Some of my recent blogsurfing has led me to some old friends with whom I haven't spoken in years. The most recent one I stumbled across was Josh "Stook" Stuckey, an Auburn native who relocated to Minneapolis, MN to pursue a career in music.
Apparently, Stook released an album in January of 2006 entitled "The Soundtrack to My Minneapolis," which is a strangely appealing blend of blusey folk/acoustic styles with some very engaging lyrics, performed in the gruff, raw manner which those of us who know Stook would totally expect. It's tasty stuff...check it out.

A "free listen" is available HERE.

An in-depth review of the album is available HERE. More reviews HERE.

The official STOOK website is www.stookmusic.com where you can buy the full-length 10 song album.

It should be noted that Stook was my boss in high-school, when I worked at an Auburn sub/pizza shop. All I can say is, "good times!"

Special Bonus Feature!!! This hilarious pic and snippet came from the same post!!! I love it when a plan comes together. Thanks to "The Atheist Jew" for a few good laughs.

Quote of the week: "Oh and you mocking me is like a Down's child mocking Einstein.Your lack of understanding and intelligence doesn't surprise me. Vox is pretty smart, and opposites do attract. My wife is limited intellectually too." The Atheist Jew Homepage 03.29.06 - 11:19 am

Just a few little side-notes to the recent time-change humbuggery:


From Webexhibits.org:

Time Change Riots

Patrons of bars that stay open past 2:00 a.m. lose one hour of drinking time on the day when Daylight Saving Time springs forward one hour. This has led to annual problems in numerous locations, and sometimes even to riots. For example, at a "time disturbance" in Athens, Ohio, site of Ohio University, over 1,000 students and other late night partiers chanted "Freedom," as they threw liquor bottles at the police attempting to control the riot.

Believe it or not, I actually attended a couple of these Mardi-Gras style street parties. Now they don't even compare to OU's annual Halloween bash...but it was still hilarious.

This is how Ohio University advises students on the yearly debacle:

What should I expect from local law enforcement?
You can expect that law enforcement personnel will enforce the law. Police from the City of Athens and Ohio University will work together to keep streets clear and open, to prevent overcrowding of sidewalks, to insure the safety of people and property, and to otherwise enforce all local and state laws.
As you know, it is illegal to block a public street. It is illegal to remain in a place after ordered by the police to disperse. It is illegal to drink alcohol if you are under 21 years of age. It is illegal to have an open container of alcohol in your possession in any public place. It is illegal to possess or consume illicit drugs. It is illegal to urinate publicly. It is illegal to destroy property. It is illegal to assault others. It is illegal to be disorderly. These and all other laws will be firmly enforced.
In addition to traditional enforcement, you can expect that police and city officials will be recording activities using video and still cameras, and that they will pursue prosecution of individuals identified through these means.

What if I just go to watch?
You can be arrested for failure to leave when a police officer tells you to leave and/or for blocking the sidewalk. In the past, students who said they attended simply to watch have become drawn into illegal activities and have been arrested and/or disciplined.

What if I get arrested?
You will be booked at the local police station.
You will be transported to the Regional Jail in Nelsonville.
If you post bond, you may be released and would need to find a ride home.
You will have to appear in court; you may decide to hire an attorney.
If you are found guilty in court, you could face a fine, community service and/or jail.
You will be referred to University Judiciaries.

Why can I be referred to Judiciaries for something that happens off-campus?
According to University rules about student behavior, you can be referred for behavior whether it occurs on-campus or off-campus. You will be referred to University Judiciaries if it is alleged that you have violated the Student Code of Conduct, regardless of where the behavior occurred.

There is more to read from OU HERE.

The state also mandated OU to withhold student aid dollars from persons convicted of certain riot related crimes. Read more HERE.

Do I think this will be a problem in Fort Wayne? No. I just wanted people to realize that the only folks out there that get enraged enough about DST are drunken students.

Well, there are these guys (also from DST on Webexhibits.org):

Palestinian Terrorists
In September 1999, the Palestinian West Bank was on daylight saving time while Israel had just switched back to standard time. West Bank Palestinians prepared time bombs and smuggled them to Arab Israelis, who misunderstood the time on the bombs. As the bombs were being planted, they exploded—one hour too early—killing three terrorists instead of the intended victims—two busloads of people.

DST saves the day!!!

Otherwise known as the "Pat White Show" time-slot...

Check out Fort Wayne Observed for the details!

Mitch does mention that a "FWOb reader criticized the choice to put Zimney on the poll in the first place." By my recollection, Pat White made the same criticism on the air, saying "Newsman Jon??? Newsman Jon is winning???" Then of course he recanted, stating that The Pat White Show is a "Team Effort." HA! Sounds like somebody who saw where that poll was going before all the votes were in!

Congrats, Jon Zimney! Hopefully it will be your show soon and they ditch the bottom two performers. I personally would LOVE to hear a Jon Zimney & Pat Miller Show (as a duo) every day instead of Dumb & Dumber.

I actually TIVO'ed this commercial so I can watch it over and over. My wife thinks I'm a jackass, but it makes me laugh every time.

Yesterday, the Journal Gazette ran a short piece discussing an upcoming event at Concordia High School. This event (coined "Celebrate Creation Week") will include several guest lectures by Mike Riddle, a speaker on creation from Answers in Genesis, a Kentucky-based non-denominational organization.

Of Mr. Riddle's lectures, Concordia's science department chairman Mervin Koehlinger says:

“He will emphasize the fact that in the past the church has been willing to reinterpret the Bible according to what science was saying. We don’t have to do that. We can interpret science in light of what the Bible is saying.”

Wow, is that backwards. Seems to me like the scientific community has done quite well with the "burden of proof" over the years. The same can NOT be said of those who strictly interpret Biblical passage.

