Priceless Guvmint Drones

Philly DA, Lynn Abraham, slams the mayor, John Street, for his approach to fighting crime. Abraham pleads boo hoo frigidy hoo that "if only the mayor would have a conference call with her". Or some such dribble.

Here are the facts: Abraham has been DA since 1990, Street has been mayor since 2000. Both are responsible but Abraham waits until after the November election to vent about a fellow Democrat guvmint drone. Both have been sucking at the public teet for more than 30 years and both should be thrown out of office. IMHO. Below is the link to Abraham's complaint on the Philly Inquirer.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16348529.htm

And editor's note: This is the 2nd time this year I have come to Street's defense (sorta kinda) in a blog post. Therefore, I think the editor is overdue to smack himself upside his own head.

Wonder What Saddam Is Thinking?

Wow, mass murderer, evil dictator, etc. I just heard he is getting hanged within 3-4 hours. To me, it seems sudden. I know he was captured 3 years ago and his trial lasted almost 2 years and then his appeal was denied in the last week or so. But compared to our country, this is being done at the speed of light. Saddam must be shocked too that the legal process is not fgoing to drag out for another few years. That is why I wonder what the bastard is thinking as I type this post to my blog? .......

Excellent Letter To The Editor About Highway Funding

PNI - 12/29/06 Wrong turn on roads

• As a member of the National Motorists Association, www.motorists.org, I am concerned about the tone and direction of the discussions on getting more money for highways. Privatization is a splendid idea - for new roads and new lane capacity. But Rendell & Co. want to sell existing highways. Would the Turnpike Commission disappear? My feeling is that the private owners and government entities would exist in parallel, doubly punishing motorists financially.
• If you think a private owner of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (monopoly) is a terrific solution, think Comcast. Add to that the fact that "smart growth" planners actually want more traffic congestion, in the mistaken belief that it will force people onto transit, and it is predictable that we will be stuck with current road capacity and higher taxes.
• Value pricing of roads, similar to off-peak prices for phone calls, is a good idea. For instance, with an extra charge at rush hour, congestion would be significantly alleviated; people would do errands at cheaper times. However, the universal GPS technology needed to do this is years away.
• For new roads, go ahead and privatize. Value pricing and competition will determine success or failure. For existing roads, stop spending gas-tax money on failing mass transit, bike paths and "greenways." Spend road taxes on roads.
  Tom McCarey of Berwyn

Ralph Peters Should Be Running The War in Iraq

Whenever I read Ralph Peters' opeds in the NY Post, I ask why Peters isn't running the war in Iraq. He is a former military officer, author and damed fine columnist. Here is what he said today about the Iraq war:

“One thing's clear: If we can't enforce security, nothing else matters. So the wisest course of action seems obvious - except to the Washington establishment: Return to a wartime footing. Focus exclusively on security. Concentrate on doing one thing well. Freeze all reconstruction and aid projects. Halt every program and close every office that doesn't contribute directly to pacifying Iraq. Empty the Green Zone. Pack off the contractors. Reduce the military's overhead to those elements essential to support combat operations. Make it clear to "our" Iraqis that it's sink-or-swim time. Remove our advisers from any Iraqi unit that can operate marginally without them (and let the Iraqis do security their way without interference).
Above all, establish unity of command: Stop pretending there's a fully functional government in Baghdad, recall our ambassador until the fighting's over and make this a purely military effort until Iraq has been pacified. “

Hard to argue with this damned smart advice.

Americans Should Hold House Parties To Celebrate The Execution

I think I will have a party to celebrate the execution of an evil, cruel dictator. Hope it is in prime time. I suggest you do the same and ask your guests to make donations to the USO instead of bringing a bottle or a dish or a case of beer.

When Did Lohachara Island Sink?

Interesting story on Drudge today about the first island to be submerged by rising seas due to the dreaded global warming. I googled the name of the island, Lochachara, and found a story that indicates the island was actually submerged 22 years ago. Go figure? I wonder which is correct?

Here are the links to the two stories. Today's story on Drudge claims the island was submerged just recently.
http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2099971.ece

This story indcates the island was submerged 22 years ago.
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=207343
The quote below from the story (link above) indicates this Lochachara island was submerged 22 years ago! “Close to Jana’s hut is another witness to the misery after the rising sea submerged the islands of Lohachara and Bedford 22 years ago. Divakar Bhandari was in his early-30s when the catastrophe occurred.”

Don't Know How The Philly Inquirer Missed This Story...

.......oh that's right, the story is critical of Democrats so I guess the Inky just decided it was not newsworthy. But if this Al Quaeda leader had said the same thing about Republicans, I think it would have made the front page.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/12/al_qaeda_sends_.html

This Just In - "Deficits Don't Matter If Created By Democrats Spending"

Thank God I don't have Times Select cause then I'd be tempted to read this crap from their ilk like Paul Krugman (see his OPED title and the lede). So it appears the liberal pundits will now admit that deficits don't matter when Dems hold the majority? What a deutschbag Krugman is and if the Dems agree with his column, I submit the Dems will again fall victim to their biggest weakness and that is that Dems Truly Don't Have Values Of Any Kind. (Below is all I could copy from the NY Times Select Wall but it reveals enough about little Paul and his old and tedious ideas):

"Democrats and the Deficit
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: December 22, 2006
The Lede .................Given a choice between cutting the deficit and spending more on good things like health care reform, Democrats in Congress should choose the spending."

Protect The Turtles (and maybe Americans too)

The Galapagos Islands is a fast-growing tourist destination because it has giant turtles and stuff. As a result, the resident population has grown from 8,000 to 30,000 and the tree-huggers are concerned the island's delicate eco-system will be damaged by the added residents and the tourists. In an effort to restrict the growth in the resident population, the island is issuing mandatory ID cards!! Here is a quote from the news story in the Seattle PI newspaper.

"Local officials acknowledge that enforcement of the (immigration) rules is problematic. But a special government census, which collected data recently, is one of several ways officials are trying to get a better handle on growth…..About three months ago, they also began issuing residents mandatory identity cards that feature photos, invisible ultraviolet ink, a computer bar code and a holographic overlay."

I think that is great news!! Perhaps, when they get their ID system perfected, the good old USA can adopt it and use it here in America to help track illegal immigrants and potential terrorists. Afterall, if it's good enough for the turtles on the Galapagos Islands, it should be good enough for Americans. Why don't we all check with our local Congressman and see what he thinks?

Here is the link to the story if you want to read.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003471641_galapagos11.html

The Voters Have Spoken

Congressman Jefferson of Louisiana has won his runoff election against a Democrat challenger who ran on the platform that essentially " Jefferson had $90,000 in cold cash in his fridge and was probably corrupt". The voters said "tsk tsk tsk don't be such a meany" and voted for Jefferson anyway. Below is the link to the story.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061210/ap_on_el_ho/louisiana_house

This Is Perfect Don't You Think?

I Will Miss Boondocks

My favorite comic strip is Boondocks. I just heard the writer is going on indefinite hiatus. Damn that sucks- I am gonna miss my daily fix. That's just one less reason for me to buy a daily newspaper.

For years, I read almost every comic strip in the daily newspaper. In the last few years, I cut down to a select few. Those are: Doonesbury written by that liberal wheenie with a French name, Dilbert, Hal Foster's Prince Valiant (Sundays only), and The Piranha Club. I may have to read Get Fuzzy the strip that replaced Boondocks. Was not too bad this morning- probably an acquired taste- I will give it a chance.

This Had To Hurt

A bridge falls onto a train passing below. That had to frigging hurt.

The AP writer uses the phrase "colonial-era bridge" as if that is some kind of universal date stamp throughout the world. In America, the phrase could refer to 300-400 years ago. Who the frig knows what it is in India (though later in the story, it says 150 years ago). And I am just saying, you know!

