Wiener of the Week

Some weeks it's really hard to pick the WotW. There just isn't anything happening. Not this week. Between Congress trying to take over the financial industry, King George the Dim's failure to muster Team Elephant behind him in said takeover, Little Nancy Pelosi's simultaneous failure to muster takeover support from Team Donkey, and all of the partisan sniping over the past week, there have been wieners aplenty from which to choose.

But my pick is the so-called "conservative" commentariat. Honest to goodness, are they trying to throw the election to Team Donkey? First there was Peggy Noonan at the convention, caught on an open mic calling the Sarah Palin choice "bullshit". Now there's Kathleen Parker, who's decided that Sarah Palin isn't perfect enough for her. With friends like these...

What exactly is going on here? I'll tell you what's going on. Sarah Palin isn't part of "the club". She didn't pay her dues. She isn't part of Team Washington. For women like Noonan and Parker, that's inexcusable. They were just DYING to kill Palin. She's not worthy!

Honestly, the "conservative" commentariat has really lost a lot of my respect this year. They've really shown their true colors. Outside of Glenn Beck and Walter Williams, they've shown themselves to be front-running suck ups to the Team Elephant establishment. Even people I had tremendous respect for, like Dr. Thomas Sowell, have managed to rationalize supporting McCommie even though they know McCommie is poison.

So, for being both Team Elephant suck ups and for doing everything in their power to torpedo outsider Sarah Palin, the "conservative" commentariat is my Wiener of the Week.

On voting

I had originally planned to do a major screed on the philosophy of voting prior to the elections in November, but an ongoing discussion thread has convinced me that the time is now.

However you want to boil it down, there are three predominant philosophies for voting in an election where two unpalatable candidates are representing the major political parties:

1. Boycott the election - it's futile, because the elites have stacked the deck. Major proponents: Vox Day and Nate (Der Hausfraurer).
2. YOU HAVE TO VOTE!!!!!!! Vote the lesser of two evils! Hold your nose and vote for the guy with the 'R' or 'D' after their name, regardless of whether you like, respect, or agree with them, because this is the most importantest election ever and the future of the Supreme Court depends on it!!!!! Major proponents: Rachel Lucas and Dr. Helen.
3. Vote for anyone BUT the major party candidates. Major proponent: the Vulture.

Each approach has its pros and cons. But only one is a winner.

Boycott the election!

The "boycott" crowd gets to stand up and say, "This government is illegitimate and I refuse to participate in its sham elections." They get to stand off to the side and (rightfully) point out that whether you vote for the guy with the 'R' after his name or the guy with the 'D' after his name, you'll get the same results, because the president isn't really "running" things, the elites are.

But this is where the "boycott" crowd has it all wrong. The elites don't give two shits whether you vote or not. In fact, the statist media will point to your non-vote as "apathy among the electorate". Your "boycott" will be viewed by the elite as a de facto acquiescence to "the system". You meant to send a message saying the process is illegitimate. The message that is received is "we don't care who's in charge". That's a very bad message, trust me.

Vote for 'our' guy

The "OMGs YOU HAFTA VOTE FOR 'OUR' GUY!!!!!!!!!" crowd is just a little too tightly wound for their own good (sorry mark and dw). I know that Limbaugh and other blatherers have you all wound up because of the Supreme Court. It's the trump card for the pro-status quo crowd. "Sure, Candidate A sucks...but at least we can count on him to appoint the right judges to the Supreme Court".

Again, wrong. Ronald Reagan, the gold standard for Republicans, appointed Sandra Day O'Connor, William Rehnquist, and Anthony Kennedy. One dud, one excellent choice, one statist/leftist. In fairness, it must be noted that Reagan also nominated Robert Bork, who was rejected by the Senate because he actually believed in the Constitution. Bush 41 appointed David Souter and Clarence Thomas. One ultra-leftist, one excellent choice. King George the Dim succeeded in getting John Roberts and Samuel Alito appointed. Both are generally conservative, sure, but both are pro-Homeland Security apparatchiks. And let's not forget that he originally nominated the gawdawful Harriett Miers before Alito. Call that three bad choices.

So the scorecard reads: 2 excellent choices (and 1 excellent choice rejected), 2 bad choices (and an additional horrendous nominee), 1 dud, and 2 leftists. And this is from the last three presidents from Team Elephant!

How'd Clinton do? He appointed Ruth Vader Ginsberg and Stephen Breyer - two gawdawful ultra-leftists.

The previous Team Donkey president, the peerlessly awful Jimmy Carter, didn't have the opportunity to appoint any justices. Thank God! The way he effed up everything else, there's no telling who he would have nominated!

Aha, you say! You just made my point! No, sadly, I didn't. With Team Donkey, you know what you're getting with the Supreme Court: Ultra-leftist nominees. A Senate with any stones will REJECT those nominees; sadly, the Team Elephant-dominated Senate of the 90's approved Clinton's nominees. Aha, I say! I just made my point!

