Libertarian Chicks Rock!
I had a blast at ICON 30 it was a welcome break from my normal routine, mentally refreshing, physically? Well that was different. I had to get up when I usually go to sleep and then I had a tendency to stay up to the wee hours of the morning.

So physically draining, yes but there were compensations. Some of them came as a great surprise.

When I first started blogging I expected certain consequences. Intellectual debate, with the possibility that it might extend to ad hominen attacks and character assassination.

There were some results I hoped for. Consensual approval and the respect of my peers. I will admit while I had hopes in time to climb in the blog ratings by due diligence and hard work I did not realize it would happen this quickly and for that I am grateful to ALL my readers and linkers.

There was ONE consequence which came to light at the Con that I had no, repeat NO idea whatsoever that such a thing would occur.

That was beautiful young women asking me if they could hug me because they LIKE what I write in my blog.

Rock Stars have groupies, I am lost here, someone help me out is there a name for this phenomena for bloggers?

In any event, if a foxy looking Libertarian Chick feels inspired by what I write or say about what I write to give a hug, it is not necessary to ask me for permission.

Actually permission would only be required if I happen to be with my girlfriend, and then it is still not necessary to ask ME for permission.

Tanya? Yeah that would be a good Idea. I am not certain about the answer. Who can read the Future?
I do have a first order approximation.

But ZAICHECK I am just trying to mold young minds.

DAH, Dan and when with me, minds are ONLY thing you get to mold!

She is not really very understanding on these matters, but this weekend she was about 6000 miles away, so there was no difficulties.

This girl was not only intellectual perceptive, but she had artistic talents as well.

About right now, some may be thinking I got a hug
because I bought a painting from her.

Not so, oh ye of little faith, I got that painting
the next day at a charity auction so THERE!

Over the next few days after I recoup and get caught up at work I plan a few articles on some topics that came up over the weekend.

I got hit with some sound bites from the other side. I need to formate a response. One with more intellectual foundation, than you are wrong or you are lying.

For instance a few of us were sitting around and it turned out that all at the table were either in the Navy, had been in the Navy or had grown up on Navy bases so the subject of Clinton gutting the military came up.

From another table came the assertion that Clinton had initiated the largest increase in Defense Spending in History.

That was a surprise to me. My perceptions have been he gutted the Navy by reducing the Fleet about 40% and Carrier Battle Groups from 13 to 9.

So I need to do some research. Touch all the bases.
So far it does appear that he indeed did initiate the largest increase in Defense Spending in History, some 112 Billion dollars.

That was after gutting the military budget by, on the order of 50 Billion dollars a year for the previous 5 to 6 years AND since he instituted this policy in 1999 and it was to be spread out over 6 years, most of the increases in Budget expenses occurred on another President's watch Bush's to be exact.

All of that is just top of the head, recital. I need to get the sources and links together, but you do have to admit it was rather clever.

Gut the Defense Budget by over 6 years maybe 200 to 300 Billion then increase it over 6 years by 100 or so Billion and get credit for the largest increase in Defense Spending in History but make someone who comes after you do all the work scrapping up the money? Nice touch.

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Sci-Fi Sabbatical
Hi Folks along with this meager contribution to the Meme Wars, in the Fight against Jihadist and Totalitarian
Assault on the Free West, I also contribute in another more tangible manner.

I work on avionics for Government Contracts, mostly military and mostly for helicopters of specific types.

Now that is probably more effective in the struggle than any scribbling I have done here, but since the end of June I have had two whole days off and tomorrow and this weekend I am going for some R&R.

ICON 30 to be exact.


A Sneak Peak at the Fun to Come!
Filed under:

* Programming

? Mark McKibben @ 6:52 am on August 15, 2005
PROGRAMMING AT ICON 30: A Sneak Peak at the Fun to Come!

(In no particular order?)

