Texas Education Board Member Whackadoo Cynthia Dunbar

First and foremost, I have nothing against religion. I think religion and spirituality are part of the basis of human existence. The human existence is the mental, physical and spiritual. I also believe in an individual's right to choose his religion and belief system. The government has no right to regulate, promote or hinder any religious or spiritual belief system or church. The right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Despite such a basic clause there are people out there who wish to either ram religion down our throats via government or install a form of Christianity as the religion, de facto or de jure, of the United States. They argue that the Founding Fathers intended that the United States to be a Christian nation.

One such person, based on the linked Houston Chronicle article, is Texas State Board of Education member Cynthia Dunbar, R-Richmond. To quote further from the article:

In her book, One Nation Under God, Dunbar argues that the country's founding fathers created "an emphatically Christian government" and believed that government should be guided by a "biblical litmus test."

Dunbar endorses a belief system requiring "any person desiring to govern have a sincere knowledge and appreciation for the Word of God in order to rightly govern."

I don't know where she gets her information for her book. If the Founding Fathers wanted to create a "Christian government" they would have done so and enshrined it in the Constitution. They didn't. They believed in a person's freedoms, liberties and the right to choose. The second sentence really displays her lack of understanding of the foundations of the nation. She wants it to be a requirement that a person be versed in the "Word of God" to be able to govern. Never mind that Article VI of the Constitution explicitly forbids any religious test to qualify a person to hold or run for office. I guess is she had her way she'd just disregard those articles and amendments that she doesn't agree with.


The one thing that also makes me laugh is that she home schooled her kids. Which is fine by me. Home school and raise them the way you see fit. As long as there is no abuse, I think parents have the right to decide how to raise their children. No, the funny part is not only did she home school them, she wants to tell others how to educate their children. She now advocates changing the education system (which she claims is unconstitutional) to fit how the world should function based on her belief of God and the Bible.


No thanks Dunbar. Go back to home schooling your kids, go to your church and pray your little heart out. I'll make my own choices when it comes to religion and if I do or don't believe in a God. Stay out of my government with your religion and I'll stay out of your religion.

Somali Piracy, Do Nothing Navies

Piracy is running rampant in the off the coast of Somalia. Warships from NATO, Russia, India and the United States patrol the waters. Despite the naval presence, the Somali pirates continue to take ships and crew hostage. And no end is in sight.

Remember after Sept. 11, 2001 when President George W. Bush stated that he would fight terrorist at all corners of the world? Remember when he said they would face American justice?

My question becomes why isn't the United States and other countries fighting the terrorists that are now coming out to sea? The world is basically sitting back and allowing the pirates to operate freely on the shipping lanes. Very few attacks have been repelled. French commandos raided on ship and freed the hostages. An Indian ship sank a pirate "mothership." What's the point of putting all that money, firepower and navies into the region if nothing is going to been done to fight the pirates.

The lack of action does nothing be embolden the pirates. All it takes in one ship and ransom pay off and they are set for life. The risks seem to be worth it because it appears that hardly any action is taken against the pirates.

That the world's governments can sit back and allow these wanton acts occur is completely unacceptable. There is no coordination between the navies. There is no concerted effort being made by anyone to repel pirate attacks. The navies aren't being proactive in combating piracy.

The world community needs to come together and create an action plan. Something that coordinates the navies and looks to repel the attacks. This isn't just one country's problem. It's a world wide problem. Lives, money and commerce are threatened. The pirates don't care what flag a ship flies or who is on board. If they can attack and hold a ship for ransom they will.

NATO has already gone on record as saying they won't enforce a blockade. For once, I think this would be an appropriate time for the United States to act unilaterally. Blockade the coast of Somalia. No ships in or out. Unless it's humanitarian aid don't let the ships in. No ship should be allowed out. Warn them once to turn around and then blow them out of the water. Besides blasting ships out of the water, the United States could start blasting suspected pirate strongholds. I even propose blowing up the new expensive houses that the pirates are building for themselves. Anything that will make life more difficult on them. Take the fight to them.

Right now a Saudi oil tanker sits still in pirate hands. It is holding an estimated $100 million in crude oil. I don't care who you are, that is not chump change. Eventually someone is going to get angry enough and take action. Why not make it a coordinated effort among several countries. If they can't end it at least make it extremely risky and expensive to venture out to open sea.

Rosie O'fat Coming to NBC

Somebody just sneak up behind me and put one through the back of my skull. I'm sitting here reading articles online while watching Sunday night football on NBC. Much to my horror I see a commercial for Rosie Live. Who the hell was the genius who came up with this idea? Screw him. Who was the freaking NBC executive that green lighted the idea? They should both be shot.

Rosie is nothing but a loud mouth, talentless piece of garbage who you down if you don't agree with her. She accuses Tom Selleck of being an NRA spokesman. He said he only did an ad. She doesn't let him explain his stance. It is possible to be part of an organization and not agree with it completely. Just like there are conservatives in the Democratic Party and liberals in the GOP, the NRA has people on both sides of the aisle in gun control. O'fat doesn't let him explain this and keeeps interrupting him. It's obvious Selleck gets frustrated with her.

She took a lot of heat after people pointed out that how could she be against Selleck and his gun stance when she herself did ads for KMart. Sensing that she couldn't have it both ways she parted ways with KMart.

Anyway, I digress. She's just talentless and the only ones defend her are the lemmings that follow her every word. Kinda like Harpo's legions.

So please O'fat. Just go away and be a lesbian and raise your kids.

Featured Artist and Book Reviews

This place isn't just for political or current events. It's my place for writing whatever comes to mind. Today I've got a featured artist.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
I've been watching Ken Burn's series on the jazz and Martin Scorsese's series on blues. Watching the series have turned me on to some incredible artists. They are not lost to time obviously. I think they are vastly under appreciated. I'm pretty sure artists and students of music are very familiar with most the names mentioned in the documentaries. I wasn't until I watched them and it exposed me to a list of artists that I look forward to acquiring the music of and listening to.

One such artist is Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Like many blues and jazz artist, Tharpe learned and started performing in gospel music. When she was still young, she'd play gospel at church and blues and jazz at home. Eventually she started to record music and give live performances. She was able to meld gospel, jazz and blues into her own style and showmanship. Some in the gospel world were appalled by her ventures into the secular. Regardless, many performers have sited Tharpe as an influence including Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.

Just watch her performances and it's easy to see the influence she's had on musicians of all types through the years.

"Up Above My Head" is my personal favorite:


Two other great ones:




Book Reviews
I've just finished reading two books off my Amazon reading list.

The first is Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich. It is the story of a group of MIT students who are trained to count cards and beat casinos in the game of blackjack. The students are trained and then a group of investors stake them to seed money. They then embark as teams in casinos working their trade. They take on different disguises, names and alternate lives in order to keep casinos from stopping. Card counting isn't illegal but casinos can ban clients if they discover they are doing it and then threaten them with arrest for trespass if they are caught again.

Overall the book is a fast and easy read. The book details how the lead character was recruited, his training and then the adventures once he started counting cards. The book describes some hairy situations they got into and their escapes. Overall, I enjoyed the book but the whole time I was reading I felt something was lacking. I'm not sure what. It was mostly based on fact. I don't think anything was embellished. Some how I came away feeling like I was left hanging even though the book ends with a conclusion. I do recommend the book though. It's especially a good read for a flight or travel.

The second book I just read was Paul of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The book is a telling of the story of Paul Atriedes in the few years after he defeated the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino and wrested control of the Dune universe. It also delves into Paul's life growing up on Caladan as son of Duke Leto Atriedes.

