February 14, 2008
Not only is the price right, but so is the quality. If you doubt me, look at the wood blinds and other sorts of blinds and shades they hang when next you watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They provide the blinds and shades for the show.
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The "Star Wars" universe, already substantially rendered by computer generated imagery, is giving in all the way to animation."Star Wars: The Clone Wars," an animated film, will open in theaters Aug. 15 and be followed by a TV series of the same name, to air on the Cartoon Network and TNT this fall.
"I felt there were a lot more 'Star Wars' stories left to tell," said "Star Wars" creator George Lucas in a statement. "I was eager to start telling some of them through animation and, at the same time, push the animation forward."
Add to that the upcoming live-action spin-off series, and I think there is still some life left in the franchise.
However, there is one aspect of the Star Wars universe that this leaves unexplored – one that really ought to be done.
As most fans (especially of my generation) know, at one time Lucas' conception of Star Wars involved a "trilogy of trilogies". We now have the classic Star Wars trilogy (episodes 4-6) and the more recent trilogy (episodes 1-3), showing us the descent of the Republic into Empire and the overthrow of that Empire. Why not give us that additional trilogy – what were originally to be episodes 7-9 – as animated films. This would complete the original George Lucas vision without the difficulties of writing, directing, and producing three more live-action films.
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Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan joined a protest Wednesday seeking the support of Egypt's first lady in ending a military trial of members of the country's largest Islamic organization.Under the watchful eyes of dozens of black-clad and helmeted anti-riot police, some 50 heavily veiled wives and children of 40 senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood detained for the past year, gathered in front of the headquarters of first lady Suzanne Mubarak's National Council Women carrying banners calling for their release.
* * * "As a mother of a son who was killed in the war, I presented a letter to Ms. Suzanne Mubarak to realize how those women and children are suffering."
Yeah, my heart bleeds for the children of terrorists and terrorist supporters.
Not.
And when you consider the history of the Muslim Brotherhood and the ideology it supports, for Cindy Sheehan to be campaigning in favor of them while invoking her son's sacrifice is the moral equivalent of her fornicating with a dog on her son's grave.
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Mexican president Felipe Calderon called for a return to the bracero programme of the 1950s as a way to address issues of immigration and illegal workers between the US and Mexico. Calderon made the statements in an address to the California legislature, where he said that immigration "carries off the best among us" and vowed to create economic conditions that would allow Mexicans to find well-paid work at home."While my government is committed to protecting the rights of all Mexicans, including those living beyond our borders, we are taking great efforts to ensure that in the future no Mexican needs to leave our country to find job opportunities elsewhere," he said.
Calderon reminded legislators that Mexico is the top destination for California exports, and he recalled the bracero programme from the 1940s-60s as a system that met both countries' needs.
"We need to make migration legal, safe and organized," said Calderon, who met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
And I think Calderon hit on one point – Mexico needs to clean up its act politically and economically so that border jumping ends. After all, the current immigration situation is indicative of the reality that, at this point in time, MEXICO SUCKS! I know that is a harsh statement to make, but the reality is that the country is currently a kleptocracy in which the common people are oppressed by corrupt government officials on the one hand and criminal gangs on the other -- to the degree that the two are not one and the same.
And let me say it again – I am not opposed to Mexicans coming to work, or even live permanently, in the United States. I object to their doing those things in violation of our nation's laws and sovereignty.
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"We'll also eliminate income taxes for any retiree making less than $50,000 per year, because our seniors are struggling enough with rising costs, and should be able to retire in dignity and respect."
I'm curious -- as a public school teacher who makes less that $50K a year, will I be given the opportunity to work with dignity and respect? After all, I struggle with rising prices, too!
Somehow I doubt it. After all, the junior Senator from Illinois wants to ensure that my Bush-sponsored tax cut is eliminated, effectively giving me a tax increase.
So much for respect and dignity for workers – you know, the very folks the Democrats CLAIM to represent.
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February 13, 2008
Oh, wait -- if he had any decency he wouldn't have been trying to pick up guys in bathroom stalls.
So I don't expect this aciton by the Ethics Committee to have much effect.
Senator Larry E. Craig was admonished by his colleagues on Wednesday for conduct that reflected poorly on the Senate as the result of his arrest and guilty plea last summer in an undercover sex sting in a menÂ’s bathroom at the Minneapolis airport.The reprimand handed down by the Senate Ethics Committee said that Mr. CraigÂ’s conduct in the bathroom was improper and that his actions after his arrest appeared to be an effort to evade the legal consequences in violation of the code of ethics for government service.
Committee members also raised questions about Mr. CraigÂ’s conversion of over $200,000 in campaign money to pay legal fees, noting that he had not cleared that action as required with the committee. The panel said it would consider further use of campaign money without approval as showing a continuing disregard for ethics rules.
Unfortunately, the committee didn't recommend more serious sanctions, especially in light of the financial misconduct that was cited. That's too bad, because it signals that there is a serious flaw in the ethics process.
The GOP has called upon Larry Craig to get ut of the Senate. I wonder why the Ethics Committee failed to take steps towards making that a reality. Could it be fear by top Democrats -- including San Francisco's own Barbara Boxer, who chairs the committee -- that taking that drastic step could be seen negatively by the gay community?