What I Think

This is a copy of a comment I posted yesterday on another blog in response to another commenter (named Mackan) who claimed America was already a theocracy, it did not takle care of the poor and felt that Bush's tax cuts were intellectually bankrupt. I liked what I posted so much, I figured I'd post it here on my own blog for posterity. Here it is:

1. I am a republican (fallen catholic) and don't have any fears that we are about to become a theocracy (where is your overriding evidence??).
2. I believe the govt does provide substantial benefit programs to the poor (I wish more of the programs were direct cash benefits to the needy and not administered thru big, fat bureacracies).
3. I estimate fewer than 12-15 million CITIZENS can not afford or don't get health insurance at work. And it is a fact that a good percentage of those just elect to spend their money on something else besides health insurance premiums. The media uses 44 million as its uninsured but that number includes a significant number (approximately 15-25 million) of illegal immigrants and legal immigrants who are not yet citizens.
4. I believe the tax cuts were largely responsible for turning the economy around after 911 and the deficit is getting smaller and smaller (and generally deficits are less important or announced when Dems are in the majority). I also don't believe tax cuts "per se" can be intelletually bankrupt and if the govt is so worthy of more of our money, how much have you donated freely to it Mackan? I don't need a precise amount, an estimate will do.
5. I don't believe there is much we can do about global warming (if it truly occurring) so I don't support the various chicken little's running around.
6. I think social security must be fixed and it is an especially egregious disgrace if you are 25 years old and must look forward to paying in about $350,000 over the next 40 years and you are also expected to fund other retirement vehicles like an IRA because your social security benefit will be miniscule vs. what you paid in. And the party that taps this curently-dormant but enormous pool of currently screwed and eligible-age voters will reign for years!.
7. I am for term limits, reducing the size of government and encouraging every state to contribute a fixed amount per student to every school district (I believe the right amount is about $5,000).
8. I supported the Iraq War because our govt believed we were at risk to be struck by WMD because evidence said Iraq had WMD and Saddam was a no good evil son of a bitch. I am very disappointed and saddened that the war has been so deadly and costly to our troops and their families. But I recognize wars are by nature highly unpredictable and we are dealing with a very treacherous group of people in Iraq.
9. I am against voters having the option of voting the straight party ticket by pulling one lever in the polling booth. Let each and very candidate earn your vote- does the constitution state we should make it easier for major party candidates to get votes?
10. I am in favor of being given a choice to vote for "none of the above" when I vote. We should strive to reduce the power and influence of all political parties (not one or the other) and we should be more eager to battle for ideas and dreams about which we feel strongly.
11. I would encourage govt to enact regulations so that pensions for govt workers/ politicians are far less generous than those earned by our military or law enforcement officials.
12. I am in favor of school choice and giving public schools the ability to kick out of school for one year any unruly students (let their parents or social workers take over). It's not the school's job.

That is what I am for and believe in, and for now, that means I usually vote republican. And FYI- I voted for Carter/ Mondale/ Dukakis/ another Dem / and Clinton (only in 1992). I may have them in the wrong order.

Dems Have Already Started Raking In Lobbyist's Moolah

Here is a quote from the WAPO tomorrow about how the DC lobbying crowd is simply switching teams from the republicans to the democrats. Read this quote from the story and see what I mean:

"Democratic lobbyists prospected for new clients on the very night last week that House Democrats elected their leaders on an anti-lobbyist platform. Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (Md.) and Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (S.C.) were feted on the 10th and ninth floors, respectively, at 101 Constitution Ave. NW, a premier lobbying venue at the foot of Capitol Hill. Some of the city's top firms are in that building, including the lobbying arm of Goldman Sachs, the American Council of Life Insurers, Clark Consulting Federal Policy Group and Van Scoyoc Associates. Hoyer's political action committee financed his reception in a room routinely used for lobbying and other events, but Clyburn's was paid for by Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, a South Carolina-based law firm that lobbies extensively in Washington on health care and other issues and has offices in that building."

Just remember I told you "locks were made to keep out honest people".

43rd Anniversary .......

.....of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on 11/22/1963. Damn I remember that day almost like it was yesterday. It was about 130PM EST and a group of us was leaving the Church and headed next door to the classrooms when a lady across the street ran out of her house with the news that "Kennedy was shot". It was broadcast over the school intercom and I remember our sixth-grade teacher, Miss Martino, standing in front of the class with tears in her eyes.

Kennedy was a hero to many in our neighborhood because he was the first (and still is the only) Catholic to be elected as president. I remember thousands turning out when he campaigned in a motorcade down the next street over from us (Castor Avenue in northeast Philadelphia). Here's a link to ebay memorabilia webpage (can you believe that?).

Only In Philadelphia....

Only in Philadelphia, would a candidate for Mayor and current U.S. Congressman (Chaka Fattah), announce his candidacy for mayor outside a new state of the art high school because he feels he has a special focus and zeal for education issues. BUT and you knew that was coming, incredibly Fattah, himself, is a HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT. Jeez, he never even got a GED. But somehow he has received a masters degree from Penn even though he never ever attended undergraduate college and does not have an undergraduate degree. Here is the link to his candidacy announcement.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/16072555.htm

And below is the link to the story from last week about Fattah's glaring academic shortcomings. And keep in mind, Fattah is about 50 years old; he is not one of those 80 years old codgers who truly did not have an opportunity to get formal schooling.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/16056752.htm

What A Typical, Liberal, Kumbaya, MSM Columnist Duestchbag

John Grogan writes a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer in its metro section. Like most good (I mean typical) liberal, kumbaya, MSM columnists, Grogan regularly drifts into national politics topics even though his assigned beat is what they call the "metropolitan" section.

Here is the link to his column yesterday where Grogan calls for Bush to create a "New Energy" commission in charge of finding alternative energy course and Grogan wants Bush to put Al Gore in charge. Now keep in mind, Gore has been quoted as saying Bush has betrayed our country as to the Iraq war.

Grogan is dumb, stupid and lame to even dream up crap like this and then put it in a column. And yes, I realize the column was Grogan's poorly constructed idea of a dream sequence. And yes Grogan is the newly wealthy author of the dog book called "Marley & Me". IMHO, he is just a liberal, wuss deutshbag. And a perfect example why the MSM is failing and its circulation is dropping.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/columnists/john_grogan/16055481.htm

We now have pictures produced by cameras

As you may have noticed, I have just learned how to post pictures to blogger. So you got three straight pictures from my disposable camera film that I just got developed. I tend to buy them before a trip, use a few frames, file the camera away then repeat the process a few times over the next 12-18 months. That's why it takes me so long to use up one camera- I end up with 4-5 cameras each with about 15 pictures left on the roll. So, the pictures I just got developed included a trip to Tahoe in 2004, my trip to Phoenix in 2005 and some shots of my office taken in the summer.

Hence the post title..."we now have pictures produced by those things known as cameras". As I typed that title, I was remdined me of an old bar in North Wildwood, New Jersey. It was named Bishops High Tops or High Steps and it was said to be one of the oldest liquor licenses in the town and had been owned for about 50 years by an oldtimer named Bishop. He was slow to adapt to changes or trends but one time in the early 1980's after he had actually re-modelled his taproom, he proudly posted a new sign on one wall inside his establishment. The sign read "We Now Have Vodka and Orange juice".

"Fast Eddie" Governor Rendell Delays Announcing Tax Hike Until After Election

Taxes are going up but Governor Rendell got a pass by putting the announcement off until AFTER LAST WEEK'S ELECTION! FYI- the governor has increased total state spending by 40% in less than 4 years in office (that's an average of 10% per year). Has you paycheck increased by 40% since Fast Eddie took office as governor in 2003? No, I didn't think so and he gets an eternal pass from the MSM becasue they just love liberal Democrats who eat cheesesteaks. Below is the link to the story about your tax increase.Enjoy!

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/16002238.htm

Me In Tahoe -Fall of 2004 - Taking A Break From Hiking Around Emerald Bay

Heck, I think I was even wearing my Lake Tahoe T-shirt. This is one of my favorite vacation places. Took a couple days after a business convention in Reno, Nevade -AOPA's annual meeting.

944 County Line Road- Where I Work

Sun Devil Stadium - End Zone Photo- Arizon State Sun Devils Vs. Univ of Washington in Sept. of 2005

The Clays - Sound Like A Remarkable American Family

Read this story about a Marine sergeant and his humble but simply remarkable family. And the hat-tip goes to Real Clear Politics!

