The Real Republican: August 2006

GM withdraws CBS' 'Survivor' sponsorship

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. has decided to end its sponsorship of CBS' hit series "Survivor," but the world's largest automaker said Wednesday that the decision had nothing to do with the reality show's controversial decision to divide its contestants in the upcoming season by race and ethnicity.

Regardless of why they're ending their sponsorship of "Survivor," I applaud the decision.

Welcome to dirty politics

You know, sometimes I wish Republican politicians would grow a pair. Or at least go back and rethink their PR philosophy when it comes to fighting back personal attacks. I say this in light of the recent hysteria created by Sen. George Allen, R-Va.

To give you a quick summary, on Aug. 11, Sen. Allen twice referred to a 20-year-old of Indian ancestry as "macaca." The individual was Shekar Ramanuja Sidarth, a volunteer for Jim Webb, Allen's democratic political opponent. Quickly word hit the street about the remarks and the bloggesphere went wild. The late-night talk shows had a field day and columnists everywhere began calling for Allen's removal...or at least for his defeat in the upcoming mid-term elections.

What Senator Allen said was dumb. It was a bad attempt at trying to be funny while taking a shot at his political opponent. But there is something else at play here that hits to the true angle of this story. You see, George Allen is a Republican. And what is deemed "dismissible" for Democrats is rarely the same for members of the GOP.

Think back not so long ago to the day Democratic Senator Joe Biden put his foot in his mouth in reference to Delaware's large Indian population. Biden said "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."

Double standard? Of course!

Biden was clearly stereotyping Indians. If that happens from a conservative politician or someone like Sean Hannity, they're racist and it's front page news. But the only noise made about the Biden issue came from conservative blogs like mine. And most of our posts simply pointed out the double-standard approach from the media, not the stupid remarks.

Biden didn't stop at that. Recently he was trumpeting his own state's slave history as a way to attract voters in South Carolina. I'm not kidding? A democrat Senator raves about his states slave history as a way to show he's "just one of the guys" down there in the south and nothing is made of it. Betsy's Page makes a great point by saying... just imagine if George Allen went down to South Carolina and said the exact same thing regarding Virginia?

Heck, even George Allen's opponent, Jim Webb isn't free of dirt.

From Riley, Not O'Reilly at Virginia Virtucon - Who would have referred to the U.S. Naval Academy's dormitory as "a horny woman's dream" with respect to female plebes? Oh, yeah. That's right..... Jim Webb.

Shall I assume Jim Webb believes all females attending our military academies are "horny women?" What does that say of his respect for women in our armed forces? That's not very liberal like there Jimbo!

Outside the beltway makes a great point about how the liberal PR machine has convinced Americans to forgive and forget the racial history of the Democratic party...That's to say nothing of recent comments by Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, both considered among the leading contenders for the 2008 presidential nomination. Yet, those comments got a fraction of the media play that Allen's and Burns' got. Certainly, part of this is that there is a longstanding perception that Republicans are the party of rich white people and the Democrats are the champions of minorities and the downtrodden. So, racially insensitive remarks (or even those that could be portrayed that way, as in the case of the "macaca" incident) by Republicans fit a pre-existing schema whereas those by Democrats are considered aberrant.

Which is exactly why I think it's not my job to point out racial slurs and stereotypes by liberals, but to expose the double-standard in which they are reported. George Allen, Joe Biden and Jim Webb are not racist. They are not sexist. They are not insensitive rich-white guys who make fun of the immigrant. They are politicians in the lime light who make mistakes while on public display. We as Republicans should spend more time pointing out it was our party that passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and less time trying to be funny at the expense of our opponents. Winning elections is insult enough.

Self-identified terrorist goes on rampage

Welcome to the liberal media's War against the War on Terror. For these boobs, it's a simple war really. Whatever type of jihad-smelling violence there may be, for God's sake don't call it terrorism! If the killer happens to be Muslim and angry, for Allah's sake don't ever mention that!

Throughout the chaos, only one thing seemed clear: The driver was on a hunt. A hunt for humans.

Omeed Aziz Popal, a young Muslim male recently returning from Afghanistan who is a self-identified terrorist, goes on a rampage through the streets of San Francisco and the East Bay, killing 1 person and leaving at least 14 injured. The carnage ends in front of a Jewish community center where Popal drove his vehicle onto the sidewalk and began mowing pedestrians down. But don't call it terrorism.

Omeed Aziz Popal indentified himself "as a terrorist." But without rhyme or reason the media and SF police say he wasn't. The Police are still "investigating" the incident, but jumped on the "don't call it terrorism" bandwagon before Popal was taking up real estate in the backseat of a cruiser. But they're still investigating.

The media jumped on the "don't call it terrorism" bandwagon the moment Popal was declared a Muslim. Here's the video account from one of our local TV stations.

Relatives of Popal quickly move to shift the story.

Relatives of a Fremont man connected to Tuesday's deadly driving rampage said he may have been distraught after returning recently from Afghanistan without his newlywed wife who is waiting for a visa.

Yet those involved in the investigation discount any mental illness.

Omeed Aziz Popal, a Muslim man who calls himself a terrorist, goes on vehicle rampage in SF...but we can't call it terrorism.

Israpundit is wondering about what looks like another case of "sudden jihad syndrome." Michelle Malkin is rounding up local thoughts.

And of course, leftist blogs follow their MSM brethren with denial.