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IraqÂ’s parliamentary leaders on Wednesday pushed through three far-reaching measures that had been delayed for weeks by bitter political maneuvering that became so acrimonious that some lawmakers threatened to try to dissolve the legislative body.More than any previous legislation, the new initiatives have the potential to spur reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites and set the country on the road to a more representative government, starting with new provincial elections.
The voting itself was a significant step forward for the Parliament, where even basic quorums have been rare. In a classic legislative compromise, the three measures, each of which was a burning issue for at least one faction, were packaged together for a single vote to encourage agreement across sectarian lines.
“Today we have a wedding party for the Iraqi Parliament,” said Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, the speaker, who is a Sunni. “We have proved that Iraqis are one bloc and Parliament is able to find solutions that represent all Iraqis.”
Yes, there is still more work to do, but this is one more key step along the way.
And for those who claim that this is all taking too long, I offer the reminder that it took several years to get the Articles of Confederation approved after they were written -- and several more years to produce a truly functional government under the Constitution. Indeed, it was 13 years from the signing f the Declaration of Independence to the inauguration of George Washington. In other words, creating workable political institutions takes time.
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One of my fellow teachers recently came across a website called arcmktg.com. They offer a wide variety of items for fundraising – things like custom silicone bracelets and custom car magnets. Those are great items in and of themselves -- the silicone bracelets are “in” right now among teenagers, and the custom car magnets are a great item for parents, teachers, and students who drive. Frankly, I think they would be awesome items to sell for any school fundraiser. So if you are looking to raise money for your organization or club, check out arcmktg.com.
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ItÂ’s a high-risk play for the once undisputed Democratic front-runner. It also may be the only maneuver she has left after rival Barack Obama managed to effectively counter her planned Super Tuesday knock-out punch.Since then, heÂ’s seized momentum by racking up eight wins on friendly turf, including three more Tuesday in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
“How do you survive all of the Obama money, momentum and media between now and March 4 when it looks like you are going to lose everything in between, including the Democrats Abroad vote?” asked unaligned Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh.
And there is a particularly dangerous aspect to this strategy -- she has to dismiss Obama voters as somehow unimportant and unrepresentative of America.
But her strategy is fraught with risks, not the least of which is dismissing the relevance of thousands of pro-Obama Democratic voters in small caucus states and in the seemingly hostile terrain of traditional Republican strongholds.“It’s not a factor,” was how Clinton dismissed Obama victories in Maine, Nebraska, Louisiana, Virgin Islands and Washington state in an interview with WJLA and Politico on Monday.
“We had a great night on Super Tuesday. We’re winning the states that we have to win. The big states that are really going to determine whether the Democrats win,” she said during the televised discussion.
So got that folks -- if you live in a state won by Barack Obama, you really aren't all that important to Hillary. I'm sure that will leave you motivated to get out and vote for her in November, right?
Yeah, Hillary Clinton is starting to look and sound a lot like Rudy Giuliani -- without the charm.
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DD, 
)), 
(, 
,
I want to take a journey 68 million years back in time to see a Tyrannosaurus rex couple mating. What was it like? Did they trumpet and bellow and stamp their feet? Did they thrash their enormous tails? Did he bite her neck in rapture and exude a musky scent? Somehow, I imagine that when two T. rex got it on, the earth shook for miles around.And if I could only take this journey, I could answer a question that sometimes bothers me. Did T. rex have a penis? Did he even, as lizards do, have two?
Uhhhhhhh. . . YEAH.
I'm pretty sure that the above will be the single most unusual thing i will read today.
And require years of therapy to expunge it from my brain.
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Budget Dry Waterproofing offers repair services that won't cost you a fortune. They are quite reasonable, and can often save you 15% or more than the big name contractors. For CT basement waterproofing contractors you will be hard pressed to find a better price than the folks at Budget Dry Waterproofing offer. Even better, they provide a lifetime warranty on their work.
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![cohenflier[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/cohenflier[1].jpg)
Yeah, that's right -- the Klan with a Tan is back at work. Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN9) is too white and too Jewish to be allowed to represent a district in Memphis that is predominantly black and Christian -- and securely Democrat.
If you thought race was an uncomfortable issue in the Democratic presidential primary, wait 'til you get a load of what's going on in the Democratic primary in the Memphis area's 9th District of Tennessee, where a shockingly worded flier paints Jewish Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) as a Jesus hater."Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen and the JEWS HATE Jesus," blares the flier, which Cohen himself received in the mail -- inducing gasps -- last week.
Circulated by an African-American minister from Murfreesboro Tenn., which isn't even in Cohen's district, the literature encourages other black leaders in Memphis to "see to it that one and ONLY one black Christian faces this opponent of Christ and Christianity in the 2008 election."
Congressman Cohen's (black) opponent, Nikki Tinker, cannot even stir herself to condemn this vile garbage. She is clearly unfit for ANY office -- and any black minister in the vicinity who does not loudly condemn this sort of garbage is unfit for his or her pulpit.
