Jim Webb

I know, I know.

His State of the Union response may have left a bit to be desired. Oh well, chalk it up to a rookie mistake. He still has some very admirable charecteristics, including some that his fellow senators could learn a lot from.

Exhibit A: Fred Hutchins, his new liason to SW Virginia.

Hutchins met Virginia's newest senator on a shooting range, where he saw the former Navy officer handle a gun with deadly accuracy. He was hired while they were shooting targets, he said.

Need I say more.

Minority Report

I usually make it a point not to comment on work related matters, but this is simply too much to keep my mouth shut.

Say the Bush Administration, in a new effort to stop the flow of drugs (or, heh, illegal guns) on the street came up with a Minority Report approach. Using a statistical model, and knowing that 30% of african american males aged 15-25 and living in DC will be caught selling drugs or otherwise violating the law, they were able to determine - based on reports these machines spit out - which african americans walking the streets were more likely than not to have committed a crime (or will commit a crime in the future) and then went and simply started arresting people based on this.

Pretty outrageous right? Enough to warrant calls for impeachment? Perhaps federal criminal penalties? Civil liability?

I'd generally agree. However, what really troubles me (and drives the passion behind my distrust of environmentalist and federal bureaucrats) is that the same thing happens in an environmental context - especially concerning clean water act violations driven by the demands of Robert Kennedy and his Waterkeeper Alliance - and hardly a peep of protest arises.

Last week, EPA charged four feedlots in Iowa with illegal discharges of agricultural wastewater.

Owner Alan Zellmer told Brownfield Friday the EPA accusation came as a "total shock," and that the EPA had no evidence he had actually polluted. "They have no physical evidence whatsoever, "Zellmer said. "The allegation comes from a model that they have in Kansas City, and they ran our average rainfall through a model, and it says that I discharged, but they have no physical evidence whatsoever."

Brownfield spoke with officials at EPA's Region 7 headquarters in Kansas City Friday. Regional Administrator John Askew confirmed that in Zellmer's case, the accusation that Zellmer is a polluter is, indeed, based on an engineering model. Askew also confirmed the EPA doesn't actually know if a discharge has actually occurred.

"There is a high probability that there has been discharges, so, yes, we are using a model," Askew said.

But EPA attorney Dan Breedlove told Brownfield the model is accurate. "Just because there hasn't been a fishkill reported doesn't mean that there hasn't been impairment to the waterways," Breedlove asserted.

Yet, today, the New York Times runs a completely slanted (surprise, surpise) story on a new executive order signed by the Bush Administration (full disclosure - I worked, from the industry perspective, on the development of this order and consider many of the officials quoted in the story to be close friends and collegues) on the need for more executive oversight of the regulatory agencies.

In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries. The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities.

This strengthens the hand of the White House in shaping rules that have, in the past, often been generated by civil servants and scientific experts. It suggests that the administration still has ways to exert its power after the takeover of Congress by the Democrats.

Permit me a few thoughts.

1. The federal agencies are under control of the EXECUTIVE BRANCH of government. Regardless of the Democrats takeover of the LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, last time I checked the Republicans controlled the EXECUTIVE BRANCH.

2. All agencies are already controlled by appointees from the EXECUTIVE BRANCH. To suggest that the President, as the CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER of the Federal Government can't impose his will on federal agencies is not only ludicrous, but reveals either a basic misunderstanding of the United States of America or (more realistically) is intended to deliberatly deceive and misinform the readers of the NY Times regarding the functioning of the Federal Government (I don't criticize the Times running the story, it is in fact a newsworthy development, only the political spin they have put to it).

3. Bureaucrats are notorious for skirting the bounds of the law and constantly seeking to expand their power far beyond that which has been delegated to them either by the President or Congress. As my buddy Paul Noe is quoted as saying , the point of this executive order is to make the inner workings of the federal bureacracy more transparent. Certainly the NY Times agrees the public demands a right to now what is going on at federal agencies run largely by unelected bureacrats - reporting to no one - who exert phenomenal control over the nations direction.

4. Get over it. Right now, there is at least a 50% chance that the next President could be a Democrat. Last time I checked, Bill Clinton had just as many poroblems with career bureaucrats at EPA and the Department of Interior as George Bush has (funny, how those same complaints weren't given the prominence in the NY Times that they are now). Wonder if the Times will be singing a different tune in 2 years.

The Wife

Some of you may have known she's been pregnant.

Well, just got back from the doctors, she's not dilated yet, but 50% effaced.

gonna be a daddy again some time this week. Just hope I have enough time to finish things around the house. Its gonna get interesting.

UPDATE

Still no baby, but I am home watching my son who has a pretty serious gastro intestinal virus (and hence can't be near my wife).

California Bleg

Got a bleg for ya'll.

Please email me any response, since I am not really going to have access to the page over the next week or so.

anyway, I am going to be heading to Anaheim California for a week at the end of February.

