The Assault on Freedom - the Michigan Front.

The Nonsmoking Hordes of Michigan are now pushing for a complete ban on smoking in most businesses. The principal targets would be restaurants and bars, with mercy granted toward tobacconists and cigar bars...for now.

We believe there is a whopper being told as part of this campaign, namely the suggestion that some 1800 Michiganders die each year from exposure to second-hand smoke. This is more than the yearly death toll in motor vehicle accidents in the state. There is likely an imaginative use of statistics is involved in this claim; the level of risk from second-hand smoke (or environmental tobacco smoke, ETS) has been claimed to be significant in some studies, and almost negligible in others. There are also other mitigating factors, such as proper ventilation, that are not considered by the pro-ban forces. Moreover, other occupational hazards involved in restaurants and bars are taken for granted, such as prolonged exposure to burning oils and liquids, grill smoke and aerosols, cutting tools, etc. How many grillcooks lives may have been cut short because of our love for a charburger?

There are many businesses that have voluntarily become smoke-free. Fine - it is the proprietor's rights to do so, and if the marketplace supports their stand, so be it. But there is no inherent right for a nonsmoker to demand that every proprietor provide an entirely smoke free environment. Nonsmokers do have a legitimate recourse to this insult to their sensibilities: refuse to patronize such unelightented establishments. And we'll celebrate your freedom of choice as you walk on by with the ignition of a fine premium cigar.

Operation Care Package.



With a donation of $25 you can sponsor a care package and include a personal message of support and encouragement. These USO Care Packages at minimum, include requested items such as pre-paid worldwide phone cards, sunscreen, travel size toiletries, disposable camera and a message from the donor thanking them for their service and sacrifice (from the USO Website).

Come on, it's the price of a large pizza...

Rocky's Update on the Stamp Act Cigar Tax.

Rocky Patel Speaks Out About the Cigar Tax.

Leave us Alone!

Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered - Thomas Paine

The tyrants are back: a cigar tax, to be levied at the rate of $10 per stick, is being planned by the Weasels of Washington. It's for the children, you know, to fund health care. This bullying stops NOW. My flintlock hangs over our mantel; I've got plenty of shot, and my powder is dry.

Fishing in Hemingway Country.

Bill had poured out the drinks.
"That's an awfully big shot," Nick said.
"Not for us, Wemedge," Bill said.
"What'll we drink to?", Nick asked, holding up the glass.
"Let's drink to fishing," Bill said.
"All right," Nick said. "Gentlemen, I give you fishing."
"All fishing," Bill said. "That's what we drink to."
"Fishing," Nick said. "That's what we drink to."

- From "A Three Day Blow", by Ernest Hemingway

Just back from a brief but glorious vacation on Little Traverse Bay. Fished the Boyne and Maple. The Boyne was tough fishing - little room for even a roll cast. I landed a few brookies on terrestrials. A Logistical SNAFU put me away from the Blue Ribbon trout section of the river. The Maple was visually spectacular, but the extended drought has brought the river to the lowest level in locals' memory. The fish were very skittish; only a few could be enticed from their log burroughs in the deepest pools by ants and hoppers.

Why Is There a Church?

Anna Fleming at Asbury Theological Seminary has been reading Bonhoeffer's Life Together. So has the writer of Downshore Drift. Bohoeffer has a very powerful message about the meaning the foundation of Christian community; it's worth an exerpt here:

By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even for a brief period in a dream world. He does not abandon us to those rapturous experiences and lofty moods that come over us like a dream. God is not a God of the emotions but the God of truth. Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it. The sooner this shock of disillusonment comes to an individual and to a community the better for both. A community which cannot bear and cannot survive such a crisis, which insists upon keeping its illusion when it should be shattered, permanently loses in that moment the promise of Christian community. Sooner or later it will collapse. Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive. He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.

Your author has been pondering the purpose of a Church, of the Christian "community". It seems that it could be a hinderance to spriritual growth rather than a vital ingredient. This concern goes beyond the bickering and discord caused by the well-known political and doctrinal disputes that plague the main Christian churches (homosexuality, charismatics, ordination of women, "liberation theology", "social justice", or "Christian values", creationism and Bibical literalism, the presence of Christ in bread and wine, the frequency of communion, stewardship and tithing, and so on) . Is one's spiritual growth stunted when lulled into the belief that being in a church and attending worship services is the principal component of God's presence in our lives, with little contact or experience of God outside of this context? Is our experience of God only through Word, Prayer, and Sacraments? Is this belief necessary for a Christian? Is there yet another way to feel God's presence (but not charismatics), or is asking for such a betrayal of faith? Is such a desire just another wish dream? Your author, with his feeble powers, has finally stumbled upon these ancient questions, and hopes to rediscover a few answers as supplied by the better brains of time.

Fontinalis Paradise.

