Thursday, March 22, 2007

Note to Elizabeth Edwards

Mrs. Edwards.

My wife and I were sad to hear about your cancer diagnosis today. We understand the "alarm mode" you talked about at Chapel Hill, and we truly sympathize with you and your family. We hope that all of you can find privacy when you need it and that you can always count on the comfort of one another. We wish you the best in the fight of your life.











Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The "Vote Different" Ad on Youtube

Well, the guy that posted the famous 1984ish political ad on Youtube depicting Senator Hillary Clinton in Big Mother mode has outed himself... probably in preparation for the book deal and the TV Movie. Turns out it wasn't Senator Obama's campaign or even some evil Republican that done the dirty deed. Obama supporter, Phil De Vellis claims all the altruistic responsibility today at the Huffintonpost.

Phil may be proud of himself for his little flick and for boldly going where no citizen has gone before... but I'm just bored with it. In my invisible opinion, political ads of any origin are rubbish and offer nothing but half truths to the voter. I think that they do more harm than good. I'd rather see the candidates (all of the candidates) debating with very little moderating. Aren't most people sick of political ads by now, or is it just me?

On second thought, maybe it'd actually be better to confine ALL political ads to Youtube.

Thanks and a hat-tip to Taos Eddy for posting the link to the Huffintonpost on Newzap.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Hell NO, Don't Stop the War

I really, really hated to see my country go to war in Iraq. I had liberal friends that decided that it was a good idea way before I did. Of course, they were raised in privilege and protected from the outside world their whole lives, and I doubt that any of them ever had a callous, let alone been shot at. I like my lefty pals, but in my opinion, they can't understand that there are societies out there that don't respect life nearly as much as our society does. Yes we have problems, but we aint exactly the worst group of humans on the planet.

I'm not saying that we are any better than anyone else on the overall societal goodness scale... it happens that different cultures have different ways of measuring such things, and who is to say which is best. In the end, the most successful society will flourish on the earth and will write history books outlining how terrible the vanquished societies were.

Unlike the self-loathing wing of the left (you know who you are), I happen to like my society. I don't see it as any better than the others, and it's certainly no worse. I like America and I like most Americans. I like things the way they are... well, winning the Powerball could make the house a little warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. I am not your enemy, my fellow American, but you have an enemy.

Which brings me to my point. If you think that our society is worth preserving, maybe its time you got off your ass and started saying that, and started doing something productive in that direction. I believe that we have something here worth preserving... worth fighting for, and I believe that there are millions of Islamic people calling for either our conversion or our death. Their religious zealots are much more dangerous than our religious zealots and they have no respect for you, or me, or even their own people. We are in a war whether you like it or not. Leaving Iraq will not stop it and someday soon you or your children will either be fighting or kissing the assess of these people. They have proven their bravery and determination. They have told us to our faces what they plan to do. Will our privileged, smug, well-educated society be able to answer the challenge, or will our young country become a footnote in a Muslim history book?

That's my opinion, and you're certainly entitled to yours (for the time being, at least). For another valid opinion, read some of the short writings of Ayaan Hirsi Ali for a woman's view of Islam. Ms Ali is somebody who knows more about these things than Delaware Watch (yes there are other people who know stuff). In, Faced with Radical Islam, Europe is in Danger of Decay, she writes:

When I was a child in Somalia, under the tree where she braided, my grandmother told us stories and asked us questions, in order to know if we had understood the concept: being able to recognize the enemy, in particular. She told me: “It’s a very useful instinct. If you don’t know what you have to fear, you will not survive.” And when she caught me in flagrante delicto of incomprehension, she called me doqon! This word means two things: being foolish and naïve. We said, in Somalia: “Stupid like a date palm tree!” Dates from that tree are treasures, and the one who loses them is an imbecile.

