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Saturday, February 28, 2004

Derb Tells it Like it is.
Here's why I love John Derbyshire.


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Thursday, February 26, 2004

"Inadvertent Whistle"
Funny how the Lakers never seem to get the short end of this kind of thing.


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OpinionJournal - Featured Article
Today's Feature Article over at OpinionJournal.com is filled with common sense, sound thinking, and a good proscription for trade policy. My favorite quote:

As Adam Smith wrote, rather than relying on the benevolence of the baker to provide us our bread, we trust to his self-interest; the transaction benefits both parties. So it also is with trade, but the mistaken idea that selling is more virtuous than buying when the exchange is with foreigners continues to have mass appeal.

That is to true. I often hear of the perils of the "trade deficit", and I think "How can there be a trade deficit? We are getting back more than we send out. That's a surplus." In other words, why is sending money overseas in return for something worth more to us than the money was worth a bad thing?


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Tuesday, February 24, 2004

The laziest woman in the world.

Man, that is one un-PC article. Can you imagine the New York Times running a story like this?


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This was what I was talking about...
This is two women?


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Monday, February 23, 2004

Both Barrels Blazing...
Bush finally unloads the first salvos of the 2004 campaign

"'The other party's nomination battle is still playing out. The candidates are an interesting group with diverse opinions,' Bush said. 'They're for tax cuts and against them. They're for NAFTA and against NAFTA. They're for the Patriot Act and against the Patriot Act. They're in favor of liberating Iraq, and opposed to it. And that's just one senator from Massachusetts.'"

That's good stuff.


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YMMS
Yet More Mark Steyn


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Re: Steyn
Read more Steyn.


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John Podhoretz
Need I say more? No, but I will.

Only that John Kerry is such a reprehensible character that I'm afraid his reprehensivenessability will become obvious to the Democrats before they nominate him. (In which case, they'll nominate someone less reprehensible and more difficult to beat in November.) Get me?


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Re: Rummy
I should be embarrassed to continue quoting someone else's blog, but the Powerline guys are great - no embarrassment here!

They review an excerpt of Rowan Scarborough's new book called Rumsfeld's War. Highlights from the book excerpt:

Donald H. Rumsfeld sat in a vault-like room studded with video screens and talked with President Bush as the Pentagon burned. "This is not a criminal action," the secretary of defense told Bush over a secure line. "This is war."

Rumsfeld's instant declaration of war, previously unreported, took America from the Clinton administration's view that terrorism was a criminal matter to the Bush administration's view that terrorism was a global enemy to be destroyed. This would be a global war, Rumsfeld said, and he planned to give Special Operations forces — Delta Force, SEALs and Green Berets — unprecedented powers to kill terrorists.

But Rumsfeld demanded results. At a conference of commanders at the Pentagon, he pulled Holland aside. "Have you killed anyone yet?" he asked.

Amen. Vintage Rummy.

But the Powerline guys cap it off with the point that we should repeat every day until Nov. 2:

There it is, in a sentence: the reason why it is absolutely essential that this adminstration remain in place, and that conservatives put aside whatever quarrels they have with President Bush until the election is over. We are at war, and one of our parties doesn't know it.

We are at war, and one of our parties doesn't know it.

We are at war, and one of our parties doesn't know it.

We are at war, and one of our parties doesn't know it.


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Mark Steyn
That's all I really need to say, right? Mark Steyn? I don't really need to even say any more than that.


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Saturday, February 21, 2004

Something I don't Get
By now everyone knows of the rampant lawlessness going on in San Francisco, with some silly city employee illegally issuing "gay marriage" licenses to homosexual "couples". As part of all these news stories, I see lots of pictures, many of them of lesbian couples. Now, almost invariably, one of these lesbians in the pair is, well the "wife", and one is, well, the "husband". (If you missed my subtle allusion, what I am saying is that one of the gals is feminine, and the other one is quite "butch", trying very hard to look like a man. Some of them succeed, causing me to have to give a second look). So what I don't get is, if you are a lesbian, why are you attracted to women who want to look like men? In other words, it seems incongruous to me -- that there would be two types of lesbians -- those looking for "female" lesbians and trying to look masculine, and vice versa. It just doesn't make sense to me. It seems to me that there are indeed two kinds of lesbians as described above, and that the ones who are feminine looking for masculinity in their women are the really strange ones. I mean, if you are a lesbian, you like women, right? Not men, so why are you going for manly looking women?


