Configure One has a software product called CONCEPT™. This software is specifically for manufacturing businesses that produce customized products for customers. This sort of software package is called a product configurator, and is every bit as critical to such businesses as one might imagine.

What types of businesses would need this online configurator software, and why would they really need it? Well, how about because it will help decrease costs and increase revenues because it helps to decrease errors, reduce processing time for transactions, and more. You can even check out the online demo if you would like to understand it better and see all of the great features of this software.

Posted by: Greg at 07:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 114 words, total size 1 kb.

An interesting cloning dilemma.

A scientist has achieved a world first... by cloning himself.

In a breakthrough certain to provoke an ethical furore, Samuel Wood created embryo copies of himself by placing his skin cells in a woman's egg.

The embryos were the first to be made from cells taken from adult humans.

Although they survived for only five days and were smaller than a pinhead, they are seen as a milestone in the quest for treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

But critics fear the technology could be exploited by mavericks to clone babies and accused the scientists of reducing the miracle of human life to a factory of spare parts.

Researchers from the Californian stem cell research company Stemagen employed the same technique used to make Dolly the sheep, the world's first cloned mammal, to create the embryos.

They took eggs donated by young women having IVF and replaced genetic material with DNA from the skin cells of two men.

Needless to say, this is a storm of controversy. It has been only a matter of time before we went from the cloning of embryonic cells to this cloning of adults – even though this particular experiment was terminated at 5 days.

What questions need to be dealt with?

1) Is it proper to clone human beings at all?
2) What rights do cloned individuals have?
3) At what point do cloned individuals acquire rights?

I don't propose to have all the answers to these questions – just the questions themselves. But it appears answers are needed sooner rather than later.

Posted by: Greg at 12:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 273 words, total size 2 kb.

Casino workers get to participate in the Nevada Caucuses after all.

A union with ties to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton failed in court Thursday to block the state party's plans to hold caucuses at special precincts inside casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge James Mahan was presumed to be a boost for rival Barack Obama in Saturdays Democratic presidential caucuses because he has been endorsed by the union representing many of the shift workers who will be able to use the precincts.

''State Democrats have a First Amendment right to association, to assemble and to set their own rules,'' Mahan said.

Nevada's Democratic Party approved creation of the precincts to make it easier for housekeepers, waitresses and bellhops to caucus during the day near work rather than have to do so in their neighborhoods.

The state teachers union, which has ties to Clinton, brought the lawsuit against the special precincts after local 226 of the Culinary Workers Union endorsed Obama for the Democratic nomination. The union is the largest in Nevada, with 60,000 members. The Clinton campaign said it was not involved in the suit.

The Clinton camp had no problem with the rules until the largest union of casino worker endorsed Barack Obama. Then they quickly went to work to try to shut out that union's members. So much for letting every vote count.

Fortunatley a judge put an end to that strategy.

Posted by: Greg at 11:15 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
Post contains 248 words, total size 2 kb.

Are you looking for valentines gift ideas so that you can make your loved one happy with just the right gift? Well, 1800Flowers.com has some beautiful flowers for valentines that would thrill almost any woman if they came from the special man in her life. Not only that, they have chocolates, stuffed animals, and other accessories that go with some of those flowers! Now my wife doesn’t necessarily like the classic bouquet of red roses, but she does have great taste in flowers, so when I buy them for her they need to be just right. And since I used to work in a gift shop with a florist many years ago, I learned to be picky about the flowers I buy. That’s why I always use 1800Flowers.com – because I know that the flowers will be right or will be made right. Last year I bought my mother a pair of live miniature rose bushes for her birthday – and one drooped over and wilted within two days. One five minute call to the customer service number resulted in new flowers being dispatched to mom within 24 hours AND a credit to my account. You don’t find service like that very often these days.

Want an example of some of the beautiful flowers available for the one you love? Try this unusual bouquet – Passion for Purple.

Isn't it just beautiful? You'll certainly find just the right flowers for your sweetheart at 1800flowers.com!

Posted by: Greg at 11:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 248 words, total size 2 kb.

But personally, I think that the divisions in the Congressional Black Caucus over the endorsements of members in the race for the Democrat presidential nomination isn't a bad thing.

Even though Barack Obama may become the first African-American ever to represent a major party as the nominee for president, many black lawmakers on Capitol Hill are not supporting him. And thatÂ’s creating tensions within the Congressional Black Caucus.

More than a third of the black members of Congress are backing Hillary Rodham Clinton or John Edwards in the presidential primary, a stance that puts them at odds with many of their African-American constituents, who, recent polls show, are beginning to shift to ObamaÂ’s camp.

The Clinton supporters — among them, civil rights pioneer Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) — have said their endorsements didn’t hinge on race. Instead, they cited long-standing relationships with the Clintons, a respect for Hillary Clinton’s experience in national politics and, for some, geographical alliances with her in New York.

But now that Obama has won the Iowa caucuses and appears poised to do well in other early-primary states, some African-American lawmakers are pointing to the Clinton backers and calling them political opportunists who did not believe in the electability of a black candidate.

Why do I see this sort of split as positive? Not because of its potential to help Republicans. Instead, I think it is a positive thing that we are not seeing "black leaders" and (by extension) "the black community" thinking and speaking and acting in unison. African-Americans are rational thinkers with diverse points of views -- they can, should, and ought to differ among themselves on who they support for the presidency. There is no reason that they ought to vote in lock-step for Barack Obama, or for any other candidate for office. I'm hopeful that this may herald the end of skin-tone based politics and lead to a flowering of true political debate and diversity of political behavior among African-Americans -- because I believe that will result in policies better for African-Americans and all Americans rather than seeing the black vote be the monolithic property of one wing of one party.

