Crap

Georgia Tech just got their ass handed to them in the Peach Bowl.
LSU stopped our offense for the whole game and their offense was unstoppable in the 2nd quarter.
With a 35 point lead in the forth quarter LSU coach Les Miles had his team run fake punts and was continually going for deep passes. For that kind of sportsmanship I consider Mr. Miles to be a despicable human.
Thankfully the game didn't get any worse in the second half.
Let's see in 78 Purdue kicked our but in Fulton County Stadium, and twice in the last decade LSU has beaten us in what should be a home game. Next time, GT, if the Chick-Fillet folks come calling, do us all a favor and decline.
When I see flat performances in bowl games it inclines me toward a playoff system, the players will be better motivated.
Still like the team Paul, good job for the year, would suggest that we have more wrinkles in the offense when teams have more time to prepare. We hear that there is a run and shoot component that to date is only minimally installed.

Georgia Staple

You can be sure that a man who would put his sign on the back of his old Ford pickup truck does like to eat boiled peanuts. Have only tried them myself once, out of a can at Moe's and Joe's bar in Virginia Highland. Nasty looking, worse tasting.

It's Not You You Look, It's How They Drink

In an amusingly titled article "Beer goggles last longer for women", Andrew Crowley writes Britain's Telegraph, about how the effects of alcohol are tougher on women than men.

Researchers found that women who drink even moderately develop a reduced ability to rate attractiveness in male faces, even when they are sober.

They may have a reduced sense of perception, but the morning after bitchiness quotient goes through the roof.

Those who drank were less able to detect male facial symmetry, a marker of attractiveness and good genes which is thought to play an important role in the choice of a partner.

Do these look the same size?

In the research, young women classed as typical, non-alcoholic drinkers - who
have up to 40 drinks a month - were put through a number of tests, including an
exercise on facial symmetry.

In this test, the 45 women were presented with 60 pairs of male faces. One in each pair was more symmetrical than the other and the women had to identify it in each of the pairs.

Results show that the more alcohol the women had drunk during the previous six months, the lower her performance on the symmetry test.

Even women who had the equivalent of five drinks a month scored less in the test than those who had no drinks. Each additional drink led to a reduced score.

Can you believe that a drink every 6 days and they are impaired. Look for the regulars at the bar, men.

Dr Kirsten Oinonen, of Lakehead University, in Canada, said: "My study suggests that sober women who drink alcohol are less able to perceive facial symmetry when sober.

When sober, these women are worse at judging facial symmetry, and therefore may find less attractive men more attractive. Given that symmetry is associated with attractiveness of faces, my study does suggest the possibility that alcohol intoxication may decrease facial symmetry perception, and make people look more attractive.

Can you imagine how hard it was to find and Canadians with symetrical faces? I think we should get women to drink regularly before they dress, that way they will be happy with the first outfit.

"This is the first study to look at this issue. It suggests that as typical alcohol consumption increases in young women, facial symmetry perception performance decreases."

The researchers say the results suggest alcohol has a long term effect on the brain. They believe it may effect the brain's structure in some way, reducing its visual perception abilities. But it is not known how long term the effects are or whether they are permanent.

"Whether or not any damage or deficits are permanent is hard to tell at this
point," Dr Oinonen added.

They haven't finished testing, using themselves as the models, yet.

Want a beer?

Christmas Gifts For The Dog

A little old lady went to the grocery store and put the most expensive cat food in her basket. She then went to the check out counter where she told the check out girl. "Nothing but the best for my little kitten."
The girl at the cash register said, "I'm sorry, but we cannot sell you cat food without proof that you have a cat. A lot of old people buy cat food to eat, and the management wants proof that you are buying the cat food for your cat."
The little old lady went home, picked up her cat and brought it back to the store. They sold her the cat food. The next day, the old lady went to the store and bought 12 of the most expensive dog cookies - one for each day of Christmas.
The cashier this time demanded proof that she now had a dog, claiming that old people sometimes eat dog food. Frustrated she went home, came back and brought in her dog. She was then given the dog cookies.
The next day she brought in a box with a hole in the lid. The little old lady asked the cashier to stick her finger in the hole.
The cashier said, "No, you might have a snake in there."
The little old lady assured her that there was nothing in the box that would bite her. So the cashier put her finger into the box and pulled it out and told the little old lady, "That smells like crap."
The little old lady grinned from ear to ear, "Now, my dear, can I please buy three rolls of toilet paper?"

Thank You For Not Spitting

Nearly forgot about this picture, this summer as we were about to fly out of Nantucket, in the men's facility, over each of the urinals, was this simple request, a sign if you will. It wasn't enough that the creator positioned this sign right at eye level for short person (I had to stoop), but they highlighted to make sure us filthy men understood and complied.
I think it bugged the bride that I had to get a camera and go back into the head to take a picture, but I did it anyway. She's not the boss of me!
and
I spit in the urinal just to spite the airport personnel as payback for them loosing my bags, twice.

Financial Market In 1929 & Now

Back in the 1929 Financial Crash, it was said that some Wall Street Stockbrokers and Bankers JUMPED from their office windows and committed suicide when confronted with the news of their firms and clients financial ruin . . many people were said to almost feel a little sorry for them . . . . . .

In 2008 the attitude has changed:

Thank you pjms

Clinton Impeached

Ten years ago today, President William Jefferson Clinton was impeached. Following extended debate, the House of Representatives approves two articles of impeachment, charging him with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice.
From the sexual harassment lawsuit by Paula Jones, White House intern Monica Lewinsky was subpoenaed. In response Lewinsky filed an an affidavit in which she denied ever having had a sexual relationship with the President. The next week Linda Tripp approached the office of Kenneth Starr, and offered tapes proving Lewinsky had committed perjury, these tapes included admissions of sexual relationship.
When the story broke to the public the President offered a statement on the matter, making the now famous lie...

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky."

In July negotiations between Lewinsky and Starr yielded a full-immunity agreement covering both Lewinsky and her parents. Boxed in, President Clinton was forced acknowledged to prosecutors from the office of the independent counsel that he had had an extramarital affair with Ms. Lewinsky. After the admission Clinton gave a four-minute national address in which he admitted he had engaged in a relationship with Lewinsky. Within this admission Clinton suggested that, by parsing words, that getting a blow-job in the Oval Office does not constitute having sex. Clinton finished by expressing regret for having misled (misled? its called a lie) the public and his family.
On September 9, Kenneth Starr submitted a report with supporting documents to the House of Representatives. The Starr Report outlined a case for impeachment of Clinton on 11 points, these included perjury, obstruction of justice, and witness-tampering.