I've been to California once before, in January 1995, when I spent a week in Death Valley and then drove up to San Francisco for the wildest and most crazy weekend of my life. This time, I am going to be in Anaheim for most of the week, but will have one day entirely free. Some of the folks I work with want to go to Disney Land. Since my son can't join me on the trip, and I will have a newborn baby at home, I think the thought of Disney Land will pretty much put me in a foul mood, and so I want to avoid that (even though, staying across the street from the Magic Kingdom its sort of unavoidable).

anyway, here's the bleg. What cool things are there to do in Anaheim for a day (I will have a car)? Any places to shoot guns? I could go to the beach (and Hollywood) but thats not really my scene. I'd much prefer to hit the desert and go hiking. Where should I go and what cool things are there to see? How far will I be from Death Valley? Joshua Tree? Anything else closer? Any good ghost towns? What are the laws in California on having a gun? I assume I can't carry it concealed, but if I am in the desert, can I open carry it? Can I even bring it with me to the state or is its mere possession going to get me in trouble?

Any other thoughts?

Like You And Me, But Better

Pro Gun Progressive and myself have been going back and forth in the comments to one of his post. I don't think we will ever agree on the issue of wolves, but I am pretty sure we can both agree that Maryland politics - and the decision of who gets prosecuted for gun crimes and who doesn't - leave a bit to be desired.

Take today's case concerning Prince George's County asshole extraordinare Keith Washington (I am positive I have blogged about this shit head in the past, but can't seem to find the posts, I'll keep looking).

An argument began between Washington and the two men and escalated quickly, authorities said. It ended when Washington, who is a police officer and a top homeland security official in Prince George's County, drew a 9mm Beretta and opened fire on the unarmed movers, they said.

Police said that they believe the officer, a 16-year veteran, acted in self-defense and that the two wounded men probably will be charged with assault, based on statements from Washington and a family member whom they did not identify.

Now, if police in Maryland provided this level of deference to the actions of law abiding gun owners in the state, I'd normally be cheering them on. And heck, I'd usually instinctivly support the cop in a situation where he is protecting his home. The problem though, is George's County asshole extraordinare Keith Washington isn't just any ordinary person. Not only is he the top "homeland security" official in the county (whatever that means), but he has a pretty shady history.

Washington, 45, a former driver for County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), has long been a controversial figure. He was sued in 2000 by a man who claimed to have been arrested and strip-searched for protesting Washington's rough treatment of a motorist -- a civil verdict against Washington was overturned on appeal -- and was later temporarily suspended for alleged aggressive behavior during meetings of a homeowners association board on which he served.

Because of that history, Johnson was accused of cronyism and poor judgment when he named Washington in 2004 to be deputy director of homeland security. Johnson brushed off the criticism, saying that he hired Washington in part because he is "mentally tough."

SOTU

Couple of thoughts.

Best presentation of a SOTU yet, he seemed relaxed as if a great weight was lifted off his back. Perhaps we'll finally see the president we've know we would.

Looks like my meetings the last couple of days paid off. Tempered his original proposal and put forth something more reasonable (sorry, not gonna tell you the subject)

Sat next to Jesse Jackson Jr at lunch today at Charlie Palmers. He was wearing the same outfit tonight. He's still an idiot.

Just Ban It

Ban underage clubbing?

Why not just ban guns?

Oh yeah, thats right. They already have.

Much good that law does.

On Ethics Reform

What he said!

Like You and Me, Only Better

This is pretty outrageous, and I really can't post many details about it but ...

I work with a woman who was abused by her fiance. He happens to be a cop, working here in DC for a federal police force. She left him, and has a temporary restraining order against him (which was issued by a Prince Georges, Maryland county court).

Last night, he violated the restraining order. When she got (luckily safely) away from him, she reached a phone and pulled out the restraining order and called the number on it.

Someone answered. Told her that no one was around, there wasn't anything they could do because the office was mostly closed for the night, and that she should come by the police station to file a report in the morning.

I've offerred her a gun (as well as some sane legal guidance since her local PG county attorney is pretty worthless) though thats probably illegal since Maryland (and DC) are both pretty much opposed to women defending themselves.

I'm trying to get her to move to Virginia.

You Listening Bloomberg???

Quote of the week

Nice to have a government that takes your money and uses it to pay some asshole to search the web for websites that dare to criticize their efforts to destroy the Constitution...

gudis, in comments

Fuck You Bloomberg

I'll take your 2 minute DOJ visit Uncle, and raise you 30 minutes with the Blooming Idiot Billionaire

With Republicans Like These, Who Needs Democrats

The other day I asked if I could still consider myself a Republican.

Seems Virginia incompetent Congressman Tom Davis's (RINO-McLean) wife wants to seal the deal.

State Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis, R-Fairfax, is sponsoring the bill that gun control advocates contend would close what they call a loophole that allows people to buy firearms from unlicensed dealers without a background check at gun shows. Similar measures have died in past legislatures -- last year, a proposal pushed by state Sen. Henry L.Marsh III, D-Richmond, died in the Senate Courts of Justice Committee.

Davis described her bill "as not about taking away anybody's Second Amendment rights" but a "commonsense bill."

Bullshit. Your trying to prevent me for selling my guns. Your trying to prevent me from buying new guns. Your trying to put gun shows - and the dealers they support - out of business.