Firefly/Serenity: A new life
A look at the series, the movie, and the phenomenon

Wild About Harry
A discussion of our favorite wizard just for kids

Hogwarts: A History
A discussion of the history, mythology and future of JK Rowling?s amazing series focused for adults

Bulwer Lytton: SF Style
Try your hand at creating the WORST opening sentence in SF and F history.

Vogon Poetry Contest
The Vogons are infamous for their bad poetry (The 3rd worst in the Galaxy). You can beat that. You know you can.

Writing for the Silver Screen
A Q&A on the Basics and Business of Screenwriting

Learning from Disaster
Over the years, airlines have become so safe that often a year will go by with not fatalities on any scheduled flight world wide. One reason for this is that crashes are systematically examined to find and eliminate the causes. This panel will discuss several aviation disasters, their causes, and how engineer practices or flight training have been revised to prevent recurrence.

Starfleet Knots
Judging from what we?ve seen on Star Trek, a basic knowledge of knots will continue to be useful into the 24th century, both for away missions and ship board emergencies. This workshop will demonstrate and teach basic knots used by modern fire-rescue services. Participants will get hands on experience with joining ropes together, forming loops, and securing ropes to anchorages.
(more?)
Jael
Filed under:

* Guests

? Dan Wojcik @ 3:34 pm on August 9, 2005

Science Fiction and Fantasy artist Jael will be attending ICON this year as our Artist Guest of Honor.
*****************************************************
Anyone in the Cedar Rapids/Iowas City or elsewhere are come on down, I registered as a "BENEFACTOR" so just ask one of the volunteer to point out Kentuckydan and tell them of my status, I won't be hard to find.

Now I KNOW one of my internet buddies will be green with envy at some of the things I am going to get to do, because he proudly states on his website

Father, husband, Desert Storm veteran, privacy & security officer, sci-fi & Linux fan, geek, classic liberal. Want to know what all that means?

No doubt about it Sci-Fi is considered by him to be one of his defining traits, but This dude is going to have the privilege of having Brunch with----
T'PRING!

Eat your heart out Eric Grumbles!

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I Made it--Again

I wish to thank EVERYONE who has read my page, linked to me and given me encouragement over the last 4 months I am going to sleep a Large Mammal as you can see above.

I decided that when I evolved out of Marauding Marsupials, since I had a choice I felt like being a Mammoth Large Mammal.

NOW if I am a Mammoth, this must be the Pliocene if I can just find the progenitor of Equus asinus and stomp on it, I can eliminate my competition a few million years before they evolve!

AHA Hipparion now with a careful and precise stomp
in a future era a certain Party will have to find a new symbol.!

So thanks again EVERYONE who has helped make this achievement possible, I figured I better post this before I went to sleep.

The Last time I waited until after I slept and woke back up a Marsupial.

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The Piggy Bank Jihad
First it was Piglet and the very best presentation has been of course Cox & Forkum's

Perils Before Swine

But just wait a minute. Dogs are even more
impure are they not?

First Piglet Then Lassie?????????

Dogs are also considered ritually impure by Muslims. In fact, according to this ruling, it's easier to remove the ritual impurity associated with pigs than that associated with dogs.


"With regard to how to cleanse oneself of pig-related impurity, some scholars are of the view that it should be washed seven times, one of which should be with earth, by analogy with dogs.

But the correct view is that pig-related impurity should be washed only once.

On further reflection is it not true.

It's Not Just Piglet and Lassie
It's us too!

84. The following ten things are originally impure:
(i) Urine (ii) Faeces (iii) Semen (iv) Dead body (v) Blood
(vi) Dog (vii) Pig (viii) Infidel
(ix) Wine (x) Barley wine (Beer)

Now it appears Banks are discontinuing handing out piggy banks?

That does not make sense. Usury is FORBIDDEN in Islam.