Every right-wing blogger in America is demanding that we regard this as an act of Islamicist terrorism. When a person from a Muslim background goes on a homicidal rampage, you see, it has to be part of international geopolitics. There’s no other acceptable way of looking at it.

Did I mention the guy identified himself as "A TERRORIST."

We need to get back to you, we're still investigating!

Protesting gone bad

You see it all out here in the Bay Area. The term anything goes applies to every day life on the streets of SF and Oakland in a way only Northern California residents understand. And that goes for the political protestors as well.

I've seen people protest the War on Terror. I've seen people protest Israel. I've seen people chain themselves to benches in protest of George Bush. Hell, I've even seen people arrested for blocking traffic on Market Street protesting Starbucks. Starbucks for gods' sake!!! It's just a darn latte people!

So it shouldn't surprise me to read a story about a woman who is schizophrenically posting conspiracy theory messages on her car, her yard and the roof of her home. What is surprising is how things like this are relatively ignored as every day life.

"Bush is Al Qaeda" one message reads on her car. "Bush is killer, NY was victim" is another happy message. "A worldwide mafia group (governments) r killing, controlling prices, creating poverty and suffering" is painted on her quaint little roof.

I suppose everyone has a right to speak their mind. But there is a point when your right begins to intrude on my right to a peaceful life. Reading blasphemous crap on the rooftop of a home is that point. And so is the exposure to the shear stupidity of a large number of these nut job protestors. Don't get me wrong, they're entertaining for the most part. I'm building a photo gallery of the various protests and signs I see and will one day publish a book on how our right to free speech has allowed so many to expose their ignorance. So I'm taking advantage of it. But I have to wonder how the average family guy driving his kid to school feels.

"Free Hawaii," "Hands of Syria and Iran," and "American Military = American Terrorism" are just a few of the nice slogans slapped on bumpers in the patriotic Mission District of SF. And these are the tame ones. "Fu@# Bush" is probably the most eloquent I see from time to time. Thank god I don't have a child sitting next to me asking "what does that mean, daddy?"

Yet some wonder why San Francisco is made fun of across the nation as being out of touch. They proudly claim idiots like Gerardo "we don't need a military" Sandoval and Cindy "I love Hugo" Sheehan as well as the rest of these schizophrenics-with-Sharpies. But they hate it when you question their patriotism.

You see, there comes a point when you have to say enough. Protesting the war and claiming Bush lied is fine. I can read the signs along Mission or in Berkeley every day and it will only make me laugh at your sheep-like misguided following. But when people take it to the roof of their homes, don't cry when we point and laugh at the spectacle you've become. And don't sit back wondering why there are cities voting to refrain from spending dollars in SF. Protesting the military and government that protests your freedom to say these things will eventually bite you in the ass...or your wallet...or as is the case above, the brain you use to function.

Here are a few more protest shots, this one of a woman's van outside the Federal Building in downtown Oakland. She's fasting as a protest of the War on Terror. She posted one of the doctored Reuters images on her truck as a sign of American terrorism. Too bad the lack of food has screwed up her ability to notice the fallacy.

Red River racism

You'll have to forgive me for kicking my week off on a Tuesday. I took Monday off to spend the day wakeboarding with my wife and friends for my birthday. But as usual, the long weekend has left me with tons and tons of material to write about.

So I'll start things off simple with the following story that hit the blogs last Friday. It's a sad story of pure racism in modern times...

COUSHATTA - Nine black children attending Red River Elementary School were directed last week to the back of the school bus by a white driver who designated the front seats for white children.

The situation has outraged relatives of the black children who have filed a complaint with school officials.

Iowa Voice has some linkage and the AP posted this video.

My perspective is quite simple...you must be a sad individual if you can't look at all races as equals.

Centerblue.org asks is this 2006 or 1966? But the truth is, we should all be asking how to stop ignorance like this from ever occurring.

Interview with William A. Donohue

Jay over at Stop the ACLU had the privilege of interviewing William A. Donohue, President of the Catholic League and author of several books exposing the ACLU's radical-left agenda.

Mr. Donohue - I believe that the American Civil Liberties Union is based upon a noble purpose. However, they often work against that very purpose due to a radical interpretation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Read the entire interview right here. It will definitely leave you a bit shocked at what this organization is doing to crush American freedom and liberty.

Here's more...

Jay at Stop the ACLU - In your opinion is the ACLU simply misguided or do they actually have a more malicious motive and agenda?

Mr. Donohue - I have asked myself that question a million times or more. I guess that I think that some of them are just wrong headed and sincere while others are actually more malicious and seeking to actually destroy America from its foundation. Some that are just misguided yet sincere truly believe that they have to defend the extremist speech in order to protect all free speech. Others are actually malicious.

Norman Siegal is one of the few who I believe to be honest and sincere in their passion for civil liberties. He has at least come out and debated his point of view and that is something that is due some respect. So many others are cowards with another agenda that works against the best interest of the country.

Congrats Jay on a great interview and thank you for taking the time to address the ACLU, one of the true problems in modern American society.

Surviving CBS stupidity

CBS will soon launch their 13th installment of the successful reality show "Survivor." This time they are taking 20 castaways to the Cook Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But there is something different about this version of tribal reality. This time CBS will divide the tribes by race.