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Thursday, February 19, 2004

re: Peggy
Gary, Peggy Noonan is a national treasure. May God Bless her. What a wonderful woman. She clearly understands President Bush, and recognizes the solid, wonderful man that he is. Are we not blessed to have such a Godly man as President? I pray every day that Americans recognize what a fine, strong leader he is and that he is re-elected. God help us if John Kerry become President. President Bush isn't perfect, but he clearly sees that we need to defend ourselves against terrorism. I fear for our nation if the electorate doesn't see that President Bush is the only candidate that realizes we need to fight and kill the evil men that would kill our children if given the chance.

Now, do we need any more proof that Peggy Noonan is a wise woman when she says "Intellectuals start all the trouble in the world."? My goodness -- truer words were never spoken.

Evil starts with the belief that "I know what is good for you better than you do.". And of course, is in not clear that this statement the root of everything that the left stands for?


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Movies I've Seen Recentlh
I've seen two new movies recently

Lost in Translation is a marvelous. wonderful film filled with terrific performances. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannsom play two Americans lost in Tokyo that find a special friendship together. Both are a bit lost in the bizarre situation that they find themselves in, and their circumstances bring them together in a friendship -- and I stress the word friendship -- that is beautiful to behold. The movie was marked be terrific performances by both of them. Murray gets an Oscar nomination. This is a beautiful film, filled with touching scenes, and a heartfelt relationship that we all can appreciate. This is one of the best films that I have ever seen.

Cheaper by the Dozen is a fun, family film. Marred only by a bit of of, ahem, allusion to some pre-marital sex, this film is a funny paean to the value of marriage, family, and love. I'd recommend this film to anyone. It's a great film that brings laugh, and a respect for family and children. I like it when Hollywood makes a film like that -- they rarely do, and when they respect the family as this film does, I always give them props for doing so.

Not everything coming out of Hollywood if terrible. Every once and a while, Hollywood produces a gem. I think they have with these two films. Both are worth seeing.


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Peggy
I haven't blogged much lately, I've been busy. Monday was a holiday, President's Day, which is, of course, a "combination" holiday. We used to celebrate George Washington's birthday on February 22. He was our first Commander-in-Chief, forcing the British to surrender in 1781 after 6 years of battle. In 1789, he was inaugurated the first President of the United States and served 2 terms. He died in 1799 of throat cancer.

The other President we used to celebrate, on February 12, is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was our 16th President, the only elected office he ever held. It had to have been the most difficult presidency in our history. But he succeeded in holding the Union together, and paid for it with his life. He took office in 1861, and was assassinated shortly after beginning his second term in 1865.

So, like I said, Monday was a holiday. Tuesday my new Tungsten E came in the mail. It's very cool, and I've been spending my time getting better acquainted. Music, photos, spreadsheets, Hearts ...

Anyway, on to Peggy. She wrote today about the Presidential race, noting that the Democrats are highly motivated. But also noting that President Bush is well liked. Two quotes I loved -

About W: "He's responsible. He's not an intellectual. Intellectuals start all the trouble in the world."

About Barbara Bush: "She spoke to me once with great nostalgia of her early days in Texas, when she and her husband and young George slept in the same bed in an apartment in Midland. A prostitute lived in the complex. Barbara Bush just thought she was popular."

Have a nice day.


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Monday, February 16, 2004

Of course there is no left-wing bias in the media! No way!
Why do I have to read about this stuff in the British Press?


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Saturday, February 14, 2004

Re: Flip-Flop Socks
I think you miss the point. The guys that do wear those socks are the guys that do go to San Francisco to get married. It has nothing to do with "stones", and has everything to do with, well, not being a flamer.


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Friday, February 13, 2004

Re: Leftist Lies
You know, frankly (can I be Frank?), there are 3 problems here.

1) Sleazy campaigning - which, I'm sorry to say, has been around forever.

2) Partisan journalism - once-respected journalistic institutions are pushing these stories. I don't know if it's always been this way, but the big-name fixtures of journalism are pursuing these stories in a way that presumes guilt (of Bush) or innocence (of liberals). They are also assigning far too much weight to allegations and innuendo. What am I saying? There seems to be a diminution of wisdom, sagacity, proportion, understanding. They can't settle down. They think they're in control of themselves, but they act like cats rolling on a carpet doused with catnip. They've lost it completely!

3) Public gullibility - this remains to be seen. Polls are showing bogus stories like "Bush lied about WMDs" are having an impact on popularity or job approval. Polls are polls. They can be influenced by the questions asked, they depend on the "feelings" of the mostly non-voting public. What remains to be seen is the impact on voters.