Paul is a troubled soul. He is gifted with prescience and he can see both the destruction of the human race and the path he can take to save humanity. He knows to save humanity he must turn into a tyrant and it goes against all that his father taught him. As he consolidates his new empire, Paul also deals with the conspiracies and court intrigues against him.

As with the other post-Frank Herbert Dune books, I enjoyed Paul of Dune. Herbert and Anderson capture vividly the new tasks facing Paul Atriedes. They also weave the story that tells of the conspiracies against Paul. They richly describe some of the battles Paul's fanatical Fremen jihadists run off to fight in Paul's name. They also pry more into Paul's mind and reveal the burden he feels as Emperor of the Known Universe. He knows people love him. He also knows people hate him. The authors do a good job of putting many stories and elements in a tale the bridges the gap in Frank Herbert's original Dune. They enrich an already wonderful universe that Herbert created.

First Online Presidency?

President-elect Barack Obama used technology and the internet as a big part of his campaign. Supports could keep track of the campaign via his website. Obama announced his vice presidential candidate via text messages for those who signed up to his website. Obama greatly outnumbered rival John McCain in myspace.com and Facebook friends. So it comes as no surprise as the Obama presidency may become the first online presidency.

A website has already been created called Change.gov Office of the President-elect. The website contains the obligatory newsroom and blogs. Also it includes a section for Americans to share their stories as well as what they want for the administration to focus on. It asks for input on policies, legislation and expectations for the new president. There is even a section to apply for noncareer government jobs with the administration.

The CNN.com article also states that Obama will have a five day comment period for pending nonemergency legislation. It will be interesting to see how this evolves and how Obama uses the internet and technology to lead the United States for at least the next four years. It will more than likely change the face of how future presidents interact with the American people.

President-elect Barack Obama

Congratulations to Barack Obama for winning the Presidency of the United States. Obviously it is a historic moment in the history of the nation. I'll be honest, I never thought I'd see a black man as president this soon. I truly believed one would be elected in my lifetime but just not yet. So hats off not only to Obama but to most the American people for voting color blind and voting for the man.

Obama and the Democrats have been handed control of the White House and Congress for the next two years. Much has changed in the last eight years since the last Democratic administration. When Bill Clinton left office the economy was stronger and the federal government had a surplus. After eight years of George Bush, the economy is in shambles and the deficit is monstrous. The new administration and Congress have a monumental task ahead. They must try to bring the economy back to stability, look for ways to hold back government spending and restore consumer confidence.

Just as important as the economy is the continued prosecution of the War on Terror. First and foremost is cleaning up the mess in Iraq. If nothing else, the Iraqi blunder will stand forever as Bush's legacy. It falls on Obama to prudently pull scale back the military presence and refocus the war in Afghanistan.

Obama and the Democrats ran on a message of change and against the Republicans in office and tied them to President George Bush's administration. The American people listened and voted for change. Now Obama and Congress must deliver. They were handed power unchecked. If they don't succeed and make some kind of visible progress on the economy, the voters most likely won't hesitate for change once again. A new Congress could come in two years from now in Republican hands.

I wish and pray for nothing but the best for the new President. Not only for my good but the good and strength of our wonderful Republic.

One final thought and it's probably not a popular one. In fact I haven't seen it addressed anywhere. Much is made about Obama bringing out the black vote. I applaud everyone who votes. Especially those that don't or wouldn't have voted unless Obama ran.

What I haven't seen discussed is the reasons why many (not all, obviously) blacks voted for Obama. Did they simply vote for Obama just because he was black? Did they look at the issues and stances of both candidates and make a decision? Or was the color of Obama's skin the sole basis for voting for him? I understand the historical reasons of his election but I find it apalling that someone would vote for the man only because he's of one's race. I find it just as offending as someone voting against the man based on his skin color.

Unfortunately no one has the courage to undertake a study on both issues: how many voted for Obama cause he's black and how many voted against him because he's black. I would be very interested in seeing the numbers. I think it would be very telling about our society and how long we still have to go in race relations and understanding.

Official Presidential Endorsement

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Taking my lead from newspaper editorial boards across our great land, the time has come for my official presidential endorsement. While I do not wish to tell my fellow Americans how to vote, I do wish to express my opinion on the candidates and reveal who I'm going to vote for.

First I need to look at the candidates and what they stand for. It's hard sifting through the lies and propaganda unleashed by both party machines. Amazingly there have been no "swift boat" like ads like the ones that help sink John Kerry's presidential bid.

So one has to look at public record, stated opinions by the candidates, consider debate answers and sometimes go with a gut feel or instinct on who the better candidate is.

First the falsehoods out there. John McCain and his operatives contend that Barrack Obama will raise taxes on the middle class. Simply that is not true. Obama is on record saying he will reduce taxes for the middle class. McCain also charges that Obama will lead us to socialism and socialize health care. I see nothing on Obama's platform that looks to make us a social European-style democracy. Besides, if it were done, he and the Congressmen that did it would likely get voted out of office at the next election cycle. Obama has stated nothing to the fact that he will socialize health care. He's stated that he will help make it affordable for uninsured Americans. McCain also likes to style himself as a Washington maverick. Voting nearly 90% of the time along party lines isn't a maverick. Joe Lieberman, as much as I don't care for his politics, is more of a maverick than McCain.

Further, I look at McCain's VP candidate AND factor in his age. While not trying to be morbid, age is definitely a consideration I have to look at. Were McCain not able to finish out his term would I feel comfortable with Sarah Palin? And the answer to that is not "no" but a resounding "Hell NO!" Palin is scary. Her lack of understanding of issues or failure to educate herself about them is unfathomable. Her interviews with Katie Couric were appalling. Merely stating party mantras and showing no knowledge of issues is not my idea of a candidate for VP who would be a heart beat away from the presidency.

So then I have to look at Barrack Obama. What do I know about Obama? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. All I know are the propaganda that the Republican machine has put out. The Democrats have failed to effectively get Obama's message to the people out. They haven't directly challenged McCain's falsehoods nor have they countered with any specifics of the lies. The strategy they take is to pin McCain to President George Bush's failed policies. While it's a good plan, I need more substance than just saying McCain is four more years of Bush. I want to know what will be done differently. Change is a pretty message but it doesn't mean changing is
any better than what we currently have. Obama is getting by on his speaking skills and charisma. I view Obama as a smooth talking wind bag. All talk, no substance.

So it makes me think what do I want in a candidate? The first thing I think of is the government's duty to protect the citizens. Next I think about protecting the civil liberties of the citizens. I also think about how huge the federal deficit is. Taking in all the social and political ideas that are dear to me, what is my ideal candidate? I'd like a government that doesn't try to legislate morals, allow maximum freedom of choice in personal issues, the rolling back of some of the nanny state laws, a reduction in the size of government and in the deficit.

I don't see either party fitting the bill. Republicans want to tell me to believe in God, the family is a the foundation of America and that I'm not smart enough to make some personal choices. Democrats also think I'm not smart enough to make some personal choices, want me to pay for the mistakes of others and in some cases just flat out pay for others.

So in my search and debate for how I want to vote for, I'm turning to a third party. I full heartedly endorse Libertarian Bob Barr for president. I agree with many of the planks of the Libertarian Party platform. I believe a smaller government is necessary, an individual's rights are paramount as long as they cause harm to no one or infringe on another's freedoms, abortion is a personal choice, what consenting adults and what lifestyle they chose is also a personal choice, the right to self defense and bear arms and many other party beliefs.