I'll have to admit, I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand I get tired of hearing the PC police whine about anything that actually suggests people are different. However, I think CBS has taken their "do anything for money and ratings" approach a bit too far this time. This contest - yes it is a contest to win a million dollars - will ultimately take us two steps back in terms of race relations in this country.

I listened to Rush Limbaugh the other day and he was suggesting the same thing. According to Limbaugh, you can't help but wonder how this will play out and who will have an advantage or disadvantage. And you certainly can't help but wonder how often Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and other race baiters will claim some type of racial bias on the program.

But the odd thing about listening to Rush was how quickly he found a caller ready to make the standard racism claim. Not one call after his report, Rush found a guy named Tony who claimed Rush was a racist for discussing the division of race on the not-so-popular reality show. You know how it is, CBS can split teams into ethic groups and its hunky-dory, but Rush talks about it and he's the racist. Ah yes, the life of a conservative these days.

So Rush laughed because as he said to Tony, he's just reporting on what CBS is planning to do for ratings with their sagging program. Last I recall, reporting on a story is not racism. Nor is it racist to question CBS for dividing their tribes by race. If anything it shows Rush as well as folks like myself are trying to get our society to be color blind and not see race.

Yet this character Tony suggested that wondering how it will play out is in itself racist. As he said, "you don't know what's going to happen. You don't know who will win or what the producers think it will accomplish. You're assuming one group will have an advantage over the other."

Tony, the act alone of splitting teams by race in a competition will ultimately leave someone - a race - as the loser. Three ethnicities will lose Survivor and one ethnic group will be crowned champ. They aren't on this show to play to a tie. Talking about that is not racist. Understanding this concept will leave three races "off the island" so to speak, is not racist. Actually having the nerve to play the race card for a rating isn’t racist either...it's just stupid!

Anne Coulter does it again

I know some of you out there hate this woman. I'll have to admit I don't always stand with her on some of her abject opinions regarding gays and other issues. But her latest column: What part of the War on Terror do they support? is spot on!

I highly suggest giving it a read. As they say, reading the column is good for your heart. The more you read it the more you'll - err - never mind. Here's a little taste...

This year's Democratic plan for the future is another inane sound bite designed to trick American voters into trusting them with national security.

To wit, they're claiming there is no connection between the war on terror and the war in Iraq, and while they're all for the war against terror -- absolutely in favor of that war -- they are adamantly opposed to the Iraq war. You know, the war where the U.S. military is killing thousands upon thousands of terrorists (described in the media as "Iraqi civilians," even if they are from Jordan, like the now-dead leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi). That war.

Here's a bit more...

Assuming against all logic and reason that the Democrats have some serious objection to the war in Iraq, perhaps they could tell us which part of the war on terrorism they do support. That would be easier than rattling off the long list of counterterrorism measures they vehemently oppose.

They oppose the National Security Agency listening to people who are calling specific phone numbers found on al-Qaeda cell phones and computers. Spying on al-Qaeda terrorists is hampering our ability to fight the global war on terror!

Seriously, I've never understood the anti-defend America policy against the War on Terror. Trying to suggest there was no terror link in Iraq is like trying to suggest LeBron James has no links to basketball. You've got to be either incredibly stupid or incredibly narrow-minded to believe it.

I guess it really depends on what one considers terror. I personally believe it's the folks who blow themselves up in the name of Jihad against Israel and western society. Howard Dean and co. seems to think it's only those who can present the official hand-shake of al-Qaeda, and remember, they're all hiding in Afghanistan. Then again, it was Dean and co. who suggested they were hiding in Pakistan before we invaded Afghanistan. And it will probably be Dean and co. suggesting those elusive card-carrying members of al-Qaeda are hiding in Omaha when we invade Iran. Anywhere but the middle east, right Howard?

To most liberals, it's all about Osama. All other terror isn't a credible threat and therefore doesn't count! In the liberal anti-defend America world, the War on Terror will end when we capture OBL. So keep your eye on the ball Bush, get the troops out of the Jihad mess in Iraq and send them to Omaha!

I'm kidding of course. No doves allowed on this blog!

U.S. government insensitive to culture?

I've been meaning to get on here and reply to a reader who commented on my posting about the Marines building an Islamic prayer center at Quantico. Sometimes I just reply in the comment section, but Wa Salaam brought up some points I felt should be addressed up front and not in a pop-up box.

Wa Salaam is a journal from a Muslim American who is trying to "introduce the Islamic lifestyle to mainstream America and other Western Countries in a non-threatening and palatable way." I feel some connection to Wa Salaam because I'm trying to do the same with respect to Republican ideals in the very liberal Bay Area. I don't always agree with Wa Salaam, but I appreciate anyone who takes the time to explain their position...which is why I should explain mine based on his comments.

I asked the question in my post...Isn't it odd that it's always Americans who need to be politically correct and sensitive of other religions and cultures?

Wa Salaam replied with...
I hope you are not implying that the World or even Muslims for that matter are picking on the US. Singling out the US for it cultural insensitivity.

My reply...
No Wa Salaam, I'm not implying that at all. In fact, my original question should actually be posed to the liberal America-haters who believe culture and diversity should be stuffed down our throats. Quite frankly, I doubt other nations - or religions for that matter - could question American multiculturalism. We are one of, if not the most diverse country in the world; a melting pot in every sense. Its American freedom and culture that has embraced this diversity and helped build this nation to what it is today. You can't walk through any American city without seeing 30, 40 or 50 different cultures, all of which are a celebration of our very own.

