Busy Busy Busy

I spent yesterday running errands in the morning, and refinishing a chair in the afternoon. Let me just say right now that I hate varnish. No, I don't just hate it, I want to dig up the body of whoever came up with that unholy crap and burn him. As far as I'm concerned, it has to be one of the worst things you can put on a piece of furniture.

Anyways, my belt sander has been getting a workout. I've got most of the chair down to the bare wood. The girlfriend and I are going to put a nice oil stain on it once it's all clean, and then re-assemble it. We're also redoing the supports for it, since the old supports were pretty much falling apart. From what we can deduce, this chair used to belong to a bunch of vegan hippies who smoked a lot of anything they could get their hands on. I had to fill in quite a few burn marks with wood putty, and it looks like they tried to repaint the chair a few times. Grrrrrr. Once I got all the crap off the chair, I found out the wood was excellent. I can't tell what type of wood it is, but the grain of it is just gorgeous. It'll look pretty damn good once I'm finished with it.

And today I'm going out to a farm to do some log clearing, while my girlfriend dismembers little fuzzy things with the people who own the farm. As payment for my log clearing, we get to take the dismembered fuzzy things home and cook them. Yum!

So there might not be too many posts from me today. I'll see you all tomorrow.

COMPENDIUM OF 'FAHRENHEIT 911' LIES, MISTRUTHS, AND EXAGGERATIONS

The SmarterCop has a compendium of F9/11 bullshit. It's lengthy.

From the Bullshit Files

Aaron over at Free Will notes some, er, inaccuracies in media coverage of Iraq.

Fisking Happens

The Swanky Conservative swings some hellacious brickbat at a Limpminded Leftie.

The Council Has Spoken!

This weeks winners of the Watcher of Weasel council are Compendium of 'Fahrenheit 911' Lies, Mistruths, and Exaggerations by The SmarterCop, and Fahrenheit 411 -- Watching Michael Moore by BuzzMachine. You can find all the results here. I managed to place a respectable second, by 1/3 of a vote.

Not bad, considering who I was up against.

My Mom sent out some quotes from that group of SWIFT boat pilots who....

...opined that John Kerry is unfit to be Commander in Chief. She sent it to a groiup of our extended family.

My cousin, a professor of Middle East Studies, replied with this:

I don't find Kerry's opposition to Vietnam in any way troubling, and
> unlike the quoted people, I certainly don't see opposition to that or
> any war as opposition to individuals (and obviously not as "treason").
> But Kerry is a decorated veteran who had the guts, upon his return
> stateside, to protest an unjust war. Most Americans then and now agreed
> with him, and because of the antiwar movement the US had no choice but
> to start withdrawing slowly over time, saving the lives of thousands of
> US soldiers and sailors. He also acknowledged that at times, by some
> people in some places, atrocities were committed by US troops -- which
> isn't even a question. We know this happened, as it has now in Iraq.
>
> Unlike Kerry, who volunteered to fight despite his personal opposition
> to the war, Bush used his family's contacts to get into the air national
> guard, and then went AWOL for much of his "service". There are countless
> Vietnam vets organized in each of the 50 states to back Kerry. Back in
> Vietnam, and today in an even more unecessary war, personally I am sick
> of these people accusing all who disagree or oppose military adventurism
> of "treason". And while I too have problems with Kerry, there is simply
> no comparison between Bush and Kerry in terms of their national service,
> intelligence, knowledge of the world, and expertise on defense and
> security ... Bush comes up short every time. Despite the misinformation
> the White House is spreading in TV commercials, Kerry's specialties for
> decades of service as a legislator are defense, security, and support
> for armed forces personnel.
>
> Whether anyone likes it or not, there is no chance of this country
> having an iota of respect left internationally, if Bush is actually
> returned to office. His administration is the best recruiting tool
> terrorists could ever have asked for. Many people not named Bush have
> already payed a terrible price for that and more will follow. The damage
> the Bush regime has done to American democracy and American security
> will take years to repair. But at least regime change at home would
> provide a start.
>
> Bush can't run on his economic and social policies obviously, since they
> have been so disasterous, but even his supposed "strength" is a joke. He
> is simply not the defense and security candidate. He has made our
> country less secure than at any time since WWII. He also is responsible
> for the completely needless deaths of more than 900 US soldiers and he
> needs to be held accountable for that. Iraq was not in any way a threat
> nor did it have the WMD arsenal the Bush people claimed . Iraq was not
> involved in 911 and did not back al-Qaida. Al-Qaida was unable to
> operate inside Iraq under Saddam (ruthless dictators like him do tend to
> crush freelance militant movements). And until Bush's war, Iraq had no
> problem with internal terrorism. Now terrorism is part of daily life and
> Bush has given the world a new stage for terrorists to flock to and
> operate out of.
>
> He says he supports the military while cutting veteran's benefits,
> military services, and military salaries in order to pay off his tax
> cuts to his real political base, the already rich and powerful (who are
> certainly not serving in Iraq or Afghanistan). His corporate Cronies
> are, meanwhile, doing very well.
>
> It's not accidental that the overwhelming majority of Middle East
> specialists, arms control specialists, and counter-terrorism specialists
> all oppose Bush. It might also explain why most people voted against him
> in 2000 too.
>
> Personally, I want my country and my democracy back and I will do
> everything in power to defeat this global embarrassment who is, to me,
> the worst and most dangerous president in American history.