A few weeks ago I fished a river in NW Michigan (that will remain nameless) that possessed the most spectacular brook trout fishing that I have ever experienced. The water was cold and clear (Coke Bottle Blue Pools!) and the myriad of sunken logs and sweepers was quintessential brookie habitat. It was nonstop action for three hours. All the fish measured under 10", but they were healthy and full of fight. The river revealed what the Michigan brook trout fishery could be throughout the state.

(you can purchase this lovely print by Homer at AllPosters.com)

The Senate's All-Nighter.


Last night's discussion featured some eloquence advocating defeat of the Levin-Reid Amendment, most notably McCain and Lieberman. Supporters of the amendment appear to have no substantial reply to the question "then what happens?" after a scheduled withdrawl.


The discussion pales in comparison to previous debates in the Senate (see figure).

Another Opinon about Iraq.

Rick Lynch, the commanding general of the historic Third Infantry Division, talks about the progress on the ground.

Keepers of the Flame.

Is the name of the best cigar blog out there (our opinion). Indeed, it is the paradigm for cigar blogs: thorough, well written reviews on cigars. Highly recommended!

Also, check out the National Cigar Museum.

An Axiom of Nature.

When a deer fly finds you, it becomes a epic struggle that can only result in one of three outcomes: (a) she bites you, (b) you kill her, or (c) she bites you and you kill her. They are the Kamikazes of Nature, and are justifiably loathesome.

Footnote: The feminine description is used because it is the females that bite. The males appear to be content with collecting pollen.

Saving Internet Radio.

On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which oversees sound recording royalties paid by Internet(IR) Radio services, increased IR's royalty burden between 300 and 1200 percent. IR royalties were already double what satellite radio pays: the 2005 royalty rate was 7/100 of a penny per song streamed; the 2010 rate will be 19/100 of a penny per song streamed. In particular, the agreement by which small-scale webcasters who had paid royalties as a fraction of revenue was abolished, and royalties will be paid on a per listener (stream) basis-per song basis. No such "per listener" charge is applied to over-the-air performances, nor for satellite broadcasting. These payments would also be applied retroactively to January 2006.

Now, is this the market in fair play? Well, artists are entitled to fair compensation for the performance of their work, and is the availability of on-demand entertainment is not a civil right. If these are the arguements, then there should be a uniform rate for recorded performances, be they played by broadcast radio, satellite radio, or IR. IR stream capture is thievery and threatens fair compensation, but then so does HD radio or any diversion of speaker output from any radio to an A/D recorder. The lopsidedness of the rate schedule against IR strongly suggests that the goal of the high rate is to kill it off, or to reduce its participation to very large scale entities that would allow the recording industry some control over their playlists. And that may zero out the royalty compensation for many small label artists that do not get air or satellite playtime. The impact goes beyond indie and small label artists. Any artist or performance that does not pass the profit-metric threshold for commerical broadcast radio, or is considered too small of a market for "push" by the recording industry, will not be heard. There is other fallout such as the narrowing of playlists for a given artist - the repetition of one or two tracks from a given album (ah, to hear all of "Wish You Were Here". Those were the days!). These efforts reduce both choice for listeners and opportunity for artists.

On the July 15th the first royalty payments (including retroactive charges) were to be made to SoundExchange (the collection agency for the recording industry). This has now been postponed while negotiations continue.

Liberty and Tolerance.

Well aware that the opinions and belief of men depend not on their own will, but follow involuntarily the evidence proposed to their minds; that Almighty God hath created the mind free, and manifested his supreme will that free it shall remain by making it altogether insusceptible of restraint; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments, or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, who being lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in his Almighty power to do, but to extend it by its influence on reason alone; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all time...

We the General Assembly of Virginia do enact that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities. -

Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom Draft for a Bill to Establish Religious Freedom in Virginia , 1779.

...these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States...

A Glorious Independence Day, and give full honor to it: when Man asserted that rights were a natural endowment from his Creator, and not portioned out by one man to another!

Need some mood music?

A Noteable Publication.

Check out The Claremont Review of Books.

Victory in Congressional Accountability.

Under the Mainstream Meatpacker radar, Porkbusters reports that earmarks in bills will be disclosed in full in the House.

What is Meatballism?

Meatballism is a term coined by Jean Shepherd (of radio, PBS, and A Christmas Story fame). It can be defined as the loss of individuality by uncritical acceptance of statements, designations, and claims of fact.

As an example, Shepherd used the noxious substitution by businesses of the the word "employee" with "associate" - which apparently plagued America as early as 1957. This habit continues, where Wal-Mart has "associates", Starbucks has "baristas", other businesses use "partners", "team members", "hosts", etc. Where in the heck does the word "barista" even come from? It's Italian, and supposedly it designates an expert at expresso making. This term is a sop to the English major whose pushing the buttons on the coffee machine at Starbucks (no offense intended, it's honest work) as if the guy has been endowed by the Starbucks elders with The Secret Coffee Wisdom. And it's supposed to make the rest of us feel truly blessed and honored to pay $3.50 for some expresso, milk, and froth: my Barista made it just for me!