No, the point I'm making with my above question is that America in general is diverse. America in general is culturally rich. America in general embraces all backgrounds. I don't believe we have to build Islamic Prayer Centers for 24 people out of 12,000 to show we respect Islam, or all Muslims for that matter. America's immigrant foundation should confirm our multiculturalism. I don't believe we have to ban Christmas to prove we are an accepting nation.

The problem I see and where I went with my post is that many from the left think otherwise. I can't tell you how many times I hear people out here traduce suburbia because they perceive it to be overtly Caucasian. Yet they rave about the latest restaurant or bar because it was so diverse. My thinking is...who cares! If you are truly diverse and truly accepting, you won't notice multiculturalism. You'll see everyone equally and will respect them for who they are. When I see a man with middle-eastern features walking down the street, I see a man, like me, walking down the street. It is those who rise up and proclaim we should see otherwise are those who will forever keep us different.

The other problem I see Wa Salaam is because of our immigrant heritage and strong multicultural society, I feel much of "American culture" is lost in the fray. For example, over 80% of this nation is Christian. But there are liberals and atheist who believe we should ban anything Christian from the public eye. Whether they like it or not, Christianity is very much a part of American culture. The difference with America is our constitution says you can be Muslim and still be American. It says you can be Buddhist and still American. It says you don't have to believe in any religion and still be...American. But there are those who lose sight of this and believe we should abandon our culture and our origins to somehow prove we embrace others. I just don't agree with that and will do my part to remind Americans that we too - all 200 different nationalities and all - can still have our own culture while respecting others.

Wa Salaam also replied with...
The bottom-line is that the "US Government" with all of the social-diversity surrounding it remains uniform, and is still very much insensitive to culture... except when strategically useful politically, I'm sure you will not refute this...

My reply...
I agree and disagree. You won't find many other countries that have the vast array of religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds holding high-office like we have here in America. We're constantly beating ourselves up and calling ourselves insensitive while ignoring the facts that we are generally just the opposite. Again, I don't think we have to ration out seats in Congress by race or religious background to prove we are diverse. Freedom means we have a choice in who we elect. If the majority of our politicians are white males, it says two things to me. 1., America is electing white male politicians and 2., the majority running for office are white males. Insensitive? Hardly. This nation and its majority Anglo-male legislature are responsible for the largest minority home ownership and wealth in the world. It's responsible for more food and aid to third-world nations than any other and again has probably the softest immigration laws of any sovereign nation. And the insensitive U.S. government is also home to an African-American woman Secretary of State, a Hispanic Attorney General and Secretary of Commerce, an Asian Secretary of Labor, not to mention Cuban senators and an Austrian governor who can hardly say the world California.

Contempt for FOX News

Is it possible for a news agency to become so successful its competitors start ignoring, well, the news? After reading a disgusting post on Poynter by San Diego Union-Tribune TV critic Bob Laurence, I'm convinced that's what has happened in the case of kidnapped Fox News Channel reporter Steve Centanni and freelance cameraman Olaf Wiig.

Michelle Malkin has a nice little post in her blog about how the media has virtually ignored - for lack of a better word - this case of barbaric terrorism in Gaza. She also makes a special request...

If you have the time and inclination, please join me in posting a blog post today (doesn't need to be long, even a quick "Still Missing" will do) in support of our fellow American, Steve Centanni, and New Zealand-based cameraman Olaf Wiig. Let their families know that they are not forgotten.

But what is most disturbing about this case of journalists being kidnapped is the overtly cavalier mindset of critics like Laurence. Merely ignoring news is alone a death sentence for media agencies that depend on their reputation of integrity with the public. But Laurence suggests it also has to do with their penis-envy at the FOX News brand, "Fair and Balanced."

Laurence suggests the mainstream media has a chip on their shoulder because FOX has the nerve to brand themselves as a fair and balanced news source. But I'd ask Mr. Laurence, which news agency doesn't? You certainly don't see CBS News branding themselves as "Fair if we like you, balanced when it serves our agenda."

Just look up any local news agency in your hometown and I'll bet you'll find one or two, heck maybe three or four who call themselves the "No. 1" source of news for that city. Because FOX really is the top news source on cable news, Mr. Laurence thinks - check that - believes other news agencies have a right to ignore this story.

For the record, here's how FOX News programs rank among news programs...
1) FOXN - THE OREILLY FACTOR
2) FOXN - HANNITY & COLMES
3) FOXN - ON THE RECORD W/GRETA
4) FOXN - THE FOX REPORT W/S.SMITH
5) FOXN - SPECIAL REPORTW/BRIT HUME
6) CNN - LARRY KING LIVE
7) FOXN - THE BIG STORY W/J GIBSON
8) FOXN - STUDIO B W/S.SMITH
9) FOXN - FOX AND FRIENDS
10) FOXN - FOX NEWS LIVE
11) FOXN - YOUR WORLD W/NEIL CAVUTO
12) FOXN - DAYSIDE

If other agencies are put-off by the success of FOX News, maybe they should adopt the same "Fair and Balanced" approach to news gathering, rather than ignoring the news out of spitefulness.

In the meantime, everyone here at The Real Republican sends our best to the families of Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig and pray for their quick and safe return.