• On October 8, the House authorized an impeachment inquiry.
• On December 11, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment.
• On December 19, the House impeached Clinton.
• On February 12, the Senate voted on whether to remove Clinton from office. The president was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. Conviction, requiring a two-thirds majority, failed to achieve a majority. On the charge of perjury, 45 Democrats and 10 Republicans voted not guilty. On the charge of obstruction of justice the Senate was split 50-50.

Clinton said he was "profoundly sorry" for what he put the nation through. But what I remember is the gathering they had on the White House lawn happily posing for pictures, and proudly having beaten back the right wing conspiracy. Many held the opinion that these sexual encounters were a private issue and normally I would agree, but the voters in the Senate ignored some simple truths. Clinton, to avoid public embarrassment, and possible loss in an active sexual harassment lawsuit, obstructed justice. In doing so the Senate ignored that Clinton had intentionally taken action to destroy the rights of Paula Jones. Clinton reportedly has a appealing personality coupled with a penchant for being dishonest. I've known many men like this in my life, completely willing to cheat on their wives, completely willing to risk the family security. Men like this, in normal life, without the protection of or shroud of public service, are often crippled from getting their asses kicked, ending up alone and lonely. Let's hope is wife gets to see him punished for being the lying shit that he is.
During the last election we heard much about wanting to rid ourselves of the current administration and all of its philosophies. Have we already forgotten the same feeling during the Gore-Bush race? Gore could have won, but he had a philandering pig hung about his neck. People wanted change then too.

President-Elect Sticks Thumb Up His Own Ass

Then walking away mutters to the reporters, "don't you laugh, because you're next"

Actually NewsMax.com had an article on Monday that was titled....

"Obama: I Probed Myself and I'm Clean"

NewsMax is a rightward website so the poor choice of words may be intentional. The following serious article though, is on point for illuminating the hypocrisy of self evaluation.

CHICAGO - President-elect Barack Obama had no direct contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment of a Senate replacement and his aides had "no inappropriate discussions"; spokesman for the transition office said Monday in disclosing the results of an internal review.

The President-Elect and his staff are not so foolish as to allow direct contact with the governor, even on the basis of just trying to influence the choices in an aboveboard manner. Everybody should expect that the President-Elect's wishes should be considered and that would be done through functionaries.

The spokesman, Dan Pfeiffer, said the review itself would be kept confidential at least until the week of Dec. 22 at the request of federal prosecutors "in order not to impede their investigation of the governor."

On face value, could be true, agreement to delay could be mutual, agreement to delay could be at the request of the President-Elect. We will never know.

Controversy has swirled around the president-elect and his incoming White House chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, following Blagojevich's arrest last week on charges he schemed to trade Obama's Senate seat for personal gain.

As governor, Blagojevich has sole authority to appoint a replacement, although fellow Democrats have demanded he refrain from doing so and Illinois lawmakers may consider legislation stripping him of his power.

State lawmakers also took the first step toward possible impeachment during the day.

In the statement, Pfeiffer said incoming White House counsel Gregory Craig has kept federal prosecutors informed of the internal review "in order to ensure our full cooperation with the investigation" into allegations against the governor.

Internal review my ass, when Obama first trotted out with the statement that no person on his staff to his knowledge was involved, but they were going to conduct an internal review, every citizen that knew that somebody on that staff had talked to this dirt bag governor, and that the internal investigation was only a stall to figure out damage minimization.

Yet the brief statement left several issues uncovered.

It did not say whether Emanuel was heard on a wiretap providing the governor's top aide with a list of names that the president-elect favored. Nor did it say who, if anyone, on Obama transition's team had made contact with the governor or his aides concerning a replacement for Obama or whether Craig interviewed people under oath, or to whom he talked.

Pfeiffer said the review "affirmed the public statements of the president-elect that he had no contact with the governor or his staff, and that the president-elect's staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as U.S. Senator.

My father used to sing us a song, to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, that went "It may be true for all I know, but sounds like bullshit to me". They knew, they just avoided participation.

The U.S. attorney's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pfeiffer issued the statement a few hours before a news conference where the president-elect was likely to be questioned about the scandal surrounding his home-state governor.

Obama was appearing before reporters to formally announce his environmental and natural resources team.

It was disclosed last week that he has selected Steven Chu for energy secretary, Lisa Jackson for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Carol Browner as his energy and climate "czar," and Nancy Sutley to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality. An announcement about Obama's interior secretary wasn't expected, but announcements about other top positions in Obama's administration could come later this week.

Off topic, but WTF is a climate czar. Wouldn't the money be better spent getting a cabinet level psychologist position, to help these lying bastards cope with the upcoming realization that Bush was doing the best that he could in most situations.

Earlier in the day, Obama met privately with his national security team, including Vice President-elect Joe Biden, incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

It is good that Gates is being kept on, consistency will be important in relations to Afghanistan and Iraq. And, lets hop that Hillary looks like Madeleine Albright by the end of the first term, she does have too far to go.

The president-elect's transition office said the meeting was held to discuss opportunities and challenges around the globe and was designed to help the new administration hit the ground running as of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.

Obama resigned his Senate seat last month to prepare. Blagojevich was arrested last week on charges he schemed to sell the seat in exchange for money or political favors for himself or his wife.

The president-elect quickly told reporters that he never personally spoke to Blagojevich about who would fill the seat. A top Obama aide who had said in November that Obama had spoken to the governor quickly issued a statement
saying he had been mistaken.

Last Thursday, Obama, who has promised transparency, said he had ordered an internal review of whether his staff had any involvement in the scandal and promised to divulge within days any contacts his staff has had with Blagojevich's office.

"What I want to do is to gather all the facts about any staff contacts that may have taken place between the transition office and the governor's office," Obama said at the time. "And we'll have those in the next few days, and we'll present them. But what I'm absolutely certain about is that our office had no involvement in any dealmaking around my Senate seat. That I'm absolutely certain of."

It is probable that this is a lie, there is little doubt that a representative of the new administration had to have been approached by Blagojevech. This however, to me, is not so much a problem. Surely request for quid pro quo was declined the administration would have to be stupid to do anything different. That the offer was made, which the defendant made clear happened, is not surprising, dishonest offers are made in many enviorments and routinely rejected for many reasons. The failure to disclose is not surprising either, a person may have the good judgement to avoid trouble, and the respect for his fellow politicians not to expose, for that exposure taints the whole group.