Oh, wait -- the black ministers of the area already started a race-baiting pogrom against Cohen several months ago. I guess that you don't have to be a Christian to pastor a black church in Memphis -- for in Christ there is no Jew or Greek, or any other racial distinction.
But if this is the game the game that these folks want to play in 2008, maybe Hillary Clinton can adopt the the following slogan for her future campaign ads:
Somehow I think that we would not see anything approaching the level of silence that we have gotten in the case of these race and religion based attacks on Cohen.
Speaking for myself, I condemn the attack on Cohen, the ministers making it, and the Democrat Party for not speaking out against it.
I further invite anyone offended by such racism to join the party of inclusion and equality -- the Republican Party.
And to quote the always spot-on Ed Morrissey:
We've listened to insults from Democrats for years for far less than this.
After all, this is real bigotry, not the ersatz kind the Democrats accuse the Republican Party of supporting.
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February 12, 2008
DenmarkÂ’s three main newspapers will take the provocative step today of reprinting a cartoon showing the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb instead of a turban after the arrest yesterday of three suspected Islamic terrorists for plotting to murder the artist.The cartoon by Kurt Westergaard was one of 12 depicting the prophet which triggered riots around the world leading to dozens of deaths when they first appeared in 2005. The violent backlash demonstrated starkly the incendiary interface between Islam and the boundaries of freedom of expression in Europe.
Mr Westergaard, who has spent three months moving between secret addresses while security services tracked the alleged plotters, was back at work yesterday to draw a self-portrait for today’s editions. It shows him still clutching his pen and a Danish flag, but he is obscured by a dark and bloody cloud featuring Arabic script which declares: “Glorious Koran.”
![westergaardjp[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/westergaardjp[1].jpg)
H/T Gates of Vienna
At least Westgaard is willing to say exactly where the threat to his life is coming from -- the very heart of Islam itself, not some theological outliers. After all, even mainstream Muslims have demanded that human rights take a back seat to Islam's parochial prohibitions on depicting their false prophet.
Bravo to the editors who have decided that such threats and intimidation cannot stand.
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T. Jeffrey Safari Company offers hunters the opportunity for safaris all across the world, specifically seeking big game and rare species. At their website you can book yourself a great South African hunting safari in places like South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Khomas and the Kalahari, hunting for animals like leopard, cape buffalo, lion, elephant and rhinoceros. These safari trips to Africa last 8 days. And when you are done, you will have your big cat or other animalÂ’s head on your wall.
Check out the website TJSafari.com for more information about the safaris and, of course, the prices. Their packages are cheaper than you will find when you compare them to other companies and they have an experienced staff that knows everything about hunting safaris. If you are not sure whether this type of trip would be right for you there are helpful FAQÂ’s and useful hunting tips and safari tips available on the website to help you make up your mind.
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As a possible first Madame President, Hillary is a flawed science experiment because you canÂ’t take Bill out of the equation. Her story is wrapped up in her marriage, and her marriage is wrapped up in a series of unappetizing compromises, arrangements and dependencies.Instead of carving out a separate identity for herself, she has become more entwined with Bill. She is running bolstered by his record and his muscle. She touts her experience as first lady, even though her judgment during those years on issue after issue was poor. She says sheÂ’s learned from her mistakes, but thatÂ’s not a compelling pitch.
Hillary Clinton is, arguably, an impressive woman. She is, arguably, intelligent and competent. But the reality is that we cannot separate her from Bill Clinton in the popular mind. She not only made it to the top by marrying well and promoting her husband's career until it gave her a springboard into the national limelight, she did so in a way that excused his every flaw and put personality above principle. Indeed, much of her campaign is based upon her husband's presidency, not any compelling aspect of her own life, experience, or qualifications.
The day is coming -- and will hopefully come soon -- when we elect a woman to the White House. But when that day comes, we need to be electing her -- or rejecting her, for that matter -- on her own merits. That will never happen with Hillary, which is part of why we are seeing such weakness in her candidacy. I just wish the feet of clay had not been exposed until after she had secured the nomination.
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And if you have a blogger who you love, why not take advantage of the fact that it is ValentineÂ’s Day tomorrow and surprise them by giving them the personal domain that they want. ItÂ’s not expensive at all, especially if youÂ’ll get the Rudolph plan that youÂ’ll find at TopHostingCenter.com. This is probably the best hosting option that youÂ’ll find on the market. Rudolph plan has a one time fee of $95, and with it you get web hosting and one free domain for life! What a gift!
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Senator Barack Obama rolled to victory by large margins in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia on Tuesday, extending his winning streak over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to eight Democratic nominating contests.The outcome provided him his first chance to assert that the Democratic race, which had seemed to be heading into a protracted standoff, is beginning to break in his direction. And it left Mrs. Clinton facing weeks in which she has few opportunities for the kind of victory that would alter the race in her favor after a string of defeats notable not just for their number but also their magnitude.
* * * In Tuesday’s contests, Mr. Obama showed impressive strength among not only the groups that have backed him in earlier contests — blacks, younger voters, the affluent and self-described independents — but also among older voters, women and lower-income people, the core of Mrs. Clinton’s support up to now, according to exit polls. Mr. Obama also won majorities of white men and Hispanic voters in Virginia, though not in Maryland.