No, Europe is not traumatized by Islam, but she is like a date palm tree which despoils itself, foolish and naïve. Things fall. She remains inert. Worse, she gives freedom to the enemies of freedom. At the heart of your beautiful West, it is the right-thinking people with a socializing tendency who do this the most, in the spirit of pacifism, voluntary blindness and conformism, when confronted with the rise of fundamentalism, when confronted with the aggressiveness of radicals, when confronted with the dangers of communitarianism. Stupid. Like the date palm tree. Please: don’t be doqon.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Capital School District Referendums

Yesterday I was amazed to learn that a friend of mine had not voted in the Capital School referendum on March 7th. For the sake of concealing his identity from the person who visits this blog every week or two, I'll call this friend "Sal". Now Sal is a guy who has been known to complain for hours on end about liberals and CNN and taxes and democrats and such. In other words, a more vocal, better spoken, highly passionate, and further right version of BobbyDoodle.

So there I was, cubicaled and poised for discussion first thing on Thursday morn... the day after. "Sal", I hollered. "What do you think of the outcome of yesterday's referendum?"

Looking up from his flat screen, Sal's retort wasn't what I had expected by a long, long, long shot. "Darn" (expletive omitted), "was that yesterday?"

It seems that the bad weather had him involved with other things and as Sal put it, his brain is getting old.

It's really in the school's best interests to keep these referendums as quiet as possible. They broadcast it heavily to the parents, and that's surely their preferred demographic. They hold it at the schools and, from what I've read on the Newszap forums, they may be inviting parents in for a free lunch on referendum day. Those that vote for these referendums are very organized so, all in all, the cards are stacked against Sal and me, and maybe you too.

Next referendum, I will remind Sal that he needs to vote. Sal will remind Mrs. Sal and one or two others. If you want me to remind you, send me an email, and I'll do my very best.


I hope that Capital School District puts all that new money to good use for the sake of education. I hope that they are smart enough to handle that money correctly, and I hope that they are as careful with it as I would have been, had they not taken it from me. Understanding the built-in dumbness of government, I don't believe that they are capable of actually doing any of that. And there is always the Alfreda Dean factor. Anyway, the money is theirs now, and all thoughts at Capital can be turned to the next referendum. Hold onto your wallet, my friend.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Capital School District Will Have Its Way

Well, they've done it again, Capital School District has raised our property taxes. Property owners in the District will be paying 13 Million dollars to satisfy the "needs" of the District for a year or two, just until the next referendum (and at least two more have been promised on the heels of this one).

Dr. Thomas and his overpaid staff have not been managing money as effectively as I have had to do this winter, I can promise you. Our hard-earned dollars are just easy money to them, and they've already shown their contempt for the taxpayer.

Lets hope that the State Auditor continues to watch Capital District staff to dissuade another Alfreda Dean moment. I've just seen Auditor Thomas Wagner posing in the William Henry Middle School newsletter February 2007 edition, and I'd feel much better if he kept an "all business" relationship with the schools of Capital. We need you watching them, Mr. Wagner... they can't be trusted to do it themselves. Please keep a discreet distance, sir.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Senator Obama, Presidential Candidate

Today I watched Senator Obama declare himself as a candidate for President of the United States, and I enjoyed listening to him, he is a very good speaker. He spoke at the old Statehouse in Springfield, Illinois where the greatest American President, Abraham Lincoln (Republican), once stood to deliver a speech warning of the perils of a divided nation. Senator Obama's talk was encouraging, hopeful, and engineered not to offend people like me. He spoke as a Washington outsider who wanted to inspire politicians and citizens to do better. He called for more government entitlements, like health care and higher education. He called for higher pay for teachers, stronger labor unions, and he wants to protect America in some way. Senator Obama says he has a plan to end the war in Iraq

For the democratic party faithful it must have been nearly an orgasmic experience, I think. One of the party faithful, MSNBC's Chris Matthews, was noticeably giddy and gushing afterwards. It was almost embarrassing. The din from the back-slapping was fierce, I tell you. It was so loud at one point that I could hardly hear my wife calling me for lunch (it was her turn, she doesn't actually live to serve me).

