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Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Notable Quotables - 3/27/06

Patfish — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 08:43:38 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Telling the Truth, Teachers and AngerJohn Stossel recently featured a segment on teachers, their mighty unions and how no matter how much money we throw at the schools, the children's test scores keep going down. Seems Stossel made the teachers' unions very mad, as the bitter truth often does.From Townhall.com Stossel's response. By John StosselTeachers unions are mad at me because I hosted an ABC News TV special titled "Stupid in America." But when they criticize my "bias and ignorance," I don't hear them refute the points listed in the show. They don't refute them because they can't. RINO AlertLincoln Chafee is considered a doddering fool by most Republicans and more, he is anything but loyal to the conservative cause. A RINO is a Republican In Name Only and for sure, while we can understand Russ Feingold's move to censure the President as being good for Feingold's presidential ambitions, to have a member of the President's own party embrace this silly notion speaks volumes about Chafee.As an aside, we hear Chafee either won't run again or will not be supported by one dime of GOP support.From CitizenOutreach: THE RINO KING"Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-Wis.) resolution to censure President Bush for what he called 'illegal wiretapping' drew sharp denunciations from the White House and Senate Republicans on Monday ... One liberal GOP senator, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, offered some praise for Feingold, saying the resolution would be 'positive' if it fueled debate over the legality of some policies in the war on terrorism."- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 3/14/06 A Little FDR WisdomWhen you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Well Worth RememberingWars are not easy things and they are seldom won with peace restored as quickly as we'd like. Many are frustrated with the slowness of Iraq to form a permanent government but best to remember, as quoted from the NY Post: The members of Iraq's political class have chosen hope - chosen to fight their battles at the bargaining table rather than in the streets. By doing so, they are, in fact, offering an example of what democratic institutions are intended to do. They are supposed to replace armed conflict with political negotiation conducted by those who might otherwise take up weapons to get their way. This Is ScaryRuth Ginsburg, former head of the ACLU and now the only female on the Supreme Court, spoke recently about the mighty court's penchant for citing foreign law. A concept that, silly me, seems a bit absurd when considering American cases.Below, from Powerline.com a quote from a recent speech by Ms. Ginsburg: To a large extent, I believe, the critics in Congress and in the media misperceive how and why U.S. courts refer to foreign and international court decisions. We refer to decisions rendered abroad, it bears repetition, not as controlling authorities, but for their indication, in Judge Wald's words, of "common denominators of basic fairness governing relationships between the governors and the governed." Okaaaaay. But we do have a constitution already set up real nice like for the great Justices to interpret. If those basic fairnesses "governing relationships between the governors and the governed" aren't in our own fine constitution then they mean nothing in terms of the United States of America. It gets kicked backed to the elected legislators to deal with. What part of this does Ginsburg not understand?Jimi Hendrix?Indeed. And it's a thought worth pondering. Rainbow BridgeWe'd just lost a beloved dog who owned us on this earth for 15 years. Our grief was palpable. Soon after her death this missive came into my email. The author is anonymous and the message is reiterated across the mighty Internet so much that it has become a bit of folklore wisdom.Sure, it's a bit of fantasy and for sure again, there's likely no rainbow bridge except in a bereaved mind. Still, the notion that our beloved pets will be healthy again, will run and romp and -- the best concept of all -- be there to meet us when we too cross over, is comforting.So forgive this indulgence and who knows, perhaps the reader is facing or has recently faced the loss of a pet.For you, keep the dream of Rainbow Bridge in your heart. It helps the ache. Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Pat lives in Delaware with her husband. They are owned by four cats, two dogs and one adorable granddaughter. Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Notable Quotables 3/20/06

Patfish — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 07:57:28 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Oscar 2006 Quotes for PosterityCompiled by Blogcritics own Eric Olsen.We begin with the infamous George Clooney quote. Which was, ladies and gems, a rambling verbal vomit session that said pretty much of nothing.Clooney, on behalf of Hollywood, was a bit full of himself, granting tinsel town with such social progression as civil rights to AIDS to Oscars for minorities.I don't know about that AIDS thing and I'd sure like to see Clooney's proof that Hollywood was on the cutting edge of HIV-positive. As for pride of being "out of touch", I suggest that hey, stay out of touch Hollywood. Us idiots out here in la-la land just won't go to your movies.Yeah. That's the ticket. "I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I'm proud to be a part of this Academy, proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch." We move on to Paul Haggis, whose acceptance speech was a little more humble. Although, again, Crash was not a movie seen by very many. And that awful song! Imagine, Academy Award musical history occupied by a song titled "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp."But at least Haggis didn't break his arm patting himself and the Hollywood elite on their backs for social movements they had nothing to do with. Paul Haggis, Best Original Screenplay for Crash: "I just want to thank those people who take big risks in their daily lives, when there aren't cameras rolling. When there aren't people there to applaud. And the people out there who stand up for peace, and justice, and against intolerance. So I dedicate this to them. Thank you very much." Mine Own Fine QuotableIndeed. Published in Reader's Digest's monthly compilation of memorable quotes. It was true then, and it's still true now. Owning a pet is the best thing about being human. No other animal invites a different species into their "nest," providing love and food for nothing else but the sheer pleasure of their company.Reader's Digest-Pat Fish-1995 Grand Canyon QuoteCulled from an anecdote from an email list of older folks with fond memories. Thought this would be a great time to include a picture of the new Grand Canyon walkway. Imagine being able to walk out into the abyss of the canyon for a real view of grandeur and a nice dose of humility. AT THE GRAND CANYON, our guide was a student who attended college in a large city. We asked him what he felt was the greatest change in going from rural to urban living. "In the city," he said, "you can only see from horizon to horizon what man has made." Then he looked out over the awe-inspiring splendor of the canyon. "Here," he concluded softly, "you can see from horizon to horizon what God has made." Might Be True ......but maybe not.From Citizenoutreachblog.com, we have John Fund musing on possible burn out by the Bush administration team. Fund lists Katrina, the Miers nomination to the UAE port deals as examples of administration screw-ups. I take exception to the Katrina item as no one screwed up more than the local government in that debacle. As for Miers, well I don't know what that was all about. And that UAE deal did fly under the radar, right by those supposed to monitor such stuff.If Fund is right and there's a lot of White House leaking going on-this from an administration renown for its closed mouth- than it's possible the gang at the White House is burning out. BURN OUT"The two most dysfunctional management cultures I know of right now are the Bush White House and Yale University. From Katrina to Harriet Miers to Dubai, Team Bush is showing signs of being insular, burnt out, and desperately in need of new talent. The White House is also beset by an increasing number of leaks, the clear result of people frustrated that the higher-ups don't appear to be listening." On EducationWith the revelation of that Colorado teacher who preached in class that the United States was the most violent country in history, the below quote is perhaps truer than ever.From Muth's News and Views: EDUCATING VILLAGE IDIOTS"In days of old, teaching right from wrong was the responsibility of parents; schools exclusively taught the basics and neither teachers nor parents were charged with crimes for disciplining unruly children. Today, the 'village,' governmentally empowered to educate and look after our children, is producing arsonists and anarchists. It's ironic that our "evolved" liberal institutions of learning increasingly are producing graduates who have no ethics, no understanding of morality and no mastery of the skills that can reasonably be described as the basics of education."- Columnist Frank Salvato Marriage and Its SecretsCompiled by the Grandparentsrus email list, including wisdom on marriage from Winston Churchill! "People stay married because they want to, not because the doors are locked." - Paul Newman (1925-) from the film Winning "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." - Germaine Greer"To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the wedding cup, whenever you're wrong, admit it; whenever you're right, shut up." - Ogden Nash