But since then, Obama's staff has declined to respond to even basic questions, like how long the review would take, who was leading it and what issues were explored.

And, now the public will have to wait for details until next week, when few will be paying close attention because of Christmas and Obama's plans to celebrate in Hawaii - far away from Chicago, the focal point of the federal investigation.

Two people who have been briefed on the investigation had told the Associated Press that Emanuel is not a target of the probe. They spoke on a condition of anonymity because the criminal investigation is ongoing. One is a person close to Emanuel, who said he has been told by investigators that he's not a subject of their probe.

Politic speak for the investigation is limited, the door is closed at the office of the President-Elect.

There are no suggestions that Obama or his aides were involved in the alleged sale of his seat. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has said prosecutors were making no allegations that Obama was aware of any scheming. And Blagojevich himself, in taped conversations cited by prosecutors, suggested Obama wouldn't be helpful to him and called him a vulgar term. Even if the governor was to appoint a candidate favored by the Obama team, Blagojevich said, "they're not willing to give me anything except appreciation."

I am sure that he isn't even going to get appreciation now. Does anybody remember how the press avoided investigating Chicago political machinations and how the candidate was or was not involved. The press avoided like the plague, did not want to tarnish the image of their candidate, who as a result got a free pass.

Has anybody considered whether or not this investigation would have been lept quiet till after the election if John McCain was the related party? The answer is hell no, the press was out to get Obama elected in the same manner they assisted Clinton in 1992.

From The Grave

This is most recent John Deering cartoon, is linked to at Jewish World Review.

It's one of those statements that, while amusing, hurts because its true.

What has happened to ACORN?

Speech Surveillance

The first knowledge of this came to me by way of the National Review. A simple two stage Google search got me right to the information.
Canada's Queen's University in Kingston has empowered a team of "student facilitators" that will patrol dormitories and dining halls. Their goal is to detect offensive comments on race, gender and sexuality and then on behalf of the university, inform the offenders that their speech is offensive.
The primary objective is "to create an atmosphere of inclusivity". From this I had to look up the word inclusivity, it is not in Webster's Dictionary, but the root is..

inclusive (in-kloo-siv) adjective taking everything into account

Here's the twist, if something is inclusive, doesn't that include things distasteful. Wouldn't the objective be better described as "to create an atmosphere of exclusivity"? After all, aren't the speech police of Queen's University charged with restricting speech?
This policy smacks of something we see every day in politics and the press. Criticism of President-Elect Obama is characterized as racist and stupid, while the same groups hurl insults of almost parallel meaning at President Bush.
We know that Canada in many ways is more liberal than the United States, but in my experience from business, many Canadians are to-the-point, no-nonsense people. Can you imagine two tooked men, sitting in their dorm room cursing over a hockey match or Bob and Doug McKenzie doing Great White North. If the speech police overheard and tried to stop, they would most likely have a bottle of Lablatt's Blue beer thrown at their head.
And rightly so.
Take Off!
The only people who get to tell me what I cannot say are, my parents, my wife and my employer.

WTF

Can't take credit for the post, so go here listen in,
that is if you can stand to hear bad language.
gottagetdrunkfirst: F U C K!! The most awesome word ever invented!!

Ottis Toole Revisited

Recalling a previous post, the case concerning the death of Adam Walsh was closed today in Hollywood Florida. The closing of the case was the last stage in a failed investigation. Adam's father, John Walsh, molded his torment over the unsolved case into the constructive television show "America's Most Wanted". Many families have been helped by this man's activism against child abuse.

John Walsh said on earlier today at a news conference...

"Who could take a 6-year-old and murder and decapitate him? Who? We needed to know. We needed to know. And today we know. The not knowing has been a torture, but that journey's over."

The serial killer Ottis Toole, died in prison in 1996, of liver cirrhosis. Toole had confessed to the murder by decapitation but recanted. Errors in the investigation failed to prove guilt.

Very sad.

Dwyer Makes A 2009 Heisman Watch List

The award has become, with the increase in use of spread passing offenses, centered on quarterbacks, so the likelihood of his election is low.
We at Georgia Tech have little faith in the voting system since Ron Dayne won in favor of the more deserving Joe Hamilton. Dayne was dubbed the heir apparent when FSU's Peter Warrick got thrown in jail for stealing. The voters flocked to Dayne because of the body of work that he had done over 4 years, the accomplishment in Dayne's senior year was not special or even outstanding. Joe Hamilton got screwed.
Voters rarely shy away from the players of major schools, that's where the best players go.
Ranked number 20 on a list of 25, Dwyer is still behind a god damned Georgia Bulldog, Caleb King, who at 16 didn't even start this year. What kind of bullshit is that?
Pete Fiutak at CollegeFootballNews.com said...

20. Jonathan Dwyer, RB Georgia Tech: The ACC's leading rusher ran for 100 yards or more in five of his final six games and finished with eight touchdown runs in his last five games. In the Paul Johnson offense, he'll hit home run after home run.

Good luck Diesel!

Kenny the Rooster

A farmer had about 200 hens, but no rooster, and he wanted chicks. So, he sent down the road to the next farmer and asked if he had a rooster that he would sell.
The other farmer said, "Yeah, I've got this great rooster, named Kenny. He'll service every chicken you got, no problem." Well, Kenny the rooster cost a lot of money, but the farmer decided he'd be worth it. So, he bought Kenny.
The farmer took Kenny home and set him down in the barnyard first, giving the rooster a pep talk. "I want you to pace yourself now. You've got a lot of chickens to service here, and you cost me a lot of money. Consequently, I'll need you to do a good job. So, take your time and have some fun," the farmer said with a chuckle.
Kenny seemed to understand, so the farmer pointed toward the Hen house and Kenny took off like a shot. WHAM! - Kenny nails every hen in the hen house three or four times, and the farmer is really shocked. After that the farmer hears a commotion in the duck pen. Sure enough Kenny is in there. Later, the farmer sees Kenny after a flock of geese, down by the lake. Once again-WHAM! He gets all the geese. By sunset he sees Kenny out in the fields chasing quail and pheasants. The farmer is distraught and worried that his expensive rooster won't even last 24 hours. Sure enough, the farmer goes to bed and wakes up the next day, to find Kenny on his back, stone cold in the middle of the yard. Buzzards are circling overhead. The farmer, saddened by the loss of such a colorful and expensive animal, shakes his head and says, "Oh, Kenny, I told you to pace yourself. I tried to get you to slow down, now look what you've done to yourself."

comments

Brokeback Mountain

This movie released in 2005, is rated R, and lasts 2 hours 14 minutes. The movie is based on a short story written by E. Annie Proulx.

