Category: Uncategorized

I’ve got news for John Cole: it’s years and years too late. What? Exhume the corpse of conservatism and proclaim it dead?

John Cole breathless ly asks in the aftermath of our congresscritters’ involvement in the Terri Schiavo situation, “How far will they go to kill conservatism?” Newsflash, John: they’re just beating a dead horse.

I’ve watched so-called conservatives (and even more sneaky, disingenuous, fake “Liberals” and damned lying bastard “Moderates”) for years and can say unequivocally that the remaining members of ANY species of genuinely conservative, liberal or moderate politicians amounts to just about enough to fill a one-stall public toilet. Almost.

The substantive difference between Republicans and Democrats? The Democrats are determined to run the country off a precipice at 90mph. The republicans are aimed at the same cliff, just poking along at a relatively sedate 70mph (used to be about 45-50mph, but they’re picking up steam).

Or, as a 19th Century Reformed theologian said, in speaking of social conservatives and liberals,

“American conservatism is merely the shadow that follows Radicalism as it moves forward towards perdition…It is worthless because it is the conservatism of expediency only, and not of sturdy principle.” –R. L. Dabney

Sometimes no news is NOT good news…

It’s not news to anyone who generally registers 98.6 (leaving out HUGE swaths of Democratic “voters”), but a report issued March 21, 2005 by The American Center for Voting Rights about vote fraud in Ohio points the finger at… Democratic party-aligned third party groups.

Duh.

“Third party organizations, especially ACT, ACORN and NAACP engaged in a coordinated “Get Out the Vote” effort. A significant component of this effort appears to be registering individuals who would cast ballots for the candidate supported by these organizations. This voter registration effort was not limited to the registration of legal voters but, criminal investigations and news reports suggest, that this voter registration effort also involved the registration of thousands of fictional voters such as the now infamous Jive F. Turkey, Sr., Dick Tracy and Mary Poppins. Those individuals registering these fictional voters were reportedly paid not just money to do so but were, in at least one instance, paid in crack cocaine.” “Third party organizations, especially ACT, ACORN and NAACP engaged in a coordinated “Get Out the Vote” effort. A significant component of this effort appears to be registering individuals who would cast ballots for the candidate supported by these organizations. This voter registration effort was not limited to the registration of legal voters but, criminal investigations and news reports suggest, that this voter registration effort also involved the registration of thousands of fictional voters such as the now infamous Jive F. Turkey, Sr., Dick Tracy and Mary Poppins. Those individuals registering these fictional voters were reportedly paid not just money to do so but were, in at least one instance, paid in crack cocaine.

Move along folks. Nothing to see here…

h.t. Ankle Biting Pundits.

But do I deserve so high a ranking?

OK, it’s just a number one ranking (for now) in a google search some visitor to my site made on the phrase, “Boudicca battle cry truth against the world.” That google search turned up this post: “Public (and other) Servants: Words that lie”

Ought google to have returned my post in the number 1 spot? Well, since you’ve yet to read that post (taps foot impatiently), you’re not yet qualified to answer that question, now are you?

🙂

But seriously. I didn’t mention “Boudicca” in that post at all…

*heh*

“…he always claims it is his duty.”

“TSA stops troops from invading SFO Airport”

See: “Sigh”

and

This Article

Does anyone with more than two working brain cells think that the purpose of the Thousands Standing Around (otherwise known as TSA) is anything other than a full employment effort for idiots, goons, poltroons, bullies and other recent typical products of our government schools? Surely no thinking person believes the TSA has anything serious to do with making air travel safer? (Unless—now here’s a thought!—the Thousands Standing Around are merely a huge distraction camoflaging some other real security effort. Nah. Fails the feeb government stupidity and mandatory mismanagement tests. But it was an intriguing thought… )

Oh, h.t. to Robbie Walker, posting at Jerry Pournelle’s Chaos Manor mail page.

Something to put on the bumper of your Ford Escape:

From “Bigwig” at Silflay Hraka* this lil gem:

Makes me wanna buy an SUV just to chap the gizzards of some baby enviro-nazis.

*From Silflay Hraka

“Silflay Hraka is an rabbit epithet from the Richard Adam’s novel, Watership Down. You can look up the meaning here (link via Daily Pundit). It was the first naughty phrase I ever learned in a different language, as Tolkien hadn’t seen fit to have Gimli spew out a few dwarvish “elven goatlovers” in Lothlorien.”