Posted by: Greg at 11:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 377 words, total size 2 kb.

Are you a business owner? Do you need help managing assets and seeking credit to meet your company’s needs? Well, that is where the Northern Trust may be right for you. Their banking and asset management services are well known and widely respected, and their customized financing programs will help you find just the right combination of loans and credit services to help you succeed in business. Indeed, for nearly twelve decades, the Northern Trust has been about one thing – managing and administrating clients' assets. Sound interesting to you? Then visit their website at NorthernTrust.com and find out about their available services and how you can put them to work to your best advantage.

Posted by: Greg at 11:09 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 119 words, total size 1 kb.

Just a reminder -- the Mexican government not only has an official policy to violate our nation's border and sovereignty, it also has a policy in place to protect those who commit murders in the United States.

A methamphetamine dealer who gunned down a deputy during a traffic stop in Southern California. A man in Arizona who killed his ex-girlfriend's parents and brother and snatched his children. A man who suffocated his baby daughter and left her body in a toolbag on an expressway overpass near Chicago.

Ordinarily, these would be death penalty cases. But these men fled to Mexico, thereby escaping the possibility of execution.

The reason: Mexico refuses to send anyone back to the United States unless the U.S. gives assurances it won't seek the death penalty a 30-year-old policy that rankles some American prosecutors and enrages victims' families.

I've been aware of this for years. A colleagues daughter was murdered some years ago in a drive-by shooting by a couple of "undocumented immigrants" out committing the homicides Americans won't commit. The two gang-banging scumbags flitted south to Mexico, where they have escaped justice for years. And not only did the Mexican government insist the death penalty come off the table, they also demanded an upper limit on the prison sentence in advance -- and let the one guy they caught walk free after the prosecutor and family balked.

Mexico, you see, doesn't care about dead Americans -- or any other consequence of its policy of encouraging Mexican nationals to break American immigration law.

Posted by: Greg at 11:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 262 words, total size 2 kb.

Sometimes, people try to deny that they are in trouble. Denial simply lets them pretend that the problem will go away. But admitting that one has a problem is the first step to recovery. The reality is that people need to accept their faults before they can move to the next step, correcting them. That is true of addiction. That s true of financial problems.

People in the latter situation have the option to go to Credit Counseling. Credit counseling can help you to take care of your debt. They may assist you in speaking to your creditors to get your debts reduced, interest rates changed, or your debts wiped out., depending upon your personal situation.
If you are in trouble financially, and are ready to get out of debt - itÂ’s time to act. Call or email to get Credit Counseling, while you still can.

Posted by: Greg at 10:58 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 150 words, total size 1 kb.

Nothing like focusing on a non-issue in the area's hottest congressional campaign.

The brochure that U.S. House candidate and former Sugar Land mayor Dean Hrbacek mailed to voters this week says, "Dean's record speaks for itself."

But his physique does not. In a photo next to the words of praise, Hrbacek's body is spoken for by the torso of an appreciably slimmer man.

The picture, presented as a true image of the candidate, is actually a computerized composite of Hrbacek's face and someone else's figure, in suit and tie, from neck to knee caps. The give-away is a flawed fit of head and collar.

Hrbacek, a tax lawyer and accountant, did not return calls about the campaign literature Thursday. He is among 10 Republicans seeking the nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford.

But campaign manager Scott Broschart admitted the image is a fake.

Hrbacek has been so busy meeting voters in the 22nd Congressional District that he had no time for a photo session that would have produced a full-length, genuine photo for the political mailing, Broschart said.

I've met Dean Hrbacek. He's a nice guy, and he'd likely be my candidate for Congress in CD22 if Shelley Sekula Gibbs were not in the contest. He has been working hard to get the nomination, meeting with individuals and groups in an effort to win the nomination. Indeed, this can be said about most of the candidates in the races for CD22.

So what does the Chronicle focus on? A photo in which the Hrbacek campaign used a body double. As a voter in CD22, I think we deserve better.

Come on, Houston Chronicle!

UPDATE: Click here for a later post on this subject.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Outside the Beltway, 123beta, Right Truth, Stix Blog, Shadowscope, The Amboy Times, Leaning Straight Up, Big Dog's Weblog, Conservative Cat, Adeline and Hazel, Diary of the Mad Pigeon, third world county, InvestorBlogger dot com, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Blue Star Chronicles, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, Right Voices, and OTB Sports, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 10:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 368 words, total size 4 kb.

That day is coming soon. You know, the one with all the hearts, flowers, and the chubby guy in the diaper with a bow and arrow. Yep, that would be ValentineÂ’s day. And you need to get that special someone a ValentineÂ’s Day gift that will knock his/her socks off. And CouponChief.com can help!

At Coupon Chief, you can find all sorts of great savings on gifts for your special someone. Around our house that means that I will need to find some Christmas goodies for my darling wife. For example, there seem to be some great jewelry deals at Limoges Jewelry. And baby, if you are reading this, check out the coupons for clothes for me. It is your chance to spruce up my wardrobe.

Posted by: Greg at 06:58 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 130 words, total size 1 kb.

Sometimes I wonder about Packers fans.

This guy was just careless.

A little housecleaning nearly cost the Rev. Walter Hermanns a seat at Sunday's National Football Conference championship game.

Hermanns, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, was getting some help from a friend last Friday when he asked him to take care of a stack of papers left in a bin for shredding.

When his friend got to four Green Bay Packers tickets bundled together with a rubber band, he took off the band, put one in the shredder and then stopped short.