While I support many of the party beliefs, there are some that I don't believe. The Party calls for the elimination of the IRS and federal taxes, the legalization of all drugs and the end of U.S. support for the U.N. and economic aid to other countries. While I believe taxes can be reduced, the IRS and taxes are necessary for government to function and to pay down the insane national debt. The legalization of recreational drugs is not a solution to the current drug problem. Finally, U.S. support is sometimes needed in order to prevent some nations from falling to those who wish to harm the United States and our citizens.

While I don't believe Bob Barr is the best candidate that the Libertarian Party can put forward, I do believe that the Libertarian Party is the closest to my personal and political beliefs. Further I cannot in good conscience vote for either Barrack Obama or John McCain. So when I go into the voting booth this election, I will be voting for the Libertarian Party ticket.

Thoughts on the Current Economic Crisis

A global economic meltdown is obviously underway. Sell orders are inundating stock exchanges around the world as people panic sell. Russia, Indonesia and Austria suspended trading to help keep the sell off in check. Of course, no one knows when a turnaround will commence.

I was adamant in my opposition to the U.S. bailout plan. I saw no reason to take bad mortgages and loans off the books of the banks and financial institutions that practiced irresponsible lending and borrowing tactics. I don't want to be on the hook for all these bad decisions.

On the other hand, a few analysts that I respect, John Mauldin in particular, say the government intervention is necessary. They make a case that no government intervention is probably the worse thing. One of his newsletters mentioned the Japan crisis as an example of what happens with no intervention. Japan's markets and real estate never quiet recovered in the last decade. The newsletter points out five steps the government should take to help alleviate the crisis. Mauldin states that no matter which course of action it's going to be expensive. Since no action is far worse and far more expensive than government intervention, it's time we bite the bullet and accept it. To read more go to Mauldin's Outside the Box: Banking Crisis Around the World.

Despite my objections and protests, Congress didn't listen to me and they passed a bailout bill. So the bill passed and I have to accept the fact. Now I can only hope that the government takes prudent and smart action to turn this around. I'm not to confident that will happen. There are some extremely smart and intelligent people who will be overseeing the bailout but I worry that silly rules and bureaucratic mandates will weigh the measures down. I pray that Congress and the President let those they assign to bail us out let them do their jobs.

As I write this I just got a news flash email that the Dow has dropped below 8,000 to open the day. Fear and panic have taken over the market. Me personally I have no reason to sell any of my holdings. The only thing I sold was a portion of my Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) on recommendation from an investing newsletter I subscribe to. In fact, I plan on looking for companies that have been wrongly sold off and had their stock pummeled. Now is the right time to buy stocks that have been beaten down for no reason. There are many companies out there that will still turn a profit and provide goods and services people need just for day to day living. I haven't done any valuations yet but a stock that comes to mind is Johnson & Johnson. I'm going to have to read the newsletters and message boards I subscribe to in order to get a feel for what's out there and follow any recommendations that I feel comfortable with.

Another company that I'm looking at is Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B). Warren Buffett, arguably the greatest investor of all time, isn't selling. He is buying. When Buffett buys, more than likely it's a good buy. He's getting a sweet deal in putting money into Goldman Sachs (GS). For $5 billion Berkshire gets a 10% dividend on the preferred shares it bought along with the option to buy more stock at $115 per share regardless of the actual price of the shares. So Berkshire makes money at anytime the share price goes above the strike price and they decide to buy. For example, if the shares go up to $150, Buffett can then buy them still for $115 and, at least on paper, make a profit of $35 per share. Not to shabby. Of course, the likes of me can't get a deal like that but by investing in Berkshire I can get a piece of the action.

Bailout Vote Fails House!

And now for some brilliant political commentary:

I feel so strongly against the bailout that I've written my Congressman Ted Poe and the two Texas U.S. Senators and told them not to vote for the proposal. That the proposal will do nothing but reward Wall Street fat cats for failed greedy policies and put the expense of those mistakes on the taxpayer's accounts.

I even told Ted Poe that based on his vote against the bailout that I'm voting for him this fall. I've expressed the same sentiment to Senator John Cornyn that if he does vote for the proposal I will not vote for him come this fall. I didn't let him know that I don't plan on voting for him this fall anyway.

Major props to the Congressmen and women who voted against the proposal.

More on Goverment Intervention in the Financial Crisis

I definitely don't claim to be a financial genius or know exactly how economics works. However by reading knowledgeable writers and looking at numbers I can sometimes figure out how things may turn out.

I figured that the housing bubble would eventually burst, values would fall some and then stabilize. I had no clue about the fall out of the subprime market. It's just amazing how greedy and incredibly stupid lenders were now that the numbers are coming to light.

From this email from John Mauldin's weekly e-letter, it only gets uglier. Besides the subprime lending practices, there was a practice called Alt-A mortgages. These were mortgages made for borrowers who either couldn't document their income or for some reason chose not to. How bad are these mortgages? To quote Mauldin's e-letter directly:

"Around 3 million US borrowers have Alt-A mortgages totaling $1 trillion, compared with $855 billion of subprime loans outstanding. $400 billion of that was sold in 2006. Almost 16% of securitized Alt-A loans issued since January 2006 are at least 60 days late."

It's mind boggling. Bankers and lenders were willing to loan out $1 trillion without any clue of the borrower's income or if the loan could ever be repaid. I just don't understand the thinking. How do you gamble a major portion of your business without having any clue if the client will ever be able to pay for the product?

This reminds me of a story. My best friend's brother asked me if he could borrow my credit card. He'd give me a security deposit if I allowed him to use it. I said no right off the bat. I would be crazy to lend anyone my credit card but even nuttier for lending it to my friend's brother. He had a low paying job, a history of quitting jobs abruptly and I suspect a drug habit. This is definitely not someone to lend money to and ever expect to see it back. I view the lending practices of the financial institutions along the same lines. They lent money to my best friend's brother and now he's unable to repay. They didn't bother checking his job history or his current income. They just said,"Sure, how much do you need? Okay, sign here and you are good to go."

The worse part is that the government is stepping in and starting to save some of the bad loans and bad businesses. Now we the taxpayer are on the hook for these bad practices.

I hate for anyone to lose their house or job but on the other hand I don't want to be on hook for their bad decisions. Some lied about income, some chose not to disclose income and some were never asked about their income. They got in way over their heads and now can't get out of debt. I'm sorry but I nor should any taxpayer be expected to bail them out.

The same applies to the lenders. The didn't enquire about income nor did they stick to previous criteria for creating mortgages. They just went with the flow and sign off on just about anyone who walked into the door. Now they will likely never see the money they lent out and now again us taxpayers are on the hook for some of these decisions.

I honestly think that the whole thing should be allowed to collapse and wash out all the bad decisions. Will the economy suffer? You damned right it will but that's the nature of the capital markets. Will the economy collapse? No. The American economy is strong enough to withstand such a shock to the system. The economy is diversified enough to pass through this eventually. Enough damage will be done though to make financial institutions think twice about ever doing these bad practices again.

As a free market capitalist, I hate any type of government intervention in the markets. I definitely don't like the government putting taxpayer money on the line to bail out bad decisions. Unfortunately I think Congress will need to enact laws and regulations limiting or defining how financial institutions make their mortgage decisions. They also need to put some teeth behind such legislation. Making corporate executives criminally liable for encourage or ignoring such practices might go a long way in ever creating another fiasco such as the one we face today.

Financial Bail Out

Unbelievable. The government is bailing out banks and financial institutions that made bad business decisions and bad lending practices. For all those bad practices, we the taxpayers are put on the hook for it.

Lehman Brothers and Merill Lynch fell and AIG needed an $85 billion government bail out to keep from going under.

