Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez believes that Hillary and Obama will be easier to get his way with work with than the Arizona Senator and war hero.

Chavez said he hopes the United States and Venezuela can work better together when his ideological foe, U.S. President George W. Bush, leaves the White House next year, but he said McCain seemed "warlike."

"Sometimes one says, 'worse than Bush is impossible,' but we don't know," Chavez told foreign correspondents. "McCain also seems to be a man of war."

* * *

He said on Tuesday that he had better communication with the administration of former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

"Independently of who wins the elections, we are hopeful and it is within our plans to enter an era of better relations with the U.S. government," he said. "At the least one would hope for the level of relations we had with ex-President Clinton."

He did not mention Democratic hopefuls Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Both are cautious about Chavez, although Obama has said he could meet him.

So it is clear who one of America’s enemies does not want in the White House, and his name is John McCain. Given Obama’s willingness to lend Chavez legitimacy by meeting with him and the explicitly praise of the policies of Senator Clinton’s husband, I think we can see who would be better for America – and who would be better for the dictator.

Posted by: Greg at 09:40 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 252 words, total size 2 kb.

HereÂ’s my favorite.

The government runs everything from the White House to the schoolhouse, from the Capitol to the Klan, white supremacy is clearly in chargeÂ…

The government runs the Klan? Really? Do you have any EVIDENCE for this contention? After all, you are making what you claim to be a statement of fact. Lay out your case, sir. Ditto your white supremacy claim.

Or is proving your contentions contrary to the tenets of Black Liberation Theology?

Otherwise, Rev. Wright, publicly concede that you are a liar and a racist. And seek out some psychiatric help.

And by the way, Jeremiah, if the government is so bad and so evil, you should want less of it – not a massive increase of the sort that your parishioner Barack Obama wishes to impose on America.

Posted by: Greg at 09:39 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 146 words, total size 1 kb.

Of all the new elements of the business model, online marketing is among the fastest and most convenient ways of promoting your business, whether it is a strictly online business or not. And with so many new and existing companies out there to compete against, every day becomes another struggle to attract and keep customers. That is especially true in the ever-changing world of the internet. So if you are looking to maximize your advertising dollar, a CPA or Cost Per Action company can do wonders for your business. On well-known company is clickbooth, and they will be there for you when you and your business need them! If you’re an online publisher looking for campaigns, they can help you get them. If you’re an advertiser, they distribute advertising to thousands of sites. They can certainly help networks expand their reach! After all, business competition is fierce, and you really need to make sure that everyone knows that your company exists! Not only that, but Clickbooth can help you get set up very quickly – and with a five-year track record, you know they are likely to be around for the long haul. So for help with online advertising, whether as a buyer or a seller, you really ought to check them out.

Posted by: Greg at 11:20 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 215 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Great info, Ive been with clickbooth for over 2 months and so far all payments are coming on time and Great support

Posted by: matt at Tue Apr 1 14:16:26 2008 (dzNNC)

2 Great info, clickbooth is in fact one of the top paying CPA networks out there, I love it how they helped me boost my earnings , Thank you clickbooth!

Posted by: johnny at Thu Apr 10 13:31:37 2008 (iNdQI)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

These numbers concern me. And if these are actual cases of voters violating the law, I want to see them prosecuted.

But at the same time, I want to make sure that folks who did this are not prosecuted.

Robert Duran Jr. said he walked into the wrong room to vote in the March 4 primary. But he said he should not be indicted for it.

"It was an innocent mistake," said Duran, who works for an oil services company. "I just failed to read the sign."

Duran's name appeared on a list of "questionable voting cases" released Tuesday by Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman. The 1,148 individuals may have voted illegally, Kaufman said. She turned the list over to the district attorney's office for investigation and possible indictment.

Duran said he rushed to the polls after work, meaning to vote as a Republican. Duran was voting in his first primary, and he unthinkingly went to the same room he always does for general elections. But after Duran signed in the poll book and went to the booth, he saw the ballot had the names of the Democratic candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

"I clicked on it and said, 'Whoa, this is not what I meant to do,' " Duran said.

We had about half-a-dozen folks at my precint do this. Despite signs saying REPUBLICAN PRIMARY" and the fact that the Democrats were voting over a mile away (there were signs directing them there) and questions about whether it was their intent to vote int eh Republican or Democrat primary, some folks still signed our poll book and then complained that Hillary and Obama were not on their ballot. We duly canceled out their ballots (it is a simple procedure), if done before the press cast ballot) -- and in such a case you are supposed to cross the voter's name out of the poll book. Did some election judges or poll workers overlook that step?

Sounds to me like some election judges failed to do their job correctly, if Duran's story is correct. That is a matter of concern for me. The same is true if someone managed to early vote and then vote on election day -- we have a list of all early/absentee voters and are supposed to mark them in the poll book before election day. Did some election judges not do that -- or did some poll worker ignore the information marked in the book?

But I also suspect that some voters committed real fraud. In such a case, they need to go directly to jail.

Posted by: Greg at 10:23 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 443 words, total size 3 kb.

Bad joke time.

Why did the oyster cross the road?

It didn't -- oysters live in the water!

OK, it wasn't that funny.

Unfortunately, there is something else that isn't funny about Gulf oysters – we can become ill from the bacteria that they carry if we fail to prepare them properly. You need to be oyster aware when you eat oysters. Did you know that the consumption of undercooked oysters can result in a person becoming ill from the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria? At BeOysterAware.com, you can learn about the problems caused by Vibrio vulnificus and how to avoid the contamination. If you love oysters, check out this site to make sure that you remain healthy -- and that's no joke!

