YouTube Debate

Here was my favorite question, from "independent" Mark Strauss.


Wait... that wasn't the question... although that was "independent" Mark Strauss who claimed he really wants to vote for Ron Paul.

Is Oprah a "racist" or a "Racist"?

Now that Oprah has hit the campaign trail with Barack Obama, it reminded me what I wrote back in September:

Is Oprah A Racist?
Clearly not in the kill whitey "Racist" sense but clearly she is in that she treats people differently based on race. As Bryan Suits recently stated, how is it she has never endorsed anyone in all of these years and now she is endorsing Barack Obama? It does not take a rocket scientist to see that if Baracks name was Jose Lopez or Paddy O'[fill in the blank], there is exactly a zero percent chance she would be endorsing someone with such a thin resume.

But to be honest, I really do not care if she is a "little r" racist or not. Let the market figure it out and deal with it and right now, the market appears to be putting a premium on treating people differently depending on race.

All that being said, my one beef with Oprah is that her and all the other "watch me and you will have a better life" pushers is they need to be honest with the audience. If they wanted them to have a better life, each and every show would be the exact same. A full hour of them starring into the camera and screaming "get off your fat ass, turn off the damn TV and do something".

I still stand by that what I wrote but it looks like she may be a big R racist after all. Here is audio of Oprah and her friend Gayle making fun of "whitey". I seem to remember Don Imus getting in trouble for a whole lot less.

Buy A Dell, Save The Planet

Now when you go to purchase a Dell computer, one of the available options is to pay to have a tree planted, or pay to offset your monitor's carbon emissions.



Make me not want to buy a Dell computer.

Hole In One

Not by me... by my 70 year old father. His first one. We were playing with his younger brother and his wife. Dad could not have picked a better four some. We have a little wager on par 3s. The person who is closest to the hole has a shot of winning $1 from the other players if they make par or better but you have to hit the green. On the previous hole, Dad missed a very short 2nd putt to not collect on the wager. Any hole where the wager is not collected carries over to the next par 3. We arrive at the 12th hole, 168 yards to the middle, pin in the back with 2 carry overs, $3 per person up for grabs. Dad is first to hit and states he just wants to get it on the green. Hits a 7 wood that lands on the front half of the green and starts to roll. About this time, Dad picks up his tee and starts walking away from the tee box not paying attention to the shot. I mention that it looks like it might end up close. It then disappears and my Uncle screams "it went in". I then state well I guess I need to get mine close for a shot at the money.

I think I was more excited by it than he was. Maybe because unlike him, I actually watched it go in.

Eat Up America, There Is Plenty Of Food To Go Around

I was talking with a relative earlier in the week. He had just got back from his church where they were putting together Thanksgiving dinners for the poor. The goal was to feed 60 families. They had enough for 200. The church had to call area schools and other social organizations to find families who needed food. I was told the only problem with feeding the hungry is getting the food to the people. Volunteers to take the food to the people are what is in short supply. So I asked what is keeping the poor from going to the food? After some silence, I was told, nothing... anyone in America who does not have enough to eat simply is not making an effort.

Not two days later, I was reading Newsweek and as always I turned to the back to see if this was George Will's week or if I was going to be disappointed in seeing Anna Quindlen. Sure enough, it is Anna "Bash Bush" Quindlen's week. I was planning on doing what I usually do with her column, not waste my time, but noticed it was about hunger in America. Specifically how worse off the poor are doing today:

The poor could be forgiven for feeling somewhat poorer nowadays. The share of the nation's income going to the top 1 percent of its citizens is at its highest level since 1928, just before the big boom went bust. But poverty is not a subject that's been discussed much by the current administration, who were wild to bring freedom to the Iraqis but not bread to the South Bronx. "Hunger is hard for us as a nation to admit," says Clyde Kuemmerle, who oversees the volunteers at Holy Apostles. "That makes it hard to talk about and impossible to run on."

There were a number of shots at the "current administration" and the "feds" which is to be expected from her. So I decided to take a look around on the internet and I came across this article that talks about lack of hunger in America.