"Something rang a bell and he said, 'Are you sure you want to shred these?'" Hermanns said.

Fortunately, Hermanns was treated well by the Packers organization, and his ticket was replaced when he provided the shredded pieces and other evidence of purchase.

On the other hand, this guy deserves no mercy whatsoever.

Upset that his 7-year-old son wouldn't wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team's playoff victory Saturday, a man restrained the boy for an hour with tape and taped the jersey onto him.

Mathew Kowald was cited for disorderly conduct in connection with the incident with his son at their home in Pardeeville, Lt. Wayne Smith of the Columbia County Sheriff's Department said. Pardeeville is about 30 miles north of Madison.

The 36-year-old Kowald was arrested Monday after his wife told authorities about the incident. Kowald was taken to the county jail and held until Wednesday, when he pleaded no contest, paid a fine of $186 and was released.

Kowald's wife filed a restraining order Wednesday, so Kowald will not be able to have contact with his family, Smith said. Smith said other domestic issues have surfaced, though he wouldn't elaborate.

I'm somewhat taken aback that all this guy got was a fine. What the hell was he thinking – or was he thinking at all?

Which is just my way of saying:

Go Eli! Go Giants! Beat the Packers!

Posted by: Greg at 02:01 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 334 words, total size 2 kb.

We already knew what a statist little bastard Dennis Kucinich really is. After all, he tried to use the courts to override the First Amendment right of a news organization to determine who it would permit on stage during a debate it was sponsoring.

Now we see that he is out to silence political opponents, too, for engaging in a classic form of left-wing political theater.

Congressman and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinch asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to investigate one of his Democratic congressional opponents, Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman.

Kucinich, who frequently speaks out against government intrusion, initiated the investigation after Cimperman, a Cleveland councilman, delivered a "missing" poster to his Lakewood congressional office on Jan. 3, according to Cimperman.

Cimperman, who was mocking Kucinich for being on the road campaigning for president, spent less than 30 seconds in the office while a campaign worker filmed him dropping off the poster. A federal agent told Cimperman Tuesday during an in-person interview that the use of the video camera inside the government office was at issue. Cimperman said the agent spent about 10 minutes with him.

Yep -- that is what Dennis Kucinich considers to be a threat to Homeland Security.

Let's assume, just for a moment, that Cimperman was in technical violation of some law or regulation. It would be clear that measure in question would be designed to deal with a terrorist threat, not political by a public official or candidate. And I'm sure that there would have been no report to the Department of Homeland Security had one of the local news channels shown up. So there is clearly an intent to silence another candidate who was highlighting the failure of an incumbent to do his job and represent his district.

Fringe-Left Democrats told me if I voted for George W. Bush that Homeland Security goons would be investigating those who criticize government officials as potential terrorists. Indeed, one critic even said the following:

"History tells us that unchecked police powers with little or no oversight will be abused and the citizens will be harmed," he said. "I am for police function that protects citizens of this great nation, not a police function that is used to terrorize them."

Thank you, Dennis Kucinich, for making your own prophecy come true.

H/T Michelle Malkin

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, Woman Honor Thyself, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, Shadowscope, Pirate's Cove, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Big Dog's Weblog, Dumb Ox Daily News, Conservative Cat, Adeline and Hazel, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 01:58 PM | Comments (180) | Add Comment
Post contains 464 words, total size 5 kb.

If you are searching for a job right now, retail jobs might be the right direction for your needs. It doesnÂ’t matter if youÂ’re a student, a working mom, have a full-time job or are raising a family -- part-time jobs in retail may be the best fit for you if you need a little financial pick-me-up. I know that many of my students are looking for a new job, and retail jobs are a good fit for them since they just want a part-time job. And given the wide variety of types of retail stores out there, job seekers who are considering careers in retailing have a really wide range of choices when it comes to the type of store to work in and the types of jobs they want.

If you or someone you know are looking for jobs in retail in the UK, check out www.retailoptions.co.uk to see what options are out there. It is an online job search board focused exclusively on retail jobsof all sorts, including management, hourly and part time positions with some of the UK’s top retailers. They are a service that benefits both the employers and job seekers. Check it out – they have the perfect job just waiting for you!

Posted by: Greg at 11:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 213 words, total size 1 kb.

Stupid is as stupid does -- and stupid really did this time!

Rudy Villanueva and Tony Logan, alleged members of a Miami-Dade County street gang called the Bird Road Boys, were seen in the video brandishing a shotgun, assault rifle and handguns. Villanueva was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement late Tuesday evening, and Logan was arrested early Wednesday morning.

Villanueva, who goes by the names King Bird Road and Bird Road Rudy, is the alleged leader of the gang and is seen on the video saying, "Metro Dade Gang Unit, here I am baby." Villanueva went on in the video to say "we's out here fighting a Cold War" and that "they come at us if they want to."

Logan appears in the video saying "come get it" while flashing gang signs and pulling the triggers of the two handguns he is holding.

The Fifth Amendment gives you the right to remain silent in order not to incriminate yourself. It strikes me that these fools should have acted accordingly. But fortunately, they were too stupid to do so -- and so the community will likely be a safer place.

Posted by: Greg at 11:23 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 200 words, total size 1 kb.

My wife enjoys reading magazines. Frankly, I am amazed sometimes by the number of magazines she subscribes to -- whether personally, through gifts from friends or through promotional offers for magazines. She looks forward to getting them and reading them, and always tries to search out the best prices on the ones she subscribes to.

Magforless.com offers magazine subscriptions at very low prices. They can help you save money on a wide selection of magazines including top sellers such as Maxim, Living, Ellem , US Weekly, ESPN the Magazine, Readers Digest, Rolling Stone and so many more. As her subscriptions come up for renewal, IÂ’ll have to direct her their way.