Team Elephant gets about 1 in 4 nominees right. Team Donkey gets all of theirs wrong...but it doesn't matter because Team Elephant doesn't have the spine to oppose gawdawful candidates! Voting based on who will appoint Supreme Court justices is a losing argument.

Last point: there is no such thing as voting for the lesser of two evils. Once elected, the "lesser evil" becomes "the evil". If you wouldn't have voted for candidate A in the primaries, based on their unsuitablity for the office, then don't vote for candidate A in the general election, either. Be consistent and vote your conscience, always.

Vote for anyone BUT the mainstream candidates

The Vulture's way is simple: vote contrarian. Send the elites this message: "I care enough to vote...and I reject your hand-picked BS candidates!" No ambiguity, as is the case with the boycott crowd. No "I'm perfectly fine with the elite's choices of candidates" message, as with the "VOTE OUR GUY!!!!" crowd. Just a protest vote, pure and simple.

The downside? If the Vulture goes to the polls and casts his one lonely protest vote, he's just a crank and can be easily dismissed by the elite. But if the Vulture is joined by several million of his fellow citizens? THEN the elite has to sit up and take notice! My way only works if it becomes a grass-roots movement; sadly, in 21st century America, my way isn't even on the cultural radar.

So what's a curmudgeonly avian to do? I'm voting my conscience. I voted for Ron Paul in the primaries. I'm writing in Ron Paul in the general election. He won't win. I know that. But I won't send a message of apathy to the elites, and I won't send a message of "your candidates are swell!" to them, either. It'll be one lonely vote. But it will be done with a clear conscience and without compromise to my principles.

Really, should a person ever vote any other way?

Economic Pearl Harbor

Warren Buffet says it's an "Economic Pearl Harbor". Geez, you'd think the world as we know it was ending, what with all of the hand wringing (here, here, here, and here). Can we all take a deep breath, please? Let uncle Vulture explain it all to you. Come over here and sit on my lap.

What we have here is a combination of market-driven economic factors (including but not limited to the bursting of the housing market bubble), the fruits of decades of Congressional meddling, and greed. The conditions that made this mess possible? Speculators with elite connections figured they could gamble in the arena of mortgage securities and never lose, firm in the knowledge that, if the worst-case scenario ever happened, their friends in high places would bail them out.

And, Shazzam! Looky here! The biggest players (Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae) have their bailouts, and today's vote on the next wave of bailouts will take care of the next bunch of players.

The pro-State media is parroting the administration's dire assertion that it will be economic Armageddon if this bailout doesn't pass. Team Donkey is on board with the plan because (a) most big players on Wall Street are pro-Democrat (based on their campaign contributions), and (b) it's yet another opportunity to foist more socialism upon us. Many members of Team Elephant are balking, but they'll go along in the end to retain the favor of big money donors.

Is this bailout good for America? Will it stave off a depression or recession? No and no.

Trying to legislate market forces is as futile as trying to legislate gravity. You can't defeat a force as old and powerful as The Market.

So...if the bailouts won't save us from a period of economic difficulty........why are they being hyped the way they are? Easy! Because the elites always take care of their own. They couldn't give a flying rat's ass what happens to you and me when the excrement hits the fan. But, by God, they're going to make sure that they and their connected friends have a soft place to land!

I'm afraid it's going to be a bumpy ride. Rest assured that neither of the mainstream presidential candidates can fix this problem; there's not a soul on this planet who can fix it. I pray that none of you are severely impacted by the impending crash.

Can anything good come out of this? Sure. If enough of the American people wake up in time, we can take control of our government again and recreate the free Republic envisioned by the Founders. But don't hold your breath.

McCain turns on his masters

...but in his defense, they turned on him first.

A key senior adviser for John McCommie had this to say when asked about Izvestia...excuse me, the New York Times.

Steve Schmidt, a McCain campaign senior adviser, declared on a conference call with reporters Monday that The New York Times is "not ... a journalistic organization."

His lengthy broadside, prompted by an article Monday documenting ties between the campaign and lobbying for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, was the latest in a series of grievances with the Gray Lady that that aides to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) have aired publicly.

"Whatever The New York Times once was, it is today not by any standard a journalistic organization," Schmidt said. "It is a pro-Obama advocacy organization that every day impugns the McCain campaign, attacks Sen. McCain, attacks Gov. [Sarah] Palin. It excuse[s] Sen. Obama. …

"Everything that is read in The New York Times that attacks this campaign should be evaluated by the American people from that perspective — that it is an organization that has made a decision to cast aside its journalistic integrity and tradition, to advocate for the defeat of one candidate — in this case, John McCain — and to advocate for the election of the other candidate, Barack Obama."

And the Vulture stands and applauds.

Although the message was delivered by an aide and not by the candidate himself, you know that McCommie is behind this counter attack. And good for him! It's about time one of these mealy-mouthed politicians hit back against the Gray Lady and other media outlets that have become propagandists for their lord and savior, Barack "who's sane?" Obama.

BUT.....what make this little item especially amusing to the Vulture is the fact that McCommie, as Senator, served not the people of Arizona but rather the NYT editorial board.

The election of 2008 has served up more irony than the previous 10 combined. You gotta love it.