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=114216&ran=165304

McNabb's New Clothing LIne

Already saw one gues that it's puke-resistant clothing. That's a good guess. I will go with these possible logos for my guesses:

NWB1 = Never Won Big One
DMAC = Didn't Make A Champion
RCx2 = Didn't Randall Cunningham Do This At The End Of His Career

Future Of Polling

At some point, polling methods will have to adapt to the changes in technology and lifestyles. Let's face it, a lot of people don't have landline phone service at home and many others don't answer home phones unless (1) they know who is calling and (2) they feel like talking.

That means it's very likely that polls (at some time in the future if not already) will tend to over-sample people who still rely primarily on a landline and still answer their phone on a regular basis (I suspect that is mostly elderly folks).

So, I wonder when the prototypical polling methods will finally go over the cliff in terms of reliability and accuracy? Perhaps, it is already occurring.

Election Predictions

Senate (from north to south then westward):

• Whitehouse by 4%
• Medendez by 5%
• Casey by 8%
• Upset special- Steele by 1%
• Webb by 1%
• Corker by 5%
• Talent sqeaks by less than 1% (despite Dem hankypanky in St. Louis)
• Tester by 2%.
• These results, I believe, will put the Dems in control of the senate
• And I can't wait to see the fireworks set off by Webb in the Senate. He will certainly make things interesting as he is the one who said there are too many pussies in the Dem party and I agree.

Area House Results:

• Weldon loses (my district) by only 1%
• Fitzpatrick beats Murphy by 6%
• Gerlach wins by 4% (surprisingly easy but voters just didn't warm up to Lois Murphy who strikes many people as someone with negligible experience but runs as if it's her turn to win). Thank God on this one- cause Murphy and her supporters are the ones who are spending $20,000 per student in the Lower Merion school district. That is tyranny by the majority IMHO.

This Lady Was So Thoughtful & Considerate To Die This Way

Here is a story about a very thoughtful person. Let me know if you agree.
http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/woman-dies-next-to-own-grave/n20061101091009990013?cid=936

Gotta Love How Coulter Can Turn A Phrase

Here is the funniest line from her column today......."The only way to get Democrats to focus on terrorists would be to convince them that the terrorists are interfering with a woman's right to choose or that commercial jetliners exploding in midair are a threat to America's wetlands. "

Four "D's" in His Freshman Year- even I did better than that

Due to the latest flack over John Kerry's dumb comment, I stumbled onto this old Boston Globe story comparing Kerry's college grades to Bush's. Bush actually had a 78 everage in his 4 years at Yale and the oh so smart Kerry only got a 77. And Kerry got 4 D's" in his freshman year when he took ten classes.

Christ even I did better than Kerry and it took me seven years to graduate (went to 3 colleges).
What a phony Kerry is and I love being right. Here is the link to the story.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/06/07/yale_grades_portray_kerry_as_a_lackluster_student?mode=PF

This Is What Philly's Liberal Bloggers View As Clever & Humorous

Below is the link to a liberal blog in the Philly area. It's what the local wheenie Dems view as clever and humorous. Take a look and see what you think. They are trying to claim CNN and Wolf Blitzer is just a conservative tool for the Repulican party. And they smear blacks in the process IMHO.

http://billmon.org/archives/002900.html

A Waffle House Vignette

Gotta tell you The Waffle House is one of my favorite restaurants to help me keep the cholosterol up where it should be. You can't beat it for a quick bacon and eg sandwich and some home fries. Well, today, I was driving back from West Virginia and I had to stop at one enroute thru Maryland (the chain doesn't have any in the Pennsylvania area near me).

Anyhoo, I ordered my usual and was reading The New Years Times that someone had kindly left behind (how odd is that The Waffle House and The New York Times)- you'd never catch one of their elitist girly-men writers in a Waffle House. But I digress, an ancient couple is eating in the booth next to me, they finish their meal and leave. A few minutes later, the husband comes back in and is looking for something. I offered to help, he says his wife left her rain scarf behind. We can't spot it, I mention to their waitress and she says the wife had it around her neck when she left! After he left, I warned the waitress that is what she had to look forward to!

How Does The NYT Know Which One Was The Husband?

A former congressman died today and the NY Times write-up referred to the surviving spouse (it was a gay marriage) as the husband.

What is up with that? How does the NY Times know which one was the husband or were they both husbands cause they were both men or is it cause he was the one who signed in the "husband" space on the marriage license? Find out and get back to me cause I am very curious as to why the NYT used that word. Perhaps it is this week's newest mandatory PC term as promulgated by the National Board Of Wheeny News Idiotors ? Methinks they used up at least four hours deciding "husband" was the proper word.

Below is a copy if the NY Times article and the "husband" part of the quote...
"Former Representative Gerry Studds, the first openly gay person elected to Congress, died early Saturday. He was 69.....Mr. Studds collapsed on Oct. 3 while walking his dog because of what doctors later determined was a blood clot in his lung, said his husband, Dean Hara."

I Could Never Do That Rubik's Cube Thing So How The Fluff Can A Robot Do It?

Follow the link below and watch the You Tube video!

http://sippicancottage.blogspot.com/2006/10/friday-fun.html

Mark Warner Opts Out Of Politics- Says Nutoots Bloggers Eat Too Much

Mark Warner has decided he won't run for the presidency in 2008. He claimed he wanted to spend more time with his family but privately he complained to close aides that he, a mega-millionaire, could not afford to feed the fatass nutroots crowd again. Last year at the Yearly Kos convention in Vegas, Warner footed the tab for a feast for the nutroots circle jerk. Warner said he could not believe how fat the average nutroots blogger is. Warner guesses they got so hefty from sitting all day in front of a computer, eating from giant buckets of granola and posting every whiny thought that enters their tiny crazed minds. Geez, Warner exclaimed, why don't they walk around the block once in a while or go to a library where they could actually read something worthwhile instead of copying post from each other's blogs. Warner wondered aloud if even one of the nutroots had ever had an original idea.

Future Trivia Answer

Question: Who was the college kicker who made his first PAT attempt and his first field goal attempt and had never played football in high school?

Answer: Steve Apanovicius ( I may have spelled his name incorrectly so just remember the pronunciation for that Trivia Pursuit game in 10 or 20 years).

FYI- I am watching the Boston College - Virginia Tech Thursday night game nationally televised on ESPN. And I caught this kicker's debut. The announcers mentioned that just last year he was simply another student fan watching the game with a painted face.

Great stories come out of great countries.

Because The MSM Will Bury This Good News

The headline on this USA Today story says it all ...."GOP Promotes News Of Smaller Deficit" and my post title tells you why. The MSM is full of doom and gloom and has to include the fact that in 10-20 years the baby boomer entitlements will make the deficit far worse.

The MSM has been burying this good news and would be singing a different tune if the DEMS were still in power.

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061012/a_deficit12.art.htm

I Don't Think I Trust Bonnie Grant To Be An Expert On Structural Safety Issues

An exit ramp at the new Philadelphia Eagles stadium was swaying enough after Sunday's game that a bunch of attendees called the Eagles to report it. The Eagles spokesbot is named Bonnie Grant and is quoted in this story as saying, in effect, don't worry about it. http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15719453.htm

Well, FYI, Ms. Grant used to be Mayor Street's spokesbot. And that fact alone leads me to question her ability, accuracy, expertiness (I just made up this word and the word, spokesbot, so you are getting a twofer) and qualifications to answer the questions even if she was given the questions in advance and used a teleprompter.

House Approves A 700 Mile Border Fence _Don't Kid Yourself These Things Bear No Resemblance To A Fence

The house approved this border fence. It makes sense to me to reduce the threat of terrorists using the currenly wide-open border to get into the US.

I read the vote was 283 votes for and 138 against. That is about 2-1 in favor and Philly's are reps (there are 14 according to the Inky) voted 11-3 in favor. That's about 78% and makes me wonder where there were a lot of votes against the fence? I would guess in the border states like FL, TX, NM, AZ, etc. I'll have to see where I can find that info.