This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual report on household food security in the United States. According to USDA, some 12.5 million households, or roughly 11 percent of all households, experienced "household food insecurity" at some point in 2006 and some 35 million people lived in households with some form of food insecurity.[1] Most of these households were low income. The report showed little change in food security levels in the U.S. over the last decade.

According to the USDA, "food insecurity" is usually a recurring and episodic problem rather than a chronic condition.[2] In 2006, around two-thirds of food insecure households experienced "low food security," meaning that these households managed to avoid any disruption or reduction in food intake throughout the year but were forced by financial pressures to reduce "variety in their diets" or rely on a "few basic foods" at various times in the year.[3] According to the USDA, the remaining one-third of food insecure households (around 4 percent of all households) experienced "very low food security," meaning that at least once in the year their actual intake of food was reduced due to a lack of funds for food purchase.[4] At the extreme, about 1.4 percent of all adults in the U.S. went an entire day without eating at least once during 2006 due to lack of funds for food.

What is rarely discussed is that the government's own data show that the overwhelming majority of food insecure adults are, like most adult Americans, overweight or obese. Among adult males experiencing food insecurity, fully 70 percent are overweight or obese.[9] Nearly three-quarters of adult women experiencing food insecurity are either overweight or obese, and nearly half (45 percent) are obese. Virtually no food insecure adults are underweight.
Contrary to the claims of poverty advocates, the major dietary problem facing poor Americans is too much, not too little, food. Public policies should be directed toward encouraging the poor to avoid chronic over-consumption, exercise more, and reduce intake of foods rich in fat and added sugar.

If you do not believe me, listen to Chris Rock, start @ 7:20. Just remember it is Chris Rock, this is your official content warning.


Happy Thanksgiving, do not eat to much.

Supreme Court Will Hear D.C. Guns Case

I have been waiting for this showdown for a long time...

The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will decide whether the District of Columbia can ban handguns, a case that could produce the most in-depth examination of the constitutional right to "keep and bear arms" in nearly 70 years

The District is making several arguments in defense of the restriction, including claiming that the Second Amendment involves militia service. It also said the ban is constitutional because it limits the choice of firearms, but does not prohibit residents from owning any guns at all. Rifles and shotguns are legal, if kept under lock or disassembled

One argument that the D.C. lawyers will not be making is the effectiveness of the ban in reducing crime:

Washington D.C. ranked number 1 in violent crimes and murder per 100,000 residents for the years 2004 and 2005. For violent crime, D.C. had 1459 crimes per 100,000 residents almost double 2nd place South Carolina which had 761, 3rd place Tennessee had 753, Florida 708, Maryland 703. For murder, D.C. had 35 per 100,000, 3.5 times 2nd place, Maryland and Louisiana each had 10, Nevada and Alabama had 8.

More from the article...

Washington banned handguns in 1976, saying it was designed to reduce violent crime in the nation's capital.

Someone may want to let D.C. lawmakers know that since 1960, all of the lowest murder rates were pre 1976 and all of the highest murder rates were post 1976. That is some effective lawmaking right there.

The City Council that adopted the ban said it was justified because "handguns have no legitimate use in the purely urban environment of the District of Columbia."

Well how about this..."being necessary to the security of a free State"

As a commentator over at Ace's said:

"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."

The dependent clause at the beginning serves as a justification for the main clause, but does not limit it. It is a dependent clause. Also, the main clause says "the right of the people.......shall not be infringed". It doesn't say "the right of those people who join a militia.....shall not be infringed. It means "the people". All of them. Why would we expect "the people" in the 2nd amendment to be defined differently than "the people" who have the right to speak their mind, print a newspaper, or peaceably assemble as in the 1st amendment, or for that matter "the people" who elect senators in the 17th amendment.

Seattle Washington, The 6th Best Golf City?

Golf Magazine needs to cut back on the crack.

