Thursday's Tastings

It looks like that $35 billion European tanker deal has been put on hold for now. Given the current state of our economy, it's a no-brainer to keep this money in our country.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates apologizes to the Afghans for the civilian deaths caused by our airstrikes. He should probably hold his "sorries" for a while. We are sending 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan next year to combat the increase in violence over there. Gates is in deep thought as he re-thinks the strategy. Things aren't going so well.

Alan Greenspan calls today's economy "the worse economy that I've ever seen".

Speaking of the economy, GWB says that he's working hard on the economic turmoil. I think that he needs to start right there in the White House. Press Secretary Dana Perino's house was scheduled to be auctioned this week before they made a last-minute payment......BTW, the Dems don't know what to do either.

I'm not the only person who believes that today's Republicans are far from conservative. Say what you want about the Democrats. But, our government's size, scope and power has increased far more during this administration than at ANY other time in our country's history; including the New Deal.

Tzipi Livni won yesterday's election in Israel. She is slated to be the next Prime Minister; the first woman to lead Israel in 34 years. Hopefully, she won't bring us a new Iranian war and will help bring peace to the region. Congrats.

Wednesday's Musings

Klansman gets convicted for killing three black teens 40 years ago. However, the decision is overturned because the statute of limitations expired for the kidnapping portion. Now, how this relates to the fact that he is still getting away with murder is a question that the judge needs to answer. I guess he has his own robe and funny hat stored away in his closet.

The Pentagon admits that we are in deep trouble in Afghanistan.

Seven years later, Osama bin Laden is still on the loose. The Bush Administration yawns. Meanwhile the rest of the world isn't convinced that al-Queda is responsible for the attacks.

NY Governor David Patterson calls the McCain campaign out for its veiled racism in its attacks against Obama's past as a community organizer.

Israelis make an Alvin Ailey dancer shuffle in order to get into the country.

It's no surprise that the oil companies are screwing us at the pump. As far as the government officials who have allowed them to get away with it, they're screwing them too; literally.

RIP W.D. Mohammed

Today, the Muslim community lost one of its great leaders. Warith Deen Mohammed, son of NOI founder Elijah Mohammed, died.

After his father relinquished control over the Nation of Islam to him, Warith Deen brought hundreds of thousands of Muslims away from the afro-centric, nationalistic and political NOI to orthodox Islam that is practiced worldwide.

May Allah bless you. My prayers go out to his family.

Tuesday's Tastings

Man, I would love to stay at home and get paid per-diem for "travel expenses".

Good news!! The troops are leaving Iraq. Bad news; they're going back to Afghanistan.

Desparate for people to convert; Dothan, AL offers $50,000 to each Jewish family that moves there to live for at least 5 years. On a related note, people are paying $100,000 just to get out of town.

Oil prices have fallen below $100 for the first time in 5 months. The dollar is at its highest point since July. You would think that gas prices would drop. However, no such luck for the masses.
The Justice Department is now going after Google for having too much advertising. Why they are going after Google instead of the oil industry reeks of cronyism.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has endorsed Barack Obama. Like many others in the world, he supports the "O"-man. However, this doesn't matter to most Americans. John McCain just blew by him in the polls.

Let Them Eat Cake!!

A few folks, most recently including Sarah Palin, have been questioning the "actual responsibilities" of a community organizer; which was Barack Obama's profession a couple of decades ago.

Now, it isn't surprising that the likes of McCain, Bush and others have no idea what someone like that does. They haven't lived the lives of the many who actually need some direction, guidance and assistance along with the increased influence that comes from being organized with others of similar thought and circumstances.

Being a son of a former community organizer, I can say very clearly that their role is important. In many cases, it's similar to collective bargaining; but many times deals with the government instead of an employer. These are very often people who have lost their jobs, homes or both because of downturns in local economies. Sometimes, they just need a bit of direction to get back on track.

Dismissing community organizers means that you are also dismissing the communities in which they serve.

Just today it was reported that our unemployment rate has jumped to a 5-year high of 6.1%. Mortgage defaults and foreclosures are now at the highest levels in 29 years!! More than half of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck and we are still sending thousands of American jobs overseas.

No need for community organizers? I guess they feel we should just ignore these people. Or, let them eat cake!!!

And they say that Obama is the elitist.

Friday's Tidbits

More than 98% of the delegates attending the Republican convention were white. That's the highest rate for a major party convention in 40 years. Obviously, the Republicans have failed in getting their message to other communities. It's a shame.

We've lost more Americans to violence in Chicago than to war in Iraq.

"Whites only" drinking fountains in 2008? Oh, the guy was only joking. Honest mistake I guess. Same deal with the guy who had a black doll tied to a cross hanging in front of his house. He also has a dog named Hitler. Sounds like a nice enough guy.

RNC staff was tasked to get a picture of Walter Reed Veterans Hospital to be used as a backdrop for McCain's speech. However, they find a picture of Walter Reed Middle School. I would classify that one as "FAIL".

$300,000 outfit? Who's the elitist?

The World in Chaos

Are we in the early stages of WWIII?
We just sent our third Navy ship to the Georgia coast. Russia has already warned us against intervening in that region. We say that our intentions are completely humanitarian. However, as Putin said "why is humanitarian aid being delivered on naval vessels armed with the newest rocket systems?"

Meanwhile, North Korea has restarted its nuclear program after temporarily suspending the activity. I guess they are evil again.

Well, there's some good news today. General Petraeus says that our troops may be able to leave Baghdad soon because of the reduced violence. However, they may end up in Afghanistan because of the increased violence over there.

The Prime Minister of Pakistan survived an assassination attempt. While most people are concerned about the Iranians attempts to obtain nuclear weapons, it's somehow forgotten that Pakistan already has about 60 nuclear warheads and the ability to deliver them. If a crazy regime gains control of Pakistan (where Bin Laden is though to be hiding), then we're all in trouble.