And the news I saw including some hand-wringing about where we would find the $2-$7 Billion to build the fence. That is small potatoes IMHO.

Damn, That Churchill Was Smart

I borrowed this from Jon Meacham, the history writer for either Time or Newsweek via the blog at realclearpolitics.com About Winston Churchil, Meacham wrote this:

The lesson: there is no hiding from history. In another September, amid another war, Winston Churchill stood in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to explain why America, the anchor of the New World, seemed forever linked to the passions and politics of the Old World.

“I will offer you one explanation—there are others, but one will suffice,” Churchill said at a Harvard convocation. “The price of greatness is responsibility. If the people of the United States had continued in a mediocre station, struggling with the wilderness, absorbed in their own affairs, and a factor of no consequence in the movement of the world, they might have remained forgotten and undisturbed beyond their protecting oceans: but one cannot rise to be in many ways the leading community in the civilized world without being involved in its problems, without being convulsed by its agonies and inspired by its causes. If this has been proved in the past, as it has been, it will become indisputable in the future. The people of the United States cannot escape world responsibility.”

Poll On Sports

Which Philly Pro Sports Team Is Most Likely To Win A Championship Phillies Eagles Flyers Sixers St. Joseph's Prep Free polls from Pollhost.com

One Of The Greatest Foods

Every once in a while, you rediscover a food you used to love but, for some reason, you stopped eating for a long time.

That just happened to me. I swear it is one of the best foods God ever put on this green earth. I am talking about bacon bits- you know those bacon-tasting toppings that come in a little plastic container. I think they are made by McCormick's the company that sells all kinds of spices. I highly recommend these bacon bits. I would want a big supply if I were ever marooned on an island even if I did not bring any salads.

Why Bloggers Blog

There is a core reason to blog. And that is to express yourself using your own thoughts, ideas, words and observations.

When done very well or uniquely, even one time, a blogger's words can spread across the globe instantly. The political parties are scared to death of this phenomenon. Because it is shrinking their power and influence.

Bloggers are best when they ignore the party's position and just speak to their own personal beliefs and ideas.

Someday, I hope, individual identifiaction with one party will wane as the blogopshere matures making ideas not parties paramount. Bloggers are generally uninteresting and at their worst when they become an extension of one of the two dominant parties. Unfortunately, that is what is occurring right now.... the left side of the blogopshere has gone nuts in defending the perhaps indefensible performance of the Clinton administration wih regards to Al Quaeda. I say they need to go back to words, ideas and thoughts and let the Clintons defend themselves.

HE THAT DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH

The Liberal bologsophere is going nuts about the ABC''s docudrama "Path To 911".

Below is a link to the far-left blog Atrios where the blogger/ college prof reports on the outrage of the convicted document-stealer Sandy Berger (or as El Rushbo calls him Sandy Burglar) and Madeline Albright. Now with regards to Albrigt, she should sue the inventor of the camera. And if you have seen her, you would agree I am being kind.

Atrios got 1400 comment to his post hence the title to my post. Here is the link.
http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2006/sep/08/albright_and_berger_slam_tom_kean_in_new_letter

Ryan Howard For City Council

City Council president, Anna Verna, is about to announce that the November election will include votes to fill the three council seats once held by the late David Cohen, the imprisoned Ricky Mariani and the running for mayor, Can't Remember His Name Oh Yeah It's Michael Nutter.

Now this is wrong on several levels.

1. One, it's only 60 days to the election and Verna's decision makes it impossible for all but the Machine candidates to mount a viable campaign.
2. Second, Philly has 17 council seats including these three but the population has dropped from 2.5 million people to 1.4 million in the last 30 years.
3. Three, due to the population decline, I think the city should lop off about 5-6 council seats.
4. Four, to back up my argument, let's compare Philly to New York City...NYC has more than 4x as many people (6 million) but only 3x as many council seats (51).
5. Five, the councilmen for the most part are incompetent doffuses and the city would be better represented by stick figures.

So, let's use the blogosphere to fuel a write-in campaign to elect Ryan Howard to the council's at-large seat. And show the Dems and the Republicans they don't call the shots anymore.

For A Good Laugh

Go to the link below. The blog has a link to a Youtube video of WC Fields juggling. I highly recomend it.

http://sippicancottage.blogspot.com/2006/09/great-mcgonigle.html

I Wonder How They Deposited The Money

Below is the link to a NY Times story about three survivors of illegal immigrants who died at the WTC on 9/11. The survivors are also illegal, don't have social security numbers and still live in New York city. And they deservedly were paid survivors benefits from the WTC Fund of anywhere from $1.6 Million to $4 Million.

I wonder how they opened a bank account or investment account to deposit their survivor benefit check if they don't have a social security number? If they used someone else's bank account, they have an extraordinary amount of trust since more than a Million dollars is involved. Below is the link to the story if you want to read it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/nyregion/03families.html?hp&ex=1157342400&en=1cfe80e1141e2a18&ei=5094&partner=homepage

I Hate The Whiners In This Great Country

This is the greatest country the world has ever seen. It has spawned so many succcesful individuals who literally pulled themselves from very humble upbringings.

Here is a great example- Bob Mathias- I read his life story when I was a kid. He won the Decathalon in the 1952 Olympics and he was only 17 years old!! And won it again four years later. That was back when the Olympics competitors were truly amateurs and before money and pro contingents runied it for me. Here is a link to the Mathias background. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Mathias

I bring this up because I saw a blog post today where the folks were whining because colleges, in competing for the best students, have increased financial aid to those studenst who tend to be from higher-income famiies. So the whiners were griping that that sucks cause financial aid to low-income students went up by only $800 per year while the higher-income students got about $1,300 per year. Here is the link to the blogging whiners. http://susiemadrak.com/2006/09/02/10/59/a-helping-hand-2/#comments

So what is their point? That $500 less per year is going to sidetrack an ambitious but low-income student?

I say it would not have side-tracked someone like Bob Mathias nor anyone else whose parents instilled drive, self-confidence and resolve into them. I know my mother, a hard-working public-school teacher, never let her four kids believe we could not do anything we wanted to try. And her kids would never have been put off because we knew we get another job to earn that extra $500.

Saying You Will Do Something Ain't The Same As Actually Doing It

Philly's lame ass mayor, John Street, got tons of publicity when he announced everyone (especially the low income folks) would get wireless internet access. Well, I stumbled across this Forbes ranking and Philly is only ranked 27th out of 30 cities when it comes to being "wired".

But poor results and little follow-up are just what Street and many Democratic mayors are known for........promising the world and delivering little.

And yeah , I know it's still early with regards to Street's WIFI plan but I can't stand him- he is a visionless phony (in other words, just another party hack). Here is the link to the Forbes story.

http://www.forbes.com/home/intelligentinfrastructure/2006/08/29/06wiredcities_lander.html

Well Duh- I Basically Told You this 2 Weeks Ago

The WAPO has a story today about the three best paid counties in the country are in suburbs of D.C.

Well, duh, my post a few weeks ago commented on the fact that government workers make double what the average worker makes. So, it stands to reason that there would be well-off counties in markets that had a bunch of government drones (like D.C). So if you read this blog, today's WAPO story http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/29/AR2006082901543.html is not really news.

Below is my prior post. Glad to be of service.

Lotta Americans are fat slobs, Robocop on a mountain bike & Doesn't everyone know what a Husky looks like?

Doing my hike in the park last Sunday which is as good for my mind as much as my health. Anyway, I had three thoughts to share.

• One- it would be good if most Americans tried to shed at least ten pounds cause we are a fat bunch of slobs (on average).
• Two- I overheard a little kid point at a Husky dog and ask what kind of dog it was- I had thought everyone knew that but I guess I was wrong.
• Three- used to be you could ride a bike in your everyday clothes but nowadays- an awful lot of cyclists get fully outfitted in clothes made just for riding. In fact, I saw one mountain biker with so much protective gear, he looked like that guy who played "ROBOCOP".