Meatballism is the tap root of political correctness, fear mongering (e.g. cancerous BBQ), and the hemlock of modern life - euphemizing evil.

The Fearmonger's 4th.

Just in time for the celebration of Independence Day are the appearance of hysterical articles on the deadly effects of BBQ. The highlight in the retread "news" article: no standards for exposure to carcinogenic grillchar have yet been established. So let's all play it safe: stay in your hermetically sealed vestibules, and engage only in virtual grilling on YouTube. But just in case, limit that to avoid eyestrain.

The Grouchy American.

The Anchoress tells two stories that illustrate how we are becoming boring, intolerant, ideological slobs.

A Failure of Leadership.

But not as the New York Times asserts. The real failure of leadership in the immigration reform effort was the astonishing lack of common sense in enforcment provisions, the lack of focus on the principal goal of the reform - national security, the insult it delivered to those resident aliens who have followed the letter of the law in applying for citizenship, and the arrogance displayed by the backroom bill crafters toward the legitimate concerns of citizens. The Times editorial explicitly calls out the Cornyn amendment with an accusation against it that is just nonsense. (The Times calls the amendment to establish a permanent bar for gang members, terrorists, and other criminals "strip[ing] confidentiality protections for immigrants who apply for legal status, making them too frightened to leave the shadows." Ye Gods - what bombast).

The Four Freedoms.

It is important to remember what the promise of freedom means to the people of the world. Here is a clear articulation of what this struggle is all about:

"In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world.

The second is Freedom of worship. That is, freedom of every person to worship whomever (be it God, or any other deity/deities) in his own way — everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor — anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called "new order" of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb."

— Franklin Delano Roosevelt, excerpted from the Annual Message to the Congress, January 6, 1941

Believe It Or Not!

These guys were Democrats, and they did not cower when threatened by totalitarianism!

Is the ELCA anti-Israel?

I attended our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Synod Assembly, where one of the resolutions that was adopted was the call for a "two state" solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Well, fair enough perhaps, but this is a substantial political ante by Israel. Did the resolution explicitly call for a similar concession by the political authority of the Palestinians, namely the recognition of the right of Israel to exist, and renounciation of terrorism? Nope.

Another major theme at the meeting was the "Separation Wall" that Israel is erecting between West Bank Palestinian regions, Jewish settlements, and Israel. The ELCA is calling for the immediate halt to construction of the wall, citing the hardship that it creating for many Palestinians. Attendees were shown a well-crafted video documenting the plight of Palestinian families, and appeal by the Jerusalem Bishop of the ELCA for American Lutherans to join in the opposition to the wall, and a comments by an official of the Israeli government.

Yes, it's causing such hardship. It's also helped to reduce the number of suicide bombings in Israel. And this seems to be the 800-pound gorilla that the ELCA leadership will not acknowledge in the discussion. Peace in the Mideast must begin with cessation of sixty years of Arab hostilities toward Israel. It's a simple request: stop the terror killings of Jews and abandon efforts to annihilate Israel. Simple - but not easy. The ELCA's reluctance to clearly recognize this essential ingredient to Mideast peace is baffling.

The ELCA's positions on advocacy in the Middle East can be found here.

A Reagan Perspective on Today's Challenge.

Today's threat may be different in details, but Reagan's resolve is still the right medicine.

Opening Day, 2007.

Beautiful weekend, and tough fishing. A sudden drop in water temperature put the fish off their chow. The occasional brookie could be seduced by a Borcher's, Pheasant Tail, or Olive Bead Head Hare's Ear. Quite a few Hendricksons and BWOs were popping off the water, but the fish just weren't interested.

The Mystery of the Trout remains unsolved.

This Just in from the National Bureau of Standards...

The unit of measure of toilet paper, previously designated "the square" will be redesignated as "the Crow". Useage: "I find it impossible to use a single Crow of TP at at time!".

Remembrance.

April 17 - 22 are National Days of Remembrance - remembering the Holocaust. An excellent source of history and information can be found at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The USHMM site also features news about the current-day genocide in Darfur.

Mr. Cho, meet Mr. Dahmer, Mr. Hitler, Mr. Pol Pot, Mr. Oswald...

There are some monsters who become obsessed with the evil they can manifest. There will never be an adequate explanation or analysis for such gruesome deeds.

Goofus in Damascus.

Foreign Minister Nancy Pelosi delivers the "Israel peace message" to Assad; too bad it was the wrong message. Her "Dear Commandante" moment...

Newt Spells it Out.

Lack of Context.

Michael Ledeen of National Review Online reminds us of an incident in 2006 in which Iranian troops attempted a smash and grab of American troops, at the Iraq-Iran border. The Yanks just shot their way out of it. Any word of this in Mainstream Meatpacker World? It provides valuable context for an ongoing strategy of Iranian kidnapping as diplomatic tool.

