A Meaningful Resume'

In the film, "Open Range" there's a scene where the hero of the film, played by Kevin Costner, of course, is urging a man and his sons to get involved in righting some injustice. Costner's character, Charlie, replies,

Well you may not know this, but there's things that gnaw at a man worse than dying.

I've been thinking about that quote on account of being generally bored out of my mind in my life for quite a while now. I've been thinking that I'd like to find a job in Iraq or Afghanistan. That's right. Two very dangerous places, but I'd rather die doing something meaningful than die of boredom.

It's not that I'm an adrenaline addict or that I have some kind of death wish. It's more that I want to spend my life doing something with a sense of meaning and purpose rather than just marking off the days.

I don't have any desire to kill people or be shot at myself but I do have a few skills to support our effort over there. (know anyone Jen?)

I'm reminded of a commercial a few years back. (I think it was for monster.com) Anyway, it had kids saying things like, "When I grow up I want to be downsized at my company" and "I want to grow up to be a corporate bureaucrat." Well, I'm all grown up and I have a great job, but guess what? Kids don't talk about how they'd like to be me when they grow up.

Now, if you're a friend of mine. Don't worry. I'm not going to run off and do anything stupid. And I admit, I don't have a meaningless occupation or existence. Still, there's a restlessness that has me searching.

Let's see, a hypothetical resume would say something like,
"Corporate VP, CIO of a medium sized health care corporation seeks meaningful employment. Doesn't drink or smoke or do drugs. A responsible family guy who is looking for a challenge."

So - know anyone that's hiring?

Behind The Lens

A photographer with the Marines in Fallujah describes a battle:

On the roof, another battle was raging. Marines on the roof were in such close contact with the insurgents that the two were lobbing hand grenades back and forth. Shrapnel was shooting all over the roof tearing into Marines fighting there. At least one pickup truck full of 15 to 20 fighters was seen heading into the fight.

I originally wrote about this group of Marines in the post, Secret Weapons. At that time I pointed to yet another excellent post at Beacon Blog, here.

Go read the rest of Behind The Lens in Fallujah.

Making The Case

LaShawn Barber points out a "must-read" article. At least it's a must-read if you're one of those liberals that's been watching the Democrat's Convention with breathless anticipation.

The Case for George W. Bush acknowledges some of Bush's faults and it also makes some compelling arguments.

If you're a liberal and you've somehow stumbled onto this site, go read the article! (you too Sarah!)

The Silver Bullet

We're all looking for it. If pressed, we all admit it doesn't really exist but that doesn't stop us from searching. We're looking for that silver bullet, that single convincing argument that has people saying, "oh, I see now. How could I have been so blind before?"

The die hards at the DNC Convention won't change their minds. They're the zealots of the party. I suspect that if John Kerry appeared in drag to give his speech, it wouldn't make any difference. He'd still get just as many standing ovations. (Actually, he might get more.) I suspect that's part of the reason why so few people are watching on television. There's no suspense. The modern curse of PC has sucked every last drop of anything interesting from the convention.

Now, if I thought some fistfights might break out or if they had, say, Barrack O'Bama and Hillary Clinton in a mud-wrestling "death match". I'd watch. I'd even watch if they'd feature John Kerry and John Edwards arm-wrestling. I'd watch if they gave the delegates tomatoes to throw if anyone said anything disagreeable from the podium. As it is, there will be the inevitable flag waving, the cliche's, and the vague promises of hope and prosperity.

To be fair, the same can be said of the Republicans at their convention. There just isn't much of a reason to watch. The Democrats don't have any silver bullets either. None of us does. I suspect there's maybe three people who are really undecideds. They've been living in a cave somewhere and a day before election day they'll flip a coin to decide their vote.

Maybe it's just me, but Theresa Heinz-Kerry sounds an awful lot like Zsa Zsa Gabor.

A Dogs Life

Millie has it easy. She doesn't have to conquer the world. She isn't expected to do great things with her life. She doesn't need to be the best at anything. The only thing she really needs to do is obey the master.

The master doesn't ask for much; just for her to come when called and to mind her manners in the house. She can chase squirrels and she almost always gets to chase neighborhood cats even though the master's wife doesn't like it. She has a pretty good life. Sometimes I envy her for that.

But then I think about it and I realize that her life isn't all that different from mine - except maybe the chasing squirrels part.

Another Shibboleth

Most have heard of Theresa Heinz-Kerry's outburst toward a conservative reporter where she told him to "shove-it". The incident itself doesn't seem like a big deal to me. However, what I find to be interesting is what reactions to this incident reveal about a person's political views.