What would happen if all the bad banks would go under? Probably the worse financial crisis since the Great Depression. I honestly doubt it. Our economy is much more diverse and stronger than back then. Sure the economy wild be shaken to its foundations but we'd survive. Plus all the deadwood banks and mortgages would be washed out of the system.

Instead, Uncle Sam extends a hand and puts the taxpayer to foot the bill. Now all those bad business practices will payoff. Banks that made bad decisions will survive. They will probably do it again in the future. Why? Cause Uncle Sam will get them out of trouble again.

So what should be the solution? I'm not sure except for one thing. Such actions should be criminalized. If a bank knowingly takes certain actions and makes certain decisions that pad the books that undermine the financial integrity of the institution then those actions should be subject to criminal prosecution.

I'll give an example. I work in the petrochemical industry. We have contracts with the government to supply jet fuel to the U.S. military. If someone falsifies data or neglects to fulfill parts of the contract, that person is criminally liable for those actions. Furthermore, if management becomes aware of a problem and neglects to take action, those in management become criminally liable.

Ah ha, you say, but that's because you are dealing with the federal government. Well, I say, banks are no different. They too are regulated by the federal government. Regardless, the government can enact laws banning certain practices and make those who break the law personally liable. In my example, not only are violators personally liable but the company is also subject to criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits by the feds.

I'd like nothing more that to have the government's hands off our financial markets. I'd like even further if banks, financial institutions and the people who run them not get greedy and not practice horrible decisions to achieve profitability. However, we don't live in a fantasy world and those ideal conditions won't ever exist. Instead, I prefer the government enact laws and regulations to curb these practices and not put the burden of the mistakes on the taxpayer.

Ike Passes & Aftermath

Riding Out the Storm
Power went out shortly after my last post. At about 4:30 a.m. I was officially in the full force of the storm.

Located on the 14th floor of Hotel Dietrich, I rode out the storm. Initially I wasn't to worried. The wind was howling and rattling the windows. The rain was swirling and coming down in sheets. I really wasn't rattled until the building shook. A gust of wind hit hard and I wasn't sure if I felt the building move or if it was my over active imagination. A few more gusts shook the windows and the building definitely shook. That rattled my nerves. From there on out it was trying to sleep while hoping for the best.

The hotel bistro was closed so they had buffets set up for guests. I slept through breakfast but made the lunch buffet. I should taken the clue when after I asked about dinner buffet I was told that lunch was the only meal they could prepare. Sure enough about an hour later the hotel announced that there was no water or power. The generator was running on low so all guests had to leave by 5:00 p.m.

I had a couple of places to go. Or so I thought. I first called a friend but he didn't answer. I called another friend be she didn't answer. I left my room at 4:00 p.m. thinking that someone would call me back soon. Nothing. I finally got a hold of the first friend. He was stuck at work and couldn't come get me. He told me to call his nephew to come and pick me up. No luck. I ended up having to call his sister. She and her husband picked me up a little bit after 6:00 p.m.

There was no power at their house. No surprise since 96% or more of the area was without power. I ended up staying two nights before I returned home. We had moved my car there Friday night to get it away from the flood zone that is my parking lot. It almost got taken out by a tree.

Before I came home we stopped at Kroger to get some canned goods and ice. There was an ambulance passing out some MREs so I picked up five and my friend's nephew picked up four for me.

There was no power when I got home. We had opened up the freezer to put the bags of ice in there. Bad idea. Everything had started to rot and stank to high heaven. After my friend's left I took a nice cold show, lit up the oil lamps and found my battery powered lantern. I started cleaning out the fridge by lantern light. Right as I took the last load out of the fridge the lights powered on. I was relieved but worried that they might not stay on. Thank God they are still functioning.

So aside from losing about two to three weeks of food and a tree almost smashing my car up, I came out of the storm unscathed. To top it off my supervisor just called and said I don't have to report to work this week. I go back in Monday morning.

Aaah, time to tackle some of the those projects I had time to do during my sabbatical.

Hope everything turns out well for all those affected by the storm.

Have a good one,
Unkle Monkee

Ike Hits Galleria Full Force

I am definitely getting full force winds now. The rain is coming down in sheets and the wind is pounding the windows. I can't see outside except for the few lighted areas left.

It's a little unnerving to hear the windows rattle and shake with the wind. I had intended to keep the two heavy shades and drapes open. The hotel memo recommended closing them. I'm not sure what protection they provide if any. I decided to close them just in case.

Well I think that's it from me tonight. I'm getting sleepy and no point staying up any longer.

Goodnight

Power Outages Through Out Metro Area

Over one million customers now without electric service and the worst part of the storm hasn't hit Houston yet. The news showed footage of transformers blowing out. It looked like a street level fireworks show. It also explains the odd colored lightning I saw earlier. Turns out that the odd colors were the transformer blowouts.

The rain is really coming down now and the winds are picking up. It's a little harder to judge how hard the wind is blowing since the street lights are and I can't see which directions the rain is blowing.

Local emergency services are still functioning. Unfortunately there is an ambulance in front of the hotel on the other side of the Loop. I also saw two cop cars with lights going west on Westhiemer.

The massive freeway light outside my window has just come back on. The rain is definitely coming down harder now. The light pole is swaying around in the wind.

A massive gust of wind just made my hotel windows make a loud rattle. There it goes again. This time I felt it as it hit the building. My area is getting tropical storm winds with the hurricane force winds coming within the next two hours or so.

The heaviest part of the rain just might miss where I'm at. It's hard to tell by the weather map. According to the latest projection of the spiral, the Galleria area might just get the tail end of the heaviest part of the latest storm spiral. Still a lot of rain though.

Downtown sensors are reporting over 69 mph gusts, Hobby Airport is reporting 83 mph gusts and Intercontinental is reporting over 60 mph gusts. Sensors in Galveston aren't reporting anymore. The Galveston tides are all over ten feet.

I just took my meds so I may be done for the night.

Making Landfall

The storm has made landfall in Galveston. The reporters are outside and making observations as the eye passes over.

Where I'm at the wind is starting to gust. The rain is swirling and the wind is whipping the rain occasionally against my window.

For the first time I look outside and don't see any cars on the road. Only car I saw is the security car driving around in the Galleria parking lot. I just saw a tank truck drive by. He's headed the south down the loop. I presume by that direction he's headed south to be ready to unload fuel.

The storm should be out of the metro area by my estimate at around 7 or 8 a.m. Not that I know what I'm talking about. Looking at the weather report, where I'm at still hasn't got hit with the worst. However the wind is picking up and the rain has gone from blowing diagonal to horizontal.

I don't know how much longer I'm going to be up. I may sleep through the eye and just read the reports in the morning.

The news just showed Clear Lake and it's taking a beating. Nothing like what is going on here in the Galleria. But that part of the storm is headed this way. Laporte is reporting 90 mph gusts. Nice. Just depends where next spiral is when it passes through my area.

I may post one more before I zonk out.

Quick Update

The reason rain isn't so bad yet is cause the first band that passed us wasn't that strong but the next one should be stronger. The worse part of it might miss where I'm at. It just depends on where the band is and how the storm has rotated as it passes my area.

One Hour to Landfall

725,000 customers without power now according to Floyd LeBlanc of CenterPoint Energy on local channel 11. He said that 750,000 was the power outage total for Hurricane Rita. They are expecting over 1 million in this storm.

The power surges and outages have stopped here at my hotel.

The rain has started coming down. Still it's not as strong as anticipated. The eye is about only an hour from Galveston. The rain is coming down in sheets and blowing diagonally.