No. 6. Seattle, Wash.
Population: 3,225,464
Median home price: $380,200
Number of public courses: 62
Median green fee: $45

THE GOLF: Fun fact: Seattle's iconic, 605-foot-high Space Needle was designed to look like a tee. OK, we made that up, but given the area's golf goods, it could be true. Two greats are Washington National and the Coal Creek course at the Golf Club at Newcastle. The recent debut of the tough-but-fun Chambers Bay, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design near the Puget Sound, helps make the home of Starbucks good to the last (penalty) drop.

The 3 courses they mention, Washington National, is in Auburn, Coal Creek, Newcastle/Bellevue, Chambers Bay, Tacoma. I guess it is "Seattle Area".

So what could possibly be the criteria for coming up with this list? Surely not weather, affordability or nice courses....

1. Weather: How much sun, rain, snow, etc.

2. Affordability: Median green fees of public courses, in relation to the median household income

3. Quality of courses: The best courses in the best overall condition

4. Accessibility: The number of golfers in relation to quality public courses

5. Number of courses designed by esteemed architects

6. Availability: Public facilities as a percent of total facilities (the higher the better)

7. Crowdedness: The number of rounds in relation to the number of public courses and weather

Just guessing they have never played Jefferson on a Saturday morning in October.

Military Deaths, Just The Facts

This is from commentator JDH over at Sound Politics.

This is too important not to post the entire thing. I am willing to bet the number of people who are aware of this is approximately... zero... give or take zero.

Facts, just the facts ... they are always disturbing, but most of our media sources never let facts stand in the way of ideology... It is clear that a left-leaning press can make anything sound bad and we all become victims ... its just life in America, the freest and safest country in the world and not, as some would have us believe, a nation headed down the road to fascism ... accept it.

Military Death Numbers
Below some very interesting data reference deaths in the military which you will not read in your local newspaper nor will it appear on any news broadcast - radio or TV.
This may help you enlighten folks around you regarding the brave and courageous young people serving in our military.
Deaths in the Military
1980 ....... 2,392
1981 .......... 2,380
1982 .......... 2,318
1983 .......... 2,465
1984 .......... 1,999
1985 .......... 2,252
1986 .......... 1,984
1987 .......... 1,983
1988 .......... 1,819
1989 .......... 1,636
1990 .......... 1,508
1991 .......... 1,787
1992 .......... 1,293
1993 .......... 1,213
1994 .......... 1,075
1995 .......... 1,040
1996 .......... 974
1997 .......... 817
1998 .......... 826
1999 .......... 795
2000 .......... 774
2001 .......... 890
2002 .......... 1,007
2003 ....... ...1,410 [534*]
2004 .......... 1,887 [900*]
2005.......... [919*]
2006.......... [920*]
Figures so noted with an asterisk (*) indicates deaths as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
You may initially feel confused when you look at these figures - especially when you see that in 1980, during the term of President Jimmy Carter, there were 2,392 US military fatalities. What this clearly indicates is that our media and our liberal politicians pick and choose and tend to present only those facts that support their agenda driven reporting. Another fact our left media and politicians like to slant is that these brave men and women losing their lives are minorities. Wrong again - The latest census shows the following:
European descent (white)..... 69.12%
Hispanic................................ 12.5%
African American................... 12.3%
Asian..................................... 3.7%
Native American.................... 1.0%
Other..................................... 2.6%
The fatalities over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom are:
European descent (white)..... 74.31%
Hispanic................................ 10.74%
African American.................. 9.67%
Asian..................................... 1.81%
Native American.................... 1.09%
Other..................................... 2.33%
These statistics are published by DOD and may be viewed here.

The Clinton's Secrecy Problem

I have read a lot recently about the Clinton's secrecy problem. Newsweek had an article about it back in October

An archivist explained to Smith that the release of materials was tightly controlled by the former president's longtime confidant Bruce Lindsey. Could she look at memos detailing the advice Hillary gave Bill during debates over welfare reform? Smith asked. No, the archivist said, those memos were "closed" to the public because they dealt with "policy" matters. What about any records that show what advice Bill gave his wife about her 2000 U.S. Senate campaign? Those, too, were closed, the archivist said, because they dealt with "political" matters. "He essentially told me I had no chance of getting anything," says Smith, whose book, "For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton, the White House Years," hits the bookstores this week.