I suspect those who would be supporters of John Kerry will view such language and the way in which it was delivered as showing that THK has guts and isn't afraid to speak her mind. Those who are more likely to support GWB will view it as somehow revealing of THK's character; that she's basically the type of woman who won't take no for an answer and will ruthlessly push and shove others to get what she wants. (rhymes with witchy)

Regardless of which view is most accurate, this incident serves as the perfect shibboleth for determining in which camp an erstwhile supporter belongs.

Still, it's difficult to imagine Laura Bush telling anyone to shove it. But you knew I was a GWB supporter anyway.

My Own Personal Boycott

I've mentioned before that I don't attend the movies, buy the music, read the books or otherwise support those who would use my money to promote causes that stand in opposition to my worldview. Reading a post by Michelle Malkin reminded me that my own personal boycott has it's limits.

Michelle shows a few pictures of some celebrities participating in the Dems Convention. Included in the pictures are Ben Affleck, Amber Tamblyn, Danny Glover and Natalie Portman. None of these people are currently on my personal boycott list and the reason is simple.

Here in America we can still disagree without someone getting thrown in prison simply for their beliefs. (or worse) I don't have a problem with celebrities having political opinions other than my own. In fact, I wish more people were involved in the political process in the way they appear to be.

I only boycott the screwballs that inappropriately try to impose their beliefs on me. It's only those who use their status as celebrities to denigrate my beliefs that make the boycott list. A perfect example is The Dixie Chicks. Not only did they use their fame as an opportunity to put down my President, but they also did it in front of a foreign audience. The Dixie Chicks are still entitled to their opinion but I'm not going to support that opinion by buying any of their music.

So let the celebs party at the convention. They're entitled and they won't have to worry about losing my paltry support. I hate to disappoint them, but they really should come on over to the best candidate and his convention. The other guy is a flip-flopper and, hopefully, a loser.

Challenges and Solutions

Since this is the week for the Democrats' Convention, the press will be essentially cheerleading and giving the Democrats an opportunity to showcase their views. I don't have a problem with it as long as they do the same for the RNC convention. The American people deserve an opportunity to hear what the political parties have to say.

I'll probably watch portions of the convention. At least, I'll watch as much of it as I can stand. What I want to see is how the Democrats propose we deal with the major issues facing our country:

• The Global War on Terror - Many other nations lack the moral and political courage to even admit there's a GWOT, much less fight it. Still others seem to be content with half-measures accompanied by wishful thinking that somehow they won't be as affected. The Wahhabis and their spiritual comrades are bent on the destruction of democracy. How do the Democrats propose we deal with this problem? So far, I've heard them speak of "internationalizing" the effort and getting other nations involved, but I'd like to see how exactly they mean to do that. Can they do it without sacrificing the sovreignty of the US or without placing us at undue risk? From what I can see, John Kerry would like to "engage" other countries by appeasing them or at the very least place their interests above ours in certain key areas to buy their cooperation.
• Judicial Activism - It seems like we hear of strange decisions by the Ninth Circuit Court on a regular basis. Then there's the court who in Massachusetts decreed that legislators must allow for gay marriages. The Court is not supposed to make the laws, only to uphold them yet a great many judges seem to feel it is legitimate to rule by judicial decree. I don't see any concern on the part of Democrats about this issue or any desire to do anything about it.
• The Power of the Government vs the Freedom of the Individual - It seems there's an ever-present desire on the part of the federal government to regulate our lives. This extends even to the role of the federal government in relation to the states. Unfunded mandates are an increasing burden on the part of the states. How do the Democrats intend to rein in the power of the federal government? Do they even want to do so?
• Entitlement vs Personal Responsibility - As a nation we need to come to some consensus regarding the "rights" of our citizens. Do we have a "right" to basic health care? Is government primarily responsible for teaching our children right and wrong? How will the Democrats address the basic needs of our citizens? Will they address them in a way that empowers people or creates greater dependency?
• Public Integrity - Those in power must have integrity. Can the Democrats assure us that they will not abuse the public trust?
  

In the midst of these and other concerns, the Democrats are beginning their convention by having Jimmy Carter and Al Gore speak. Not exactly an auspicious way to start.

Guys and Dolls

There are many things about this world I don't understand. Among them; the British fascination with guys dressing up like women. I used to think it was only a Benny Hill type thing, but it seems to keep showing up in various movies and television from the UK. Just tonight on BBC America I was treated yet more, you guessed it, guys dressing up like girls. The show is called, "Little Britain". It's quite funny, except for the inevitable jokes about you know what.

The Usual

A few days ago I suggested that perhaps the press wouldn't be quite so enthusiastic about covering "Trousergate". As howls of outrage about the "timing" of the revelation came to the fore, there wasn't a whole lot of focus on good old Sandy. The MRC does an interesting analysis of the story. They flog one of my favorite whipping boys, Dan Rather and CBS. It's worth checking out. Unless you're one of those who want to focus on the "timing" -- if that's the case I have an alternate selection for you. Read this instead.