Week 3 - kicking sand in the weakling's face

You know, I almost pity the Lions. Almost. What a train wreck! And how fortunate that the Niners got to play them this year. A game against the Lions is as close to a gimme as you're going to find in the NFL. The 31-13 final was entirely predictable.

The Niners looked great on both offense and defense. The defensive improvement is a MOST welcome change, given that they seemed to be tackling with their purses against both the Cactus Wrens and the Seabags.

But it's the Mike Martz offense that's generating all of the energy for this team. Holy cow, is that a potent offense! Check this out:

Quarterback rating: JT O'Sullivan (career 3rd string QB): 4th
Rushing yards: Frank Gore (man among boys): 5th
Team Offense: 11th (vs. 32nd last year!)
Team Defense: Tied for 9th (OMG!!!!!!)

I'm still only guardedly optimistic; after all, we all had our hearts broken last year when big expectations didn't pan out. And the worst stretch of the season starts Sunday, a stretch that could result in an 0-5 run. Here's the gauntlet: at New Orleans, New England, Philadelphia, at New York Giants, and the Seabags. I'd be thrilled if the team can emerge from this tough schedule with 2 wins in the 5 games. Why? Because the second half of the season is a cakewalk compared to the first half. There's the Rams twice - two guaranteed wins. Miami, Jets, Pinkskins - 2 wins is reasonable from those teams. That leaves the Cowturds and the rematch with the Cactus Wrens. We MIGHT beat the Cactus Wrens, but we go down hard against the juggernaut that is (Central) America's Team.

What does this mean? There's a very real chance that, with a few breaks, the Niners could go 9-7 and make the playoffs!!!!!!!!

* Vulture takes another puff *
Dude, it could happen! Really!

Has the Big Warming worm turned?

Great Britain is a formerly great nation in great decline. With sub-replacement birth rates (like the rest of EUtopia), a declining financial standing in the world economy, and a bit of an "immigrant problem" (not, mind you, illegals as in the State; no, we're talking about "immigrants" who want to wreak Jihad on their Limey asses), Britain has certainly seen better days.

But at least someone THERE sees through the crap and propaganda of Big Warming.

The Environment Minister Sammy Wilson has angered green campaigners by describing their view on climate change as a "hysterical pseudo-religion".

In an article in the News Letter, Mr Wilson said he believed it occurred naturally and was not man-made.

"Resources should be used to adapt to the consequences of climate change, rather than King Canute-style vainly trying to stop it," said the minister.

Peter Doran of the Green Party said it was a "deeply irresponsible message".

Mr Wilson said he refused to "blindly accept" the need to make significant changes to the economy to stop climate change.

"The tactic used by the 'green gang' is to label anyone who dares disagree with their view of climate change as some kind of nutcase who denies scientific fact," he said.

Preach it, Brother Wilson!

No, Ardwulf, this isn't some "denier" quoted from some "right wing publication". This is the Environment Minister of a G-8 country quoted in a story by the left-leaning BBC.

My hope is that the dominoes are starting to fall in the direction of common sense. My hope is that the Big Warming crowd has overplayed their hand and is in the dire predicament of trying to sell their BS to a populous that is sick of their tactics and starting to wise up to the reality that....wait for it....there is no freaking warming!

When you've lost the Environment Minister of Great Britain, a guy whose job includes actions on behalf of your cause (religion?), you've really shot yourselves in the foot.

* The Vulture smiles an evil smile and begins to circle Big Warming *

Wiener of the Week

File this week's WotW one under: do you live on the same planet as the rest of us? Or, perhaps, under Twilight Zone Media.

Apparently, some members of Big Media (the BM for short) live such insulated, compartmentalized lives that they cannot distinguish reality from "the script". This guy is exhibit A.

The Sarah Palin Phenomenon is doomed.

But it's not because of her lack of foreign policy experience or her deer-in-the-headlights look during part of her interview last week with ABC's Charles Gibson.

The primary reason why the Palin bubble will burst is that the media will decide that they are bored with her. They'll need to move to shine a light on a fresh issue or individual.

This is how the world works in the age of 24/7 news cycles. Whether the subject is Britney Spears, Michael Jordan or Sarah Palin, we inevitably raise stars to mythic levels, out of all reasonable proportions. Then we knock them down. (Look out, Michael Phelps. Your time is coming, too.)

"We build 'em up, and we take 'em down." That's the script. There's only one problem: nobody in the BM was remotely responsible for "building up" Sarah Palin! That was a legitimate grass roots phenomenon. Taking her down (or, at least trying to) has been the raison d’être for the BM for a solid 3 weeks now.

The hubris! The self-importance! The unmitigated gall of this clown! But, and I can't emphasize this enough, what is most striking, well beyond the arrogance, is the self-delusion. This guy simply cannot see past "the script". Reality and "the script" are one in the same. This guy not only shouldn't be writing, he should be institutionalized.

Jon Friedman, for your self-delusional jaunt into the Twilight Zone, you're the Wiener of the Week!

File under: I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!

