that secularists develop a kind of arrogance- that those who believe in anything but themselves (and maybe the collective wisdom of the village) are simpletons.

And this brings up Hussein Obama and the narrative being pushed by his brethren in the MSM. According to RED STATE (Obama To Christians: We Are The Way, The Truth, and The Life — Not Christ.):

We should be prepared for a lot of this in 2008. The Democrats, in cooperation with the MSM, have decided to start pushing the idea that Christians are outside the mainstream of American values. We Christians are, to borrow a phrase, dividers not uniters.

Obama sounds a little like Rosie who said something very similar.

The fact remains that it's the left acting as an aggressor and overreacting to those defending people who believe in something greater than the state (and themselves). As RED STATE writes:

It is the left that has advances a secular agenda. It has tried to remove God from our coinage and our pledge. It is the left that has been most aggressive in denying students the right to pray in graduation ceremonies. It is the left that would rather starve the homeless than allow churches to participate in federal aid programs. It is the left that has forced church affiliated healthcare providers to provide services that go against church teachings...

***UPDATE***

Court bars suit against faith-based plan.The caption at Hot Air:

Supreme Court rules on faith-based initiatives: Bush 1, atheists 0

Labels: clintons, democrats, left-wing media

*****UPDATE*****
The U.S. wins 2-1! B-E-N-N-Y, B-E-N-N-Y, B-E-N-N-Y! I'll post more in a bit...I'm watching the Donovan interview on UNIVISION. I have mucho man love for Landon. The goal by Benny Feilhaber was fantástico!

Landon Donovan scored his 34th career goal, tying Eric Wynalda atop the career list, and Benny Feilhaber connected on a gorgeous volley as the United States rallied for a 2-1 victory over Mexico on Sunday in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The victory extended the Americans' dominance over their neighbors to the south and gave them a berth in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. The United States is 9-2-1 against Mexico since 2000, including 8-0-1 on U.S. soil.

Source

The U.S. will play Mexico in the final on Sunday for a berth in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The U.S. was lucky to survive their semi-final match against Canada (see below). It was a nerve-wracking final seconds and a loss to the Canadians would have been a set-back for the program.

Canada had a goal in the final minute of stoppage time waved off Thursday night, preserving the Americans' 2-1 victory and their spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final. (ESPN)

There's always one match-changing play that goes unreported and Iain Hume made a save defending the post on a set-piece late in the second half that kept Canada in the match. Hume also scored Canada's lone goal, although the goal in injury time by Atiba Hutchinson should have counted and leveled the score.

Facts

The Americans are unbeaten in 13 matches against the Canadians, a stretch that dates back to 1985 and improved to 9-0-1 since Bradley replaced Bruce Arena as coach.

Frankie Hejduk scored his first goal in almost seven years.

Keller played in his 100th international game, matching Tony Meola's American mark for goalkeepers. With 33 career goals, Donovan moved within one of Eric Wynalda's U.S. career record.

Source: ESPN

Labels: soccer

I'm NOT making this up AND I'm not posting it because I share Ikea's sense of social and environmental responsibility. It did make me chuckle.

Small Part Ingestion Hazard - IKEA SNUTTIG toy (700-371-56).

Retail $1.95. Seams may rip open exposing children to the plastic beads in the toy's arms and legs. If ingested, these beads may be inhaled into the child's lung and affect the lung function.

Please take the toy away from your child immediately and return it to your nearest IKEA Store!

Source

New England is giving global warming an **uppercut** this weekend. It's chilly and my softball game last night felt more like a "fall ball" game. There is a direct correlation between my productivity (and mood) and the temperature. It can't get cold enough for me and if any of these climatologist(s) are right about global cooling I will be one productive and exultant blogger.

We went to a Bridgeport Bluefish game for Matthew's Birthday.

Junior Spivey is on the Bluefish roster. He played five seasons in the major leagues and made the National League All-Star team in 2002. According to USAToday.com he spent last season at Triple-A Memphis (St. Louis Cardinals). He was reassigned by the White Sox on March 14, 2007 and signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish in April. He was named the Atlantic League Player of the Month for May, batting .392 with 38 hits.