Posted by: Greg at 11:20 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 113 words, total size 1 kb.

I've tried making that point before. A law or practice can be bad without it running afoul of the Constitution. The solution to a problem may not be the courts -- it is the legislature, or a private individual, company, or organization.

That's why the US Supreme Court ruled as it did.

If it's possible for Supreme Court justices to uphold a law while holding their noses, that's what happened yesterday when the court delivered a unanimous victory for party bosses and "smoke-filled rooms" in New York.

The state's convoluted process for electing trial court judges may discourage outsiders, empower party bosses and even be bad policy, the court said, but it is constitutional.

"None of our cases establishes an individual's constitutional right to have a 'fair shot' at winning the party's nomination," Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the court.

Challengers to the system have asserted that it is almost impossible for a candidate to be elected as a New York Supreme Court judge -- the name the state gives its trial courts -- without being a party nominee. Since 1921, the state has allowed the parties to employ a complicated system of petitions, delegates and conventions to choose their nominees for the general election, a process that gives great sway to party leaders.

Overall, it sounds like a bad system. It does not, however, constitute a violation of the Constitution. Even the New York Times reluctantly concedes as much, noting that some of the justices quoted Thurgood Marshall's observation that “The Constitution does not prohibit legislatures from enacting stupid laws.”

A stupid — and undemocratic — law is precisely what New York has. Now that the cudgel of a court order has been removed, we hope the Legislature will summon the wisdom and integrity to fix the system voluntarily.

The odds of that happening are long, since the powers that be in the Legislature are the same ones that profit from the current corrupt system. It is, however, a cause that everyone who cares about a qualified and independent judiciary needs to keep fighting.

The new York Legislature needs to fix the system. here's hoping the people put the pressure on the legislature to do so in a way that allows them more meaningful participation in selecting the state's judges.

Posted by: Greg at 11:15 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 399 words, total size 3 kb.

I've always liked the idea of traveling to Africa, to learn more about the history and culture of the continent. It seems the more I learn, the more I learn that I need to learn. As a result, I've been considering the possibility of seeking grant money for an educational trip to several different countries, depending on what programs are available. Part of this process is calculating travel cost -- things like flights to Johannesburg and hotels in Ethiopia. Such things are part of trip planning.

If you are living in the UK, you might consider booking your trip through DialAFlight.com. Not only do they offer you cheap prices on great flights, but you can also save even more by booking flights and hotels together. Whether you want great deals on flights to South Africa, hotels in India or car rental in Canada, DialAFlight.com can make your arrangements at a great price

Posted by: Greg at 11:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 156 words, total size 1 kb.

I was particularly struck by this story as it broke yesterday, because of the connection of a former congressman/diplomat to terrorism. But as i look at this story, I'm struck by one thing -- this case appears to be less about terrorism than it is about garden variety greed and avarice, and an ordinary white collar crime.

A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al-Qaida and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan.

Mark Deli Siljander, a Michigan Republican when he was in the House, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists.

A 42-count indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., accuses the Islamic American Relief Agency of paying Siljander $50,000 for the lobbying — money that turned out to be stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

And the more I read about the case, the more confirmed in my opinion that Siljander was not conspiring to support terrorism so much as he was to line his own pockets. The indictment seems to confirm that

Siljander, 56, is founder and chairman of Global Strategies in Great Falls, a public relations and marketing firm, and is slated to publish a book in June focused on bridging the divide between Christians and Muslims.

The charity, which was based in Columbia, Mo., allegedly paid Siljander $50,000 in March 2004 to lobby the Senate Finance Committee in an attempt to be kept off a list of terrorist organizations. Senate records indicate that Siljander has not been registered as a lobbyist since 1998.

According to the indictment, the money was stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Siljander lied to federal agents about his role.

In other words, his role seems to have been one of lobbyist, not a knowing participant in an effort to fund terrorism. Indeed, if he had not engaged in a course of action designed to shift government funds from their intended purpose to his own bank account and later lying about it, he would in all likelihood be guilty of nothing criminal. But the actions of which he is accused are clearly part of a scheme to defraud and deceive, and that is criminal in and of itself, even without the ties to a terrorist related group. But I wonder to what degree Siljander was duped by a group that was already seeking to dupe the government -- after all, there is no honor among thieves.

Debbie Schlussel has a post of note about this case. Many years ago, Siljander was not just her congressman, but also her employer. Her words on the matter seem to confirm my take -- namely that this has has less to do with supporting terrorism than it does with a desire to grab some cash. She notes that Siljander has had financial problems since leaving Congress, and that he had a consistent pro-Israel record and was outspoken against Middle Eastern terrorist groups.

H/T Captain's Quarters

Posted by: Greg at 10:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 541 words, total size 4 kb.

Do you need tech support NOW for your home or office computer? If you do, you need to contact the folks at FastTeks.com for help. They also are great with office relocating, software training, and a host of other specialty services you might need to work at peak efficiency. Best of all, their rates are within you budget!

Posted by: Greg at 06:24 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 62 words, total size 1 kb.

I've made it clear that there are many things on which I disagree with John McCain. That said, I respect him for his time as a Vietnam POW. Some folks are trying to undermine the heroism he showed while a prisoner.

Supporters of Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Tuesday assailed a two-page attack mailer sent to newspaper editors across South Carolina that claims McCain turned on his fellow POWs to get better treatment while he was a prisoner in Vietnam.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. I know because I was there," Orson Swindle, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel and former prisoner of war, said in a statement about the mailing from a group called Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain.