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Scrap 2000 years of logic and research by using a 2-millennia-old book full of metaphors as a scientific benchmark.

Folks, I'm all about people teaching kids this stuff at Sunday School, but Monday-Friday school should really be more calibrated to cold, hard facts. These kids have to leave the nest sometime, and I would hate to think this is what they are being taught in lieu of actual science. Perhaps they will be prepared for a lustrious scholarly career at Whittenberg...but if this is the scientific knowledge they are touting...they will get SHREDDED at state schools.

People can believe anything they want, I certainly will not even try to stop them...but c'mon folks, give your kids a chance! It has been accepted practice for a VERY VERY long time to explain Biblical events through science. I (as a Lutheran) have always been extremely comfortable rationalizing these accounts/stories by using science. I am NOT, however, comfortable with turning that process inside out. It seems to me like that whole cart/horse thing. But what the hell do I know? I'm just a lowly blogger.

Today, WOWO reports that:

Fort Wayne School officials have had little success keeping students from
accessing blogging websites on school computers. It took students just days to
hack their way around blocking software. School officials say the sites distract
students and make them vulnerable to on-line predators.

Now, I hate to sound too prick-ish about this, but it seems to me that the local schools should be embarrassed. Outwitted by those meddling kids again...

On a side note: Does anyone really think that the "vulnerability to sexual predators" is actually the primary concern of the schools here? I'm thinking they probably just don't want to see an on-line repeat of the Carroll fiasco...

Just out of curiosity, when are kids finding the time to blog? Shouldn't they be in class, ummm....say, LEARNING or something?

In the article Family relives horror to fight killer’s parole, Journal Gazette reporter Frank Gray takes a look at a bizarre occurence in Indiana's laws which has literally allowed a brutal murderer to become elligible for parole.

Makes you wonder which is sicker: Some scumbag who killed a 19-year-old girl by stabbing her 96 times, or the penal system that decides he should be able to get out of his cage?

How sad.

William Larsen began yesterday with great flare by firing a well-deserved shot over the bow of long-time Journal Gazette editorial editor Tracy Warner.

Read Larsen's post here.

Then over on Warner's blog, Larsen takes him to school.

Sweet.

Where: Hicksville, OH
When: Sat. March 26, 2006
What: Exploding transformer at an AEP Ohio Stepdown Station
Sorry the pictures are so blurry...didn't feel like getting close enough to inhale the toxic fog from the potting compound or mastic...

I was directed to a relatively new blog authored by Robert Rapier, a chemical engineer. His blog primarily discusses the vastly interesting world of alternative fuels from a scientific (not political) standpoint. You will find this blog permanently linked at the right side of J4TR.com so that when alternative fuels become a matter of conversation or debate, this very bright man's material is readily accessible.

Beginning in 1994, the Fedayeen Saddam opened its own paramilitary training
camps for volunteers, graduating more than 7,200 "good men racing full with
courage and enthusiasm" in the first year. Beginning in 1998, these camps began
hosting "Arab volunteers from Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, 'the Gulf,' and Syria."
It is not clear from available evidence where all of these non-Iraqi volunteers
who were "sacrificing for the cause" went to ply their newfound skills. Before
the summer of 2002, most volunteers went home upon the completion of training.

A newly released prewar Iraqi document indicates that an official representative
of Saddam Hussein's government met with Osama bin Laden in Sudan on February 19, 1995, after receiving approval from Saddam Hussein. The document states that further "development of the relationship and cooperation between the two parties to be left according to what's open [in the future] based on dialogue and agreement on other ways of cooperation." The Sudanese were informed about the agreement.

First off, I want to state for the record that these reviews are not designed to be pretentious, snobbish, Robert Parker-esque profiles of wine containing off-the-wall analogies and boring anecdotes of how certain wines rouse the emotions and bring one to climax with their seductive, titillating flavors. Furthermore, I need to inform all of our visitors that I am not a certified wine expert with any professional accreditations. I did, however, work for a local alcoholic beverage retailer for 5 years hand-selling boutique wines, which afforded me the opportunity to sample a very large number of labels (at a substantial discount).

TODAY'S LABEL: Barale Langhe Chardonnay 2004

For the white wine drinkers that are turned off by the over-oaked, Napa Valley Chardonnays and are looking for something that is crisp and clean with wonderful, bright citrus and tropical fruit flavors, this is definitely well worth your time and money. Make no mistake, folks; when I tell you that this has tropical fruit flavors, I am not telling all of you Bartles & James or Bahama Mama (or even Riesling and Moscato D'Asti fanatics) to go out and and swoop this up. The appealing feature of this wine is the bracing acidity, which keeps all of the flavors together and provides a substantial amount of definition (Translation: For anyone wearing a flannel shirt, a trucker's mesh hat, or a tank top with a drool stain down the chest: this wine is very, very dry and may be a bit of a shock to the palate for all those that think Boone's Farm makes great wine).

Overall, if ranked in a class among similarly-priced wines, this is a tremendous value. I found it on sale at the Belmont Beverage at Time Corners for $10.98. Also, take note of the fact that it is in the same portfolio of wines that are distributed by Visentin Imports out of Ossian. This is the same local company that brought to Fort Wayne the wonderful, value-based line of San Giulio wines, which you can find on all of the Casa restaurants' wine lists. Lake season is around the corner and as the weather gets warmer, keep this one in mind for any backyard soiree where fish or pasta with cream sauce is being served.

J4TR.com Scorecard Ranking for $6-$12 wines: 9 out of 10

Considering the droves of brainless leftards that flock to www.dailykos.com every day to get their marching orders, I find it interesting that they do not have their #1 and #2 advertising slots filled (special instructions for any Democrats that might be reading: click to enlarge photo, look to the right of the green arrows). I suppose it's because they are pandering to the numerous (and often HILARIOUS) cause-head boycott lists ranging in focus from "Save the Whales" to "Free Sex Changes for Everyone!" Or maybe it's that companies don't want to be associated with that kind of hate-speak regardless how much traffic they draw...