And, lest you think this is just some politician acitng out of the good of her own misguided heart - think again. The commie mommies are pulling the strings on this one again.

The measure has failed to pass in previous years, but that does not sway supporters such as Jim Sollo, vice president for Virginians Against Handgun Violence.

"We're going to keep bringing this bill up until it passes," he said.

Never one to pass up a dead body, Davis somehow is equating the tragedy in Pennsylvania with taking away my guns.

Similar bills have died in the Senate for the past four years, but Davis said numerous school shootings last year and a shooting spree outside a northern Virginia police station that killed two officers may help to change her colleagues' minds.

VCDL's latest report has more, including this bit of reporting (which they will post video of and which you won't see in the papers)

The highlight of the day was when Senator Devolites Davis (Senator
DD) held a press conference on her bill to close the non-existent
'gun show loophole.'

We decided that we should attend that press conference with our
bright orange "Guns Save Lives" buttons.

About 25 of us headed to the press conference and we outnumbered the
bill's supporters!

While waiting for the press conference to begin, the press cameras
were panning our way and some of the press came over to interview us.

The entire conference was taped by Matt Gottshalk, who is doing a
professional promotional video for VCDL free of charge. I am SOOOOO
glad Matt was there taping and I think you will agree:

Senator DD said to the press, "This is not about taking away anyone's
Second Amendment rights."

After she spoke, the next speaker was S. Buford Scott with Scott &
Stringfellow, an investment banking firm in Richmond associated with
anti-gun BB&T (boy, is that a surprise).

Mr. Scott proceeded to say that, "If the matter were left up to me, I
would REQUIRE the registration of ALL firearms in the whole United
States."

He went on to state that he wanted us to be like Canada, where all
guns are registered!

FINALLY, the TRUTH from the dark side about their FULL agenda.

I appreciate Mr. Scott's candor and will share it with the Senate
Courts of Justice committee when the gun show bill comes before them!

He then proceeded to come up with a survey where 85% wanted this kind
of gun control and 82% wanted this other kind of gun control and on
and on. All of his numbers were over 70% in favor of gun control!
The firm that did the survey was here in Richmond and I was left with
the impression that it was affiliated with either Mr. Scott or his
firm.

As soon as the press conference was over, the press headed over to
interview VCDL, leaving Senator DD and the other antis standing there
without much to do. ;-)

Board member Bruce Jackson and I were surrounded by press. Bruce was
in an optimum position relative to the location of the press and got
most of the questions. He did a great job. EM Dave Van was also
interviewed and handled it very well, appearing on FOX news in
Richmond.

We are going to post some great still photos from Lobby Day and also
the video of Senator DD, Mr. Scott, and the Q&A that followed on the
VCDL site. I will advise when you can view them.

Drop Kick Bow Wows

Some call them toys, I call them Drop Kick Punters.

as in perfect size to drop kick and punt away from me*

But the big news, the club said, was the No. 2 ranking in both the city and the country: the Yorkshire terrier, overtaking larger breeds like the golden retriever and the German shepherd.

but even worse, and another sign why New York City is simply out of touch with reality is the dog of choice amongst New Yorkers.

In New York, the most popular breed in 2006 was the poodle, with 77 registrations, or about 8 percent of the club’s total in the city. It has been the most popular breed for two years in a row

My lab eats poodles for lunch. He doesn't bother with the Punters since there's not enough meat on them. With those, we simply use them to play fetch.



Disregard the messy floor, I was in the process of building a window seat
(which you can see in a half finished state in the background)













* if you didn't get it, this is a joke. Lighten up PETA person. I wouldn't seriously drop kick a dog (or play fetch with one) though I am not a small dog person.

I Can't Believe Its In The New York Times

Its Knoxville in New York City.

and not a visit by one gun banning mayor to another.

Nope, the blogfather himself has gotten a doozy published in the NY Times Op Ed section.

Cool . . . . .

A Rifle in Every Pot

Sounds good to me, and it should really drive a load of letters.

Greenleaf is following in the footsteps of Kennesaw, Ga., which in 1982 passed a mandatory gun ownership law in response to a handgun ban passed in Morton Grove, Ill. Kennesaw’s crime dropped sharply, while Morton Grove’s did not.

But in all seriousness, the editorial is going to be most noteworthy because of the important historical discussion midway through.

Precisely because an armed populace can serve as an effective backup for law enforcement, the ownership of firearms was widely mandated during Colonial times, and the second Congress passed a statute in 1792 requiring adult male citizens to own guns.

As they say, read it all

Too Bad, So Sad

As they say, Shit Happens

Two of Saddam Hussein's aides were hanged before dawn on Monday, the Iraqi government said, admitting that the head of his half-brother Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti was also ripped from his body during the execution

Barzan would be Saddam's once feared intelligence chief.

Slick Dick

heh.

Me, i Am Sure i Think i'vE cReated an unBeATable Idea tO eNter

The Nuts Are On The Loose

Here's an important poll ... publicize it and go and vote in it.