So then I replied with this:

I think our economy is in pretty good shape given the "perfect storm"
formed:

- when the NASDAQ bubble, inflated by crooked investment houses, went bust,

- with the discovery of corporate fraud that lined the pockets of wealthy
executives while investors and employees got robbed, and

- with the successful attack upon Manhattan by two dozen or so
highly-motivated Saudis who trained, in America, to hijack planes and use
them as weapons.

Those three events destroyed million of jobs in America. They ALL developed
while the previous Administration's Justice Department was busying itself
with Elian Gonzales, Microsoft, and, of course, that bogeyman of all
bogeymen: Big Tobacco. Ken Lay ripped off California, Worldcom ripped off
its investors, and the 9/11 hijackers flew crosscountry flights to hone
their plan for the Big Day. Meanwhile, Joe Camel was being locked in his
closet where he belongs. Seems wacky to me.

I am hard-pressed to think of a specific Bush Administration economic policy
that has been disastrous, unless we consider the debt to be a disaster,
which we could. But blaming the loss of jobs since January 2001 on the
current President just doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

-------------------

Regarding Iraq:

The notion that we are now "less secure" is something invented out of whole
cloth by someone with a predicatble political agenda. There is no empirical
evidence to support it. It should neither be regurgitated nor rejected
uncritically.

While it is true that Iraq may have not been a threat, many of us saw no
threat at all prior to 11 Sept 2001. Turns out that we had warnings about
Al Qaeda, enumerated specifically in the now-famous 6 Aug 2001 PDB, which
the President has been criticized for not heeding. Interestingly, many of
the same folks who have criticized Bush for NOT responding to those warnings
are now critical of him for responding to CIA, FBI, Czech, and Russian intel
regarding Saddam. Interesting, but not perplexing, in an election year.

Next to lastly, hopefully no reader of this email needs to be disabused of
the notion that "until Bush's war, Iraq had no problem with internal
terrorism." Searching on Google for Iraq+mass+graves is enlightening;
there are links ranging from Fox News to Amnesty International to choose
from. NONE of them portray Iraq 1980-2003 as a place that was absent
"internal terror".

Here's a good example:
http://www.shianews.com/hi/articles/politics/0000374.php

Finally, whether the invasion of Iraq was a solid decision or a disastrous
one likely won't be known for a decade or more. Could be that in 2014, Iraq
will be a functioning democracy, a beacon of freedom in a place where
[relatively] little exists today, or maybe more dominos will have toppled by
then, and the entire region will have reformed itself, much like the new
NATO nations who were freed from Soviet rule a little over a decade ago.