Interest: The Way to Inevitable Ruin

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Believers do not gorge yourselves on interest, multiplying (your money) again and again. Have fear of Allah, so that you may prosper. Guard yourselves against the fire which has been prepared for the disbelievers; and obey Allah and the messenger, that you may be graced with mercy. (The House of Imran, "Aal Imran": 3;130 -132)


Commentary by Sayyid Qutb
Translation: A. A. Salahi and S. A. Shamsi


So what is someone doing in a Bank to be offended by a piggybank if just being there is a violation of their beliefs.

I think we are having our chains jerked and there are enough idiots to fall for it.

Or should we just resign ourselves to dhimmitude?

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Make Me An Offer?

My blog is worth $57,018.54.
How much is your blog worth?

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The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test
Mood:  cheeky

You Are Internal - Realist - Powerful

You feel your life is controlled internally. If you want something, you make it happen. You don't wait around for things to go your way. You value your independence and don't like others to have control. You are a realist when it comes to luck. You don't attribute everything to luck, but you do know some things are random. You don't beat yourself up when bad things happen to you... But you do your best to try to make your own luck. When it comes to who's in charge, it's you. Life is a kingdom, and you're the grand ruler. You don't care much about what others think. But they better care what you think!

It would be interesting to see how those who label themselves Libertarian do on this test. For fun only it is not extensive enough for a real determination, but might evoke some chuckles.

I rather think my results indicate some obstinate libertarian leanings. ;-)

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The De Paul Brand
Supression of Freedom of Expression is DePaul's newest "Brand"?


I found this tonight on Powerline,


DePaul Invites Churchill, Suppresses Republicans

DePaul University in Chicago has invited Ward Churchill to its campus to speak on--of all things--human rights. The college's Republicans have tried to mobilize opposition to Churchill's visit, but have been blocked by the college's administration. Amazingly, the Republicans were denied the right to post flyers criticizing Churchill's visit on the ground that the flyers were "propaganda"!

Filmmaker Andrew Marcus has set up a terrific web site to follow the controversy, called Mental Ward. The site contains a wealth of information, including a video interview with the President of DePaul's Republicans. This is a great example of a single-purpose web site


Part of my reaction is prompted by the fact that De Paul has an alumni who is a modern day American Hero.

DePaul Alum Todd Beamer-Does Ward Churchill think Todd was a "Little Eichmann?"

Marathon Pundit ^ | October 7, 2005 | Marathon Pundit


Posted on 10/07/2005 9:03:20 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John


Heroic Todd Beamer was not in the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. But he led the famous "Let's Roll" charge into the cockpit of Flight 93, which crashed that same day in Pennsylvania after being hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists.

He was a DePaul grad, earning his MBA from the Chicago school in 1993.


So, does October 20 and 21 DePaul speaker Churchill think Todd was a "Little Eichmann?"

Now Andrew Marcus does have some excellent contact addresses on his website, but before I went to there I had already found the department of De Paul to which I wanted to send a letter expressing my own emotions.

The De Paul Brand

Why "brand" DePaul?


In an environment filled with so many higher education options and alternatives, the benefits of articulating a consistent, clear message of DePaul's unique advantages are apparent. Our key audiences need to be able to understand quickly and clearly who DePaul is and what the university can offer them.


To me the message is quite clear, Politically Correct Dogma will be defended by the Inquisition against heretical views. Free Speech does not include the right to shout Bigot and Fraud at a Bigot and Fraud.

INNOVATIVE: DePaul is never content with the status quo. DePaul's educational tradition is marked by innovation, by creativity and by a persistent pursuit of novel solutions to meet the educational needs of the marketplace and society.

Have Torches and Pitchforks Will Travel We Burn Neo-Con Books too?

DIVERSE: DePaul provides access for all to higher education, regardless of

class, race, ethnicity or economic barriers.

The DePaul community is a welcoming one, marked by its inclusivity, diversity and openness to a wide range of students, faculty and staff.


BUT NOT CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS

notice how that does not appear in the regardless of statement above?

RISK-TAKING: DePaul dares to take a chance. Historically, the university has stepped outside tradition and beyond conservative approaches, consistently demonstrating an adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit.