Like many other Palestinians, Tony Blair's sister-in-law is trapped in Gaza, not allowed to leave.

Historic Thursday

Today is a big day. Obama will accept his historic nomination today at the Democratic convention. Meanwhile, McCain is announcing his Vice-Presidential nominee today. It looks like he's trying to coordinate it to coincide with the Obama speech in an attempt to upstage him a bit.

The latest Gallup poll has Obama up by 6 points. This includes Cindy McCain's sister!

This election is very important. It seems to me like we're going to have to decide between peace and World War III. Did you hear Bill O'reilly last night? I've missed his show recently. I didn't realize he was on there clamoring for us to "confront" Putin. Does he really want us to go to war with Russia? Well, since we're moving our battle ships to the region, I guess somebody is listening. At least China isn't backing Russia on this issue.

Our top Marine says we need to pull all of our troops to Afghanistan now. Yeah, going to war with Russia looks very appealing right now.

Politico reports that Karl Rove called Leibermann and asked him to withdraw his name from VP consideration. Rove disputes the report in a way that only Karl Rove can.

Clayton County-Georgia has lost its accreditation. This is the first time this has happened in 40 years. The education of 50,000 students in now of jeopardy. No school choice?

The largest mosque in Europe is being built in Chechnya. It will hold 10,000 worshippers.

Occupiers or Liberators?

Nouri Al-Maliki- the Prime Minister of Iraq has now demanded a timetable for the departure of American troops from his country. It looks like he got what he wanted. Reuters reports that an agreement has been reached to have all foreign troops out by 2011.

Meanwhile, the folks in Afghanistan are not too pleased about the 76 people killed by U.S. airstrikes.

Condi Rice says that the U.S. has been forced to do a mass review of its relationship with Russia. In the meantime, Russia votes to recognize rouge provinces. I guess Bush and Putin are no longer best friends.

Jesse Jackson Jr. calls Obama the Jackie Robinson of politics.

Republicans are pissed that Obama didn't choose Hillary to be his VP. HUH?? Meanwhile, Bill Clinton is not too pleased about his role at the convention.

Bill Kristol is campaigning for Joe Leibermann as McCain's VP choice. Hmm, what connection do they have??

The rumors of Dolly Parton's demise have been greatly exxagerated.

Thursday's Tastings

Looks like Condi Rice and the Iraqis have agreed on a timetable for troop withdrawls. The State Department says that there is no real date set. The Iraqis disagree.

The Bush Administration continues its mad quest for unconstitutional government spying and oversight abilities.

Russia plans to stay a while in Georgia.

McCain not really sure how many houses he owns. He also walks around in $500 shoes and belongs to one of the richest families in Arizona. Obama just finished paying student loans three years ago and he's the one that's the elitist.

Israeli Deputy Premier wants a unity government. Tzipi Livni is the frontrunner to replace Olmert, who resigned because of his bribery scandel.

FEMA phone system hacked. Hacker makes $12,000 worth of calls to the Middle-East and Asia.

Texas set to execute a mentally retarded man for a murder committed while he was outside in the car. That's Texas justice for ya!!

Joe Leibermann set to speak at the GOP convention. I'm sure the Dems love to hear this.

Hall of Fame guard and NFL Players Association President Gene Upshaw dies.

Feeling Safer Today?

A few things have been going on lately to make me realize a few things. Regardless of who wins the presidency, they'll have their work cut out for them. The world is a mess. Most of the stuff was created, caused or promoted directly by the Bush Administration.


Even though a "cease-fire" is in place, the Georgian government sees no sign of the Russian troops leaving. This is not going to end easily. It looks like they are trying to go back to the old ways of the Soviet Union and create a new Iron Curtain.

Pakistani President has resigned.

Iran says that it will help other Muslim nations launch satellites into outer space. They also announced that its warplanes have the capability to reach Israel. Looks like this is going to work out nicely as well.

Iraq's government cracking down on U.S. backed Sunni forces.

Thursday's Tastings

The conflict in Georgia is not over. Although a public "cease-fire" has been announced, Russian tanks are still pressing further into Georgia. All of this is causing this administration to re-think its relationship with Russia. Ya think??? Oh, by the way, John McCain sends his diplomats to Georgia. Somebody should tell him that he isn't President just yet.

On a related note, the United States have reached a missle deal with Poland. This is basically to protect the Polish from what's happening now to the Georgians.

Iraqi Foreign Minister says U.S. will begin troop withdraws beginning next summer.

New government projections show that whites will no longer be in the majority by 2042. The U.S. population is expected to increase from 305M people to 439M by 2050.

A pound of cyanide was found in a hotel room in Denver that was being used by a now-dead foreign national.

Julia Child, well-known for being T.V's greatest food personality, was also doing a bit of spying in her day.

Latest polls show Obama with a steady lead in the Presidential race, including an 8-point lead in Pennsylvania.

Wednesday's Musings

Wow!! The U.S. has denied Israel's request for new weapons in order to attack Iran. We say that it wouldn't be in our strategic interest. Very good. We all know that gas prices will skyrocket if Iran was attacked. They're right. This does no good for our country.

Russia continues to penetrate into Georgia, irrespective of their announced cease-fire.

About a third of U.S. homeowners are upside-down on their mortgages.

Not everyone is buying the man-made global warming nonsense.

What the heck were these guys thinking???

At least the price of milk is coming down.

More Proof that We're Being Ripped Off

Yesterday, the EIA announced that oil consumption for the first half of 2008 dropped by the largest percentage in 26 years. Demand for oil decreased by an average of 800,000 barrels per day compared to this time last year.

Also according to the EIA, oil supplies increased by over 100,000 barrels. However, the price of gasoline went from $3.07/gallon to $4.11/gallon.

Supplies are up. Demand is WAY down. But, the price increases by over 33%?? What gives?

