Thursday, March 31, 2005
Hindsight
Can we review, please? I want to make some connections here....connections that are important to understand what happened in the Schiavo case.
Please, click below…
Junk mail
American Express has discovered a new potential customer - one full of ideas and wants that only by signing up for their new Business Platinum Card ("with the low, low 0% APR introductory rate") can they be fulfilled. The letter arrived in my mailbox earlier today, and I’m seriously tempted to sign that customer up.
No, it wasn’t addressed to my dog (as has been reported in other instances in other locations). It wasn’t addressed to the previous resident. Nothing like that.
It was addressed to my car. 
It even offers 5% Cash back. 
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Brace Yourself
Back in September I said:
Lord, don’t let Jeff Goldstein ever get mad at me.
Now it seems some poor schmuck is about to get unloaded on by Mr. Goldstein.
Going to be a long couple of months for Mr. Hundred-Percenter.
Preemptive death
It’s good to know that CBS is still in the business of jumping the gun.
A draft of CBSNews.com’s obituary for Terri Schiavo mistakenly appeared on the Internet for a few hours, a network official said Wednesday.
The incomplete story did not appear on the network’s Web site, but it could be found by an Internet search engine because it was inadvertently saved in an online file, said CBSNews.com news director Mike Sims.
Sims said the draft was saved late Monday and removed a few hours later, after the error was identified early Tuesday. “It should have been saved off-line. We certainly do feel badly about that,” Sims said.
There’s no doubt that Schiavo is hanging on by a thin thread at this moment in time, and there’s also no doubt that news agencies across the nation are preparing obituaries as we speak. But only CBS News could do such a good job of embarrassing themselves in this manner.
Hero Honored
OIF has it’s first Medal of Honor Winner, SFC Paul R. Smith:
Sergeant Smith, 33, was a combat engineer in the Third Infantry Division that swept up from Kuwait on the march to Baghdad. His unit, B Company of the 11th Engineer Battalion, was attached to Second Battalion, Seventh Infantry, and had seized its part of the Baghdad airport on the evening of April 3, 2003.
The next morning, Sergeant Smith and about 15 other soldiers were building a holding pen for prisoners in a compound on the north side of the highway into the airport, on the battalion’s flank, when the compound came under attack by some 100 Iraqi soldiers.
“He told me, ‘We’re in a world of hurt,’ “ Staff Sgt. Kevin W. Yetter said in an interview with The New York Times several weeks after the battle. “Yeah, I guess we were in a world of hurt.”
According to a draft of the medal citation and the company’s soldiers, Sergeant Smith organized the engineers’ defense, calling in support from a Bradley fighting vehicle. Under a barrage of mortar fire, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire, he hurled a grenade over the compound’s wall and blasted an antitank missile at a guard tower.
Still, Iraqi soldiers held the tower and kept firing into the compound.
“We were pinned down,” First Sgt. Tim Campbell told The Providence Journal, which had a reporter traveling with troops at the airport. “They had this planned. They found the lightest defended area and attacked.”
A mortar round hit an armored engineering vehicle known as an M-113. Sergeant Yetter was inside it. The blast momentarily blinded him. It also seriously wounded Sgt. Louis D. Berwald, the gunner on top, and another soldier. Sergeant Smith helped evacuate the three to an aid station, which was suddenly imperiled by the mounting attack.
Faced with pulling back to a safer position or holding fast, Sergeant Smith took over Sergeant Berwald’s .50-caliber gun, firing and reloading before he was shot in the neck.
“If they’d gotten by, there probably would have been dozens of deaths,” Lt. Col. Scott Rutter, the retired commander of the Second Battalion, said in a telephone interview.
One man held off one hundred and saved dozen of lives. Giving his own life in the process.
To echo Smash, “Thank you seems so inadequate.”