"The deceitful smear tactics by such fringe elements as Vietnam Veterans Against McCain must not be allowed into the political process. We are a better people than that, and those responsible should be denounced," said Swindle said.

I was not in Vietnam – indeed, I was 10 years old when John McCain and his fellow heroes came home. I would be inclined not to give the story much credence because I know the media would have searched out negative information about him before now.

But to me, the best evidence on McCain's behalf is the lengthy list of former POWs who have given him their support. For me, I need to see only one name on that list, Capt. Richard Stratton, to know that McCain's time as a prisoner was marked with honorable conduct. After the war, my father served with Dick Stratton, and our families became friends. And I will say today, three decades later, that my knowledge of Stratton's integrity is sufficient to reassure me of McCain's on this point.

The time has come for all Americans to reject such attacks on John McCain.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT Outside the Beltway, The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, Woman Honor Thyself, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, Shadowscope, Pirate's Cove, Celebrity Smack, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, The Amboy Times, Big Dog's Weblog, Dumb Ox Daily News, Conservative Cat, Adeline and Hazel, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 12:57 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 373 words, total size 4 kb.

Well, it could be quite interesting if we can make it happen with the right one on top.

Among the legion of GOP Oval Office hopefuls, the oddest of potential political odd couples may be former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain.

If the two put aside their differences, would they make an unstoppable duo?

"If you look at their resumes and strengths and weaknesses, they'd be a very balanced, strong ticket," said GOP analyst Todd Domke. "But you know that old joke about needing a food-taster."

The two candidates are a study in contrasts, starting with Romney's lustrous coif vs. McCain's comb-over.

Then there's McCain's hardscrabble image as a war hero and a POW Navy captain, vs. Romney's slick persona as a Harvard-educated, wealthy captain of industry.

And don't forget Romney's gee-whiz, H-E-double-hockey-sticks, G-rated banter compared with McCain's unfit-to-print penchant for four-letter phrasing.

Frankly, I would be willing to swallow hard and cast a vote for John McCain in such a situation, despite my misgivings about him for as a presidential candidate. Romney's executive experience and McCain's standing on defense issues would be a great combination. The choice would draw in many independents, while bridging the various constituencies of the old Reagan Coalition. And McCain is certainly a more palatable candidate than Mike Huckabee.

Posted by: Greg at 12:54 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 225 words, total size 2 kb.

So. How popular is your site? How well placed is it on the search engines? Are the keywords you focus on successful ones that draw people to your site? Or is your site buried far down the rankings at the major search engines, never to be seen by normal searchers? You need to know the answer to that question if you are to have success as on the internet.

That is why you need http://www.sechecking.com/, so that you can find out how you are doing in the search engine wars. As a Search engine positioning service, they will check out your key words to a reasonable depth on the search engines, to see how you are doing. And their reasonably priced service offers some really neat features. For example, you can check out the 365 day history of your site’s rankings. You get daily email updates about how you are ranked on the search engines right now, so you are making decisions on your site in real time. And then there is the issue of price – starting at $19.95 a month, you can have your site checked daily on the major search engines. That is a small investment to make on what is likely an important source of revenue for you and your website/business.

Posted by: Greg at 11:51 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 221 words, total size 1 kb.

My wife and I had to watch the first audition show for American Idol last night.

I think we saw a couple of the most strange American Idol moments ever last night.

Take, for example, this guy.

Creepy! And the more time we had to consider the performance during the commercial, the more disturbed we became. You have to hope that Paula Abdul sought a restraining order after that one. Sick sick sick sick sick!

Did I mention that this guy was really sick?

Posted by: Greg at 11:23 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 94 words, total size 1 kb.

As a high school teacher, I see all varieties of the latest fashions on my kids. Indeed, maybe it is a sign of my approaching decrepitude that I don’t always know the brands and the styles that they are in to and coming into my class wearing. But one brand I do know is Roca Wear, because they do have some great looking fashions for men. For example, there are a number of great Roca Wear tops that a guy of my age and size could wear without looking completely out of place. In fact, I’m thinking about ordering this Roca Wear shirt for myself just because I think it would look good on me – and the price sure is right!

Posted by: Greg at 11:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 130 words, total size 1 kb.

No, not anything significant in a legislative sense -- but she has changed the menu in the restaurants, snack bars, and other eating establishments under her control as Speaker of the House.

The processed cheese has been replaced with brie. The Jell-O has made way for raspberry kiwi tarts and mini-lemon blueberry trifles. Meatloaf has moved over for mahi mahi and buns have been shunted aside in favor of baguettes.

A revolution is afoot at the deli counters, grills and salad bars of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Newly ascendant Democrats may have hit roadblocks on Iraq and fiscal issues, but they have revamped congressional menus, replacing fatty, pre-made foods with healthier, gourmet alternatives. The once dreary congressional cafeterias now abound with haute cuisine.

The menu transformation is part of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “Greening the Capitol” plan to make the House campus more environmentally friendly and socially progressive.

But there can be a downside to delicious. Not everyone is happy with the enhanced offerings. Many congressional employees have complained that as the food quality has increased, so have the prices.

In other words, she has no legislative accomplishments to speak of, but Pelosi has still done something revolutionary. Her food choices are remarkable -- and remarkably out of touch with traditional American cuisine and the way Americans eat.

Indeed, there can be only one conclusion to this haute cuisine revolution.

The Speaker of the House has surrendered to France.

Posted by: Greg at 11:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 245 words, total size 2 kb.