Of course it's also possible that a bunch of loud-mouth know-it-all college students and egomaniac hippies (of all ages, shapes and sizes) just don't have the money to make advertising to them worth a squirt of $#it.

In a post from yesterday, blogger Michael Turk makes some interesting observations about Democratic Party fundraising. My favorite:

When you're being outplayed on the ground, why beg for money in every single e-mail you send? They proved in 2004 that more money doesn’t equate to winning.

True...true.

This is very interesting. It might not mean anything, but if nothing else, it warrants a phone call to Marla Irving to get her take on the issue.

This weeks winner: National Serv-All
Thanks so much for all of the garbage you dumped up and down my street, pricks. It was fun to go clean up garbage that my neighbors and I ALREADY collected to our hoppers. Hey, at least you're efficient. I'm sure it saves room in the landfill if you leave half of the garbage strewn about the landscape as you exit the neighborhood. See below for actual photos taken within two minutes of the time the garbage truck left my cul-de-sac. The red shaded areas indicate garbage that was NOT there before the Serv-All truck came through. In the lower picture, you can see my neighbor who was in the road cleaning up after the people who get paid to clean up after us.

So I guess the real question is which of these guys is the Duke and which is the Hogg? The following story from NewsMax indicates Duke's Piggin' days are almost through! With millions worth of supposed bribes and scandalous-looking transactions and deals...Randy Cunningham definitely deserves the white suit (but he looks like hell in it!).

'Duke' Cunningham's Loot to Be Auctioned

Silver-plated candelabras. A cedar-lined lingerie cabinet. Persian rugs. An oak hutch carved with lions' heads, tree limbs and acorns.
The spoils from former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's bribery scheme - a household of valuable antiques, rugs and home furnishings _ will be auctioned off by the government Thursday to help cover the back taxes and restitution he owes.
The public was given a preview Tuesday of the loot, which was laid out in orderly rows in a warehouse near Los Angeles.
Cunningham, who was sentenced earlier this month to more than eight years in prison for taking $2.4 million in bribes, received the items from defense contractors in exchange for helping them win government contracts.
"Lavish," said Jim Sudomir, a retiree from Fallbrook, summing up Cunningham's lifestyle as he looked over the display. "If he was going to be a crook he should have been a smarter one. He thought he was above all that. ... Look where he's at now. He's in jail."
The inventory reveals that the contractors spared little expense to appease Cunningham's collector's tastes.
There is a leather sofa. A solid cherry sleigh bed. Nearly a dozen rugs. Marble-topped nightstands, armoires and sideboards, many featuring stained glass, brass fittings and intricate carvings.
"There's a real mix of different styles - Art Deco, French provincial, American pioneer," said Britney Sheehan, who works for the company that will auction the goods.
Sheehan said she could not disclose how much the items are expected to fetch, since officials do not want to influence potential bidders. Some of the rugs have previously been valued at as much as $40,000.
Yeah, we'll give it to him on the merits of all of his corruption and greed....plus we've discovered he is the LEAST photogenic of anyone in Congress.

This seems an unusual move for a guy who usually seems to have his focus dialed right in on the good stuff! If I didn't have two little kids, I might agree with this idea. Since I HAVE two little kids, I know that this idea is bunk at best.

Here is the biggest problem in my estimation: Kids under, ohhh, say SEVEN need a nap. If indeed the kids are taking a nap at school, we are then subscribing to state-operated day care...which can lead down some seriously ugly roads.

At first, I started to take issue with this plan because nobody was discussing WHY they thought it was a good idea. Then I realized, THAT'S THE NEWSPAPER'S JOB....AHEM...Journal Gazette! Now we have thoroughly inspected the rectum of the proposed and available funding of this project, is there any chance just MAYBE you could have included more than ONE SENTENCE on why this is a good idea? How about a dissenting opinion?

But hey, you're the "news professionals," I guess you know how to write articles...I'm sure it's just that you CHOOSE not to do so.......

Durbin: Dems Want GIs Home ASAP

Reported by NewsMax

Repeatedly pressed by "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace to reveal his party's Iraq war plan, Sen. Dick Durbin's answer was that Democrats want to bring the troops home as soon as possible. Wallace quoted President Jimmy Carter's national security advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, as having accused the Democrats, "his own party, of political desertion on Iraq. "Democratic leaders have been silent or evasive. They have not offered an alternative to the war in Iraq. It's easy to criticize," Brzezinski said, according to Wallace, who then asked Durbin: "You talk about the lack of an administration plan. What is the Democratic plan? And be specific. What's the Democratic plan for Iraq?"

"I'll be very specific," replied Durbin, D-Ill. "But I can tell you, to start with, failed policies such as the one we have in Iraq gives us few options. And we understand that. We've been painted into a corner in this situation."

When Wallace countered that with, "Well, that's criticism, sir. What is your plan?" Durbin waffled, saying "Well, hold on, if you will, please. What we propose and what Senator John Warner accepted as a bipartisan approach in the Senate includes the following. This year, 2006, a year of transition, where the Iraqis take control of their own security and defense. "Secondly, the Iraqis are put on notice they have to form a government that embraces all of the factions within Iraq so that we can see finally a government of unity leading to some sort of progress for the people of Iraq. "And finally, we have to have from this president accountability, clear accountability, where he says every three months what progress is being made. His first report, incidentally, was not an encouraging one. It's an indication that despite all the rhetoric, we have not made progress this year."