More on SFC Smith here:
There are two ways to come home, stepping off the plane and being carried off the plane. It doesn’t matter how I come home because I am prepared to give all that I am to ensure that all my boys make it home.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.” General George S. Patton
Semper Fi and God Bless to Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith.
Hollywood has run out of ideas - part 376,459
Actually, maybe I should say Television City has run out of ideas.
Didn’t they already make a movie?
I am not Catholic
But I respect the Pope, if only for all of the effort he put in to battling Soviet-style Communism during his tenure.
Unfortunately, I think his time is growing short.
VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II is getting nutrition from a tube in his nose, the Vatican said Wednesday, shortly after the frail pontiff appeared at his window in St. Peter’s Square and managed only a rasp when he tried to speak
(Spare me the Schiavo/John Paul II comparisons, please, because they are only alike in one respect - the feeding tube. One wants it, the other doesn’t. One is mentally acute, the other isn’t. So let it go.)
I know I speak for my co-bloggers when I wish the Pope a speedy recovery. However, my opinion is that the Church will be electing a new Pontiff before Christmas.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Look here….friends…
I’ve said all along that there are two main groups that consider themselves Republicans...the RR’s and the RC’s (or, to make it longer, the Religious Republicans and the Rational Conservatives).
RR’s are not necessarily conservative, folks. They aren’t as spending-happy as the pro-socialist liberals that exist in the Democratic Party, but they aren’t necessarily motivated to lower the debt. They have no problem with the government legislating morality, or funding programs that spread Christianity. They voted for President Bush because he trends towards that thought process as well. He isn’t there 100%, but an honest look shows that the guy, though more fiscally conservative than what he is given credit for, is not thrifty with our money.
That being said, he got the Rational Conservative vote because of the alternative (John Kerry, who would have been a nightmare of taxing and spending), and because there is no viable alternative.
If Terri Schiavo is doing anything, it is showing the differences within the tent of the Republican Party. And, it gives us pause to think about a couple truths:
A Schiavo-free Round The Reader
Nothing about Terry today, so if you want the latest, I’d suggest you look elsewhere…
To start off, Lee points out that racism is officially dead. (I’m equally certain that you won’t hear anything about this from Je$$e Jack$on. Or Al Sharpton. Or Kwase Mfume. Or Sheila Jackson-Lee. Or Maxine Waters, or any of the rest of those race-baiters and extortionists, for that matter.)
Speaking of Lee, one of his more common recent topics has been Evolution vs. Creation. Well, Bill from INDC points us to a well-deserved devertebrization by The Commissar. ("Devertebrization"? Is that even a word? I dunno, it just sounds more impressive than “ripping someone’s spine out”.)
John Hawkins puts out his Quarterly List of his Favorite Bloggers. I hope to make the cut one decade…
Jeff Goldstein points out why we haven’t caught Osama yet, and it has nothing to do with the policy, or because we were too involved in Iraq, it was because of one split-tail who single-handedly blocked our efforts by not letting the information get into the field. It took direct intervention by Bush to counteract her perfidy, and I hope she spends time in jail.
Captain Ed reports that the Red Lake school shooter (who killed his grandparents, went to the school and killed seven others, then took his own life) may have had an accomplice - the son of the Tribal Chief.
Mean Mr. Mustard points out that we should be helping more nations across the nuclear threshold. I wonder how the Norks would feel if Japan, South Korea, Australia and Taiwan were all nuclear powers. I wonder how China would feel.
James Joyner at Outside the Beltway relates an unwelcome bit of information. Does anyone else think that the EU would try to use the ICC to punish popular blogs for (say) calling Frenchmen “smelly” or that Chirac is the biggest crook in international politics since Nixon?
Finally, McGehee tells us the World’s Shortest Joke and points at the runner-up.
Go have a great Tuesday!
Monday, March 28, 2005
Matricula Consular
Despite the fact that everyone has made me aware of the fact that Drumwaster’s paychecks have more bounce than a lowrider in South Central, I’m here to stay, and I have a few things on my mind that will more than likely take a decade or two to solve. I can’t think of a better place to air those opinions, and I thank you for the hearty welcome.