We Have To Start Electing People Who Will Fix This

In the Washington Post on Sunday, there was a Cato Institute OPED that claimed federal workers make 100% more than the average civilian worker when you include benefits and 75% more when you consider wages wihout benefits. Below is the key quote from the story.

"The Bureau of Economic Analysis released data this month showing that the average compensation for the 1.8 million federal civilian workers in 2005 was $106,579 -- exactly twice the average compensation paid in the U.S. private sector: $53,289. If you consider wages without benefits, the average federal civilian worker earned $71,114, 62 percent more than the average private-sector worker, who made $43,917."

The Lazlo Toth Letters

A funny book. I highly recommend it- FYI- I read it about 30 years ago and was reminded of it today when I visited another blog (althouse.blogspot.com) and a commenter disparaged the author, Don Novello (aka Father Guido Narducci of SNL fame).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563052857/104-9817737-2410356?v=glance&n=283155

Must Be My Lucky Day

Today, I saw TWO episodes on Law & Order that I never saw before. That's right- they may have been reruns but not to me. What are the chances of that? Guess I should go buy a Powerball ticket.

Things You Never Knew Or "Life Before The Internets"

The link below is to a letter written by an American military general to the idiotor of the Washington Post. The general is complaining about a recent Washington Post story regarding the Iraq reconstruction.
We would never see this letter before the internets. Hat tip to Real Clear Politics.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/blog/2006/08/a_general_fed_up_with_the_msm.html

This Editorial Sums All You Need To Know About Arlen Specter

Read it and know this to be a fact- Senator Arlen Specter has been a phony, fence-straddling faker all his life. I guess in this case , I should say Arlen has never seen a fence, an issue or a BORDER he did not want to straddle.

I have asked for years, how does he continue to get elected? He has not achieved a single big thing in his entire career. Unless, you count his ridiculous Single Bullet Theory.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/archive/s_464776.html

And Another Thing

Philly's (the city's) highest-paid employee, Dianah Neff, traveled far and wide to almost sixty confererences and her expenses (in some cases) were paid by businesses who could make money off the city. But that is not the reason for my post- heck that is business as usual for the usual suspects who run this city. No, my point is twofold.

One- the internet can be harmful to your health. Neff is the "Information Czarina" for the city and is responsible for its efforts to make wifi internets accessible to everyone. [This is sorta admirable but will definitely be an enormous taxpayer's money sucking boondogle.] But I digress, Neff is 57 years old and looks like she is about 260 lbs and maybe 5'2". So I say.." Dianah- get off your fat ass, get off the internet and walk around the block or to one of those old-fashioned forerunners to the internets (they are called libraries).

Two, stop going to all those conferences- walking thru 60 airports in two years could be taking a toll on Neff- she just got both knees replaced. Why not use the internets to "digitally attend" the conferences and if your knees allow it, log in from a treadmill in your office?

Poll Data Is Way More Interesting Than The Poll Headline

I actually read the questions in a recent poll regarding Pennsylvania and the governor's race, etc. It is fascinating. For instance, 48% have a favorable opinion of the current governor, Rendell, and 50% have a favorable opinion of his opponent, Swann. Yet Swann gets only 36% of the votes and Rendell gets 49%.

And even more fascinating to me is that ONLY 23% approve of Bush's handling of the economy AND (EVEN MORE BIZARRE) only 24% think Pennsylvania is headed in the right direction!! Let's see, I think unemployment is about 5% so I think Pennsylvanians (at least those polled here) and Americans overall are suffering from a great malaise. Is it possible we are just a bunch of whiners? Though I believe the average person is aware that our elected reps do not get anything done and waste time on issues that are not important. So they approve of the governor but must think the office is impotent to get the state headed in the right direction.

Lastly, the poll says 80% favor a fence be built on the Mexican border. So why did the US Senate refuse to fund it? (Below is the link to the poll results).

As I said, the poll details are way more fascinating than the poll headline.

//www.strategicvision.biz/political/pa_poll_072006.htm

The Customers Loved This Joke

I used to tend bar part-time in college and afterwards (heck almost 10-11 years). Here is a joke I used to tell and all the customers loved it. I guess they tended to assume the joke only applied to other customers:

What is the difference between a proctologist and a bartender? ............. A proctologist only has to look at one asshole at a time.

Geez -What's He Been Doing For The Last Eleven Years?

As you know Frank Sinatra stopped performing in 1995 so this is what I asked when I saw the headline below.....
........."Frank Sinatra's pianist dies at 91"

Inquirer Finally Calls It Like It Is- "TAX INCREASE IS 16.7% HIKE"

Below is the link to an Inquirer story that has a headline calling the New Jersey increase in sales tax a 16.7% hike. And I say finally and give kudos to the Inquirer for telling it like it is. Prior to this story, the Inky has been calling it a "one penny" increase as if that was inconsequential. Below is the link to the story and the headline.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15050211.htm

If Your Kid Wrote Like This, You'd Want A Refund On Your Tuition Payments

Abysmal headline from the Inky....."Philadelphia Unready For Disaster". I may be crazy but what the fluff do they teach these nitwits in journalism school? Here is the link if you doubt me....

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/15025099.htm

Veni, Vidi, Vici

That's about all I remember form my high school Latin classes... the literal translation is "I came, I saw, I conquered" and is a tribute to the sprawling Roman Empire and its emperors.

I wrote this as a tribute to the winning World Cup country, Italy which of course was home to the Roman Empire. BTW, do you think anyone (except the French) was actually rooting for France to win?

91 Year Old WW II Veteran And Double Amputee Looks Forward To Each Day

My father was an amputee (below knee -right leg when he was 79 years old) and lived to 88 years old. So I could relate to this story of a World War II vet who lost both legs in the war and is now 91 years old!

Below is the link to the story. It's inspiring amd I suggest you read it.

http://www.oandp.com/edge/issues/articles/2006-07_09.asp

Speaking Of State Budgets

Lotta stuff in the news lately about state budgets. So I ask you why Pennsylvania's budget of $26 Billion equates to a cost per resident of $2,091 while New Jersey's budget of $31 Billion equates to a per resident cost of $3,555? FYI $2,091 vs. $3,555 is a statistically significant variation of almost $1,500 or 75%!!!

What costs so much in Jersey when compared to Pennsy? It can't all be due to differing ways that they fund education can it?

Governor Corzine Calls State Government Shutdown "Deplorable" As If He Is An Innocent Bystander

Corzine first bought a seat in the US Senate. When he found it that offered far less power than he was accustomed to, he bought the governor's job. And now, he mucks up the budget process because he got his back up and tried to ram thru his tax increases AND his own party refused to play along. Now he calls it deplorable AS IF he were an innocent bystander.

Boy, it could be very interesting to see how this plays in the November elections...can you say wacth many more incumbents lose their jobs? Heck, maybe that was Corzine's scheme all along (nah he's not that smart).

Lastly, they say the New Jersey state government is shut down. How can you tell?

Space Shuttle Is Fast

Did you ever really pay attention to the stats, distances and speed of a space shuttle launch? I just did and it's astounding. Here are some notes I jotted down while watching the launch:

• Four minutes after liftoff, the shuttle has gone 60 miles up, is 200 miles from the space center and has reached a speed of 6,000 MPH (or about ten times faster than a passenger jet).
• Five minutes after liftoff, it has reached a speed of 7,000 mph!!
• Six minutes after liftoff, it has reached a speed of 13,000 frigging feet per second which is more than two miles per second!!!!
• At seven minutes after liftoff, it is now traveling 4 miles per second! If you can get your brain around that fact, can you imagine being in a container going that fast????
• Freaking human achievement is amazing.

The Rich and Famous Are Treated Better

Bernard Kerik cut a deal and pleaded gulity to a misdemeanor in a case involving his taking services and goods of about $200,000! A frigging misdemeanor- that is not right. Reminds me of Sandy Berger also pleading gulity to a misdemeanor when he got caught stealing classified documents and stuffing the papers down his pants and in his socks.

We pay prosecutors to prosecute criminal cases and these two (rich and famous) guys are criminals. There is no reason they should receive such light treatment! IMHO. Below is a link to the Kerik story.