Still looking for an answer, Wallace said: "But saying a year of significant transition, with all due respect, sir, is just a phrase. I mean, you know the situation there. There are 133,000 troops on the ground. Is it the Democratic plan that you could get all of them out by the end of the year, 30,000, get under 100,000? What's the Democratic plan?

Said Durbin: "My wish is to bring the troops home as quickly as possible." After Wallace observed that, "Well, that's everyone's wish, sir," Durbin said, "Withdrawing them tomorrow is not realistic. But I will say this. We believe that if this president has a plan, and I'm not sure that he does, that it will be demonstrated by the end of the year that Iraqi forces will replace American forces. If they do not, it's further indication of the failure of this administration."

In the end, Wallace's question went unanswered.

We'll just go ahead and put him on the 3-Strike-Loser bulletin board....he'll fit right in.

Check out the 'new look' we have taken on! If you like it, GRAND. Please send us lots of frilly emails, flowers and money. If you don't like it, please proceed to the next blog. Hey I'm just busting balls...you know you can send me hate mail too if you like. I'm a grown man, I can take it. Stop by Monday for a wine review and some more of the trashy and misguided political commentary you have grown to love to hate!

We'll be here, with bells on.

Apparently Mark Souder isn't comfortable enough with his legislative and political savvy to step up to the plate for an official debate with William Larsen (the Republican challenger for his seat). Mike Sylvester is throwing a fit about this...rightfully so.

Now, I don't blame Souder. Larsen is a f'n WOLVERINE (and I don't mean those Blue & Maize pussies from Ann Arbor **GO BUCKEYES**)...and far better armed to engage in a battle of wits than Mark-E-Mark Souder. I do however, think it would be funny to watch Souder get ripped a new @$$ by someone so obviously an intellectual superior.

As reported by the JG:

The parking garage co-owned by Allen County and the city of Fort Wayne has seen business decline so much that the two governments will likely have to cover the bond payments this year, officials said Friday. Hey, Mayor Richard, isn't your policy such that when an area of underperformance is recognized, we just condemn and bulldoze the thing and build something new there?
The Plaza Parking Garage attached to the City-County Building, 1 E. Main St., was at capacity in 2002 and 2003, officials said. But that was before the new Juvenile Justice Center opened on Wells Street, moving juvenile courtrooms from downtown and taking parking customers with it and before the Charles “Bud” Meeks Justice Center opened north of the garage and took more customers away. The justice center is just a half-block away, but people are parking on the street instead of in the garage. So what the hell, just quadruple the meter rates. FORCE those delinquents back into the garage.
“They’d rather pay a $5 ticket than park in the parking garage and walk a block and a half,” County Commissioner Marla Irving said. Hell, make it a $50 ticket. That'll teach 'em.
The garage, which owes about $3 million on its bonds, is jointly owned by the city and county through the Plaza Parking Garage Condominium Owners Association.
The city and county split the bond payments and – until the garage started losing money – any profits. Bond payments are due through 2021. I'm sure this was not even conceivable to those notorious for wearing the "Allen County Rose-Colored-Glasses." You know, the ones that all of these "Downtown Development" goofballs have been wearing while looking lustfully at their baseball stadium blueprints.
Friday, board members learned the Plaza Parking Garage brought in $56,000 less than last year, about $97,000 less than officials budgeted for. Evindently, they are passing out the 'Rose Colored Glasses' at many city functions. This year, officials said, the garage will make a profit only if it doesn’t make its $300,000 in bond payments. Both the city and the county have reserves in the parking garage accounts to cover their share of the payments this year, but unless things change they will have to cover the payments from somewhere else next year.
“We have enough cash flow to handle things as they are, but things are going to need to pick up,” Ed Rousseau said. Ignore the problem, it will go away.
In addition to the loss of customers when the Juvenile Justice Center opened, there is an aversion to walking downtown, officials said. They’ll walk miles through parking lots at a mall, but not a half-block from the garage to the new justice center. Maybe that's because people WANT to be at the mall.....
“We offer some of the best rates in the downtown area,” Rousseau said. “But people don’t want to walk two blocks.” "Come to beautiful downtown Fort Wayne! Pay your tickets! See your loved ones get convicted of crimes! Lots of parking! Don't forget to visit the jail..."
Revenue from festivals is also down, officials said. Well, they are starting to suck a little...and they are so friggin' expensive you damn near need to cash in some savings bonds before you head downtown...
In an effort to trim costs, the garage has been trying to switch from human cashiers to an ATM-like machine that takes payments, but the transition is not going well, said NAI Harding Dahm officials. Harding Dahm manages the garage. WHOA...WHY IS NAI HARDING-DAHM MANAGING THE GARAGE? Do these guys have their fingers in every piece of real-estate pie in the area?
“(Customers) don’t like machines, and they don’t want to put someone out of work,” Harding Dahm’s Pat Hayes said. “They’re just fighting us on it.” It's easy to see how the only thing worse than paying ridiculous amounts of money to park your car on public property MIGHT be getting forced into dealing with some pain-in-the-ass dollar-collecting contraption.

Win Moses came out swinging this morning on WOWO's morning news lobbing dud grenades at Governor Mitch Daniels and his 'Major Moves' legislation. Moses referred to 'Major Moves' as "one of the worst pieces of legislation we've ever had..."

I dunno, Win...sounds like a "done deal" to me. You might want to pick a different battle...or work on your timing (ever heard the phrase "A day late and a dollar short???").

How about we address this absurd "no OTC liquor sales on Sunday" BS??? You actually stand a chance of being a champion of THAT cause!

The President, First Lady and Dick Cheney were flying on Air Force One. George looked at Laura, chuckled and said, "You know, I could throw a $1,000 bill out of the window right now and make somebody very happy."
Laura shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I could throw ten $100 bills out of the window and make ten people very happy."
Cheney added, "That being the case, I could throw one hundred $10 bills out of the window and make a hundred people very happy."
Hearing their exchange, the pilot rolled his eyes and said to his co-pilot, "Such big-shots back there. Hell, I could throw all of them out of the window and make 56 million people very happy.