Or Iraq might be a fractured arena of endless civil war, a haven for
terrorists, a seething pot of resentment and hatred toward the West fomented
by the kind imperial meddling that has created much of the current
situation.

Maybe it will be something in between. But it's too early to tell, isn't
it?

I know a guy who's dad had prostate surgery last week.

The day before the surgery, he played golf.

The day after, he couldn't get out of bed.

Did the surgeons make things worse?

I don't think so.

My cousins ALL lean Left and I am certain that they are muttering all manner of things about my ignorance. Ah, well. No replies yet.

Cosby Flies Off the Handle

"You've got to stop beating up your women because you can't find a job, because you didn't want to get an education and now you're (earning) minimum wage," Cosby said. "You should have thought more of yourself when you were in high school, when you had an opportunity."

Yikes!

Yahoo! News - Cosby Has Harsh Words for Black Community

Light posting day

I apologise for the lack of posts today. I have a headache that is actually making me ill. I don't normally get headaches at all, so I'm trying to figure out what caused this one while I take some pain reliever.

In the mean time, here's a quote from an email that a reader sent me regarding the moonbats in Seattle.

I don't bother with moonbats anymore. Its best to realize that what you're dealing with there is that person applying their world view in a fundamentalist manner. You're never ever going to change their opinion because you're not dealing with opinion. Your dealing with the equivalent of religion.

Radical, fundamentalist religion.

Which makes sense if you think about it. Seattle is not only un religious, its anti religious.. and well.. nature abhors a vacuum. If ya know what I mean.


The comments are open for discussion. As for me, I do know what you mean, all too well.

Slap slap slappity slap

Our fellow council member The Smarter Cop has compiled the biggest smackdown of Michael Moore that I've seen to date.

Moore has no credibility. Not even tatters.

"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you.. We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." - Hillary Clinton - San Francisco 6-28-04

"Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you.."

Translation: You filthy rich swine! How DARE YOU!

"We're saying that for America to get back on track,"

The Hildebeast's socialist nanny-state track, that is. Where they control you, and you can't do a damn thing about it. You wonder why they want to take away your guns? Because it's much harder to enslave an armed citizenry.

"we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you."

NOT GIVE IT TO YOU? IT'S THEIR DAMN MONEY IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU COMMUNIST CUNT! But obviously the Hildebeast doesn't think so. You worked for it. You sweat for it. You busted your ass for it, but it's not your money, it's HER money! She just needs to take it from you!

"We're going to take things away from you for the common good."

Da, Comrade! From each according to his ability, to each according to his need! Ve vill make dis country into a perfect paradise, you vill see!

Just absolutely sickening. She's not even trying to hide it anymore. What a foul, corrupt, communist bitch.

What's it like to be "rich"?

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be "rich"? No, I don't mean rich like Bill Gates. I mean "rich", as defined by Democrats.

Here is a good description, from one of the geese that lays the golden eggs:

Confessions of a "Rich" Businessman

John Kerry wants to repeal tax cuts for upper income Americans. Now there's a surprise: a Democratic Presidential candidate attacks the rich. But who are "the rich"? Well, as Democratic politicians define the "fortunate few at the top of society," my wife and I are, or close to it.

We're only recognized as rich quadrennially, of course--when campaigns are in full swing. But even if we make the cut solely during election times, it's fun being rich. Wintering in Aspen, summering in Nantucket, luxury cars, fancy prep schools and Ivy League colleges, hobnobbing with movie starlets and marrying heiresses, I'm living large. Oops! No, that's John Kerry's life. Come to think of it, I drive a Ford Taurus, my kids have all gone to public schools, and my vacations usually involve economy motels and breakfast at McDonald's...

This is a good read. Class warfare usually invokes images of limousines, tuxedos, sports cars, and yachts. This column provides a more realistic view of upper 5%-hood and, in general, the people paying the country's taxes and creating our jobs.

HAAAAA!

Go check out this cartoon from Cox and Forkum.