Thanks to The SE for pointing to the MRC article.

Relativity

This post led me to this moving letter from a soldier in the Stryker Brigade in Iraq. Reading the comments, you'll come upon a comment from the Ben Stein and if you're still with me, you'll see the article Ben wrote called, How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

You'll be seeing a lot of Hollywood celebrities at The DNC Convention soon. None of them can hold a candle to Ben Stein. Read his article and I think you'll agree.

If you have a little extra time on your hands you might even want to get caught up with the rest of the Ben Stein articles at this site.

A Clear Choice

Today is Wednesday which means that if you're a "Blog for Bush", you're supposed to post an entry encouraging people to donate to the campaign. So...Donate to The Campaign.

This year, more than any in recent history, there is a clear choice between the candidates. Kerry and Edwards represent the liberal wing of the Democratic party. Bush and Cheney represent the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Choose which one you'll support. As for me, Go Bush!

Go to the extended entry to see the list of other Blogs for Bush.

Presbyterians Gone Wild

You've probably heard of "Girls Gone Wild", the video featuring intoxicated young ladies doing things they probably wouldn't usually do. Well, now there's a new video called, "Presbyterians Gone Wild" and it's a shocker.

Some highlights from the video include things people aren't meant to see. Scenes from the video include;

• Presbyterians clapping rhythmically in time to actual music. (not hymns)
• Presbyterians shouting "Amen" in the middle of a sermon
• Presbyterians wearing t-shirts and shorts (well, bermuda shorts) to church.
• Presbyterians getting all "emotional" with each other after a church service

This video is not meant for the elderly, those with heart conditions or young children.

If you're looking for proof of the deterioration of the moral fiber in our country, this video is it. Look for it at a store near you.

Et Tu Sandy?

Sandy Berger, someone whom I thought was a pretty good guy, has been accused of essentially stealing classified documents from the National Archive. From reading the news story, it sounds like he stuffed documents in his pants, his socks and his jacket, then left with them.

As the former National Security Adviser he knows better.

It turns out that he "lost" some of the documents that were stolen. I wonder what could've been so important on them. Sandy's been advising the Kerry Campaign and was also supposed to be reviewing some documents for the 9/11 Commission.

The full story is here: Sandy Berger Probed Over Terror Memos and a press release issued by Dennis Hastert is here.

Of course, this doesn't prove that he did anything else illegal but you have to wonder what was in those documents that was so important that he didn't want anyone else to have them?

I'm just guessing, but I bet we won't see nearly as much press coverage of this as we did of the now discredited Valerie Plame / Joe Wilson Story

Summer Vacation

Ah Summer! The time for going to the beach, riding the old motorcycle, shooting some skeet or just hanging out down at the bowling alley. Nothing wrong with that. Unless, of course, you're also bragging about how you never take vacations and you're making these promises to the ENTIRE COUNTRY. See this.

Extreme Camping

Martha Stewart says she'd do okay in prison because she's been camping and slept on the ground. I have no firsthand knowledge of prison conditions but it seems like they actually give you beds. No need to sleep on the ground. I think the bad part about prison is the restriction of your freedom. Something you're not likely to experience on a camping trip.

Martha also compares herself to Nelson Mandela and seems to be saying that she didn't get a fair trial. It was a lot easier to feel sorry for this multi-millionaire before she opened her mouth.

419 Eaters

You've probably received one of those emails that purports to be from a Nigerian who needs your help in getting some cash. I have too. Usually, I just delete them, but since I saw this story at the BBC, Turning the tables on Nigeria's e-mail conmen, I've been looking forward to receiving them.

These types of scams are called "419 Scams" in reference to a chapter of the Nigerian legal code. A group of people at 419eater.com have started scamming the scammers. The stories of these counter-scams are hilarious. Check out The Tale of The Painted Breast.

Since learning of the 419 Eaters and their techniques I've been dying to try them out for myself. In fact, just today I received an email from a Mr. Alhaji Muhammad Khalil who needs my help in claiming 35 million dollars from a dormant bank account...

This is going to be so much fun.

Oil Money

It's about time this happened. It's insane that the US would even consider giving financial aid to a country with one-fourth of the world's proven oil reserves.

When gasoline gets down under a buck a gallon then let's talk. In the meantime, the gravy train should be over.

Spies Like Us

Belmont Club does a nice summary of a Weekly Standard Article lamenting the sorry state of the CIA. Belmont Club comes up with the conclusion that the CIA needs more American spies, not just haphazardly recruited foreigners, but actual employees.

He's right of course, but that's not the whole story...

Obviously, demographics on employees of the CIA aren't that easy to come by. You can, however, draw some conclusions based on where they tend to recruit employees; Ivy League Colleges. Not all employees are recruited from Ivy League Colleges, some come from other major educational institutions, but I believe a significant number are from Yale, Harvard, etc.