Did you ever have one of those moments when a piece of information crossed your path that completely vindicated an unpopular core belief you have held? I did. Take a gander at this.

Scientists have discovered that going veggie could be bad for your brain-with those on a meat-free diet six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage.

Vegans and vegetarians are the most likely to be deficient because the best sources of the vitamin are meat, particularly liver, milk and fish. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause anaemia and inflammation of the nervous system.

I KNEW IT!!!!!!!

Oh, sure, I didn't have any information to back up my instinctive belief that humans were meant to be omnivores (that is, creature who eat pretty much everything). I just knew deep down in my very core that abstaining from meat was just plain wrong.

I'm gonna have me a steak tonight, medium-rare leaning towards rare, and I'm gonna like it!

He's baaaaaaaaaack!

One of my original regulars, dw, a friend of mine since high school (a loooooooooong time ago, class of '76!), broke his leg two months ago and hasn't been able to participate in the Wake at TVL since. Now he's back...with a vengeance!

Vulture sir, I am back.

I have not read any of the past 2 months of stuff. So I thought I would make my proclamation. I am now for McCain, I love Sarah, Obama is a terrorist in drag.

The feds should not be bailing out all these losers; they are not bailing me out from being disabled for 2 months, [Maryland governor Martin] O'Malley is a bitch, and we are winning the war. Oh yeah, for all you Bush bashers, I like him - 6 years of the best markets we have had and the last year and a half of shit does NOT make him evil. Blame the congress.

So with that I am happy to finally be able to walk and slowly getting off the drugs. Love ya!

Dude, you have no idea how much I missed you! Welcome back, and keep bringing it strong!

Oh Yeah, I forgot HAPPY FRIGGIN' 50TH VULTURE! I turn the big 51 in two days. So what did you do for the day? Sorry I missed it.

Check out here and here for all the gory details. And, you know what? 50 ain't so bad. It beats the alternative...

Big Media Priorities

The news cycle spins again. Today it's the big financial panic, a most appropriate topic that touches the lives of all of us.

But there's still space on the ABC, CBS, and CNN news sites for more Palin bashing. If you want to see the absolute worst of journalistic malpractice, check out Jake Trapper's blog, Political Punch, at ABCNews.com. Good Lord, the man might as well have an "Obama/Biden '08" banner across the top of his blog. This assclown considers it major news that Sarah Palin has a tanning bed! What a tool!

Other pressing issues burning up the news include the California state budget situation, the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, tasers, baggy pants, and the usual celebrity voyeurism.

It is what it is.

But what it ISN'T is awake. For the past 6 weeks, a massacre of horrible scope and ferocity has been taking place in India. The only reason I know anything about it is because I received a newsletter from Good News India, an orphanage ministry my church supports. The newsletter can be viewed here.

Curious as to why I had missed news of a massacre of this scope and magnitude, where Christians are being slaughtered at the hands of extremist Hindi (who even knew there WAS such a thing as an extremist Hindu?), I did a Google search to check into which news outlets had reported on the massacre and when. Only one - one - news outlet had reported on the atrocity, WorldNetDaily.com. Yeah, Ardwulf, the "white supremacist-aligned, questionably-funded, hate-mongering" WorldNetDaily.

In the mean time, the "major" news outlets had plenty of time and space to report on Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, and oodles of time and space to report every piece of "damaging" minutia regarding Sarah Palin (Any word yet on Joe Biden's ties to MBNA? Just curious.), but not a second of time nor space to report on an atrocity fueled by religious hate. But it's just Christians being slaughtered in a faraway third-world shit hole, so who cares, right?

If it don't fit the script, it don't print.

And journalists wonder why they rank down with Congress, King George the Dim, used car salesmen, and ambulance chasers in the public's esteem.

Week 2 -- a stunning upset

I'm still scratching my head and trying to figure it out. Does Sunday's 33-30 49ers victory over the Seabags mean that the Niners are in ascendancy? Or is it simply an indication of how bad the Seabags are and how far they've fallen.

(It's just like me to look a gift horse in the mouth!)

Actually, I'm thrilled with the result, especially considering that the Niners were down 14-0 before my seat on the couch was even warm. Since TJ was home from school (he loves to watch football with his daddy), we switched over to watch his favorite team, the Bucs, dismantle the pathetic Falcons. As various updates popped up onscreen (and as we half-followed the 49ers gaming during commercials via the Red Zone channel), it became obvious to me that the game was far from over; the Niners actually had a chance!

You gotta understand, the 'Bags have OWNED the Niners for 4 of the past 5 years. Owned. Last year I believe they beat my boys by about 120-0 in the two games. (Yeah, I know, I'm exaggerating, but that's what it felt like).

I'll say this much: the Mike Martz offense is E-X-P-L-O-S-I-V-E. I don't like the way JT is getting his ass kicked (8 sacks - ouch!). But you can't bark at the results when a career third-string quarterback is throwing for 320 yards!

The defense is still about half-scary. The safeties were really hitting. Patrick Willis is a man among boys; he is Ray Lewis circa 2000 minus the retarded strutting and preening. But HOW IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY did the defense give up so many points against a decimated Seabag offense? The defense really needs to get and hold it together.