One of the greatest things about living in Los Angeles is that I get to spend an extra half of an hour in traffic, due to the fact that an illegal alien who jammed across the border fronting his Matricula Consular card got into an accident and blocked three lanes out of four. For those of you who are lucky enough to live in a state that doesn’t have a raging illegal immigration problem, the Matricula Consular card is a cheesy bureaucratic identification card that allows Mexicans to cross the border whenever they want, and claim to be arriving “on business.” More often than not, these illegals get into crashes with other drivers, which result in their car sitting in the middle of the freeway because the illegal high-tailed it to his cousins house down the street to prevent any deportation actions that might be taken against him because he’s driving without a California license, or insurance.
But he doesn’t have to worry about that. In fact, there’s a good chance that the illegal immigrant who got in the crash is here to stay, even if he’s cited for causing the accident. Special Order 40 does a wonderful job of protecting illegals within the borders of Los Angeles.
Special Order 40, which originated 17 years ago with the L.A. City Council, mandates that police not question anyone they arrest about their immigration status until after criminal charges have been made. This mandate not only doesn’t make sense, it is a virtual invitation for illegal alien criminals to come to Los Angeles. While a police officer may do a complete “make” on suspects stopped for minor traffic infractions, incredibly, they are not allowed by LAPD policy to inquire on the legal residency status of suspected felons.
The fact of the matter is that illegal immigrants are given the same rights, if not more, than law-abiding citizens, and newly welcomed citizens of this country, because of the bureaucratic mess created by Washington insiders who put profit and favors before the safety of the people. In fact, in a move that showed exactly how lax the relationship between Washington and Mexico was, Vicente Fox questioned the actions of the Minuteman Project, threatening to take legal action against the group.
“We totally reject the idea of these migrant-hunting groups,” Fox said. “We will use the law, international law and even U.S. law to make sure that these types of groups, which are a minority . . . will not have any opportunity to progress.”
Still, the policy makers refuse to take any stance on illegal immigration, as it has proven to be profitable for them in more ways than one. Retail giant Wal-Mart was recently fined by the Department of Justice to the tune of $11 million bucks for hiring and contracting illegal workers. In the grand scheme of things, $11 million dollars to a company who holds close to $34 billion in net tangible assets is really just a drop in the bucket, and could easily be considered the cost of running a business. In fact, cynics will be quick to point out that $11 million dollars, versus $20 million in workers comp and various lawsuits, not including labor, is a great deal. The fine by the DOJ had CFO’s and accountants punching numbers into their calculators, figuring out what kind of deal they could strike if they order another five-hundred or so illegals and work them until the ICE agents come knocking.
This still doesn’t answer our question about whether or not our government will start to control our borders, and if the Minuteman Project will be tried by twelve in a Federal courtroom. In fact, a jury trial might be the least of their problems, as the infamous MSx13 gang has their eyes set on the Minutemen.
Members of a violent Central America-based gang have been sent to Arizona to target Minuteman Project volunteers, who will begin a month long border vigil this weekend to find and report foreigner sneaking into the United States, project officials say.
What remains to be seen now is whether or not Washington will stand up to Fox and MSx13. Both of them want to see the Minutemen die a fiery death, and both of them are fighting for the same cause, which is to push as many people through the border as possible, purely for monetary gain.
Coming Home
Army deserter, Jeremy Hinzman, has been denied asylum in Canada:
In a written ruling released Thursday, the Immigration and Refugee Board said Jeremy Hinzman had not made a convincing argument that he faced persecution in the United States.
...As a deserter, Hinzman faces court martial if he returns to the United States and a potential five-year jail term.
A federal government lawyer said U.S. military deserters are normally sentenced to one year, but Hinzman said he would be treated more harshly because of his views on the Iraq war.