I'm sure the nut-jobs are going to find a way to blame this on Bush. We'll get to hear them blather on and on for months about how he should have "saved" these people. Smells like another round of protesting might be an order.

HA!!!

4. "Jumping the shark"

Only an hour left until we get to start listening again!!! Email me if you hear anything blatantly moronic and I'll post it!!!

In black and white, you are correct.
Several other things to consider:
-Less messy to manf.
-Bi-products useful in other industry (hydroponic agriculture, fish farming can use the virtually unlimited supply of 78degree F water....)
-Technology will catch up to the fuel...if they have to! We find ways every day to do more work with less energy consumption...but necessity is the mother of invention.
-Would help to roll back farm subsidies
-Less concerns with import dilemmas
-Less interaction with rogue nations
-No net loss of business or profit to oil companies, since they are the only industry that already has a distribution model in place for this sort of thing.
-Cleaner to burn

These points must be weighed carefully before a wholesale discard of the idea. As far as the aggregate inefficiency, is our current system of fuel procurement and/or refinement truly a good use of time and resources? I see wasted time and money at virtually every step of the process...each contributing to a fuel cost that is only sustainable because of demand...it's an excellent display of capitalism, but in a commodity market it comes across as almost criminal.
Addicted to oil? No, just addicted to the work oil does...there is energy "lost" (to heat or motion) in every transaction we affect (theory of conservation of energy). By your calculation, human beings are not efficient enough (by virtue of our extremely poor energy intake to work output ratio) to warrant survival...and yet we keep eating (we're such a selfish animal). If energy conversion was a perfected science, perpetual motion would be feasible....
My point is, work with what you've got. For now, it's petrol. For the future, we know science will evolve to make Ethanol a better fuel (or better engineered machines to burn it), but only if that is paying the bills for the scientists...nobody is going to do it if a) they don't have to b)they don't profit considerably from it.
Wrap your mind around this: Diesel takes less refinement that gasoline, yet it is more expensive. Why? Because of the refining capacity we ration for diesel production drastically (and negatively) effects the supply side of the economics. Now, take 80% of the gasoline out of the refineries and replace with diesel. Suddenly, diesel could feasibly hit $1.30 per gallon and agriculture is affordable again, making Ethanol vastly more cost effective to manufacture. Chicken....egg.....who cares? Just get one of the two out there!!!
I like you. I may vote for you (which means stepping out of my "modus operandi" and actually registering as a Republican in the primary...something I've never done. I've always voted "issues only" on primary ballots).

-Andrew

I found a recent reference on the Daily Kos (which is basically an un-funny web based version of the Daily Show) where they state that Russ Feingold is a Presidential Contender.

Ok, I guess they did say SOMETHING funny. Can't all be tragedy...or can it? Recent polling suggests that even though Hillary Clinton is about as popular as colo-rectal cancer, she's the only Democratic contender anyone has heard of (so she keeps polling high). With Feingold's recent hornblowing about "Censure Bush," he may get to be a household name (which would give him a "free kick" at the White House). God help us.

As a longtime friend of Andy Kaduk's, I'm honored that he has invited me to bring some left-wing, off-the-wall liberal bleeding heart nonsense to the mix. Also, each week I'll try to offer a no-holds barred review of my favorite (or least-favorite) wines. I hope to provide a slight counterpoint to Dan and Krista Stockman's touchy-feely, novice, wine-drinking drivel (that obviously is the result of a set of rather undeveloped and juvenile palates). This should be fun.

With retail giant Wal-Mart under fire to improve its labor and healthcare policies, one Democrat with deep ties to the company - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton - has started feeling her share of the political heat.

Clinton served on Wal-Mart's board of directors for six years when her husband was governor of Arkansas. And the Rose Law Firm, where she was a partner, handled many of the Arkansas-based company's legal affairs.

Clinton had kind words for Wal-Mart as recently as 2004, when she told an audience at the convention of the National Retail Federation that her time on the board "was a great experience in every respect."

But in recent months, as the company has become a target for Democratic activists, she has largely steered clear of any mention of Wal-Mart. And late last year, Clinton's re-election campaign returned a $5,000 contribution from Wal-Mart, citing "serious differences with current company practices."

As Clinton sheds her Arkansas past and looks ahead to a possible 2008 presidential run, the Wal-Mart issue presents an exquisite dilemma: how to reconcile the political demands she faces today with her history at a company many American consumers depend upon but many Democratic activists revile.

"The interesting question is not just Hillary Clinton's history at Wal-Mart, but why it's delicate for her to talk about Wal-Mart," said Charles Fishman, author of "The Wal-Mart Effect," a book discussing the company's impact on the national economy. "Plenty of Democrats denounce Wal-Mart, but there are also plenty of people who need it, love it and rely on it."

In 1986, when Wal-Mart's founder, Sam Walton, tapped Clinton to be the company's first female board member, Wal-Mart was a fraction of its current size, with $11.9 billion in net sales.

Today, Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer and private employer, with over $312 billion in sales last year and 1.3 million employees or "associates" in the U.S. alone. But recently, the company has drawn intense scrutiny for its labor practices -- from its wages to the lack of affordable health coverage for employees, to its stiff resistance to unionization.
Throughout the 1980s, both Bill and Hillary Clinton nurtured relationships with Walton, a conservative Republican and by far Arkansas' most influential businessman.