I remember living in Southern California when I was a kid. My mother got used to wearing sunglasses much of the time. They weren't a fashion statement for her chasing around two kids -- they were a necessity. Now in her 70s, Mom still wears sunglasses much of the time when she goes out -- today as prescription Designer Sunglasses with a tint to just the right level level. She still looks good.

There are, of course, many places you can get good designer eyeglasses and sunglasses. One of those is GlassesEtc.com, a fine site that sells great glasses at great prices. Best of all, they sell only real designer frames (not knock-offs) and offer free return shipping in the unlikely event you are not completely satisfied.

Posted by: Greg at 10:53 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 131 words, total size 1 kb.

In the last several days, the polls have been all over the place. Romney wins. Romney loses. Romney ties.

But now the only poll that counts has been taken -- ROMNEY WINS BIG!

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney resoundingly won the Michigan presidential primary Tuesday, seizing his first big victory in the Republican competition and blunting the momentum of his chief rival, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

Romney's triumph in the state where he was born and where his father served as governor further scrambles a GOP field in which no candidate has been able to win more than one major contest. McCain captured first place in the New Hampshire primary Jan. 8 and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee topped the Iowa field five days earlier.

The race now shifts to South Carolina, where a tough three-way contest is expected in the first Southern state to vote this primary season. McCain and Huckabee flew to the Palmetto State before the voting in Michigan ended, and Romney will head there Wednesday for a bus tour through the state.

With 89 percent counted, Romney had won 39 percent of the vote to McCain's 30 percent. Huckabee trailed with 16 percent.

What this means, of course, is that the Republican race is wide-open for at least the next three weeks. South Carolina will be a truly interesting contest, with Romney a factor again now that he is seen as able to win somewhere. The momentum boost could derail either John McCain or Mike Huckabee -- especially since Romney did surprisingly well among Michigan's large bloc of evangelical voters, who he split evenly with Mike Huckabee.

Indeed, that performance by Huckabee should lead folks to ask a critical question -- does Mike Huckabee have significant support outside the evangelical community? Michigan's evangelical voters make up roughly 40% of the GOP base -- and Huckabee got roughly 31% of those evangelical votes according to exit polling data I saw last night. His total take of the votes was 16% -- which means that he received the support of only 6% of the non-evangelical vote. How can he win in November with numbers like that? Romney, on the other hand, did well with all GOP demographic groups, while McCain prevailed among independents.

Posted by: Greg at 10:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 381 words, total size 3 kb.

Who doesnÂ’t love to get free stuff?. You know you do. If you are like most folks, you scarf up the promotional items given away at conventions and other events. It is great to walk away with a couple of bags of swag! And you know that such Promotional Products do bring in customers -- if you do things right.

I'm a member of a teachers organization at my school. This year, they gave us calendars and highlights – and they remind me to check up on news updates and special bulletins for members. I've also remembered to use the phone number there to call their office once or twice when issues have arisen on campus.

And let's not forget that pen from a local garage . I kept it in the car and used the number on it to call for a tow and repairs when my car broke down.

Looking to market your company through giveaway items? The check out Gimmes.com.

Posted by: Greg at 06:06 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 167 words, total size 1 kb.

As I pointed out yesterday, the notion that the courts could order a network to allow a presidential candidate to participate in a debate was absurd on its face. it appears that the Nevada Supreme Court agreed.

The Nevada Supreme Court said Tuesday MSNBC can exclude Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich from a candidate debate.

Lawyers for NBC Universal Inc., had asked the high court to overturn a lower court order that the cable TV news network include the Ohio congressman or pull the plug on broadcasting the debate Tuesday night with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards.

The state Supreme Court's unanimous order said that blocking the debate unless Kucinich got to participate would be "an unconstitutional prior restraint" on the news network's First Amendment rights. The justices also said the lower court exceeded its jurisdiction by ordering Kucinich's participation even though he first requested and was denied relief from the Federal Communications Commission.

So yes, Glen Greenwald's shilling for Dennis Kucinich to the contrary, yesterday's decision by a Nevada district court judge was a case of gross judicial over-reaching AND judicial activism at its worst. Any outcome other than that reached by the Nevada Supreme Court would have turned every booking decision by a television news show into grounds for a lawsuit if some other individual were bumped due to changing news priorities.

H/T Captain's Quarters

Posted by: Greg at 03:36 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 240 words, total size 2 kb.

So, will the project to create pollution-free electricity off of Cape Cod be permitted to move forward?

The nation's first proposed offshore wind-energy project cleared its most formidable hurdle yesterday as the US Minerals Management Service declared that the wind farm off Cape Cod would have little lasting impact on wildlife, navigation, and tourism.

The agency's nearly 2,000-page draft environmental impact statement makes clear that the federal government is inclined to approve construction of the 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound, 5 miles from the nearest coastline, unless major new concerns arise during a public comment period. Federal approval would probably come late this year or early next year, and remaining state permits are not expected to be a major obstacle, given that Governor Deval Patrick is in favor of the project.

The problem, of course, is not Cape Wind Instead, it is the CapeWindbag, Senator Teddy the Hutt (D-Chivas Regal). He is concerned that there might be a smudge on the horizon, miles off shore, to obscure a fingernail's breadth of his view. Such a sacrifice has been too much for him and the wealthy NIMBYs who have sought to prevent the project from moving forward.

Posted by: Greg at 11:29 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 204 words, total size 1 kb.

When you imply you are greater than Martin Luther King, it probably isn't a good idea to show up at events commemorating the man. It might get you a less than festive reception.

Dogged by continuing racial tensions around her presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton drew a smattering of boos on Monday when she spoke at a religiously tinged Martin Luther King Jr. rally put together by a union organizing predominantly black security workers.