Directed by Ang Lee, an accomplished veteran who has given us well known movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Much of his work has been in Chinese.

Screenplay was adapted from the story by Larry McMurtry. As an author and screenplay writer, McMurtry has worked on many memorable movies, notably The Last Picture Show, Terms of Endearment and Lonesome Dove.

• Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jack Twist. Jake has been in world beaters like Bubble Boy and Jarhead, but I did very much enjoy Moonlight Mile.
• Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar. Recently deceased, Ledger has arrived at a place where he fit the brooding man roles, e.g. Monster's Ball, this and The Dark Knight.
• Anne Hathaway as Lureen Newsome, Jack Twist's wife from a family with money.
• Randy Quaid as Joe Aguire the ranch foreman that gives Jack and Ennis the job that pairs them in the woods of Wyoming.
• Michelle Williams plays Alma, Ennis's wife.

As young men two cowboys are searching for summer work in the summer of 1963. Together they are hired watch over a sheep herd on Wyoming Federal land. Ennis has plans to marry in the winter. Jack has had some experience in rodeo, not with success. During their time in the mountains the two sheepherders are often separated responsibility, coming together for meals and supplies. During one especially cold night the two come together at Jack's initiation. After, both men awkwardly avow their heterosexuality, but to little lasting effect, soon the two are coupled again. When the short job is over they both promise to return the next summer for a repeat assignment. Both men leave with the pain of separation. The next summer the job is not available, the foreman, played by Randy Quaid, suggests that he knows what happened last summer, and has no work for men who don't watch the sheep at night. In time Ennis is married and has two children, Jack meets a Texas girl from money and starts a family there. Both men long for each other and begin a pattern of meeting a few times a year on camping trips. Their feelings for each other are strong but their family commitments, coupled with fear of culture keep Jack and Ennis in unchanging predicament. After 20 years frustration on Jack's part leads him to other men and away from Ennis, soon he is discovered in Texas and pays for it with his life. Ennis learns of the death by a postcard stamped "DECEASED" and while they have already parted ways, clearly his heart is broken.
This movie is a tough one for me, I found it hard to watch, homosexuality is not a comfortable topic, but the story's portrayal of love and angst is palpable. This movie gets a score of 42 of 50, a very high score compared to others before, I did not enjoy the movie but do respect the work and suggest that it be watched.

• Character development 8 of 10. Entirely about the strain to expand and the restrictions of responsibility on that.
• Screenplay 9 of 10, the spartan nature of the dialog fits the characters, if not the culture.
• Acting 8 of 10, Ledger is excellent in his mumbling cowboy of the earth role, Gyllenhaal also plays well the partner who has more success in life but is less true to his loved ones.
• Cinematography 9 of 10, Lee's direction places emphasis on the background, many times your attention is drawn away from the actors and to the scenery.
• Concept 8 of 10, from the original short story a powerful message, forbidden love between men who by Ennis's own words, "I ain't no queer".

New Puzzle

This is a puzzle for a young relative.

The name, chosen by artistic parents is pronounced 'tol-e-MAY.

Ptolemy was the English name for the famous Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemaeus. He propounded the geocentric theory in a form that prevailed for 1400 years. That is he claimed the the earth was the center of the universe. Much of Ptolemy's work in mathematics, astronomy and astrology became the foundation for Islamic and European science.

We do know that Ptolemy is center of his parent universe.

Dear Mr. Clarke (GM President)

I'll do a little reading tonight to see if this is authentic. In the end, it does not matter, like any letter to the editor the sentiment matches my own.

Abridged letter from Troy Clarke, President of General Motors - be sure to read the response from our son, Gregory Knox:

Dear Employee,
Next week, Congress and the current Administration will determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation's history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis. As an employee, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard.

Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.
Troy Clarke
President
General Motors North America
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Response From Gregory Knox,

In response to your request to call legislators and ask for a bailout for the United States automakers please consider the following, and please also pass this onto Troy Clark, the president of General Motors North America for me.

You are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has bred like cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping the nation, awaiting our new "messiah" to wave his magical wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep "living the dream"...The dream is over!

The dream that we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded "laborers" without paying the price for these atrocities...and that still the masses will line up to buy our products.

Don't tell me I'm wrong. Don't accuse me of not knowing of what I speak. I have called on Ford, GM, Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle and countless other automotive OEM's and Tier ones for 3 decades now throughout the Midwest and what I've seen over the years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.

Mr. Clark, the president of General Motors, states: "There is widespread sentiment in this country, our government and especially in the media that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management. It is not..."

You're right - it's not JUST management... how about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag ass...so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time, for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour week.

How about the line workers who threaten newbies with all kinds of scare tactics...for putting out too many parts on a shift...and for being too productive (mustn't expose the lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?) Do you really not know about this stuff?!?

How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke's sad plea: "over the last few years ...we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors." What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!? Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them? The K car vs. the Accord? The Pinto vs. the Civic?!? Do I need to go on?

We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades. Time to pay for your sins, Detroit.

I attended an economic summit last week where a brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of "bailout money". Yes, he said, this would cause short term problems, but despite what people like George Bush and Troy Clark would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day... and something else would happen... where there had been greedy and sloppy banks new efficient ones would pop up... that is how a free market system works... it does work... if we would let it work... But for some reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn't work - that we need the government to step in and "save us"... save us, hell - we're nationalizing... and unfortunately too many of this once fine nation's citizens don't even have a clue this is what's really happening... but they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams...yeah - THAT'S important!

Does it occur to ANYONE that the "competition" has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades now in this country?. How can that be?

Let's see...

Fuel efficient... Listening to customers... Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul; Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr W Edwards Deming 4 decades ago; Ever increased productivity through quality, lean and six sigma plans; Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like "the enemy"; Efficient front and back offices; Non union environment;.

Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't be telling anyone anything they really don't already know in their hearts.

I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into - my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did at their age. I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) - I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work them through. Radical concept, huh... Am I there for them in the wings? Of course - but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults I don't want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role of parenting and government.

Bad news people - it's coming whether we like it or not!

The newly elected Messiah really doesn't have a magic wand big enough to "make it all go away." I laughed as I heard Obama "reeling it back in" almost immediately after the vote count was tallied, " we might not do it in a year, or in four". Where was that talk when he was RUNNING for the office?