With almost all precincts reporting, Mr. Obama won 75 percent of the vote in the District of Columbia and 64 percent in Virginia. He had 60 percent of the vote in Maryland with results from 67 percent of the precincts.
On the Republican side, Senator John McCain won in Virginia over Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, virtually eliminating any threat that Mr. Huckabee might have posed to Mr. McCainÂ’s status as his partyÂ’s all but certain nominee.
Mr. Huckabee got a boost from conservative and evangelical Christian voters in the state, but not enough to overcome support among moderates and nonevangelical Christians for Mr. McCain, who won 50 percent of the vote. Mr. McCain also prevailed in the District of Columbia, with 68 percent of the vote, and in Maryland, where he had 55 percent of the vote with 67 percent of the precincts reporting.
My fellow Republicans, it is time to accept the reality that this race is over on our side. Barring a miracle -- like winning every remaining state with 75% of the vote -- Mike Huckabee is effectively out of the race for the nomination EXCEPT as a way of expressing your discontent with McCain, something I feel is better done by casting your vote for the candidate of your choice (in my case Mitt Romney) than for the last challenger standing. But regardless of this race, remember it is still important for you to vote in the primary because of all the down-ballot races, whether we are talking about Congress, the state legislature, or local races.
On the Democrat side, I see a stark choice. The Democrats have to decide between a moderately qualified candidate with high negatives and an ill-defined novice whose appeal is more charismatic than anything else. A vote either way sows dissension, due to the skill with which each side has played interest group politics and divided the voting blocs within their party. Ultimately, I urge Democrats to remember that the important thing is not which first comes first, but rather which candidate will be a more effective president. I don't pretend to offer advice as to which one that is, simply ask that you pick wisely for the good of the nation.
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Fort Bend County Elections Administrator J.R. Perez is concerned that the county won’t be able to handle an anticipated high voter turnout at the March 4 primary elections, and he’s taking that concern to county Commissioners Court today.Florida experienced a 45% voter turnout – three times the normal turnout – and California also saw numbers approaching triple its normal voter turnout, Perez said.
“If we have even two times the normal turnout, it would be 35% to 40%” of the voters turning out in Fort Bend County, Perez said Tuesday morning. “We don’t have the equipment to handle a 40% turnout. No matter what I do, I don’t have enough equipment.”
Excuse me? You donÂ’t have the machines to handle a 40% turnout? What were you planning to do in November, during the general election?
And then there is this asinine statement.
Perez said he has been calculating the anticipated amount of time it will take people in various Fort Bend County precincts to vote in the March election, giving the anticipated high turnout, and the number of available election workers and voting machines.In numerous cases, he found it would require 14 hours or more in order for everyone to cast their ballots.
Unfortunately, poll locations are only open for 12 hours.
Not exactly true.
While polling places in Texas are open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Election Day, state law requires that every voter in line at 7:00 PM be permitted to vote before the polls are closed. And while this might cause the precinct conventions to start late in many precincts, that inconvenience is a small price to pay to ensure that every voter does get to vote.
But if Fort Bend County Elections Administrator J.R. Perez doesn’t realize that the polls must remain open – after not ensuring that the county had sufficient voting machines – then perhaps he needs to be replaced.
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Early Tuesday morning, Danish police arrested several people with a Muslim background suspected of conspiring to kill Kurt Westergaard, a Danish cartoonist with Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten.Two of those arrested are Tunisian citizens, one a Danish citizen, according to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, which has followed the group for months. The 40-year old Danish citizen is of Moroccan origin. He has been charged with attempted violation of section 114 of the Danish anti-terrorism act. After being interrogated, he will probably be discharged, according to the security and intelligence service.
Pursuant to the regulations of the Danish aliensÂ’ act, the two Moroccan citizens are held in custody in preparation for expulsion from Denmark.
Excues me? They are just going to let them go? What about firm retribution and imprisonment for their terroristic plot?
And even more galling is the reaction of a leading Danish Muslim.
Kasem Ahmad, a spokesman for the Copenhagen-based Islamic Faith Community, a network of Muslim groups that spearheaded protests against the cartoons in Denmark, said he hoped Tuesday's arrests would not rekindle the uproar."We urge Muslims to take it calmly," he told the TV2 News network.
Muslims ought to take it calmly? Why? Because the Danish authorities were so disrespectful of a group of Muslims out to bring a little sharia justice to Kurt Westergaard? If anything, this follower of the religion of jihad ought to be begging the Danish people to show restraint in the face of one more unacceptable provocation by followers of a religion that claims the right to do violence to those who dare to use their human rights.
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The State Department is considering supporting the Palestinian Authority in its quest to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments won by American victims of Palestinian terrorist attacks in Israel, according to Palestinian officials and defense lawyers involved in the cases.U.S. officials insist that no decision has been made regarding the complex litigation, which could force the Bush administration to choose between supporting compensation for victims of terrorism and bolstering the Palestinian government as the United States presses for a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Testimony in Israeli courts has connected senior Palestinian leaders -- such as the late Yasser Arafat -- to specific terrorist attacks involved in the lawsuits. But Palestinian officials have argued that it makes no sense for the United States to be providing millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority while U.S. courts are threatening to bankrupt it.