Posted by: Greg at 10:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 127 words, total size 1 kb.

It's a good thing that Andrew Sullivan does not hold himself out to be a real journalist, given this post.

"What does it take to be the most liberal member of the United States Senate – farther left than Ted Kennedy, John Kerry or even Hillary Clinton? For the answer, take a look at a man who could be the next president of the United States: Barack Obama.

Sen. Obama was recently named the most liberal U.S. Senator, based on the annual voting analysis by the non-partisan and highly respected National Journal. If he emerges as the Democratic nominee, one of the critical jobs of Focus Action will be to uncover the real Barack Obama—not the feel-good orator who speaks of “change” and “hope,” but the man who would be the most left-wing president in our nation’s history.

Throughout our history, great Americans have stood up to grave challenges of all sorts. As this latest wave of secular liberalism threatens us, I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with you in prayer and action – in defense of the family," - James Dobson, in his latest email.

The problem is that Sullivan's source reports the email this way.

Dr. Dobson's Focus on the Family begins an e-mail sent out today with:

What does it take to be the most liberal member of the United States Senate – farther left than Ted Kennedy, John Kerry or even Hillary Clinton? For the answer, take a look at a man who could be the next president of the United States: Barack Obama.

Sen. Obama was recently named the most liberal U.S. Senator, based on the annual voting analysis by the non-partisan and highly respected National Journal. If he emerges as the Democratic nominee, one of the critical jobs of Focus Action will be to uncover the real Barack Obama—not the feel-good orator who speaks of “change” and “hope,” but the man who would be the most left-wing president in our nation’s history.

The e-mail ends with this:

Throughout our history, great Americans have stood up to grave challenges of all sorts. As this latest wave of secular liberalism threatens us, I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with you in prayer and action – in defense of the family.

Now Sullivan commits a cardinal sin here -- he takes two disconnected quotes and runs them together. Say what you want about the Sullivan's source and the conclusions made at the end of the post, but it is implied that there is a gap between those first two paragraphs and the last -- perhaps filled with some substantive discussion of issues. You know, discussion that might make that the conclusions found in that last paragraph somewhat more understandable (whether or not you accept all of Dobson's premises -- something I don't always do).

Pretty sloppy stuff, based upon the evidence we have here.

Anyone got the full text of the actual email -- since neither blogger provides the full context of the quotes in question?

Posted by: Greg at 10:07 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 509 words, total size 3 kb.

It is awful to need to file a lawsuit, especially in cases where you need money to pay your expenses (like medical bills) right now. It would be great for you to be able to access the cash now. Well, you can get lawsuit funding at LawsuitFunding.com, enabling you to survive until your case is decided. And you only have to pay back the money if you win the case.

Posted by: Greg at 10:01 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
Post contains 74 words, total size 1 kb.

Not that it is particularly significant, but you do find some interesting family connections.

This could make for one odd family reunion: Barack Obama is a distant cousin of actor Brad Pitt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton is related to Pitt's girlfriend, Angelina Jolie.

Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society found some remarkable family connections for the three presidential candidates — Democratic rivals Obama and Clinton, and Republican John McCain.

Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent on her mother's side, is also a distant cousin of singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette. Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, can call six U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, his cousins. McCain is a sixth cousin of first lady Laura Bush.

Now there really are some interesting connections turned up here, but they really are not that significant, especially when you see them in the historical context of those relationships. You find family connections between the candidates going back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which at first blush could lead one to ask questions about the importance of certain families and why those families consistently rise to the top.

But then you find bits of historical trivia like one I encountered last night while reading McCullough's excellent biography of John Adams (I don't get HBO, so I have to read the book instead of watching the miniseries). Some families, especially early American families, have been quite prolific. For example, John Adams' great-grandfather had no fewer than 89 grandchildren (including the second President's father). If one presumes that only 2/3 of those grandchildren had only 5 children each pretty small number for that era), the next generation would have been some 300 great-grandchildren -- and the generation after that would have been 1000 great-great-grandchildren. You can continue the exponential growth for the next couple of generations, at which point you will discover that within a couple more generations we are into the tens of thousands of descendants. And as one works one's way back the family tree from today, remember that by the time you drill back to the Civil War era, most living Americans are looking at 64 (or even 12 ancestors of that generation. Frankly, it would be shocking not to find a connection, however collateral, to the Adams family (or the prolific Lees of Virginia). In other words, the family connections signify nothing.

Posted by: Greg at 09:53 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 413 words, total size 3 kb.

Looking foronline storage for your data? Well it is available at reasonable rates through iBackup.com. It operates with drag-and-drop technology, and outperforms competitors by 30% in terms of compression and transfer speed So drop by today and check out the solution to your backup and data storage needs -- iBackup.com.

Posted by: Greg at 08:55 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 52 words, total size 1 kb.

Let no one say that John McCain doesn't merit the support of Reagan conservatives.

The keeper of the flame has endorsed the Arizona Senator.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan planned to endorse John McCain for president on Tuesday, as the Arizona senator continued to collect the backing of leading Republicans who might help him win over critical conservative voters.

Now certain to win the GOP nomination, McCain is on the West coast this week to raise money. He was to stop by the Southern California home of former President Ronald Reagan's widow to accept her endorsement.