Stop trying to put off the inevitable. That house in Florida really isn't worth $750,000. People who jump across a border really don't deserve free health care benefits. That job driving that forklift for the big 3 really isn't worth $85,000 a year.

We really shouldn't allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe. That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn't be living in that $485,000 home. Let the market correct itself people - it will. Yes it will be painful, but it's gonna be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it is a nation that appreciates what is has, and doesn't live beyond its means, and gets back to basics, and redevelops the work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world.

Sorry - don't cut my head off, I'm just the messenger sharing with you the "bad news"

Gregory J Knox
President
Knox Machinery, Inc.
Franklin, Ohio 45005

Slick Turns 70

The nickname is a remnant of the fifties.

That is me on the shoulder of my father, more than 45 years ago.

It is odd to see him half the age I am now, so young and handsome.

Still handsome, today he is 70 years old.

I am lucky to been the first born to this young man, all the more time for me to enjoy.

Happy birthday Dad.

Babs Slips W The Tongue

Monday's Atlanta Urinal and Constipation carried this story of affection.
Associated Press Writer Brett Zongker leads off with....

Streisand, President Bush share awkward smooch
Barbra Streisand got an awkward kiss on the cheek from the president, and yes, she gave him a smooch back.

"Art transcends politics this weekend," the longtime Democrat said beforehand. Still, she said it would have been "lovely" if she could have received the award while President-elect Barack Obama was in office.

If art transcends politics, then why do we have to ever listen to her opinion about politics. So Babs sets aside her bitchy 'Bush stole the 2000 and 2004 elections' so that she could get some damned prize? Do you think the President enjoyed sadistic pleasure by making a gesture of kindness to this rabid diva? Thereby compelling her to kiss the man who she has publicly ridiculed. Or, better, do you think that Bush asked could have hubby James Brolin if Babs had let him bring his wrinkly old Marcus Welby balls to the event? In the end we really find out that Babs would rather be kissing Obama. Figures.

More entertainers were were given awards at the event...

The singer and actress was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, along with actor Morgan Freeman, country singer George Jones, dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp and musicians Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who.

Old Pete 'Magic Butt' Townshend was the one that was really looking for W's tongue.

Southern Frugality

A woman walks into the newspaper office in Alabama to have an obituary written for her recently deceased husband. The obit editor informs her that the fee for the obituary is 50 cents a word.

She pauses and reflects, then says, "OK, let it read, 'Billy Bob died.'"

Amused at the woman's thrift, the editor replies, "Sorry ma'am, there is a 7-word minimum for all obituaries."

A tad flustered, she ponders for a few seconds and then remarks, "In that case, let it read, 'Billy Bob died - 1983 Pick-up for sale.'"

Do Ya Think?

As Mark Harmon in NCIS would say, noting the plainly obvious. The BBC reports on a possible social issue in the story titled....

Some Imams 'biased against women'

The article was written by By Sanjiv Buttoo of the BBC Asian Network. Reads verbatim with comments in blue.

A Muslim think tank has found some UK Imams discriminate against women when enforcing Islamic Sharia law. Scholars at the Centre for Islamic Pluralism (CIP)interviewed 90 Muslims in London, the West Midlands, Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

This is in England, not the Middle East, or Asia.

They found some women did not get fair hearings in forced marriage, arranged marriage and domestic violence matters.

It may be surprising to you that this is the report of an Islamic organization. This should not be so, 500 years ago the at the apex of Muslim territorial growth, Islamic scientists and philosophers were world leaders and innovators. The intertwined theologic-govermental system of beliefs only went into decline as economics systems of capitalism grew and feudalism evaporated. The separation between orthodox Muslims and secular Muslims is, in may cases, vast.

It comes after an NHS doctor was freed in Bangladesh following claims she was being held there for a forced marriage.

Kidnapping, slavery what a beacon of religious reformation.

Sharia law governs every aspect of a Muslim's life, and Imams or scholars give out rulings on how to live by God's wishes. Some mosques hold Sharia courts. The CIP's international director and its report's author Dr Irfan Al-Alawi said women seeking help in situations like forced marriages often turned to Imams for a ruling on what to do.
"Our research shows that domestic violence and forced marriages seem to be the dominant problems that women are facing and seeking Sharia rulings on. "In every case it is a male who is the defendant coming from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.
"Some ladies have approached the Imams and the Imams... have encouraged the ladies to stay with their husband or with their in-laws, whereby they have a duty bound under the Sharia."
He said he knew of a 15-year-old girl in Pakistan who was tricked into marriage over the telephone with a 40-year-old man from Sheffield, who had the mental age of a
four-year-old child.

Smells like child abuse to me.

"The Home Office refused to recognise the validity of the marriage but the Islamic Sharia Council in Britain accepted it," said Dr Al-Alawi. He said Imams should be working at the heart of their communities showing leadership, but some were failing to do so.

Two different governing bodies with two different objectives.

He accused some Imams of "cashing in" on the Sharia system. On average it may cost someone £250 to go and get an Islamic divorce, he said. "There are Pirs Muslim holy men] and Imams who come here from south Asia and charge people for charms, holy water... how is this helping anyone?" he asked.
"They should be putting back something useful into society."

Good luck with that idea, the Imams perspective is that their congregations are society, nobody else matters.

The spotlight has been on forced marriages in recent weeks, with the introduction of new laws designed to help victims, and a high-profile case in Bangladesh.
Lawyers for trainee NHS GP Humayra Abedin, 33, from east London, said her family planned to force her into marriage after she travelled to Dhaka. She had travelled there as she thought her mother was ill, and then was held against her will for months, they said. Ms Abedin is due to arrive back in the UK later, after London's High Court ordered her return under the new Forced Marriage Act and the High Court in Dhaka also ruled she must be freed.

Thirty-year-old Sophiya (not her real name) from West Yorkshire, was 13 when her father arranged her marriage to a distant cousin in Pakistan. She said that after much resistance she was forced to marry a man she did not want to, but decided to go through with it so she could get back to the UK and put her case to a local Imam. "I saw three Imams but they all ruled that I was legally married according to the Sharia. I told them I had been forced but they said that did not change anything." Sophiya decided to try and please her parents and her new husband and carry on, but three years later she sought an Islamic divorce. "I met some more Imams and said that we had been separated now for nearly two years but instead of giving me guidance with my divorce, they suggested I had to go for counselling or therapy. "I told them I had been forced and this was not Islamic, but they disagreed." A few months later Sophyia's husband wrote and gave her the Islamic divorce she longed for. "I went through the proper Islamic way and these men told me to go away." Sophiya said she wants the government to send Imams back to their countries of origin if they cannot uphold the true values of the Sharia. 'Grey area'

At least this lady after the crap they put her through still believes in her religion, she just does not respect the religious leaders that show no respect to her. Fair enough.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, is a spokesperson the Council for Mosques, a Bradford-based group which represents over 90 mosques and religious schools. "We have in Britain... Muslims from all over the world, people are practising their own cultural, their social, kind of way of life.