The catcalls came when Clinton was introduced and her speech drew only tepid applause compared to the boisterous ovations drawn by many of the pastors and reverends — not to mention a hip-hop artist and slam poet — who took the podium before her.

This should have been a friendly crowd. That it wasn't should say something about the fraying of the Democrat coalition. Hillary Clinton cannot take black voters for granted -- and th insensitivity she and her surrogates have shown recently will not endear her to the black community if it continues.

Posted by: Greg at 11:31 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 180 words, total size 1 kb.

My wife and I would love to go on a cruise. That would be something different for us, and a way to get out of Houston and into a very different environment.
You can, of course, cruise just about anywhere you want – the Caribbean, Mexico, or Alaska, among other places. You can choose a cruise specifically planned to your taste, and explore the four corners of the world with panoramic views from you cabin, residing in first class accommodations at very affordable rates.

Norwegian Cruise Line can provide you a fantastic cruise vacations. NCL offers a three or four night tour of the Caribbean. They also do seven night tours that will allow you to experience different parts of the world – from the wildlife of Buenos Aires to the glaciers of Alaska. These could certainly be the adventure of a lifetime.

Or you could choose Princess Cruise Line, where you can experience cruising on the ships made famous in the Love Boat. They are certainly known when it comes to cruise vacations. While you are cruising on their ships, their staff will certainly try to make your every wish a reality. Princess Cruises even offer Personal Choice Dining, which caters to your taste and your timetable.

Both cruises lines offer fantastic vacation cruise packages. Book now with Princess or NCL and have a vacation you will never forget.

Posted by: Greg at 11:30 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 232 words, total size 2 kb.

Mickey Kaus points out that there is still one candidate whose church ties have disturbing racial overtones.

Undernews Alert: It's hard to believe that Obama's Afrocentric church--with its troubling attack on "the pursuit of middeclassness"--isn't going to be an issue in the campaign, soon. There are already wild, inflammatory emails circulating, apparently. ... Update: Here is the offical Obama response page. Excerpt:

"There is information on the Black Values System in the new member packet provided at Trinity, and the new member classes put the Black Values System in the historical context of the civil rights movement."

Hmm. It must be understood in "the historical context." That'll reassure nervous white voters! The Obama camp would seem to be severely underestimating its vulnerability on the church issue if it thinks lecturing people on the civil rights movement will solve this problem for them in the long run.

The problem is not that Obama attends a liberal church in a liberal denomination(for the record, my wife is a former UCC pastor). The problem is not that the congregation has a strong ethnic identity, as do many older congregations in the UCC . The problem is how that identity gets expressed, and the racialist -- if not outright racist -- manner in which that identity is expressed. How deeply he subscribes to such a racial philosophy is a legitimate issue -- especially when official publications of the congregation praise Louis Farrakhan and reject the very uniting message that Barack Obama is campaigning on in his quest for the presidency.

Posted by: Greg at 11:25 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 268 words, total size 2 kb.

I remember how I once got a huge crack in my car windshield from a rock while traveling. It had bounced up and left a small ding near the base of the windshield during a trip home. Well, the nect morning when I got back on the road, I turned on the defroster so I could see – and within a couple of minutes I heard a loud “CRAAAAACK!” and watched as the little star became a crack that ran all the way across the bottom of my windshield.

Fortunately, I found a great place to fix my window with the help of my insurance company. And when your windshield gets broken, you need to find one, too. If you are in the Minneapolis area, youÂ’ll find that one of the most respected Minneapolis windshield repair companies is Rapid Glass. Rapid Glass even provides a National Lifetime Warranty for all of their windshield repair and windshield replacement. Visit the Rapid Glass web site for further details.

Posted by: Greg at 11:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 170 words, total size 1 kb.

How much will it cost you when you buy that new car?

The only problem is, based on what we know now, it'll cost automakers some $85 billion to comply. When all costs are factored in, other estimates put the total cost at about $18 billion a year.

* * *

"We've done even more research," [GM Vice Chairman Bob] Lutz said, "and (the cost per car of new CAFE standards is) going to be in the range of $4,000 to $10,000, with an average of about $6,000."

And that will be on every car -- even though there are vehicles (like the one I drive) that already meet the standard. The automakers are just going to have to raise all prices to absorb the cost of meeting the new standards -- there are no two wys about it. After all, that is how any business sets its prices -- by taking into account all costs.

And what does it mean to the consumer?

Let's put that in perspective. The average cost of an automobile in 2006 was $27,958, according to the Comerica Automotive Affordability Index. So our new energy bill is, in effect, going to be a 21.4% tax hike on the current car prices. Oh, didn't they tell you that?

That's right -- my car that cost $15,000 will end up costing close to $20,000 just based upon this new regulatory cost -- effectively a hidden tax. And what will that mean as my car gets older?

In fact, the higher prices of cars will encourage consumers to keep their older, dirtier but cheaper vehicles for much longer. So the actual benefits will be less than forecast.

History bears this out. In 1970, just before the first CAFE standards were imposed, the average car on the road was about 5 1/2 years old. By 2000, the average car was 9 years old — thanks to the higher costs of buying and operating new cars, a direct result of higher fuel efficiency and safety standards.

Yep -- my car will be in service until it literally cannot move. That means that instead of driving it until 2011 or 2012, I'll be driving it until at least 2015 or 2016, because that extra chunk of cash will put a new car out of my reach (after all, we know how small teacher raises have been here in Texas).

And that doesn't even get into the auto safety issues.

Higher prices. More pollution. Unsafe cars. That is the legacy of this new legislation.

Posted by: Greg at 10:49 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 432 words, total size 3 kb.