The speculators control the market. They are allowed to ignore supply/demand and charge whatever they want.

Until we get them out of the market, it doesn't matter how much we drill.

Monday's Musings

The United States spends $51M to fly illegals back to Mexico. All of this money and they still will not use an American carrier.

R.I.P. Isaac Hayes. Man, the musical world will not be the same without you. Also, R.I.P to Bernie Mac. You represented Chicago well. This one really hurts. The world and the 'hood just lost one of its favorite funny men.

OPEC income hits record. Who would've guessed???

China overcomes the U.S. as the world's largest manufacturer. Given our obsession with outsourcing American jobs, this comes as no surprise. We're becoming a consumer nation that produces little.

Thursday's Tastings

Does anybody really believe that this guy got a fair trial? BTW, why the focus on bin Laden's driver? Screw his driver!! Can we go find bin Laden himself?? Next, they'll be arresting his landscaper and promoting his conviction as some major victory in the War on Terror. Gimme a break.

Israel is foaming at the mouth ready to attack Iran. Doesn't matter what this will do to our economy. Not really sure how they are directly threatening us. Hey, if Israel wants to go through with the attack, more power to them. Just leave us out of it. We shouldn't be forced to pay for it with our lives or our dollars.

British diplomats go to Hebron and get harrassed and attacked by settlers.

Michelle Obama still feels the need to squash labels that Barack is an elitist. C'mon. Why even justify that mess? The guy was still paying off student loans three years ago! His mom was on welfare. He never took the high-paying jobs out of college. He just started making money when his book started selling. If you are not in the hood, I guess you're considered "uppidity". Meanwhile, others walk around in $500 loafers.

Hillary Clinton still refuses to go away.

Brett Favre traded to the J-E-T-S!!!

National Enquirer publishes pics of what they say is John Edwards' love child.

Toby Keith Takes off his White Robe and Funny Hat

I mentioned this bumpkin last week on the blog when he was reminicing about the good ol' days when lynch mobs would keep blacks in check.

This time, this dude goes on The Glenn Beck Show and says that Obama is only successful because he is "acting white". He then says that the black community will support him only because he's black. But, they'll still be mad at him for "acting white".

Even Glenn Beck says "What does that mean??!!!" Fess up Toby, what does that mean?

Tuesday's Tastings

A new book is slated to hit the market claims that the Bush administration ordered forgery of documents in order to link Saddam Hussein to Al-Queda. C'mon! Now who out there really believes that this administration would do something unethical for political gain?

Eugene Robinson takes on the McCain campaign's race-baiting and scare tactics in regards to Barack Obama.

Looks like the left's Darth Vader will not be making any appearances at the Republican convention this time. It seems as if the entire Republican members of Congress are running fast and furiously away from the Bush administration. Even McCain himself is trying to distance himself away from George W.

A judge orders a Muncie, IN drug task force to repay $25,000 that they took without a court order and deposited into an "off-of-the-books" bank account.

John McCain does his best rock-star imitation at Sturgis.

Once again, the Pentagon extends tours for the military personnel. This time it's 1,250 Marines in Afghanistan. I'm sure this does wonders for their morale. C'mon! We all know they support the troops!

Monday's Musings

A federal judge rules that Karl Rove cannot continue to disregard the subpoenas issued by the House Judiciary Committee.

Barack Obama seems to have found his flip-flops. This time he changes his mind on tapping the oil reserves. Hey, I'm all for bringing additional supply into the market. As long as the speculators don't screw us and disregard the additional supplies, it should help reduce the price. But, if we don't lasso in the speculators, this will do nothing expect help the oil companies dominate the market.

Preacher's wife shoots and kills her husband two years ago. She spends a total of 12 days in jail. Today, she assumes custody of their three girls. That's justice!!

The Rasmussen poll has John McCain ahead when considering the "leaners" who may vote in the fall. Juan Williams says that this election will boil down to "a black guy going against a white guy". The McCain camp is saying this is a battle of good vs. evil. They say Obama is the anti-Christ.

Jonathan Pollard is suing Israel because they are slow to finance his defense for his espionage conviction in the U.S.

Russia is looking to restart its relations with Cuba.

Wednesday's Musings

The Bush Administration tries to expand government regulation over the internet.

President Bush signs housing bill.

Another police beating caught on tape. According to the police, he was "resisting arrest".

Israeli Prime Minister looks like he's ready to step down. The bribery case is a little too much for him to handle. I guess they'll need another leader for their upcoming strike on Iran.

Country singer Toby Keith makes a song about the glory days of lynching. Incredible.

Ludacris makes a song supporting Obama. Of course, the Obama campaign itself condems the song. Time to send Luda to the dog-house with Rev. Wright and Jesse.

What do you know? The FDA finds the strain of salmonella at another Mexican farm. Hush, don't tell anyone that those Mexican NAFTA products are getting a bunch of Americans sick. It's not rocket science that Americans get sick from the Mexican water that they're using to wash this food. Watch out for more cases of this.

Tuesday's Tastings

More evidence that supply and demand is not factored into gasoline prices. Americans drove 9.6 billion miles fewer in May 2008 than May 2007. At the same time, gasoline prices rose by 30 percent.

Longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate is criminally indicted on 7 counts.

Feds raid meatpacking plant and find child laborers and 18th-century working conditions.

McCain pledges "no new taxes" to Sean Hannity. Quickly backs off of that pledge once he's back into the open.

Los Angeles is ready to ban fast-food restaurants in low-income areas. I'm sure that 16-year olds looking to enter the job market will really appreciate this.

Monday's Musings

Blacks and Latinos with credit ratings identical to whites are far more likely to receive sub-prime mortgage loans.

Is this terrorism?

National average for gas prices below $4/gallon for the first time in a couple of months. McCain says we should thank the president for this. Hey, I'll save my thanks until gas prices get back down to normal levels; especially when we'll be paying more for utilities because of the increase in gas prices.