What's wrong with many of our government agencies is that they're composed of a relatively small subsection of the population, mainly from the Northeastern US. This leads to a kind of group-think that negates a lot of the qualities Americans are known for - individualism, willingness to take risks, and the ability to improvise to solve problems.

I believe one of the problems facing the CIA is that it's long been an extension of the Ivy League Schools. There isn't a whole lot of initiative or original thought going on. Instead, it's a risk averse culture that always "colors within the lines". Not exactly what we need in a dangerous world.

The CIA needs to recruit normal Americans. People from the Midwest and the rest of the country. People who didn't go to fantastic colleges. Heck, who says they even need to have attended college? I think it would be much easier to find a taxi cab driver in Chicago who would make a great spy than it would be to find one at dear old Harvard. (It would probably be cheaper too.)

The closest the establishment has come to actually getting some good people involved is the recent decision to train US Army Green Berets in intelligence gathering and related skills. Soldiers tend to come from the opposite end of the spectrum than your typical Ivy Leaguer and maybe that will help to balance things out. Hey CIA! Come out here to the Midwest and recruit me, or some of my friends, or the kid down the street who's parents immigrated from India. Then maybe we can see some results.

A Lesser God

Sometimes God seems like an elaborate rationalization for a world that defies logic. At least that seems to be the case with the Judeo-Christian God. The God of the agnostics isn't any better. No, he's more of a shapeshifter; able to assume any form the believer desires. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is much more elusive...

For example, Christians are told to "pray without ceasing" and that if we ask anything in His name that it will be granted to us. Of course there's that little proviso at the end of the passage that specifies that our prayer has to be in line with His will. Well, that doesn't sound like such a fantastic deal afterall. That's like telling your kids at the shopping mall they can have anything they wish...as long as it costs less than a dollar.

Then there's the concept of God as being "not of this world" and limited, in some fundamental way, by the actions of His believers. He doesn't come off as being very omnipotent when you look at it this way. The way I've often thought of it is this. Before you cross the road you pray that you won't get hit by a truck -- but you still look both ways before you cross. God gave you a certain amount of sense and some intellect to do things for yourself. Don't expect him to do everything.

The problem with this is that it then seems like God doesn't do much of anything. We're told to expect God to answer our prayers and that sometimes he says "Yes" and sometimes "No". In my experience, it seems like more often than not God doesn't say either. Mum's the word. No smoke signals, no bright flashing lights or voices from heaven. Nothing. This leaves one to sort of make it up on one's own. In that case, there doesn't seem to be much point to the whole idea of God.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that God should be a celestial Santa Claus who's just running around granting wishes. It's more that God doesn't do things the way I'd like him to do them. I guess this is the point where faith comes into the picture. Believe it or not, I once argued with a clergyman about the fact that faith must have some basis in fact or it's simply fantasy. The clergyman insisted that faith stands alone without needing any facts to support it. The day I had that argument I learned an important lesson about not bothering with people who have no desire to seek the truth and wish only to muddy the spiritual waters for their own personal enjoyment.

At this point you might be thinking I'm about ready to go off the deep end. That I'm just about ready to chuck the whole God-thing and convert to something else. I'm not. I've always thought that it's impossible to come to a true belief in anything without first doubting. (and then maybe doubting again every once in a while.) I know this is true for me anyway. I'm a skeptic by nature. There are things about Christianity that I question, but I'm a true believer and always will be.

Besides, what are the alternatives? As far as I'm concerned, Mormonism is just plain goofy. The whole polygamy thing seems just a tad too convenient for Joseph Smith. Hinduism? Praying to various idols, burning incense to them, etc, well that's more unbelievable than the most confusing thing I've ever read in the Bible. Islam? Muhammad does have a nice patina of history to him but he doesn't seem like a very nice guy. Unitarianism? Don't make me laugh. Atheism? The watch needs a watchmaker.

Ultimately, Christianity seems like a religion that just couldn't be made up. It's too illogical - or maybe there's too much deep logic to it. It's not self-serving enough to have been made up by any human. It's also too confusing. Make a mental note. If you ever decide to make up your own religion, keep it simple.

Which brings me back to the whole God as rationalization thing. I can't pretend that I've never used my concept of God to fill in the blanks in my world. I admit it. I don't understand Him. I try but I don't. God, would you like to give me a hand with that?