In a statement before the event, Reagan said she typically waits until after the GOP convention to announce her support but she decided to do so now because it is clear the Republican Party has chosen its nominee.

"John McCain has been a good friend for over thirty years," Reagan said. "My husband and I first came to know him as a returning Vietnam War POW, and were impressed by the courage he had shown through his terrible ordeal. I believe John's record and experience have prepared him well to be our next president."

Nobody has more of a right than Nancy Reagan to speak for the fitness of John McCain to stand in the shoes of Ronald Reagan. Were John McCain unfit, she would doubtlessly have remained silent. So the time has come for the Reagan Conservatives to accept the wisdom of the one closest to Ronald Reagan and lend their support for John McCain -- or renounce their claim to the Reagan name and legacy.

H/T Hot Air

Posted by: Greg at 01:11 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 272 words, total size 2 kb.

Yeah, she is acting as a surrogate for Mom, and yeah, Mom is running for President, but Chelsea just doesn't think that the American people have the right to know about Mom's credibility in light of Dad's escapades.

Chelsea Clinton had a quick retort Tuesday when asked whether her mother's credibility had been hurt during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"Wow, you're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know maybe, 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business," Clinton said during a campaign visit for her mother, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

If Obama is called on the carpet about his relationship with his pastor, it certainly seems reasonable to ask questions about Hillary's relationship with Bill -- and the damage he did to both her credibility and the nation as a whole.

And if Chelsea can't handle the heat, maybe she needs to retreat back to that cushy bond trading job Mom and Dad got her.

UPDATE: Bill gets irritated about having to answer a substantive question.

More At Michelle Malkin, Hot Air

Posted by: Greg at 12:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 208 words, total size 2 kb.

Now this presents an interesting question. Is an increase in home sales good news if the prices of homes are down?

Sales of existing homes increased unexpectedly in February after six months of decline, but private economists said it was too soon to say the prolonged slide in housing is coming to an end.

The National Association of Realtors said sales of existing homes rose by 2.9 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.03 million units. It marked the first sales increase since last July, but even with the gain sales were still 23.8 percent below where they were a year ago.

Prices continued to slide. The median sales price for single-family homes and condominiums dropped to $195,900, a fall of 8.2 percent from a year ago, the biggest slide in the current housing slump. The median price for just single-family homes was down 8.7 percent from a year ago, the biggest decline in four decades.

Those numbers make it hard to say that we are out of the housing slump -- and analysts are predicting another six months of a weak housing market. But I can't help but remember that for the last couple of years we have been hearing that the housing market in many areas of the country was overheated and overpriced. Would this not simply constitute a readjustment of the market to reflect the actual value of the properties in question -- especially after rash speculation on the part of some buyers and sellers?

I don't pretend to have an answer to the question -- but I feel that it is an important question to ask.

Especially since the drop in prices may allow some families to purchase homes that they could not have purchased a year ago because of the inflated prices. And if so, do we really need the sort of increased government intervention in the housing market that some politicians are proposing?

Posted by: Greg at 10:12 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 331 words, total size 2 kb.

If this keeps up, maybe it will become necessary to cancel the Olympics.

After all, we wouldn't want a repeat of 1936, would we?

One policeman was killed and several others injured in riots Monday in western Sichuan province, ChinaÂ’s state media reported.

The official Xinhua News Agency gave no other details regarding the riot.

Xinhua also said that 381 people involved in protests in another Sichuan county, Aba, had surrendered to police, according to local authorities.

The Communist leadership has faced the biggest challenge to its rule in the Himalayan area in nearly two decades after protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa exploded into violence on March 14, sparking sympathy protests in the neighboring provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai.

China is murdering peaceful protesters in Tibet -- and the unrest is now spreading to other parts of the country. The Red Chinese are demanding that athletes be silenced in their home countries in the weeks and months prior to the Olympic Games, undercutting human rights around the globe. Better that the spectacle be canceled than allowed to lend legitimacy to the world's largest violator of human rights.

Posted by: Greg at 10:02 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 196 words, total size 2 kb.

I teach social studies. As a result, I often find myself teaching about economic issues, including things like personal finances. I find a lot of ignorance among my students on the topic. And I don’t just mean the macro-economic issues – there really is a dearth of knowledge on personal finance issues like loans, credit cards, and bankruptcy.

But to be honest, I guess I was the same way when I was young. I remember my first credit card. I ran that sucker up to the whole $500 limit, not realizing I couldnÂ’t carry the balance long term. I was fortunate to be able to turn to my folks for help. I learned some lessons through that experience.

If you need help wit your personal finances, CreditLoan.com can help. They have a host of personal finance articles that should help you determine what your needs are and how to proceed in your current situation.

Posted by: Greg at 10:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 158 words, total size 1 kb.

Excuse me, "misspoke" means that you substituted the name of one city or country for another, or some other relatively minor gaffe. When you make up a story about dodging and weaving to avoid gunfire during an assault on an airport, it is called "lying".

Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign said she "misspoke" last week when saying she had landed under sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia as first lady in March 1996.

The Obama campaign suggested it was a deliberate exaggeration by Clinton, who often cites the goodwill trip with her daughter and several celebrities as an example of her foreign policy experience.

During a speech last Monday on Iraq, she said of the Bosnia trip: "I remember landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base."

According to an Associated Press story at the time, Clinton was placed under no extraordinary risks on that trip. And one of her companions, comedian Sinbad, told The Washington Post he has no recollection either of the threat or reality of gunfire.