Contemporary demonstration of the Framers’ intent

Kim du Toit comments on (and links to) the recent story about a neighborhood in Iraq that defended itself against a terrorist attack in “Militia-Style Defense.”

“This is precisely why we need to go back to being a Nation of Riflemen.

The police cannot be everywhere all the time; the bad guys know it; and ultimately, if you can’t protect yourself, you hand over the decision of life and death to another.”

I kinda liked Robert Heinlein’s future America where every adult was required to wear a loaded sidearm… (minor restrictions and exclusions allowed–with difficulty approaching those of getting a CCW permit in New york or the Duchy of Chicago today) Can you say, “polite society”?

My only quibble with Kim’s site is that he focuses too much on being a “Nation of Riflemen” when handguns would be so much… handier for most city folk… And even though I live in America’s Third World Countyâ„¢ I realize that many do not live in rural settings where carrying a rifle around is handy.

in the case of the (attempted?) murder of Terri Schiavo…

Although Dale Franks at QandO Blog doesn’t frame his comments as regarding (attempted) murder of Terri Schiavo (that’s my frame of reference), Dale’s comments are nevertheless piercing:

“Unfortunately, Ms. Schiavo didn’t butcher a carload of tourists with a hatchet, so we can apparently just let her die, and make her whole case moot. I mean, irrespective of whether or not you believe Congress exercised its authority inappropriately in this case by ordering the de novo review, the clear intent of Congress was to spare Ms. Schiavo’s life through mandating another round of review. Too bad they couldn’t find a way to make that explicit in the text of the act. Apparently, the judiciary is coming over all originalist now, and deciding that, if it’s not in the text of the act, it isn’t required. “

Of course. Typical of an increasingly activist, imperial and capricious judiciary. Anything that honored the intent of Congress in this matter would decrease the power of the imperial court system. And those who support the imperial courts are generally also those who protest the death penalty and are only opposed to the death penalty for monsters. They approve the death penalty for helpless, but inconvenient, humans who’ve committed no crime.

This is all too convoluted and inbred for me. I’m almost ready to start shouting “Power to the people! Shackle (or hang?) the judges!”

Yes, Congress was wrong to butcher federal principles yet again on the block of expediancy. But the legislature and administration of Florida (are you listening, Jeb?) were also wrong in the way they have allowed judges to become little emperors in their State in the last few years. Florida law allows for the prosecution of those who torture people who are in their care. Jeb ought to order the arrest of the judge in the Schiavo case and vacate his order by the simple expedient of taking her into protective custody. Force a (state) constitutional crisis in Florida. he’d likely win against an imperial judiciary if the legislature had the balls to take down a few judges who’ve gotten too big for their britches.

Then, GW could follow that tack in D.C… maybe. If he had the balls for it. There are at least five Supreme Idiots who ought to be impeached and removed, right now, for failure to uphold the Constitution.

Dinah ain’t here, man…

Another mess of Whatever Stew is in the crock pot for tonight and tomorrow, but I’m already wondering whether to make pizza this weekend or…

Mac n Cheese

Here’s a recipe I’ve had sitting around for a while. I have, as always, modified it to suit me. (My mom and siblings stopped asking if I recall how to make old family favs—”comfort food”—cos all of them are different in my kitchen… and different nearly every time I make them. *heh*. They eat ’em and ask for the “recipe” but never ask for the originals) In fact, I don’t think I ever made it according to the recipe I was handed originally. Close but no cigar. And, yeh, lots of times I have made mac n cheese that’s not… up to this standard, just because I was pressed for time. but this is what I prefer.

This is a general guideline. PLEASE change any element to suit your taste as you go along.

Between 1/2 and a whole package of bacon (1/2 to 1 pound?) uncooked OR 6 oz (or more!) cooked, dry bacon bits (2/3 to one cup)
1/4 cup butter, margarine or even olive oil. But ONLY olive oil, extra virgin. The tasty stuff.
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs–Make ’em or buy ’em. Whatever is easiest.*
1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni (Hey, the packagges are conveniently labeled, so “pound” is easy to measure, here.)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 lb of your fav easily-melted cheese. Swiss cheese, jack cheese, cheddar. Hey! That’s a nice mixture! Just no mozarella. Not for macaroni n cheese, please. I like a tad of Parmesan or Romano tossed in as an extra kicker.