More info on JC Watts' new African-American news network to be launched in 2009.

The oil and gas industry increases its donations to the McCain campaign from $200k to $1.1M after he changes his support for off-shore drilling.

The Bush Administration is ready to announce a record deficit of $490B for 2008.

Obama's Speech in Germany draws a Crowd of 200,000

Thursday's Tastings

The Pentagon is planning to send an additional 10,000 troops to Afghanistan over the next month or so to help reduce the rising violence over there. I wonder where we are going to get he troops from. Looks like more troops will be getting another tour instead of coming home.

Israel is building more settlements in the West Bank. Of course, the Palestinians are crying foul and are threatening to retaliate. Israel makes a peace agreement that says they won't make additional settlements on Palestinian territory, re-nigs on the deal; the Palestinians retaliate and get blamed for not wanting peace. For what it's worth, the Israelis are having enough problems themselves with these rouge settlers torching Palestinian olive farms and creating chaos.

An illegal alien kills a father and his two sons because they blocked an intersection with an AK-47. This guy has had several brushes with the law, but has never been deported. San Francisco's policy of shielding illegals from deportation has directly caused the death of this family.

The federal minimum wage is set to increase by 70 cents today. Not everyone is happy. Some business owners are already hurting because of reduced business and rising food costs . Now payroll is increasing.

Georgia schools are bringing dusting off their old paddles in an attempt to re-institute discipline.

NASA astronaut and moon-walker claims we have been visited by aliens on several occassions, but the government is covering it up.

Nas delivers a petition to Fox News with more than 600,000 signatures demanding that they remedy their negative portrayals of the black community. Who me? Racist?

Wednesday's Tastings

Looks like Congress is finally stepping up its actions to reign in the oil speculators that have been manipulating the prices and destroying our economy. Of course Senate Republicans and the White House is against the measure. They don't see a problem in the least. All is well in their eyes. Their guys have made billions under the current system.

Condi Rice is in Singapore trying to convince the North Koreans that they really need to dismantle their nuclear program. If we still have to convince them, it means that they haven't stopped. Looks like we once again fell for their games.

Bobby Jindal removes his name from consideration to be McCain's VP.

Feds drop case into Al Sharpton's finances.

Michael Savage is in deep trouble for saying 99% of autistic kids are simply brats that lack parental discipline.

Obamamania hits Europeans. One German newspaper is calling him the black JFK.

The Dems are starting another push for openly gay service in the military. "Don't ask-don't tell" is about to be revisited. I'm sure that's going to really motivate and inspire the troops.

Nigerian militants are once again threatening the oil pipeline. I'm sure that the speculators will raise the price of oil because of this. Now, it doesn't mean that they'll actually attack the pipeline or really hurt supplies. But, the threat alone is enough to raise the price. In their world "hypothetical" supply and demand is more important than "actual" supply and demand.

On a personal note.....Nas' new CD comes in at #1, dropping Lil' Wayne's "Tha Carter 3" down to #2. Screw that Soulja Boy mess. This is true hip hop at its finest.

Also on a personal note DA BEARS start camp today. Oh yeah!!! Football is here!!!

Mexican Salmonella Pt. 2

Check the blog. I called this a while back. However, we still aren't going to see much news on it. The recent salmonella outbreak has been isolated to a single strain from jalapenos peppers that have been imported from Mexico. This is just another side-effect of NAFTA and the recent agreement that allows Mexican truckers more distribution access in the states.

It's actually pretty simple, if you think about it. Mexican produce is washed and cleaned by Mexican water. Although Mexicans have developed a tolerance for the water, most Americans will get sick if they drank it. These products that have been cleaned with tainted water eventually make it to grocery stores in the United States.

This administration has an obsession with non-American products and labor. Even though it's very clear that these products are making us sick, they'll never really give it enough attention or thoroughness to cause any disruption in the flow of Mexican products. Surely, they'll never do anything to jeopardize the relationship.

We all need to make sure we have ample supply of Pepto-Bismol on hand.

Monday's Musings

Condi Rice says it's a remarkable accomplishment that Barack Obama is slated to become the first black Presidential nominee for a major party. She hasn't specified whether or not she'll vote for him.

The American Physical Society has a membership of 50,000 scientists. They recently stated that the vast majority of their membership do not believe in mad-made global warming.

Hugo Chavez is giving away free oil to Americans. Some politicians denounce it as grandstanding. I guess they think we should just bow down to the dictators from Exxon/Shell/BP and the other major oil companies.

What's wrong with McCain and geography? It looks like his foot is very comfortable in his mouth. First, he repeatedly referenced Chechoslavakia; which hasn't existed since 1993. Now, in an interview with ABC News, he mentions the non-existent Iraq/Pakistan border. Given his constant geography mishaps, you gotta wonder whether or not these come from pure ignorance or alzheimers. Either case, it's not good for the Republicans.

A federal appeals court tossed the FCC's fine of the Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction". Good.

Today's Tidbits

For the first time in 30 years, the United States will have a diplomatic presence in Iran. I guess the whole "Axis of Evil" and "negotiating with enemies" stuff has met its end.

Chicago is considering bringing in the National Guard to help minimize the wave of violence they've been dealing with. A child has been shot nearly every day since June 26th. Pretty sad.

Obama is under intense pressure by his trip to the Middle East. Foreign policy is thought to be his weakness. If he can find a way to come out of this trip shining, he may lock in his chances to be POTUS.

Bob Barr says that selecting judges is no reason to vote for McCain. He basically echoes something that I've said for a while. Today's Republicans, including John McCain, are just as liberal and intrusive as the Democrats. They just have different issues.

Bill Clinton says he is now ready to campaign for Obama. I wonder how much Barack's campaign had to pay him.

