Hate Crime?

Personally, I don't agree with the idea of a crime being classified as a "hate crime". Violence is violence, regardless of motive (unless that motive is self-defense).

I have to wonder, though, if this would be considered a "hate crime" by the powers that be, and I'm also wondering how long will it take for the media-hungry "Reverends" to step in to defend Professor McIntyre's actions.

Victicrat

I've always been a huge Larry Elder fan, so I really enjoyed this:

Network Decisions, Plus Blog Info

This afternoon, I switched the television over to NBC so I could watch Sunday Night Football. NBC has a show prior to the game called "Football Night in America". I soon realized that NBC has hired Keith Olbermann to be one of the personalities on the show, so immediately emailed them. I encourage you to give them feedback as well. You can do that here. Use the drop down menu that says "Select Show". Select "Other" and write a message.

Here's what I wrote:

I absolutely REFUSE to watch Football Night in America if it means I have to see that smug A-hole Keith Olbermann. I'm not sure why you have decided to include such a controversial, partisan-political figure in this format. I understand he has experience with sports broadcasting, but he's a different persona now and an extremely polarizing one at that. BAD decision on your part.

I also want to explain my inactivity. I'm very depressed that I did not post on Sept. 11th, as I believe that to be a very important day in the history of our country. I have been extremely busy and haven't been able to put in the time I feel is necessary to write quality blog posts.

As a result, I have been considering not continuing this blog. I'm still mulling it over and will decide soon. I don't think I have many readers, so I wouldn't be disappointing anyone. I would continue to read other blogs.

Paglia: Pelosi Should Step Down

I admire Camille Paglia more each time I read her work. She makes a lot of sense, although I don't agree with her on everything. Besides the actual content, I am in awe of her ability to generate beautiful prose when conveying her thoughts.

A few interesting parts of her latest article:

I must confess my dismay bordering on horror at the amateurism of the White House apparatus for domestic policy.

In the article, she professes that she continues to support Obama, despite some of the grave errors she discusses. I'm wondering the location of her tipping point.

She continues by touching on healthcare:

But who would have thought that the sober, deliberative Barack Obama would have nothing to propose but vague and slippery promises -- or that he would so easily cede the leadership clout of the executive branch to a chaotic, rapacious, solipsistic Congress? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom I used to admire for her smooth aplomb under pressure, has clearly gone off the deep end with her bizarre rants about legitimate town-hall protests by American citizens. She is doing grievous damage to the party and should immediately step down. (my emphasis in bold)

Has the American public really received ANYTHING from Obama other than "vague and slippery promises"? Oh wait, we did receive ballooning debt, threats to our freedom of speech, and a racist as a new Supreme Court Justice.

She continues:

I just don't get it. Why the insane rush to pass a bill, any bill, in three weeks? And why such an abject failure by the Obama administration to present the issues to the public in a rational, detailed, informational way? ... It isn't conservative rumors or lies that are stopping healthcare legislation; it's the justifiable alarm of an electorate that has been cut out of the loop and is watching its representatives construct a tangled labyrinth for others but not for themselves. No, the airheads of Congress will keep their own plush healthcare plan -- it's the rest of us guinea pigs who will be thrown to the wolves.

This proves that at least one person in the media (outside of Fox News) understands why the public is getting so angry.

I'm going to stop here, but encourage you to read the rest. As I said, I don't agree with everything Paglia writes but she writes beautifully, explains her positions expertly, and makes some excellent points. Yet, after all that has happened in the last six months, I still wonder what Obama will have to do for Paglia to reach that point where she can no longer continue to support him.

Communicating With the Dentist

After a visit to the dentist today, I had to wonder if "Interpreting Mumbling" is part of the required curriculum for a dentist?

With his fingers in my mouth, the dentist asks if everything is okay.
My response: Uh-huh.

A little while later, he asks if there is any pain.
My response: Uhn-uh.

These two phrases, uh-huh and uhn-uh, are so close to identical (especially when you are mumbling around fingers) that I often wonder how the dentist understands which one I said.

I think it would be hilarious to become a skilled ventriloquist, just for this occasion. Expecting to have to translate a mumbled answer, the dentist asks if there is any discomfort.
My response: The temperature of the room could be taken down a notch and that light is blinding me. Other than that, I'm doing just fine, Doc.

CNN (Yes, CNN) Poll: Obama Worse Than Bush

At this time in Obama's presidency, more people believe that his presidency is a failure than those who thought the same of Bush's presidency at the six-month mark.

A rather surprising finding from the newly released CNN poll. Question three on the national survey of 1,136 adults (which includes an oversample of African-Americans) asks, "Do you consider the first six months of the Obama administration to be a success or a failure?"

Thirty-seven percent (37%) said they believe the Obama administration is a "failure," while 51% consider it a "success" and 11% say it's still "too soon to tell."

An identical question was asked of the Bush administration in an August 2001 CNN/Gallup/USA Today survey. At the time, 56% said the Bush administration was a "success" while only 32% considered it a "failure."

I have two comments/questions about this:

#1 - This is a CNN poll. If it is biased in any way, from experience we know CNN would represent Obama's numbers as better than they really are. So, in reality, it could be that more than 37% view Obama's presidency as a failure.

#2 - Why is there an "oversample" of African-Americans? This just seems weird to me. Is their opinion about our president more valid than someone who is not African-American? Shouldn't the sample of people polled be a direct reflection (as close as possible) of the entire voting population?

Open Fire!

A new policy in Chicago will allow police officers to shoot at fleeing cars.

The new policy...would allow police officers to shoot at fleeing vehicles if the driver or passengers are suspected of committing a felony.

Good. Actually, police officers should be allowed to open fire on any vehicle that flees or fails to pull over. Running from the police presumes guilt, and high speed chases are dangerous. Police officers should be allowed to end them early, before the lives of innocent people are put at risk.

I know it's harsh, but we need to allow the police to keep innocent people safe.