My dad retired from the Marine Corps in 1984, but he still has quite a few friend who are still somehow involved with the Corps. He's also in the Marine Corps League (they do the Toys for Tots every year at Christmas, as well as several other ceremonial functions).

After September 11th, when I was having a long discussion with my father, he told me about a retired Marine Major who called up Marine HQ (on I St. and 8th) in Washington D.C. and told them that he wanted to re-join. The Marine on the other end of the line was somewhat surprised, but took down the Major's name and info, and then put him on hold while the information was relayed to someone higher up.

After about ten minutes, another Marine picked up the phone and told the Major "I'm sorry sir, but your status is 4-I right now, we're unable to take you back." The Major was rather put out, and demanded to know what 4-I status actually was. He was told "When the Enemy is at the intersection of 4th and I St., you'll be getting a call."

By the way, the Major was a Viet Nam vet around 60 years old. Heh.

It just reminded me that there are a lot of people who want to rejoin, re-enlist, re-up, what have you, but due to age or other physical conditions, they've been told "No". Plus, the story (and the cartoon) gave me a little chuckle.

Clinton's Tripe is #1

As expected, Clintons piece of Fiction auto-biography is number one on the Amazon Bestsellers List. As disgusted as I am that people still worship that cretin, I'm chuckling as I watch Hill and Bill suck the air right out of John Fonda Kerry's sails. "John who? He's running for what? Does he have a book?"

What you might not know is that a certain little book deconstructing the Fat Fuck From Flint is sitting at #8 #5. A few days ago when it first came out, it was at #20.

Did you even know that someone wrote a book about Moore? Now you do.

Why the Military doesn't trust the Media

Maybe it's because the Media doesn't have a f**cking clue about the military? Hmmmmmm?

WASHINGTON Â? As many as 7,500 retired and discharged soldiers who are not members of the National Guard or Reserve will be involuntarily recalled to active duty for possible service in Iraq or Afghanistan, Army sources told FOX News Tuesday.

(.....)

It will be the first time the Army has relied on the Individual Ready Reserve, as this category of reservists is known, in substantial numbers since the 1991 Gulf War.

And this is from Fox News, supposedly the bastion (if you listen to the moonbats) of conservative press.

Let's clear this up right now. Individual Ready Reserve, also known as Inactive Reserve, IS NOT RETIRED OR DISCHARGED TROOPS! Every initial enlistment is for EIGHT YEARS. You can serve anywhere from two years active to eight years active, but you must serve EIGHT YEARS. If you choose to serve less than eight years on active duty, your enlistment continues, either in the National Guard or Active Reserve (which is entirely voluntary) or in the INACTIVE READY RESERVE. Just because you are not on active duty does not mean that your enlistment is finished, you are simply inactive. If PFC Snuffy gets out of active duty in four years, he does not receivee his discharge papers until the entire enlistment is completed. It will come in the mail in four more years. Does everybody understand this now?

You don't drill. You don't train. You don't wear a uniform. All it means is that should the military need troops, you will get called. That's the entire function of the IRR. It does not apply to retirees, or any military service member who has already completed their eight years of service. If you do ten years in the Army, and then get out of the service, you are NOT on the IRR because you've already finished the initial eight years. Any voluntary extentions after those eight years to not tack any more time onto the IRR. That eight years is set in stone, and once you complete it, you're finished with it.

Anyone familiar with the military knows this. Anyone with a compter, internet connection, and fifteen seconds of free time can find this information. So what does it say when the Media gets a simple fact about the military such as this completely and utterly wrong?

It proves that the Media doesn't know jack shit about the military, and doesn't care to learn anything about it. THAT is why the military distrusts the media. And they have a damn good reason for it.

Hat tip to Blackfive.

UPDATE: Via Instapundit comes yet another reason why the Military is begining to loath the Media.