Jonah Goldberg asks the question:

You’ve said this administration’s secrecy “on matters large and small is very disturbing.” In particular, you and other Democrats have criticized Dick Cheney’s refusal to be more open about his energy task force. Were you disturbed by your health care task force’s similar secrecy? How about your refusal to turn over subpoenaed documents for two years? Why do you tacitly support your husband’s refusal to release your White House correspondence from the National Archives? You’ve said the documents are being released on the Archives’ timetable, but your husband appointed his longtime henchman, Bruce Lindsey, to manage the release of such records. Why isn’t that disturbing?

It came up in a recent debate:


It is an issue that could cause the Clinton's a lot of trouble. Why would they allow an issue like this to be such a problem? Maybe it is because there is something to hide.

Seattle Catholic Archdiocese, One Tree Per Church

I heard today that the official word from the Archdiocese is one tree per church, that is all. Is this anything, probably not, just thought it was odd.

John Kerry Is Going To Refute The Swift Boat Allegations

Three years after the elections, John Kerry has a chance to expose the lies of the Swift Vets For Truth.

Renewing a debate that raged through much of the 2004 presidential race, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., on Friday accepted Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens' offer to pay $1 million to anyone who can disprove allegations by veterans who disparaged Kerry's Vietnam War record.

In his letter to Pickens, Kerry suggested they hash the truth out in a public forum in either Dallas or Massachusetts. The four-term senator said he would have Pickens pay the $1 million to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Friday afternoon, Pickens issued his own letter, saying he was "open" to Kerry's response but wanted more: for Kerry to provide his Vietnam journal, his military records and copies of movies and tapes made during his service.

Pickens also upped the ante: He challenged Kerry to risk his own $1 million, to be paid to the Medal of Honor Foundation, if Kerry "cannot prove anything in the Swift Boat ads to be untrue."

Kerry had left on an overseas trip by the time the counterproposal was delivered. "It appears that Mr. Pickens is backing off his original challenge," Kerry aide David Wade said. "Sen. Kerry took Mr. Pickens as a man of his word who, when he talks the talk, is willing to walk the walk."

Sounds like John may not be as confident in his chances now that he has been asked to put some cash money on the table.

Why would he wait three years? Probably the same reason he still has not released his medical records like he promised.

Seattle's Iraq War Protest

This is how the Seattle PI described the anticipated protest yesterday

And in Seattle, two anti-war marches on Friday could delay afternoon traffic and part of the evening commute, city officials warned.
...
...
As many as 3,000 people are expected to participate, according to a city announcement, which said anyone traveling into or out of the downtown core area "should plan on delays in their commute as the peak afternoon traffic will be impacted."

This is how the Seattle Times described the actual protest today

A crowd of roughly 400 anti-war demonstrators — most of them high school and college students — marched through downtown Seattle today, carrying signs and chanting slogans such as "This is what democracy looks like!"
...
...
No one was arrested and the young people continued their march to Judkins Park, their numbers shrinking to about 200 by the time the demonstration wrapped up about 3:30 p.m.

Power to the person... singular.

More Olympia Protestor Calendar Fun

This one, which can be found here, courtesy of MesaBlue

Warning: Some of the "events" posted on the calendar are not exactly family friendly. Use extreme caution if you decide to click on any of the links.

Olympia Peace & Justice Community Calendar

The group behind the anti military protests in Olympia, has an online calendar. Anyone can post an event to it and it appears everyone is.

Don't miss out on the fun.

I am sure the link will go down soon... images have already been saved for your entertainment.

When The News Media Is Not Interested In The News

The NY Times has a blog with an article about a recent interview of Richard Armitrage on CNN

According to the NY Times blog, some are not too impressed with Mr. Armitrage's "apology".

But Mr. Armitage’s words didn’t go nearly far enough, according to Firedoglake.com, the blog that The New York Times once profiled for its “a fanatical devotion to the intricacies of the Libby case.”