The barren buttes surrounding this small ranching town will offer scant places for coyotes to hide this weekend as hunters converge for a "calling" contest to see who can shoot the most coyotes.

Part predator control, part economic development ploy, the annual event began five years ago in a bid to pique outside interest in Baker via a $6,000 purse funded by entrance fees, local businesses and the Baker Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture.

Seems the animal rights folks (and their comrades at AOL Time Warner) are out to do away with Varmit Hunting. Get ready for a RCOB moment.

Groups including the Humane Society of the United States and Predator Defense say neither private hunts nor public agency killings offer a real solution because of the coyote's ability to rapidly reproduce.

"You kill some coyotes and six months later it's as if you didn't kill any at all. What are they accomplishing other than just being barbaric?" asked Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense.

assholes.

I'm going to grab a bacon cheeseburger.

Can I Still Consider Myself A Republican

never mind the fact that I'm really a small l libertarian . . . but as of right know I've got to say no.

Two editorials in the Wall Street Journal explain everything you need to know.

The first is titled GOP Flake Out:

One big test of a new minority is to draw the right lesson from its drubbing at the polls. House Republicans have a long way to go, judging by House Minority Leader John Boehner's decision this week to punish Arizona's Jeff Flake by tossing him off the Judiciary Committee. The offense? Porkbusting.

Mr. Flake should be getting a promotion to the leadership, given how prescient he was in warning his colleagues about the perils of their run-amok "earmarking." He and a few comrades sponsored more than 40 House floor amendments last year to strip pork projects from spending bills. The National Taxpayers Union ranked him the most fiscally conservative member of the House. None of that sits very well with his House colleagues, who blame Mr. Flake for shining public attention on their spendthrift ways. They're especially angry that he talked about this with CBS's "60 Minutes," which chose to run the program on election eve weekend.

A spokesman for Mr. Boehner says Mr. Flake's Judiciary ejection isn't punitive, and is merely the bad luck of the draw now that the GOP has fewer seats in the minority. However, that is hard to credit given that Mr. Flake had more seniority on Judiciary than six other Republicans who didn't lose their seats. Mr. Flake retains seats on two lesser committees.

Meanwhile, Mr. Boehner has asked California's Jerry Lewis to remain the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee. As Chairman, Mr. Lewis allowed 13,997 earmarks in the 2005 budget. He is also under investigation for relationships with lobbyists amid allegations of "pay to play" earmarking. The Duke Cunningham payments-for-pork crimes happened on his watch. If Republicans truly believed in limited government, Mr. Flake would be running Appropriations and Mr. Lewis would be a back-bencher.

The other, which Instapundit has reprinted, highlights at least one bright spot for Republicans, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint

To Speaker Nancy Pelosi's credit, House Democrats recently passed ethics legislation that included provisions making earmarks more transparent. The House bill included a broad definition of earmarks, thereby making it harder to hide them in, say, last-minute conference reports. It also requires Members to file a public disclosure form when they request an earmark, and to state that neither they nor their spouses will financially benefit. It's hard to argue that this is anything but elementary good government.

Unless you are Harry Reid. The ethics reform offered by Senate Democrats contained none of these tougher earmark provisions. So Senate Republicans, led by South Carolina's Jim DeMint, cheekily took the identical language of the House earmark bill and offered it as an amendment to the Senate version. Numerous Democrats instantly denounced it, apparently unaware (or unconcerned) that the language had been sponsored by Ms. Pelosi.

Democrat Dick Durbin then moved to table the amendment, though he lost by 51 to 46. Of the 46 Senators who voted to banish Ms. Pelosi's reform, 38 of them were her fellow Democrats. The seven Republicans who went along with Mr. Reid included some of the GOP's biggest spenders (Trent Lott) and Members of the Appropriations Committee, aka Earmark Central Station. When Senator DeMint then moved to have his amendment accepted by voice vote -- which is customary -- Mr. Durbin objected. The effect of these procedural run-arounds was to give Mr. Reid more time to twist a few more Democratic arms into killing earmark reform.

So, while I can certainly say I am not a Democrat, with the Republican leadership displaying this much distaste for basic republican principles, I really can't imagine doing anythin to support them. And it kills me to say it, but as of right now, I seem to be a Nancy Pelosi supporter (don't worry, I'm sure that will change).

WTF???

Mitt Romney and Michael Nifong

Glenn and Helen have an interesting podcast up today with Mitt Romney, the former Governor of Massachussets who would like to be President.

While they ask some interesting questions, and he spins some even more astonishing answers, there is one big question they failed to mention.

As Dorothy Rabinowitz reminds us in today's WSJ the current scandal engulfing Duke University and the seeming witch hunt the local prosecutor and educational establishment has launched against three white males, isn't anything new.

In fact, we saw the blueprints for this travesty laid out in Mr. Romney's own statein the mid 80s as the nation was paralyzed by ever more fanciful - and fictional - child molestation cases emenating from the Massachusetts model.

While most of those accussed, thankfully, have been able to move on . . . the original target of the white male haters in Massachussets still labors under the crushing burden of a state system of justice gone bad.