The Real Life

Sadly, I won't be purchasing any more John Mellencamp cd's as a result of his involvement with this. (Read the article. It's funny.) But he's written some good songs and from time to time I find myself humming the tune to this,

The Real Life

Suzanne divorced her husband
She got the keys and the car and the home
But her friends were really his friends
No one stops by to see her much any more
So one night,
she goes back down to The old haunts
That once upon a time were her own
She didnt know nobody out there no More
And the whole experience just made her Feel so old
She says

I want to live the real life
I want to life my life close to the bone
Just because Im middle-aged that Dont mean
I want to sit around my house and watch TV
I want the real life
I want to live the real life

Jackson Jackson was a good kid
He had four years of college
And a bachelors degree
Started workin, when he was 21
Got fed up and quit When he was 43
He said, "My whole life
Ive done, what i supposed to do
Now Id like to maybe do something For myself
And just as soon, i figure out what That is
You can bet your life
Im gonna give it hell
He says

I want to live the real life
I want to life my life close to the bone
Just because Im middle-aged
That Dont mean
I want to sit around my house and watch TV
I want the real life
I want to live the real life

I guess, it dont matter, how old you Are
Or how old one lives to be
I guess, it boils down to what we did
With our lives
And how we deal with our own Destinies
But something happens
when you reach a certain age
Particularly to to those ones, that are Young at heart
Its a lonely proposition when you Realize
That theres less days in front of the Horse
Than riding in the back of this cart
I say

I want to live the real life
I want to life my life close to the bone
Just because Im middle-aged that Dont mean
I want to sit around my house and watch TV
I want the real life
I want to live the real life.

The Real Life

Force Protection?

In the past, I've posted about available technology (or the lack thereof) for defeating IED's. See the posts here, here, and here. However, earlier today, I received a comment from a guy purporting to have worked on this technology for the government.

He isn't happy...

In fact, he sounded a little testy,

This thread is unbelievable!!! I have worked very closely with this program since its inception and it has had an extremely high level of security assigned to it since "Day 1". Do you have any idea of the danger you could be imposing on our soldiers by openly discussing this system?? If the "bad guys" didn't know about this program before - they sure do now. I'm glad to see that the safety and protection of our Warfighters is top priority on everyone's mind. Nice going!!

I suppose I can take this post as a sort of backhanded compliment. None of the information I've posted is confidential. All of it is considered open-source - freely available on the internet. Supposedly it's has "an extremely high level of security" and yet I gathered this information.

This is what I wrote back as a response,

If someone like me can find out this much about this program, then I seriously doubt the "bad guys" haven't already. Furthermore, I haven't revealed any technical details (since I don't know any) and everything here has first appeared somewhere else. As you probably know, the Israelis have done a lot of research on this topic in the past so it isn't exactly like we just came up with the idea. Of course, if they thought they might be on to something, they'll really know it now that you've made your comments. Nice Going!

I was really tempted to be a little more caustic towards this commenter, but then I realized that he's doing his part for our country and has good intentions.

I thought a little more about the series of posts on this subject and decided that if a reputable Milblogger thinks what I've posted on this topic here endangers the troops that I'll gladly remove or redact the information. Otherwise, as far as I'm concerned the guy's a blowhard who should be ignored.

So, how about it Milbloggers? Let me know.

Not A Turnkey Operation

I'm not an expert on the vagaries of retail sales, but it seems like a lot of retailers inadvertantly communicate the wrong message to the potential customer. For instance, there's a series of ads running on tv right now that describe a product as "a turnkey operation". I know what turnkey is supposed to mean but what I think when I hear that something is a "turnkey product or operation" I think -- "pyramid scheme with little or no chance of actually turning a profit" or "they force you to buy much more than you really need to operate a business" or, more bluntly, "Rip-Off!".

There are other examples too...

Recently a commercial came on television as I was watching tv with my daughter. It was for a knife that helps you to slice tomatoes, among other things. It looked okay but then the commercial started going into all the additional things you get when you purchase the knife. There was a host of additional things included and then there was the kicker. "All this would normally cost only $xxx but we're offering it to you at the low, low price of $19.95" My daughter immediately piped up, "They're giving you all that stuff because their knife is a piece of junk!".

Why do these places feel like they need to include so much additional stuff? Apparently they think the customer is too stupid to figure out that their product is really an overpriced piece of junk. (Disclaimer: If you're from the knife company please feel free not to sue me! I didn't mention the name of your product and for all I know your knife is worth every cent you charge. Oh, and the extra recipe book you throw in with it is probably worth every dime too.)

Then there's the classic example; the used car dealer. One local dealer was having a special sale as, "part of a special test marketing study to see how low their cars would sell". Yeah right. I think what they're really telling me is that they're dishonest and will use any trick in the book to convince me to buy their cars. No thanks.

On second thought, maybe it's good that retailers don't realize the hidden messages they're sending us.

The Great Blog Burnout

I've noticed an awful lot of blogs going into inactive mode the past few weeks. A few of you might've noticed that things have slowed down here a bit. Of course, since it's all about me I thought I was the only one who's been tempted to let things slide. Fortunately, I've learned that isn't the case. Ryan's Head is taking some time off and so is LaSabot Post Moderne. In fact if you go through the list of blogs, say, at Blogs for Bush you'll notice quite a few of them no longer exist or are inactive.