Don't take my word for it that the Post’s reporting is substandard and superficial. Take the word of Philip Bennett, the Post's assistant managing editor for foreign news. In a surprisingly candid June 6 piece, he admits that "the threat of violence has distanced us from Iraqis." Further, "we have relied on Iraqi stringers filing by telephone to our correspondents in Baghdad, and on embedding with the military. The stringers are not professional journalists, and their reports are heavy on the simplest direct observation." Translation: we are reprinting things from people we barely know, from a safe location dozens of miles away from the fighting. (emphasis mine)

(.....)

Since I saw Rajiv Chandrasekaran's integrity up close, I haven't believed a word he writes, or any story coming out of the bureau he runs. You shouldn't, either.

And it begins.....

Someone needs to clue Michael Moore on to the fact that people today like to fact-check.

Fahrenheit Facts.

Fahrenheit Fact is a joint presentation between Curtis Schweitzer, blogger of a_sdf and Grant Libby, blogger of RecoveringCynic. Here we attempt to bring to light those "other" facts about Michael Moore's new film "Fahrenheit 9/11". This is not an opinion blog- it is a fact one. We make sure to source every post, and will either cite or link to the source of the provided fact. It is our desire to see a well-armed populous that is ready to evaluate the film from an informed perspective.

They're at 15 and counting.

Thank you, gentlemen!

To Our Commenter Michael

Cap'n Jim from Smoke On The Water wanted to leave a comment for you in this thread, but Haloscan's 1k character limit prevented him. So he emailed me the entire thing and asked if I could put it up. It's not just a comment to you, it's one of the best rebuttles to Moore's assertions that I've seen. If you would like to respond, you can email him or email me and I'll pass it on to him.

Without further ado, Cap'n Jim:

Michael, it's evident from your comments that you've most likely never held a position of real power.

I've been both a police officer and have worked at the executive level as a Divisional Director, reporting personally to the President of a Fortune 1000 corporation.

In both capacities, I've been faced with various crisis. As a cop, I've had to take very immediate action, but I've also had to effect carefully considered responses, based on my observation of both circumstances present before me and the need to consider how those circumstances develop, in order to decide on the best course of action.

As an executive, I've often had to await the reports of subordinates who themselves were having to gather facts from various departments and individuals. I don't mean just planning for the next budget meeting either. Try having a $5 million department under you, when you're out of town at a meeting, and one of your subordinates reports having been raped on your company property. Then tell me how I was supposed to "leap into
action" again?

As the leader of that Division, it would have been grossly irresponsible for me to have interfered with the specialists who were already hard at work on the problem. My job was to ensure that they did theirs, not to do it for them.

I did exactly what President Bush did. Knowing that various people were doing their job, I monitored the situation simply to ensure that the correct processes had been set into motion.

And when those people asked me for input at certain decision points along the way, I got their suggestions first, unfiltered by my having interjected my opinions into their processes. I didn't always implement their ideas, but I always made sure I knew what they thought the options were.

And on more than one instance, they had the better ideas.

An effective executive most often decides from several options either already known to, or presented to him. Most executives don't personally invent those options, but they're generally pretty damned good at putting the right ones into motion.

Most frequently too, a strong executive wants to first ensure that he's got all of the relevant facts first, before taking hasty action.

And if you don't grasp the difference between "react" and "respond", well then, enjoy your burger flipping career.

At times, patience and well-considered action is the epitome of leadership.

In the end, it's the results that count, far more than any Hollywood show of heroics.

And results damn sure count for more than making a Hollywood showing of throwing someone else's medals over the White House fence.

Insofar as international terrorism and in dealing with the nations which support it, I find that President Bush is getting excellent results.


Jim
Sloop New Dawn
Galveston, TX

PS. And Michael Moore really is less useful than a used MaxiPad.

What did you call me?

With all the calls of "NAZI!" being flung by the Left, I started to wonder if any Leftists really knew what a Nazi was. I wondered if they actually knew what the Nazi's did, or how people under Nazi rule suffered.

Mere words barely describe the horror of Nazi rule, to be honest. But here are the words of someone who lived through it.