Department of PC security

Taxpayers fund Islamic center at Quantico

This story came out a few months ago but caught my attention yesterday when it was mentioned by Rush Limbaugh on his radio program. I decided to do some research on the topic and found two issues that stood out exposing why this was not only a bad idea, but a disservice to our efforts in fighting the War on Terror.

To sum it up, the Department of Defense built an Islamic Prayer Center on Marine Corp Base Quantico for the whopping 24 Muslims currently stationed there. But that's not the part that rubs me the wrong way. It's the verbage used by base officials that proves this was purely a politically correct move to soften tensions between the Marines and Muslims in America. (Side note: Isn't it odd that it's always Americans who need to be politically correct and sensitive of other religions and cultures? When was the last time a Muslim organization stood up in defense of American multiculturalism and made an effort to soften tensions? Last I remember it was radical Islam that declared war on the western world, not the other way around.)

Anyhow, Paul Sperry does a nice article in FrontPage Magazine about this politically correct move and why you and I should be concerned.

The new "Islamic Prayer Center" is the first of its kind on a Marine base, and "serves to express the Marine Corps' recognition of diversity among service members and the commitment to provide continued support to all Marines regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender," the base announcement said.

Fair enough, but you have to wonder about the timing of building such a center on a base that only has 24 Muslims out of 12,000 military and civilian personnel. Not to mention the recent history of ACLU terror-loving rulings that have forced the Marines to cut ties with Christian organizations.

You know the rule kids; Islam is diversity and culture while Christianity is bad and should be removed as a constitutional requirement for separation of church and state. Sure, that separation should apply to all religions, but we're building bridges with Osama here!

The second problem with this issue is the ties the organizers have with known Jihad supporters. We're fighting a war on terror and yet the Pentagon is more concerned with sensitivity toward Islam than to see the financial and spiritual connections to Hamas and other anti-western Jihad movements. Robert Spencer has the complete story over at Jihad Watch. I highly suggest giving it a read because this PC move will not only piss you off, it will leave you downright concerned.

Cwality Californya Edgeucasion

Ugh, there's too much to write about lately. Doesn't the political world realize it's the start of the pro and college football seasons as well as the fall push for the MLB playoffs? And that doesn't include the time I set aside for my wife, rowing, dance classes and watching all the games in person or on TV. I'm gonna end up being the guy blogging from left field watching my A's win the AL West.

Yes, I complain at all the chaos in my life right now, but it's truly an exciting time of year for me, the sports producer. I'll be doing some personal blogging on the sports half of my life over at Urban Marinade here soon, so be sure to check that out.

In the meantime, the issues never end and the stupidity of elected officials continues to baffle me.

California is no stranger to stupid politics. Sometimes I think this state invented the concept. Take their screwy education system that raves when only 42% of their students score proficient (at grade level) in English and math. That means less than 58% of the students in California schools are capable of doing the work in their respective grade. Are you kidding me? Last time I looked, 42 out of 100% equals a grade of F!

But California is stoked!

This story came out two days ago and caught my attention because of my father’s role on his local school board. But I decided I needed to write about it after listening to Brian Sussman on The Sussman Show. Sussman invited listeners to call in and give their opinion on why there was no progress made in closing the so-called achievement gap that separates affluent from poor children, and whites and Asian Americans from Latinos and blacks. It's a spicy issue that solicited a wide-range of opinion.

Taking "The Real Republican" approach, I'm not afraid to give you my politically incorrect opinion on this issue. The achievement gap boils down to three things...pride, responsibility and ethics. It's something lacking in many homes and an issue liberals are too afraid to address for fear of the wrath from the ACLU. Now before you flip out with anger at what I just said, let me explain.

First, I apply these three character traits to the parents raising their children. A child who is never taught responsibility doesn't automatically grow up being responsible. Yes, some kids go through life with a natural ability to grow and mature with little guidance. But the majority need direction and many won't get it from home.

The teen birthrate in California alone is among the highest in the country and the chances those children will have a father are slim to none. Babies born out of wedlock are even higher among minority communities, with some 70% Latino babies born without a father. Not to mention illegal immigration has flooded the California school system with children whose families speak little English, who won't assimilate and who simply won't be there for proper parental guidance.

Liberals typically hate the term "family values," but clearly there is something amiss when a child is raised without those values. I use my wife's family as an example. Her father is Filipino and came to America when he was a teenager. He learned the language, worked hard, joined the Army and raised a beautiful family. But he instilled values and pride in his children because of his hard work. My wife doesn't ask for a thing. She knows it's her job to bust her butt if she wants something in life. Many children are raised today without that pride in having a work ethic.

The second element is personal responsibility. We all know what it's like growing up. You want to be cool, have cool clothes, drive a cool car and be liked by all the kids. Most of us (I was one of them) forsake responsibility sometimes to enjoy that hip factor. I think back to my days of skateboarding where I almost failed out of school. I never skipped school through my elementary education years, but there was a time hanging with my skate buddies I considered it. They all would skip school almost once a week. The option of going to school was like the option of getting a glass of milk from the fridge for these kids. I thought it was cool and my influential mind was saying "skipping school is cool to these guys, so I should do it." Thankfully the smart side of my brain won. But I let my grades slide because I didn't want to appear like I cared. It wasn't until my parents and the principal decided to pull me from band (something very, very close to my heart) that I dropped the skateboarding and got my grades up to A's. They took something I loved and gave me direction.