I noticed an interesting article that addresses this issue over at Wired,

It's called, Bloggers Suffer Burnout. The article sums up the attraction of blogging quite well,

Blogging for some is an obvious labor of love, and having a forum that belongs to them and enables them to write whatever they want, and have it seen by throngs of readers, is a very attractive proposition. This is especially true because blogging is a timeless endeavor and one that allows authors to vent about whatever's on their minds.

Many of the usual suspects are quoted in the article including the infamous Daily Kos (he's related to a regular wired news contributor - what a coincidence!) and the immortal Glenn Reynolds (he doesn't need any more links) who describes how blogging can start to feel futile,

"Sometimes it gets harder to find interesting stuff to talk about. There are 3 million blogs, and everyone is talking about everything. It's tough to deal with that sometimes, and you don't want to just be another person talking about the same stuff that everybody else is talking about."

So don't be surprised if things slow down here for a bit. As one blogger put it, "I'm not in Guantanamo and I'm not dead." I'm just slowing down a little. Even with the few days I've been on hiatus I've started feeling the urge to post things so I expect I'll be back in tip-top shape soon.

Dark Star

Just finished reading Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown by Paul Theroux. Although Theroux is one of those east coast liberal types, I've always enjoyed his books anyway. He's a top notch writer with a knack for helping you to see the world without ever leaving home.

There are some great observations on Africa that I thought were pretty relevant to current events,

Theroux calls them "agents of virtue" and other unflattering names. He describes how they're all over Africa in their white land rovers with the names of their agencies on the side. They're referred to as NGO's and they aren't just in Africa but all over the world. Theroux relates how they treated themselves like royalty while others in the nation are starving. He makes the observation that these do-gooders have actually been bad for Africa.

They've fostered a sense of dependence on the part of the Africans who now refuse to do things for themselves because they know donor countries will send them big checks. This is quite a revelation on Theroux's part since he himself was a peace corps volunteer back in the 60's. In the past, he's been critical of people who didn't buy into these types of organizations but, apparently, this last trip to Africa convinced him that people need to accept some responsibility for their own nation.

Another unique observation is the ever growing presence of Islam throughout the continent of Africa. Of course, in Egypt, Sudan, and Somalia, you'd expect Islam to be the dominant religion. From Theroux's account, Islam has grown like wildfire. Prior to 9/11 this wouldn't have concerned me much but with the violence against Christians throughout the world by fanatic muslimes this seems like a scary trend.

The concept of a Dark Star, a hidden star that exerts a pull on our planet, is one that Theroux explores throughout the book and one which has broader implications for our planet.

Be forewarned, Theroux isn't kind to Christians. Throughout all of his books there's a deep sense of skepticism and even hostility toward Christians. Theroux makes no secret of his dislike of fundamentalists - which is pretty much everyone who expresses a literal belief in the Bible.

I enjoyed the book and if you want to travel to Africa from your couch you should get it too.

Assignment Danger

There's a show on Fox News tonight about the danger reporters face out in the field. It's called, Assignment Danger. There's a lot of great footage from both Afghanistan and Iraq.

According to the story, 36 journalists died in 2003 while doing their jobs. Still, I can't help but wondering, how can I get a job doing that?

The Saturation Point

I'm a news junkie. Back before the days of cable tv and the internet I would satisfy my need for news by reading newspapers. Fortunately, technology has made that quaint old habit obsolete. I still read newspapers, but I read them online without having to spend a dime. However, the past few weeks I've started feeling a bit overloaded, like an alcoholic on the day after a binge. Well, not quite that bad, but just sick and tired of listening to the politics and the hype.

There are so many different voices screaming for attention that it gets a little overwhelming. Sometimes, in order to get some perspective, you just need to take a little break. I need that perspective because right now it seems like we've entered a, "through the looking glass" type of moment in politics. Kerry's calling himself someone with "conservative values" and there have been increasing accusations about "right-wing bias" in the major media. It's all pretty crazy and it makes me want to take a deep breath before putting down my two cents about the events of the day.

I've reached the saturation point.

The Intellectual Gimp

EO has a post today that at first glance looks like a simple rebuttal of Robert Reich's comments. Keep reading though, because he gets into some interesting stuff,

Historically speaking, this is a rather recent development. While there have always been people who deny the existence of a deity, it has not been a prominent view among intellectuals, much less a serious alternative to theism.What these cultures instinctively understood, and that we in turn have forgotten, is that atheism is a form of (self-imposed) intellectual dysfunction. People like Reich are suffering from an intellectual deficiency. His atheism has made him an intellectual gimp.