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Re: Flip-Flop Socks
Cool! I feel bad for you that you don't have the confidence (read: "stones") to wear a pair of these socks. You seem to be afraid you'll end up in San Francisco getting married to another guy.


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Leftist Lies and the Liars that Tell Them
Michael Moore, call your Agent

Moby, you too, you loser.

Man, that is just plain wrong.


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Love the Headline
File this one in the "Why we need experts" file: Gee, do you really think so?


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Shoot Him First, then Hang Him
Talk about a festering bucket of fish entrails. I hope the execute this guy, though I think that would be too good for him. I say we put him on the top floor of a sky-scraper, and then set the building on fire.


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Real Men Don't Do this
It is clear that real men would never, ever, ever buy a pair of these socks. The whole website simply cries "panty waisted wuss".


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Thursday, February 12, 2004

Thomas Sowell: Random thoughts
Thomas Sowell has his latest installment of Random thoughts up. The best one is:

"Those who want to take our money and gain power over us have discovered the magic formula: Get us envious or angry at others and we will surrender, in installments, not only our money but our freedom. The most successful dictators of the 20th century -- Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao -- all used this formula and now class warfare politicians here are doing the same."

We must all listen to Thomas Sowell and heed his mighty wisdom. We fail to do so at our very peril.


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Where the Company Pen Gets Dipped
All things being equal, I personally prefer a president that dips his pen only the ink he's supposed to dip it into.


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Re: Hero of the Week
I heartily agree with selecting Col. Campenni as Hero of the Week. Col. Campenni is a great American. Congratulations on winning Banterings "Hero of the Week"!


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Next Big Terror Event
I've long believed that now that the airlines are not going to work the terrorists will use a ship for their next big thing. Think of driving a ship into the Panama Canal and blowing it up, or ramming one into an aircraft carrier in port, and exploding it, possibly with a dirty nuke.


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Shaq the Whiner
Shaq is a such a jerk.

You can always tell whether the Lakers have won or lost a game depending on what Shaq says after the game. Here's what he said after last night's game:

"He made the shots, but he got the whistle, too,'' O'Neal said. "He's a big guy and has a soft touch. I don't think he'll ever be able to play me one-on-one, ever, ever, ever. "

Boom, right away, you know they lost. Typical sore loser Shaq -- when they win he's all full of respect for his opponent, but when they lose its all "They got lucky. We're better. I don't really respect them".

What a crapweasel.


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Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Re: Letter to the Editor / Hero of the Week
Wow! That's a powerful letter. Thank you, Col. William Campenni, for your service to the country and for speaking up for the truth.

I would like to nominate the retired Colonel for Hero of the Week.


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Don't Let the Facts Get in the Way
The Loser Lefties that are slamming Bush's National Guard service will no doubt ignore this Letters to the Editor, because of course, they can't let facts get in the way, can they.


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Hey, This Is Good News!
If you intercepted a letter from your enemy that said, "Our enemy is growing stronger day after day, and its intelligence information increases.", would you consider that good news? I would. Would you puff out your chest and tell some people? I would. If you'd been beat up day after day by pundits saying the war is going badly, it was ill-conceived and a mistake, would you crow a bit? I would.

I'm sure you've heard about "the discovery of a 17-page letter from Abu Musab al Zarkawi, written from Iraq in the middle of last month to the leaders of al Qaeda." Michael Ledeen writes about it today in NRO. He continues:

... the letter is a sort of jihadist primal scream. It says that the jihad against the Americans in Iraq is going badly. The Iraqis are not signing up for martyrdom or jihad, they do not even permit the jihadis to organize their terrorist attacks from local houses, and, worst of all, the Americans are not afraid of the terrorists. With that charming neglect of logic that seems to define much of the radical terrorist "mind," Zarkawi says both that the Americans "are the biggest cowards that God has created," and that "America...has no intention of leaving, no matter how many wounded nor how bloody it becomes."

Hey, this is great news! That explains why the press isn't reporting it, but why not the Bush administration? (They need to get Karen Hughes back in town.) They need to be more aggressive, and they probably will be as the presidential capmaign swings into full gear (I think that was a mixed metaphor, wasn't it?). I hope they know what they're doing.


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It's About Timd
My Finally, Clark drops out. Phew! Man, it is always good to see the total nutjobs drop out of the race. Clark struck me as just a total phony, power-hungry idiot. The rank and file of the Army hated the guy, his positions were chosen based on focus groups rather than conviction, and he never knew what to say on any given issue without being told by his "handlers". Gee, sounds like Bill Clinton.