When asked Monday about the New York senator's remarks about the trip, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson pointed to Clinton's written account of it in her book, "Living History," in which she described a shortened welcoming ceremony at Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"Due to reports of snipers in the hills around the airstrip, we were forced to cut short an event on the tarmac with local children, though we did have time to meet them and their teachers and to learn how hard they had worked during the war to continue classes in any safe spot they could find," Clinton wrote.

"That is what she wrote in her book," Wolfson said. "That is what she has said many, many times and on one occasion she misspoke."

And just like Obama found out last week, Mrs. Clinton is discovering the YouTube can allow inconvenient facts to obscure undermine the immage one seeks to project.

Damn that contemporaneous video coverage of the event! No ducking and weaving and dodging -- and a VIP greeting for the then-First Lady.

Maybe Hillary Clinton needs a new campaign theme song.

More At Michelle Malkin, HotAir, Stop the ACLU

Posted by: Greg at 09:55 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
Post contains 392 words, total size 4 kb.

Right now, everyone is thinking about taxes and tax-related issues. Some folks even have capital gains to consider as they make investment moves. But did you know that there is a way to take those capital gains and roll them into another asset at the same time, with the option of paying NO TAXES at all? It exists, and is called a 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchange. You can learn more about such transactions by checking the website of the 1031 Exchange Alliance.

Here’s how it works. Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code provides that no gain or loss shall be recognized on the exchange of property held for productive use in a trade or business, or for investment. Now what this means is that you have to make that capital gain and put that money back into a similar asset in such a way that you do not accrue an immediate cash profit to yourself. In effect, you are deferring taxes by making the exchange of the same sort of assets. So, for example, you could make tax-deferred exchange of one rental property for another, possibly by “buying up” into a better neighborhood or class of property, or by increasing the number of such holdings you have with the gain you made on the sale of the old asset. In effect, you increase your investment without needing to pay a large tax bill or plow in a lot of additional capital.

Posted by: Greg at 09:53 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 245 words, total size 1 kb.

Even though free municipal wi-fi plans appear to be deader than a doornail, the Bill White Administration here in Houston is intent upon creating one.

Except you won't get wi-fi everywhere in the city.

You'll only get it if you live in one of ten "bubble" zones around the city.

Houston is aiming to turn EarthLink's lemons into the city's lemonade.

The company had to pay the city $5 million after defaulting on a contract to build a citywide wireless Internet network last year. On Monday, Mayor Bill White announced the city will use about $3.5 million of that money to build 10 free wireless network "bubbles" in low-income parts of Houston to give residents access they otherwise might do without.

The long-term possibility, White said, is that the bubbles could be connected and the areas between them added to the network, providing WiFi access across the city.

"It's a matter of connecting those bubbles," White said.

Monday's announcement launched the first bubble in the densely populated Gulfton area of Southwest Houston. The city is establishing a committee to determine where future networks will be located. Build-out is expected to happen over the next two years.

Yeah, it is a matter of connecting those bubbles, Mr. Mayor -- and how you are going to pay for it. Is the city headed for a tax increase?

And how can you justify undermining businesses that have already set up for-profit wi-fi networks in Houston -- or other broadband services -- which cost subscribers around $30 a month? Is undercutting business a legitimate city function? And why not free telephone or cable television service, too?

Posted by: Greg at 09:42 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 280 words, total size 2 kb.

How long have I been listening to Cher’s music? Well, do the words “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” have any meaning to you? And while I may not have been a fan of every song or every album, that doesn’t detract from my recognition that she is one of the best known, most recognizable, most marketable, and most durable musical celebrities of my lifetime. After all, how many singers can still put on the sort of high-energy performance that she does in her 60s – and still draw sell-out crowds doing it?

In a career that spans more than 45 years, Cher has given many great performances and won most of the major entertainment awards -- the Academy Award, Grammy Award, Emmy Award and Golden Globe, to name a few.

According to her official website, Cher is coming back to the stage – this time at The Caesar’s palace in Las Vegas, and will be entertaining her fans beginning of May, 2008. So you need to act to get yourself Cher tickets at Ceasars Palace, because the demand is high and there are rumors of ticket shortages to come. The new show debuts on May 6, and she will perform four shows per week at 7:30 PM. Don’t miss your chance to see her live one more time!

Posted by: Greg at 09:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 223 words, total size 1 kb.

And my question is “Why?”

In a stunning and historic day, Kwame Kilpatrick was charged with perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office Monday, the latest blow to the Detroit mayor embroiled in a text message scandal.

Kilpatrick could go to prison if convicted of any of the eight felonies filed against him by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. His former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, faces seven felonies.

"Our investigation has clearly shown that public dollars were used, people's lives were ruined, the justice system was severely mocked and the public trust trampled on," said a visibly angry Worthy. "This is as far from being a private matter as one can get."

Excuse me, but these charges are about nothing but sex. After all, doesnÂ’t everyone lie about sex? Yeah, it was under oath as but it was still about sex. And the misuse of oneÂ’s office to conduct a sexual affair with a subordinate, to reward that subordinate and to try to cover up the affair? Still, in the end, nothing but sex.

At least that was the argument that we heard about 10 years ago when another prominent Democrat politician lied under oath, engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice, and moved heaven and earth to feather the nest of his sugar baby. Indeed, Republicans were excoriated for attempting to hold Bill Clinton to precisely the standards that these charges are based upon. Why does Kwame Kilpatrick face jail time while Bill Clinton got to serve out his term, play elder statesman, and potentially become the first man to serve as First Lady?