Neither Mr. Seligman nor the other accused Duke students will ever have to contend with a punishment like the one meted out to Gerald Amirault, who was sentenced to a 30- to 40-year term for something that never happened--atrocious sex crimes that never took place, of which there was no physical evidence, or anything resembling a credible allegation. What did it matter that the child's testimony that resulted in Gerald's conviction had claimed rape with a large butcher's knife--one that had magically left not the slightest injury? The jury's most important duty was, the prosecutors informed them, to believe the children and show that they honored their testimony. The same young witness also testified that Gerald was accompanied by a green, silver and yellow robot, R2-D2, from "Star Wars."

What did it matter, either, that special judicial hearings about the Amiraults' prosecution had concluded that it was a travesty, that a tough panel of former prosecutors, the Governor's Board of Pardons, had virtually declared Gerald Amirault innocent and voted for commutation of his sentence--or that he was finally granted parole nearly three years ago, after nearly 18 years' imprisonment? He was almost immediately classified by Massachusetts's Sex Offenders Registry Board as a Level 3 offender. The kind, that is, deemed the most dangerous and most likely to re-offend. This bizarre classification, the board made clear, had to do with the number of counts of sex abuse charged to him--and the fact, too, that he continued to deny guilt. He now has to wear a large tracking device around his ankle, and obey a curfew confining him to the house from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day. He has, not surprisingly, been unable to find a job. He is sustained, as ever, by the unstinting devotion of his family, and he grieves now mainly for the loss of the chance he had dreamed of in prison--of earning a salary and finally lightening the burden his wife had carried, uncomplaining and alone, during his years in prison. (He has recently been advised of pending legislation that will require him to pay $10 a day for the global positioning tag on his leg, that tracks him.)

As another gubernatorial presidential hopeful, Haley Barbour, has before him now in the case of Corey Mayne, Mitt Romney had an opportunity to at least stop the continued oppression of Mr. Amirault (nothing in his power as Governor could ever restore the 20 years of freedom he lost to the oppression of Massachussets) and failed to do so.

In light of Helen's questions to him regarding discrimination against white men, and the public interest in both the Corey Mayne and Duke prosecution, it would have been nice if the Instapundit Family had put this so called Republican on the spot for his greatest failing as a human being.

Who'd A Thought?

Heh!

With the money saved from scholarships, a football team has been added at Birmingham Southern, as well as four other new sports, male and female. Almost twice as many students will actually play intercollegiate sports than did before. Giving up athletic scholarships at Birmingham Southern greatly improved, yes ... athletics at Birmingham Southern.

As they say, read the whole thing.

Help A Brother Out (x2)

First,

Og posted this yesterday

So saturday, I’m unemployed. Last day with the company is friday.

I will be speaking with people from another division of the same company, who can use me, and if they can afford me, they’ll take me on. In the meantime I’ve spoken with other folks about other possibilities.

My boss almost cried. We have a fifteen year relationship, and he hated to let me go- but they have had enough trouble that only the folks with their boots actually on the ground will keep working. And while I spend a lot of boots-on-the-ground time, most of what i do is pretty etherial, these days.

It will actually be good to be back to doing more field work, and I have other possibilities as well- but I will keep y’all posted. Keep me in your thoughts.

If you know of anything in Indiana, think about helping a gun blogger out.

Second, and something EVERYONE can do, is to head on over to mAssBackwards and

"...help Bruce buy an AK-47 (or other equally scary-looking, banned-in-Massachusetts firearm, the mere sight of which would cause Speaker Pelosi to lose control of her bodily functions - the Kel-Tec PLR-16 looks fun)

by purchasing some of his great bumperstickers.

Help A Brother Out (x2)

First,

Og posted this yesterday

So saturday, I’m unemployed. Last day with the company is friday.

I will be speaking with people from another division of the same company, who can use me, and if they can afford me, they’ll take me on. In the meantime I’ve spoken with other folks about other possibilities.

My boss almost cried. We have a fifteen year relationship, and he hated to let me go- but they have had enough trouble that only the folks with their boots actually on the ground will keep working. And while I spend a lot of boots-on-the-ground time, most of what i do is pretty etherial, these days.

It will actually be good to be back to doing more field work, and I have other possibilities as well- but I will keep y’all posted. Keep me in your thoughts.

If you know of anything in Indiana, think about helping a gun blogger out.

Second, and something EVERYONE can do, is to head on over to mAssBackwards and

"...help Bruce buy an AK-47 (or other equally scary-looking, banned-in-Massachusetts firearm, the mere sight of which would cause Speaker Pelosi to lose control of her bodily functions - the Kel-Tec PLR-16 looks fun)

by purchasing some of his great bumperstickers.

Go SEC, Go Florida

Looks like the nation just witnessed a good 'ol SEC ass kicking.

Of course, there were lots more winners and losers in this affair than just the Gators and the Buckeyes.

Here's my list

The Winners

Florida, obviously.

Urban Myer, what a way to start off, of course its all downhill from here.

Boise State, as much as I love SEC football (and, admittidly hate the Florida Gators), as the only undefeated team in Football Boise State has a heck of a good claim on the national championship.