The streets are empty now. I see an occasional car go by but now it's mostly emergency vehicles. The cop that was in the Zone D'erotica parking lot left. He was out there for at least six hours. Either that or they put a car there just for looks.

From my room it's pretty hard to judge how hard the wind really is blowing. I was expecting blinding rain and a heavy down pour. Instead it's a steady rain and lots of wind but not bad. I've been in thunderstorms that were a lot worse. I thought about going downstairs and looking outside see if I can get a better feel for the storm but I've decided to stay put.

A Galveston official was on TV saying that calls are calling in for rescue. The answer is no. They were told to leave because the entire island was going to be under water. There is no way they can get to them. People just are to freaking stupid and stubborn. They are the first to cry to when the you know what hits the fan.

I'm probably going to stay up for a few more hours and see how things progress. I don't think it's going to get any worse than lots of wind and rain. Of course, there is still the danger of tornadoes.

I'll probably post one more before I go to sleep.

One hour to go

According to the news it will be another hour before the area I'm at will start to get rain. They cut away to Baytown and it's getting hit hard. The reporter was at a hotel right down the street from where I live. I know where I'm at will get hit just as hard but I just feel better where I'm at. At the very least there are people around and if we have to hunker down in the ballroom it won't be lonely. I can't imagine sitting through this in my apartment alone. I wonder if power is out.

I unplugged everything at home to prevent any power surges from burning up.

The count down continues. Galleria area gets hit in 45 minutes. It's two minutes until 11:00 p.m.

Ike's Getting Closer

It's starting to lightning. Still no rain. Odd since Galveston is already getting pounded. The news showed the reporting just getting pelted.

Looking out my window I see exactly six cars driving around. When was the last time Westheimer was that empty? I see plenty of cops driving around. One has been sitting in the same spot in the Zone D'erotica parking lot. I thought maybe someone was riding the storm out there since a car was in the lot for hours. I saw a tow trucking hauling it off and the cop has been parked there ever since.

CVS was going to stay open through the store. The only ones they were going to close were the ones in the evacuated areas. I guess they changed their minds since the one across the street is closed.

In some weird twisted way this is exciting. I know how dangerous the storm is and how much damage it's going to cause but I'm getting some kind of cheap thrill sitting through it.

Just in: 315,000 homes without electricity according to CenterPoint Energy.

I expect the hotel power will go out soon. We keep getting brief outages. A memo was passed out saying if power goes out they have emergency power but it will be minimal power. Rooms will be in the dark and the air conditioning will be out. Power will only light the hallways and operate one elevator. They are also setting up one of the meeting rooms as a "shelter in place" in case people have problems with their rooms.

If power is still on later I'll post more.

I just had dinner in one of the hotel ballrooms. Sat with three couples. The elderly couple that sat with us was from Baytown. Just my luck I come into Houston and I meet people from Baytown. The man was telling us about his previous hurricane experiences. We told us the worse one was in the 1930s back before they used to name storms. The next was Carla in 1961. It was nice to meet a World War II veteran. He served in the navy during the war.

Even though the storm hasn't hit places are already starting to lose power. The Houston Chronicle is reporting up to 160,000 homes are out of electricity. My hotel had a brief outage.

These are my last pictures for the night. It looks more like someone nuked Katy but it's the sunset. Amazing since it's been cloudy all day.

I like Ike

No, I really don't like Ike. He screwed up my weekend plans. It was all football weekend starting with Houston Cougars vs. Air Force and then Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens. The college game moved to Dallas and the Texans game will be played Monday evening. I hope to still go to the Texans game if I don't have to report back to work.

As far as the weather, it is getting cloudy and the wind has definitely kicked up. I was just outside and I can feel the wind but looking out my window I don't see the tree swaying. Strange. I'm also surprised it still hasn't rained. Landfall is less than eight hours out.

People I can tell are getting restless already. I went downstairs and the lobby was full. People were just sitting around talking and reading. The bar was full. They closed the hotel restaurant but they will be serving a buffet from 7-9 p.m. Good. I have supplies to get me through the weekend but you can't beat a good solid hot meal.

The latest pictures from my window:

Blogging Hurrican Ike

Hello all out there. I'm here holed up in the luxurious Hotel Detriech.

Right now is the calm before the storm. The first clouds are coming in right on time like predicted. I'll give the weathermen credit for getting it right.

Things are pretty quiet now that folks have either evacuated or holed in. Of course there are several idiots that are going to try and ride out the storm surge predicted at up to 20 feet.

These pictures are the view from my hotel room. They were taken about 12:30 p.m. Be safe and I'll post more later.

Good-bye Amy Winehouse

Sometimes is just best to let someone go down the path of destruction they've chosen. I'm all for giving second, third and fourth chances. As long as a person is making a genuine effort to turn things around I have no problem helping him out. When that person repeatedly continues to behave in a self destructive way and each episode is worse than the last, it is time to let go. In my opinion Amy Winehouse has reached that point. It's not really the amount of times she's drugged up and overdose that would turn me away from her if she were a friend or relative. It's actual amount of drugs and the increasing amount that she's allegedly taking. The latest news reports indicate that Winehouse went on a 36 hour marijuana binge.

Reports state that as a result of her latest binge she may have brain damage. Allegedly she's had two overdoses in the last year. Judging from the reports it appears that her problems are only getting worse and her attempts fail.

I know each case is different but the effort just doesn't seem to be there. Winehouse doesn't appear to be making any effort to try and rehab and stay sober. Of course, if the reports are true that she's brain damaged then it may be too late regardless of her efforts. She just might not be in her right mind to make the decisions to stay clean anymore. No matter what effort she puts in the capacity to think straight and make rational decisions may be gone.

What's a friend or relative do? It must be hard and heart breaking to see someone so close and that is loved to destroy herself like this. Evidently her father has put in a herculean effort to help her but so far all for naught. I have to wonder if there will be a point where raises his hands and gives up. I sincerely doubt it. The only way I see him giving up is if she is beyond reach mentally. I think she'd have to reach a near vegetative state for him to give up. And judging from reports, she just may be there now or very close.

It's sad to see someone with such talent waste away. I personally don't like her music.

I ask myself what would I do if I had a friend or relative in her shoes? I think at this point I'd have to let them go down their chosen path. If repeated efforts fail miserably and the amounts of drugs or alcohol are increasing, I'd just have to walk away. It would break my heart to do it but sometimes the effort isn't there or the desire to remain sober lacks. Why put myself through the emotional and physical exertion if the person isn't willing to help herself? All I would do is point them to a hospital or rehab center and go my own way. I would turn my back not out of lack of caring but because I care. If I put in all my time and effort to help someone and they can't put in the effort it would eventually take a toll on me. It would wear me down. It would make no sense for me to keep hitting my head against the wall. Also it would bring me down emotionally and I just couldn't bear to watch someone I love destroy themselves. It would be a defense mechanism to walk away. The addiction cuts both ways. It hurts the user and those around them. I just would have to protect myself and my well being by going in a different direction than the addict. It's sad but it's the truth.

The Dark Knight Review

Me and a friend went see The Dark Knight. I have a mixed review of it. First off, Heath Ledger portrayed the Joker as a homicidal sociopath who has no qualms about killing. The Joker is set on taking control of Gotham's underworld and turning it into chaos. The Batman, Lt. Gordon and Harvey Dent team up to bring out the fall of the Joker. Harvey Dent becomes the Two-Face after an accident at the hands of the Joker and becomes just as homicidal but the flip of a coin decides if a victim lives or dies.