Okay, the boys are 1-1, and the one loss was to the Cactus Wrens, who, by totally disassembling the Fish yesterday, showed that they just might be legit. Who knows? In a weak NFC, we might just sneak into the playoffs...........

It's on!

Apparently Ardwulf doesn't know me very well, or he wouldn't have written this in response to comments I made over on What I think you should read in defense of Harry's post there.

I can’t help but notice that you’re doing your ‘research’ at a climate change denial blog, which in turn has gotten its data (in both of the articles you linked,) from WorldNetDaily, a right-wing propaganda outfit with very shady financing, ties to white supremacist organizations and which has promoted, among other things, belief in the silly North American Union conspiracy theory.

If this is one’s definition of ‘research’… well, then I can understand how one might be unable to distinguish facts from lies.

Let's start from the beginning.

I don't do "research" at "climate change denial blogs". Here's a sampling of websites I've referenced for climate change/warming news.

AOL
Agence France-Presse (France)
Associated Press
Business Post (Ireland)
Czech President Vaclav Klaus (speech quoted by The Australian)
Discovery Magazine
Information Week
John Coleman, Founder, The Weather Channel (speech quoted by KUSI, San Diego)
KCRG Des Moines
Milenio.com (Mexico)
National Journal
National Post (Canada)
National Public Radio (NPR)
New York Times
Politico.com
San Francisco Chronicle (sfgate.com)
Senator Ben Cardin (2 letters)
Sify News (India)
Technology Review
Telegraph (UK)
The Daily Mail (UK)
The Guardian (UK)
The Heartland Institute
The Herald Sun (Australia)
Times Online (UK)
Washington Times
What I think you should read
Wikipedia
WorldNetDaily.com

That's quite the rouge's gallery of climate change "deniers", isn't it? Especially considering that the most damning of the articles cited from these sources came from NPR!!!!

I don't consider the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the AP, AFP, nor any of the UK sources to be extremist, anti-climate change advocates or deniers, do you? There's balance in my sources (something ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox might seriously consider).

And another thing, I consider your characterization of WorldNetDaily as a typical leftist "I can't refute your argument so I'll smear your source" attack. WorldNetDaily IS right-leaning. They also feature a whole raft of liberal opinion writers (Sarah Posner, Ellen Ratner, Bill Press, Roger Ebert, David Linderoff, Juan Cole, Glenn Greenwald, Congressman Barney Frank, Rob McKay, and Robert Parry -- and this is just Liberals featured since September 1st!). Contrast that with the number of Conservative or Libertarian voices featured by The New York Times (if you said more than 2, you aren't paying attention).

As for the totally unfounded (and unproven) allegation that WorldNetDaily has ties to white supremacists, follow this chain of recent accusations, if you will.

Leftist "White Supremacist" Accusations:
The editor of the Washington Times
Bill and Hillary Clinton
Lou Dobbs
Ron Paul
Michelle Malkin, who is Asian!!!
Novelist Stephen King
"Doctor" James Dobson

As you can see, rather than debate in a reasoned, thoughtful manner, the Left resorts to ridiculous name calling. Does anyone, ANYONE, REALLY believe that any of these people are White Supremacists? Anyone?

You wanna know why I treat climate change propagandists and "believers" the way I do? Because it's a fraud, that's why!!!!

Temperatures have been dropping for the last decade. The ocean temperatures are stable. 28,000 scientists question the "consensus" of global warming (vs. 3,200 who signed off on the UN's fraudulent "study"). All physical evidence points to a cooling trend. And the biggest proponents of drastic change to "combat" warming have a financial stake in said "change"!

But there's no convincing the likes of Ardwulf. They're believers. You might as well try to convert an Islamist to Christianity. Ardwulf may not realize it, but he totally made Harry's point.

Wiener of the Week

This week's WotW comes with a tip of the beak to Rachel Lucas, who called my attention to this little item.

I’m not posting the pic here, just click on the link (it’s to Ace of Spades) and see what the fine patriotic hope-changers over at Daily Kos are laughing about; it’s 9/11-related. It’ll piss you off more than you might like.

Ooh, a picture. I like pictures. I guess I'll go over to Ace of Spades HQ and check it out.

It's funny. It's funny because it's true.

What, you don't get it? Well nothing's funny if you analyze it to death.

I have a screencap, too, for when they inevitably yank it.

Don't question their patriotism, though.

And don't question the patriotism of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Keith Olbermann and other assorted Koz Kidz, either.

Okay, so by now you've just GOT to see this picture, this representation of what passes for humor among humorless automaton leftists. Here it is.


Priceless, isn't it.

If you don't like this picture, it's because you're one of THEM, the right-wing illiterate redneck hillbillies who aren't as smart (God, do they EVER remind us how f'ing smart they are every f'ing chance they get!), nor as nuanced, nor as well-educated, nor as evolved as they.

And, yes, they DID pull the picture. Not, mind you, because it was offensive or anything. It's just that we mindless hillbillies were making a big deal out of it.