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable Quotables 3/13/06

Patfish — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 11:36:33 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Hill and BillSo there's former President Clinton over in the UAE, recommending Joe Lockhart to help them with the PR required to overcome the negative reaction of the American public to the Dubai ports deal. Then there's his wife, Hillary, over here in American waxing on about how dangerous the deal is and it should not even be considered. Hillary's reaction to her husband's actions in UAE was that she didn't know what he was doing.Goodness knows these two would never talk out of both sides of their mouth or anything. Let's take a trip around the Blogosphere and find out what others have discovered or have to say.From the Muth Archives: DO THESE TWO EVER TALK?"U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton didn't know her husband was giving Dubai advice on the port deal she's fighting and Bill Clinton says he didn't even get paid for it." - New York Daily News, 3/3/306 From MSNBC.com: Mrs Clinton's own senatorial financial disclosure forms reveal that her husband earned $450,000 giving speeches in Dubai in 2002. From Americanprowler.com: "If his status is less clear, here is what we do know: If Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton did not know about her husband's standing with the United Arab Emirates and with Dubai World Ports, members of her Senate staff most assuredly did."There were enough people in the Clintons' orbit who were potentially going to be part of the deal," says an employee of a firm that does work for both Clintons. "We were pursuing work on the ports deal, and we cleared our participation with Clinton's office. We didn't want there to be a conflict." If anybody thinks that two lifelong politicians would not discuss this sort of thing please raise your hand. I've got some waterfront desert property for sale.Yale, Now Taliban UniversityThe Taliban used to execute women publicly for showing an ankle. They allowed Al-Queda to flourish. They were (are) horrible examples of man's inhumanity to man, or women in the Taliban's case.Now I don't know how involved this new Yale student Hashemi was with the Taliban (although the Fund quote below indicates he was a high official), but from the little I've heard he is neither ashamed of his former association with the Taliban or does he regret it. Yet the vaunted Yale welcomes him with eager diverse eyes.From the Muth Archives: TALIBAN U"Never has an article made me blink with astonishment as much as when I read in yesterday's New York Times magazine that Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, former ambassador-at-large for the Taliban, is now studying at Yale on a U.S. student visa. This is taking the obsession that U.S. universities have with promoting diversity a bit too far. Something is very wrong at our elite universities. . . . Yale is giving a first-class education to an erstwhile high official in one of the most evil regimes of the latter half of the 20th century--the government that harbored the terrorists who attacked America on Sept. 11, 2001."- John Fund on the Trail, 2/27/06 A Few More Abe Lincoln QuotesIn a recent Notable/Quotables I presented a compilation of quotes by Abe Lincoln. A few commenters offered up two more by Abe and I thought them so wise that we'll include them here. Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Thanks guys.India Reports on the President's VisitThere's nothing earth-shattering or mind-boggling in the quotes below from two Indian newspapers on Bush's recent visit. As Powerline reports, the prose is positive and without snide inferences or nasty adjectives.Once upon a time journalists were taught the "five w's" of reporting: Who, Why, Where, When and How. Nowhere in that mantra does it say "insert your own opinion". Unless, heh, it's an editorial. Once upon a time major newspapers had an editorial page. Now they have editorial newspapers.Quotes are included because yon savvy reader should be able to detect the difference in tone between many of our American newspapers and those in a land where reporters have not yet become part and parcel of the elite and political class on which they are supposed to report. The Tribune writes:Mr George W. Bush today wooed India like no other US President had ever done before and admitted that he had been "dazzled" by India. Like a seasoned Indophile, he reeled out facts after facts, with a liberal sprinkling of quotable quotes from two great makers of India -- Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru -- to convey to his countrymen back home that India had arrived. "The United States and India, separated by half the globe, are closer than ever before, and the partnership between our free nations has the power to transform the world."The Hindu writes that "Bush gets a glimpse of rural India": A brief visit to Hyderabad on Friday gave US President George W. Bush a glimpse of how India's rural economy sustains itself and, contrastingly, how young and modern-looking entrepreneurs plan to compete with the world's best in industry. Mr. Bush saw the use of simple and cost-effective technologies by farmers to improve yield and innovative methods to market their produce when he visited the Agricultural University named after an eminent son of the Andhra soil Prof. N. G. Ranga. Harking back to the days he spent at his ranch in Texas, the US President tried his hand at a tiller, a rake and a moisture-testing meter. The Katrina Aftermath Continues Based on a Bad PremiseWe are not stupid out here in la-la land. Most of us have had to deal with the government on some level, either the local motor vehicle unit onto the many other details of life that require government approval/license/permission.The bad premise as the hackles are raised over Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, is that our suddenly slow and bulky federal government is supposed to, with the appearance of one hurricane, suddenly become efficient responders with supplies and personnel at the ready. They are expected to show up on the scene within minutes of the storm's passing to pass out supplies, rescue those on rooftops and move the weak and lame to safer shores.Well that's not going to happen. Although such action is expected from the local government and there's the second bad premise. For the local governments of our experience aren't all that efficient either but at the very least they don't have to travel from Washington D.C. to save our sorry behinds who refused to save ourselves.Here's a prediction. No matter how much the finger-pointing continues or the accusations resound, come another major hurricane, we who carry this country on our backs will be packing cars and crating pets. We'll get out of the way of the hurricane our own fine selves.The rest can sit and wait for the government to save them.Heh.From the Muth Archives: GOVERNMENT'S EXPERTISE"Anyone who's ever filed a tax return or visited the Department of Motor Vehicles understands that government does two things well: spend our money and waste our time. Unfortunately, both traits were on display during the response to Hurricane Katrina."- Ed Fuelner of the Heritage Foundation The Best Question About the Dubai Port DealThe answer to the question quoted below by Rep. Ron Paul could tell us all we need to know about this questionable endeavor. Heck, the question itself is revealing.From the Muth Archives: The Port Security Controversy By Rep. Ron PaulThe Dubai company is owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates. It is in essence an agent of a foreign government, which raises questions: Does DP World truly operate like any corporation, answering to a board of directors, serving shareholders, and working to boost profitability? Or does it serve the foreign policy and economic goals of the United Arab Emirates? Leaving With Some SmilesOr quotes about smiles. You cannot be mad at somebody who makes you laugh - it's as simple as that. -- Jay Leno Laughter is an instant vacation. -- Milton Berle When you've killed the sense of humor of a nation, you've killed the nation. -- Red Skelton In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these. -- Paul Harvey

