"...when you say nothing at all."

Not Over the Hill Yet

What the Dilly, Philly!

I guess Pa. voters needed to get their Clinton on yesterday. The distaff Clinton posted even better numbers than the pundits prognosticated. She sprinted to the finish with a 10-point gap.

Hillary sure has shown her grit these past few months. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, she fights on. She had been a punching bag for so long, she can take it witout flinching. Her callouses must have callouses.

She reminds me of a toy from way back - "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down."

I've grown in my respect for her political will. She does not have the pathological need to be loved like her hubby does, but that doesn't stop her from parading her disingenuous "woman of the people" b.s. In the end, it it most often determination, not talent, that wins. She has got that in spades. I don't know that it will be enough.

In any event, she will be able to say "You should see the other guy."

It is too bad that her policies suck so badly. I've really learned to admire that steely conviction of hers.

I was watching Charlie Rose last night. I try not to miss the program if I can. There was a bevy of journos and Doris Kearns-Goodwin discussing Tuesday's events. One of them, a New York Times reporter, asked the if anyone on the panel could describe either the Obama or Clinton economics/job creation plan. You heard crickets. Then some mild amusement.

Why?

Because there is none, other than raising taxes and getting rid of the capital gains tax exemption. That is, with the exception of ending NAFTA.

If we ended NAFTA, we'd have to renegotiate our oil agreements with Canada, our #1 supplier. You want to see some happy oil people? End NAFTA.

I have to speak plainly here - protectionism is stupid. Utter idiocy. Between the neo-luddites trying to keep us in last century's industries and the anti-growth/government programs folks, we have our hands pretty damn full here. You want there to be, as Ross Perot put it, a great big sucking sound of jobs leaving America, get all protectionist. Sure, we'd have secure industries for a few years. Then competition put those companies out of business and where do you look for jobs then? Not in this country.

Some of this is beneath basics. Economics 101. However, when it isn't something people want to hear...

So party on Garth!. Party on Hill!

Barack Obhangra

Here is the cause of one of the biggest grins I've had in a while. Really smart.

All thanks go to the wonderful folks at Sepia Mutiny (http://www.sepiamutiny.com/). Thanks guys for the always entertaining material. For those of you who are heretofore unaware, Anna is a total dish.

You Gotta Look Sharpe

Say it ain't so, Joe.
That man of the people, former Newark Mayor Sharpe James along with his former mistress, were just convicted of corruption. He faced five charges, to include fraud and conspiracy. She faced 13 - the aforementioned, plus tax evasion and fraudulently obtaining government subsidized housing assistance.
Oh no! Real estate deals? Government fraud? I can't believe it. The guy who was mayor for so long, I cannot remember his predecessor, was caught with his fingers (well, not just his fingers) in the till.
I remember, while attending nearby Seton Hall University, James ran against the current mayor Cory Booker. All of the cronies were out in full force saying the most disgusting things about Booker. Booker, a decent man, lost and the man who wouldn't even pay his own bus fare (a hilarious anecdote in its own right) kept his position as corrupter-in-chief.
I've said it before - "This is what you want. This is what you get."
Now the disgraced former mayor, after 20 years of greasing palms, can assume a new position in the State of New Jersey and keep right on working it.

Rice Matters

www.freerice.com

This is, perhaps, one of the smartest sites I've ever seen. Sheer brilliance!

It is a game that has you test and improve your English vocabulary. It also donates 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food program for each word you guess correctly.

With each answer, you are informed whether or not you are correct. If you are right, it will increase the difficulty level for the next word.

The rice is purchased by advertisers who pay per word page. As you play, advertisements are at the bottom of the screen. The money from these advertisements is what buys the rice. So if you play, you pay for the rice donated to hungry people.

It is that simple. God, I love capitalistic ingenuity.

So go forth my friends and fill up your mind and others bellies. Put your money where somebody else's mouth is.