Personally, I'm neither offended nor surprised by the picture. Why? Because these socially autistic, culturally tone-deaf morons can't POSSIBLY be expected to act like real human beings. It's just not in them.

Thanks, Kos-monots, for reminding me why I so loath the left. You're the Wiener of the Week.

People agree with me -- by 5 to 1!

This may shock and alarm you, but a survey shows that the American public agrees with me about something -- by a 5 to 1 margin. I know it shocks and alarms ME!

Seven out of 10 voters (69%) remain convinced that reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and this year by a nearly five-to-one margin voters believe they are trying to help Barack Obama.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of voters think most reporters are trying to help Obama win versus 11% who believe they are trying to help his Republican opponent John McCain.

When even the sheeple have figured out that the national media is in the tank for their Lord and Savior, Barack, it can only mean that Big Media (BM) has lost their ability to propagandize effectively.

It also means that their over-the-top persecution of Sarah Palin (and family!) is blowing up in their face.

They just couldn't leave well enough alone. McCommie is a thoroughly unlikeable candidate, and would have lost this Fall had BM just left it alone. But they just HAD to seal the deal. They just HAD to push, push, push for St. Obama.

Now their guy is (depending on the poll in question) either in a dead-heat with McCommie or trailing in the race. He's flailing so badly that even Michael Dukakis has to be chuckling to himself somewhere.

Reporting the news: good. Trying to influence the course of an election: bad. Americans get that. Too bad ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and the New York Times don't.

Harry hits a homer

It seems that Harry over at What I think you should read has a pretty good grasp of the Official State-Sanctioned Religion.

The Progressive Movement that is marching across our Nation at this time is driven by Marxist and socialist ideology mixed in with the religion of Global Warming. GW is leveraged by the progressives to reach their goal. These “progressive” and “forward” thinkers like to whip on Christians and other religious Americans claiming that they are not as intellectually sound or enlightened. The progressives employ softer words than Karl Marx to bash religion as “the opiate of the masses” but generally share that view. This is sweet irony, for no religious fad I have ever seen or heard of has caught on like Global Warming. Not even Oprah’s religion is getting that kind of hysterical following.

Indeed Global Warming is a natural pantheistic movement that has as much hold on its followers as any Christian Church I know. Perhaps even more-so.

Harry then goes on to make a point-by-point comparison of Christian tradition and the equivalent tradition within the OSSR. I can't do it justice with excerpts. You gotta read it for yourself.

Things I would add to what Harry has written:

Dealing with unbelievers. The Christian version was the Catholic church's Inquisitions of the middle ages. The OSSR's version is to shout down competing voices, and ignore, marginalize, demonize, or destroy their opponents.

Cultivating belivers. In the Christian version, missionaries are designated to bring the Good News to every nation, tongue, and people. The OSSR's version is Big Media, which parrots the orthodoxy of its Priesthood (led by Al Goerbells) as incontrovertible fact.

You can put lipstick on a Donkey...

Say, didn't Mr. DoublePlusGood Hope-Change promise to run a positive campaign without all of the mud slinging and vitriol of past campaigns? Yeah, how's that working out for you, Barry?

Well, not to worry, his surrogates are hard at work trying to destroy a mother of 5.

It's no surprise, then, that Democrats have airdropped a mini-army of 30 lawyers, investigators and opposition researchers into Anchorage, the state capital Juneau and Mrs. Palin's hometown of Wasilla to dig into her record and background. My sources report the first wave arrived in Anchorage less than 24 hours after John McCain selected her on August 29.

Bill Clinton must be so proud!

Face it, Team Donkey will never change their tactics. They see nothing wrong with destroying innocent people to advance the cause of achieving power. After all, a One-World Socialist Utopia doesn't just build itself. You have to break a few eggs to create that particular omelet. And Sarah Palin and family are just a basket of eggs to Team Donkey.

Wiener of the Week

Yeah, I know it's a little late, but there was a lot of stuff going on at the end of last week/first of this week.

I may have to change the name of the award from WotW to The Nancy Pelosi Trophy, because she's the WotW yet again.

From Bert Prelutsky:

In the meantime, Nancy Pelosi turns off the lights in the House so that Congress can’t vote for increased oil drilling. Then, to compound matters, she takes time off from her book tour to go on “Meet the Press” with liberal shill Tom Brokaw and explain that her personal financial investment in natural gas exploration was simply a means by which to wean Americans away from our dependence on hydrocarbons. Brokaw, either because he didn’t know or, more likely, had no intention of embarrassing Madame Speaker, neglected to point out that natural gas is a hydrocarbon!

Here's hoping that little Nancy can get a clue before the next session of Congress, otherwise she may perpetually be, as she is now, the Wiener of the Week.

Somewhere Woodrow Wilson is smiling

It's a fascist's dream: nationalizing key industries, such as, oh, I don't know, maybe the largest home loan mortgage institutions in the nation.

Today the federal government officially took control of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae).

Woodrow Wilson and Benito Mussolini would be SO proud!