There is plenty of chaos, destruction, death and action to keep the masses happy. The film falls short on a few points. First off, Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker is great. He kills with freely, has the laugh that is traditional to the character and cares not whit for one human being. He's an utter social path. Unfortunately we get no background on the Joker's origin. He just appears and the chaos ensues. We are also left unresolved as to his fate. Ledger's Joker is outstanding and not over the top. However I don't think it's a fantastic Academy Award material. Some reviews write the Ledger's Joker on par with Anthony Hopkins Hannibal Lecter. No way. He's not that good.

Another area the movie fails is in the characterization of Batman. The Bat is dark but not brooding. The Batman in this film is just a vigilante swinging fists and pounding evil doers into submission. The is no character driven exploration of Bruce Wayne/Batman. He's nothing more than playboy by day, super hero by night. Nothing about what makes him tick. Nothing that makes the Joker tick for that matter is revealed. The Harvey Dent/Two-Face character should have been left for another film. The Harvey Dent/Two-face, Batman, Commisioner Gordan story stands as whole story on its own.

Over all it's pretty mindless entertainment. None of the characters are explored. Especially Wayne's brooding quest to fight crime to avenge his parents death. It's central theme to his character that it must be in play some how. Then they screw us on not giving any reason for the Joker's existence. The only theme mentioned by the Joker is when he tells Batman that they need each other to thrive. If there is no Joker there is no Batman. It's a central theme to the Batman comic books.

So go, sit back relax and have a good time watching the latest installment of the Bat man saga.

I got it right

I called my shot about the how the Supreme Court would rule on the Washington D.C. hand gun ban. Of course I got the judgement right but I have no idea about their logic yet. I haven't read the opinion and will try to over the weekend.

Is it me or is it a disturbing trend that the number of rulings that are 5-4? It's obvious the Court has become an ideological battleground. Ideally the Court should be comprised of the most noble, wisest and fairest judges in the land. They should base their decisions on the facts of the case and not their political leanings. Instead the President nominates someone who he and his party believe will tow the company line. If the other party hold the Senate majority, a compromise must be found. Actually that's probably a good thing but chances are the candidate will still lean to the political side of the President.

In any case, I'm glad they upheld the right to bear arms. In reading the D.C. ordinance, it was just ridiculous. I believe in reasonable controls on guns. For example, who really needs to own an assault rifle or grenade launcher? I think it's reasonable for people to own guns for protection as well as hunting rifles. An outright ban did nothing to bring the D.C. crime rate down.

So buy up those guns and enjoy your right to bear arms!

I'm Calling My Shot

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

I'm not sure when the Supreme Court ruling on the Washington D.C. hand gun ban is suppose to come down. However, I'm calling my shot now.

The Supreme Court will rule the ban unconstitutional. At least that's my landmark decision. Screw what everybody else says. I'm right, everybody else is wrong.

In reality this is one thing I've turned over and over in my mind. I've read legal opinions, articles and just about anything I could read on both sides of the issue. Does the Second Amendment apply only to a militia or to private citizens? After reading I still came to the same conclusion. Nobody really knows.

Some claim the intent of the original writers was to have state militias. Others make the argument that the arms should stay in the hands of the citizens to guarantee against the tyranny of government.

I think in this case, the Court should come down in favor of the people. I think the key phrase is "the rights of the people." The rights of the people should supersede all other rights. The law of Washington D.C. infringes on those rights.

Instead of outright bans the laws should be written to say who cannot own a gun. The target of laws should be on who lost the right to own and bear arms. Felons, mental patients, violent offenders should not be allowed to own guns. The Washington D.C. ban just eliminates the right for all in it's jurisdiction. The Fifth Amendment states that "no person shall be...deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law." In this case a blanket is thrown over everyone and the liberty stated in the Fourth Amendment is taken away. If a person breaks a law, is tried and convicted of breaking the law and the law punishes that person by taking away the right to own a gun then due process is served. Otherwise the outright ban is taking away the liberty to own guns from all citizens. Due process is entirely bypassed.

I have no legal training. I maybe entirely wrong on my understanding of due process and how it applies to this case. This is just something I've tried to come to an understanding about and make my own conclusion by following logic.

The decision of the Court is anticipated to be historic. It could have far reaching implications on laws that limit or ban guns. Or the Court could punt and make a narrow ruling with out effecting other standing laws.

HIllarly Clinton Done, Natural Disasters, Misbehaving Mom

The Monkee Cage has been quiet lately. Not much has caught my attention to write about.

Hillary Clinton finally stepped out of the presidential race. I was pulling for her to win the nomination over Barak Obama. I think she brings more to the table than Obama. Albeit that experience comes via her husband and the people that served under his presidency. However Obama is running his campaign as he's the candidate of change. Democratic voters have spoken and cast the parties lot with Obama. My hope now is that Clinton supporters get behind Obama and put him in the White House. I'm still not sold on him completely but I think he's a better alternative than John McCain. In the future I'm have to study McCain's positions versus those of Obama. I'll post more blogs as the race progresses.

Midwest storms

What is going on with the midwest? I've lost track of how many tornadoes have ripped through the region. I don't think there is a state in the interior that doesn't border the Atlantic that hasn't been spared a storm or tornado.

Then the horrible news comes two nights ago that a tornado hit a Boy Scout camp and killed four of the scouts in Iowa. Then as the news settles in a "500 year flood" hits the state.

From the Midwest tornadoes to the China earthquakes to the Myanmar cyclones, it appears that the number of natural disasters is unusually high. According to a Fox New article there is nothing out of the ordinary. All these disasters are in line with previous years.

The article sites a metric used to measure criteria to disasters:
"EM-DAT, the OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, tracks natural disasters in which either 10 or more people were killed, 100 or more people were affected, a State of Emergency was declared, or there was a call for international assistance."

Since 1960 there has been an uprise in the number of natural disasters measured by the above criteria. However the increase has been attributed to better reporting and monitoring methods.

I can some what buy into the argument. Science and technology has increased exponentially since the 1960s. The rise of the internet and other forms of communication also contribute to the perceived increase in disasters. We no longer have to wait for the nightly news or the newspaper the next day to find out what's going on in the world. One click of an internet browser to any news site provides near instantaneous information. Camera phones and wireless internet options have turned almost anyone on the scene as a reporter.

Most people think economic factors when the term globalization is mentioned. The same concept can be applied to news and communication. When disaster strikes Japan we get the news faster and with more sources. People on the ground are adding to the flow of information streaming in.

Teen Sex Romp

In the what were they thinking category, two women stand accused of throwing a sex party. Sex romps are nice but when the involve 14 to 16 year old boys. The Smoking Gun reports, that Angela Honeycutt assaulted teen boys at the home of Lynne Long. Honeycutt is 28 and Long is 45. The party was held at Longs house. Long allegedly approved of Honeycutt's behavior. Honeycutt allegedly stripped and danced for the boys while talking dirty with them. The charges also allege that Honeycutt engaged with sex in the shower with a 15 year old and had sexual contact with a 14 year old. Furthermore, Long is alleged to have encouraged the boys to listen in on the bedroom door where Honeycutt was engage another boy in sex.

I just have to wonder what's going on through these women's minds. What on earth were two women doing having sex with kids. How can a mother, Long's son was the host of the party, encourage sex for her kid's friends. We all know teen boys are walking hormones but that they are not mature enough to handle being assaulted by older women. The may be horny kids but mentally they can't handle what's going on. I know men are thinking "yeah if the was me I wouldn't say a thing." I seriously doubt when any of us was 14 we could handle having sex with an older woman. What's worse is the mother of one of the boys condones the behavior in her house. She intentionally wanted a woman to come into her house be a sex show for her son and his friends. There's no other word to describe this behavior other than twisted.