Obama says the cartoon cover of New Yorker magazine is offensive to Muslims. Hey Obama, save your pity and stop avoiding us if you are really that concerned about our well-being.

SEC Regulators Now Coming After Traders

The SEC's enforcement arm has subpoenaed Wall Street's largest firms and traders in an attempt to reign in traders who manipulate the markets. Wall Street is hurting because of unfounded rumors and artificial manipulation of stock prices.

Now, we just need them to go next door and grab the oil traders who have been doing the same thing. The problem is that this administration has oily hands and will not kill the goose that has been laying the golden eggs that will keep the Bush family and their friends rich for generations to come.

Today's Tidbits

Obama speaks before powerful teachers' union and condemns McCain and others who support vouchers. I guess his solution is to simply pour more money into the system without recourse. Hey Obama! Are you sending your little girls to the local public school in southside Chicago? Didn't think so.

President Bush uses executive priviledge in the Valerie Plame leak case to prevent Attorney General Mukasey from testifying.

Looks like we may have another stimulas package coming. Hopefully, this will help jump start the economy a bit.

Charlie Rangel has never been accused of being humble. Check out his latest project. Anything for a legacy I guess.

Somebody please tell me how this could be fun. I wonder how many cases of Ecoli is attributed to this?

Congress overrides Bush's veto of the Medicare bill.

Very cool pictures of Mars.

Tuesday's Tidbits

U.S. military deaths at 4,120 since March 2003.

Looks like it will be Mitt Romney as McCain's running mate. Given the governor's financial experience and today's economy, it's a very smart move by the Republicans. You can probably expect a bounce in the polls when this move is official. They'll be tough to beat.

Wow. It's a shame that I'm not surprised about this. Excerpts from an interrogation of a 16-year old being held at Gitmo.

Hat tip to the guys at RedState. I guess the President and I still agree on some issues. I interpret this to mean that he still has some lingering elements of conservatism flowing through his veins. I surely agree with him on this "forced conservation" stuff. If I want to drive an SUV and run my air conditioner at a constant 63 degrees, as long as I pay for it, whose business is it?

Brit Hume is stepping down after the election. This is a pretty big shake up at Fox News.

Back from Vacation!!!

Oh man. It's tough to go without blogging and writing. Much to say about goings on.

One thing quickly. Our country is very beautiful. It's a shame that we are often too busy to take the time to truly experience what it has to offer.

Today's Tidbits

Looks like we've given the Israelis our missle defense technology.

Congrats to Venus Williams for her 6th Wimbledon title. Serena started off strong, but Venus' consistency eventually prevailed.

Jesse Helms died. It will be interesting to watch the careful wording of the tributes to one of the biggest racists to ever serve in our country's Congress.

According to the Iraqi's, there is no more terrorism in their country. Prime Minister Al-Maliki announced that they have defeated the terrorists in Iraq.

Bush defends his decision to attend the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

FDA now sets its focus on Mexican jalepenos for the source of salmonella.

Senate Republicans know they are in big trouble in the upcoming election.

Tuesday's Tidbits

Deaths in Afghanistan rapidly approaching deaths in Iraq

The economy is bad. Energy prices are higher than ever. Perfect time for idiotic liberals in Chicago to once again raise taxes.

John and Cindy McCain one day from defaulting on their condo for 4 years of unpaid property taxes.

In the first case of judicial review, a court said the U.S. held a Chinese Muslim for six years on very little and unverifiable evidence. I wonder how many more of these will we have.

Jim Webb says Bush "blew it" on the G.I. Bill he once threatened to veto. BTW, he and John McCain both take credit for it now.

Fox News poll shows Americans believe John McCain and George W. Bush are too much alike. Guess that's a surprise to Hannity.

Beware of the fashion police.

Monday's Musings

"Getting shot down isn't a qualification to be President." Ouch!!!!

Joe Lieberman says the U.S. will be attacked by terrorists in 2009. Okay Joe. Go back to your chrystal ball and tell us exactly when and where so we can prevent it. Otherwise, stop playing Dionne Warwick.

Battle between FBI and CIA trumps battle between U.S. vs. bin Laden and Al-Qaeda.

If attacked, Iran will attack Israel.

Abu Ghraib detainees are suing U.S. contractors because of alleged torture.

Obama sets his sights on the South. Will not concede Southern states to the Republicans.

Bob Barr says GWB is the worst President in history. Says Clinton's mistakes were personal and mainly hurt himself. But, Bush's mistakes hurt the entire country.

Friday's Tidbits

According to the Pentagon, the Taliban has regrouped and is back in power.

U.S. pays ransom for release of kidnapped relative of Texas Congressman.

Congressional Republicans say they cannot overcome the tarnished image of the national party. C'mon guys. Who doesn't like politicians that spend like druken sailors, spy on Americans in ways Orwell couldn't prossibly imagine and make every attempt to install fear while destroying our Constitution?

Pakistan executes men accused of being spying for the United States.

Parents seriously need to pay closer attention to their kids' online relationships.

Coersion in the Zimbabwe election?? You don't say!!

Supreme Court Confirms 2nd Amendment

More info on this later after the opinion is released. But for now, suffice it to say that this is a great day for Americans' civil and constitutional rights.

Thursday's Tastings

Judge frees man accused of killing border patrolman.

Corrupt Mexican soldiers invade a house in Phoenix and end up killing someone.

Bush set to remove sanctions against North Korea. I guess they aren't so evil anymore.

Obama disagrees with the Supreme Court's ruling against the death penalty for child rapists.

Ecuador about to take reciept of Israeli war planes, radar and drones. Hmm, I wonder where Israel got the technology??

Very interesting column from Haaretz on the Christian church's assertion that Jews killed Christ.

Wednesday's Tidbits

Consistent with the Newsweek poll released last week, the LA Times/Bloomerberg poll has Obama with a 15 point lead over McCain.