Is it race?

Or is it just that the Clintons are above the rules that apply to mere mortals?

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, third world county, DragonLady's World, Adam's Blog, The World According to Carl, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Big Dog's Weblog, , Right Voices, Adeline and Hazel, and D equals S, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 07:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 348 words, total size 4 kb.

Set aside the question of whether we should elect a president by popular or electoral votes. The reality is that we do so using the electoral vote system.

That's why the Clinton campaign is now adopting an electoral vote strategy in wooing superdelegates.

Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, who backs Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, proposed another gauge Sunday by which superdelegates might judge whether to support Mrs. Clinton or Senator Barack Obama.

He suggested that they consider the electoral votes of the states that each of them has won.

“So who carried the states with the most Electoral College votes is an important factor to consider because ultimately, that’s how we choose the president of the United States,” Mr. Bayh said on CNN’s “Late Edition.”

In a primary, of course, electoral votes are not relevant, but the Clinton campaign is trying to use them as an unofficial measure of strength.

So far, Mrs. Clinton has won states with a total of 219 Electoral College votes, not counting Florida and Michigan, while Mr. Obama has won states with a total of 202 electoral votes.

It is a fascinating issue, don't you think? Should the will of the majority count more in the nominating contest, or the measure of strength in terms of the measure that actually counts in November? Of course, given the denunciation of the Electoral College system by Democrats -- including Mrs. Clinton -- to consider the weight of states based upon electoral votes seems a bit hypocritical.

But then again, when have the Clintons ever averse to a little hypocrisy in the service of political opportunism?

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, third world county, DragonLady's World, Adam's Blog, The World According to Carl, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Big Dog's Weblog, , Right Voices, Adeline and Hazel, and D equals S, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 11:39 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 326 words, total size 3 kb.

Considering starting your own small business sometime in the near future? Perhaps you have some sort of plan in mind, but lack the cash in hand. If it seems that the time is right, then it may be the time for you to consider getting a Small Business Loan at EZUnsecured.com. Their motto says it all: “No time + No Collateral = NO PROBLEM.

At EZUnsecured.com, there is capital available for Small Business Loans to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses when they feel the time is right. The application process is easy, decisions are made quickly, and customer service is fantastic. So, if you think the time is right, talk to EZUnsecured.com!

Posted by: Greg at 11:35 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 118 words, total size 1 kb.

One of the happier moments of my college years was watching Corazon Aquino become president of the Philippines. To see the will of the people enforced in such a bloodless, non-violent way was a moment of great hope for the world.

Now comes word that Mrs. Aquino is seriously ill.

Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino has colon cancer, her daughter said Monday.

Aquino, 75, was swept into power by the peaceful "people power" revolt that ousted late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, cementing her as an icon of democracy.

Usually dressed in her trademark yellow in public, she has remained active in social and political causes. Most recently, she has been attending rallies calling for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Kris Aquino, fighting tears, read a statement on live television that said her mother had gone in for tests after suffering from high blood pressure and difficulty breathing during the Christmas and New Year holidays, then a persistent cough and weight loss.

"The result showed our mother is suffering from cancer of the colon," she said.

In recent years, the former president has become active in politics again as she has fought corruption in the Arroyo administration. At a time when her nation truly needs her, she is fighting a much more serious, much more personal battle. In her honor, may the people of her nation heed her words and opt for an end to government corruption and abuse of power.

Posted by: Greg at 11:32 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 247 words, total size 2 kb.

Paintball can be a lot of good clean fun in the outdoors, hunting down your competitors and. . . eliminating them with a quick shot from a paintball gun. And while the sport is sometimes seen as one that requires a large financial investment, you can find yourself high-quality cheap paintball guns if you shop around. Take, for example, a Tippmann 98 custom -- you can find one for a good price if you look at Ultimate Paintball. How good a price? How about $134.95. Not bad.

But it isn't only the Tippmann line of products you can purchase there. They also carry Spyder, Smart Parts, Dye, Empire, and Draxxus paintball gear, plus many more, so you can get all the supplies you need in one place. So if you want a Tippmann A-5, Tippmann 98 Custom, Smart Parts Ion, or Spyder Pilot ACS, check out Ultimate Paintball!

Posted by: Greg at 11:30 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 150 words, total size 1 kb.

Engaging in terrorism and support of terrorism by disrupting religious services strikes me as grounds for serious sanctions from religious authorities as well as civil authorities.

Six Iraq war protesters disrupted an Easter Mass on Sunday, shouting and squirting fake blood on themselves and parishioners in a packed auditorium.

Three men and three women startled the crowd during Cardinal Francis George's homily, yelling "Even the Pope calls for peace" as they were removed from the Mass by security guards and ushers.

One Mass attendee, Mike Wainscott of Chicago, yelled at the anti-war protesters.

"Are you happy with yourselves?" he said. "There were kids in there. You scared little kids with your selfish act. Are you happy now?"

The group, which calls itself Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War, said in a statement after the arrests that they targeted the Holy Name Cathedral on Easter to reach a large audience, including Chicago's most prominent Catholic citizens and the press, which usually covers the services.

Kevin Clark of International Solidarity Movement told the Chicago Tribune that he attended the Mass to serve as a witness for the protesters.

"If Cardinal George is a man of peace and is walking the walk and talking the talk, he should have confronted George Bush and demanded an immediate end to the war," Clark said.