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable/Quotables 3/6/06

Patfish — Mon, 6 Mar 2006 07:32:21 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Ski Slopes and Port DealsBefore going into the many quotes of various pundits on the UAE port deal, let me point out here that I had the scoop on the United Arab Emirates ski slopes in the desert long before this port deal.Heh. I do, however, have an opinion on the whole matter and it's pretty much like many Americans. I hear the word "ports" and "Arab" together and I don't like it.Indeed and there you have it. Sure the sentiment is a bit of prejudice but how much does the average American have to see, read and hear about these people before the natural inclination of self-protection kicks in?By "these people" I mean the radical Islamfascists. Though I'll allow that the loud ones are likely few and far between in a world filled with Muslims. Problem is it's the mobs in the street rioting over cartoons for God's sake, that we see. It's the lovelies who chop off people heads and make the video available on the Internet that garner headlines. It's the kidnapers and terrorists and all the bad people doing bad things in the name of a religion that Americans see and hear. Not to mention that bit about hijacking our lawfully flying airplanes, ramming them into our lawfully built buildings on our own soil, and killing our peaceful citizens.So we hear "ports" and "Arabs" and we react. If Rush Limbaugh and President Bush don't think a first reaction of self-protection is normal than they've both been lying to us for the last four years. I'll admit my ignorance about such things as port matters and it is not only my confusion, but the collective confusion of a nation, including its congress critters, that add to the visceral reaction. I had no idea our country even sold ports although I understand it's more complicated than that. Add to my shock at the selling of the ports the notion that we're now selling them to Arabs. The United Arab Emirates doesn't hold such a great record no matter how much Rush and others try to convince me. Two of the 9-11 hijackers came from the UAE and at least one such attack on Osama Bin Laden was thwarted because princes from the UAE were out falcon hunting with him.I'd also add that there is a price to be paid for bad behavior. Again something Limbaugh used to preach to us and frankly I resent the change of tune he's recently adapted to please the administration.It's my story and I'm sticking to it.Americans don't like the notion of rioting mobs. Most of us have not forgotten 9-11 nor should we. Add a mish-mash of head chopping, electing terrorist groups to head the government and may I add a total lack of impetus for the so-called "moderate Muslims" to condemn such behavior. Throw Al-Jazeera in there for good measure.For the pundits to act like we're all idiots and are suddenly supposed to develop amnesia about this is insulting, frankly.Which does not mean that I am against this deal. I would sure like to learn more about it and by me the administration blew it by dropping this bombshell on us without considering the shock.The Middle Class runs this country. It's the middle class that's reacting viscerally to this whole matter and a bunch of congress critters are getting a lot of email and phone calls. Most Muslim countries don't even have a burgeoning middle class but that's another matter.The behavior of Muslims across this planet, at least the ones we see and hear on a regular basis, has been abominable. Perhaps the poobahs orchestrating the riots and financing the terrorists need to get the message.For if all people see is bad behavior than the choice is not to associate. How many of us willingly socialize with drunken louts if there's an alternative? Let the Islamfacists learn that no matter how that congress critter, even the president, looks them in the eye and makes promises, it's the American reaction to their behavior that closes the deal.Now on to some quotables from those who are "smarter" than us idiots who carry this country on our backs.The President Didn't Know?Every time something big happens in this country we hear that the President didn't know. He didn't know about Katrina. He didn't know about Cheney's shooting. Now he didn't know about the port deal.Can't they find someone in the White House whose job it would be is to regularly inform the President on current events? If they don't have anyone yet qualified for the job, I'll do it.From the Muth Archives: THE MORE WE LEARN, THE LESS WE LIKE"We're learning today that the president didn't even know about the sale of the contract to operate six major American ports to an Arab government until after the deal was done! Can this possibly be true? The United States is at war against Muslim terrorism, and a deal is cut to turn the operational control of six U.S. ports over to a Muslim government without the president even being informed? Please ... tell me this came from the Daily Show and not the daily White House press briefing."- Talk-show host Neal Boortz Limbaugh-Heard With My Own EarsA REAL DEAL KILLER"It doesn't help (that) this idiot Jimmy Carter has just come out for this port deal. I mean ... Jimmy Carter's just blown this deal sky-high by coming out and endorsing it."- Rush Limbaugh Ann Coulter SpeaksAnn and I agree on this.From the Muth Archives: ALL OF THE SUDDEN?"Bush's defense of the port deal is to say that 'those who are questioning it' need to 'step up and explain why all of a sudden a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard than a Great British company.' First of all, it's not 'all of a sudden.' The phrase you're searching for, Mr. President, is 'ever since the murderous attacks of Sept. 11.' The Bush administration's obstinate refusal to profile Middle Easterners has been the one massive gaping hole in national security since the 9-11 attacks - attacks that received indirect support from the United Arab Emirates."- Columnist Ann Coulter Rich Galen on Treating the Public Like IdiotsFrom the Muth Archives: PERCEPTION IS REALITY"This port deal is not a national security issue. It is an issue of this administration having a continuing problem with understanding how these things will play in the public's mind and not taking steps to set the stage so these things don't come as a shock and are presented in their worst possible light."- Rich Galen, Mullings.com, 2/21/06 Krauthammer Laments Democratic HypocrisyI'll go out on a limb here and suggest that Dr. Krauthammer has it wrong on this one. Chuck Schumer and Maryland's Governor Ehrlich reacted to the many citizen complaints about the matter. They are politicians. It's what we pay them to do.From the Muth Archives: DEM HYPOCRISY ON PORT ISSUE"If a citizen of the UAE walked into an airport in full burnoose and flowing robes, speaking only Arabic, Democrats would be deeply offended, and might even sue, if the security people were to give him any more scrutiny than they would to my sweet 84-year-old mother. Democrats loudly denounce any thought of racial profiling. But when that same Arab, attired in business suit and MBA, and with a good record running ports in 15 countries, buys P&O, Democrats howl at the very idea of allowing Arabs to run our ports."- Columnist Charles Krauthammer Heh. A Politician SpeaksA sound byte I like.From the Muth Archives: STRONG OPPOSITION"In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab Emirates, not just NO, but HELL NO!"- Rep Sue Myrick, R-N.C Controversy, Crap and ChaosAs a result of the White House press corps boo-hooing over the Cheney shooting and failing to call them in the middle of the night, across the Blogosphere there's a new mantra being bandied about. It's an alliteration thing, using three C's. Some call it Confusion, Crap and Chaos, some use my header above, or any variation of the two. Then a photo-shopped photo is used as the "logo", as it were, of the "Confusion, Crap and Chaos" slogan meant to epitomize the Mainstream media.Here's an example but the variations of the theme across the blogging realm are many.On Being All That You Can BeYou must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures. --Charles Noble Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. --Pamela Vaull Starr We know what we are, but know not what we may be. --William Shakespeare Leaving With a SmileThe wisdom of Anonymous A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.A successful woman is one who can find that man.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable/Quotables 2/27/06