Meanwhile, Ralph Nader says Obama is "talking white".

The Supreme Court has ruled against the death penalty for child rapists. I can think of other ways to punish these folks that would make the electric chair seem like the easy way out.

Iran issues a warning about its nuclear program.

Senate close to passing housing aid.

What's Wrong with Wheat Bread?

America's first Muslim Congressman was excited about the Obama campaign. He wanted to campaign on his behalf at a local mosque in Iowa during the primaries. However, the Obama campaign wanted to avoid a contreversy and denied the request. Later, Mr. Ellison wanted to provide his assistance in the North Carolina primary. However, the campaign said North Carolina was too conservative. Once again, his request was denied.

This is the second story that has came out recently in regards to the distance the Obama campaign has kept with the Muslim community. After his fierce denials about being a Muslim and then repeatedly deciding against appearing at mosques, while finding time to attend churches and synagogues, some of his Muslim followers have began to feel unwanted.

However, Obama's arms reach strategy is not exclusive to Muslims. The latino community is starting to express the same frustrations. Last week, the LA Times ran an article about the cautious approach the Obama campaign is taking while pursuing the black vote.

I see this as a clear political strategy to avoid alienating any potential white voters. Although he is up by a substantial margin, his campaign is handling his white voting block very fragilely. The indication is that their loyalty is very precarious and can blow up at any time. The only minority he can aggressively pursue without negative political repercussions is the Jewish community.

Some folks wondered why he didn't campaign harder in Philadelphia during the Pennsylvania primary. While in Indiana, he avoided Gary and Lake County. That area contains over 100,000 residents and is more than 90% African American. Many Hoosiers noted that he probably would have won Indiana, and therefore ended the primary sooner if he would have won the county by the margin that he won other heavy African American districts. He lost Indiana by less than 2%.

To be fair, I know that some Muslims have worked directly with the Obama campaign and haven't had negative experiences. I'm also not judging him. He is in the middle of a historic presidential campaign.

To really make history, he needs to win. Keeping it lily white helps him to that end. Everyone else can come out of the shadows after the election.

Importing Mexican Salmonella

This is another unfortunate by-product of NAFTA and the new agreement with Mexico that allows additional Mexican products to make it to the United States.

For a week, we've been hearing that the health agents are searching farms in Florida and in Mexico for the stand of salmonella that has been causing the outbreaks. Now we hear that their agents are concentrated in Mexico.

Similar to the Chinese lead scandel, American consumers are suffering from products produced in foreign countries without the rigorious health and safety standards that would be required if they were produced in domestically.


But, equally consistent with the lead scandel is our government's reluctance to point the finger at a trade ally. Surely, they don't want to anger their sources for the cheap labor they're always obsessed with.

Tuesday's Tastings

Rockets attack Israel from Gaza. Shaky truce now broken.

John Bolton says Israel will attack Iran after the U.S. elections.

Meanwhile, the McCain camp says another terrorist attack on the United States is just what they need to win the election. Anybody up for an October surprise?

The Dutch are preparing for the apocalypse they believe will happen in 2012.

James Dobson says Obama is dragging the Bible through the mud with his distortions. What???

Don Imus is once again suffering from uncontrolable foot in mouth syndrone.

Navy aircraft carrier leaves port a day earlier than scheduled and strands 100 soldiers in China.

Monday's Musings

Another court decides against the Bush administration. This time a federal appeals court ruled against the Pentagon's "enemy combatant" classification of a detainee.

The White House denies Army's newly proposed panel designed to oversee contracting failures in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Who cares about supply and demand as it relates to the price of oil/gas?

McCain offers $300 million to the person who can create efficient battery operated automobile technology. Hey, how about upping the anty closer to the $40Billion we provide the oil companies in subsidies? The inventors will come out of the woodwork.

Meanwhile, Obama has his eyes set on the speculators who have made a fortune by destroying our economy.

From the folks that made Willie Horton a household name, come the next round of race-baiting political ads.

Some believe Bob Barr will play the spoiler role very well in the next election.

Sad Day for Americans and Civil Liberties

Congressional Democrats have struck a deal with the liberty grabbers in the White House that gives immunity to the law-breaking telecom companies that have been tapping phones without any judicial authorization.

This is a sad day for our country. I guess it's okay for some companies to break the law. As long as and deprive citizens of the due-process and freedoms that we put in place by the founders of this great country.

Telecom companies have been doing phone taps for years. The only difference is the lack of evidence and judicial approval. The companies knew they didn't have court permission to tap the phones.

They knew their actions were illegal. They should be held accountable.

*Update* Obama provides his support for this hideous piece of legislation.

Friday's Tidbits

I guess nothing surprises me anymore. Because of last week's historic Supreme Court decision, the Bush administration is seeking to "rewrite" the evidence they have against the detainees.

Another case of over-zealous cops. They waltz into this guy's house at 3am, go upstairs, wake him up to tell him his door is unlocked.

Scott McClellan says that Bush and Cheney wanted him to lie about Libby's role in the CIA leak case.

Fake conservatives are angry at Obama for not taking taxpayer money to fund his campaign. What???

Israel endorses John McCain.

Obama takes a whopping 15-point lead in the Newsweek poll.

Israel Preparing to Attack Iran

As I've been mentioning pretty frequently, the war drums are beating very loudly over there in the Middle East. Israel has been clamoring for an Iranian war recently. They are now doing a war exercise to simulate an Iranian war. The President has also been hinting about the need to attack Iran. However, they haven't been given the cooperation from Congress and the American people that they've been seeking. Regardless of the fact that most Americans do not want another war, we all know that if Israel goes to war, we'll be involved in some capacity.

Russia is warning against an attack on Iran. The Iranians themselves say that their response will be meaningful and significant. Is this really in our interest?