Ron Zook, lets face it, Myer may have made the difference here the last few years but this is largely a team Ron Zook put together.

Steve Spurrier, yeah, Ron Zook may have put it together, but the Seniors came to play for Spurrier.

The SEC, throughout the season and for the last few years, certain high profile so called college football experts have refused to accept the notion that the SEC season is the most brutal in college and the SEC produces year in and year out the finest football teams in college. Heck, at any time during the season, up to half the top 15 seems to be made up of SEC teams. As they commented on the Sirius Satellite Radio broadcast of the Gator Nation - this game was icing on the cake ... Chris Leak's legacy was actually set by winning the SEC Championship.

America, Between this and the Boise State win, will we finally get a playoff? I'd wager that as brutal a season the SEC goes through, if you took the top 16 and let them play through, the final four teams most years would largely be composed of SEC members.

Losers

Ohio State

NCAA and the BCS

Stewart Mandel, will CNNSI finally get rid of this fool, never has a college football writer known so little and allowed his prexising, narrow biases to overwhelm every angle and aspect of his coverage. Mandel's inability to understand 1) the need for a national playoff (heck, he wouldn't even admit after Boise States victory last week that they might have a legitimate claim on a national title) and 2) the stand alone importance of the SEC as its own division and overwhelming dominance, difficulty, and depth of the average SEC team and its schedule week in and week out. Fire him already.

Brought to you by the moral majority

Jerry Garcia once, famously, said that he still ate magic mushrooms every now and then just to clean the pipes out.

Well, here in the glorious Commonwealth of Virginia we occaisionally have to deal with meddlesome and rightously religious prudes.

I of course, like to find the nastiest porn I can, just to clean the pipes out and make sure the maximum amount of shock is directed their way.

In that spirit ... and in recognition that the Virginia Department of Game and Fisheries has completed its survey on Sunday Hunting and will have no legitimate reason to kowtow to these prudes next fall ... here's some nasty ass porn.

Thats right ... seriously not safe for work ... and 100% brought to you by Pat Robertson (you shithead), Jerry Falwell, and the prudes in the moral majority.

YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

Cat Stevens Is Still A Terrorist Shithead

In comments, responding to my post on Cat Steven's being a Terrorist Shit head, missy.124@hotmail.com posted the following:

Cat Stevens is not a terrorist and you are a complete idiot for believing he is. Grow up and do some research - not in the neocon right idiotic message boards and articles - but real research. Research all the awards and honors he has received from non-Islamic sources. Actually, just go to gettyimages.com, put in "Cat Stevens" or "Yusuf Islam" in the search box and look at the photos.

Og (who is from Indiana, I believe, where I have been traveling to a lot lately), showing his usual wit and grace responded so that I didn't have to.

Cat Stevens is a muslim. Muslims by their conviction believe that all non muslims be converted or enslaved and all other religions be forced out of existence. Maybe YOU should do some research, you cowardly fuckard.

Cat Stevens is a spoiled brat kid, a moron, and bereft of any actual independant thought whatsoever.

I don't give a flying fuck how many awards he has recived, you can't wax a turd. Why would I want to look at pictures of such an asshole?

Go Og Go!!!

Can't wax a turd . . . that might be my new favorite expression. Heck, I already used it today at work :)

Here Piggy Piggy

APparantly, the 1/2 billion dOllar congRessional visitor center isn't Keeping on schedule or budget.

Surprise, surprise

At more than $540 million and four years and counting, the Capitol Visitor Center is costing more and taking longer to build than anyone envisioned.

Only the New York Times (well, maybe the Boston Globe) could say that with a straight face.

An army of workers is putting the finishing touches on much of the center, which will be adorned in marble, bronze and stone to keep it in character with the Capitol.

“We are not cutting corners,” said Tom Fontana, a spokesman for the project. “All these things have to be just right.”

What's that saying ... we're from the government, and we're here to help (ourselves)

RIP Mario

Southern California kicker Mario Danelo was found dead Saturday about 120 feet down a rocky cliff near Point Fermin lighthouse. The body was reported by a passer-by at about 4:30 p.m., said Martha Garcia of the Los Angeles Police Department.
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Danelo, the 21-year-old son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo, made 15 of 16 field goals this season and led the Trojans in scoring with 89 points. The junior made two field goals in the Rose Bowl on Monday to help USC beat Michigan 32-18.

I didn't know Mario.

But when I was in elementary school his father Joe Danelo was a neighbor of ours and the placekicker for the NY Giants. We had a number of GIants who lived in our neighborhood, but I always remembered him as the most fun, the friendliest, and the one who showed up to the most events at our elementary school.

My heart goes out to them.

Cat Stevens = Terrorist Shithead

Can we say . . . answer the fucking question you terrorist scum?!?!?!?!

For all your devotion to education and good deeds, government officials in various countries have tried to link you to extremist groups, including Hamas. What do you think of Hamas?

That’s an extremely loaded question.

Can you try to answer it?

I have never supported a terrorist group or any group that did other than charity and good to humankind.

O.K., but many of us here in the States would like to see moderate Muslims make more of an effort to denounce the extremist fringe of the faith. Very few mainstream Muslims have publicly criticized their radical brethren.