Senator Obama, you seem like a nice fellow, you really do. But think, man ... how are you going to live up to all those promises if you do become President. Well yeah, I know that your party will support you in raising taxes for every entitlement program that you can dream about. But I don't think that they will support any of your dreams to protect America, to hold teachers accountable, or to instill values and responsibility in our citizens. That's just not what the Democratic Party is about... never, ever... they just could never get that done.

So what would we be left with, after half of your dreams were implemented. We would be left with a health care system just as expensive (per patient) as the one we have now, except that it would be paid for by taxes, filtered inefficiently through some Government Bureaucracy. Rich lawyers (eternal supporters of the Democratic Party) would continue to sue doctors (and me) at an ever increasing rate and your party would do nothing regarding tort reform. Schools would get more money and students would continue to do badly, because the democratic party views accountability as some sort of intrusion on personal liberty or an affront to self-esteem or some other far-left, social no-no. Under your party, accountability is directed towards only a selected few (and never teachers, lawyers, democratic politicians, or select special groups of protected citizens/non-citizens).

So, Senator Obama, generally I like what you say and how you say it. I am sure that you know a lot more than I do about politics, but sir, in my opinion you haven't a snowball's chance at getting folks such as Waxman, Boxer, Pelosi, Kennedy, Murtha, Reid, Finegold, Schumer and the like at doing anything more than increasing entitlements, raising taxes, protecting special interests, cutting defence spending, and generally providing only lip service to protecting America. That's what they've always done and that's what they will always do. After all, that is how they got themselves elected.

After the Obama declaration, I drifted on over to CNN which wrapped up its coverage of the Senator's speech and then spent several minutes with Senator Hillary Clinton who was answering questions before a friendly crowd in New Hampshire. After two separate reporters massaged her campaign shamelessly for several minutes right there on the "news", the CNN newsreader commented for about 10 seconds on what the three Republican hopefuls were up to (Senator Brownbeck, Governor Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani). I suppose CNN included the Republicans briefly so that they can feel good about their unbiased journalism skills.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Mine Your Own Business

Mine Your Own Business is a compelling new documentary by Irish film makers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney. It examines and questions the means and methods of 21st Century Environmental zelots fighting industry and common sense worldwide. Judging from the trailer on YouTube and the National Review article, I am hopeful that another side of the story is finally being told about people, environment, and the smug know-it-alls who have carjacked the environmental movement from common folk like me.

Thank you Mr. McAleer and Ms McElhinney for having the courage to make this film and to stand behind it as we've seen you do on Fox News. I've never understood why certain groups, like Greenpeace, seem to be so untouchable from the perspective of the left leaning American media. They've certainly grown fat and smug in the last 20 years and maybe it's time they take a good long look at themselves, and then try to come back down to earth with the rest of us.
They are certainly trying their best to get this film banned... and that, if nothing else, should make you want to see it.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Capital School Referendum

Just two words to describe Capital School District's fiscal responsibility... Alfreda Dean. Through mismanagement of tax dollars, Capital allowed this overpaid secretary to use our money for her personal benefit. She was found guilty of stealing "only" $6300, and given a years probation. Just a misdemeanor for stealing our tax dollars. I wonder how much more she took without being caught. And Why Are We Paying a Capital Secretary $40,000 per year?

While Ms Dean's actions are despicable, Capital should never have allowed this to happen. They were warned by the State that their system was not working, but I don't think that they worried about it very much at all. All they need to do is to raise our taxes. Stop giving Capital a blank check.

Of course they claim that its for the children, after all... who would vote against children... but the Alfreda Dean attitude by the Capital Taxhogs indicates mismanagement and greed. Capitals irresponsible money management and over-paid administrative staff is significant proof that the districts need to be combined to save tax dollars.

Taxpayers must hold Capital School District accountable because they have already proven they cannot be trusted. And don't forget that Kent County tax reassessment on the horizon.