Joe Carter then goes on to remind us that The Enlightenment was based on theistic underpinnings. "Progressives" often seem to take the view that serious science and religion are incompatible when they can, in fact, be highly complementary.

The Power of Flattery

Right Wing and Right Minded sent me a nice email and then he proceeded to do a nice post about AOO. Well, it's hard to resist when someone says something nice about you, especially when they share your opinions on other subjects.

Since the name of his blog is Right Wing and Right Minded I'm casting about for a pun along the lines of, "Two rights don't make a ..." but it's early Friday AM and I'm not feeling that witty yet.

Inshallah

When muslims pray, are they praying to the same God as the Christians and the Jews?
Is Allah just another word for God, or is it someone else?

The Poodle and The Rottweiler

Imagine two dogs; one is a poodle and one is a rottweiler. In a dogfight my money would be on the rottweiler, but in a beauty contest my money would be on the poodle.

On October 5th, the Vice-President's debate is scheduled to take place. The big question the campaigns ought to be asking themselves is, "Is the debate a beauty contest or a dogfight?"

When Edwards and Cheney step up to the microphone, Cheney will eviscerate Edwards with his handling of the facts in a logical and methodical manner. Of course, this won't mean anything because Edwards is a very likable guy. He'll win over the audience with his North Carolina charm and telegenic looks. As a result, Cheney will lose the debate.

Yet another reason for him to retire and allow Bush to name someone else as his VP.

My Spidey Sense

Patriot Paradox cites one of my all-time favorite movie quotes in the title of an excellent post, With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Lessons From Spider-Man

Of course, when I say "With great power comes great responsibility" friends and relatives just laugh. Likewise, my fabled spidey sense hasn't exactly come in handy either. Maybe I need some type of costume.

You Know Who

Go read the article here. It's about you-know-who. (The person that I wasn't going to mention anymore.) Don't even think about coming back here to comment unless you've read the article and have something of substance to say.

Skull and Bones

Conspiracy theories about the current President seem to be flying all over the place so it's a little surprising that I haven't heard anyone mention one of the most famous of them all. You probably already know about The secret society that ties Bush and Kerry.

Aside from the standard "Illuminati" type stuff it's amazing how many people from this club are in politics. As quoted in the telegraph article,

It is staggering that so many of the candidates are from Yale, and even more so that we are looking at a presidential face-off between two members of the Skull and Bones. It is a tiny club with only 800 living members and 15 new members a year.

CBS News gives more information about Skull and Bones here. The article gives some interesting facts about this society and a good general description,

Skull and Bones, with all its ritual and macabre relics, was founded in 1832 as a new world version of secret student societies that were common in Germany at the time. Since then, it has chosen or "tapped" only 15 senior students a year who become patriarchs when they graduate -- lifetime members of the ultimate old boys' club.

The Atlantic Monthly did an interview with author Alexandra Robbins who wrote, Secrets of The Tomb.... The article focuses on GWB (It's from May 2000) but it reveals some weird stuff about the group like a fixation with the number 322. It also reveals that the group owns it's own island,

Skull and Bones doesn't own an opulent island hideaway like the one depicted in The Skulls. It does own an island on the St. Lawrence River -- Deer Island, in Alexandria Bay. The forty-acre retreat is intended to give Bonesmen an opportunity to "get together and rekindle old friendships." A century ago the island sported tennis courts and its softball fields were surrounded by rhubarb plants and gooseberry bushes. Catboats waited on the lake. Stewards catered elegant meals. But although each new Skull and Bones member still visits Deer Island, the place leaves something to be desired. "Now it is just a bunch of burned-out stone buildings," a patriarch sighs. "It's basically ruins." Another Bonesman says that to call the island "rustic" would be to glorify it. "It's a dump, but it's beautiful."

I suppose it's fortunate that Kerry is also a Bones member. Otherwise we would be subjected to even more conspiracy theories in an attempt to damage GWB's campaign. As it is, this is an issue that doesn't really favor either candidate.

Anyone who's spent any amount of time on the internet has seen the conspiracy theories about Skull and Bones, The Trilateral Commission, you name it. I've often thought that if there is indeed a group of Illuminati that is all-powerful, they must be a rather incompetent bunch. I'm not denying there are people in very powerful positions who tend to socialize with each other and have vastly more influence on events than one would imagine. I think the Skull and Bones connection between Kerry and Bush is a perfect example. I doubt it's anything more sinister than that, but you never know. As they say, the truth is out there...

Church Shopping

The title of this post is "Church Shopping" not "Church Hopping". Long ago in another career I learned that people tend to recreate similar circumstances for themselves wherever they go. For those people who are church hopping, it's best to stay at your current church and work things out. For those who find themselves in the unfortunate position of needing to find a new church, The Limitless has a good list of things for which to look.

If you aren't church hopping or church shopping you should take a look at the list anway and see if your church is staying on it's toes.