Once upon a time in my more formidable years I was befriended by a retiree who was a lifelong train enthusiast. He filled a void that lesser men have used an excuse for hurting animals or something. He died just months after we started spending time together and before I could appreciate his experience as a model railroader. In those formidable years my enthusiasm for model railroading reached its apex but ebbed almost immediately following his death.

His wife lived for almost two decades after his death and during that time my mum helped shuttle her to doctor appointments, managed some small chores around the house and occasionally took her out to the diner. This woman was a handful and my mum probably is on her way to sainthood as a result.

She died last year and she and her husband had no children or surviving relatives. The bank owned her home and she named a boyfriend (I'm not making this up), my parent(s), and the lawn maintenance guy in her will. The lawyer overseeing her estate invited eveyone named in the will to their home to claim whatever was left in it (furniture). The only thing my mum took was a box full of photographs. She also took a gold tie clip with a steam locomotive on it that she gave to me.

I was flipping through the photographs yesterday and was awestruck by the fact that the only proof of their existence was in that box. The only proof of two lives and a myriad of loves that spanned seventy short years.

It seems like all these events- old photographs, former major leaguers, celebrating the birth of my son, and a little crispy fall-like weather have been conspiring...

Do You Realize - we're floating in space
Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry
Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die

And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

Labels: weekend

***UPDATE***

I was waiting for a good quote on the subject and just found this...

If the producers at 60 Minutes could deal honestly with the fact that they were just plain old liberals, they would have thought to say "Hey, maybe we're missing something?" Instead, high on arrogance and addle-brained by denial, they plunged ahead and ran that Memo story, destroying Dan Rather's career and proving for all time what conservatives have been saying about 60 Minutes and Dan Rather for decades.

- Jonah Goldberg

While the legend of Gunga Dan grows the cloak protecting the press as nothing more than a shill for the DEMS disintegrates. The rage/hatred/animosity the press has for President Bush now makes perfect sense (and I suspected this all along). They failed to defeat him three times and that has only fueled their reckless bias.

The rage will only abate when they have an adminstration that shares their progressive worldview. Once they have the right administration the "news" will get decidedly more optimistic and we can all stop cowering in fear and enjoy a type of bliss that can only come from ignorance.

This is the second article this week about journalists leaning left. The timing is perfect because the Center for American Progress is launching an all-out assault on talk radio. The Center for American Progress was founded by former Clinton chief-of-staff John Podesta (more).

MSNBC.com identified 144 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, according to the public records of the Federal Election Commission. Most of the newsroom checkbooks leaned to the left: 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Only 17 gave to Republicans. Two gave to both parties.

Source

Labels: clintons, democrats, left-wing media

Just 14% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in Congress.

This 14% Congressional confidence rating is the all-time low for this measure, which Gallup initiated in 1973. The previous low point for Congress was 18% at several points in the period of time 1991 to 1994.

Source

Labels: democrats

***SCROLL FOR UPDATES***
This is a LIVE post match report. I was at the match with my brother and son and we arrived just in time to see the exodus of Guatemalan fans after a 3-0 defeat to Canada.

The U.S. prevailed 2-1 in a lackluster performance against a penalty depleted squad. Panama frustrated the U.S. in the first-half despite being without regular starters Rolando Escobar and Roman Torres. The pace of the match was punctuated by plenty of poor acting (both sides) and frequent fouls. Twellman had SEVERAL opportunities but just couldn't (surprise) find the back of the net and no real rhythm ever developed between midfield and the forwards before the half ended.

Tim Howard made a brilliant save at the start of the second-half that saved his squad from pressing to overcome a deficit for the remainder of the match. Donovan eventually scored on a penalty kick in the 60th minute. The U.S. got another goal two minutes later off the head of Carlos Bocanegra.

After the goals the U.S. fell asleep. Despite playing a man down, Panama scored in the 84th minute and threatened two or three more times before the match ended (after four minutes of injury time).

More tomorrow on Stephen's discovery of the missing Cuban and our escape from some Panamanian hooligans.

A professional assessment of the match that jives with the one I posted.