Patfish — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 08:58:46 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Dick Cheney MadnessNow that the dust has settled on the Dick Cheney shooting, time to cull the wisest and/or snarkiest collection of commentary from across the Blogosphere.We begin with, heh, a Cheney joke. from Chuck Muth's News & Views, CHANGE THE SLOGAN"As a card-carrying member of the NRA, I want Wayne LaPierre to change the saying t Guns don't shoot people; Vice Presidents shoot people."- Rich Galen, Mullings.com, 1/15/06Then onto some fine pictorial commentary. Finally, some mythical headlines from Brokennews.com: Kingsville Dispatch "Sheriff Fines Cheney $100 For Only Wounding Lawyer" National Review Online "Shot Came From Grassy Noll" Dallas Morning News "Red States Poll Shows Cheney Shooting Was Justifiable" Austin Statesman "Cheney Says Victim's Quail Call Was Best He Ever Heard" Washington Post "Cheney Prevents Hunting Party From Field Dressing Shooting Victim" The Nation "Cheney Drove Shooting Victim to Hospital Tied to The Hood of His Car" Texas Medical Association Bulletin "Corpus Christi Hospital To Do Jackass Face Transplant On Cheney Shooting Victim" San Antonio Express/News "Sneaky Lawyer Tactics Don't Work On Cheney" Houston Chronicle "Personal Injury Lawyers Hold Candlelight Vigil Outside Cheney Victim Hospital" Wyoming Tribune Eagle "Cheney Friends Decline Fall Duck Hunting Invitation" La Raza "Cheney Shooting Victim Gets Emergency Room Priority Over Illegal Aliens" Vegan News "Cheney Shooting Victim Converts To Vegetarian In Hospital" NRA American Rifleman "Witnesses Claim Cheney Only Feathered Lawyer" New Orleans Times Picayune "Getting 'Dicked' Has All New Meaning" Some Quotes from "Western" MuslimsThe cartoon riots across the planet have grown old. In fact, I suspect it is this boorish behavior that causes the United States of America to balk at the awarding of a contract to the United Arab Emirates to run this country's major ports. There's something to be said for such as images and public relations. Something the poobahs desperate to control oil wealth and behind the scenes choreographers of the cartoon riots do not quite get.Us Americans, silly us, don't take kindly to this sort of civil unrest and the images of those "seething Muslims" burning cars and embassies is not, I suggest this softly, such a good sight byte. It's the sort of upheaval we have come to associate with the so-called angry Muslims across the world. And having the UAE manage this country's ports brings visions of this sort of activity on our own land.There's also that little matter of how the so-called "moderate Muslims" don't call down these basket cases for their uncivilized behavior. Let's take a look at some of these moderate Muslims and see what they have to say.From Powerlineblog, a British Muslim speaks: The AP quotes Taji Mustafa, spokesman for the Muslim Action Committee, which organized the Hyde Park event:Mustafa said the cartoons were reminiscent of attacks on Jews in European publications in the 1930s. "Now there is a demonization of the Muslim community, so we have to speak up to prevent something like the Holocaust from happening," he said.The analogy is silly, of course, but, hey, look on the bright side--at least he admits that the Holocaust did take place.From the NY Post we have some ideas from an American Muslim: By ANDREA PEYSER THE young man with the hot head calls himself Abdullah, which he translates to mean "slave of God." This slave is revolting, in more ways than one. "If anyone disrespects the prophet, it's our duty to kill him," he said. "One drop of Muslim blood is worth all the blood in the world." The man who calls himself Abdullah steeled his gaze at a non-believer. "You insult the prophet," he snarled, "and you will pay." And they wonder why we don't want them running our ports.Who Was Abraham Lincoln's Speech Writer?Said question written tongue in cheek. Because I don't think Lincoln had a speech writer. For sure I learned that the famous Gettysburg Address was written by Abe on the back of an envelope. Below are some Lincoln quotes, compiled by the "Mountain Wings" email list. The quotes are simple things but powerful in that very simplicity.Can any politician today write something like a Gettysburg Address? Does any politico of our era have the courage to utter the powerful truths below? Seven Quotes by AbeIf I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent.Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.Whatever you are, be a good one.Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally. ~Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)~ This Is Likely the TruthAlthough Cheney would deny it. Compiled by Chuck Muth: SCREWING THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA"At some level, probably the vice-presidential level, the decision was made to release the story of the hunting accident to the local Corpus Christi newspaper in Texas rather than to the Washington press corps."...They know they were slighted, and they're furious. They're going to retaliate ... they're going to show the vice-president and the White House who runs the media show around these parts. How DARE the vice-president bypass them with the story of this shooting!"Then ... let's twist the knife just a bit more. Cheney then gives an interview to the Fox News Channel. You can't imagine how these White House press darlings hate Fox News."- Talk show host Neal Boortz Has-Been Actor Tries to Regain Glory by Calling for Bush ImpeachmentCome on. Richard Dreyfuss was great in Jaws. Since, well I don't know what he's been doing though I heard this fellow was seriously into drugs.Whatever the case, does this actor really think he's going to lead the call to impeach a president lawfully elected? Impeach him for what?But hey, it's gets the old goat a mention and goodness knows this has-been needs it.Another Muth's Truth: HOLLYWOOD STILL WHINING ABOUT W"Richard Dreyfuss, the actor who starred in movies ranging from 'Jaws' to 'Mr. Holland's Opus,' told an audience in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that 'there are causes worth fighting for,' and one of those is the impeachment of President George W. Bush." - CNS News, 2/16/06 Leaving With a SmileI've always suspected that for all the big boobs and big hair, Dolly Parton is one shrewd lady. Below, this smart lady's take on blonde jokes. I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb --- and I'm also not blonde. -Dolly Parton- Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable Quotables 2/13/06