Among other things, Hillary Clinton sought Walton's help in 1983 for Bill Clinton's so-called Blue Ribbon Commission on Education, a major effort to improve Arkansas' troubled public schools. The overhaul became a centerpiece of Clinton's governorship.
And Wal-Mart's Made in America campaign, which for years touted the company's sales of American products in its stores, was launched after Bill Clinton persuaded Walton to help save 200 jobs at an Arkansas shirt-manufacturing plant. The Made in America campaign has virtually vanished in recent years, as the company's manufacturing has gradually moved overseas - another point of criticism from many anti-Wal-Mart activists.
The Clintons also benefited financially from Wal-Mart. Hillary Clinton was paid $18,000 each year she served on the board, plus $1,500 for each meeting she attended. By 1993 she had accumulated at least $100,000 in Wal-Mart stock, according to Bill Clinton's federal financial disclosure that year. The Clintons also flew for free on Wal-Mart corporate planes 14 times in 1990 and 1991 in preparation for Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential bid.

Wal-Mart has little to say about Hillary Clinton's board service and will not release minutes of the company's board meetings during her tenure. Lorraine Voles, Clinton's communications director, turned down a request for an interview with the senator.
Still, details have come to light over the years.

Bob Ortega, author of "In Sam We Trust," a history of Wal-Mart, said Clinton used her position to urge the company to improve its gender and racial diversity. Because of Clinton's prodding, Walton agreed to hire an outside firm to track the company's progress in hiring women and minorities, Ortega said.

"These were things the company was not addressing and wouldn't have, had she not pushed them to do so," Ortega said. "She's somebody who could definitely get things done."

In fact, Clinton proved to be such a thorn in Walton's side that at Wal-Mart's annual meeting in 1987, when shareholders challenged Walton on the company's lack of female managers, he assured them the record was improving "now that we have a strong-willed young lady on the board."

Clinton was particularly vocal on environmental matters, pressing the company to boost its sale and use of recycled materials and other "green" products.

Garry Mauro, who served with Clinton on a Wal-Mart environmental advisory committee, pointed to many successes, such as persuading the company to establish recycling centers and sell products like recycled oil and long-life light bulbs.
"Hillary had real impact - when she had an idea, things got moving," he said. "When she resigned from the committee, it stopped having any innovative ideas and stopped being effective."

Still, critics say there was little tangible change at Wal-Mart during Clinton's tenure, despite her apparent prodding.

"There's no evidence she did anything to improve the status of women or make it a very different place in ways Mrs. Clinton's Democratic base would care about," said Liza Featherstone, author of "Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Worker's Rights at Wal-Mart."

The Wal-Mart debate has been playing out in legislatures and city councils around the country in the last year, even hitting close to Clinton's adopted home.

New York State legislators of both parties are promoting bills requiring businesses - including Wal-Mart - to provide health coverage to their workers. And in October, New York City passed a law, aimed squarely at Wal-Mart, requiring large grocery stores to pay most workers a health care benefit worth an estimated $2.50 to $3 an hour. The law helped stall Wal-Mart's efforts to move into the city, even though recent polls indicate a majority of New Yorkers would welcome Wal-Mart.

Amid the deluge of legislative proposals around the country, Wal-Mart CEO Scott Lee announced last month that the company would expand its effort to enroll more workers in a new, low-premium health plan. The company will also trim the waiting period for part-time employees to become eligible for coverage.

But Hillary Clinton, who as first lady proposed a wide-ranging but ultimately unsuccessful plan to reshape the nation's healthcare system, has had little to say about Wal-Mart's healthcare record.

"That was a long time ago," she said recently when asked if she had done anything about the company's healthcare policies while she served on its board. That comment was met with disbelief from Jonathan Tasini, a longtime labor organizer mounting a longshot challenge to Clinton in New York's Democratic Senate primary.

"Voters would find it a strained argument to believe that the senator who prides herself on intelligence and knowledge of detail can't recall any details in this case. It just strains credulity," Tasini said.

Nonetheless, Clinton and her advisers continue to insist that Wal-Mart has fundamentally changed since her tenure on the board.

"Wal-Mart was a different company then and the country was not facing the same healthcare challenges we face today," communications director Lorraine Voles said.
Even Clinton's decision to return Wal-Mart's campaign contribution illustrated the complicated role Wal-Mart still plays in her political life.

Wake-Up Wal-Mart posted several entries on its Web log applauding the decision, but others complained that the move seemed hypocritical and opportunistic given her history with the company.

Meanwhile, Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt called the move "standard operating procedure" for Clinton.

"When push comes to shove, the senator allows politics to trump principle every time," Schmitt said.

Well, it is what it is I guess. For a great satire on Wal-Mart check THIS out!!!

Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Do it, do it....do it.

This is the funniest comment I found posted all week. I would send this guy a coupon for $0.40 off of some Gorton's fish sticks if I knew who he was.

yeswell said...

today Jesus and I vowed to abstain from hookers AND blow for Lent but he didn't judge me for getting a lap dance from Candy cuz that's the kind of guy Jesus is

3:12 PM

• Some fantastic analysis of this.
• Some more.

I think we will probably see quite a bit of the European community begin to start looking our way when the Iranian "peaceful nuclear power facilities" start to more closely resemble weapons laboratories. So peaceniks...tell me...what to do then? Tell them all to "kiss a$$" since Iran hasn't the long range capabilities to mobilize any sort of large scale strike against us? Keep our hands clean of the mess even though our (supposed) allies in western Europe will be WELL within missile range of Iran? I would guess that no matter who (from whatever party) is in the White House at the time will probably send some troops and hardware over to help our helplessly naive and compromised affiliates. After witnessing their apathy and cowardice in Iraq (ahem: FRANCE), we should probably just sit on our fat American asses and watch the fireworks....mmm, is that cheese fondue I smell cooking already? Pass the Bordeaux, Pierre.

I'm sure my sentiment will change when that scenario actually develops...we'll see very soon. Anyway, I think this is the final straw for Jacques Chirac...he's going on the bulletin board to keep Knuth some company.