“Armitage’s response was unusual for people in the Bush Administration in that he owned up to some culpability,” the blog said. “But was it a full acceptance of responsibility?” Their answer, which highlights the comments of several readers of the blog, casts doubt on that Mr. Armitage could have so easily misused a classified memorandum

NEW FLASH for the NY Times... according to the same Richard Armitrage, it was Joe Wilson who was leaking Valerie Plame's name. He told Bob Woodward that exact thing.

Woodward: Well it was Joe Wilson who was sent by the agency, isn’t it?
Armitage: His wife works for the agency.
Woodward: Why doesn’t that come out? Why does that have to be a big secret?
Armitage: (over) Everybody knows it.
Woodward: Everyone knows?
Armitage: Yeah. And they know ’cause Joe Wilson’s been calling everybody. He’s pissed off ’cause he was designated as a low level guy went out to look at it. So he’s all pissed off.

I have posted this fact in the NY Times blog's "moderated" comments more than once but for some reason, it is as if they do not want to know this fact.

What are the odds?

Bryan Suits Is Out at KVI

I got a confirming email this morning.

Classy move there KVI, you idiots. Letting a member of the Washington Army National Guard 1st Battalion 161 Infantry who served in Operation Desert Storm, Bosnia, and the Iraq war go right before Veterans Day.

Feel free to let KVI / Fischer Radio know how you feel.

570KVI@fisherradio.com

PHONE NUMBERS
Business: 206.404-4000
Fax: 206.404-3648
Show Talk Lines: (King County) 206.421-5757
(Others - Toll Free) 888.312-5757

MAIL ADDRESS:
KVI Talk Radio 570
140 Fourth Ave. N., Suite 340
Seattle, WA 98109

STATION MANAGEMENT:
General Manager: Larry Roberts
Program Director: Dennis Kelly
Asst. Program Director: Travis Box

Or better yet, let KTTH know how well you think Bryan would fit into that lineup in place of Glenn Beck or Michael Savage.


KTTH-AM
1820 Eastlake Avenue E
Seattle, WA 98102-3711
1.206.726.7000

Studio Phone Lines:
206-421-0770
or 1-800-465-8770

The Bryan Suits Experience

Appears to no longer be on KVI. I use to listen to KVI all day long. There is no longer a reason for me to listen to KVI. I understand it was not everyone's cup of tea but I honestly did enjoy the show.

Maybe now the month of Craptober is officially over.

Climate change - Is CO2 the cause? Part 4

Climate change - Is CO2 the cause? Part 3

Climate change - Is CO2 the cause? Part 2

Climate Change - Is CO2 the cause? Part 1

Global Warming Keeps Tax Rates Low

Global warming... is there nothing it can't do?

Poll: Global warming caused some to vote no on Proposition 1

A new exit poll indicates that global-warming concerns turned about 6 percent of the voters against Proposition 1, the regional roads and transit measure that failed Tuesday night.

The survey was done by Washington, D.C.-based RT Strategies for the Sierra Club, which mounted a campaign against the $38 billion, 20-year plan even though it included 50 miles of new light-rail tracks.

Club backers objected to 186 miles of new road lanes; they distributed polar-bear pictures and wore polar-bear hats to advertise a link between roads and global warming.

The poll of 5,000 voters found that 52 percent would choose yes if a plan offered transit only. Of that group, 29 percent voted against Proposition 1, and among those people, 39 percent cited global warming as the main problem — hence, an overall 6 percent bloc, Riehle said

In unrelated news, John Coleman, the founder of The Weather Channel, questions the validity of Global Warming.

It is the greatest scam in history. I am amazed, appalled and highly offended by it. Global Warming; It is a SCAM. Some dastardly scientists with environmental and political motives manipulated long term scientific data to create an allusion of rapid global warming. Other scientists of the same environmental whacko type jumped into the circle to support and broaden the “research” to further enhance the totally slanted, bogus global warming claims. Their friends in government steered huge research grants their way to keep the movement going. Soon they claimed to be a consensus.

Hillary! Wants To Be President "Again"

Watch the video starting at T -4:03.