Howard showed that he is more than capable of making the big save to keep his team in a game. A veteran of three seasons in England, Howard has already played in his share of big matches, including an FA Cup final and Champions League matches, but Saturday was his first U.S. game with something on the line and he delivered with a key save on Blas Perez that kept the game from being 1-0 Panama early in the second half. There wasn't much doubt going into the match that Howard deserved to be No. 1 but he drove home the point with that clutch stop and has had a solid tournament to date.

...Twellman managed to bolster concerns about his ability to perform on the international level. The New England striker was in his home stadium and received his share of chances, but squandered them all. To his credit, Twellman was active and continuously put himself in good positions to receive service and get off shots, but time after time he failed to hit the mark.

Source

The U.S. will play Canada on Thursday, June 21 in Chicago @ 7:00 EST.

Watching the Pitch
The US may play Dempsey up front as the lone forward with Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley in support. Read here to learn why.

Labels: soccer

Julia Roberts gives birth to third child

NEW YORK (AP) - Julia Roberts has welcomed her third child, a boy named Henry Daniel Moder.

Henry was born Monday in Los Angeles. He weighed 8 1/2 pounds, said Roberts' publicist, Marcy Engelman.

Labels: democrats, global warming

...that communism still exists in the US. The alternate title for this post was: Putting lipstick on a pig.

Labels: clintons, democrats

We have complained from time to time about the CNN Airport News Channel that we are forced to endure during waits for flights. Now my conservative cousin from New York informs me of another insidious intrusion CNN is foisting upon an even more captive audience...

Source: Powerline

Limestone Commentary
I ALWAYS try to find a gate w/out the CNN AIRPORT TELESCREEN. It's like living with Debbie Downer 24/7 and why would anyone want to start a vacation with some CNN stooge droning on about our "climate in crisis"?

Labels: left-wing media

...within corporation.

Go ahead, drink it in.

The BBC has failed to promote proper debate on major political issues because of the inherent liberal culture of its staff, a report commissioned by the corporation has concluded.

The report claims that coverage of single-issue political causes, such as climate change and poverty, can be biased - and is particularly critical of Live 8 coverage, which it says amounted to endorsement.

It warns that celebrities must not be pandered to and allowed to hijack the BBC schedule.

After a year-long investigation the report, published today, maintains that the corporation’s coverage of day-to-day politics is fair and impartial.

Source

Labels: left-wing media

It's always politics free...unless it's funny. Do you need help little man? Is this photo real?

If the photo is real Manolo says it's an impeachable offense.

Manolo says, the George Bush wears the Crocs! The Manolo is not the political person, but this is the last straw!

WDW Quiz Questions

Who designed the mosaic mural in the fourth floor lobby of Disney's Contemporary Resort?

What is the strange animal featured in the mosaic?

What is "Fantasia Gardens"?

Which of these resorts was NOT originally planned for Walt Disney World?
a.) The Asian
b.) The Persian
c.) The Venetian
d.) The European

What is the name of the geyser at Disney's Wilderness Lodge?
a.) Fire Rock Geyser
b.) Hidden Springs Geyser
c.) Iron Spike Geyser
d.) Roaring Forks Geyser

How long did the refurbishment take when If You Had Wings became If You Could Fly?
a.) 5 days
b.) 5 weeks
c.) 5 months
d.) 15 months

Labels: weekend

...from Paul McCartney.

Everybody gonna dance tonight
Everybody gonna feel alright
Everybody gonna dance around tonight
Everybody gonna dance around tonight
Everybody's gonna feel alright tonight

Now repeat 1000X

The video was posted on YouTube and it features Natalie Portman dressed like a useless 60's hippie.

This is just shameful...He could have just defecated on a napkin and sold it on eBay. Whatever goodwill he had as a Beatle (dubious and debatable to begin with) has been squandered. The best part is that people will purchase his crap.

Is it better than this? Have I told you I weep for the future?

Winston, sitting in a blissful dream, paid no attention as his glass was filled up. He was not running or cheering any longer. He was back in the Ministry of Love, with everything forgiven, his soul white as snow. He was in the public dock, confessing everything, implicating everybody. He was walking down the white-tiled corridor, with the feeling of walking in sunlight, and an armed guard at his back. The long-hoped-for bullet was entering his brain.

He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark mustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of this nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.