If I am not an example of that, then tell me, Who is?

So would you say you have contempt for a terrorist group like Hamas?

I wouldn’t put those words in my mouth. I wouldn’t say anything on that issue. I’m here to talk about peace. I’m a man who does want peace for this world, and I don’t think you will achieve that by putting people into corners and asking them very, very difficult questions about very contentious issues.

The Keystone State

I went up to the 91st Pennsylvania Farm Show today. Awesome.]]]

The Farm Show Complex itself is beyond huge - and the exhibits and animals were great. I had some work related stuff to do there, but I took my son with me and showed him the livestock auction, let him play with the piggies and the lambs and the goats, brought him around the cows, and showed him turkeys (him and a Tom were seranading the room for a good 10 minutes) chickens, geese, and ducks.

Today was the first day, it runs through next weekend. If you can get up . . . go . . . or skip it and head over to the Farm Show Complex the week of Feb 3 to 11th for the largest gun/junting expo in the free world - the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show

oh . . . . thanks to the AGs of VA and PA I was able to attend and legally carry my Colt 1991A1 (Fuck You Maryland)

In other news, found a great new blog , , , Pennsylvania: Hunt. Fish. Shoot.

Prosecute Bloomberg

I'll Be There, Will You?!?!?!?!?!

THE PROTEST IS ON!!

Maniacal New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Mayors'
Coalition Against Illegal Guns will be meeting for a one day
"National Summit" at the DC Capitol Hilton (corner of 16th and K at
1001 16th Street NW) on Tuesday, January 23rd - see
http://tinyurl.com/yxyvjg

Bloomy's summit runs from 9:30 AM until 2:30 PM followed by an
evening reception at 5 PM at the Capitol Hilton.

VCDL's headquarters will be at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel at 14th
and K, where at 2:00 PM we will rally members and hand out picket
signs, and march on to the Capitol Hilton 2 blocks away to begin
protesting.

Bloomberg is a threat to Virginia and all gun owners - we need VCDL
members to show up in numbers on the 23rd in DC! Spouses, friends
and kids welcome! Make a day of it and see some sights in the
morning!

Here is the schedule of events:

1:30 PM: **Possible** Press Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
(14th & K) - we are investigating this right now

2:00 PM: Board Members Jim Snyder & Dennis O'Connor rally troops in
front of the Crown Plaza and hand out picket signs.

2:15 PM: I will lead the march over to the Capitol Hilton, just as
Bloomy and his anti-gun cronies are finishing their summit

2:30 - 5:30 PM: "Prosecute Bloomberg" rally outside the Capitol
Hilton - we hope to have an especially large turnout at 5 PM when
Bloomberg and his buddies are sipping white wine at their anti-gun
reception inside the Capitol Hilton!

5:30 - ? PM: Post rally fellowship at a nearby restaurant or hotel
(optional, pay as you go)

We anticipate lot's of press coverage and will be taking our own
pictures and documentary films - we will have handouts for you to
give the press, or interested passersby, to explain what we
are doing. Try to point me out to the press if they come your way.

Logistics: Everyone needs to mapquest & plan their routes into
downtown DC ahead of time to get there on time. If driving, arrive
by 1 PM to find a place to park. If traveling by Metro, the
McPherson Metro Station is closest to the Crown Plaza at 1400 I St.
NW, Washington, DC (Blue * orange lines). **Bring water, warm
clothing, and Guns Save Lives Buttons if you have them** - making
your own sign is a plus but not required! If the Capitol Hilton
staff blocks our access to the hotel for humanitarian bathroom use,
we will **report them to the UN** ;-) . . . but ,
push-come-to-shove, we should all be able to use lobby bathrooms at
the nearby Crowne Plaza. For overnight stays there are lots of
hotels in DC, but hotels outside the beltway are probably cheaper.

RSVP: Send me an email if you can pledge to come - I would like to
get a head-count. Officer Radzilowski of the DC police told me that
VCDL does NOT need an assembly permit so long as the assembly does
NOT block pedestrian or vehicular traffic on the sidewalks, cross
walks, street, or entrance to the hotel.

Can you come after 2 PM? Of course, you are welcome at any time!
But VCDL needs you at 2 PM through 5:30 PM if possible.

And if you live in Alexandria, Norfolk, or Petersburg, you REALLY
need to come and try to button hole YOUR MAYOR who is part of
Bloomberg's Mayors' Coalition Against Guns - and ask him why he is
collaborating with someone who has conspired to break federal and
Virginia laws.

We also need to have some (relatively clean) chants made up for each
of these three mayors (like "Shame, shame on Mayor Fraim").

Special thanks to EM Mike Stollenwerk for heading up this effort!

OK, BLOGSPHERE, ON TO DC!

My Favorite Three Letter Words

I'm talking, of course, about

TITS and GUNS

One woman discovered on New Year's Eve that her bra could do more than lift and support when a falling bullet was halted by the bra strap on her left shoulder.

Debbie Bingham, 46, an Atlanta resident visiting family in St. Petersburg, said her gold bra slowed the falling bullet during the holiday celebrations.