I've been wanting this guy on the 3-Strike Loser list since its inception last week.

Please be aware, I have no interest in spending large amounts of time verifying the validity of these remarks and speculations, nor do I have the resources immediately available to do so. I am just passing them along as they were to me. Apparently there are rumors that Phish is thinking of staging a "comeback." F'n sweet.

From www.jg.net "Letters:" (As usual, my comments in tantalizing mint green). I have also linked some important pages to the corresponding references for continuity of reading.

Elect best candidate regardless of party

Regarding And they're off! Few, but key, races in 2006 primary (Feb. 19) and the contest for the 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives primarily between Tom Hayhurst and Mark Souder:
Tracy Warner, editorial page editor, wrote that sadly about all Souder has to do to win in his gerrymandered, heavily GOP district is to advertise himself as a conservative Republican.
However, his track record shows that he is a partisan politician, NOT a conservative anything (unless you want to talk about a few social issues). You want the real scoop? Check out William Larsen...

Hypothetically speaking, yes...but we all know that it just happens this way. Perhaps a good long view at the absurd mutant our two-party system has morphed into over the last 200 years might be an order??? Why can't we vote for the best candidate and not for a particular party? We can, but it needs to be done across the board, not just in one race or in one election. Apathy and ignorance are the driving factors behind the situation we face today. Over the years, I've voted for people from both parties, depending on who I thought would do the best job. Boffo! Me too!

I met Hayhurst years ago when he became councilman for my district. I couldn't believe how hands on he was with any problem we needed help with. Let's give this wise, caring man a chance to represent us in Washington. I hope that a lot of you will agree with me that it's time for a change. I will reserve this judgement until after he formulates a "less generic" campaign platform...he still hasn't established himself or his views. Voting in "nice guys" solely because they are indeed "nice" is a flawed game plan.

VIRGINIA DEAM Fort Wayne


Preserve open spaces through zoning rules

We write with anger and disappointment about the poorly thought-out planning in Allen County. Amen. Uncontrolled development trees cut down, green space developed, residential lots zoned commercial is obliterating the beauty of our county. Lady, have you looked around? If it wasn't for the development this place would be a TOTAL armpit.

Open space is a necessary component of a rich and rewarding existence. I agree, but what exactly does "open space" in Allen County do for us? We have no lakes (to speak of), no hills, no topographical features of any aesthetic value whatsoever... Recent publications have documented the negative effects on children resulting from the lack of outdoor exposure, including 'Last Child in the Woods' by Richard Louv, in which he presents the term nature-deficit disorder. It's not like developers are trying to put a steel canopy over the entire county....so what exactly are you suggesting? My kids play outside all the time. The woodland at the end of your street (I have an interstate at the end of my street) might be the only space for neighborhood children to get outdoors, explore and imagine, or it might be the place you stroll at the end of the day to unwind and find a sense of peace, or it might be the nesting place of the birds you enjoy watching outside your backyard window. There is no peace within earshot of I-69, this I assure you. The birds? I wish they'd stay off my grill.

Aldo Leopold said, 'Having to squeeze the last drop of utility out of the land has the same desperate finality as having to chop up the furniture to keep warm.' Well, that is partially true...but you can't "un-burn" furniture and hope it magically reappears. If someone were to BUY some land, bulldoze a development and plant some trees....voila! Instant nature rehabilitation! There is no finality there...just a simple illustration that WHEN YOU OWN LAND, YOU CAN USE IT AT YOUR DISCRETION IF YOUR PAPERWORK IS IN ORDER.

Let's preserve our open spaces in Allen County. Let's unite and demand zoning regulations to keep our part of the country beautiful and protect our natural areas and at the end of the day sit down and know that our efforts are appreciated by our children and our childrens' children. OK, this is where my rant begins. Jennifer: Do you have any idea how many of us live in houses and in neighborhoods that are sitting on land that was once lush vegetative, natural wooded wetland? You would be shocked if you had any concept of the can of worms you just opened. For years, hack developers and contractors have been bulldozing tens of millions of cubic yards of fill dirt and topsoil into Indiana's wetlands. Hell, this whole state used to be a SWAMP, but slowly, due to erosion, sedimentation and development, it is now (at least the north part of the state) almost a parking lot. HOWEVER: We already have laws to curb this activity...and they are FEDERAL laws. Haven't you ever heard of the Clean Water Act? Don't you remember H Dubya uttering those now infamous words "no net loss of wetlands?" Now, they are under-funded regulatory bodies, so there are violations raging far and near, big and small that go unnoticed and unpunished. This is why two things need to happen: First, people need to be good stewards of the land. Second, if you see a neighbor, a contractor, a stranger, or whoever filling wetlands, encroaching on lake shores, clearing trees from wet areas, they should immediately be reported to IDEM, NRCS or the Army Corps of Engineers. These regulatory bodies have the authority to halt any and all construction until the proper permitting has been obtained. USE THEM. Let's not call for MORE LAWS, MORE REGULATIONS and MORE BS at the local level when the safeguards are already in place to keep our environment healthy.

JENNIFER KLEINRICHERT The Organization for Concerned Women

After reviewing BlogFlux MapStats, the Anonymous Twit who keeps posting these envy-driven messages on FWOb, FW Insight, and here on The Record, is using a Mac Operating System, and has their monitor set to a very high resolution (see pic above for browser details). I wonder what kind of profession would call for that kind of hardware? Recording engineers? Graphic designers? NEWSPAPER EDITORS????????

Hmmm.....

ABC is already feebly attempting to convince the voters of America that we only have two choices in the 2008 Presidential election. However, it does appear as if many Americans have another choice in mind...

Why cannot [the media] let people decide for themselves instead of trying to force-feed their agendas to us?