And what is with the Army, promoting these feckless crapweasels to four star rank?


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Question of the Day
Why is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?


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Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Re: Stephen Baldwin
I have no idea what to say about this. I am, literally, stunned. Whoda thunk? God is indeed a great God -- and clearly he has an ironic sense of humor. I'd love to be at that family reunion.


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Fight here or fight there
I sent, in part, the following to a lefty, terrorist-sympathizing friend of mine.

I'm clear-thinking enough to realize that we are at war with a group of people that would gladly kill my children to send themselves to paradise. I'm clear-thinking enough to realize that we shouldn't be seeking /anyone's/ approval or permission to fight these people. I'm clear thinking enough to realize that basing our defense policy on the alleged popularity of voters in immaterial foreign countries is borderline treason. I'm clear-thinking enough to see who our friends are -- and the French are not our friends. I'm clear-thinking enough to see that it was either us or Saddam, and that the consequences of us backing down and allowing him to thumb his nose at the UN would be catastrophic.

The terrorists hope, of course, that we will take your tack and back down and defeat ourselves -- that we'll just grow weary and leave, so that in our complacency, they can strike again. They are hoping some wimp like Kerry will defeat Bush so that we'll cringe at their threats, crawl to the French begging for permission to defend ourselves, and stop fighting them on their turf so they can fight us on ours. Osama bin Laden, if he's even alive, is delighted at the prospect of a Bush defeat. He'll conclude that we really are weak and that we don't have the stomach to fight him. And you know what? If we elect Kerry, he'll be right.

So, hey, if you want civilians to fight the war on terror in airplanes above the United States, by all means, vote for Kerry. Me? I'm voting for Bush, flush with the firm knowledge that he will carry the fight to the enemy, so that our brave soldiers do the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq and where ever the scumbag terrorists hole up.

Vote for whomever you want. But don't come around here telling me that voting for Kerry isn't a vote for defeatism, cowardice, capitulation, and appeasement.


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A Must-See
I just watched the trailer for The Passion Of The Christ. I can't wait to go see the film. It's going to be fantastic.


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God works in mysterious ways
Have you ever thought, "Can anything good come from the Baldwin family?" The immediate answer is No! After all, Alec Baldwin surely cancels out anything good from the others (William, Daniel, & Stephen). Well, I have good news! Stephen is redeeming the family name. Read it and weep - for joy.

"These days, however, his role as director, co-producer, and host of Livin' It - a cutting-edge documentary on the world of Christian extreme sports athletes - is bringing out his white-hot passion for evangelism."


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Saturday, February 07, 2004

Brooks in the Zone again
David Brooks in on fire with more cutting, sarcastic commentary on John Kerry. Have I said lately how much I love cutting, sarcastic commentary about our favorite "war hero" John Kerry? I can't get enough of it, it seems.


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Friday, February 06, 2004

Question of the Day
If you took a flash picture of the Star Trek crew, would Mr. Spock's eyes show up as green?


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"hereinafter referred to as 'that Prick'"
Huh -- turns out that maybe John Kerry isn't the great war hero that he's been made out to be.

This whole issue of Kerry's Vietnam record, and his seeming inability to stop talking about it, will make for interesting campaign fodder. The testimony of the guy in the link above definitely calls into question his "heroism". The more I consider it, the more I tend to believe it. It certainly is possible to nominate yourself for a Silver Star, and it appears that Kerry did indeed do that very thing.

You can read up a bit more about "that prick" here. I read there that he got a freakin' Silver Star for killing one guy that had been running away and had been shot already. A Silver Star for that? Sheesh, that changes everything. Turns out "that prick" hardly did jack to get it! Then it turns out that all three of his Purple Hearts were "band-aid" wounds, but he still took up the Navy on the "Three Purple Heart" rule and bugged out of combat for good.

Some hero. The more I find out about the guy, the less I like him, and I didn't like him much to start with.


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ESPN.com - NHL - How to fix the NHL?
Great article on How to fix the NHL at ESPN.com. I'd agree with all of these suggestions, and I'd add

11. Get rid of the two line pass: Why is this even a rule? The only purpose of this rule is to limit offense, and if you want to open up the offense, why keep it?


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Re: President Reagan
Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

May I again recommend Peter Robinson's book, How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life? Robinson does a great job of exploring what motivates Ronald Reagan, what kind of a man he is. NRO today has a wonderful excerpt from the book. Read it, then read the book.