Brace yourselves Americans. We're being led into another war. It will be interesting to see how this will be presented to us. Will this really make us safer and stronger? Surely, this one has more to do with Israel's security than ours.

More Proof that Oil/Gas Prices are Inflated

Okay. For any other industry, for any other product sold and distributed worldwide, this news would mean a significant decline in prices. However, the oil and gas industry is allowed to ignore all tangible facts before them and "speculate" themselves to higher prices and therefore, higher profits. The normal rules of supply and demand do not matter.

Check the news today:

SUPPLY
Saudi Arabia announces it will increase production by 200,000 barrells per day.

DEMAND
Americans drove 4.5 billion miles fewer in April.

Significant amounts of supply is being added to a market with significantly less demand. Again, in any other industry and with any other product; according to basic economic principles, this would cause lower prices.

Don't hold your breath.

Tanker Deal Back in Play

You know, this story has infuriated me since it came out. People wonder what's happening to good American jobs and question why the dollar keeps losing value against foreign currency. Then, we attempt to award a foreign company a $35 billion dollar Air Force contract that may grow up to $100 billion.

Seriously. Are these folks really this stupid? Do they honestly wonder what's happening to our jobs and why the euro is outperforming the dollar when we send $100 billion dollars of U.S. taxpayer money to Europe? Estimates show that if award this contract to a domestic supplier, we could add almost 44 THOUSAND new jobs.

Now, they say that Americans will benefit because some new jobs will be created in the South. But given our current economic conditions, shouldn't we decide to keep these "in house"?

Olbermann's Research into Gas Prices

Thanks to the guys over at Crooks and Liars, I ran across this gem. This is probably the most detailed and comprehensive take on the gas and oil prices that I've seen. It echoes much of what I've said already. However, Keith has been able to provide the gap in why things are much different now than a few years ago.

A powerful lobby, a few pieces of bad legislation and a cooperative administration makes for a "perfect storm" of anti-capitalistic practices and the highest energy prices the world has ever experienced.

Another good point articulated here is that alternative energies will not help us at all until we rid ourselves of the speculators that have selfishly and severely harmed our country's economy. They'll simply "speculate" with the other energies to artificially drive up the price.

War on Terror Update for Thursday

I'd be the first to agree that removing Saddam from power is good for the world. It helps remove a tryrannical dictator and installs democracy. However, we now know that he had no associations with Al-Qaida. But, what he did have was plenty of oil that he wouldn't allow Western countries to access for almost 40 years. We removed that troublesome Saddam, now the oil companies can slime their way back into Iraq. This time they have no-bid contracts. I'm sure that Bush and his oil cronies had nothing to do with this decision. Oil was the last thing on their mind when they went to war with Iraq. Yeah right. Doesn't matter, the oil companies still say there are supply problems. They must raise prices!! They'll rake in more crazy profits. We'll still pay more at the pump.

Two-star Army general accuses the White House of authorizing "systematic and illegal" torture practices in Abu Ghraib. Wonder what he would say about our secret prison ships, or the people that we hid from the Red Cross when they were checking out our conditions. History will not judge this very nicely.

More mis-management of our nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon says that over 1,000 critical nuclear components are missing.

Ahmadinejad says he won the standoff over his nukes. Given the fact that Kim Jun Ill has yet to verify that he stopped his nuclear program, that would make us 1 for 3 against the Axis of Evil. Good stats for baseball. Bad stats for the prevention of nuclear chaos.

Wednesday's Tidbits

Cal Thomas gets on Fox News on portrays Michelle Obama as an "angry black woman". He says all the black women on television today are "angry". I guess he only wants Aunt Jemima types that stick to washing clothes and serving pancakes. According to Cal, if you're black and have a strong personality, you're considered angry. Thankfully, not everyone is buying Cal's worn-out and archaric goods. Michelle Obama holds a 9 point favorability lead over Cindy McCain.

Judge Andrew Napolitano opines on the Supreme Court Gitmo case. He says it's a good day for American law. Wherever the government goes, the Constitution follows. The government cannot switch the Constitution on/off by sending people to Cuba. I agree with the great judge. This IS a fabulous day for our country.

A must see documentary on/about black men in America.

Al Gore proves to be another liberal hypocrite. He demands that we reduce our energy consumption or we'll destroy our planet. Meanwhile, at his house, he cranks up the A/C and leaves his lights on a bit longer.

Another case of police brutality. This time in Memphis. Again, when are we going to demand that our law enforcement officers actually follow the laws they are enforcing?

Livni blasts Olmert. Looks like she is beginning her campaign for the Prime Minister spot.

Medical tests prove abuse and torture happened to detainees in Guantanamo and Iraq.

John Stossel opines against the War on Drugs and factually destroys several myths. Hey, until we make illegal Valium and powder cocaine possession/distribution equal to other drugs, we will always have the discrepancy in arrests and sentencing.

Here Comes the Regulators....Finally!!!!

Okay. After a steady increase of gas and oil prices for over 2 years without relief, the regulators now believe it is the time for them to get involved to protect the American consumer.

"He suspects that something other than supply-and-demand is at play. He wouldn't rule out speculation or manipulation". You think???

This shows how a new administration will immediately drive down prices for consumers. The Bush administration is obviously very friendly with the oil companies and have shown a great reluctance to do anything to prevent them from manipulating oil and gas prices and putting a stranglehold on our economy. I don't have confidence in this guy. He should have acted long ago. Hopefully, the new President's guy will show a more proactive nature when it comes to this.

All you have to do is check the IEA website and look at the numbers. Production is at an all-time high. Supplies are level. Demand is normal. However they are "speculating" that demand will be much higher 20 years from now. They're making us pay for that today and are keeping the difference. Hence the record profits.

You hear all of the pundits demand to drill in ANWR and off the coast of Florida. Hey, that would be fine if the oil industry followed the rules of supply and demand. Increased supply won't help if they still "speculate" us to higher prices. The Saudi's say they'll increase production to the highest point ever. Speculators still raise the price. Always a reason to go up. Never a reason to go down.