Well they are honest, no conservatives need apply, wonder how they jive entrepreneurial spirit with Socialist Rhetoric?


VALUES: DePaul's mission is visible to all. Its education is grounded in values of personalism, holistic education and the commitment to creating opportunities for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised in society.

Those they deem advantaged and enfranchised better not try to step outside their place if they forget this little rule they will be reminded.

Why do we need brand guidelines?

A brand is only as strong as the consistency of the communications materials that convey it. Messages that deviate from the brand essence will be confusing to the audience. They will weaken or muddy the brand. (Imagine if Nike didn’t dictate how its advertisers and sponsors used the official "swoosh" logo.)



There you have it folks obviously the message of the Republican Club deviates from the brand essence is not consistent with the Brand Image De Paul wishes to disseminate.

Who needs these guidelines?

Everyone responsible for the creation or implementation of new communications materials—brochures, print ads, signage, electronic messages or others—needs the information on this site. If you have further questions about these guidelines, please contact:

Assistant Vice President
Marketing Communications
312-362-6961
gfriend@depaul.edu

Director
Enrollment Communications
312-362-5503
jdeshaze@depaul.edu



Can we say Intellectual Censorship?

So I sent this department this letter.

Suppression of Freedom of Expression is your newest "Brand"?

There was a time that center's of higher learning were considered without
thought or question to be bastions of freedom of speech and expression.

It now appears that you differentiate some versions of speech and expression
as "propaganda" and ban them?

What books are you planning to burn in the future?

To think that the institute of higher learning attended by such heros
as Todd Beamer could sink so low, could forget meaning of Freedom and Liberty.

Could ban dissent in opposition to someone who called those like your famous
alumni "Little Eichmann's".

Perhaps you have no shame, then I hope you enjoy the newest Brand you have
donned.

I am trying to decide what an appropriate symbol for De Paul's new brand would be, should it include images of Fascists burning books or Inquisitors burning heretics?

Anyone have some ideas? Put them in the comments or an URL to a design.

I was thinking of something like this

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The Devil is Banned in Georgia?
Hat tip Tongue Tied in Speaking of the Devil
A high school marching band has been forbidden from playing a Charlie Daniels song at an upcoming bowl game because of fears that it might cross the line between church and state, according to the Washington Post.
The band at C.D. Hylton High School in Prince Williams County wanted to play Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" during an upcoming appearance at the Peach Bowl.

A local resident, however, complained in a letter to the Potomac News, that a song about the devil was an inappropriate insertion of faith into the repertoire of a public school band. The band's director, Dennis Brown, pulled the song from the playlist.



A first reaction might be "Oh No, another Halloween is Evil protest by someone with more religion than sens>" and if that is your reaction you would be WRONG.


"local newspaper, the Potomac News, published a letter by a Woodbridge resident who, after having seen the C.D. Hylton Bulldawg Marching Band perform the country-western hit at a football game, wondered how a song about the devil could be played at school events, because of the separation of church and state.

Separation of Church and STATE? Someone please wake me up? I don't need legal and Constitutional protection from Laws respecting the Establishment of Satanism. Besides it turns out the idiot who wrote the letter in the first place is NOT offended or threatened by the word Devil in a song after all.

As for that nettlesome letter writer, Robert McLean? The defense contractor, whose children are home-schooled, said he went to Hylton's football game just because he enjoys the sport. His letter, he said, was meant to start a philosophical debate, not to wreck any student's marching band experience. Besides, he said, he loves "Devil."

"It was one of the first 45s I had as a kid," he said.

Hey McLean? Why don't you, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT from now on?

But he is not the real problem. It is people like

Hylton's longtime band director, Dennis Brown, pulled the song from the playlist. "I was just being protective of my students. I didn't want any negative publicity for C.D. Hylton High School," he said.

and the result of placating idiocy?