If you’re not using bacon bits that you’ve either pre-made or bought, save yourself some draining time and broil the bacon. Cook it until it’s fairly crisp. Most of the grease will roll right off into the broiling pan. Save the grease (covered jar in fridge) for use in other recipes. Drain and dry with paper towels Trim ALL the fat off (the dogs will thank you for the treat), then crumble the bacon. Best “crumble”? If it’s not too crisp, chop it with your chef’s knife. Otherwise, pace it between paper towels and use your rolling pin to crumble it.

If you’re using butter, melt in in a small pan over low heat. When melted, add the bread crumbs and sauté until the bread crumbs are browned. No, don’t just let them sit there in a hot pan. You DO know how to sauté, don’t you? If you use oilve oil, heat the pan first, then add the oil, then the bread cruumbs, of course.

Boil the macaroni in salted water for, oh, 7-10 minutes. A little olive oil added to the pot will help prevent the macaroni from sticking together. Sometimes, I’ll add a crushed clove of garlic or some fresh parsley or some other herb, depending on what I have on hand and whether I feel like adding a lil kick. Most of such addenda will pour off, but a bit of flavor will linger. And the added aromas while it’s cooking are nice in the kitchen. 🙂

While the macaroni is cooking, grate the cheese and chop the onions. (Time-savers: buy pre-grated cheese. Always chop whole onions at once and save the leftovers in a plastic bag for use THE NEXT DAY. If left in the bag in the fridge for just a day, the chopped onions will “sweeten” and in just a day won’t spoil.) When the macaroni is done, drain and rinse it (lightly!) in a colander. Layer the ingredients into a glass baking dish of whatever size and shape you have to hold ’em. Macaroni/cheese/bacon bits/onion. Does an herb pop into your mind at this point? Sprinkle a little in and see how it goes. Top with the bread crumbs and bake at about 350-375 F (oven temps vary) for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Now, this part’s the hard part, cos folks just want to dig in and have at it NOW. Remove it from the oven and let it sit a couple of minutes before serving. Serve with (and this is important! *s*) fresh or frozen (cooked, of course) peas. I’ll not be having any of your green beans with this dish, thank you very much. And nothing weird for veggies, either. Just fresh or frozen green peas, juuuust cooked–just steamed, even. That POP of bright green against the cheesy/bacon-y macaroni looks good on a plate, and they’re the perfect flavor complement.

What? You need something else to complete this meal? Go away, cos you’re not gonna get it at my house. OK, OK, if you insist, add some tomato succotash**. Another splash of color and taste.

But try it with just grean peas first.

You can feed an average family with this. Leftovers are even better than freshly made, believe it or not. Pack some for lunch and nuke it. Your co-workers will envy you.

* From Ochef (http://www.ochef.com/1015.htm ) here’s an easy way to make your own bread crumbs:

“To make unseasoned bread crumbs, take very stale bread and grind it into crumbs in a food processor or crush it in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. If your bread is not completely dry, slice it and put it in the oven at 250°F (120°C) until dry. You can also grate dried bread on a grater, which produces flaky crumbs.”

**Tomato succotash: a simple dish of corn, peas, Lima beans and stewed tomatoes. In any darned ratio you like.

Caprice

I’ve noted before the observation by Jerry Pournelle and many others that we no longer live in a nation governed by the rule of law but a nation of selective inforcement of law, governed by the carpricious whim of bureaucrats and vindictive or fief-building carrerists in law enforcement; and that instead of a republic, we now are ruled by political elites and a (no longer truly) federal bureaucracy that creates “a multitude of New Offices” and sends “swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out [our] substance.” (ref: Declaration of Independence).

All this is a large part of why citizens seem to have little respect for laws (citizens? say rather, subjects… *sigh*). There are many more reasons, of course. Felony inflation—fill in a pothole (that some enviro wacko claims is a “wetlands) and commit a felony. *sheesh!* Land-grabbing by municipalities for business interests—take from the “poor” and give to the rich: the motto of modern “liberal” government. Rule by judicial fiat.

But I’d like to deal with criminal justice from a differnt angle, very briefly.

Punishment of crime. Dan, over at Riehl World View (and in the article from there published in the Blogger News Network) spurred some thought about this issue. PLEASE NOTE: Dan didn’t say anything like what I say below. What I propose below is simply a kinda riff on a very minor sub-point of a peripheral comment. his article is serious in a way this is not (although I am serious, just differently so).