Let's run the speculators out of town and we can regain control of our country's economy. However, we'll need new leadership that actually cares in order to make this happen.

So Much for Obama's Problem with "Hard Working Americans"

According to recent polls, Obama holds a lead in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. All of these are battleground states that are very important to winning the presidency. Hillary supporters and Republican race-baiters have said for months that Obama has a problem with white, working class voters. Of course, this is garbage. He has won several states with very small African-American populations during the primaries. These were simple fear tactics used to divide our country.

Same goes with the Latino vote. Obama is up by more than 35 points on McCain!!! That runs very contrary to the myth that Latinos will not vote for black candidates. The guy's message of positive change resonates across the board.

Israel and Hamas Announce Truce!!!!

This is historic. The rumors that have been floating about Israel and Hamas announcing a truce has been confirmed. Effective tomorrow, a cease fire will be put in place. Hopefully this will lead to daily peace for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Israel has already successfully negotiated peace with Jordan and Egypt. They are also offering olive branches to Lebanon. Even Syria is optimistic that a peace agreement with Israel can be made.

This is a momentous occassion and very long overdue. Of course, there will be people on both sides who will be opposed to peace at whatever cost. Some people are simple too invested in the pain of others. Hopefully, the people of peace can be kept at bay until a more solid plan is put in place.

I pray that the people of Israel and Palestine will be patient and diligent enough to work through the difficult times and allow the process to work.

Bigots Coming out of the Woodwork

Yes, we have came far in this country. I can go all day on the mounds of evidence that proves the fact that today's blacks are much better off than their parents. Although there is still work to be done as far as our drug laws and sentencing, systematic and institutional racism has been severely diminished. You can look around almost any industry and find blacks who are leaders and/or significant contributors.

However when it comes to being President, the bigots cannot tolerate it. This is too much for them to handle. First, his campaign was completely dismissed. Then, he was labled as being farther to the left than Mao. When that didn't work, they stop pretending and begin other well known tactics. No way they'll tolerate a black guy being President. Like Michael Richards said, "50 years ago, we'd have you upside down"!!!! A few other notable political pundits and politicians have joked about Obama being assassinated.

Later, you begin to see the emergence of code language. Pat Buchanan calls Obama "exotic". Rush Limbaugh enjoys Obama comparisons to Curious George (I laughed at the joke without realizing Curious George was a monkey!). Dolls, t-shirts and other items with Obama dressing like a monkey are being sold across the country.

Now, some folks in Texas have cut to the chase and publicly denounced the idea of a black guy being President. President of the NAACP okay. President of the United States, HELL NO!! I guess they would prefer if we kept our ambitions to an acceptable minimum.

This is another reason why I support the candidacy of Barack Obama. Although we differ on the size and role of government, this moment in history is too important. Our children's hopes and dreams shouldn't be limited by racist bigots who only want to see blacks in subservient positions. An efficient and successful Obama presidency would set a great example across the country. Black youth will have visual and physical confirmation that they can accomplish anything they want in this country. Skeptical whites will realize that their fear of black leadership is unsubstantiated.

Monday's Tidbits

Seven years and a trillion dollars into the War on Terror, we now turn our attention to capturing Osama bin Laden. Afghanistan is now saying they'll challenge Taliban fighters that cross into Pakistan. More on this later.

The Saudi's announce that they will pump more oil than ever before. You would think that this announcement would reduce the price of oil. Now watch as the oil companies make every attempt to keep the gas prices high. Guess, I spoke too soon. Oil is now at an all-time high. I guess they'll never use supply and demand as a market indicator. Meanwhile, electric bills are expected to increase by 28% by the end of the summer.

Black conservatives are gravitating towards Obama's historic campaign. Guys like J.C. Watts and Armstrong Williams feel the same way that I do. This campaign is much too important to end up on the wrong side or to campaign against. Heck, they're all liberals anyway.

The "road-map" to peace backed by the United States calls for no additional settlements in Palestinian territories. Condi Rice is saying that Israel's new settlements in the West Bank isn't helping the peace process. You don't say. Israel yawns and decides to build 2500+ additional homes. Guess the people that are already there don't matter much.

Tim Russert Dies

Our country took a loss today. One of the best journalists in the business had a heart attack and died today. My prayers go out to the Russert family. Clearly, he was a class act.

Sunday mornings will never be the same. God bless you Tim.

Friday's Tidbits

Contrary to what's been circulated amongst Republicans, China is NOT drilling off the coast of Cuba.

One of the best columns you'll read about Republicans and the way they deal with the Obama candidacy. According to Frank Schaeffer, history will not remember them fondly.

Prayers go out to the folks in Iowa who are suffering from major flooding.

Defendant in death penalty case is upset to find out that the judge and prosecutor were sleeping together.

How long until this becomes required for Americans? "Re-education"? Wow. I guess the government thinks that since they're paying for it, they can boss you around.

R. Kelley acquitted of all 14 charges levied against him.

Suicide bomber blows himself up at a prison in Kandahar. All 800 prisoners escaped including all Taliban and Al-Qaida fighters that were being held there.

Taken out by a Stop Sign

I was parked near one of these cars today. I gotta tell you. I'd rather spend another $30 to fill up my tank and get to know the guys at the gas station than own one of these cars. Who wants a car that you can bench press or get toppled by a pair of middle school cheerleaders?

What happens if you hit a tree or a stop sign? Hitting something like a fire hydrant will probably send you through the windshield. If you get hit by a truck, you're done.

These cars aren't the answer to our gas woes. We need new technology, not just microscopic versions of what we already have.

These European cars simply aren't practical over here. Things are bigger. The streets are bigger. Other automobiles are bigger. Our infrastructure just isn't compatible.

No thanks.