Speaking after the service, George said, "We should all work for peace, but not by interrupting the worship of God."

First, let me note the lie in the group's name -- Catholic Schoolgirls Against the War. Setting aside the co-ed nature of the group, I cannot help but note that any true Catholic would not disrupt mass to make a political point.

And interestingly enough, these thugs were removed in a peaceful, safe manner with no injuries. I wonder what would have happened if they had descended on a mosque instead and engaged in the same sort of display, demanding that the leadership of the mosque call for an end to Muslim terrorism right at that moment? Would they have left that mosque uninjured? Would they have left with their heads still on their shoulders?

I'm curious -- when will anti-war leaders denounce these tactics of hate? And will the two remaining Democrats in the presidential race -- opponents of the war -- do so, especially since one is from Chicago.

MORE AT Michelle Malkin, Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Dan Lee, Wizbang, Macsmind, Urban Grounds, Pirates Cove, Blue Crab Blvd.

Posted by: Greg at 11:19 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 418 words, total size 4 kb.

If so, you may just want to check out this new site! They have created one of the best resources about rap artists and music on the internet. You can find out about all the new music from latest and the greatest of the genre just by stopping by and checking out their latest links to albums and articles.

Posted by: Greg at 10:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 63 words, total size 1 kb.

CHAPTER 28
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Posted by: Greg at 05:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 255 words, total size 1 kb.

Even having been away so much this month, traffic on the site has still been up quite high.

This led to a little bandwidth problem for much of the day -- a problem that has since been corrected.

I apologize for the difficulties you might have experienced earlier, and invite you all to come back and visit as often as you want, since the problem is now fixed.

Posted by: Greg at 03:45 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 76 words, total size 1 kb.

But with one minor proviso.

They must embrace key tenets of Islam and reject key tenets of Christianity.

No churches should be permitted in Saudi Arabia, unless Pope Benedict XVI recognised the prophet Mohammed, according to a Middle East expert.

While Saudi mediators are working with the Vatican on negotiations to allow places of religious worship, some experts believe it will not occur without this recognition.

Anwar Ashiqi, president of the Saudi centre for Middle East strategic studies, endorsed this view in an interview on the site of Arab satellite TV network, al-Arabiya on Thursday.

"I haven taken part in several meetings related to Islamic-Christian dialogue and there have been negotiations on this issue," he said.

"It would be possible to launch official negotiations to construct a church in Saudi Arabia only after the Pope and all the Christian churches recognise the prophet Mohammed."

"If they don't recognise him as a prophet, how can we have a church in the Saudi kingdom?"

Ashiqi's comments came after a declaration launched by the papal nuncio of the Persian Gulf, the archbishop Mounged El-Hachem, at the opening of the first Catholic church in Qatar last week.

The prelate had announced the launch of "treaties to construct a church in Saudi Arabia where it is banned to practise whatever religion they want outside Islam".

El-Hachem estimated three to four million Christians in the Saudi kingdom who want to have a church.

Let's see -- accepting Muhammad as a prophet would also require rejecting the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Oh, and also his divinity. In other words, Christians can have churches in Saudi Arabia just as soon as they apostasize and become Muslims.

Of course, that would means that there would be no need for Christian churches in Saudi Arabia. But then again, that is the Muslim view of religious freedom -- if you aren't Muslim, you have none.

Isn't it a wonderful insult for the Saudis to throw at the Christian world in the midst of the holiest season of the Christian faith?

Posted by: Greg at 06:23 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 352 words, total size 2 kb.

It sure does get hot here in Texas, as the sun beats down on Texas homes. One way of keep your house cooler is to keep light and heat out as the intensity of sunlight increases. One way to do that is with Window Blinds, shades, and other window coverings.

As we prepare for this summer, I'm thinking that maybe we need to get some of these these blackout Roman shades to help cool the house – especially since they are both stylish and affordable.

Posted by: Greg at 05:40 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 93 words, total size 1 kb.

Many were outraged that this woman was allowed out of prison after so short a time -- especially given her years on the lam. But it turns out that the state of California miscalculated, and now Kathleen Soliah (I refuse to call her by the name she adopted while on the lam -- let her always be called by the name under which she was know while engaged in terrorism) is back behind bars where she belongs.

Former Symbionese Liberation Army radical Sara Jane Olson went back to prison Saturday after just five days as a free woman.

State corrections officials said they released Olson early because of a "clerical error." They said she must now return to a women's prison in Chowchilla to serve as many as two more years for her role in crimes including the 1975 murder of a Carmichael woman during a bank robbery.

"We understand how sensitive the impact of such an error has on all involved in this case and regret the mistake," said Scott Kernan, chief of adult operations for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, at an afternoon news conference in Sacramento.

Authorities arrested Olson - known as Kathleen Soliah during her SLA days - just before midnight Friday at Los Angeles International Airport. Olson, 61, had spent her brief freedom with relatives in Palmdale. She was minutes away from boarding a plane with her husband to return to family in Minnesota when eight corrections officers stopped her.

Olson's attorney, David Nickerson of San Rafael, said corrections officials "blew it" and had no right to arrest his client, whom they had given permission to serve a year of parole in Minnesota. He said he will mount a legal challenge as soon as court offices open Monday.

"They seem to be saying, 'We were massively incompetent: We gave her the wrong release date,' " Nickerson said. "Well, if they are so incompetent, how should we believe the new release date?"

I've got a solution -- let's make Soliah's release date the day she finishes every single second of her twelve-year sentence.