1) It already makes no sense to provide even one thin dime to the Terrorstinian Anarchy.
2) Refusing to allow American citizens to be made whole following terrorist attacks is, in my opinion, nothing short of complicity in those attacks.
3) Exactly whose interests does the State Department represent?
If the Bush Administration intervenes here on the side of the Terrorstinians, IÂ’ll support impeachment.
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You can see it in their flushed-face smiles and hear it in their screams. They say the phenomenon is difficult to describe, but once they experience it they tell their friends, sisters, mothers and daughters, and they come back for more if they can."He's very charismatic. It was a 'you-had-to-be-there' kind of experience," said Lolita Breckenridge, 37, after hearing Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama address a packed rally at the University of Maryland on Monday.
A dedicated supporter, she brought two of her friends to hear the Illinois senator deliver one of his much-talked-about speeches.
"Not too much of the speech was new to me," she admitted. "But hearing him live..." she trailed off, shaking her head and grinning.
When Obama addressed the crowd of 16 000 on the eve of primaries which he is tipped to win in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC, he carried himself with his habitual worldly confidence, interspersed talk of foreign policy with recollections of his childhood and even poked political fun at his Republican adversaries.
He did not flinch when women screamed as he was in mid-sentence, and even broke off once to answer a female's cry of "I love you Obama!" with a reassuring: "I love you back."
Oh.
Come.
On.
And if anything, the stories in this article get even more saccharine sweet. But what the article fails to deal with, but Hillary Clinton points out in this article, is that Obama is lacking in any specifics.
But then again if all you are into is sex appeal and vague promises of “change” by a candidate who you want to “Barack My World” I guess that substantive policy proposals aren’t all that important.
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Seriously, Pepperdine University is the place for you! PepperdineÂ’s Graziadio School of Business is one you ought to consider, because it is consistently viewed as a high quality program by those who evaluate such things. Not only that, but the Graziadio SchoolÂ’s alumni have consistently been leaders in their field. This program at Pepperdine University offer excellent programs for full-time students, part-time students, and business executives. So it really doesnÂ’t matter whether you are looking for a program where you are in-residence at the university or one that accommodates your full-time work schedule, Pepperdine University has precisely the program that meet your needs. The program is available to you in various parts of California -- many in the Los Angeles area, but some are offered in other parts of California as well. So take a look at their website at http://bschool.pepperdine.edu/programs/executive/ to find out about executive and other MBA programs.
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February 11, 2008
Mrs. Clinton held a buck-up-the-troops conference call on Monday with donors, superdelegates and other supporters; several said afterward that she had sounded tired and a little down, but determined about Ohio and Texas.They also said that they had not been especially soothed, and that they believed she might be on a losing streak that could jeopardize her competitiveness in those states.
“She has to win both Ohio and Texas comfortably, or she’s out,” said one superdelegate who has endorsed Mrs. Clinton, and who spoke on condition of anonymity to share a candid assessment. “The campaign is starting to come to terms with that.” Campaign advisers, also speaking privately in order to speak plainly, confirmed this view.
This means, of course, that we folks here in Texas should expect the former First Lady to be in the state a great deal over the next three weeks. That also means that we will see a lot of her husband in town as well. Quick! Lock up the women!
But seriously, folks, this is a race that was supposed to be all locked up by now, according to the conventional wisdom. That it isn't is a sign of big trouble for the Clinton campaign, which is taking body blow after body blow with defeats in the primaries. And with polling numbers favoring Obama in the general election, there is a serious question about who the Democrats will nominate.
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And where are they going? In many cases, back home.
Property managers report that families have uprooted overnight, with little or no notice. Carlos Flores Vizcarra, the Mexican consul general in Phoenix, said while he could not tie the phenomenon to a single factor, the consulate had experienced an “unusual” five-fold increase in parents applying for Mexican birth certificates for their children and other documents that often are a prelude to moving.
Hasta la vista, baby! Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Lawbreakers are not welcome here.
But if you go get in line with the honest people seeking legal admittance to this country, you'll be welcomed back with open arms.
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11:10 PM
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So far, folks participating in the program offered by SchoolPop.com have contributed over $200 million to such organization. You can even contribute by just paying your student loans through them!
Sounds like easy middle school fundraisers and other school organization fundraising activities, doing things you would do anyway.
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11:01 PM
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The Pentagon has charged six detainees at Guantanamo Bay with murder and war crimes in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks. Officials said Monday they'll seek the death penalty in what would be the first capital trials under the terrorism-era military tribunal system."These charges allege a long term, highly sophisticated, organized plan by al-Qaida to attack the United States of America," Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Hartmann, the legal adviser to the tribunal system, told reporters. He said a total of 169 charges were sworn against suspects "alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks" in 2001 that killed nearly 3,000 people.
Hartmann said the six include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the attacks in which hijackers flew planes into buildings in New York and Washington. Another hijacked plane crashed in the fields of western Pennsylvania.
The case here is likely to be air-tight, given the time it took to build it and the efforts made to create a tribunal system that is the equivalent to what our troops receive under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. And any sentence less than death will certainly appear inadequate due to the crimes committed against this nation by these terrorist bastards.