Hell Hath No Fury Like the Media Scorned.

John McCain walked the streets of Bagdhad yesterday, and suggested that the Mainstream Meatpackers were not reporting the whole story there (not that it's a picnic). The MSM are now crowding in to get their licks in on McCain: delusional, sellout, naive, blah-blah-blah. Their darling is now their dog. McCain and Lieberman acknowledge the mismanagment of the Iraq War, but nevertheless understand the stakes in victory or defeat, while the MSM wants the simple to digest story of Iraq = Vietnam. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi flies to Damascus acting as the Alternate POTUS, getting the Meatpacker Seal of Approval.

Utter Madness.

The Senate Dems and a few choice Republicans have gone mad... mad... and voted to hang the troop withdrawl on the Iraq-Afghanistan funding bill. This is foolish at the least, and a dangerous display of petty politics in the midst of war against an enemy that wants to annihilate Western Civilization. Perhaps this moment will be remembered in a volume by some future Gibbon.

Tribute.

A great photo montage of our guys doing a great job. Courtesy Sgt. Hook via Op-For.

A Direct Hit on Western Civ Self-Loathing.

Michael Barone scores one admidships. Hat tip to Dr. Sanity.

Free Speech.

Last Saturday, Deaddrifts personnel found themselves at Herb David Guitar Studio, on Liberty Street in Ann Arbor. We witnessed Ann Arbor's protest march against the War in Iraq. It looked like it was attended by about three hundred persons, with sentiments ranging from the sincere ("We support our troops - bring them home") to the stupid ("Bush's Plan: Start Killing, then Drilling"). And of course the "No Wars for Israel" flatheads. The First Amendment in full display. Just one complaint: please don't have little kids (the under eight crowd) march and hold signs for a political expression they can't possibly fathom.

Dawgrights.

The has been quite a ruckus recently in the Ann Arbor News concerning unleashed dogs in local parks. Some have characterized such canines as the Packhounds of the Apocalypse, or as the direct descendants of the rabid hounddog from To Kill a Mockingbird. Part of this fear is based on experience with dogs with slob owners. If your dog is aggressive, you can't have him off a leash, period. You should clean up after your dog, although the claim that a few dozen dogvistors will choke the local park watershed with poop is far fetched (if not, we had better also round up and cage the permanent park residents like squirrels, raccoons, birds, and the feral cats).

But it's cruel to keep a dog penned, housebound, or leashed for the entire lives. Dogs need to sniff, explore, woof, point, chase things and dig stuff up - much like guys. Unfortunately it is possible in early 21st century OprahAmerica to deny these things to dogs by the compulsive "I must have complete access and total control over my environment on my terms and at my whim" types, assisted by hyperlitigous bottom feeders and spineless bureaucrats. Therefore, we need some natural areas that are off limits to such control freaks but are reserved for dogs and their human companions to explore their universe.

Lent 2007.

Lord, we so easily go astray; help us return home to you. Help us to listen to your words of comfort and solace, and bring us peace.

Scooter 'n Sandy.

Scooter Libby is found guilty. Well, you can't commit perjury. But why was Sandy Burglar given such a mild slap on the wrist - it was a much more grevious offense.

Vegas, Baby!

The Deaddrifts staff visited The City That Never Sleeps, returning with wild tales but thoroughly empty pockets. Most effective tool of extraction was the craps table.

Mr. Tancredo will Enjoy his Cigar.

Congressman Tom Tancredo was approached by Capitol police because some crybaby whined about his cigar smoke. Here's his response.

A Quiet Night with Tony, Silvio, and Paulie...

A quick plate of ziti with sausage, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley. Then, a plunge into the 6th Season!

The Return of Radical Chic.

In his essay "Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers", Tom Wolfe describes the bizzare scene of Leonard Bernstein's cocktail party with his guests of honor - the Black Panthers. Wolfe's essay highlights the sad psychological cravings for self-loathing and a dippy romanticism for antiliberal thuggery and totalitarianism exhibited by many of the American Left. And it's a useful lens through which to view much of the dog-piling going on about the current Iraq crisis and the War Against Islamofascism.

From the "Just in Case You Forgot What this was All About" Dept.

UBL reminds us that the Islamofascists aren't letting up.

Dumber than You Can Imagine.

Summaries of the Nut-Fest in DC, and other locations from last weekend, can be found at LGF, Age of Hooper, and Trantor. The events included a throwback to the '60s with Jackass Lefties attempting to spit on an American soldier, Joshua Sparling.

The 2007 Cabin Fever Reliever.