Now one prominent conservative blogger did express this sentiment.

...itÂ’s hard not to sympathize with SoliahÂ’s children, who must be crushed at this unexpected turn of events.

Yes, Ed, you have expressed outrage at her early release, but I'll reserve my sympathy for this child -- the son of one of Soliah's murder victims.

Jon Opsahl of Riverside, Myrna Opsahl's son, said Saturday he's thankful Olson will have to serve at least one more year, but it's still not enough.

"The judge, on her release, said 'For Sara Jane Olson to spend another day in prison would be an injustice: She's no threat to society.' It was my mother who was no threat to society," Opsahl said.

Soliah's children will get their mother back one day -- Jon Opsahl never will.

We need a change of law in this country -- one which forbids the early release of any terrorist, foreign or domestic.

Posted by: Greg at 04:53 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 514 words, total size 3 kb.

One of the great things about free samples of products is that they make those samples are great to use when you travel. Unfortunately, we had to travel unexpectedly recently, and I was able to throw some samples into a bag to use on the trip. You know the sort of stuff – toothpaste, razors, shaving cream, deodorant and shampoo – the things that you need on a trip and don’t always find waiting for you by the sink at your hotel.

Well, one of the products I tossed in the suitcase was called Naked Naturals, a natural shampoo and conditioner that is good for your hair and the environment. What that means is that it contains natural ingredients rather than harsh chemicals. The samples I got in the mail were the Citrus and Keratin variety, which I found to be quite appealing in terms of scent and how the products worked. They left my hair clean and manageable, and – according to the claims on the product website – is 7 times more effective than a regular shampoo would have been in terms of hair flexibility and strength, as well as reducing breakage.

The other nice thing about this product is that it is all natural. Because of the lack of harsh chemicals, it does not over-lather or leave hair feeling brittle or stripped after washing and conditioning. Frankly, what more could you ask for in a product that is also good for the environment?

Posted by: Greg at 03:24 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 254 words, total size 2 kb.

So, folks, did the Easter Bunny visit your house overnight, leaving baskets of goodies for the kids?

Well, he's home now, safe and sound, taking a bit of time to relax.

Ever wonder what the Easter Bunny does after a hard night delivering candy to little kids around the world?

Well, secret cameras have caught him relaxing at home.

Check out below the fold to see how he unwinds. more...

Posted by: Greg at 02:37 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 87 words, total size 1 kb.

I have always been fascinated by clocks and the various ways people tell time. Maybe this fascination is related to my love of history (representing the past) and science fiction (representing the future) -- areas that are intimately connected with time

Of course, I've owned a great many clocks over the years. Most of them have been rather cheap, and not of high quality. But my favorite clock is the one given to by the school district to mark five years teaching there. It is a Howard Miller alarm clock, and each morning it wakes me for school. I simply love its beauty and reliability, and continue to be impressed by the quality. LetÂ’s be honest, IÂ’m surprised that the district gave us such great gifts. I plan on keeping for as long as it keeps running, which I expect to be a very long time. After all, this clock has turned out to be a very high quality one indeed.

When I got this gift, I had never heard of Howard Miller clocks My wife, though, had heard of them and was quite impressed. So was I, once she told me about them. I now know that Howard Miller clocks are among the best in the world – in particular their grandfather clocks. I hope that over the next few years, as we continue to work on our interior décor, that we will find the opportunity to include a few more Howard Miller clocks in our decorating scheme.

Posted by: Greg at 02:31 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 257 words, total size 2 kb.

We've seen the following changes in America.

Here are some of the outcomes of them being in control.

Up:

* Gasoline up from $2.19 to $3.35 or 53%
* Unemployment up from 4.5% to 5% or 11.1%
* National dept per ca pita was $27,677 then and now $31,551 or 14% higher.
* Congressional pay increase.

Down:

* Consumer confidence at multiple year lows.
* Equity value of mutual funds down $2.3 trillion.
* Home equity values down $1.2 trillion
* Congress's approval rating at all time low.

Remember, 2006 was all about change, according to the Democrats. And since the 2006 election, we've gotten plenty of change in the economy -- none of it good.

Indeed, it is likely that a Democrat victory in 2008 will result in Americans having nothing but change in their pockets and bank accounts by the time the next presidential election comes around.

Can America really afford any more of the "change" that the Democrats have given us?

Posted by: Greg at 09:29 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 176 words, total size 1 kb.

The winning entries in the Watcher's Council vote for this week are Fisking the Obama Speech by Rhymes With Right, and David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal' by The Village Voice.  Here is the link to the full results of the vote:

I am, to say the least, humbled by the outcome in the Council voting. I tried to be through and tried to be good in what was my first significant post after returning from my mother-in-law's funeral out east, but I honestly thought that the post from Bookworm Room would beat me. Thanks, though, to all my fellow members of the Watcher's COuncil for their support.

Posted by: Greg at 07:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 262 words, total size 5 kb.

After all, they openly and proudly support deeds like this.

When a poll reveals all but a fraction of Palestinians support the murder of eight innocent Jewish seminarians, it shows a people wedded to evil. It's a short trip from this hate to the kind Hitler espoused.

The West Bank-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, a professional and independent polling agency that surveys Palestinians four times a year, has found that no less than 84% of 1,270 Palestinians questioned by the center in personal interviews said they supported the March 6 shooting inside Jerusalem's Mercaz Harav yeshiva.