Does no one realize that polls make little or no difference if the person asking the questions has already hypothesized the answers? Pollsters are like scientists in the respect that they want the data to back up their hypotheses. In science, it's known as "Result-Oriented Investigation." In polling (since the hypotheses are based on POLITICAL ORIENTATION instead of LOGICAL THINKING) the process is known as biased crap. If you ask the right questions, and phrase them in the proper manner, you can theoretically get anyone to say whatever you want them to. This is why Rush Limbaugh is so hated among his rivals, he can literally lead almost anybody down the path to hell and have them slitting their own bag by the end of a discussion. Pollsters are no different. They know that if questions are phrased properly, the results are predictable.

Anyone who has ever taken a telephone political poll knows that they are really irritating with an extraordinarily narrow focus. I remember right before the 2004 election, a pollster called my house and asked me a series of questions. They included:

1. Who do you think will keep the country safer, George Bush or John Kerry?

My answer: Neither! They are both politicians and as such basically are motivated by self preservation. They found this to be an unacceptable answer and I was forced to pick one.

2. George Bush lied about his motivations to go to war. Do you: Not Care, Care a Little, Care a Lot
I wasn't even sure how to respond to that, at the time, there were just allegations flying everywhere with little to no foundation that was concrete.

3. Who do you think is more trustworthy, George Bush or John Kerry?

Well how the hell would I know? I've never met either of them!

Anyway, you can see how the questions are looking for "black and white" answers, even though the truth may be in the grey somewhere.

That's why I think polls are useless...just for the record.

Check out the pictures, one minute Cindy is smiling for the cameras, the next minute she is forcing herself back into tears for the benefit of a leader or sympathizer...

My advice to all who were caring and generous enough to take up her cause: ABANDON SHIP. Cindy has lost her grip on reality (as if she ever had one).

The cruelty of man really gets to me once in a while. I'll bet they never find these bastards. I'm not what you would consider an advocate for the homeless, but c'mon, is this BS really necessary? Welcome to Boston, the inevitable result of cramming millions of people into 42 square miles of $#it-hole. Homeless Man Set on Fire in Boston

Sunday, March 05, 2005 AP-Reported by Fox News BOSTON — A homeless man sleeping in a park was attacked early Sunday by two men who kicked him in the stomach and then set him on fire, police said. No arrests were made and police gave no indication of what might have motivated the attack.The 30-year-old homeless man, whose name was not released, told police he was awakened by the men kicking him in Langone Park in the city's North End.He drifted back to sleep after the assault, but the men returned, drenched him with a flammable liquid and set his legs on fire, police said.A 911 caller reported flames in the park, and firefighters found the man wrapped in a blanket after he had ripped off some of his burning clothes."He was shivering and was partially dressed," said police spokesman John Boyle.The park is a short walk from a cluster of downtown bars. The victim was treated at Massachusetts General Hospital for burns to his legs.

In a video aired Saturday by Al-Jazeera, A Hamas official in Gaza, speaking on condition of anonymity because the movement did not want to formally respond to Al-Zawahiri 's support, said: "Hamas believes that Islam is completely different to the ideology of Mr. Al-Zawahiri ."

"Our battle is against the Israeli occupation and our only concern is to restore our rights and serve our people. We have no links with any group or element outside Palestine," the official said.

Hamas is setting up a new Palestinian Cabinet after defeating Fatah, which had ruled Palestinian politics for four decades. Hamas does not accept the presence of a Jewish state in the Mideast and has sent dozens of suicide bombers into Israel. The United States and European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization.

So, these must be the "smart" terrorists; specializing enough to narrow their focus from the popular "kill all the infidels" movement so prevalent among these twits...

Of course, you realize that this is the beginning of the end...now that these fsckers have figured out how to put makeup on a pig and pass it off as a lady, we're aiming for invisible targets worldwide! Not to mention the fact that the media will now rally behind Hamas, paying special attention to their "plight" as a distressed people. It's only a matter of time before CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC and Air America begin their touching special-interest pieces portraying Hamas as a peaceful orgainization who only wants to usher in an era of prosperity for a sovereign Palestine. How soon will the MSM forget that these @$$holes' only mission in life is to make Israel suffer their wrath?

I'm starting my stopwatch...

In an email from the office of Mark Souder:

Is THIS Fort Wayne really any different than THIS ONE? My perspective may be messed up because I prefer male+female sex, but I really fail to see how the town differs based on what I do in my bedroom...

Speaking of homosexuals, this is totally amusing...but you have to read the reasoning behind each boycott to get the humor.

Congressman Mark Souder in an e-mailed press release today announced the addition of William Quayle (second cousin to former VP Dan Quayle) to his office as a "Staff Assistant."

For some reason, it seems as if there should be more noteworthy items coming from his office than this...

Here is the whole tidbit, just for the record:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 1, 2006
CONTACT: MARTIN GREEN
(202) 225-4436

SOUDER ADDS QUAYLE
TO WASHINGTON OFFICE
RELATIVE OF FORMER V.P. IS FIRST POINT OF CONTACT IN OFFICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Mark Souder announced today that he has hired William Quayle, second cousin to former Vice President Dan Quayle, to be staff assistant in his Washington, D.C. office.

"William is an excellent addition to my Washington team," Souder said. "As staff assistant, he is the most public voice and face of our office to people calling or visiting us. His friendly personality and experience from past internships will quickly be evident and an asset to residents of northeast and north-central Indiana."

In his role of staff assistant, Quayle aides the staff with various projects and coordinates tours of the U.S. Capitol and other Washington landmarks for constituents.

Quayle graduated from Wittenberg University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a minor in political science. During college, he interned in the offices of U.S. Rep. Dan Burton and Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter. (An image of Souder and Quayle is attached.)

Haven't we heard the word "quail" in the news enough lately?