The blathering heads, the Bush Administration, and the lapdog media can spin this any way they want, but what happened here is no different from any of the State ownership takeovers engineered by Britain's Labor governments of the 1970's. And it will be just as successful (/sarcasm).

Government, much like Daniel Snyder, has a reverse-Midas touch. Everything they touch turns not to gold, but to excrement.

This is a dark day in the history of our dying Republic. A dark day indeed.

Week 1...not so great

The Mike Martz era began with a thud yesterday. 6 turnovers. Six. There's no way ANY team can win with that kind of sloppiness. So it was in Niners' 23-13 loss to the Arizona Cactus Wrens (not original: stolen from TMQ), who seem to think those gawd awful pajamas they're wearing constitute the uniform of a professional football team. They don't. Get a real uniform, or get out of the league!

Now, granted, the offense was WAY more exiting than last year's moribund 32nd-ranked mess. And J.T. O'Sullivan looked pretty good at times. However, he's got a WHOLE lot to learn if he wants to be an NFL Quarterback. He isn't one now -- not with that sloppy, throwing-off-the-back-foot-sidearm crap he's slinging.

Frank Gore is THE MAN. Vernon Davis looked outstanding. The offensive line seems to have improved from last year.

But the defense, the supposed strength of the team, is GAWD-AWFUL! Outside of Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Parys Haralson, who shocked everyone with an outstanding game, including 2.5 sacks, the defense couldn't tackle their mothers. It was just dreadful.

There are two ways I can look at yesterday's game. One is: boy, those Cardinals are REALLY improved. They might even steal the division from the Seabags. The other is: it's going to be a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-g year....again.

Media bias? No way!

Whateverman and yodaddy think I'm a little overly-sensitive about media bias. I dunno, Joe Biden, what do you think?

[O]n ABC’s Good Morning America, Biden agreed that media coverage of Palin had been “outrageous,” “totally unfair,” and “sexist.” Biden told Robin Roberts: “The truth is some of the stuff that the press has said about -- and others have said about the governor, I think -- are outrageous.....Some of the stuff said has just been over the top, totally unfair and I think it has been sexist, and I think the way the Governor has handled it has been admirable.”

Uh huh. My sentiments exactly.

I've always been of the view that if you're going to have an opinion, you'd better be able to back it up with facts. So I spent a couple of hours today researching news stories on the vice presidential candidates. I won't pretend that I'm 100% unbiased in my scoring of those stories, but I gave it my best effort.

A decently-representative culling of the reactions to Joe Biden in the week following his designation as BO's running mate ran thusly:

Gushing ....... 2
Positive ........ 2
Neutral ......... 2
Negative ....... 2

A sampling of the comments I used to support my ranking (along with links to the original articles) can be found here.

A similarly-chosen culling of the reactions to Sarah Palin in the week following her designation as McCommie's running mate:

Gushing ....... 0
Positive ........ 2
Neutral ......... 2
Negative ....... 6

A sampling of the comments I used to support my ranking (along with links to the original articles) can be found here.

Additional links to related news stories and commentary follows.

By the Numbers: Cable Nets Boost Biden, Trash Palin
'Rainmaker' lobbyist aids Biden
How Palin & Biden's Favorability Numbers Compare To Past VP Picks
Joe Biden Has Most Negative Google Results Of Presidential Nominees
More Negative News Trouble For Sarah Palin
The Public, the Press, and Palin
First poll on Palin is overwhelmingly negative
Desperate For More Negative Information About Palin The Associated Press Publishes A Stretch
Republicans and Democrats battle to portray Palin
'American Morning' Fact Checks Palin But Not Obama or Biden
A woman -- but why this woman?
Palin-Smearing Baltimore Sun Columnist Whines Readers Being Mean to Her

I didn't bother with the cheap shots from US magazine, nor the asshat columnist in New York who negatively critiqued Palin's hairstyle (and yet, I've heard not a single word about Biden's hair plugs!), nor the character assassins at the Daily Kos, the Huffing Glue Report, etc. Too easy.

Whew! I'm whipped.

Okay, if you can read all of the links here and come away with any sort of sense that Sarah Palin and Senator Hairplugs are getting equal treatment from the press, you're either an ideologue, a member of the media, or smoking crack.

The Sarah Palin wild card

Big Media (BM for short) is absolutely apoplectic. This is an outrage!

First, John McCommie chooses a VP candidate outside of their comfort zone. They do NOT like being surprised! They had already prepared their hatchet pieces on Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Tom Ridge. Now, because McCommie picked this...this....this OUTSIDER!....they were going to have to actually work instead of going with their preconceptions.

It didn't take long for BM to sharpen their axes and go nuts on poor Ms. Palin and family. They called her everything but a white woman. Contrast this with the even-handed to glowing reviews of Senator Hairplugs from just one week before; he was the "everyman" because he rides Amtrak. Sarah Palin? She's a psycho abusive parent because she hunts and works outside the home! Talk about hypocrisy! The people who brought us "women who don't work don't count" are now decrying a woman who works!