Now the timing of this will make for some interesting politics. These guys are quite clearly guilty -- but no doubt some diseased segments of the body politic are going to want them let off due to issues related to Gitmo and waterboarding. That response of the presidential candidates will show who is serious about national security against terrorism and who is not.
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AbtElectronics .com has great prices and a huge selection on audio, video, and home appliances, including washers, dryers, trash compactors, microwaves, and microwave accessories. If you want it, AbtElectronics.com has got it for you -- take these USB cards, just as an example.
Not only that, but they have been in business for nearly seven decades, with a huge brick-and-mortar presence in Glenview, Illinois. They are known for their great customer service, too -- and I know, because my family used to buy from Abt Electronics when I was a kid! Now the great customer service is available nationwide!
Even better -- AbtElectronics.com has their merchandise in stock, so they can ship most items on the same day you order it.
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06:07 PM
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![obama-houston[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/obama-houston[1].jpg)
Democrat Presidential candidate Barack Obama already has an issue with wearing American Flag lapel pins, and even with putting his hand over his heart when the American National Anthem is playing. It will be interesting to see how he'll react (if at all) to the flag hanging in one of his new campaign offices in Houston, Texas.
Yep, that's right -- that is the national flag of Cuba hanging on the wall with none other than Che Guevara superimposed on it.
I somehow doubt that will go over well here in Houston. I hope our Cuban-American County Treasurer Orlando Sanchez makes a big issue out of this one. After all, is a candidate promoting communism -- and a murderous beast like Che -- out of his campaign office really fit to be President of the United States?
UPDATE: Captain Ed has some pointed comments on this situation -- and is involved in a war of words with John Cole of Balloon Juice over it. Cole wants to paint it as a protest against America's Cuba policy -- but is that really what this is?
Besides, Cole and his commenters, as well as the DUmmies (according to Flopping Aces, who waded into the feever swamp), are arguing that it isn't a big deal since the office is currently staffed only with volunteers -- that it would only be significant if there were actual paid staff working there. I'm curious -- would they take the same position if there were Swastika flag with the face of Hitler in a John McCain office? How about something more innocuous -- a Confederate flag with a portrait of Robert E. Lee? Am I alone in believing that there would be a sh!t storm over either of those displays, and that the Left would insist that it didn't matter if the workers were volunteers or not?
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British Olympic chiefs are to force athletes to sign a contract promising not to speak out about China's appalling human rights record – or face being banned from travelling to Beijing.The move – which raises the spectre of the order given to the England football team to give a Nazi salute in Berlin in 1938 – immediately provoked a storm of protest.
The controversial clause has been inserted into athletes' contracts for the first time and forbids them from making any political comment about countries staging the Olympic Games.
It is contained in a 32-page document that will be presented to all those who reach the qualifying standard and are chosen for the team.
From the moment they sign up, the competitors – likely to include the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and world record holder Paula Radcliffe – will be effectively gagged from commenting on China's politics, human rights abuses or illegal occupation of Tibet.
But then again, this should be no shock. The current head of the British Olympic Association, Lord Colin Moynihan, violated the 1980 boycott of the Moscow Olympics to suck up to the Reds in Moscow. Of course he will act in a manner supportive of Communist dictatorship and oppression again in 2008 when given the chance.
No telling if British Olympians will be required to offer a salute to the dictators in Beijing like their predecessors were seven decades ago.
![naziMOS0902_468x196[1].jpg](http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/images/naziMOS0902_468x196[1].jpg)
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World champion boxer Bernard Hopkins, who will fight the undefeated Briton Joe Calzaghe in April, believes black Democratic contender Barak Obama would be assassinated "within months" if he became US president in November.Hopkins, the world light-heavyweight boxing champion, told The Independent on Sunday: "I don't think America is ready for an African-American in the White House. If he gets the nomination they won't let him become president, but if they do, it will be for a short time, maybe less than a month or two. His life would be in jeopardy.
"People may say it is time for change but when it comes down to it, I don't think America is ready for that type of heat."
Hopkins, 43, arguably the most politically controversial figure in US sport since Muhammad Ali, has been accused of being racially motivated for saying he would "never lose to a white boy". He refused to retract the comment when he came face to face this week with Calzaghe, the undefeated world super-middleweight champion, in London.
IÂ’ll put my money on the Brit, Calzaghe.
Not because he is white, but because Hopkins is a racist who believes that his political views are particularly significant. The reality is that Obama is popular among most Americans, and even those of us on the GOP side respect him and generally like him. But I do not see the level of racial animosity – other than that stoked by the Clintons for their own political ambitions – that Hopkins is claiming exists here.
I’m wondering – will Hillary denounce this supporter and his hateful words?
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10:31 AM
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We donÂ’t have to come from the same political party.
You just have to be a decent person.
The US House of Representatives lost one of those today.
Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, has died. He was 80.Spokeswoman Lynne Weil said Lantos died early Monday at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland. He was surrounded by his wife, Annette, two daughters, and many of his 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Annette Lantos said in a statement that her husband's life was "defined by courage, optimism, and unwavering dedication to his principles and to his family."