Something isn't clicking quiet right in these women's heads. If they want young men there are plenty of 18 plus year old guys who would jump their bones. I'm all for two consenting adults having sex all they want. What they do in the privacy of their own home is there business. Kids is another story though. People need to show some common sense and responsibility in what they do.

Pakistani makes deal with militants, Nepal politics and Hillary stand down

Head line from an AP release:
Pakistan: New Peace Deal with Militants

When was the last time a militant group lived up to their end of a deal? All the Pakistani government did was give the militants free reign to do what ever they want without interference. The article states the the government wants to end extremism. All the Pakistani government is doing is promising not to attack the militants. The militants are now free to focus their hatred else where. No doubt they will turn their attacks across the border into Afghanistan.

These deals do nothing but get the Pakistani forces off the back of the militants and vice versa. Pakistan has pretty much seceded control of the tribal areas. In these areas, Pakistan exerts no control. The Taliban, Al-Qaida and other Muslim militant tribal groups run the show. Pakistan also forbids the U.S. to hunt terrorists in these regions. Many speculate Osama bin Laden is hiding the Pakistani tribal lands.

Nepalese Evict King

Nepal's national assembly will evict King Gyanendra after they declare Nepal a republic. After the declaration he will have 15 days to move out of the imperial palace. The ruling family has been in place for over two hundred years. In the recent past, the King stayed out of politics. However after King Gyanendra ascended to the throne he took full control. The royal family was massacred in a shooting at the palace.

Nepal has been unstable for years. Maoists rebels fought an insurgency with the goal of creating a communist state. The King was forced to relinquish absolute control after widespread protests two years ago. The Maoists agreed to cease fighting during a peace process that allowed for elections.

The Maoists hold the most seats in the assembly but are having trouble forming a government. Now that they are in power I wonder how they will handle it? Will they continue to allow elections that put them in power? Or will they try to take absolute control and turn Nepal into a socialist state?

Give it Hillary

Will Hilary Clinton please stand down? The time has come for her to step aside and allow the Democratic Party focus on winning the White House. She's put up a good fight but odds are long that she will win the nomination. Obama Barak leads in the delegate count and more of the so called super delegates are moving into his camp. While the Dems continue to eat their own, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain has started to focus campaigning and fund raising for his presidential bid. The Democratic infighting is costing valuable time and money. So come on Hillary, give it up.

Samar Saed Abdullah

This time last year there were articles and news stories about Samar Saed Abdullah awaiting execution in Iraq. Now that a year has passed, I've been looking for any news of Abdullah's fate.

She's awaiting execution for murdering three relatives. She had a one day trial and she claims her confessions were coerced under torture. Execution day in Iraq is Wednesday. Every Wednesday the condemned are called out of their cells and taken to the gallows. A prisoner never knows in advance if they will go to the gallows that Wednesday.

As for Abdullah, I cannot find any information on her ever since her story broke last year. I find it sad that for one day or week news agencies were reporting on her fate but there has no follow up since. I've scoured the net for information and nothing has come up. I don't know if she's alive or been taken to the gallows.

A website that existed about her case is in gone. The online petition to save her life is gone. Did she go quietly to the gallows? I can't find any information to her fate.

I've contacted Amnesty International for information about her. Hopefully I'll get a response.

What Are You People Thinking?

I'm cruising myspace.com checking out the models. Hey, I like to look at beautiful, sexy women. I added this model to my friends just for laughs. I think she's nice looking but that's about it. Miss Priss. Now scroll down to "About Me" section and there is an Amazon wish list. It's a list of things Miss Priss wants people to buy for her. She wants her fans to go to Amazon and buy her presents. I'm not hating on her. If she gets fans to buy her stuff then more power to her. I however didn't actually think people would buy things for her. Some of the things she wants are not cheap. She actually has LCD TVs listed. Big expensive TVs.

I thought nothing more of it until today. That's when I saw her blog titled "This is why I love myspace friends..." Evidently fans bought her stuff for her birthday. I didn't see any of the expensive items. Then again I don't know how much the shoes she got go for. Here's what I don't understand. Why would any joe shmoe average myspace user buy her gifts? It makes absolutely no sense. Are they hoping to meet, date or sleep with her? I don't think she's going to track any of these fans down and personally thank them. Why would you buy a complete stranger gifts? She's a complete stranger. Sure she posts items about herself but do we really know anything about her? I'm positive she's a model and a good looking one at that. But we just don't know if all the stuff she writes about herself in her myspace is true. She may be the sweetest person in the world but we just don't know.

I'd actually be scared of any stranger that bought me gifts. The internet is full of weirdos and psychos. I'm going to take a wild guess about fans sending gifts. They aren't normal. They probably don' t have both oars in the water. Something just doesn't click in my mind about this. I imagine a nerdy introvert sitting in front of a computer thinking,"If I send her these things she'll like me." It isn't going to happen freak. She, on the other hand, has nothing to lose. She's not posting personal or contact information where she can be tracked down. She gets some free loot and thinks nothing more of it. It's a nice racket on her part.

I'll keep her on my friend list cause she posts funny shit but I'm not sending her shit.

The other night on Comedy Central's The Root of All Evil the topic was myspace friends. The argument of one debater was that myspace friends demeans the definition of "friend." He argued that they really aren't friends. Can you call them up in the middle of the night? Will they come and bail you out of jail? Will they come pick you up from the airport? Sure Tila Tequila will counsel you through your break up.

In light of this argument, I decided to take inventory of my friends list on myspace.

• Real living friends - 4, old high school buddies
• Guitars - 1
• Cartoon characters - 8
  
• Figments of someone's imagination - 6 (Phil Hendrie characters), 1 (Borat)
• Actual people that I know only through myspace and not in person - 3
• Actress/model (non porn category) - 7
  
• Porn stars - 3
• Schools - 2
• Musicians/bands - 3
• Business - 1
• Comedian - 1
• Newspaper columnist - 1

I'm sure I left something or someone off. I was just interested to see how my friends broke down after watching the Comedy Central show.

Judas Priest, Sick Twisted Austrian Man

The much talked about rumored Judas Priest album is finally coming out. They announced the released date of June 16 in Europe and June 17 for the US. It's a concept album on Nostradamus. It's a double CD since they said they couldn't fit all they wanted onto one disc.

I'm a big Judas Priest fan but somehow I get a sinking feeling about this project. First off Judas Priest has never done a concept album. When a band departs from their sound or tries something different it's usually a recipe for disaster. Second, just how much material can you write about Nostradamus? He is fascinating and the debate rages if his writings really predicted the future or if we are just looking at events and fitting them to vague predictions. Finally, as much as a fan of the group, let's be honest. Their latest releases haven't been up to snuff. I never let "Angel of Retribution" grow on me. The Ripper Owen stuff is okay but not classic Priest. I'll probably break my CD buying moratorium and purchase the CDs. It's been years since I bought a CD but since I'm a fan I will plunk down the cash.

How sick is Josef Fritzl? I can't get my mind around how twisted Fritzl is. He imprisoned his own daughter for 24 years in a windowless cell. He raped her and fathered seven children of hers. Three of the children lived upstairs with their father/grandfather and grandmother. Three of the poor souls lived with the mother and had never seen the light of day. God only knows how messed up those children are. One of the seven died in infancy and Fritzl admitted to burning the body. The children were 19, 18 and 5. Fritzl claimed that his daughter left the other three children with him and ran away. He forced her to write letters that said she ran away and didn't want to be found.