Uh, yeah. Sorry Hinzman, but your personal opinion on whether you would treated more harshly because you opposed the Iraq War really hold no weight in a court that deals solely with facts.
In any event, he said previously, having to serve even one day in prison would be too long because he was being prosecuted for acting on a political belief and for refusing to comply with an illegal order.
Did Hinzman all of the sudden develop a case of the stupids? He was able to understand his oath of enlistment when he served in Afghanistan as a member of the 82nd Airborne. And all of the sudden he forgets said oath when he is ordered to another combat theater. Combat is ugly. Warfare is dangerous. However, that is whole part and parcel of being a solider, sailor, airman, or Marine. Don’t like that reality, don’t enlist. No one held a gun to your head, Hinzman, you coward. (Via Smash)
This Is Just Stupid
Despite what some people may think, I’m not an evangelical, indeed I would be hard pressed to actually come up any coherent description of just what I am when it comes to religion. Want a reason as to why I don’t embrace an evangelical philosophy? Here’s one:
An increasing number of pharmacists around the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth-control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs.
[...]
“This is a very big issue that’s just beginning to surface,” said Steven Aden of the Christian Legal Society’s Center for Law and Religious Freedom in Annandale, Va., which defends pharmacists.
“More and more pharmacists are becoming aware of their right to conscientiously refuse to pass objectionable medications across the counter. We are on the very front edge of a wave that’s going to break not too far down the line.”
And here’s a small lesson in Economics 101. When you refuse to dispense a drug that is legal to patients who have obtained a prescription legally, then those patients are going to get their prescriptions filled elsewhere, thus affecting your company’s bottom line. Taking a moral stand is fine, but taking a moral stand will not put food on the family table. Also, if these phramacists work for one of the big chains, such as Walgreens, they could find themselves out of work.
This next graf just p*sses me off:
“There are even cases of pharmacists holding prescriptions hostage, where they won’t even transfer it to another pharmacy when time is of the essence.”
And there’s the dreaded “forcing morality down someone else’s throat”. Look, don’t want to fill the prescription, fine, don’t. But do not even make the attempt to hold a prescription hostage because you view the patient’s choices as immoral, that is way beyond the pale.
Personal ancedote time, back when my wife was undergoing her ordeal with cancer she was on a figurative ton of pain medications (from Morphine pills, to a morphine suspension, to Demerol, to those patches—whose name actually escapes me at this point) and if she had one of those pharmacists who happened to believe pain brings you closer to God, and said pharamacist refused to fill her prescription then said phramacist would have been in need of some pain medication themselves. (Via ASV)
Yeah, I’m Bored. What’s Your Point?
Which Incredibles Character Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Welcome aboard, Helo!
We have a new Author joining us to take Steve’s position (although no one could ever take your place, Steve!), going by the ‘nym “Helo”.
He was looking for an outlet to vent and I read a bit of his stuff, and thought he would fit in nicely here at the Rant.
So everyone wish him a hearty Welcome Aboard, and try not to scare him off too soon. Okay?
Update: His e-mail address is helo(at)drumwaster(dot)com.
My Two Cents
Over the past week and half I have been hounded by my students with regards to the situation surrounding Terry Schiavo. Some of my more right leaning students (I do have a few, I live in Northern Colorado afterall) view my position (which I will get to in a moment) as morally repugnant. Some of my left leaning students (I have a few of those as well, this is, after all, a university setting we are talking about here) almost champion my position.
For those of you who can’t guess what my position is well here it is:
It’s over, let her go for God’s sake
My one overriding concern during this circus (and it is/was a circus) is that the law, as written, was followed. And I have not seen nor heard anything that would indicate to me that the law was not followed. Judge Greer did, in my opinion, a yeoman’s job in making sure that the law was correctly interpreted in this case, the applicable law in this case being the one John outlined in his excellent first post about this subject.
Does that change my opinion about what is happening to Terry as being morally repugnant? No.
But you know what they say about opinions…