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=104&sid=803867

Does America Need Another Bazillionaire In The Senate?

I am not a big fan of Senator Joe Lieberman (after all he is a Democrat) but I do believe he is honest, genuine and holds certain core values. And he won't sellout his values for political reasons.

Anyway, Lieberman is in a primary battle with a "businessman" Ned Lamont which is what Democratic bloggers call their favored candidates when they are rich (if the same person was a Republican, the left blogs and MSM would call him an "ultra-rich capitalist").

And according to Lieberman, Lamont is worth a bunch of money. See Lieberman's quote below......
"What if my opponent, who says he is worth somewhere between $90 million and $300 million, decides to write bigger and bigger checks in the last weeks of the campaign?" Lieberman stated when asked why he was considering a run as an independent too.

So I ask does America really need another bazillionaire Senator?? I say there are too many of those already and the Senate seats are becoming like a "vanity seat".

MSM Neglects To Tell Readers The Just Convicted Former Governor is A Democrat

I am sure it is just an oversight but at least two MSM news stories failed to report the political party affiliation of Don Siegelman, the former governor of Alabama who was convicted yesterday of taking bribes.

And FYI- he is a DEMOCRAT and not a member of the Party linked to the culture of corruption.

Below are the links to the two stories (Bloomberg News and The Wilmington News Journal). And I also saw an AP news release that also omitted his party affiliation.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060630/BUSINESS/606300333/1003

He Was Paid Approx $250 MILLION in the last 30 years & is 74 years old

Yes I am talking about Dan Rather. So, let's not worry too much about him.

But let's question Rather's gigantic narcissistic attytood in his bemoaning CBS decision to put him and his experience in "mothballs" so to speak. If Rather feels he has so much left to say, why doesn't he just buy his own cable channel- I suspect he could afford it.

Inquirer Buries Big Story About Lynn Swann's Plan to Cut Number of State Legislator Drones

Let's say this right up front..."the Philadelphia Inquirer loves Fat Eddie Rendell- he can do no wrong in their eyes". And they are doing their best to support Fat Eddie's re-election campaign by playing up Fat Eddie's daily press releases and criticizing every thing said by his opponent, Lynn Swann, or downplaying Swann's platform.

For example, in yesterday's Inquirer, they buried a story about Swann's goal to reduce the size of the state legislature by 40% (afterall it is the biggest or 2nd biggest in the country!). IMHO, Swann's plan is GIGANTIC NEWS. But the Inky buried it on page 4 of its metro section. The people who work at the Inky should be ashamed to work there!. Below is the link to the story. Suggest you read it.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/14820288.htm

Is Al Bore's Movie Full of Soup?

Read this article. The climate experts quoted in the story seem to think Al Bore's movie is chock full of wholes - you know like everyone used to beleive the moon was made of swiss cheese.

http://www.canadafreepress.com/phprint.php

University President Says "FU" to The NCAA

Quick recap- last year the NCAA issued an edict that barred colleges from continuing to use the name of Amrican Indian Tribe for their mascots.

The president of the University of North Dakota just responded to the dimwitted but oh so politically correct NCAA. The University uses the "Fighting Sioux" as its longtime mascot. I say good for UND and its president. And btw- here is a bit of trivia for you. The current prez of the NCAA is Miles Brand who just happens to be the guy who fired Bobby knight at Indiana University.

Below is the link to the letter. read it - he is very creative in telling the NCAA to f-off. Hat tip for this item to hughhewitt.com

http://www.universityrelations.und.edu/logoappeal/openletter_6-07-06.html

Bill O'Reilly Has The Same Effect As Dr. Kevorkian

Below is a link to the lead idiotorial in the Philly Inquirer this morning. They are bemoaning the three suicides at Gitmo and claim it stains the USA.

I say nothing could be further from the truth. I suspect the suicides were probably due to the fact that the inmates heard Bill O'Reilly was coming for a visit.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/14803724.htm

Cable Company To Change Its Channel Numbers

Actually this a good thing cause I think I was close to wearing out the numbers on my remote for the Fox News Channel (at least that is what I want my two far-left lib siblings to believe).

Cut Out Starbucks On the Way To Work & Save $1,500 Per year

The link below is to a NY Times story. It offers money-saving financial tips to new college grads on how to save money once they get a job of course. It's a good column and I suggest you read it. Starbucks won't like it. (jeez this makes two NY Times stories I linked to in one day....am I an equal opportunity blogger or what?).

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/10/business/10money.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fD%2fDarlin%2c%20Damon

The Rich & Powerful Really Think They Are Better Than The Rest Of Us

Read the NY Times article I linked to below. It tells of some small vacation town where some of New York's richest and mightiest spend their summers. Well, apparently some of them feel they can register to vote in two locations: their legal residence be it in NY city or some expensive suburb AND their summer home's town. In fact, one of the bigshots quoted had this to say about casting a vote in both places. It sounds like something an old railroad baron would have said 100 years ago.

Here is her quote : "People are making decisions on how our taxes are spent...without the vote, we have payment without representation".

The article notes courts have refused to allow dual voting no matter how rich and no matter how many vacation homes you may own. Oh and who actually said the quote above? Well, it was Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run for vice president and a bigtime Democrat. I suggest you read the article and I believe the dual voters should be arrested and prosecuted.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/10/nyregion/10saltaire.html?_r=1&oref=slogin.

"Incumbentstan"

Great story about how our elected officials are out of touch. Read it. I say VOTE OUT ALL INCUMBENTS AND START OVER. Here is the link:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn28.html

New Inquirer Owner Should Shake Things Up

I hope the new owners of the Philadelphia newspapers shake things up and can a bunch (Will Bunch for instance) of its far-left liberal writers. They have a chance to re-make the paper into a real voice of the people and not just a standard, typical MSM liberal rag. Don't get me wrong the Inquirer is very good in a lotta ways but its political and news slant is way too far up the butt of the democratic party groupthink.

Think about this- neither of these two large dailies has ever had a nationally known and recognized non-sports columnist. That is a disgrace for paper its size. AND that sorry track record proves the paper does not encourage original thinking nor out of the box opinion writing in its stars. They simply write the liberal and doctrinaire company line. I say let the fun begin and start shaking up all the Philly and Pennsylvania sacred cows.

Am I Too Critical

Lately, I have taken notice of more and more mispronunciations of words and names by news broadcasters. Two examples:

Fox News' Trace Gallagher (I think is his name)....... he said the "da noob" river. Yes that is how he pronounced the famous and very well-known Danube River.

Philly's local CBS station's Sunday evening news anchor (cute new chick with 3 names) reports on a shooting in the Kensington section of Philly on "Two Lip" street. Ahem, I think that's tulip street you know like the famous flowers from Denmark.And this is more information that you need but those tulips also served as one of the world's first great economic lessons on the affects of commodity prices due to changing supply and demand.

So, it's not me, right?

No Sacred Cows

The bids are in for the Philly Inquirer and the Daily News. I don't care who wins though I noticed one lib group is in the running (Yucaipa Group, an investment company that is budy buddy with Bill Clinton) and one local republican Brian Tierney.

I simply hope whoever takes over adopts a mindset that there are no sacred cows. The MSM takes a "hands off" approach to MANY local and state guvmint DRONES and MOST OF THE area power-brokers. It generally favors liberal/ democratic positions. In fact, the Inquirer was way behind in recognizing the egregious nature of the state legislature's pay-raise grab (the Inquirer thought initially the pay raise was warranted for all their hard word).

Well, in Tuesday's primary, the voters ousted 17 of 61 incumbents (who had primary opponents). THAT MEANS ALMOST 1 out of 3 lost their job! That's humongous; only two lost in the last election cycle.

I believe incumbents for state office are in trouble including Fat Eddie Rendell, the Dem govenor who signed the pay raise legislation which was subsequently repealed due to citizen/ blogosphere outcry (which also caught the Inquirer flatfooted).

And lastly, good riddance to the far-left Daily News which will almost certainly go out of business even though it has always had an exceptional sports page.