Yes, their own way of life, slavery.

"We have looked into this issue on many occasions and have found that for some Imams a grey area can form where the rulings of the Sharia finish and long-held cultural practices start.

"Imams do need more training and help; we also need lots more female scholars, ulemas, to work with our communities and try and help women."

"I feel Imams are not trying to deliberately discriminate against anyone we just have to be more open in how we pass judgements so everyone is happy and understands the process." The report is due to be published next month and will be sent to the government and agencies. It will recommend that Imams coming to the UK from south Asia and Africa need to be vetted to ensure they have a broad knowledge of Islam and a good command of English, so they can carry out their duties in a professional and competent way.

Don't hold your breath that the practices are going to change. There is a belief system at work here that is contrary to western culture. Contrary. They believe that we are wrong to intervene in their affairs and especially their training. I have no argument with the article, only the premise that there will be cooperation from the religious leadership, there is no central diety and therefore little chance of serious reform. Because of the dis-contiguous structure, secular regulation would have to be approached on a case by case basis, an unlikely path to reform.

SHEEPLEr2

I have been waiting for this...

Why Is the Left So Threated By My Poll?
By John ZieglerWriter/Director/Producer, “Blocking the Path to 9/11″
It has been quite a strange couple of weeks since I decided to commission a Zogby poll of Obama voters. I chose to do this at great personal expense to determine whether interviews I did on Election Day (for a forthcoming documentary I am producing on the media coverage of the election) were indeed representative of the larger population.
In a nutshell, here’s what happened next: I suddenly become a favorite target of the Internet’s left-wing attack machine. Zogby was forced to defend the poll and two days later, his organization partially abandoned it. The video of Obama voters trying to answer the same questions that were asked by the Zogby poll has been viewed over 1.6 million times on YouTube. After Zogby balked, I managed to to commission a new poll that included both Obama and McCain voters as well as a couple of added twists.

President-elect Obama on Election Night (AP)
What was most remarkable about the left’s extreme reaction to the original Zogby poll was that it was utterly devoid of even the pretense of addressing the real issues that the nationwide telephone survey exposed. Instead of debating the implications of the results (in my view they clearly revealed a massive amount of media-induced ignorance on the part of the voting public), they chose to focus on the questioners rather than the actual answers from Obama voters — clearly, the responses they gave made them feel remarkably insecure. They also completely missed the original intent in asking these questions. It was not to make voters look stupid but rather to measure the impact of media bias on what they knew, or thought they knew.
Essentially, the left-wing blogosphere went all “Joe the Plumber” on me and John Zogby. I took the heat. He, apparently, could not.
Next, I issued a challenge on national TV to liberals to duplicate the Zogby results with McCain voters (and offered to pay for it myself if McCain voters didn’t outperform Obama voters on the “quiz”). Despite loads of belly-aching from the left that Zogby only polled Obama voters no legitimate takers took me up on my offer. So I decided to go ahead and do it myself. Zogby, seemingly intimidated by the firestorm of negative reaction, declined to take my money to do virtually the identical poll that his company was thrilled to do just a week before.
After discovering that other polling outlets were similarly frightened by the prospect of having the Obama-backers harass them, I was able to find a reputable one that was not. If ever there was proof of the adage “Be careful what you wish for…” the results of the ensuing survey are it. The Obama-backers are going to have to reignite their spin/assault machine of rationalization in a huge way.
The conclusions that can be drawn from this new poll are multiple and really rather staggering. In general, McCain voters were significantly more well-informed than their counterparts, and there is overwhelming evidence that the gaps in knowledge are directly related to the media sources they were exposed to.
Here are just some of the “highlights” of the Wilson Research Strategies poll of 1,000 voters whose demographic breakdown was an exact replica of the total voting population and whose results totally vindicate the controversial Zogby poll:
35 % of McCain voters got 10 or more of 13 multiple choice questions correct.
18% of Obama voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct.
McCain voters knew which party controls congress by a 63-27 margin.Obama voters got the “congressional control” question wrong by 43-41.
Those that got “congressional control” correct voted 56-43 for McCain.
Those that got “congressional control” wrong voted 65-35 for Obama.
Those “exposed” to FOX News got “congressional control” correct 64-25 (+39)
Those ‘exposed” to CNN got “Congressional control” correct 48-38 (+10)
Those “exposed” to network news got “Congressional control” correct 48-39 (+9)
Those “exposed” to print media got “Congressional control” correct 52-37 (+15)
Those “exposed” to MSNBC got “Congressional control” correct 55-35 (+20)
Those “exposed” to talk radio got “Congressional control” correct 61-29 (+32)
Voters in the South had the best response rate on “Congressional control” (+22)
Voters in the Northeast had the worst response rate on “Congressional control” (+9)
Those “exposed” to FOX News voted 70-29 for McCain.
Those “exposed” to CNN voted 63-37 for Obama.
Those “exposed” to MSNBC voted 73-26 for Obama.
Those “exposed” to network newscasts voted 62-37 for Obama.
Those “exposed” to national newspapers voted 64-36 for Obama
Those “exposed” to talk radio voted 61-38 for McCain.
Those that could associate Bill Ayers’ name/story with Obama voted 52-48 for McCain.
Those that knew Obama had made negative comments about “coal power plants” voted 76-24 for McCain.
Those that knew Obama had his opponents knocked off the ballot in his first campaign voted 66-34 for McCain.
McCain voters did poorly (only 42% correct) on the Keating question and, in general, the voters did universally worse on questions where the negative information was about their candidate.
Women under 55 did worse than they might have by guessing on four of the thirteen questions yet 95% of them knew that Palin was the candidate with a pregnant teenage daughter. — Even 95% of those in this demographic group who didn’t know “Congressional control” got this question correct.
Those “exposed” to MSNBC scored 90% correct on the three Palin questions (including an incredible 98% on the pregnant teenage daughter question), while those not exposed to MSNBC averaged 84% correct on those three questions.
John Ziegler is the writer/director/producer of “Blocking the Path to 9/11.” All of the results from both polls, as well as the Obama voter video can be seen at http://www.howobamagotelected.com/

Davis Cup Suggestion (CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN)

For those of you familiar with GOPU, the Davis Cup title is named for the classically inappropriate Rob V. Davis.