Oh, and let's not forget the pregnant 17-year-old daughter -- surely this is obvious proof that teaching abstinence doesn't work! (Thank God the girl isn't FLDS! She'd be forcibly ripped from her home by Stoßtruppen in armored vehicles armed with assault weapons).

It's been considerably quieter on the BM front concerning Ms. Palin today. Why? Maybe her speech yesterday has something to do with it. Now, I didn't actually see the speech; there's no way I stay up that late for anything but a 49ers game. But I read the complete speech, and I've gotta say -- she rocked it.

So now what? Is she enough to overcome McCommie's inherent unlikeability? Can she topple the Team Donkey center of gravity, Obama the mega-talented orator? Is she enough of a factor for Team Elephant to convince Americans to put the King George the Dim years behind them?

We shall see.

All I know is that they could have nominated Jesus Himself as McCommie's VP candidate and I still wouldn't vote for that tool. Sorry, Sarah!

Who, when, where...how?

This Vulture frequently checks the obituary page of Frederick's fine newspaper, the News-Post. And, no, smart-ass, it's not to make sure that I'm not listed there! It's an interesting study in human character. You get a glimpse in how the deceased's loved ones choose to eulogize them of the character of both the deceased and the survivors.

But every time I read the obits I end up getting frustrated. Why? Because no one ever lists the cause of death. Why is that? I mean, c'mon! I'm getting to an age where, when I see that someone under the age of 60 has died, I'd really like to know why. Was it cancer? An accident? Shot by a jealous husband? What if a statistically improbable number of Frednecks are dying of a certain kind of cancer? Wouldn't that be information the general community could really use?

People, please! When you write an obit, tell us the cause of death!

File under: HAHAHAHAHAHA

Apparently "maverick" John McCommie has lost his core constituency.

The longtime love affair between John McCain and what he once called his "base" -- the national news media -- is on the rocks.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

What's the matter, Johnny boy? Did the cobra you used to cuddle up with suddenly turn on you once you stopped running against people to the Right of you and are now running against someone to the Left of you? Poor baby!

All Rockefeller Republicans, like McCommie, spend exorbitant amounts of time courting the media. And, eventually, like Johnny is discovering, the media will turn on them.

You keep on trying to court the "mainstream", Rockefellerites. It'll pay off for you, just like it paid off for McCommie.

Rioting....for peace?!?!?!?

Well, it looks like I'm getting my Chicago '68 after all, complete with unwashed hippy(-like) maggots and cops in riot gear busting heads. I just thought it would be for the Team Donkey convention, not the Team Elephant convention. The irony of destructive violence as part of a protest for peace apparently hasn't crossed the cerebral cortex of these reptilians.

Police said Tuesday they arrested 286 people during Monday's event. Most of the estimated 10,000 people in the march were peaceful, but small groups that police said numbered about 200 broke windows, slashed tires and harassed delegates.

Harassed delegates? How about assaulted delegates.

Look, if you want to protest, protest. It's a Constitutionally protected right. But when you resort to violence against innocent persons, you've crossed a line.

Yes, it is an unjust war. Yes, we shouldn't be there. Yes, we need to stop playing policeman for the planet. Just try to get your message across like an adult, okay?

Ron Paul did.

Wiener of the Month

August's WotM is my favorite little Limousine Liberal, Nancy Pelosi.

Little Nancy is letting her stock investment in T. Boone Pickens' natural gas company and her ties to Big Enviro money dictate her decision to prevent an up-down vote on domestic offshore drilling. This venal, corrupt, despicable shrew deserves to be impeached. If Team Donkey had any sense at all, they would replace her as Speaker. She's going to cost them dearly come November.

For being the quintessential corrupt policitian, Nancy Pelosi is the Wiener of the Month!

Wiener of the Week

This week's WotW is Team Obama.

Good gravy, are these people stupid or just incompetent? They make a huge deal out of McCommie's age and "Washington insider" status for months on end, then choose as their VP candidate a guy who's only 6 years younger than McCommie and has been a Senator 14 years longer! Worse, his presence calls further attention to Obama's weaknesses in experience and foreign affairs.

Obama came out of his convention totally flat, having gained nothing in the polls. I can't remember in my lifetime a candidate who came out of their convention without some sort of "bump". This is unparalleled. And it bodes poorly for Team Donkey.

Worse still, McCommie totally stole Obama's thunder the day after the convention was over by choosing a young, pretty, and non-establishment woman as his VP candidate. Now the Biden choice starts looking worse by the minute. What more could go wrong?

The "what more" is that Team Obama started going after Governor Palin's "lack of experience". Boys, you did NOT want to go there! At least Governor Palin has filled an executive position at some point in her political career - Obama's been a Senator for about 15 minutes longer than Palin has been a Governor.

Now they're taking potshots at the Governor's 17-year-old (and pregnant) daughter. This from the people who want to teach Kindergartners about sex! They're playing with fire, and voters are going to start voicing their displeasure soon. Team Obama is rapidly setting him up for a Walter Mondull-type ass-whipping.

For running the most incompetent campaign I've seen in my 50 years, Team Obama is the Wiener of the Week.