Patfish — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 08:40:40 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Voter ReformIt's very important for yon reader to pay attention.For as we walk softly through our lives we perform actions that require photo identification constantly. Should a cop stop our speeding vehicle, we must produce a driver's license with, guess what...a picture of our fine selves.Debit cards required photo ID. Student ID's require a photo. There's an entire industry based on producing pictures for visas.We're used to this sort of thing is what I'm saying here.So why, what with that 2000 election and the many dead who vote across the land, is requiring a photo ID for voting the subject of such contention?This is why we must pay attention. Pay attention to just who is fighting against such a requirement. A requirement that leaves those of us who vote just one time and are still alive shrugging our shoulders in acceptance. In fact, I'm amazed that so far only seven states now require photo ID to vote. I note they are mostly red states.I'll tell you who's going to protest against voter photo ID requirements. Count on Al Sharpton to throw up a fuss. This man makes a handsome living by delivering needed votes for whatever carpetbagger wants to be Senator from New York.Jesse Jackson for sure. Jesse will even hire buses and port several hundred protesters to states daring to enact this common sense measure. They'll call it discrimination, a throwback to the days when African Americans had to fight snarling dogs to get at the voting booth. Though those same bus passengers likely often produce a photo ID for all manner of everyday transactions.Pay attention to what states actually enact a voter photo ID. I'll wager we won't see the following states chasing this legislation: Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico.States that have large populations living on Indian reservations, probably not. There are entire industries that revolve around getting Native Americans, many of them dead, on the voter rolls.The vast majority of Americans favor photograph voter identification. Georgia, in fact, referenced in the below quotable from Chuck Muth, is making the process extremely easy, even providing transportation to a voter registration center for those without transportation or in some cases, will come to a potential voter's home.The picture is a ha-ha I know but it's just how slap-happy I feel about the furor over voter photo identification. It's nonsensical; a joke.Our constitution will not allow the federal government to pass a voter photo identification law. These laws must be passed by state governments and some states rather like having the ability to, ah, shall we say, manipulate the vote.GEORGIA ON MY MIND"Georgia's Republican lawmakers believe the integrity of elections is more important than voter convenience. They want voters to produce photo identification at every election. So this week, they passed a bill to make Georgia the seventh state to require that voters show photo ID at the polls (Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina and South Dakota are the others). On Thursday, Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the bill into law."- Las Vegas Review Journal, 1/28/06 "Pajamaline"Heh.Seems Paul Mirengoff, founder of the very popular political site, Powerline, interviewed Dick Durbin, Senator from Illinois and very vocal during the hearings about the administration's NSA intercept program.On behalf of Pajamas Media, a new blog venture which Mirengoff if a participant, Paul asked Durbin the most basic of questions. Paraphrased, Mirengoff asked Durbin that if he thought the NSA intercept program to be illegal, why didn't he and his fellow Lords in the House of Lords (a.k.a. The Senate) just pass a law making it illegal?An excellent question in that the House of Lords has absolutely no power, read my lips, to wage a war. We have a Commander-in-Chief has defined in our constitution for a reason. How effective would a war be if waged by 100 Leaping Lords and 500 plus Reps in the House of Representatives?The House of Lords cannot pass a law as Mirengoff inquired of Durbin because that would be a violation of this country's separation of powers. Remember third grade civics? There's an executive branch, a legislative branch and a judicial branch. Such a law would be ran, not walked, directly to the Supreme Court and likely, if the Justices know their third-grade civics, be declared unconstitutional.So why are the Lords pontificating all about this NSA program if they can't do a thing about it, as posed by the question by Mirengoff? Not that any other of the mainstream journalists would pose such a question what with getting their information by faxed talking points, bothered to asked such a pointed question.It's a simple fact that even the blind can see. The Lords are uppity that this country's Commander-in-Chief is doing his job as required by our constitution and not consulting them for political points as they desire. They're just making sound and sight bites for the midterm elections is what I'm saying here.Although the President did inform the leaders- of both parties- of the Senate Intelligence Committee, about the NSA program. Informed them at least eight times as I understand it. But no, the Lords of the minority party that were consulted now say they were fooled and the House of Lords now wants all Lords informed so that the stupid ones who failed to see a sound bite when it smacked them in the faces can immediately run to the NY Times and spill the secrets.It was a refreshing breeze when blogger Mirengoff put Durbin on the spot by asking the question every other reporter present should have asked long ago.On the matter of the blogger who confused Lord Durbin so that he swore he would look up "Pajamaline" just as soon as could, we have the following quote from National Review: "The 'who do you work for' defense isn't going to work anymore, but my guess is that politicians will be using it more often as bloggers start doing original reporting and covering live events. Why? Because bloggers often come from the ranks of working professionals - in this case, a lawyer - and will be drawn to covering areas where they can legitimately claim some expertise. Professional journalists are asked to jump from issue to issue, often with little time to study in between. When I covered the WTO ministerial in Hong Kong, I noticed that the most challenging questions came from writers for trade publications who knew the issues cold. Bloggers combine that expertise with a passion for politics, and that can lead to some very challenging questions for politicians."We especially loved Mirengoff's response to Durbin's challenge of his credentials. "Dan Rather knows us," Mirengoff responded.Heh.The video of the Durbin questioning by Mirengoff can be found on the Pajamas Media site.No Words NeededPoignant and Worth RepeatingPresident Bush quoted Clay during the recent State of the Union speech. The words are beautiful. The author died protecting every one of us. AMONG THE GREATEST AMERICAN HEROES"I faced death with the secure knowledge that you would not have to. Never falter! Don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting."- Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay, who was killed last year fighting in Fallujah, in a letter to his family which was highlighted in President Bush's State of the Union address this week The Base is AngryIt's always been considered that Republicans were the party of government spending restraint. This particular set of congress critters representing the GOP seem to have lost that mission.The Republican base, as it were, is angry.From Muth's News & Views: GOP CONGRESS ON STEROIDS"Congress under Republican control has increased earmarks 873 percent in a decade."- Columnist George Will Partial Birth Abortion Upheld by 9TH CircuitThe legislators, ladies and gems, keep trying to stop the practice of partial birth abortion. A procedure where babies are murdered in their mothers' wombs through insertion of a long needle into their brains. Partial birth abortions are done all the way up through the day of birth if required.The un-elected Justices, beginning with Roe vs. Wade, seem to think legislating abortion is their job. Not that the voters couldn't decide such a thing, what a concept. So the 9th circuit of the federal court continues to uphold the practice of partial birth abortion.Give them time. Soon enough it will be permissible to kill a five-year-old, hey we'll call it "after birth abortion". This will be especially permissible in the case where the five-year-old is dangerous to the "health of the mother".From the AP: 9TH CIRCUS UPHOLDS BARBARIC PROCEDURE"A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a congressional ban on a form of abortion is unconstitutional. A three-judge panel for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's ruling in June 2004, saying the ban on partial-birth abortions lacks an exception for when a woman's health is at stake. The ruling also called the ban 'impermissibly vague.'"- Associated Press, 1/31/06 Leaving With a SmileErma, we miss you.My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being, hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint. -Erma Bombeck- Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable/Quotables 2/6/06