My Annual Advice to the New College Graduates

Note- this is a re-print of a letter I sent two years ago to three relatives who just happened to be graduatiing from college.

Advice to the New Graduates

Dear Michele, Christine & Gabe:

Before I wrote this, I looked in a dictionary for the definition of the word “commencement”. The dictionary states commencement refers to “the act or process of bringing or being brought into existence; inauguration, inception, incipience, initiation, leadoff, birth, dawn, genesis, start”.Therefore, commencement suggests your lives are just beginning (and that is true in some respects).

And by calling graduation ceremonies a “commencement”, our institutions of higher learning have sorta decreed you can’t really take that first step until they have conferred a degree on you. That’s somewhat presumptuous but I guess by promoting the necessity and value of a degree, the schools can make a buck too. And there is no law against that.

Essentially, I wish you two things: interesting people and interesting places. By that, I hope you find, see and keep both of those close to you for all your years. If you do that, you will lead rich, rewarding and fulfilling lives.

And try very hard to understand the primary goal in life is to get very old. I know you won’t agree with that statement right now but believe me you will one day. Put more simply, it is exhilarating to be both available and sufficiently lucid to give the eulogy at a friend’s funeral.

I know it is hard to resist the urge to follow the crowd. But do try to be your own person- so don’t routinely and rigidly adopt all of the latest fads and trends. Find music, books and other hobbies you enjoy and make time for them.

Endeavor to be a leader to others. Christine, you are a born leader. And there is much evidence you were born with the ringleader gene. That’s the mischievous cousin of the leader gene. And that is a good thing- you love life and you show it.

Each of you should try to stand up for what you believe is right even:

• · When your opinion is unpopular·
• When it’s not the easiest path to take and·
• When you have not been right about anything in a very long time (cause the law of averages says everyone is right sooner or later).

You will be a part of many groups and organizations in the next 60-70 years. Don’t just go along for the ride. Give your best effort. Develop a reputation as an impact player. You can do that by making a strong personal impression and offering your support to the group’s goals (i.e unforgettable PARTAYS, improve annual sales, beat the Villa Gorillas every other year).

Never stop learning and never stop asking questions (there are almost no dumb questions).

Set out to identify mentors and role models from whom you can learn valuable life and career lessons. A good mentor will be happy to freely give you career and life advice for years to come.

Strive to be a role model yourself. Be generous to others with your time and knowledge. No one can leave much of true value in this world except those gifts you plant in the hearts and minds of those you leave behind.

Be open-minded and learn to think for yourself. Don’t be afraid to question the prevailing wisdom or latest news story. For example, a national news program recently ran a story that “the exercise done on Infomercials accounted for more than 50% of the total exercise done in America”. That “news” story first originated as a spoof in a satirical magazine. The news network picked it up as “real news”. I cringed and laughed when I heard it and wondered if any of you (had you worked on that program) would have thought to question the ridiculous premise. I believe each of you would have (Especially Gabe since he reads the magazine though until now he probably thought its “news” stories were legit).

Take very good care of yourself both physically and mentally. There is a time to party and a time to “not party”. Try to learn the difference way before you turn forty (so you can still run for President).You only get one chance in this world and life is much better when you are fit and ready to take advantage of all it offers.

Make strenuous exercise a regular part of your routine and add a large helping of mental exercise and challenges to keep the mind in top shape. If you smoke, quit.

With regards to your career, as you know there is a secret to success. Unfortunately, it is a secret so I can’t share it with you. So, you will have to settle for my own priceless advice:

• NO MARKETABLE SKILL= ZERO JOB OPPORTUNITIES= NO MONEY
• MARKETABLE SKILL = JOB OPPORTUNITIES= PAYCHECK= REGULAR PARTAY
• LOTTA MARKETABLE SKILLS= MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES= MORE MONEY= REALLY BIG PARTAY

So what does that mean. Pick some skills. Regularly polish, hone and improve those skills with practice and repetition. Enhance your skills with regular study and learning and MAYBE you will always have a job and make money.

Ideally you will choose skills (as I said that are marketable) in jobs and professions where:

• You enjoy the work (i.e. barfly, world philosopher, expert recounter of Seinfeld episodes, social director for former dorm mates).
• It is in demand by employers and customers and
• You are good at it and like it.
• It would be great if you could find a career that has all three of the above criteria but you will survive and likely thrive even if you choose skills that only have two of the above criteria.

And remember, there are no guarantees in life and life can be unfair. That’s just the way it is. Bitching about bad breaks won’t help. It will just make you very unpleasant to be around.

Be confident in your abilities and self-worth. Be persistent in pursuing what you want.

Michele- with your focus and drive you could achieve anything you set your sights on. So set your sights high! Gabe, you could do anything. You just have to convince yourself you CAN do anything instead of finding reasons for why you can’t do something.

Remember you are most fortunate to have been born in this country. Though not without its faults, it is the greatest country on Earth. Always honor and respect the elderly though I know it is especially hard when they don’t wear their hearing aids.

Always value and cherish your family even when they ask a bazillion questions about your latest escapade.Remember where you came from, respect traditions, and perhaps start your own traditions.

Stay informed about current events - it makes you a more interesting person and give you a big edge on your peers.

Be faithful to your core values and beliefs, your religion, your lover and one day your spouse.

You will make mistakes. Most mistakes are minor and can be fixed. However, try to avoid the really big mistakes (i.e always wear your seat belt). Observe other people and try to learn (and maybe get a good laugh) from their big mistakes.

But you also have to take risks in life. Without risk, there is little reward. Just do your homework before you take those risks.

Set priorities and establish goals and objectives- it makes life a bit more interesting to look back and see how you did. And try to recognize the difference between what is important and what is not.You each have what it takes to be very happy and very successful. Keep that in mind and let the fun begin. Just know I’ll be watching you. Love and all the best to each of you,U.T.

It's Not Nice To Call Someone That- Even On the Internet

Did you seen the internet catfight yesterday brewing on the Huffington Post where one manly liberal is calling out a Republican pundit and talking head and actually threatened to beat him up? Here is the link if you'd like to read it:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/michael-smerconish-is-a-p_b_20843.html

That story made me come up with my own list of who I thought was a Wuss and who I figured was not a Wuss.
And BTW, I placed both the threatening lib and his Republican target in the Wuss category. Also the bloviating lib attended Penn which has absolutely no record of even one tough guy among its thousands of alumni (OK maybe one and that would be Football Hall of Famer Concrete Charlie Bednarik who went to Penn about 50 years ago).

WHO IS A WUSS :
…..Cenk Uygur & Michael Smerconish (the squabbling talking heads with odd names), Will Bunch, Chris Matthews, John Podesta, Bill Clinton, Bill Maher, Keith Olbermann, Billmon, Bill Lockhorn, Chris Satullo, Dick Polman and David Gregory.

WHO ISN’T A WUSS:
……………..Aaron Rowand, Allen Iverson, Camille Paglia, George Bush, John Street, Bill O’Reilley, Stephen Colbert, Steve Mackell, Rasheed & Ben Wallace, Laura Ingraham and Tom Ferrick.

NY Times Correction

Saw this on Powerline......the NY Times had to correct a story about a soldier killed in Iraq. The original story reported the soldier recieved the "Purple Star" Medal. Doesn't everyone except the NYT know it is called a Purple Heart. It's an unbelievable mistake. Below is the actual correction from the NY Times...

"An article and a picture caption yesterday about the funeral of Sgt. Jose Gomez of Queens, who was killed on April 20 in Iraq, referred incorrectly to the Army representative who comforted his mother. She was a sergeant first class — an enlisted woman, not an officer. The article also misstated the name of a service medal that a general presented to Sergeant Gomez's mother. It is a Purple Heart, not a Purple Star. In some copies, a picture of the coffin being carried out of a funeral home carried an erroneous credit. The photographer was Ozier Muhammad of The New York Times." (Go to Article)

Graduation Advice

I enjoy reading commecncement addresses to see if they contain any true nuggets of truth and wisdom. Below is a tongue-in-cheek column by Tom Ferrick, the Inquirer's best metro columnist. I recommend you read it for some laughs. Below is the link.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/14540670.htm

Newspaper Circulation - The Most Liberal Papers Dropped The Most

I saw this on Drudge. Many of what I call the most liberal papers seem to be losing readers the fastest....The SF Chronicle lost almost 16% in six months. Can that be accurate? The Philly Inquirer lost 5% and the Atlanta Journal Constitution lost more than 6%.