Our local flyfishing rabble get together in the last weekend of January to celebrate the 90-day mark to "Da Ope'nur". This year's fete' was superb, featuring 4-star Man Chow, semi-professional flytying and a mind-bending quiz on fishing facts and lore (who invented the Adams pattern was one of the easier questions). Valuable prizes were awarded, or at least they seemed valuable by the time the whisky was finished.

The fly featured on the bottle is "Jeff's Bonefish Seducer".

Making the Case for Freedom.

This statement by 2Lt Mark Daily (as cited by Michelle Malkin) says it all.

Thoughts on Iraq.

There are very few sane voices in all the cacophony that is now the Iraq debate, whose participants can be broken into three broad catagories. The first, the ever-dwindling number of intellectually honest and fair minded antagonists. The second, the political hacks who will do or say anything to draw blood from their enemies and accumulate power. And the third, the fearful and ignorant. These are the times that try men's souls.

And They Can't Wait for Recess!

Trivial Pursuit.

One of the fascinating stories that surfaced during the Ford memorials this week was one about the foiled coup d'etat to topple the Executive Branch by Congerscritters of the Hard Left. Here's the story: Bella Abzug (Lennist-NY) working in cahoots with another half dozen of the Hard Left in the House of Representatives, approached then Speaker of the House Carl Albert with a plan to stall the confirmation of Gerald Ford as Vice-President (the Vice-Presidency was vacant at the time because of the resignation of Spiro Agnew). Abzug then proposed that the House Judiciary Committee immediately draw up articles of impeachment against Nixon, who would be forced to resign before Ford could be confirmed. The Presidency would fall upon Speaker Albert, and the Democrats could capture the White House without the trouble and inconvenience of an election. Speaker Albert refused to subvert the Constitution and the plot quietly died.

It's a fascinating story that offers a glimpse to a another side of the Watergate affair, namely that some opposing Nixon were not so much interested in preserving the rule of law than in seizing complete power. Alas, the names of the other conspirators have not surfaced by dragging the Web, but we have a hunch that one or two may be still alive. One possible suspect would not surprise us in the least.

The End of the NYT Ombudsman?

Michelle Malkin pointed to this article in the NY Observer.

The Ombudsman and the Old Gray Lady.

The NYT's Public Editor Byron Calame has taken a stand against a serious lapse in editorial and journalistic standards by...the Times. There is a good deal of coverage about this in the blogosphere, so we won't repeat it here. We are wondering whether the experiment in a Public Editor for the Newspaper of Record will now begin to slowly fade away?

Ouch.

USC 32, Michigan 18. No pass protection. No pass rush. No coverage. No imagination in coaching. Ergo, we lose.

A Resolution.

I will try to remember this bit of wisdom before opening my electronic yap:

"...the fact that your voice is amplified to the degree where it reaches from one end of the country to the other does not confer upon you greater wisdom or understanding than you possessed when your voice reached only from one end of the bar to the other." - E.R. Murrow

Quo Vadis, Jimmy Carter?

Former President Jimmy Carter's book, "Palestine Peace not Apartheid" has led to the resignation of Emory Middle East professor Kenneth Stein from the Carter Center. As reported by the NYT, Stein has called the “replete with factual errors, copied materials not cited, superficialities, glaring omissions and simply invented segments." Alan Dershowitz has called the book "ahistorical", and the Times' article mentions some questions as to - shall we say - the originality of parts of the book. Tough-questionin' Tim Russert on a recent Meet the Press had Carter on to talk about the book. Russert opted to roll over and have his belly scratched by Jimmy. Baffling. However to quote Stein: "...the history and interpretation of the Arab-Israeli conflict is already drowning in half-truths, suppositions, and self-serving myths; more are not necessary."

A Brave and Good Man: Gerald R. Ford, 1913-2006.

Jerry Ford will always be remembered for his pardon of Richard Nixon; bitter-enders still damn him for it. It was an action of immense political bravery, and was the proper medicine that a wounded nation needed for the long term recovery from Watergate. The Press and Democratic Politburos, drunk with power by Nixon's exit, wanted to drag his carcass through the streets for the climax of their bacchanalia. Ford wouldn't have it - he knew it would result in political warfare for years (fast forward to 1989 and John Tower) - and rolled the dice as to the consequences on the congressional midterm elections and his reelection. They came up bad, but he didn't whine about a "malaise" for his ill fortune.

His administration signed the Helsinki Accords, which, conservatives will remind one, effectively codified the Soviet control of Eastern Europe. However, they also provided a useful dipolmatic two-by-four for Ronald Reagan to use against the Evil Empire, namely the recognition of human rights that transcended their definition by the State.

[See WSJ OpinionJournal for further discussion of Ford's achievements]

He was a tremendously decent man, while giving as well as he took the body blows in The Arena. R.I.P., from a grateful nation.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold itwith justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

God with us.

Luke 2:1-7
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Have a Joyous Christmas!

Diversity now, Diversity tomorrow and Diversity forever!