Patfish — Mon, 6 Feb 2006 07:39:19 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. An Unbiased CNN Host?There's nothing wrong with being biased. In fact, visit almost any blog in the sphere and there will likely be some sort of bias, either in terms of content or ideological slant. The difference -the blogs don't lie about their bias. Or do they claim to have no bias at all.Yet the Old Media continues to assert some sort of non-existent journalistic impartiality that hasn't existed for ages, if ever. Witness these two recent segues by CNN Lou Dobbs.From the CNN Transcript: DOBBS: Turning now to the war on the middle class in this country, the 60,000 American auto workers losing their jobs over the next three years don't appear to be a concern for this White House.Next, the unbiased Dobbs moves on to a story on China: DOBBS: We're taking a closer look tonight at yet another complete U.S. policy failure... Now go with me here. Asserting as a prequel to a story that the White House doesn't appear to be concerned over the story coming up is not exactly reporting "just-the-facts-ma'am." To do such a thing right up front is a blatant attempt to prejudice the viewer. Then in the same show Dobbs moves on with yet another biased prequel, asserting that the story about to come is yet another policy failure. Two things going on here: one) "yet another" indicates that there's a long list of such policy failures; two) the story about to come is just one of those policy failures.Why can't Dobbs just give the details and let the viewers decide?The big print media organs across the fruited plains are dropping like rocks in the stock market and laying off many employees. Readers with brains got a bit tired of these hoary institutions giving a version of events that at best, provides one side of the story, at worst, are outright lies. Bloggers started reporting the facts, with a bias sure but right up front, and the grand old dams of the print world began tumbling down.Now there's such a podcasts and soon enough, citizen journalists will start delivering their own news programs. CNN has lost in the ratings race to Fox long ago. CNN had once been the premiere news program of the cable news sphere.Lou Dobbs' insult to the viewer's intelligence that only he is astute enough to analyze the news he is about to report is part of the reason CNN began that long decline.I have not one ounce of respect for the man. Well It Is a ConundrumRichard Cohen is the most liberal of columnists for the Washington Post. He is not, insert smile here, considered a person of great humor. But his quote below, culled from Chuck Muth's News and Views, is a real hoot.Before, let me say that I too am surprised that John Wayne is considered one of America's most beloved movie stars. Not that Wayne wasn't a fine actor in his day. Still, it is perplexing. We've got the wonderful Sean Penn and goodness George Clooney, both handsome actors and political activists of sorts. Then there's Bono out and about and telling us to forgive third world debt that the African Poobahs can have their fine cloths and gold jewels. Hey, how about Jennifer Anniston, always showing those breasts, always caught unawares? Which leads to Brad Pitt, of course, and the mother of his child-to-be, Angelina Jolie. My oh my, all of this current talent and Americans consider John Wayne their most beloved of actors? Some might suggest the John Wayne choice to be a reaction to the Brokeback Mountain success. But I won't go there. LEMME TELL YA, PILGRIM"The latest poll is not good for the Democrats. . . . I'm talking about the recently released Harris Poll showing John Wayne one of the most popular movie stars of 2005 among Americans. The one thing he and the Democratic Party have in common is that they are both dead."- Columnist Richard CohenBarack Obama, the Dems' New Super StarI saw the show referred to in this American Thinker analysis. Yes, I too thought Obama's words were the stuff of common sense. "We need to recognize, because Judge Alito will be confirmed, that if we're going to oppose a nominee that we've got to persuade the American people that, in fact, their values are at stake. There is an over-reliance on the part of Democrats for procedural maneuvers." He added "There's one way to guarantee that the judges who are appointed to the Supreme Court are judges that reflect our values. And that's to win elections." ...with George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This WeekThe American Thinker goes on with this: he voted to sustain this pointless filibuster against Judge Alito's confirmation? I guess he should have said "There is an over-reliance on the part of Democrats for procedural maneuvers, and I'm no exception, but don't let that fact stop you from thinking that I am dispensing lofty pearls of wisdom, sharing insights only a preternatural being like me can see." It's true. The new Democratic Super Star pontificated from his throne on Stephanopoulos TV. Then he went and did the exact opposite of his wise words!Talking out of both sides of one's mouth must be a requirement for Democratic super stardom. Another, More Sincere Take on the Matter From the mighty Captain at Captain's Quarters: Bush won two elections and the Republicans won ever-growing majorities in the Senate based in large part on their views of the judiciary. People want judges like Alito confirmed, and that's the point of saying that elections have consequences. One More Good SnortFrom News and Views: FOOLS ON THE HILL"And of course the filibuster (against Supreme Court nominee Sam Alito) cannot succeed. Seven Democratic senators are on record as renouncing the filibuster except in 'extraordinary circumstances,' and it's hard to think of a circumstance more ordinary than Kennedy and Kerry behaving like fools."- James Taranto of Best of the Web, 1/27/06 No Snorts, Just Smiles "I bought some batteries, but they weren't included." - Steven Wright"I read part of it all the way through." - Samuel Goldwyn "Common sense is genius dressed up in work clothes." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Leaving With a Sweet Truth ...Because I are one. When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window. ~Ogden Nash Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable/Quotables-1/30/06