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Happy Birthday to The Gipper
Let's all be sure to send our best birthday wishes today to the greatest President of the 20th Century, Ronald Reagan.


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More Feckless Crapweasels
What a bucket of 3-week old pus this is! Democratic memos sitting on a common server (the idiots don't even have enough sense to hide their nefarious activities) are found by Republican staffers. The memos outline plans by the Dems for obstructing judicial nominees at the behest of special interest groups. So what happens?

Feckless Crapweasel #1: Judiciary Committee Chairweasel Orrin Hatch demands an investigation - of what? Of the Democrats and their anti-American and nakedly political subversion of the "advice and consent" role of the Senate? No! He succumbs to the hectoring of Democrat windbags and calls for an investigation of how the memos got into Republican hands.

Feckless Crapweasel #2: Senate Majority Weasel Bill Frist agrees and now one of his staffers is resigning.

"Oooh, we're sorry Mr. Daschle, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Leahy sirs. Please don't be upset with us. We can't take it. Please love us. Please, please, please, please."

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! GET A BACKBONE, WILL YOU?

BTW, Byron York says there is more evidence of wrongdoing - BY THE DEMOCRATS!


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Thursday, February 05, 2004

Re: Herbie
Gone too soon.


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More Herbie
Let us never blanche nor hesitate to rememberwhat a great guy and great American Herb Brooks was. (Thanks, Powerline guys)


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New York Post Online Edition: postopinion
This Kerry stuff just keeps getting better and better.


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Jo-nah! Jo-nah! Jo-nah!
J-Gold is on! He hits the proverbial nail on its proverbial head with today's G-file: "In fact, I think what bothers so many liberals about living in a "divided nation" is not that people are split, but that liberals aren't getting their way." That's it! I hadn't thought of that and, of course, that's why he's a highly paid journalist adored by millions - and I'm just a computer jock trying to get by.

It's hilarious to hear Howie Dean describe the 'good old days' (the 60's) when "We felt like we were all in it together, that we all had responsibility for this country.... ". Puhleeze! There was never a more divided time in my lifetime in this country than the 60's - seriously, deeply divided.

More Jonah:
Or take the perennial bleating about "wedge issues." The only reliable definition of "wedge issue" I've ever encountered goes something like this: "Wedge issues are those issues which hurt Democrats at the polls." Meanwhile, the "important issues facing America in this dire time of division" are the issues Democrats do well on.

Exactly. Man, he's good. We may not be the great thinkers Jonah is, but we can feel good about the fact that we're smart enough to make him our hero.


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"Gay Marriage"
President Bush's Statement is encouraging. Let's hope he jumps on the FMA bandwagon.

And BTW, the official Banterings policy is to put "Gay Marriage" in quotes, because as we know, there is no such thing as "Gay Marriage".


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The Corner on National Review Online
This is the kind of stuff that makes me laugh. Kerry was shocked -- shocked! -- to find out that Vietnam was a campaign issue. Of course, not, Johnnie can't wait to tell you all about Vietnam. Of course, he won't talk much about what he did after he was in Vietnam.


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Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Cuba is a paradise
... that's why people are making boats out of cars to escape. Why can't we let these people stay?


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WFB flashback
NRO today has a speech William F. Buckley gave at West Point in 1971. What a fine man and a fine speech. What's especially interesting about this one is that it came just two months after a young and ambitious John Kerry testified before a Senate committee against the war in Vietnam. The ever-quotable Buckley:

I shall listen patiently, decades hence, to those who argue that our commitment in Vietnam and our attempt to redeem it were tragically misconceived. I shall not listen to those who say that it was less than the highest tribute to national motivation, to collective idealism, and to international rectitude. I say this with confidence because I have never met an American who takes pleasure from the Vietnam War or who desires to exploit the Vietnamese.

And the ending:

Without organized force, and the threat of the use of it under certain circumstances, there is no freedom, anywhere. Without freedom, there is no true humanity. If America is the monster of John Kerry, burn your commissions tomorrow morning and take others, which will not bind you in the depraved conspiracy you have heard described. If it is otherwise, remember: the freedom John Kerry enjoys, and the freedom I enjoy, are, quite simply, the result of your dedication. Do you wonder that I accepted the opportunity to salute you?

Amen.


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Tuesday, February 03, 2004

That Ol' Religion of Peace
Your friendly neighborhood Islam - that ol' religion of peace - is working its charms in Nigeria. God help the people of Nigeria. God help us all.


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