Bear and I went for a walk and stopped in the local Border's. Here's a brief snapshot of what I saw:

11" plush doll of Ernesto "Che" Guevara made by Little Thinker(s).

Children's version of An Inconvenient Truth.

Gore's bestselling book is now adapted for perhaps the most important audience of all: today's youth, who have no choice but to confront the planetary emergency head-on. Bursting with color photos, this book clearly explains global warming. (Environmental Studies)

I flipped through several children's history books and the summary of President Bush was horrid. In the first book he was "selected" by the Supreme Court and in the other the high-point of his presidency was a narrow victory against John Kerry. I'm going to find a copy of the second book so I can post some excerpts (lest I'm accused of bias).

Labels: democrats, end times

Bill Clinton Earns $10M on Talk Circuit

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former President Clinton made more than $10 million in paid speeches last year, according to new filings that show he and his presidential- candidate wife have at least $10 million in the bank, and may have closer to $50 million.

Labels: clintons

In this case it doesn't matter because it's our money that's involved. Rich Galen explains earmarks and pork. His brief article also explains this political cartoon.

You want a couple of million for a water slide in your district? No prob. You just have to defend it in public.

...so says the WSJ.

Mrs. Clinton's standing in the Democratic race follows her performances in televised debates and an attempt to downplay differences with Mr. Obama over Iraq. Though her leading rival courts Democratic voters by noting that he opposed from the start a war she voted to authorize, she enjoys a wider lead among Democrats backing an immediate troop withdrawal than among those who oppose one.

Moreover, on both of the rank and file's top two characteristics for their party's nominee -- capacity to bring about change and experience for the presidency -- Mrs. Clinton holds an edge. Fully 71% of Democrats rate the former first lady highly for being "knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency," while 30% rate the first-term Sen. Obama highly on that dimension.

"Her competence campaign is working," Mr. Newhouse said.

She has a campaign dedicated to competence? Damn.

Labels: clintons

According to Camille Paglia is isn't Al.

Nevertheless, Hillary's abundant negatives don't make a Gore candidacy any more attractive. Sure, all the über-journalists who've mixed with Gore are dazzled by him. Big deal! Personal charm and a silver tongue in private don't make a president, who must be a public performer on the world stage. Whatever his high ideals, Gore is a mass of frustrated yearnings and self-defeating vacillation. Raised in a bubble of wealth and privilege, he has never fully emerged from his senator father's judgmental shadow. Women (wife, daughters, wifty hired hands) have to buck him up and prod him in this direction or that.

Here's Camille on his role as environmental demagogue:

As a global warming agnostic, I dislike the way that Gore's preachy, apocalyptic fundamentalism has fomented an atmosphere of hysteria around this issue and potentially compromised the long-term credibility of environmentalism. Democrats who long for his return as the anti-Hillary may not realize how Gore has become a risible cartoon character for much of the country at large. Anyone who listens to talk radio has been repeatedly regaled by clips of Gore bizarrely going off the deep end at one speech or another. And Gore, far worse than Hillary, is the Phantom of a Thousand Accents -- telegraphing his supercilious condescension to whatever audience he's trying to manipulate.

The cartoon character comment is almost too real. I just saw a Family Guy episode in which, after a series of events involving Peter, a parallel universe is created with Al Gore as President (thus erasing all the calamity and suffering "we've" endured under President Bush). Al was also in several FUTURAMA episodes where he was depicted as the global or earth president (I can't remember which).

Labels: clintons

Cuba was playing with two less players last night when they were dismantled by Hondurus in their Gold Cup match.

2 Cuban players are said to have defected
Sources say they abandoned their team before match at Reliant

Two players apparently defected from the Cuban national soccer team before Wednesday's Gold Cup match against Honduras at Reliant Stadium.

Forward Lester More went missing at the team's last stop in East Rutherford, N.J., and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso did not return from a group shopping trip in Houston. Their whereabouts were unknown late Wednesday night.

Read more

Why would anyone be compelled to leave an island paradise? These men must be delusional if Cuba is just 1/4 the way it's described by the NYTIMES and NPR.