The depth and consequences of this horrible story just boggle my mind. Here is a man, for lack of a better word, that imprisoned his own daughter. He then raped her repeatedly and fathered children with her. The CNN article I linked to described her, Elisabeth, as disturbed. Disturbed is probably the understatement of the decade. Destroyed emotionally, physically and mentally is a more appropriate description. I use the word destroyed because I can't comprehend how it is possible that she will ever recover from this ordeal. There is no way her psyche can be repaired. No amount of counseling and therapy will restore this poor woman to what she was before this demon locked her away. I only imagine she will have nightmares for the rest of her life. She will relive all those horrible days she was locked up forever. Nothing will probably relive her of that experience.

Imagine the children that were locked up with her. They had no interaction with any other humans other than each other. Locked up in a dungeon without knowing what it is to play with other children. They never even saw the light of day. I only can guess about what state they are in. They have to be so stunted emotionally. The 18 and 19 year old probably have severe mental disorders. There may be some hope for the 5 year old. Maybe since he's still young that he can he can rebound from this. I don't think he'll be completely normal but with counseling and therapy he can grow up to function in society. The older ones probably have the mental and emotional make up of young children. I haven't read anything about their state yet. It will be interesting to find out what they are like.

I can't even think of a fitting punishment for Fritzl. Nothing that can be done to him could compare to the pain and suffering he inflicted on his own daughter and children.

3:10 To Yuma

Great movie until the end. What the hell was that ending. The writer really expected me to believe that a nasty outlaw like Ben Wade all of a sudden wants to go to jail where more than likely they are going to stretch his neck? He gives up just so the hero will look good in the eye's of his kid. I can suspend belief to an extent but that is just asking too much. I could have lived with just about any ending but that one. I wanted Christian Bale's character, Dan Evans, to turn Wade in. I could even live with Evans dying to achieve his goal. I could even live with Evan's kid killing Wade to rescue his dad. I could live with Wade's gang killing Evans to rescue him. I could Wade killing Evans but Wade caught by Evan's kid. I just can't live with the idea that Wade would go freely, kill his own gang and turn himself end. Goes to show a great movie can be ruined by a horribly unbelievable ending.

Searching for a Web Host

Well I'm looking for a decent host for my website. The free ones from Google and Microsoft suck. I tried the pay one from Microsoft too. That one really sucks. It was very limited in what you could do with it. You were stuck with predefined layouts, backgrounds and colors. I want something simple so I can create a home page and start building from there. I want the ability to create the lay out the way I want it.

So the great web hosting hunt continues.

A correction

Someone corrected me on how I attack one of VenomfangX's arguments. The edit starts in bold.

Creationism Pseudoscience

I kind of like the title of my last entry. "Manifesto of the Pervert." I'm not even sure what I meant by that. It just sounded right.

You can see I've made little progress in building my website. Instead I've been watching debates between evolution science and creation "science". For some reason I've been fascinated with the arguing. It's not even a debate. Sadly for the creationists they just can't argue with the evolutionists. Basically creationists argument boils down to "Well God did it" or "Evolution is just a theory" and a bunch of pseudoscience.

VenomFangX is the biggest user of nonsense to support creation.

He's also pretty arrogant and smug with his arguments but completely illogical or wrong. His overall argument is that evolution cannot be explained scientifically so therefore God made everything. Instead he counters that the Bible and God are supported by science. He goes on to "prove" his theory with flawed logic, bad science, flat out errors and nothing that holds up to scientific review.

In one of his videos he makes the claim that he can prove God's existence by looking at the solar system. He opens his argument with the following: the solar system is to perfect to happen by chance i.e. the Big Bang. He further states, and truthfully, that the earth is in perfect spot for life. However his argument breaks down at this point. He states that the earth cannot be in this ideal spot by chance. Therefore God created it and put it there. That's his proof of God. He sadly claims that since evolutionists can't explain it then it's there because God wants it there.

When he does try to use science to counter evolution he falls flat on his face. He starts off with a wrong fact: that earth is the only place in the solar system where water is found. He simply states that how is it that there is only water on earth and no where else on the solar system? Is it just by accident? No, it's not by accident. God put the water on earth. He just chooses to ignore that there is water on the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, the comets are made of ice and that Mars has water too.

To further show he has no clue, just watch the first two minutes of this video.

At the very least, the origins of the Ica Stones is unknown. No one has been able to prove them as genuine. Click on Ica stones for an alternate view of the Ica stones. Basically no one knows their origins and whether they are genuine. The stones simply cannot be used to support a theory.

Once again he torpedoes his own claims in the first two minutes of his presentation.

His proof is a CNN article about a study. He selectively quotes the first sentence of the article and that stands as the proof of his argument. The problem here is that we don't know what the rest of the article says. For all we know the rest of the article can go on to say that the study he quotes is flawed. Or it maybe a legitimate statement but since he doesn't show what the rest of the article is about we cannot see for ourselves. We have to take his word for it. If he is going to use an article to support his claims, he should give us a reference where we can read the article and see the entire context for ourselves. Referencing a source is basic high school research academics.

To continue to show how flawed his logic is I'll use the same quote he uses from CNN. The opening line from the article CNN is "Dinosaurs shared the earth for millions of years with the species that were their ancestors, a new study shows." He claims that the earth is only 6000 years old and that all dinosaurs lived at the same time. However to back up his claim he quotes an article that sinks his own argument. Notice that the quote clearly contradicts his claim that the earth is 6000 years old. He could probably come back and say no he was only using the quote to demonstrate that there is proof that all the dinosaurs lived at the same time and that how long ago they all lived doesn't matter. However, you cannot use one part of a statement to support your theory when one other part clearly contradicts another part of your argument. That is selectively using what fits your argument and ignoring the parts that don't. A logic fallacy.
Edit 4-22-08
I stand corrected in my logic argument in the preceeding paragragh. However VenomFangX is still wrong in his argument. Here's how it was explained to me:
As you describe the argument, the fallacy committed appears to be that of begging the question.

The second proposition doesn't necessarily say anything about all dinosaurs; even if it did, it would still require context and support.

The first proposition is simply a more specific statement of the conclusion, requiring even more proof than the conclusion; thus, it “begs the question.”

It is not a logical contradiction to say that they could have walked the earth for millions of years and walked the earth 6000 years ago. The absurd notion that they walked the earth 6000 years ago is contradicted by other evidence, but not by the "CNN statement".


One person made a response video to VenamfangX's claims. It's short but it complete debunks him.


Finally, this one is my personal favorite. Ray Comfort and former "Growing Pains" star Kirk Cameron use a banana to prove God. Never mind that the banana in this form is a result of man domesticating it for consumption. To give Comfort credit, he owned up to his fallacy of the banana argument.


I'm not anti religion at all. I think people should be free to believe in whatever deity, religion and faith that they want. What concerns me is that some religious people want to teach creationism and intelligent design as science. They firmly believe that their pseudoscience is fact and at least deserves to be taught as an alternate theory to evolution in science classes. If they want to believe in God's creation and that the earth is only 6000 years old and dinosaurs walked the earth with humans, I'm fine with that. Just don't teach it as fact in classrooms.

Manifesto of the Pervert

Actually I have no manifesto. I've been toying with the idea of starting up another website. I let my original one go dark back in 2002. I just kind of stopped updating and never thought twice about it after a while. So I thought I'd give it ago again.

I'm not sure what type of content I'll have in it. The last one had all kinds of crap that I felt like putting on the web. From sports to politics to anything I found humorous. I think this blog is the jumping off point to my new website.

So over the next few weeks I'll start building my new insignificant presence on the web.