The slaughter was carried out by East Jerusalem resident Alaa Abu Dheim, who was himself eventually killed during his attack. All but one of the eight he killed were teens, two of them only 15 years old. Another 11 were wounded.

Pollster Khalil Shikaki was understandably shocked at the results, which also found 75% support for scrapping Israeli-Palestinian talks and 64% support for the Hamas terrorist group's thousands of recent rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip on Israeli towns.

In other words, these backwards barbarians support terrorists entering a school and shooting the teenage students inside. They support lobbing rockets randomly at civilians without regard to cease-fire agreements. And they have no interest in actually seeking peace with Israel.

And yet the US government is releasing more funding to the "government" of the Terrorstinian Anarchy. Seems to me that we are just funding more terrorism, not creating a "partner for peace".

UPDATE: A pointed reminder of those murdered in the Mercaz Harav yeshiva terrorist attack leads me to bump this post up -- please take the time to read the material below the fold, and to remember each of these young men, more...

Posted by: Greg at 07:11 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 3792 words, total size 27 kb.

Let no one say that the Clintons and their surrogates are keeping things polite.

“An act of betrayal,” said James Carville, an adviser to Mrs. Clinton and a friend of Mr. Clinton.

“Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” Mr. Carville said, referring to Holy Week.

Now once can (and should) question whether endorsing Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton really qualifies as the moral equivalent of betraying the Son of God to the Temple authorities. But one would have hoped that the Obama campaign would have considered the timing of the endorsement before choosing Good Friday as the day to make it public.

But then again, given the rhetoric of Obama's pastor comparing him to Jesus Christ in his 2007 Christmas sermon, perhaps the timing wasn't a coincidence.

OPEN TRACKBACKING AT The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary's Thoughts, The Beauty Stop, Right Truth, Shadowscope, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, Pursuing Holiness, ARISTO_GATTA, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, Miss Beth's Victory Dance, Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, , , Right Voices, A Blog For All, 123beta, Adam's Blog, Oblogatory Anecdotes, Phastidio.net, Big Dog's Weblog, Cao's Blog, Conservative Cat, Faultline USA, Nuke Gingrich, Allie is Wired, McCain Blogs, The World According to Carl, Walls of the City, Blue Star Chronicles, Wolf Pangloss, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Posted by: Greg at 05:36 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 249 words, total size 5 kb.

Oysters! They provide us with a wonderful food and the beauty of pearls. What a glory we find in this creation of God – food and jewels in one humble, unremarkable creature. It is a thing of wonder.

Now imagine the possibility if the forces of creation had just tweaked the oyster a little bit more. What if, instead of pearls and the delicacy of the flesh of the oyster, we got other things when we cracked open the oysterÂ’s shell? Right now, I think an oyster that produced gasoline when irritated by a grain of sand would be quite useful. Imagine a sea bed full of genetically engineered oysters off the coast of the United States allowing the country to become energy independent! Well, it makes for a nice fantasy.

Unfortunately, there is something else that we can get from Gulf oysters – we can become ill from the bacteria that they carry if we are not careful. You need to be oyster aware when you eat oysters, especially those you gather yourself. Indeed, the consumption of undercooked oysters can result in a person becoming ill from the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. At BeOysterAware.com, you can learn about the problems caused by Vibrio vulnificus and how to avoid the contamination. If you love oysters, check out this site to make sure that you remain healthy.

Posted by: Greg at 05:30 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 231 words, total size 2 kb.

Here's hoping that folks in Wilmer, Texas, have the common sense and common decency to vote against this guy.

A registered sex offender is running for mayor of a Dallas-area town.

James Brian Sliter wants to be mayor of Wilmer. The election is May 10.

Records show that Sliter was arrested four years ago for arranging sex with someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl on the Internet. When Sliter got to the meeting place, he was greeted by police instead of a teenager.

Sliter, who is now 42, said he needs to prove that he can be an asset to his community. He says that he's truly sorry and hopes voters realize that people make mistakes.

Sliter was charged with attempting to sexually assault a child and placed on 10 years probation, according to state records. He's eligible to run because he received deferred adjudication and not a conviction.

First, attempting to arrange to have sex with a child is not "a mistake".

Second, I hope the Texas Legislature takes the time to fix state law so as to make any registered sex offender ineligible to run for office.

Posted by: Greg at 05:14 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 198 words, total size 1 kb.

Are you in to fantasy baseball? IÂ’ll admit that I field a team or two most springs, and IÂ’ve found it to be a fun and exciting thing to do. If you enjoy baseball fantasy, then you need to have a good software program to help you run your league or pick your players. One of the best of the programs out there is called Fantasy Sports Prophet's Fantasy Baseball. This program is a complete web-based fantasy software system designed to provide you the fantasy sports player with great fun (and hopefully great success) in your endeavors.

This software is definitely a must-have because of the many great features it has. For example, the program is web-based, with no software to install or download. It provides you with the most advance draft assistance tool available. Using a unique proprietary blend of Artificial Intelligent, Predictive Analytics, and Data Mining, Fantasy Sports ProphetÂ’s Fantasy Baseball provides some of the most accurate player projections you will find. The player management tools to help you manage rosters throughout the season. The program provides great draft tools, stats, injury reports and regular major updates available from within the software. What more could you ask for?

" width="500" height="438" border="0" />

This software seems to be really great. That means that you have the potential to get the big payoff when you win in your league. Right now you can take advantage of a $10-off promotion by using the promo code BMC200.

Posted by: Greg at 05:10 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 250 words, total size 2 kb.