But too many kids these days forsake their education because somewhere along the lines it became cool. Think I'm kidding, just ask them. Most kids will shy away from showing enthusiasm for school. You remember the stereotype, only the geeks liked school. Today you're more than likely to get kids fired up talking about Gnarls Barkley or E-40 than Algebra and research papers. Because of this, having strong family values and/or convictions in your child is the most important element in a child’s life. We can blame the achievement gap on money...but it doesn't take money to be responsible and have a work ethic.

Sorry for the rant. I'll step off the soapbox and get back to preparing my personal preseason top 25 in college football. As I told my wife, get ready for Ohio State and Notre Dame playing for the national title. And go to school damn it!

Weather not listening to warming hype

It seems we have ourselves in a pickle here. More snow and ice are falling upon the typically temperate South Africa.

You'll remember the reports a few weeks ago of the previous rare snowfall across the cape.

And just last week hurricane forecasters trimmed the 2006 projections, saying "cooler than expected waters in the tropical Atlantic are helping drive down the number of hurricanes."

So where is Algore when you need him? Surely Mr. Global Warming has something to say about all this. Cooler water, more snow, thicker ice caps...all happening just months after "An Inconvenient Truth" was released. Turns out the only thing inconvenient about global warming is the weather not cooperating.

Pro-Terror rally in SF

Last week I was invited to attend a rally/protest in the city. I've probably mentioned this several times, but there seems to be a protest of some sort in the Bay Area at any given moment of any given day. In fact, there probably a protest going on in downtown Oakland right this second.

I quote the great movie of PCU...
Hippy guy with sign: "Free Nelson Mandela!"
Other guy with sign: "They freed him already."
Hippy guy with sign: "Oh ... Save the whales!"

But I digress, the rally I was invited to attend was actually a pro-Israel counter-protest in San Francisco organized by SF Voice For Israel. It was organized to counter International-ANSWER's pro-Hezbollah, pro-terror rally at Civic Center Plaza. And for those wondering, ANSWER stands for "Act Now to Stop War and End Racism." No joke, this is the same organization that is supporting terror groups that start wars and preach the elimination of all Jews and non-Muslims. Guess the "Stop War" and "End Racism" doesn't apply to those overtly compassionate jihadi's.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the rally because of classes and a painting project, but several other pro-Israel bloggers give their perspective. At the back of the hill does a nice write up about the Civic Center Moonbats while Balabusta in Blue Jeans describes her day amid the chaos.

Indybay.org files a partisan report in favor of the Hezbollah whacko’s and put together a photo gallery calling Israelis racist. There's that strange Jew/Racism oxymoron again.

Zombie as usual has a great photo montage from the event.

Epiphanic moment
Looking through the various photo galleries from these rallies allowed me to start connecting a few anti-defend America dots. Ever hear of the "Raging Grannies?" How about Cindy Sheehan? What about the Green Party? Code Pink for Peace? All are generally adored by the left. Heck, Cindy Sheehan is the poster child of cut-and-run liberals across the globe. And all were attending these anti-Israel/anti-U.S. hate rallies. Not once did they try to hide their support for terrorism while standing shoulder to shoulder with Palestinian teens dressed in kaffiyehs and pledging support for a global jihad. And Democrat politicians are wondering why they are being called the "party of Al Qaeda."

Anyhow, here is the complete report from the event that comes from SF Voice for Israel. I know it's long, but it's my way of showing my support to Israel and their fight against terror.

Event report - August 12 counter-demo at Civic Center

WMD Found: In case you missed it

In a heated discussion the other night with a group of friends, the topic of Iraq hit the table. Of course, anytime you're talking about Iraq there's bound to be some polarization of thought.

I have been one who staunchly supports our mission there and the policies of the Bush administration. I believe most of those who oppose our actions in Baghdad simply don't understand the connections this country had/has to Islamic radicals. There are arguments all across the board about why going into Iraq was a mistake and why we should "bring the troops home now." But none of the reasons serve any logic or rational thought.

The discourse I had with my friends was over WMD and their insistence Saddam didn't possess them. Remember, this has been the #1 talking point of the anti-defend America set. It's what John Kerry made as the backbone of his campaign and what most politicians are using in the upcoming midterm elections. I believe the term was "Bush lied, people died."

But something peculiar happened just under two months ago. Members of the Senate House Intelligence Committee declassified documents from the National Ground Intelligence Center, a Defense Department intelligence unit, showing coalition forces had recovered approximately 500 chemical weapons munitions since 2003. Low and behold, Saddam still had WMD in his possession when U.S. forces invaded Iraq.

The conversation I was having took a turn at this point, as everyone in the group stated they had never heard of such a discovery. To which I replied, "of course you didn't. The mainstream media ignored the report." The obvious bias ignited a firestorm from the bloggers and was even the topic of one of my blog postings. On a day when one of the biggest arguments against Bush was debunked, the media fell silent.

So just to update those who missed the report, which is probably everyone who doesn't watch Fox News or read blogs, here are a few links to check out...

Fox News: Report: Hundreds of WMDs Found in Iraq

Washington Times: Chemical arms found in Iraq, report reveals

Media Research Center: So why aren't top media reporting new facts on Iraq's WMD?

Defense Department: Munitions Found in Iraq Meet WMD Criteria, Official Says

Strategy Page: Why Iraq WMD Finds Were Kept Secret

And Instapundit has the actual declassified documents right here.