LOL...Just get the towel first...E.I. said..."I think I need to find a better toilet picture"...Lawyers Are Important Too!

How to Use a Bidet
By Bill Roberts
Fri 24, Mar 2006
I gave my wife a bidet for her birthday. I thought it compared favorably with the anniversary several years ago when I gave her a sump pump. Alongside a pair of 2-caret diamond earrings, or a gem stone bracelet, the sump pump had seemed so … well, functional. And so did the bidet. If we can get the same longevity out of it, it will be well worth the purchase price.
The idea of buying a bidet did not come entirely out of the blue. We are putting an addition on our house and, since my wife is an avid Francophile, we thought the model in the picture books would be a handsome addition to our other plumbing fixtures.
As with most Americans, however, our experience with bidets has been limited, We consider ourselves sophisticated travelers. We have visited such exotic places as China, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Venezuela, and of course France. But have we ever used the bidets in our hotel rooms? Does anyone?
Bidets are an oddity to most Americans. We eye them on first encounter with an unease bordering on suspicion, not understanding their purpose. They are the object of much speculation about how to use them, how they should be approached, what thing-a-ma-jig does what and when they flush. (They don’t!)
Our bidet was the first of the new plumbing fixtures delivered to our remodeling construction site. As such, it sat out in our bedroom where all the workers had to walk around it for their lunch or smoke breaks. Occasionally, I could hear them discuss it: “What’s it for? Do you pee in it? Can you wash your feet in it? How does it work? Is there a lid? What do you sit on? Do you back up to it?”
“Why don’t they buy a roll of toilet paper?” one asked turning from the discussion, a hint of derision in his voice. His question was followed by an inaudible answer and a scattering of laughter.
I was increasingly proud of my worldly knowledge until one night my wife turned to me and asked, “Why are we installing a bidet? I don’t even know how to use it.”
To find the proper answer, I turned to the internet. “Ask Jeeves (now Ask.com) seemed like the perfect mate to my question. “How do you use a bidet?” I typed.
And with one question, a whole new world of bathroom talk, sometimes scatological, opened up to me. One correspondent described his bidet as “psychedelic.” Another noted that although a bidet “sounds weird at first, once you try it you’ll never like rough, scratchy toilet paper again. . . Which is more civilized…scraping poo off yourself with wads of pressed tree or gently splashing it away with soothing warm water?”
On an internet site with the unlikely name of The Sneeze, there were 34 pages of chat room comments and anecdotes – some serious, others not so serious – answering questions about use of bidets.
“They are not just for asses, even though that’s their primary use,” one proponent explained. “ Poop, wipe and wash. Bidets were used as birth control before other methods were widely available…women would wash out semen right after intercourse…Both men and women can use it after sex to wash their tools…Bidets are still widespread in brothels.”
“Dude,” an American opponent countered, “the Europeans are crazy. You get the same cleaning experience by using a ‘wipey’ … without all the hassle! They (bidets) are so primitive. Wipeys are the way to go. They leave you fresh, clean and smelling good…”
Not so, another European said rebuttal. “Wipeys do not AT ALL feel the same as cleaning yourself with water and soap on a bidet.”
One chat room participant, modestly covered, demonstrated the bidet’s proper use in a series of pictures. Another, from Korea, lauded the high-tech Asian version of bidets with “heated seats, programmable controls and even blow-drying…”On a visit to the Greek Isles several years ago, I saw a crude form of bidet used by soldiers of ancient Greece. Water from a diverted mountain spring flowed through a trough permanently carved into stone. After straddling the flowage, the soldiers used sponges affixed to sticks to clean their butts.
The sponges were stored in containers scattered along the running water for reuse. Today, the crotch is wiped dry with a towel that hangs alongside the bidet. Critics contend that unless the user is meticulous in assuring cleanliness, this towel can become overburdened, which explains the Asian advances in blow-dry attachments.
Before you think I’m too crazy, I went to a Home Depot the other day and there, on full display, was a bidet. “How do you use it?” I slyly asked the young clerk.
“I really don’t know,” he replied.
“Well, do you sit down directly on the porcelain? Or is there some kind of a seat.”
“I think you face the back of the bidet,” he said. “You sort of straddle it. That way you can control the hot and cold water faucets so you don’t freeze or scald your patootsie.” As he replied he glanced nervously toward my wife, but she has by now grown familiar with my habit of drilling for answers.
When we were choosing “our” bidet, we learned there generally are two kinds of free-standing bidets: One that spouts a fountain of water straight up; the other shoots the water from the rear so it hits the area to be cleansed at an angle. Both are effective; the choice is personal.
A friend of mine once visited a Japanese home where they had the angled spout on their bidet. Their model, it appeared, included the latest in Japanese technology: a heated seat, pressurized water flow and a control board containing several rows of electrical switches. Unfortunately, the instructions were in Japanese, which he could neither read nor speak.
Baffled by the array of switches, he began trying them one at a time to determine what would trigger the flushing mechanism. On pushing one, he was startled when a high-pressure stream of water shot out from the rear of the toilet to the opposite wall, splashing onto the ceramic floor. He pushed the button again, and the stream stopped, but it was too late.
Grabbing a couple of towels, he tried mopping the floor only to be interrupted by his host who was concerned about the length of time he had been away. Then the host, flustered, got down on his knees and joined in cleaning the mess.
Some men have the misconception that a bidet is only for women. Not so. Cleanliness is the primary purpose for both men and women.
True, a bidet is of special importance to females for cleaning their vaginal areas, especially during and after their menstrual cycles. And it certainly is welcome for cleaning after sex, but should not be relied on for birth control. But cleanliness before and after sex is important for men also. Ask any woman.
The most frequent usage is daily after a bowel movement, or any toilet function that soils the body or creates an odor. For that reason, the free standing bidet must be located in close proximity to the toilet where the process begins.
So here, for my wife and all those who care about the proper use of a bidet, is the official word on how to use a bidet, as culled from the comments of my internet advisors:
It starts with an assumption that a person will wipe with toilet paper to get rid of the bulk of the waste, and that the tp will be flushed away. But protocol calls for a switch to the bidet for disposal of any remaining waste.
Approach the bidet face to the rear, straddle the rim and align your bottom with the water source. In front of you are hot and cold water faucets. Temper the water until it is warm, adjust to the desired pressure and let the flow remove any left over waste.
Stopper the drain and use soap and a washrag if you wish, or need to.Now that you are squeaky clean, dry with a towel unless you are ahead of the game and already have a blow-dry device.
The bidet, like any other bathroom fixture, has to be drained, rinsed and disinfected. But if you are diligent, it will, like your other body functions, give you many good years of use.
Still in all, if you buy a bidet and everyone is too squeamish to use it, your bidet will make a great planter, Buy a bag of potting soil and plant flowers.
Sweet, smelly flowers.