Lantos, a Democrat who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, disclosed last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. He said at the time that he would serve out his 14th term but would not seek re-election in his Northern California district, which takes in the southwest portion of San Francisco and suburbs to the south including Lantos' home of San Mateo.
White House press secretary Dana Perino announced the news of Lantos' death to reporters at a morning briefing.
And I never doubted that this amazing man truly loved this country – or that he was an example of just how great this country is.
Lantos, who referred to himself as "an American by choice," was born to Jewish parents in Budapest, Hungary, and was 16 when Adolf Hitler occupied Hungary in 1944. He survived by escaping twice from a forced labor camp and coming under the protection of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who used his official status and visa-issuing powers to save thousands of Hungarian Jews.
Lantos' mother and much of his family perished in the Holocaust.
* * * "It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a member of Congress," Lantos said upon announcing his retirement last month. "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."
“An American by choice.” What a marvelous phrase. Indeed, what a tribute to the country he loved. And what a beautiful tribute to this country, where he truly lived out the American dream.
But that was not the only turn of phrase that will stick in my mind. When confronting internet executives who had turned over information about dissidents to the Red Chinese dictators, Lantos was forthright.
"Morally, you are pygmies," he berated top executives of Yahoo Inc. at a hearing he called in November 2007 as they defended their company's involvement in the jailing of a Chinese journalist.
I wish I had said that, for it expresses my sentiments better than I did at the time.
And then there is this profoundly moving happening in his life, something I had not known but which is in many ways proof of the old saying that love overcomes time and place and events.
In 1950 he married Annette, his childhood sweetheart, with whom he'd managed to reunite after the war.
How do you manage to find the ones you love after a profoundly evil happening like the Holocaust? That they managed to do so is a tribute to the love they had for each other – a love that endured for some six decades. My deepest condolences to Annette Lantos and her family.
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February 10, 2008
The bitterness of the fight for the Democratic nomination is, on the face of it, bizarre. Both candidates still standing are smart and appealing. Both have progressive agendas (although I believe that Hillary Clinton is more serious about achieving universal health care, and that Barack Obama has staked out positions that will undermine his own efforts). Both have broad support among the partyÂ’s grass roots and are favorably viewed by Democratic voters.Supporters of each candidate should have no trouble rallying behind the other if he or she gets the nod.
Why, then, is there so much venom out there?
I won’t try for fake evenhandedness here: most of the venom I see is coming from supporters of Mr. Obama, who want their hero or nobody. I’m not the first to point out that the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality. We’ve already had that from the Bush administration — remember Operation Flight Suit? We really don’t want to go there again.
Of course, the problem is that the "Clinton rules" were developed during a time when we had an administration in office that was dishonest to its root. If the Clinton's claimed it was raining, you still needed to look outside just to make sure. The ease with which the Clintons lied and attempted to reinvent themselves was striking -- and the damage that they did to this country was horrific.
I don't want to see Barack Obama elected president. i think he is wrong for America. But I do believe that he has a moral compass -- something that is sorely lacking on both sides of the Clinton marriage. And if noting that fact makes either me or th supporters of Barack Obama "unfair" to Hillary Clinton, then the problem is with the media lap dogs who view the Clintons as American royalty to whom there should be incredible deference.
After all, Mr. Krugman, the Clintons earnd the contempt in which they are held by much of the American public.
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11:34 PM
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Well, not REAL real guns – real paintball guns!
And if you want to have fun living out that desire to play paintball, you need a good place to play the game. You know, so that you can a realistic experience of playing such a shooting game. But where do you find such a place?
Well, if you are in Indiana, you have got to make a trip to White River Paintball Field. The the White River field is an outdoor/wooded paintball playing field designed players of all levels in the Indianapolis metro area. What makes this place so great is that not only can you go have a fun shooting your gun, but you can also participate in various scenario games. These scenario games are designed for more advanced paintballers who are ready for some fierce competition with others. White River's first big game is already planned for the summer of 2008, so you have plenty of time to get ready. If this interests you, check out their site right away.
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11:30 PM
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If it was defeating the enemies of the US, it is a success.
On the other hands, it is an unmitigated disaster if the goal is providing the Democrats with an issue to beat the Republicans with.
Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman, said the documents released Sunday offered proof that al-Qaida in Iraq had been severely disrupted by the so-called awakening movement and changing U.S. tactics, but he stressed the terror network was by no means defeated.The military said the two documents were discovered last year by American troops in November as the Sunni movement that began in Anbar province was spreading to Baghdad and surrounding areas.
One was a 39-page memo written by a mid- to high-level al-Qaida official with knowledge of the group's operations in Iraq's western Anbar province; the other a 16-page diary written by another group leader north of Baghdad.
The documents tell "narrow but compelling stories of the challenges al-Qaida in Iraq is facing," Smith told reporters in Baghdad. "This does not signal the end of al-Qaida in Iraq, but it is a contemporary account of the challenges posed to terrorists from the people of Iraq."
He said the documents are believed to be authentic because they contain details that only al-Qaida in Iraq leaders could know about battlefield movements and tactics. The U.S. military gave reporters partially redacted copies of the full diary but only four pages of the Anbar document, citing security reasons.