Labels: soccer

***SCROLL FOR UPDATES***

BOSTON (June 12, 2007) - DaMarcus Beasley scored twice, Landon Donovan converted a penalty kick and Taylor Twellman put one in as the U.S. MNT defeated El Salvador, 4-0, to clinch the top spot in Group B. The U.S. will face an unknown opponent in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Limestone Notes

Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution) missed another opportunity late in the second half.

The U.S. didn't concede a goal in group play and had a +7 goal differential.

DaMarcus Beasley looks fit/sharp.

The pressure is on Mexico tomorrow in their Group C match against Panama. Three points may not be enough if Honduras defeats Cuba and has a better goal differential.

I saw a pair of sweat pants in the stands that MAY have belonged to Bruce.

***UPDATES***
Mexico beat Panama 1-0 to advance. The U.S. plays Panama this Saturday at 4:00 PM in Foxborough, MA in the Quarterfinals.

Labels: soccer

Posted by Winston @ 10:05 PM | Link

Democrats' Prosperity Problem

In 2002, when his tax cuts kicked in and the economy began 65 months—so far—of uninterrupted growth, critics said: But it is a "jobless recovery." When the unemployment rate steadily declined—today it is 4.5 percent; time was, 6 percent was considered full employment—critics said: Well, all right, the economy is growing and creating jobs and wealth, but the wealth is not being distributed in accordance with the laws of God or Nature or liberalism or something.

Last Sunday, eight Democratic presidential candidates debated for two hours, saying about the economy . . . next to nothing. You must slog to Page 43 in the 51-page transcript before Barack Obama laments that "the burdens and benefits of this new global economy are not being spread evenly across the board" and promises to "institute some fairness in the system."

They have a problem. How do you exclaim, as Hillary Clinton does, that today's economy is "like going back to the era of the robber barons" and insist that the nation urgently needs substantial tax increases, in the face of these facts:

In the 102 quarters since Ronald Reagan's tax cuts went into effect more than 25 years ago, there have been 96 quarters of growth. Since the Bush tax cuts and the current expansion began, the economy's growth has averaged 3 percent per quarter, and more than 8 million jobs have been created. The deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product is below the post-World War II average.

Democrats, economic hypochondriacs all, see economic sickness. They should get on with legislating their cure.

Source

Inflation and Mercantilism
China's Money is Undervalued

If you've been listening to the Wall Street Journal, Democratic Senators like Schumer and Clinton, or a standard-issue economics professor, your immediate reaction is: Ah ha! China is trying to make their manufactured cr*p cheaper for American consumers! With the predictable effect of wiping out manufacturing jobs in America and making Walmart richer. Many people call this "mercantilism."

The true picture is substantially more complex.

Read more

Labels: economics

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is now viewed favorably by 19% of American voters and unfavorably by 45%. Just 3% have a Very Favorable opinion while 22% hold a Very Unfavorable views.

Source: Rasmussen Reports

Limestone Commentary
Did he ever have favorables? I like that word...It's like unmentionables.

Labels: democrats

Labels: democrats

...why our enemies sense opportunity because of our greasy corpulence. It isn't (as John Edwards and Ron Paul would have you believe) because of our arrogance as a world power. Rather, it is our obsession with complete non-sense (and gross hypocrisy) that makes us weak and ripe for extinction.

Three illustrations:

1. The Sopranos

The brilliance of the scene was how it illuminated the perils and frustrations of Tony Soprano’s life. Every customer at every restaurant may be a hitman. And his family? As my people would say, oy gevalt! I know more than a few parents who have tried to buy off their ne’er do well offspring with BMWs. Hint to Tony and Carmella – it never works.

That final scene tortured the viewer. At the end of the series and seven years, we didn’t want to see Tony Soprano die. And suddenly, for the first time in seven years, we felt his true vulnerability. A guy in a diner going into a restroom portends dread. So does another guy sitting with a boy scout troop. No wonder Tony needs a shrink. And no wonder he has panic attacks.

So what’s it all mean? Tony goes on, maybe three seconds beyond last night’s final frame, maybe three decades. In his line of work he’ll forever be hunted, and he’s already under indictment. He may die soon like in last night’s diner, or he may wind up like Uncle Junior, incarcerated and senile, not even aware of the fact that he used to run North Jersey. Possibly he’ll go the route of Carmine Lupertazzi and die of old age; Tony has always been the smartest of the mobsters. Then again, Johnny Sack was pretty smart, and look how he ended up.