But Brown's strategy backfired. The decision has created a furor, and even Charlie Daniels has weighed in.

We just don't have enough Ragin Cajun General Honores to go around do we? Instead of junking the work of months by the band by banning a Charlie Daniel's song in GEORGIA for Pete's Sake, A simple "Don't get Stuck on Stupid" was all that was needed.

But we are overrun these days with the "Random Fluctuations of an Indeterminate Universe Forbid".
(might get visited by the Politically Correct Inquisition if I use God Forbid) ANYONE EVER gets offended, except for the large majority of everyday citizens, we don't count.

That is why we have the insanity of the Seminoles being forced to change their name. Is the Seminole Indian Nation offended by their name being used by an athletic team? No THEY like it but they SHOULD be offended so the PC Inquisitor is taking steps to remedy this injustice.

Oh this hypersensitivity is by no means recent. Some of us remember the Cold War, like the present, America was commonly called every name in the book, but man if we said ANYTHING about the Soviets there was a firestorm of recriminations, we might offend them you see, it was not diplomatic you see.

Odd thing was no one else felt like being diplomatic, they still don't. For instance ex-Chancellor Schroeder as part of his farewell uttered these immortal words,

"I do not want to name any catastrophes where you can see what happens if organized state action is absent. I could name countries, but the position I still hold forbids it, but everyone knows I mean America"

And how did our President respond to this occasion?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush called outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder "to thank him for his service" on Thursday, a day after the German leader criticized the United States, the White House said.

"While the two leaders had differences at times on policy, the president said that he enjoyed working with Chancellor Schroeder," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"The president expressed his and Mrs. Bush's best wishes to Chancellor and Mrs. Schroeder as he prepares to leave office."

Now I suppose a case could be made about whether President Bush was sincere or not, but it is in keeping with the American hesitance to "kick a man when he is down" , unlike some European's tendency to try to trip someone so they can kick them when they are down.

We need as a Society to forget trying to be diplomatic when the other side is just looking for excuses to be offended.

We need more Reagans on the local, national and international levels.

Like I said before in those days American and America was called every name in the book and some invented on the spot that went into the new books and we were just supposed to "take it" and react in a Civilized manner.

And then came Reagan.

And he got up looked them right back in the eye and said they were.

The Evil Empire


And the talking heads gave a collective gasp of HORROR!

And me? I said RIGHT ON! there was FINALLY someone sticking up for US and it was about time!

So while in the Case of The Devil Came Down to Georgia, I think that idiot McLean should have kept his blamed mouth shut if he did not really care about the song, the real culprit is this

gasp someone might be offended freeze everyone into immobility! reaction.

We need some folks with the backbone to say.

"Don't like that song? Bring earplugs."

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Toledo Riot
The riot broke out Saturday when protesters confronted members of a group calling itself "America's Nazi Party," who had gathered at a city park. Members of the group didn't stick around long.

But rioters threw baseball-sized rocks at police, vandalized vehicles and stores, and set fire to a neighborhood bar, authorities said. More than 100 people were arrested and one officer was seriously injured.

Anyone else lock onto what jumped out at me?


First let me state for the record that I think Neo-Nazis are scum. It's that simple.

That said, marchers travel on foot?

The news says. , "vandalized vehicles and stores, and set fire to a neighborhood bar"--"this rally had taken place at a neutral site or in a downtown courthouse square," Navarre said, "I don't think we would have had the problems that we did. But because the rally occurred in a neighborhood that is really what the neighbor residents and the gang members took great exception to.

He said there hasn't been a problem in the neighborhood since the four-hour disturbance.

"And it was really confined to one small geographical area,"

Say what? They flipped out over the Neo-Nazis marching through their neighborhood so they-- trashed some local cars, stores and set fire to a local bar?

While--" Members of the group didn't stick around long"

Oh that is really great, The Neo-Nazis don't have to get their hands dirty.