In the Anbar document, the author acknowledges a growing weariness among Sunni citizens of militants' presence and the U.S.-led crackdowns against them. He also expresses frustration with foreign fighters too eager to participate in suicide missions rather than continuing to fight.
"The Islamic State of Iraq is faced with an extraordinary crisis, especially in al-Anbar," the author wrote, referring to an umbrella group of insurgents led by al-Qaida.
Smith also quoted the document as lamenting the loss of "cities and afterward, villages," adding "we find ourselves in a wasteland desert."
It said U.S.-led forces had learned from their mistakes and improved security had made it harder to transport weapons and suicide belts and forced foreign fighters to go underground because of their distinctive dialects.
The military said the memo was believed to have been written last summer and was intended for the author's superiors.
The diary, seized by U.S. troops south of Balad, was written in autumn 2007 by Abu Tariq, who refers to himself as sector leader for al-Qaida in Iraq. Tariq wrote that he was once in charge of 600 fighters, but only 20 were left "after the tribes changed course" — a reference to how many Sunni tribesmen have switched sides to fight alongside the Americans, Smith said.
So with such words coming from al-Qaeda leaders, you would think that leading Democrats would admit that the Surge accomplished major goals, especially since there is progress on every single one of the political goals as well, even if that concession were good for the Republicans. After all, US military success is good for America, and patriots put America first.
Which is why Nancy Pelosi desperately tried to present the Surge as a failure.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said twice Sunday that Iraq “is a failure,” adding that President Bush’s troop surge has “not produced the desired effect.”“The purpose of the surge was to create a secure time for the government of Iraq to make the political change to bring reconciliation to Iraq,” Pelosi said on CNN’s “Late Edition.” “They have not done that.”
The speaker hastened to add: “The troops have succeeded, God bless them.”
PelosiÂ’s harsh verdict is a reminder of the dilemma for Democrats as they head into this fallÂ’s presidential and congressional elections:
They need to make the case that the country needs to depart from the direction set by Bush. Yet they donÂ’t want to look like naysayers at a time when Iraq has become more stable, albeit still violent.
And those who argue that it is the GOP unfairly trying to paint the Democrats as defeatists, please consider that we are not providing Pelosi and other Democrats with their talking point.
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Well, they say that this Butter Bell butter crock will do that. You can store a stick of butter for up to 30 days, right out on the kitchen counter counter. All it takes to keep the butter from going bad is cool water, which you do need change every three days. And while you are ordering, check out the other neat gadgets they have.
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Senator Barack Obama defeated Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Maine caucuses on Sunday, giving him his fourth victory this weekend as he headed into three more state contests on Tuesday.With 90 percent of MaineÂ’s precincts reporting, Mr. Obama received 58.7 percent of the vote, compared with 40.7 percent for Mrs. Clinton.
Voter turnout in parts of Maine was reported to be strong on Sunday afternoon, despite a snowstorm. The Portland Press Herald reported on its Web site that there were long lines at the caucus in Portland, while a large crowd in Cape Elizabeth delayed the start of the caucus there by more than an hour.
Mr. ObamaÂ’s victory in Maine follows those in Washington, Louisiana and Nebraska on Saturday. Combined with his advantage in fund-raising, these victories should give him momentum going the primaries on Tuesday in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
And this should be an interesting race, filled as it is with establishment Democrats AND a major city which is overwhelmingly African-American. The Clinton campaign had expected to be done with the nomination fight by now, but that is not anywhere close -- or anywhere near certain to happen at all.
So what is the solution? A Clinton campaign shake-up!
Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton replaced campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle with longtime aide Maggie Williams on Sunday, a staff shake-up coming just hours after presidential rival Barack ObamaÂ’s Saturday sweep of three contests.Campaign aides said Solis Doyle made the decision to leave on her own and was not urged to do so by the former first lady or any other senior member of the team. But it comes as Clinton struggles to catch Obama in fundraising and momentum and faces the prospect of losing every voting contest yet to come in February. On Sunday, Obama also won the caucus count in Maine.
Solis Doyle announced the shift in an e-mail to the staff on Sunday.
And how many of us believe that Solis Doyle REALTY made the decision to quite without being pushed by Hillary and her other close advisers? Not many, I'm sure. But will this change really help the campaign at all? And will dumping a Hispanic woman for a black woman really be of any benefit for a campaign that is strong among Hispanics and weak among African-Americans? Frankly, there is an air of desperation hanging about the Clinton campaign.
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10:52 PM
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Of course, VistaPrint also offers a wide selection of printing services including business cards, checks and stamps. Whenever you order their products, you can customize them to suit your needs.
Right now, VistaPrint is running a great special for you. As a part of their latest promo VistaPrint is offering a promo code for free birthday invitations. Using the coupon code “BlogInvite10” you can get 10 free invitations upon checkout. That is a nice deal for you, especially depending upon the size of your order.
So, if you need are in need of printing services, check out VistaPrint first because they can usually offer you a deal that cannot be beat anywhere else. And since they are also offering free products for orders placed from their website, youÂ’d be crazy not to take a look.
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06:24 PM
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