At the end of the day and the end of the series, Tony Soprano was just another working stiff, taking his family out for onion rings and ice cream. You may want to know what happens next, but there’s no way of knowing. As Sinatra sang, "That’s life."

Really? Why is Dean Barnett treating this show like priceless art? Why are we praising an HBO show about the mafia? These people are filthy scumbags and "hits", drugs, prostitution, gambling and money laundering are all real.

2. NYTIMES MAGAZINE on poverty and income inequality

Did anyone else read the NYT magazine this weekend? It was all about poverty and income inequality. Some articles were better than others, and I didn't read them all, but the hilarious part wasn't in the articles. It was in the ads. On page after page, the magazine hawked luxury condos starting in the 8 figures. Pictures of these glorious $10 million-plus pied-à-terres with 24-hour doormen, room service and Master of the Universe views of Manhattan were punctuated with ads for financial advisers and garish jewelry — and, oh yeah, essays on what to do about the poor. There was an almost Edwardian irony to the whole thing; a magazine for the New Aristocrats discussing the poor and how they live with a mixture of dispassionate, almost academic, bemusement and charity ball passion.

Source

I've written about the New Class/New Aristocrats before. How limousine liberals (Starbucks, Saabs and Summer Homes) cope with such cognitive dissonance will require cultural anthropologists on NPR to explain.

3. Paris Hilton
If "we" weren't watching it wouldn't be on FOX NEWS, MSNBC, and CNN.

Labels: end times

The U.S. MNT is undefeated in GROUP B play after yesterday's 2-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago. The final match for the U.S. is this Tuesday against El Salvador at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.

Panama leads GROUP C while Guadeloupe sits atop GROUP A. Mexico has a key match against Honduras this afternoon @ 4:00.

Mass Transit News
The federal government will provide $2.6 billion to help build a new network of tunnels designed to route New York commuter trains from Long Island to Grand Central Terminal, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters announced in November. The U.S. DOT said the undertaking, known as the East Side Access Project, is the largest ever federal investment in a single transit project. The project will enable trains of Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Long Island Rail Road to operate into the lower level of Grand Central Terminal, shaving more than 40 minutes off daily commutes once it is completed in 2013. The project will include construction of new tunnels under Manhattan and Queens that will connect to the existing 63rd Street Tunnel beneath the East River. The project is needed to remedy the problem many Long Island commuters face of having to ride trains into Penn Station and then backtrack to via subway to jobs in and around Manhattan's East Side.

Source: Trains, The magazine of railroading

Limestone Commentary
Maybe the DOT could use some of our tax dollars on a rapid transit system connecting Penn Station, Grand Central and LaGuardia Airport? According to The Underground Guide to New York City Subways:

As many commuters will attest, this stop provides the nearest access to LaGuardia Airport. With frequent shuttle buses from just below the station, it is much cheaper than a cab, and you don't have to speak Afghani in order to communicate with your driver.

Weekly WDW Quiz
1. What and where am I? This one is easy!

2. Downtown Disney® is accessible by ferryboat from Disney's _________________ and Disney's Old Key West Resort.

3. What is the current name of the restaurant once known as "Flagler's"?

4. Who was Flagler [BONUS QUESTION]?

5. The Califonia Grill replaced that dinner show at Disney's Contemporary Resort?

Labels: soccer, weekend

...it's going to be a long day when your colleague announces at a meeting that we need to, "study our pad sales."

During a nationally broadcast forum Monday evening on faith and politics Sen. Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.) attacked the free market and told listeners in that order to attain energy independence and provide universal health coverage, it would be necessary to "take away from some people."(1)

Clinton also said that "the adult society has failed" young people "who are tremendously influenced by the media culture and by the celebrity culture."(2)

"I think that we have failed them in our churches, our schools and our government," she said. "And I certainly think the free market has failed. We've all failed."

Read More

"Do as I say, not as I do"

(1) Hillary gets $8 million deal for White House memoir - How 'bout those free market "wealth generating" opportuntites!