See UM President Mary Sue Wallace Coleman in her defiant moment in front of the Hatcher Graduate Library doors as she pledges to distriminate in order to save us from discrimination.

Slob Christmas II.

MSNBC is celebrating this joyful time of year with their "Doc Block": back-to-back documentaries on gruesome crimes and the jungle that is prison life. Their advertising spots for these holiday specials have a kindly voice narrating from a leather bound book in the style of "Twas the Night Before Christmas", while cutting to photos of dead bodies, bloody weapons, and fearsome prison beatings. Can you feel the joy?

A University Out of Warranty.

Mike Adams shares his heart-warming experience of manners and tolerance at U-Mass.

Slob Christmas, Part I.

I'll be highlighting some of the best representations of sleezy cheezeball holiday fare by our custodians of Christmas traditions - the popular culture. Think of it as a nativity scene in front of a strip club.

Our first entry:

Jenny McCarthy has her Marilyn Chambers moment as she stars in an ABC Family Movie as the daughter of ol' St. Nick in "Santa Baby". I'm not making this up.

Begging the Question.

Nancy Pelosi will not be asking Alcee Hastings to head the House Intelligence Committee. Ah, the fresh breeze of reform! So why is this joker even on the committee?

The March of the Slobs, Part IV.

The Saline Reporter featured an article about a kiosk at the Briarwood Mall selling T-shirts with "arguably" offensive capitons, in full display for all of the kiddies to view during this reverant and spiritual time of year. The proprietor of the kiosk was reported to reply: "Everybody's value system is different...Anything can offend anybody. It's supposed to be funny. It's just a joke."

Thus it is written in the Great Book of the Slobs.

(image from Plimoth Plantation)

Thanksgiving.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Bo Schemblechler, RIP.

When I was a clueless undergrad, I didn't understand what the big deal was about Bo.
Now, with some appreciation for how difficult is to make a difference in this world, and how much energy it takes, the passing of Bo Schembechler was a sad moment. This man embodied the great things about the university: the commitment to excellence and service. So many stories have now been told about the remarkable energy of this man and his day by day ability to affirm the dignity and value of other human beings. In the end, his great heart just gave out. Thanks, Bo - you were a true champion.

Air America Loses its Ann Arbor Commisariat.

WLBY, Air America's affiliate in Ann Arbor, is no more, changing to an all "Victors" format - in time for the Ohio State Game. Going Blue in a totally different manner...

For Shame!

Deaddrifts has just learned that a deranged individual who "worships" Maureen Dowd has been charged with mailing Baggies containing virulent Athlete's Foot fungus to the National Review. MoDo: call your thugs off! Rick Brookheiser will not be intimidated!

Disinfecting Sunlight.

Glen Beck's program on radical Islam is a good start to appreciating the threat.

Murtha, Nyet!

The WaPo points out just what a lousy idea Pelosi is forcing down the throats of the Dems. By the way, when Murtha was the MSM's "fightin' man agin' the war", one never, never, never heard a word about his ABSCAM and ethics "issues".

Oh Joy! Our Stars Have Risen!

Those remarkable visionary statesmen, Mitch McConnell and Trent Lott, will lead us from the wilderness!

The Wilderness Era.

The Dems took Congers, and a blind man could have seen it coming. Denny Hastert has brought back the "good old days" of House Minority Leader in Perpetuity Robert Michel, where Republicans rolled over and play dead for years and years. Insane spending, weak-knees on border security, rump-covering on criminal sexual behavior by House members, and a White House that is terminally inarticulate in explaining the stakes of the current conflict insured a Republican vacuum to be filled by the noxious fumes of Pelosi and Reid.

Help us, Obi-Ron Kenobi!

Meanwhile, somewhere on the Rio Grande...

As reported in Investor's Business Daily (as noted in Protein Wisdom):

"...A five-page section of a new analysis from House Homeland Security Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is devoted to terrorist infiltration. It documents the discovery by law enforcement officials of terrorist paraphernalia near the Rio Grande.

The McCaul report found that hundreds of illegal aliens from the Middle East were successfully smuggled over the border into the U.S., including members of the terrorist organization Hezbollah. The FBI reports that citizens from nations with an al-Qaida presence are learning Spanish and changing their names to make them Hispanic-sounding in order to pose as Latin Americans and cross the border more easily. Hugo Chavez's regime in Caracas has even provided identity documents to nationals of countries that support terrorists; several Pakistanis recently were caught at the border with such fraudulent Venezuelan papers, the report noted..."

The Speaker-Elect's Iraq Visions.

Nancy Pelosi said to Charles Gibson on ABC World News that conflict in Iraq will cease once American forces leave. Why? Well, once we leave, there'll be nothing to shoot at: according to San Fran Nan, the only reason that the "bad guys" (her phrase) are there is that we are there. Pelosi claims there's no real interest by the "bad guys" setting up a "bad place" - a terror state, that is. Kinda like Indochina, we assume, but with no messy boatpeople problem to worry about?