Patfish — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:59:00 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. A Harsh Truth About Hillary's PlantationFor surely the sound byte of the past week has been Hillary Clinton's allegation that the House of Representatives was run like a plantation and her assertion that her audience knew what she was "talking about".Said audience being a primarily black audience and the occasion for the speech the birthday of black icon, Martin Luther King.Of all the rhetoric about this Hillary remark, I find this one, from Opinion Journal.com, to be the harshest as well as the truest. Al Sharpton arranged that speech and if Al knows nothing else, he knows how to pander to the blacks of New York. He is a major reason Hillary even won her Senate seat in New York, carpetbagger that she is.She plays on the black sense of grievance then politely walks all over their support in her insane quest for the presidency.Has anybody seen the latest polls on Hillary? Two years before the 2008 elections, fully 51% of the public state they would never vote for the woman. If this many feel this way now, how bad will it be the close the election looms? Will the Democratic party give up any hope whatsoever of regaining power, all to appease this woman with exactly zero voter appeal? Mrs. Clinton came to Al Sharpton's MLK celebration looking for an easy harvest of black votes. And she knew the drill--white liberals and Dems whistle for the black vote by pandering to the black sense of grievance. Once positioned as the white champions of this grievance, they actually turn black resentment into white liberal power. Today, Democrats cannot be competitive without this alchemy. So Mrs. Clinton's real insult to blacks--one far uglier than her plantation metaphor--is to value them only for their sense of grievance. Mrs. Clinton's husband was a master of this alchemy, and his presidency also illustrated its greatest advantage. Once black grievance is morphed into liberal power, it need never be honored. President Clinton notoriously felt black pain, won the black vote, and then rewarded blacks with the cold shower of welfare reform. And here, now, is Mrs. Clinton sidling up to the trough of black grievance, eyes wide in expectation, but also a tad contemptuous. It is hard to fully respect one's suckers. Speaking of HillaryBelow, two quotes by Hillary on Iran. Immediately below, Hillary, allegedly the smartest woman in the world, complains during a recent speech in Princeton, N.J., that this administration is "outsourcing" negotiations on Iran. "Outsourcing" being a euphemism for letting the Germans, Russians and French handle Iran. Which is what the White House is doing. For now.From Newsday: "I believe that we lost critical time with ... Iran because the White House chose to downplay the threats and to outsource the negotiations," she said. "I don't believe ... in standing on the sidelines." I am reminded of all of Hillary's and her party's yapping about the Bush administration's alleged refusal to get the international community involved with Iraq. Now she yaps that they're "outsourcing" the issue of Iran.Heh.But it gets better. From OnlineJournal.com: we have this Hillary quote from a speech before AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee):"So let us be unequivocally clear. A nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable, but it is not just unacceptable to Israel and to the United States. It must be unacceptable to the entire world, starting with the European governments and people. I know that during your conference and in the lobbying that you will be doing on Capitol Hill, you're trying to draw attention to the threat that is posed by a nuclear Iran. And I commend you for these efforts; this is one of our most serious security and foreign policy priorities. And we need to make working with our allies to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon a top priority. Hmmmmm. Here Hillary wants the administration to work "with our allies" on Iran.Speaking from both sides of her mouth, shrewish, dishonest as all get out. And she thinks Americans are going to elect her?Heh. Among Dick Durbin's Reasons for Not Voting for AlitoSam Alito, Bush's recent nominee for Supreme Court Justice, does not, it would seem, like Bruce Springstein. This from a New Jersey native!At least as Dick Durbin, Senator from Illinois, sees it. For how could a fine Lord from America's House of Lords (a.k.a. the Senate) possibly vote for a native of New Jersey what doesn't like The Boss? We've got to have standards for installing a judge on the most Supreme of Courts!According to the Suntimes, Lord Dick Durbin laments: "Judge Alito was extremely guarded in his answers. Judge Alito, a New Jersey native, wouldn't even say whether he was a Bruce Springsteen fan. I asked him about that, and his answer was, 'I am -- to some degree.' Now he may be one of the few people from New Jersey who has such cautious fealty to The Boss." On Jack AbramoffThere are no answers to the problem in the quotes below. There are, however, some not-to-be-denied observations.From Chuckmuth News & Views: ONE IN A MILLION"It's called the 'Abramoff Scandal' because calling it the 'Washington Scandal' would hardly distinguish it from others."- Paul Jacob of Americans for Limited Government Also from News & Views: POLITICAL ANTS"When you spread food out on a picnic table, you can expect ants. When you put $3 trillion on the table, you can expect special interests, lobbyists and pork-barrel politicians. As long as the federal government has so much money and power to hand out, we'll never get rid of the Abramoffs. Restrictions on lobbying deal with symptoms, not causes."- David Boaz of the Cato Institute Ted Kennedy and ChutzpahThe bloated Lord from Massachusetts does lend himself so well to ridicule, does he not? I watched him today and the fine Lord made no attempt to pretend to be nothing more than reading the talking points from his special interest contributors. It's so sad. But why do the fine people of Massachusetts keep electing this loser? From the Boston Globe: THE CHUTZPAH OLYMPICS "(Judge Robert) Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court was derailed so effectively that 'bork' became a verb meaning to ruthlessly savage a nominee's record in order to defeat his confirmation. And now (Sen Ted) Kennedy complains that judicial nominations are too politicized? If chutzpah were an Olympic event, he would walk away with the gold."- Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby Ending With a SmileCame across this little funny and couldn't help but smile. The sad thing, every word of this tongue-in-cheek bit of sarcasm is true.From Muth News&Views: PUBLIC SCHOOL SOCIALIZATION"When my wife and I mention we are strongly considering homeschooling our children, we are without fail asked, 'But what about socialization?' Fortunately, we found a way our kids can receive the same socialization that government schools provide."On Mondays and Wednesdays, I will personally corner my son in the bathroom, give him a wedgie and take his lunch money. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my wife will make sure to tease our children for not being in the 'in' crowd, taking special care to poke fun at any physical abnormalities. Fridays will be 'Fad and Peer Pressure Day.' We will all compete to see who has the coolest toys, the most expensive clothes, and the loudest, fastest, and most dangerous car."Every day, my wife and I will adhere to a routine of cursing and swearing in the hall and mentioning our weekend exploits with alcohol and immorality. And we have asked (our kids) to report us to the authorities in the event we mention faith, religion, or try to bring up morals and values."- From the Kolbe Little Home Journal, Fall 2005 (Thanks for sending this gem along, Dad!) Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable Quotables 1/23/06

