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.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
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.”
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.”
Sunday, September 10, 2006
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.
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.
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.
Friday, September 08, 2006
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
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
Sunday, September 03, 2006
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.
Now this is wrong on several levels.
- 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.
- 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.
- Three, due to the population decline, I think the city should lop off about 5-6 council seats.
- 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).
- Five, the councilmen for the most part are incompetent doffuses and the city would be better represented by stick figures.
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
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 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
Saturday, September 02, 2006
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.
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.
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