I read the Inquirer and in many ways it is very good and other ways it is pathetic. It sucks up to so many Dems (Fat Eddie Rendell especially) and most of its opinion writers (columns) are bigtime libs..Dick Polman, Trudy Rubin, Chris Satullo (editor and wheeny lib), etc.

Here is the link to the story. http://www.drudgereport.com/flash.htm

What A Great Country

What a great country this is. My evidence is the huge number of illegal imigrants who played hookey from work to voice their desire to stay in America. The pols have to figure out what is right..I believe some sort of delayed amnesty BUT we need to simultanously stop the border bleeding by erecting a secure wall down Mexico way.

I was wondering too what my ancestors would have done to protest back in 1900 or so. I suspect if it involved a day off from work, they would have chosen to go to a bar and play darts, gamble, fight and just generally carouse in a drunken stupor. Sure sounds like more fun than marching peacefully down a crowded street.

Quit Your Belly Aching (about gas prices)!!

We interrupt the hysteria over rising gas prices in America for the following bulletin:
Average Gasoline Prices in 10 Cities

Olso...$6.90
Paris...................$6.77
London...............$6.28
Brussels..............$6.16
Rome..................$5.91
Berlin..................$5.96
Tokyo.................$5.77
Hong Kong..........$5.62
Sydney...............$3.44
Philadelphia.......$3.01

Prices are in U.S. dollars for a U.S. gallon of unleaded regular (3.785 litres)
Prices are those posted as of early to mid-April, 2006
Sources: CNN and various gas-price web sites.P.S.
A Hummer / H2 has a 32-gallon gas tank.
It would cost $208.80 to fill 'er up in Oslo.
In Philly, it would cost a mere $96.32.

I got this info from Tom Ferrick's blog- he is a columnist for the Philly Inquirer.

Best Kind Of Baseball Trade

Phils traded Jim Thome because they felt the younger Ryan Howard was their best bet to play stellar First Base for years to come. And you know what the Phils were right!

Today, Ryan hit his 5th homer today including a tape measure shot into Ashburn Alley. And Thome has already hit 9 for his new team. So the trade is turning out great for both teams and that's OK!

She Should Have Hidden Secret Info In Her Socks

I heard the CIA fired an employee for giving classified info to Dana Priest of the Washington Post. The employee, Mary McCarthy, was once a Clinton appointee and got her job from Sandy Berger, who himself, pleaded guilty to taking classified info from the National Archives.

I guess Berger neglected to tell McCarthy that a good spy hides classified info in their socks. Here is the link to the story and btw somewhere I heard McCarthy was also a Kerry supporter.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/21/AR2006042101218_pf.html

Is Gillick Philly's Best GM?

Isn't it funny how things change so quickly? I believe Pat Gillick is the most experienced and most qualified and best GM among Philly's four major sports. And in my world that means the Phillies are in the best position to win their sport's title. Cause my theory is it's GM's not managers nor owners that assemble the parts that make up championship-caliber teams. And Gillick is definitely an upgrade from Billy King, Bobby Clarke and slimmed-down but still arrogant Andy Reid.

And it is very rare for a first-time GM to win it all. King and Reid are first-time GM's and Clarke has never been a GM anywhere but here (I think-- he may have served some time in exile for a year ot two). So that means they are first-timers.

This Is Not Right & The Pols Have To Fix It

A Philly kid from the ghetto was murdered the other day. He would have been the first one in his family (out of 35 cousins) to graduate from college (in August 2006). But he was apparently robbed and shot when he was home from Penn State to attend a family funeral.

Now I know you can't prevent all murders but there are just too many murders and shootings in Philly thses days. The city bigwigs are paid to keep honest citizens safe and they must figure out how to reduce these crimes. Here is the link to this sad story.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/14373337.htm

Always Get A Receipt

I am making this up cause it's funny.... but as far as I know it could be true.....

Attorneys for the Duke lacrosse players (charged in the rape) claim the players are not guilty and have evidence including a commercial transaction which proves they were not even at the crime scene. Ironically, the evidence is a receipt for lap dances at Bubba's Downhome Bada Bing Lounge, a well-known gentleman's club in the Durham metro market. If true that is good news for the two players but the bad news is the two (19 year-old sophmores) are guilty of underage drinking.

I like To Read Between The Lines

There was a story in the news today that the number of black businesses is growing faster than other businesses. The story went on to say that there are now 1.2 million black-owned businesses and the combined revenue from these businesses is $88.8 Billion.

Bottom line is that this is fantastic news for our country BUT when I ran the numbers (which is what I do), the average revenue per business is a fairly modest $74,000! So the flip side to this story is : Are the numbers correct and accurate? And if so, it sounds like what is being created is a bunch of micro-businesses or sole proprietorships. And I don't view that as a bad thing since that is the trend throughout the entire economy.

But I'd like to see what the average revenues are for other businesses. And I suggest the MSM should dig deeper into the data and this story cause I am busy and have a real job. Here is the link to the story.

Btw, this story reminds me of when the MSM breathlessly reports (and it does that every 3-4 months or so) that literally thousands of people make the majority of their living off of Ebay and when I run those numbers, it comes out this average Ebay etailer takes in like $299 per year.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06108/682889-28.stm

Student Is Awarded A Scholarship For Exotic Dancing

I heard the alleged rape victim and exotic dancer will have her college tuition paid by a group headed by Jesse Jackson. I assume it's a Dance Scholarship. Below is the link to the story.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/nation/14358218.htm

Inquierer Headline Emphasizes The Negative About VP Cheyney

The Inquirer had an AP article today that revealed how much Bush and Cheyney made in 2005 per their tax returns. Of, course, the Inquirer slanted the article so its headline read: Bushes, Cheneys share details of their tax returns- The President and his wife had income of more than $700,000, a tenth of what the Cheneys made.

And much later in the article, the Associated Press writer says that by the way, the Cheyney's gave almost 80% of their income to charity!! So, yes, they made a lot of money (mostly stock options) but they gave most of it away!! Here is the link to the article if you want to read it yourself. I can't wait to see the Clinton's tax returns when she runs in 2008. Cause I know they make at least $10MM a year and probably gave less than 1% to charity.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/nation/14347106.htm

Rolling Stones Arrive In China on Harleys Bearing Capitalism??

I admit to know very little about China but thought it was a communist country, kinda backwards but waking up and starting to become a big guzzler of the world's oil. But I did not think the average Chinese resident could afford to pay for two things I saw in the news today:

• Rolling Stones play a concert in China- how can the communists afford the Stones concert prices?
• Harley Davidson is opening a dealership in China. Here is the link to the Harley story.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/3780963.html

And I view this as very good news.

Talk Show Host Is The Real Garbage

I was reluctanly listening to a talk radio show, Jay Severin. I say reluctantly because I don't care for this guy's show but I was in my office and the station happened to be tuned to his show.

Anyway, a lady called in and very politely admonished Severin for calling all illegal immigrants "garbage". It seems Jay had said that on a past show. Well, the caller went on to say her husband is an illegal immigrant and they had a couple nice kids and she said none of her family were garbage. Jay responded by asking if the husband was really an illegal immigrant. When the lady responded "yes", Jay said "well then he is garbage" and hung up on her. I say this guy Severin is the real garbage and I suspect he is a physical coward to boot. He certainly proved talk is cheap.

Best Infield In Baseball

If you watched the Phils-Cards game yesterday, you may have been watching the best infield in all of baseball. It's just too bad that the Phils fielded only have three of the four pieces (Howard, Utley, Rollins) and the Cards have the fourth (Scott Rolen). Seriously, if the Phils still had a great third baseman like Rolen, you could argue the Phils had the BEST INFIELD IN BASEBALL! It's fun to dream, huh!