Liberal Tolerance and Manliness

What a display of manliness by the "New Progressive Male." Wish I could be like him. They are so much more civilized in San Francisco.

Remember, these are the same people who hate the military because of its aggressive nature.

(putz)

Stay tuned next week for more displays of correct behavior by those who know what is best for everyone.

"If I could teach the world to sing... in perfect harmony..."

An Elite Ideal

Yes, it is true. "Ordinary" people can make a difference, all the while "clinging" to their guns and their faith in a "bitter" attempt to deal with their economic misfortune. So if you are an "average white person," Obama's got the Wright stuff.

This is especially the case if you are an elitist snob who knows what is best for everyone.

I will own up to the fact that I'm loving this political season. I get to see the Clinton campaign implode with its deceit coming to the fore. Bill's legacy is coming apart at the seams. The rats are leaving the ship in droves. I almost feel bad.

Ah, no I don't.

The party of domestic imperialism is continuing its evolution into a party of upper echelon elitists. Being a Democrat means turning your back on free trade (Bill's big success). It means being in love with the cotton candy messiah. He is sugary sweet and no substance. All of his credentials make for a great social worker and, perhaps, a fine mayor. However, he is but an extremely liberal neophyte.

Do not get me wrong. I love the idea of Obama. I love the fact that he is probably going to be the standard bearer for the Democratic party for president. I would say that few are batting an eye in regards to his mixed heritage. This is the (delayed) promise of America. More and more, the notions of ethnicity matter less than the content of someone's character. Got it. Down with that.

My problem is I that I wish it were J.C. Watts instead.

I love the idea of Hillary. Sorta. Well, I love the idea of a woman running for the top American job. But this is not a new idea for those old enough to remember that Shirley Chisolm ran against Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace for the top spot in the 1960s.

Let us not forget that Shirley Chisolm was a black woman. She broke barriers 40 years ago but, unfortunately, did not live to see this year's conclusion. I am saddened that she has not been a prominent figure mentioned in the current debate. She sure made an impact on me as a boy.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, the Democratic Party I grew up in is dead. It is in the ground in an unmarked and unhallowed grave. It was unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the night back when Sam Nunn left government service.

Want proof? Look how the party shit all over Joe Lieberman. He was Al Gore's running mate, then the party nominated someone else for his Senate seat in the next cycle. He won another term as an independent.

I, too, am an independent. Proudly so. But in the end, ya gotta choose.

This cycle is not dissimilar to riding the most frightening roller coaster. It is scaring the living bejuzzus outta me but I relish the ride regardless. I hope the bludgeoning that is going on between the democrats continues long enough for someone out there to recognize that giving away the store does not equal a platform.

Hillary, the born-again populist, said to some voters before an early primary "When elected, here is what I am going to give you."

Excuse me! Who said anything was yours to give? I'm sorry. I forgot. Can I have another spoonful of bullshit please?

Given my druthers, if I had to choose between the Dems, I'd choose the she-devil. As the saying goes: "Better the devil you know..."

If I were to take the rhetoric from the conservative factions to heart, I guess I could vote Democrat by making my mark for McCain. Remember all those Democrats who said "I'd vote for McCain" in the last 8 years? We'll see.

Today's Democratic Party has become the Entitlement Party. They increase entitlements from the public coffers and feel entitled to become president...all the while dodging sniper fire at a welcoming ceremony whenever they visit the Balkans.

In the end, it kinda reminds me of Plato's Republic. The free thinking, poets and artists take over,blah, blah. Then they form a dictatorship, blah, blah, of poets and artists, blah, blah. Yup, a dictatorship.

I'm more of a Leviathan kinda thinker. As they say - life can be nasty, brutish and short (that is, if you don't take some responsibility for your life).

So as I continue to watch the election season build up to its crescendo, I'll clean my guns, maybe go to church and try to be as ordinary as I wanna be. After all, I am an average white person, albeit not a bitter one.