Patfish — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 09:23:11 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Lord Biden Opens Mouth and Inserts FootSince he's mine own fine Senator in the Senate (a.k.a. The House of Lords), I feel it's my perfect right to poke fun at this big-mouthed Lord.The man never answers an email or responds to a phone call from fine citizens such as myself. He's entirely too busy running for President.Like that's going to happen.Some Biden sound bytes from a "Muth's Truths" email: "I didn't even like Princeton," he said, to laughter from the gallery. "I mean, I really didn't like Princeton. I was an Irish Catholic kid who thought it had not changed like you concluded it had," referring to Alito's earlier statement that Princeton had changed its traditional ways before he enrolled. ...above at Alito hearings"It's an honor to be here," he told the audience. "It would have been an even greater honor to have come here."Biden also said yesterday: "One of my real dilemmas is I have two kids who went to Ivy League schools. I'm not sure my Grandfather Finnegan will ever forgive me for allowing that to happen."But in his speech at Princeton, he said, "I have three children who have mercifully all finally completed undergraduate and graduate school. And I tried to get all three of them to apply here." ...above biden BEFORE Alito One More BidenBecause one can never get enough Biden. To that end, Lord Biden is training his son, Beau, to fill his shoes. Indeed Delaware's Governor, Nanny Minner, tried to appoint Beau Biden-who did stay at a Holiday Inn Express near a court house once-the state's Attorney General. A generous and loud public uproar put an end to that.Below, the WAPO's Richard Cohen, hardly a partisan Republicrat, states his summation of Biden and mouth...from a "Muth's Truths" email. YODEL-AY-HEE-HOO! "The only thing standing between Joe Biden and the presidency is his mouth. It is a Himalayan barrier, a Sahara of a handicap."- Columnist Richard Cohen of the Washington Post You Mean They Had Lobbyists in 1770? Jack Abramoff notwithstanding, I am surprised at such wisdom from so long ago. Frankly I'm not sure if that parenthetical "corrupt politician" thing is part of the original quote but it is just as applicable.A democracy . . . can only exist until the voters (or corrupt politicians) discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury . . . with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy . . . ." Alexander Tyler, Cycle of Democracy, 1770 Time for the CoultergeistLove her or hate her, one has to admit that bit about women having come to "depend" on abortion is really lame. If that's the abortion proponents' sound byte du jour they need another PR firm.Of course' Annie's assertion about women wanting to have sex with men that they don't want to have children with leaves out part of the equation. I'd suggest abortion is a way out for women who want to have sex with men that they don't want to have children with ... now.Annie's right, however. The right to an abortion is not guaranteed by the constitution. It's a cultural issue. It's subject to public debate. It's something the legislators should be dealing with, not nine un-elected judges from their judicial perches.The Roe vs. Wade decision was bad law, period. It removed control over the entire process from any legislative restrictions. Thus we have 8-month-term babies removed from their mother's womb via knitting needles that pierce their skull in utero.From a "Muth's Truths" email: COULTERGEIST"According to Dianne Feinstein, Roe v. Wade is critically important because "women all over America have come to depend on it.' At its most majestic, this precious right that women 'have come to depend on' is the right to have sex with men they don't want to have children with. There's a stirring principle! . . . The right to have sex with men you don't want to have children with is not exactly 'Give me liberty, or give me death.' In the history of the nation, there has never been a political party so ridiculous as today's Democrats. It's as if all the brain-damaged people in America got together and formed a voting bloc."- Columnist Ann Coulter Speaking of the Supreme CourtIf they're not legislating from the bench on abortion or other issues best handled by the voters and their elected representatives, well darn just use foreign law as basis for rulings.They are nine un-elected judges who have no right to abscond with the voters' right to dialogue and choice. For sure they have no right to use foreign law as a basis on decisions that affect Americans. And they referenced foreign law right in their decision! What Americans voted on this foreign law? What American representatives debated the matter? Give them time. They shall be kings. They will rule the planet, plucking and choosing from laws across Earth that please them.Give them time. From a "Muth's Truths" email: USING FOREIGN LAW"That senator, Tom Coburn, R-Okla., berated the current Supreme Court for using foreign law as a basis for its rulings. The court did that in a 5-4 ruling last March when it noted most of the world bars the execution of juveniles and banned the practice in this country. 'The vast majority of Americans don't think it's proper for the Supreme Court to use foreign law,' Coburn said. Alito agreed that 'the framers would be stunned' at the idea of looking to the laws of other nations to interpret the Bill of Rights."- Newhouse News Service, 1/12/06 A Moment for the Cats That Own Us I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not. Mine had me trained in two days. - Bill Dana (William Szathmary) Newt SpeaksNow how many times have I pointed out that this is all about incumbency protection, citizens be damned? Rush Limbaugh would call it an "I told you so." For myself, without benefit of twenty million listeners, modesty prevents. From a Delaware GOP email: THE BIGGER CORRUPTION SCANDAL"Politicians in a relentless pursuit of incumbency protection and power have used big government spending to perfect a Washington-insider dominated system to maintain control at the expense of good governance. As a system, this is much more dangerous than the Abramoff scandal alone. Although corrupt in nature, this self-perpetuating incumbency protection racket is legal because Congress makes it so. The earmarks for pork, the exploitative nature of the Senate that hogties presidential appointments, the special provisions written into an overly complex tax code, and late-night meetings are all part of this larger problem of political power passing the limits assigned to it."- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich Wal-Mart and Another Maryland BusinessWhen I lived in Maryland I was employed by a modest sized company of about 150 employees. That company owned many properties in Maryland and acquired more while I was employed there.All in the name of legitimate capitalism, mind you. While I enjoyed working for this company, the owners had an annoying tendency to be ..., ah, a bit on the liberal side of things.Now that I am in Delaware I occasionally consult for this same company as they also own property in this fine state. So I chanced to speak to one of the slightly liberal owners from my former full-time employer."So what do you think of the Wal-Mart ruling?" I asked."What about it?" the response.I then proceeded to explain, amazed as always that people who own a business don't keep up on this sort of stuff. No wait. That's part of the reason they kept me around. I proceeded to explain that Wal-Mart must now contribute money to all of their employees' health care costs, even the part-timers. I knew, please understand, that this company employs a lot of part-timers. Here on the Delmarva shore they run hotels, campgrounds and marinas that are very seasonal businesses. This is a part-time world down this way."Do you think that's right?" I continued. "Wal-Mart is currently the only Maryland business with the current benchmark of 10,000 employees so right now it's the only business affected. How many employees does (insert that company's name here) have now?"I could hear the gulp across the phone lines. "Right now we've got about 200 employees," he said with a shaky voice. I realized that dawn broke over his marble head somewhere back in Maryland. Such as vacations, health-care insurance, pensions, etc., are almost never awarded to part-time employees. It would probably bankrupt this company of 200 employees to suddenly have to give its part-timers the same benefits as the full-time staff."Give it time," I said, not without a bit of a verbal smirk. "What with how (insert name of company here)'s growing and given a few more years of labor contributions to the current crop of Maryland politicians, they'll winnow that requirement down to businesses the size of (insert name of company here)."No," I heard the shaky voice reply. "No, I don't think that's right."Well of course it's not right! Liberals sometimes change their stripes when they see the train heading directly at them. From a GOP email: SCREWING WAL-MART ROYALLY"Maryland on Thursday passed a law requiring large, private companies doing business in the state to spend at least eight percent of their payroll on employee health benefits. The Fair Share Health Care law is aimed at Wal-Mart. Although the state's Republican governor vetoed the bill earlier this year, the state House and Senate overrode that veto on Thursday, to the delight of labor unions and Wal-Mart foes."- CNS News, 1/13/06 Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.

Notable/Quotables 1/9/06

Patfish — Mon, 9 Jan 2006 10:36:35 EST

Quotes of Note that reflect what conservatives think. Or are up against. Put the Bureaucrats in Charge, That's the TicketJames Risen, he whose book release coincided conveniently with his newspaper's release of classified information, had an interview this past week with perky Katie.Katie noted how Cheney, Rumsfeld et al, - only the people responsible for running the damn war and protecting us from future attacks like 9-11 - do not "come across very well" in Risen's book.Then Risen himself admits that from 9-11 on, the administration dared to take the job of foreign policy away from the bureaucrats.Not that the attack on this country wouldn't be an example of sorts of how these same bureaucrats failed to protect the nation's security but forgive me for such common sense.Pretty much gives a clue as to who might have been leaking to Risen, huh? COURIC: Meanwhile, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet do not come across very well in this book. Mr. RISEN: Well, I--I think that during a period from about 2000--from 9/11 through the beginning of the Gulf--the war in Iraq, I think what happened was you--we--the checks and balances that normally keep American foreign policy and national security policy towards the center kind of broke down. And you had more of a radicalization of American foreign policy in which the--the--the career professionals were not really given a chance to kind of forge a consensus within the administration. And so you had the--the--the principles--Rumsfeld, Cheney and Tenet and Rice and many others--who were meeting constantly, setting policy and really never allowed the people who understand--the experts who understand the region to have much of a say. The Quote This Week That Says It AllNo attribution. But I like it. "The individual activity of one man with a backbone will do more than a thousand men with a mere wishbone." Taking a Moment for Man's Best Friend The greatest pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him, and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too. - Samuel Butler Point to Remember When the Abramoff Damage Hits the RadarSure, we know the Congress critters are not angels, go on.It's that bit about obliging the government to control itself that they keep mucking up.The 2005 Campaign Finance Reform Incumbent Re-election Insurance Act didn't do a thing to keep the government in control of itself. Save preventing ordinary citizens from criticizing candidates 90 days before an election. Lamestream media excepted, of course. And we know how honest they are.Note this now, soon enough they'll be out shouting about "lobbying reform."Heh.It's never about controlling themselves, ladies and gems.It's always about insuring control of their precious power. Madison again, in Federalist 51: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself." Speaking of the Celestial Why Stop Now With the Heavenly References? "If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan Ending With a SmileOr maybe a smirk.The vaunted NY Times. Can always count on them to lay it out fair and balanced.Heh. Pat Fish is a published author and her books have drawn attention from her fellow reviewers on Blogcritics. Reviews of Memoirs of Josephine Fish and Mystery and Mirth have been conveniently provided for your reading pleasure.

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.