The sad part of this story is I don't really think it matters what we find in Iraq at this point. After this particular report came out, the anti-defend America blowhards were down-playing the threat of these munitions as degraded. I've even heard some idiots over at Huffpuff suggesting these weapons were planted by Rumsfeld and Cheney. I'm not kidding!

The fact is, these weapons could still kill a large number of people...making them WMD. These weapons could still be planted in IED's and could still get in the hands of terrorists, which was one of the fears the Intel community had prior to declassifying the report. These weapons were illegally possessed by the Saddam and they constituted the vast lies of the Hussein regime.

But none of that matters now. Too much money has been put into the anti-defend America policy to accept the truth. Michael Moore wouldn't be able to make any more movies. Cindy Shameham wouldn't get to travel the world. George Soros would have to invest in, god forbid, something other than attacking Bush. But no, this futile stance is too important. We could find a cave under Fallujah with thousands of chemical warheads tonight, and the left would be conjuring up an endless array of conspiracy theories on how they got there. No matter what is found, some - if not most - from the left will refuse the facts out of pure hatred for the man who has kept them out of the White House for six years and counting.

He said, she said

George Bush says Israel defeated Hezbollah.

Hezbollah's leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah declared a "strategic, historic victory" against Israel.

Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggests the war demonstrated Israel "will respond with force to every terror act."

They all sound like a bunch of worthless knuckleheads playing an immature game of he said, she said. And one thing is certain from resolution 9,556,234, Israel didn't win a thing. Hezbollah still exists. Hezbollah still enjoys an arsenal of Katyusha rockets. And Hezbollah still controls much of Southern Lebanon.

And who says the militant terror group will abide by this latest resolution? The UN has yet to enforce any of their previous resolutions, including the 20 or so employed against Iraq. Resolution 9,556,234 will simply end up a joke like the rest. And for the record it's resolution 1701, but who is counting at this point. The UN goes through these resolutions faster than Sally Struthers goes through Twinkies.

President Bush seems to think this cease-fire will work because of the language it uses in reference to Lebanese and UN forces stabilizing Hezbollah territory. But you just have to look at how well the UN has handled virtually all peace-keeping missions. It goes something like this...fighting starts, UN comes in, fighting continues. And this isn't a simple battle between two diplomatic states. This current conflict is part of the greater war on Islamic fascism. Bush said just last week after the broken up terror plot in Britain, "we are still at war with Islamo-fascists." So if that's the case, why the pussy-footing around with a known terror organization?

Unfortunately we live times when the political life is more important than the innocent. I've long supported most of the policies of the Bush administration, but this is a time when I disagree. Standing with the UN and the rest of the doves only emboldens the terror groups who wish to eliminate the western world.

Karol Sheinin over at Michelle Malkin's blog applies this same logic to those who wish a hasty exit from Iraq.

If Bush still had some balls, he'd offer Israel complete support in their mission of disarming Hezbollah. He'd then drop bombs on the nuke facilities and launch sites of North Korea and follow it with a nice bomb in Tehran on Ahmadinejad's home welcoming him to the party. As they say throughout the conservative world, peace...through superior firepower!

Who killed liberal brain cells?

Wednesday night I witnessed my first liberal propaganda film, "Who Killed the Electric Car." A good friend and I hit up the Parkside Theatre in Oakland for a viewing of this little conspiracy theory Bush-bash we'd been hearing so much about.

Aside from being the only Republican in the house as well as the only individual not sneering at George Bush, GM and the Oil companies, it wasn't that bad. Okay, okay, "Princess Diaries" would have been more tolerable than this left-wing dribble, but it's all about the experience...right? I mean, I got to see more retired hippies in that one setting than my last visit to Berkeley.

It all gets started back in 1990 when the progressive thinking California legislature decided the government knows best and mandated private auto-makers to build a zero-emissions vehicle. For fear of not being allowed to sell their gas-engine cars in California, GM, Toyota and other automakers were forced to develop a product. In other words, it was a liberal government telling a private company what to make and private citizens what to buy.

In this case it was the EV1; a small, cramped, short-distance pug-like vehicle that could, if lucky, take a commuter from Oakland to work in SF and back. Then again, if you hit the usual traffic on the Bay Bridge, fugettaboutit!

So this little electric car gets pulled from the market because average Americans just aren't interested. Sure, most would say they'd like to help the environment. But not by spending more money on a vehicle that could leave them stranded along the 880 in East Oakland. It was just a bad investment.

But the tree huggers who grew to hold deep rooted affection for their little EV1 staged protests. Liberal activists were determined to force their eco-ideology on the mainstream, quality be damned!

They blocked transport vehicles at a California GM plant and even stalked a truck driver until he passed through a security gate at the Port of LA/LB. All of this while demanding to put an electric vehicle back on the street that would ultimately cost more jobs than the gallons of gas it saves.

The movie goes through the usual suspects the left loves to hate. They blamed GM and the auto makers. They blamed the big oil companies. They blamed Ronald Reagan. They blamed you and me. And of course, they blamed George Bush. You blame Bush for anything these days. I hear he's flying in a plane right this minute trying to stir up another hurricane to hit a depressed ethnic neighborhood along the Gulf Coast.

So in true fashion of a propaganda film, facts were left out for clarity sake. You're supposed to hate Republicans after this film, not understand why the darn car sucked. UCLA Law Professor Stephen Bainbridge has a good theory. Ken Shepherd at News Busters has some links as well.