Send A Vet A Christmas Card

When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please
include the following:

A Recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington , D.C. 20307-5001

If you approve of the idea, please pass it on

Dishonest Partisan Politics Of The Worst Kind

Originally via Ace.

Someone is playing politics and being dishonest with veteran benefits.

Despite Republican grumbling, House and Senate negotiators on Thursday agreed to tack a $65 billion bill funding the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction onto a $151 billion bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education departments. The Veterans Affairs measure is about $4 billion more than Bush’s budget request, and the Labor-HHS-Education bill would add $10 billion to the president’s proposal.

“Where does this process take us except to delay getting vital needed funds to our veterans?” said Rep. Roger Wicker (Miss.), ranking Republican on the corresponding House subcommittee.

Bush and congressional Republicans are protesting Democratic efforts to tie the two measures together, arguing that the majority is holding veterans’ money hostage for an incremental increase in domestic policy programs.

Bush has threatened to veto the Labor-HHS measure, but not the spending bill for veterans and military construction.

So let's review. Democrats want to tie the veteran bill to a Labor, HHS and Education bill that they know President Bush will veto. So who is to blame here?

“It will be up to Republicans in the Senate whether they want to turn [their] back on our veterans right before Veterans Day,” said Patty Murray of Washington, a member of Senate Democratic leadership who sits on the Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs subcommittee.

Now there is a big surprise, Senator Patty "Not A Rocket Scientist" Murray claims it is the Republicans that want to turn their backs on veterans. Is she a liar or just plain stupid. Sadly, it seems she is both.

November 1, 2007

October 2007 is officially over. That was the worst month of my entire life. If you took the 31 worst days of my 44 years of existence, outside of October 2007, and combined them into one month, let's call it Craptober, it would not have been as bad as October 2007. Nobody I know died, nobody, including myself had health problems, business was actually very good. The two big ongoing negative issues I have allowed to fester for years finally came to a head. The lesson that was learned, when something is important and needs to be dealt with, deal with it yourself. Do not leave it to others, do not expect others to do what is right even if it seems to be something in their area of expertise. Do not compromise on important matters.


A client happened to send this to me today:


that was me on a good day last month. Nothing like hitting proverbial bottom to straighten out your priorities.

Hopefully, one day, I will look back and see today as the moment things finally started heading in the right direction. I am sure there will be plenty of bumps in the road ahead but at least I am finally moving forward.



So in honor of this new beginning, let's play song one, my favorite song, off of my favorite REM album, Life's Rich Pageant. Ladies and gentlemen, Begin The Begin.

Mayor Greg Nickels WANTS To Be Green.

From the Seattle Times.... so you know it might be true.
Mayor Greg Nickels wants to be green, he really does. He just does not want to be inconvenianced by taking the bus or riding a bike or replacing all of his light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs or doing video conferences instead of flying to conferences or taking a less than hot shower or spending tax payer money on phoney carbon credits... wait... he is willing to do that one. Some lowlights:

On the job, the mayor's travel by car and plane produced 32.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2006, based on information the city provided. Of that, 20 tons were from 10 round-trip flights he took, mostly to attend conferences.

In mid-2006, the city switched the mayor's official vehicle from a Cadillac to a Toyota sport-utility hybrid. The Mayor's Office also said the city purchased carbon offsets, which pay for other agencies to pollute less, for all plane trips city employees took in 2006.

"Obviously as mayor of the city, he has to travel," said Nickels' spokesman Marty McOmber. "You wouldn't expect the governor to stay in Olympia all the time."
...
We used to use the bus" he said. "One day we will again."
...
He is not a bicyclist, but if he did bike to work, he says, a security detail would have to ride alongside him in a car.
...
They have replaced some of their light bulbs with compact-fluorescent.
...
Other practices are harder to change, he said. They turned the water heater down, but the shower was sometimes too cold. They turned it back up.
...
We're still struggling" with plastic grocery bags, he said. Nickels says he takes the bags to a preschool that reuses them. While many environmentalists would shun disposable dinnerware, he also had a stack of paper plates and napkins on the counter during a press tour.

Do as I say, not as I do.