July 4, 2004

Our Charter.

Interview with Gore

Maybe it's because it's been raining all day and I'm BORED OUT OF MY MIND, but I found this Interview with Al Gore extremely funny.

Thanks to News from The Great Beyond for pointing it out.

Are You A Neocon?

I found this quiz via The AIR.
Find out if you're a neocon by taking the quiz here.

If you read this blog on a regular basis you won't be too surprised to find out my results.
Hint: Speak softly and carry a big stick.

An Open Letter to Car Dealers

Dear Car Dealers,

No, I don't want to buy a car. Not at 0% interest. Not for a $500 rebate. No, I don't want to lease one either. I want to let you know that I'm not fooled by all the gimmicks you use to advertise. I know for a fact that there is no such thing as a "sale". The cars you sell will still cost me the same thing whether I buy it at your special, "Fourth of July Extravaganza" or on a typical day. Yes, it looks kind of interesting when you place all those flags and red, white, and blue ribbons all over the cars, but I know that it still doesn't affect the price.

I also know that your cars will still cost the same whether I buy the car at your lot or at a special tent sale. The fact that you pack up all the cars and set them up in a big tent at the local Wal-Mart makes no difference in the price. I don't understand why you keep doing these gimmicks. I can only wonder at the intelligence of people who think, "Gee they moved all these cars to Wal-Mart so they must be cheaper." It must work otherwise you wouldn't keep doing it.

Finally, there's one other thing that's been annoying me for years. Seeing your gawky looking daughter, your wife with too much makeup, or any of your pets on television hawking those cars, doesn't make me want to buy one. You've paraded your relatives, your pets, and even your customers in front of the television and I've never thought to myself, "Gee, I want to buy a car now that I've seen that dealer's three year old daughter telling me to buy one."

If you really want to sell more cars I have a good idea for you. Be honest. Treat your customers fairly instead of trying to milk more money out of them with various tricks. Then once they buy a car, treat them like they're part of the family. Your reputation will grow and then you won't have to run all those cheesy commercials in order to sell cars. More importantly, then I won't have to watch them.

Sincerely,
JD Mays

The Space-Time Continuum

Not only is NYC going to become a frozen wasteland, but now we hear that the speed of light is changing. Next, we'll have DOGS AND CATS SLEEPING TOGETHER - MASS HYSTERIA!*

Seriously, the speed of light may have changed recently. (That's what I'm going to tell the cop the next time I get pulled over for speeding.)

*Ghostbusters, 1984

More Like This

Just recently I experienced, yet again, a few examples of people who set themselves up for failure and then proceed to blame everyone else. It's sad because it's such a waste. Fortunately, Bill Cosby is at it again, helping people to see the opportunities they squander,

"Dogs, water hoses that tear the bark off trees, Emmett Till," he said, naming the black youth who was tortured and murdered in Mississippi in 1955, allegedly for whistling at a white woman. "And you're going to tell me you're going to drop out of school? You're going to tell me you're going to steal from a store?" [Source]

I wish there were a lot more like him.

A Blog for Bush

I've had a few commenters lately who want to use the opportunity to comment as a chance to get up on their soapbox and express their liberal views. I don't mind if you try to factually and logically address a post, that's why I allow comments, but if you want to go on some anti-war rant or kvetch about how right-wingers never listen to reason, etc... go someplace else and do it.

I welcome disagreement when it has something to do with the post and has some logical and factual basis. Otherwise, I'm just going to delete your comment. Lately, I've started losing my patience with these types of comments and I've been a little rude. I'm not going to do that anymore. (At least I'm going to try not to do it.)

In case you haven't noticed, this is a Blog for Bush. If you want to go on and on about your own opinions, get your own blog!

Oh and just in case you haven't figured out the politics of this blog, let me give it to you in a few short sentences...

John Kerry - Flip Flopper. Talks out of both sides of his mouth. Will say anything to anyone to get elected.

Michael Moore - I can't think of anything to say about him that would be appropriate to write here.

The Media Elite - The NYT, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN. In the old USSR days you would've made Pravda seem like a real honest publication.

People Against the War In Iraq - It's too late for that. We're there until the job's finished. Get over it and move on.

People that Think We're in Iraq for the Oil - I wish. Then I wouldn't be paying almost 2 bucks a gallon!

France - (See Michael Moore)

People that Think Bush Lied or Misled the Country - He made the same case as the Clinton Administration - would Bill Clinton ever lie?

All The People Coming out with the Tell-all Books about Bush -- Gee you think the fact that it's an election year and they want to sell books has anything to do with it?

People That Think GWB is Evil Incarnate - Hey I don't always agree with his decisions, but overall he's a decent guy and he's done a good job. If you can't handle that - go somewhere else.

Okay, I think I'm done ranting for now.