Senator? Part 3

The recount continues. Today's "Best of the Web" says....

Meanwhile, there's still no winner in Minnesota, where a recount is just over 90% complete. If we read the results page correctly, incumbent Republican Norm Coleman has gained a net 129 votes over Democrat Al Franken. Apparently, though, that does not count ballots challenged by either candidate. Duluth's WDIO-TV has a video that explains more.

Go to the results page link the data is detailed.
So after all this whining, and posturing and frivolous lawsuits, more and more votes are being challenged and removed the totals of both candidates. Al Franken's ass has got so tight it could pinch coins. The television site states that Coleman has made a net gain of 129 votes.

Senator? Part 2

On Monday John Fund of the Wall Street Journal an offered this update on the contest for the soon to be open Minnesota Senate seat in the op-ed pieces "The Battle for Minnesota Is Just Getting Started"
Ope-ed at the insets....

Recount staffers in Albert Lea, Minn., sort ballots while a Coleman volunteer
(far left) and a Franken volunteer (far right) watch, Nov. 19, 2008.That may
soon change. Today, the state's five-member Canvassing Board meets to rule on
Mr. Franken's demand that it review whether absentee ballots rejected by county
officials can be added to vote totals. Those ballots are likely to determine the outcome and will be the center of challenges in the courts or before the U.S. Senate, which is the final judge of the winner. A lot rides on the result because the Minnesota race, along with a Dec. 2 runoff in Georgia, will determine if Democrats get the 60 votes they need to cut off GOP filibusters on a party-line vote.

Congress is sneaky enough without being fillibuster proof, do not forget their recent attempts at an underhanded passage of amnesty for illegal aliens. In the past year ther have been number of attempts to pass legislation that was objected to by a vast majority of legal citizens. Beware that a fillibuster proof Congress will act as if it has a mandate, evn if it is against the will of the people.

"Things are clearly moving in the wrong direction for Franken [in the recount]," Larry Jacobs, a political scientist at the University of Minnesota, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He says many of the challenges filed by both campaigns against individual ballots are frivolous and will be withdrawn or dismissed by the canvassing board: "The Franken campaign is going to win or lose based on what happens with the absentees."

Let us hope that the sitting judges aren't activist and treat the ballots objectively.

A review of less than half of Minnesota's 87 counties has found that at least 2,066 absentee ballots were rejected because the voter wasn't registered, didn't sign the ballot or have a witness. Late yesterday the Franken campaign claimed it had learned of hundreds of "missing ballots." Those numbers dwarf the 725-vote margin Mr. Coleman had on election night, as well as the 215-vote lead he had before the recount began, and his current lead of some 200 votes. The problem with adding absentee ballots is state law. According to an advisory opinion issued last week by the office of Democratic state Attorney General Lori Swanson, "Only the ballots cast in the election and the summary statements certified by the election judges may be considered in the recount process." A recount manual prepared this year by the office of Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, also a Democrat, makes clear that the canvassing board only supervises "an administrative recount" that is "not to determine if absentee ballots were properly accepted."
But Mr. Franken's attorneys are now arguing that Minnesota law also requires that each county's election report include "the complete voting activity within that county." They are also invoking the Equal Protection arguments cited by the Supreme Court in Bush vs. Gore, as well as rulings from Washington State's disputed 2004 governor's race -- that contest was decided for Democrat Christine Gregoire by 133 votes after an initial count and two subsequent recounts.Intent on harvesting absentee ballots, the Franken campaign has presented affidavits from four voters who claim their ballots were improperly rejected. It hopes to find more, now that a Ramsey County judge has agreed to a Franken demand that it have access to data from that county on whose absentee ballots had been rejected. After initially saying rejected absentee ballots shouldn't be part of the recount, the secretary of state's office now says the information should be made public.
If the absentee names are made public, a mad scramble will ensue to contact those voters and get them to demand their ballots be counted. That's just what happened in the 2004 governor's race in Washington State after King County Judge Dean Lum allowed local Democrats access to the list of provisional voters that hadn't been counted because either there was no signature or no match between the signature and the voter registration on file with officials.

Public disclosure of absentee ballot voters, having problem ballots, creates the opportunity for bribery and extortion. We already know the Democratic party's position on union secret ballots is an impediment to a voter's implied right to privacy.

His ruling set off a partisan hunt for votes. Ryan Bianchi, communications assistant for Ms. Gregoire, told the Seattle Times that Democratic volunteers asked voters if they had cast ballots for Ms. Gregoire. "If they say no, we just tell them to have a nice day," he said. Only if they said yes did Democrats ask if they wanted to make their ballots valid.

Like the 2000 Florida election, when Democrats endlessly called for recounts all the while fighting the inclusion of the absentee ballots of enlisted men. Now the Democrats are selectively searching for rejected absentee voters that fit their recount goals.

Margot Swanson, a voter in Redmond who forgot to sign her ballot, told me she was contacted by phone and asked whom she voted for. When she said Republican Dino Rossi, the caller quickly hung up. "I puzzled out there might be a problem with my ballot, and I found out there was," she said. "But I would never have known from the tricky call I got."

Sneaky little twitches they are. Democrats, in these situations are far from morally centered. They fight and fight dirty if the goal is worthwhile. Here in Georgia we will have the Senate runoff tomorrow between the Republican incumbent Chambliss and and upstart Democrat Martin. The local media ads that the ads that the challenger has been offering are bereft of truth. In one big hammering point describing Chambliss as an advocate for a 23% sales tax, at best showing a complete ignorance of the "Fair Tax" and more likely at worst an intentional lie. The big guns have been visiting from both sides, Bill the Adulterer, Joe the Cheater and from the other side of the aisle Rudy the Prosecutor and Sarah the Point Guard, have all visited in the last couple weeks.
I'll be voting for "My Big Daddy".
Let's hope that Minnesota is not at the brink of a real "Decade of Al Franken".