Pretty interesting lead . . . was the bra made of Kevlar???

Her injuries may have been much more severe had it not been for her bra strap, said George Kajtsa, spokesman for the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Something tells me George Kajtsa is an idiot.

Bingham says she was outside with her daughter and son, ringing in the New Year and viewing the local fireworks display when she felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder at 11:40 p.m.

It was Bingham's daughter, Solanda Bingham, 30, who first noticed the blood seeping through her mother's white shirt.

I'm not making any assumptions here, but . . . . 46-30=16

The daughter said she looked over and saw the blood and shouted "My mother's been shot. My mother's been shot."

The bullet was halfway inside of Bingham's bra, and the other half barely breaking the skin, Bingham later told WTSP-TV.

Someone had fired a gun into the air and as the .45-caliber bullet fell back to earth, Bingham was struck. Kajtsa described the wound as a "big scratch with bruising."

And that kids, is why you don't just fire rounds randomly into the air - know your target and what is beyond.

Of course, I can't imagine this sort of thing happening in my neighborhood . . . near my house in Georgia, maybe, but not in the Virginian suburbs of DC.

Bingham was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg where she was given five stitches. The bullet was lodged into the bra tap was only removed when doctors intervened and cut the bullet from the strap.

St. Petersburg police are still searching for the shooter to determine if Bingham was the target of the gunfire or if she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, Kajtsa said.

Good luck finding him. I've got a feeling if he was targeting her, her bra wouldn't stop the bullet.

I Am Pig

Seriously (or at least just a goombah)

Like, its 65 and sunny here in DC and I can't stop mentally undressing every beautiful woman who walks by.

Damn I love women.

Southern Comfort

Yuck!!

I had a friend in high school who loved the stuff, but I always thought it smelled like cough syrup....the worst cough syrup you could imagine (unlike, say, Jagermeister which is just delightful).

Have an unopened bottle in the liquor cabinet, but probably haven't drank the stuff in 15 years or so, let alone smelt it. . .until tonight.

For Christmas someone gave me a small bag of Southern Comfort flavored coffee (as well as Jim Beam and Jack Daniels flavored coffee). Well, I have two projects to finish for work tonight, so I thought I'd make me a cup of java. Since the only milk we have expired on Dec. 26, I was looking at the flavored coffee. Don't know why, but I chose the Southern Comfort.

Yuch. Just the odor of the stuff makes me want to vomit.

Constitutional Crisis

Article 1, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution is pretty clear that No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

But does that apply to dead people???

Thank You For Smoking

You have no idea how realistic that movie was - well, everything but fucking the reporter - though I'm sure its happened (just not to me or anyone I know of, well, fucking a reporter doing a story on them, not fucking in and of itself)

Heh

You Are 48% Republican

You aren't a full fledged Republican yet, but it's probably the party that fits you best. You probably consider yourself an independent Republican. You usually support the party, but you also think for yourself!

How Republican Are You?

You Are 32% Democrat

You're a bit Democrat, and probably more liberal than you realize. If you're still voting Republican, maybe it's time that you stop.

How Democrat Are You?

sirius

One more thing

If I plug my cell phone charger in, the reception goes downhill even more.

Its 2007!!

Happy New Year!!

Hope 2007 brings you luck and good fortune.

No real resolution this year, though I do have some goals, the execution of which will be priorities

1) Introduce my forthcoming son to the world and help his brother adjust to his new role as the big brother.

2) Set up a more traditional law office ... I'll still do the national enviro policy stuff, but I'd like to start doing some estate planning and local corporate and personal work. Anyone need a will? Want to set up a corporation? Discounted rates for my blog readers!!

3) Get back into biking (road and mountain), teach my son how to ride a bike (he got a little mountain bike with training wheels for Xmas), and get out into the mountains more.

4) Watch my diet at work (I work in the food industry, the expense account lunches can add calories real fast)

5) Home improvements - restore our backyard garden to its pre pregnancy splendor, refinish our hardwood floors, refinish our kitchen (floor, cabinents, oven), refinish basement bathroom (the last one to update)

There ya go - a bit ambitious, but I have 365 days to get it done. Plus, If I execute 3 and 4 as planned, I don't need to put losing weight down as a goal.

Sirius

Reception. Halfway between Bristol and Roanoke (Wytheville, VA area ... middle of nowhere) and the FM Modulator still sucks. Seriously, this is an unacceptable way to listen to the radio , and how come with all the positive satellite radio reviews out there, no one ever mentions it. Right now, I'd say it would be a deal killer. Has anyone filed a class action against them over this???

Howard SternI've listened to a number of replays on the Howard 100 channel. One complaint - too much use of the word Fuck, though its worse on the comedy channels. I'm not a prude, and use the word often myself, but seriously just saying the word in and of itself is neither original or funny.

The quality of the porn star talk though is much improved listening. To some chick - Paris Gaibler - who pukes on people and then eats it ... Seriously, how do you get into that?!?!?!?

Still, as funny as it is, Howard still needs to bring back Jackie the jokeman.