Whizbang follows up...

Occam's Politicks.

Well, tonight is Election Night, and there have been the predictable "why do so few vote?" news articles. The familiar litany of reasons is invoked: indecipherable ballots, too many steps between the parking lot and voting booth, weekday voting, citizenship requirements, etc. But never do we hear the far less elaborate proposition: some people are just ignorant, apathetic slobs.

Prognostication: various stuffed shirts will holler and spit at each other on various TV programs, and the hollering and spitting will continue tomorrow, the day after, ad infinitum. The sun will rise tomorrow, and we will all get up to start another day.

Olber The Top.

Keith Olbermann, doing his best impersonation of David Straithairn impersonating Edward R. Murrow, found his "McCarthy Moment" tonight in one of the most arrogant, histrionic, bug-eyed and paranoid rants I have ever watched on TV. Simply nuts. You can read it here.

LGF hits the nail on the head as to the "context" of JFKerry's comments - the seeming incurable snideness of leftists towards Americans and the American soldier in particular.

Is FOX KMOX?

Cards lead Series 2-1. Geez, with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver doing play-by-play for the World Serious with their endless superlatives for the Cardinals, it's like getting the feed from the St. Louis' famous radio station!

Boys, time to start hitting!

Fine Wine for under $10.

There is now a plethora of fine European wines to be found under $10. La Vielle Ferme Cotes du Ventoux 2004 is such a find. Great fruit and spice flavors.

Ugh.

Pop fly, pop fly, pop fly...Tiggers lose 7-2. Rookie nerves?

Move over, Giada DeLaurentis!
Andy's Diner is open. The greatest food, wine and cigar blog in known universe. This guy lives.

An October Thanksgiving.

Thank you, God, for your abundant and steadfast love. Thank you for my family, and the love they show me everyday. Thank you for your protection and guidance. Fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit and help us bring love and compassion to others.

Dig This, Man.

For the disaffected writer who has everything*-the Jack Kerouac Bobblehead Doll!

*or has nothing but his slicked asphalt howling moon half-cup of coffee in Iowa soul, man.

Decrescendo.

The great Maynard Ferguson has passed from the scene. What a trumpet player! I had the privilege of seeing him in the winter of '75; my ears are still singed from that concert. RIP.

Excelsior, You Fathead!

Get your fix of Jean Shepherd via the Brass Figlagee Podcast. And storm into your local Barnes and Noble and demand that they stock I, Libertine!

Brave New World, Deferred.

Michelle Malkin reports on the case of Haleigh Poutre, and the struggle against state-sponsored euthanasia.

Ann Coulter Aint no Dorothy Parker.

Florence King wallops Ann; her chief complaint is that her commentaries betray an unlearnedness. Ye Gads...what does that make Maureen Dowd? The college town loony with her scribbled rants on scrap paper?

But He Meant Well...

Andrew Young throws a rod.

The civil rights leader Andrew Young, who was hired by Wal-Mart to improve its public image, resigned from that post last night after telling an African-American newspaper that Jewish, Arab and Korean shop owners had “ripped off” urban communities for years, “selling us stale bread, and bad meat and wilted vegetables.”

You gotta love this reasoning: "...I was speaking in the context of Atlanta, and that does not work in New York or Los Angeles..."

Huh?

The Wrong Road?

Much buzz has been made of the Daimler "SmartCar", supposedly the solution to our MPG woes. But how smart is it? Its estimated highway mileage is 55 MPG, while in city driving is 45 MPG. But look of the size of this thing: other than transporting two human beings from A to B, this car is useless. And the A and B had better be on roads that are only populated by only cars of SmartCar size, because it's going to lose against a normal-sized car in an accident It seems that the MPG premium to gain from such a specialized vehicle should be huge, at least 100 MPG. And cheaper: the 2-seat version is over $25K. My first car - a 1980 Datsun 310 GX (N10 Pulsar) - got at least 30 MPG in city driving, and 40+ on the highway. It could carry five people, albeit it was a snug fit. I think it cost a lot less than $25K.

Extra! Extra!

How it could have been reported by the Washington Post:

Oct 20, 1962 (Washington, DC) - The Washington Post has learned that United States is on the verge of invading the island of Cuba, on the pretext of "offensive missiles" placed there by the Soviet Union, although the United States Government has not presented evidence to support this claim.

Post journalists report an enormous amount of preparation and staging of United States land, air, and naval forces in the southeastern United States and in the Carribean. Post reporters also have learned of round-the-clock meetings of White House National Security personnel and cabinet members in the Executive Office Building in the past several days.