If a crime is truly a crime, lets make some distinctions and use some common sense in applying justice, shall we? People who commit violent crimes—aggravated assault/battery, robbery, rape, murder, for example—get put in prison and what? They are essentially in grad school for criminals, because they’ll “serve” some time while getting advanced coursework in mayhem and then be released to commit more murder and mayhem–“better” murder and mayhem!.

Not smart. And not fair to their victims past and future. Isn’t the primary purpose of government to protect good citizens from such as these?

What could be better? Gee, I don’t know… I’d opt for “an eye for an eye” in cases of violent crime. Beat someone up, get beaten… until you learn that you’re going to get beaten worse than you dish out. Kill someone? Obvious. Be killed.

Robbery might be a lil iffy. Two crimes in one, as it were. Threaten with bodily harm and take a piece of someone’s life (that’s what your property is, you know: you paid in time and effort off the time alloted you to live for what someone steals from you), get caused bodily harm and be required to pay back more–say seven times as much, as in biblical times?–than you forcefully stole.

Drunk drivers? An easy one. Catch ’em drunk? Hand ’em a bottle of their fav poison. Disable their brakes. Clear all traffic from a very steep and dangerous mountain road. Send ’em home via that route. The liklihood of them driving while drunk and needlessly endangering others’ lives again will be moot in short order. Buh-bye! (Yeh, I have no compassion for drunk drivers. None. At. All.)

Theft by non-violent means could be more justly punished by forcing the thief to repay double what they stole. Plus interest, at 7 points above prime. At least.

Bring harm to another—physical or monetary—be required to “pay back” more than the harm you caused. That’s not just punishment but justice.

(My position on how to deal with monsters such as child abusers and many activist judges stands: state-sanctioned very public deaths by very monstrous means would seem best. This is too wimpy by far for child molesters/murderers, but at least Iran is on the right track.)

That would cover the bulk of crime. It could also provide some serious relief from having to house, clothe, feed and guard so many in prisons.

Indeed, we could just limit the number in prisons to anyone who wants to be a congresscritter and be much better off, more than likely…

*heh*

I dunno… maybe it was the use of “conundrum” in the previous post that spurred this, although I suspect it’s the other way around, since I’ve quoted from this particular bit of Kipling more than once, recently. Give a listen and then pause for a moment’s thought…

*********************************************************

THE CONUNDRUM OF THE WORKSHOPS

When the flush of a new-born sun fell first on Eden’s green and gold,
Our father Adam sat under the Tree and scratched with a stick in the mould;
And the first rude sketch that the world had seen was joy to his mighty heart,
Till the Devil whispered behind the leaves, “It’s pretty, but is it Art?”

Wherefore he called to his wife, and fled to fashion his work anew —
The first of his race who cared a fig for the first, most dread review;
And he left his lore to the use of his sons — and that was a glorious gain
When the Devil chuckled “Is it Art?” in the ear of the branded Cain.

They fought and they talked in the North and the South,
they talked and they fought in the West,
Till the waters rose on the pitiful land, and the poor Red Clay had rest —
Had rest till that dank blank-canvas dawn when the dove was preened to start,
And the Devil bubbled below the keel: “It’s human, but is it Art?”

They builded a tower to shiver the sky and wrench the stars apart,
Till the Devil grunted behind the bricks: “It’s striking, but is it Art?”
The stone was dropped at the quarry-side and the idle derrick swung,
While each man talked of the aims of Art, and each in an alien tongue.

The tale is as old as the Eden Tree — and new as the new-cut tooth —
For each man knows ere his lip-thatch grows he is master of Art and Truth;
And each man hears as the twilight nears, to the beat of his dying heart,
The Devil drum on the darkened pane: “You did it, but was it Art?”

We have learned to whittle the Eden Tree to the shape of a surplice-peg,
We have learned to bottle our parents twain in the yelk of an addled egg,
We know that the tail must wag the dog, for the horse is drawn by the cart;
But the Devil whoops, as he whooped of old: “It’s clever, but is it Art?”

When the flicker of London sun falls faint on the Club-room’s green and gold,
The sons of Adam sit them down and scratch with their pens in the mould —
They scratch with their pens in the mould of their graves,
and the ink and the anguish start,
For the Devil mutters behind the leaves: “It’s pretty, but is it Art?”

Now, if we could win to the Eden Tree where the Four Great Rivers flow,
And the Wreath of Eve is red on the turf as she left it long ago,
And if we could come when the sentry slept and softly scurry through,
By the favour of God we might know as much — as our father Adam knew!

*********************************************************

Oh, what the heck… just go here once a day and read a bit of Kipling.