Have you heard of Pepperjam? They have twice been named as Inc. MagazineÂ’s fastest growing company and industry leading full-service internet marketing agency. Well, today they announced the launch of Pepperjam Network, a proprietary next generation affiliate marketing network. To sign-up for Pepperjam Network, all you need to do is visit www.pepperjamnetwork.com for more details.

Pepperjam Network seems to have figured out how to deal with the two great downfalls of affiliate networks, their unreliable communication tools and lack of affiliate transparency by allowing affiliates and advertisers to communicate in real-time via Pepperjam Chat, providing reliable communication system in order to build partnerships. This sounds like quite a step up from anything that has come before, and definitely worth looking into if you are into affiliate marketing.

more...

Posted by: Greg at 10:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 729 words, total size 5 kb.

The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Britain's Prosecution of The Blogger Lionheart for Criticism of Islam by Wolf Howling, and Andy Olmsted by Obsidian Wings.  Ahere are the full results of the vote:

I normally make this post over the weekend, but this week it has been rather hard. Our winning entry in the Non-Council category is a post by a former Council Member, Andy Olmstead. It is one of those posts that you just don;t want to have to read or write about, given that it contains the reflections of a friend/colleague/hero written in the event of his death. Andy was one of the first soldiers killed in Iraq in 2008, and so we all have been honored to read the words that none of us would ever have wished to see -- and I say with the utmost respect that I wish to have never been so honored and that I could jump over to Andy's personal site and read something new and interesting. Alas, that shall never be again, and all I can do is honor his final words by stating that I awarded my first place vote to his poignant words, and wished I could have also given him the second place vote as well. It would appear that every one of us gave at least one of our two votes to him. May you rest in peace, Major Olmstead, and may those who survive be worthy of the sacrifice you made for our country.

Posted by: Greg at 09:02 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 398 words, total size 6 kb.

I just read that a major bank has taken a write-off due to problems with repayments from consumers. That means that there are lots of folks not paying on their credit cards and other loans. Well, how do you recover from the mismanagement of the credit cards and repair your credit? By borrowing again, in a responsible manner. A bad credit history can make it difficult for people to get a loan. However, if you are in such a position, there is a great resource site which you use to find bad credit loans!

Posted by: Greg at 06:15 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 102 words, total size 1 kb.

Face it -- Dennis Kucinich is not a bona fide candidate for President. He has no significant support, has raised no significant money, and has no significant chance of winning his party's nomination. MSNBC was right to exclude him from its upcoming debate.

But a judge feels differently.

A Nevada judge said Monday that Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich must be included in Tuesday's candidates' debate in Nevada.

Senior Clark County District Court Judge Charles Thompson said if Kucinich is excluded, he'll issue an injunction stopping the televised debate.

The judge sided with a lawyer for the Ohio congressman, who says debate host MSNBC at first invited Kucinich to take part and then told him last week he couldn't.

A lawyer for the network said MSNBC decided to go with the top three candidates after the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.

The judge called it a matter of fairness and said Nevada voters will benefit if they hear from more than just Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards.

The cable network and the Democratic Party are calling the 9 p.m. EST debate a chance to hear issues from Nevada's minority communities. Tim Russert and Brian Williams are moderating.

Personally, I believe that the network should cite the First Amendment and tell the judge to take his court order, roll it up real tight, and shove it up his @$$. However, a better course of action might be to give Kucinich a podium, and a microphone -- and then not turn the thing on and not ever point the candidate at him. After all, the judge certainly cannot dictate what questions and how many are asked of various candidates without running even further afoul of the First Amendment.

Ed at Captain's Quarters points out some jurisdictional issues, too.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT The Virtuous Republic, Mark My Words, Rosemary's Thoughts, third world county, DragonLady's World, Adam's Blog, The World According to Carl, Pirate's Cove, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Celebrity Smack, Big Dog's Weblog, Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 12:26 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 353 words, total size 4 kb.

When you are a conspiracy theorist backing a candidate who has made a career pushing conspiracy theories, it is no wonder that you look for conspiracies in every occurrence.

And how you refuse to accept the simplest explanation for a human error.

Jennifer Call's eyes searched the office for nothing in particular. Her arms waved and her fear spilled out.

"This is where I grew up," Sutton's town clerk said yesterday. "This is my hometown, this is where my family is, and all of sudden, my name is being splashed across the internet as this horrible person. And the frightening part is, I don't know these people and they don't know me."

Call wants the nationwide army of boisterous Ron Paul supporters, believers in more conspiracy theories than Oliver Stone, to know that she's committed no crime.

Not treason, as the dozens of phone callers screamed. Not fraud, as the dozens of e-mails charged. Nothing.

Human error, by someone unknown, caused Call's office to claim Paul received zero votes from the town during Tuesday's first-in-the-nation primary.

Paul actually got a whopping 31 votes.

Out of 920 cast.

Launch an investigation. Alert the media.

The mistake was corrected early the next morning, but that hardly mattered. The Paul machine, upon reading the number in print, quickly went into counteroffensive mode.

Now by my count, the error went uncorrected for perhaps 12 to 14 hours. The mistake was corrected before the day was out. Why then – other than the significant level of mental illness among Ron Paul supporters – is there this effort to drive one small town clerk out of her home, and to imprison or execute her.

Oh, and by the way, it is clear that these Ron Paul supporters do not hold to their idol's views of the Constitution as limiting government. After all, there is no way that even an intentional miscount of 31 votes – which this was not – could constitute treason under the definition set forth in Article III of the Constitution.

H/T Malkin

Posted by: Greg at 11:17 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 348 words, total size 2 kb.