"By then I was 14, I witnessed all kinds of murders, hangings, and beatings," said Meyer. "It was bad; three times a week they came in and got dead people and carried them outside of the camp where they dumped them in a big pit. Then they threw lime on them to disintegrate their bodies.

"It was in that process where I thought I had my only chance to escape," said Meyer. "When a guard wasn't looking, I crawled into one of the barrels with dead people and pretended to be dead. They hauled me out and threw me into the pit. That night, before they threw lime in the pit, I crawled out from under dead bodies and escaped into the countryside."

This man's father lived through it. This is what you equate me to when you call me a Nazi. And this is why I will stomp your ass into a bloody pulp if you ever call me a Nazi to my face. If you are so ignorant, stupid, willfully blind, moronic, fuckwitted, and asshatted enough to think that people on the Right are Nazis, then you're too fucking stupid to bother with. The only thing I will do to you is put you into a serious world of hurt if given the chance. I will not debate you. I will not try to make you "see the light". By your reference to Nazis and Hitler you have shown yourself to be incapable of either rational argument or coherent thought. The only thing you are good for is a punching bag, either verbal or physical, depending on how close to me you are when you spew your crap.

Al Gore can go fuck himself. He's off his Thorozine again, and it shows. Do you want to know why the Democrats are fucked? Because when Al Gore calls people like me "Digital Brown Shirts", a good amount of Democrats take him seriously. When MoveOn.org creates ad ad that morphs President Bush into Hitler, a good number of Democrats take them seriously. When the brain-dead, drug-addled, worthless fucking parasitic moonbats carry posters and signs that call Bush and his administration a bunch of Nazis, they are equating this administration to a fascist regime that caused the brutal death of millions and the suffering of millions more.

In the Left's desperate attempts to find any mud, no matter how vile, to fling at Bush, they have dredged up comparisons that should have never seen the light of day. In their efforts to hurl insults, no matter how foul, they have smeared a huge segment of Americans. In their smug, shit-throwing idiocy the Left have proven once again that they have no grasp of historical events and even less understanding of how they relate to current events.

And I have had enough. More than enough. I have met my limit of bullshit. I have been inundated with "Bush=Hitler" crap in Seattle for too damn long, and I will no longer sit idly by, gritting my teeth, and trying to remain civil. It is long past time to simply say "No more". Comments calling me or President Bush a Nazi will be deleted. If people want to debate, fine. Let's debate. Let's argue. You can call me just about anything you want, but the first time I see the word "Nazi" that sucker is gone.

In Seattle, I'm going to be more aggressive in confronting the brain-dead who equate America to Nazi Germany. I'm going to debate them, loudly and in public. I will demand to see the gas chambers, and the concentration camps. I will demand to see the nine million dead, the mass graves, and the ovens used to burn the victims. And when the brain-dead will stutter and try to change the subject, I will tell them exactly where to go and how to get there.

And I'm asking you to join me.

Stop allowing the brain dead to spread their crap. Argue with them, as publicly as possible. Don't just sit and allow these insults to fly around unimpeded. Because I've had enough. And I hope you have as well.

Michael Moore caught lying yet again.

It never stops, does it? That fat sack of crap couldn't tell the truth if his life depended on it.

The Smoking Gun reveals that Michael Moore is registered to vote in two states: New York and Michigan.

Although he has claimed to be an "independent” and not a Democrat, records from the New York City Board of Elections show that in reality he registered as a Democrat, the Web site reported.

"Now here's the good part: Moore is simultaneously registered to vote in Michigan, where registrants aren't even given the option of party affiliation (so he's not an Independent there either)."

And there's more: "as a New York City voter, TSG can tell you it's hard not to realize you are registered, since a voter's mailbox is regularly bombarded with candidate mail, official voter guides, and Board of Election notices about upcoming elections and reminders about the location of your polling place."

If the man (and I use that term loosely) can't even tell the truth about HIMSELF, how in blue blazes can you expect him to tell the truth about anything else?

Via Sondra K.

Heh

I half expected to see Mike Moore's picture here.

Lileks

A must read lies at the end of this.