The Washington Post has been approached by high-ranking members of the Kennedy Administration to suppress the publication of this information "in the most critical interests of national security", however in this morning's newspaper editorial Post Publisher Phillip L. Graham justified his refusal to delay publication of this story, stating:

As most of our readers know, there is a large wall between the news and opinion operations of this paper, and we were not part of the news side's debates about whether to publish the latest story under contention ...There have been times in this paper's history when editors have decided not to print something they knew. In some cases, like the Kennedy administration's plans for the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, it seems in hindsight that the editors were over-cautious...Our news colleagues work under the assumption that they should let the people know anything important that the reporters learn, unless there is some grave and overriding reason for withholding the information. They try hard not to base those decisions on political calculations, like whether a story would help or hurt the administration...[this] story looks like part of an alarming pattern. Ever since assuming office, this administration has taken the necessity of heightened vigilance against the Soviet Union and turned it into a rationale for an extraordinarily powerful executive branch, exempt from the normal checks and balances of our system of government...the country endured a long period of amorphous, global vigilance against an enemy who was suspected of boring from within, and history suggests that under those conditions, it is easy to err on the side of security and secrecy. The free press has a central place in the Constitution because it can provide information the public needs to make things right again. Even if it runs the risk of being labeled unpatriotic in the process...*

The Soviet Foreign Minister, Andrei Gromyko, upon learning of Post story, stated that the USSR will defend Cuba from any US attack, and by any means necessary. He also said, "clearly with the disclosure of its aggessive intentions there will now be an intensive effort by the United States Government to produce fabricated evidence to justify this unprovoked aggession." Gromyko also said that the USSR will call for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council for a resolution to require the United States to halt all military manuevers in the Carribean and the SE United States, to put all of its nuclear weapons systems in a stand-down status, and an additonal resolution to require the US to pledge not to invade Cuba. Radio Havana reports that Fidel Castro has sent emissaries to all Latin American countries to assure them that no "offensive" weapons systems are in Cuba, and to ask them to resist a likely call by the United States for OAS support in invading Cuba.

*this quote, with some omission and rewording for grammar, is taken from the New York Times editorial "Patriotism and the Press", in response to the Times publication of the story disclosing the financial tracking of terror money. In actuality the Post delayed their story until after Kennedy disclosed to the nation of the Cuban missiles (and after it was clear that we had caught the Soviets in a lie).

Man Shall Be Free.

"...That these are our grievances which we have thus laid before his majesty with that freedom of language and sentiment which becomes a free people, claiming their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate." - Thomas Jefferson, Rights of British America, 1774

Playing on the Same Team in Space.

Steven Hawking is now advocating colonization of space, but we expect to hear cries of violation from the space science community as they fear their budgets will be raided to further support the Man in Space program. And they're right: robotic space exploration - spaceborne astrophysical observatories, planetary probes, and Earth-Solar observatories are all very important to the scientific understanding of the Universe. Also, activities in space science need to be accelerated to speed the industrial development of remote sensing and robotic technologies.

But human exploration and colonization of space is vital, too. It is our opinion at Deaddrifts that, despite the greatest efforts to keep technological societies viable on Earth, in the long run they will succumb to human overpopulation, pollution, large-scale wars and social instabilities driven by resource scarcity. It is our belief that technological societies can only survive by proliferating through the Solar System and nearby stars with planetary systems. Such spaceborne societies will of course be subject to human foibles, but as the New World provided the experimental laboratory for democracy that was sufficiently isolated from Old World meddling, so space may provide a safe haven for technological democracies from the assault by the Earthly tyrannies .

Realizing space colonization is an enormous task, and will be the most costly and challenging engineering and social project ever undertaken by humanity. So it is clearly insane to continue the fratricide within NASA as the Man in Space program and the Space and Planetary Science programs fight for their shares of the budget to the detriment of the other.

Our country's efforts in space requires both of these programs. We propose that (1) NASA permanently divide these programs, (2) firewall their budgets from the other, and (3) declare that the permanent (i.e., hundred-year) goal of the Man in Space Program is the construction of permanent, self-sustaining colonies in the Solar System and other nearby planetary systems.

"I Shall Make the Dirt Fly!"

David McCullough's account of the creation of the Panama Canal was fascinating. Edward Herrman, the Voice of American history (recall Alexander Scourby), provides the narration of the audio book. TR (who provided the comment quoted above in response to the Panamanian Revolution) is featured prominently, but there are a constellation of heroes (yes, heroes) who made the Canal happen. They designed it, dug it, arranged the logistics, and fought "Yellow Jack".

The Canal was the "moon shot" of its time, and still an awesome work.

Navel-Gazing and Self-Flagellation Poses as Morality.

Courtesy of Mark Steyn and James Toranto:

...If you examine the assumptions underlying speeches by professors, media grandees, etc., it's hard not to agree with the Wall Street Journal's James Taranto, that these days America can only fight Vietnam, over and over: Every war is "supposed to become a quagmire, which provokes opposition and leads to American withdrawal.'' That's how the nation demonstrates its "moral virtue" -- i.e., its parochial self-absorption...