But what got me even more than the pure hatred no-so-subliminally hid between the plot lines was the reckless use of bogus info. Global warming was a hot topic of choice. Oh I'm telling you folks, anyone who’s anyone is talking about global warming these days. Environmental fear mongering is the new black in the hipster world!

But I digress; let's get to some of the garbage being passed off as fact. First, the film showed glaciers breaking from natural air-pockets and tried to pass it off as melting. You've know the scene, a large chunk of ice falls into the water. Liberals show this scene as a sign of their claims that the glaciers are getting smaller. But the scene is actually a natural phenomenon that has nothing to do with climate. And yet they leave out the part about the glaciers actually getting thicker.

They show an image of a hurricane cloud while proudly claiming a dramatic increase in severe weather activity...even though the hurricane season predictions, regrettably to liberals, has been down-graded. Not to mention the overall weather trends aren't even close to the severe weather of the 30s and 40s. Back then they were claiming another ice age.

They show elk meandering through ANWR as they blast drilling in the region, even though the drilling would have zero effect on the wildlife and actually help solve some of our energy issues (while simultaneously creating over 2 million U.S. jobs). Kinda funny half the movie is devoted to showing an oil shortage and yet they oppose drilling.

Then they go into the standard "I can't think of anything else to say" line about war in the Middle East because of oil. Again, it's a movie trying to prove an oil shortage and the affects of high gas prices, while also suggesting we've tapped into one of the largest oil sources in the world. Um...control of oil with no shortages equals low prices. Something doesn't add up here kids. That damn Halliburton must be hiding the oil in Crawford. Oh yeah, the jihadist in Iraq say hi.

But seriously folks, overall the movie was more about pointing fingers at the usual capitalist pigs than telling a factual story about electric cars. The director obviously hates Bush. He obviously hates oil companies that are making profits after decades of making nothing. And he obviously hates the government because they would rather see companies put money into products that sell rather than an environmentalist’s pet-project.

To sum it up, the car just wasn't worth it and neither was this movie. Ditching an electric car program in favor of something more likely to have success however is.

Tell it like it is

Sometimes graphics speak louder than words.

Another inconvenient reality

Headline: Algore releasing new film on global cooling.

Okay, that's not a real headline, but I'm betting it won't be long before we start seeing the greeny-weenies predicting a chill. Algore and crew are already trying to retract their global warming claims like a dirty email accidentally cc'd to the boss.

Why am I making this prediction? Because it's snowing in Africa! And because when the liberal cause-heads get tired of this crisis, they'll move back to the one they enjoyed back in the day. Remember the 1970s hysteria of global cooling? Algore was too busy inventing the Internet to notice climate change back then.

Here's the video of the snow in South Africa

Catching up

Well folks, you'll have to forgive me for the long delay in posting. We flew my mother-in-law into town last weekend for Kel's birthday and spent a few days away from the chaos of the mainstream media. But don't you worry a bit; I've got some good stuff to update you on and a slice of bad news from our neck of the woods.

I'll first start with the bad news. Friday was Kel's birthday and we celebrated in style by having dinner and drinks in the city with over 20 friends. The surprise party was perfect, the dinner was perfect and the drinks to cap the night were perfect. But the perfection ended when we returned to my truck to find a broken window and my digital camera and CDs gone with the wind.

We have insurance, so everything will be covered. But the crappy part is we lost the memory card in the camera holding all the great photos from the evening.

The other crappy element is I now feel naked without my camera. As most of you know, I'm an avid amateur photographer and carry my camera everywhere I go. I specialize in city/urban photos, but love having it near just in case something catches my eye. And boy, I wish I had it this morning. I've been putting together a compilation of protesters I've photographed over the last year and plan to publish a "lunatic" photo gallery at some point. (Hell, I could probably make a good book out of it)

Well there was a dozy today in downtown Oakland. Some nut job is camping out in front of the Federal Building with pink tarps with the words "Bring the troops home fast" painted everywhere. I contemplated confronting the lone individual while waiting for my Starbucks, but decided against deflating this poor hippy's ideology. Don't get me wrong, the opportunity was juicy enough to taste. I seriously just wanted to walk over and ask the dude why he's opposed to defending our nation.

With that said, I'll be getting my claim into my insurance and will hopefully have a replacement camera within the next few weeks. Hopefully this anti-war whacko will still be there having conversations with the pigeons about Stalin and why Berkeley should become a separate communist state.

Minor Digression...

In the meantime, I'll get this blog fired up again with lots of funny liberal idiocy to report on from the belly of the beast. And don't worry; I'll let you know when the book of protests is released.

Thursday, August 31, 2006

GM withdraws CBS' 'Survivor' sponsorship

Welcome to dirty politics

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Self-identified terrorist goes on rampage

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Protesting gone bad

Red River racism

Friday, August 25, 2006

Interview with William A. Donohue

Surviving CBS stupidity

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Anne Coulter does it again

U.S. government insensitive to culture?

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Contempt for FOX News

Friday, August 18, 2006

Department of PC security

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Cwality Californya Edgeucasion

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Weather not listening to warming hype

Pro-Terror rally in SF

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

WMD Found: In case you missed it

Monday, August 14, 2006

He said, she said

Friday, August 11, 2006

Who killed liberal brain cells?

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Tell it like it is

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Another inconvenient reality

Catching up

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