All they have to do, is march into a neighborhood arouse the locals and then let the people who LIVE there tear the place up, while they leave.

Really brilliant.

Hard to decide who is more disgusting.


Most of the violence happened when residents, who had pelted the Nazi marchers with bottles and rocks, took out their anger on police, said Brian Jagodzinski, chief news photographer for CNN affiliate WTVG.

Video showed crowds at around 2:25 p.m. using bats to bring down a wooden fence as looters broke into a small grocery store.

"The crowd was very ... extremely agitated at the police ... for doing this [making arrests in] the community when they should be doing this to the Nazis," Jagodzinski said.

Around 3 p.m., crowds of young men pelted the outside of a two-story residence with rocks, smashed out the windows with wooden crates, ran inside and threw out the furniture and lamps from the upper-level windows to the sidewalk below. No police were on the scene.

About 10 minutes later, the building's second story was in flames as a crowd of people watched.


Turns out the Neo-Nazis were not the only outsiders who turned up.

"About 20 members from both the International Socialists Organization and One People's Project showed up, and some handed eggs to African-American residents to throw at the Nazi marchers, White said."

Let us revisit one statement a second time.

"The crowd was very ... extremely agitated at the police ... for doing this [making arrests in] the community when they should be doing this to the Nazis," Jagodzinski said.

WELL? When the violence broke out, the Nazi marchers returned to their headquarters and who was it again, looting stores, setting fire to residences?

White separatist demonstration ends in violence, arrests

Just about everybody in the Polish Village neighborhood on the north side of Toledo knows the owner of Jim & Lou's Sportsman Club simply as Uncle Lou.

For 54 years, Louis Ratajski ran the pub that was a political hot spot for most budding politicians mulling a run for city office.

He planned to open Saturday afternoon so patrons could watch the Notre Dame football game.

Instead, he watched on television at his nephew's house a few miles away from the bar, where he lived, as a gang-fueled mob, sparked by the presence of a white supremacist group, looted and burned his beloved bar early Saturday afternoon after hundreds of people rioted, forcing the mayor to declare a state of emergency.

"It was just a plain little place, no frills," Ratajski, 86, said Sunday while his nephews and other family members picked through charred wood and carried out anything left after the blaze. "It will sink in later. The customers were more devastated."

Residents of north Toledo were trying to return to normal Sunday, but the destruction left by Saturday's riot was obvious -- from the boarded-up windows at a convenience mart to the extra police cars patrolling the streets.
Cox and Forkum has turned their usual genius to this event in Synergetic Racism

There really is not anything new here, for during the Watts Riot of 1992

Although rioters deliberately smashed and plundered Korean-owned businesses and spared some that said "black owner," many a black man's business was torched for the fun of seeing things burn. A building owned by a 10-year-old service organization called 100 Black Men was reduced to ashes. The Aquarian, which had just celebrated its 50th year, making it the oldest continuously operated black book store in the country, went up in flames. So did Broadway Federal Savings, a bank that had been owned and operated by three generations of the same black family. The blaze that gutted the bank also destroyed the office of Maxine Waters, a black congressional representative. The African Refugee Center and the Ethiopian Community Center were also put to the torch, [Edward Boyer, Black-owned businesses pay a heavy price, Los Angeles Times, May 8, 1992, p. A1.] as were two branches of the Los Angeles public library. [Amy Wallace, Mobs spared most of city's cultural centers during rampage, Los Angeles Times, May 5, 1992, p. B3.]

One would have to say that in the '92 Watts Riot of all the Black owned landmarks that were destroyed the
burning of the Broadway Federal Savings was the most tragic. For generations the only institution willing to loan money to members of that community gone, gone not as a protest of injustice, not as a reaction to police brutality, but merely an example of mindless wanton destruction.
That is not Social Protest not Politcal Action, just gangs, pillaging and plundering.

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Posted by ky/kentuckydan at 9:47 AM CDT
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Updated: Monday, 17 October 2005 11:21 AM CDT