(2) Hillary Clinton's $2.6 Million Hollywood Hit - Culture deciders are bad for you, but I'm not too good for their money.

Labels: clintons

Congressman indicted in bribery investigation
La. Democrat also accused of corruption; cash found in freezer in raid

WASHINGTON - Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, money-laundering and soliciting more than $400,000 in bribes in connection with years of trying to broker business deals in Africa.

The charges came almost two years after investigators raided Jefferson's home in Washington and found $90,000 in cash stuffed in a box in his freezer.

Source: MSNBC

This must be a hiccup in Nancy's efforts to drain the swamp of corruption. Murtha and Reid are next.

Labels: democrats

...a post about the Future World icons.

Sunday Mass Transit Field Trip
Bear and I boarded a Metro-North train bound for South Norwalk. After we arrived at the South Norwalk station we walked a couple of blocks to downtown SONO. Our destination was the SONO Switch Tower Museum. This free museum is operated by the Western Connecticut Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It is a fully restored switch tower that was built in 1896. This year they are celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the line(s) electrification.

The towers were used by the railroads to house the equipment (mechanisms) used to switch trains from one track to another. These towers were staffed by operators who would actually operate the switch tracks by throwing levers in the tower (source).

The museum allows you to operate the levers AND the exhibits are clean and current. Our guides were passionate about railroads and were exceptionally knowledgeable. The one thing you learn very quickly is how capital intensive it is to run a railroad and how much technology has changed the way the roads are run. All of the equipment in that switch tower could be managed by one computer chip today. In the days before UI the railroad used to generate its own power in a facility somewhere in New York?

After our tour ended we had pizza in some swanky (and pretentious) SONO restaurant before we caught the next train home. It was a great afternoon.

George Orwell
A little poem

A happy vicar I might have been
Two hundred years ago
To preach upon eternal doom
And watch my walnuts grow;

I took this photo at the train station along an abandoned siding.

Labels: railroads, weekend

Weekend entries are usually "politics-free" but I'm reading Walt Disney and the Quest for Community and found several notable passages with a whiff of politics and a firm nod to the principles I was taught at Northwood University.

Congress found and declared that 'improving the quality of urban life is the most critical domestic problem facing the United States.' The Republican Disney and the Democratic Congress and Administration appeared to be on an unusual, common course as the company consulting firm Economics Research Associates (ERA), prepared a presentation outline seeking financial assistance for EPCOT from the newly established HUD.

Disney discussed the philosophy behind the EPCOT concept during his final filmed appearance in 1966. The following points summarize the core philosophy: showcase the development, utilize and test new materials and ideas from American industry, find solutions to urban problems, EPCOT would be in a state of becoming, focus on the needs and happiness of residents, and generate demand for new technologies. Disney's faith in technological progress based on the free enterprise system was never more evident.

EPCOT would be in a constant state of becoming. as Disney's generation had seen the pace of technological change accelerate...With its 20,000 residents, EPCOT would be faced with a new problem: how to achieve the goals of an ordered, experimental community while maintaining something he was passionate about- the rights of the individual.

Weekend #2
Prepare to go micro with the 2008 Toyota Aygo
Toyota is developing a two-seat microcar for the U.S. market and thanks to our sources in Europe we have the first exclusive sketches. Expected to be called the 2008 Toyota Aygo, the B-Class city car will provide direct competition for the upcoming 2008 Smart Fortwo two-seater.

Read more

Weekend #3
What and where am I (this question is ridiculously easy)? How about a bonus question and a riddle requiring action?

What takes place every day at 5:00 p.m. in Town Square?

a.) A Parade
b.) Mickey and Minnie come out to sign autographs
c.) A flag ceremony
d.) The barbershop quartet comes out

Town Square @ 10:30 PM EST on June 3, 2007. I will be by the flag and cannon!

Weekend #4
The US MNT is undefeated in 2007. They just throttled the People's Republic of China 4-1. The US is preparing for the Gold Cup (the regional championship for North and Central America and the Caribbean) which begins on June 7th with their match against Guatemala at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The U.S. team is the defending Gold Cup champion.

Found on Stumble!

Labels: disney, weekend