Get Up Kids Show

Saturday I leave for Kansas City to see my favorite band, The Get Up Kids. This is my first time seeing them in concert, but it is their last show they'll ever play. I'm really stoked about it. Can't wait.

Nichols Finally Responds

A book by Jayna Davis made the assertion that the OKC bombing was committed by not only McVeigh and Nichols, but Iraqi intelligence agents had a hand in it as well. I have yet to read Davis's book, but plan to. Terry Nichols, although not too credible, responded to accusations of a middle eastern connection by agreeing that McVeigh talked a lot about middle easterners.

Like Rep. Rohrabacher (R-Ca.), I feel there is a need to investigate the claims made by Davis along with interviewing the 22 eyewitnesses that said they saw a middle eastern-looking man with McVeigh on the day of the 1995 bombing.

Crazy Old Iran

They're at it again. Not only are the leaders in tight with terrorism, the elections are rigged, oppression of women continue, nukes are in the process, and they can't seem to kick that Islamic Revolution habit, but their President-elect is a former hostage taker. 5 former hostages of the 444 day Tehran captivation in 1979 are claiming that the President-elect was one of those hostage-takers. The captives seem pretty confident it's him too. A retired Army colonel and former hostage said, "You could make him a blond and shave his whiskers, put him in a zoot suit and I'd still spot him." I'm sure we'll (the U.S.) will take the usual stance: wave our finger at them and say, "That's a bad Iran. Don't do that."

Untitled

Well, there's not much to blog about today. I watched a little of the President's speech last night and was more of the same. If you've been following Rice, Rummy, and Cheney the last week, you know what was said last night. I agree with not having a time-table, but also feel Bush doesn't quite understand the mindset of the insurgents. I might go into that a little more later. Nothing much in the news today. I've been reading up on the Downing Street Memo that so many are up in arms about. It seems like it could be damning to the administration, but not as bad as the libs make it out to be. I have also come to love Wikipedia. It seems like a pretty reliable source and has a bunch of useless information. Hell, I'll find something to post later.

Bad News Blog Post

Well, they're not really my heros, just people I like to listen to. Andrew McMahon of Something Corporate (one of my favorite bands) has been diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia and Laura Ingraham (a conservative talk-show host on 1160 AM WBOB) was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. This is bad news on top of the break-up of my favorite band The Get Up Kids. I'm sure all will pull through and come out better people.

More Evidence of an iTunes Phone

Engadget has posted that techies have gotten into the insides of iTunes 4.9. They have found "a resource file for messages that’ll be displayed when using the app with an iTunes-compatible cellphone, including 'iPod Phone Prefs', 'iPod Phone - iTunes Setup Assistant', 'Mobile Phone - Updating Contacts', 'Display album artwork on this mobile phone', and 'Open iTunes when this mobile phone is attached.'"

Hopefully it's open to more than just Cingular who carries the service. I'm with Sprint and don't want to change service providers. Keep your fingers crossed-July 7th!

Chuckle of the Day

Give this a read.

The Greatest American

I neglected to mention yesterday of the Discovery Channel's shocking outcome of the show "The Greatest American." People text messaged in their votes for the greatest American to live. Most were politicians and the winner was Ronald Reagan. He was followed by:

2) Abraham Lincoln
3) Martin Luther King
4) George Washington
5) Benjamin Franklin
6) George W. Bush
7) Bill Clinton
8) Elvis Presley
9) Oprah Winfrey
10) Franklin D. Roosevelt

I mean, seriously... MLK..#3?! George W. Bush?! Bill Clinton?! Oprah Winfrey?! It goes to show that our citizens know NOTHING about any American prior to 1950. I believe FDR should be automatically withdrawn because of the infamous Executive Order #9066 that put Japanese-Americans into internment camps. This list boils my blood the more I look at it. Here's my list:

1) George Washington
2) James Madison
3) Thomas Jefferson
4) Benjamin Franklin
5) George S. Patton Jr.
6) Dwight D. Eisenhower
7) Martin Luther King Jr.
8) John Adams
9) Abraham Lincoln
10) Audie Murphy

The top 100 list is a tough bunch to pick from...even harder to put in order of the top ten greatest Americans.

Update: 30 June: I am mixing up the top ten to fit in Adams and Lincoln. They deserve to be in there more than some others. I am a big fan of Adams because of the Alien & Sedition Acts. I am sorry to both for leaving you out of the top ten greatest Americans. They are true patriots. Wilson and Reagan are great Americans as well, but I don't feel are as deserving. Consider them #11 and #12

iTunes 4.9 Now Available!

...and oh, how it rocks. I am really enjoying the new Podcast feature. I have subscribed to the following podcasts:

ABC News Shuffle
Engadget Podcast
Inside Mac Radio
iPodlounge Podcast
Newsweek On Air Podcast
Presidential Weekly Radio Address
Republican Radio
Sex Talk
Speaketh Stumpy Mogandot
Two Rights: Conservative Political Discourse

Apple has also announced the 20gb iPod photo for $299 and the 60gb iPod photo for $399. July 7th is still the day to watch for and rumors point to an iPod or iTunes capable phone serviced by Cingular Wireless.

*Update: The 1gb iPod Shuffle was also dropped in price to $129

Apple to benefit from USSC ruling

Piper Jaffray says that iTunes is destined to benefit from today's Peer-to-Peer ruling. Essentially, with cutting off the head of the beast that allows people to steal music from willing users, Apple's iTunes and other pay-for-music companies will benefit. Less people will be able to share music as freely forcing them to pay for music or do without. Good for Apple, but I am already missing the sharing experience.

Going Out With A Bang

As predicted, the Supremes have made a handful of big legal decisions as they close their term.

• The Ten Commandments have been banned from courthouses unless they are displayed in a historical context. This means that older postings of the big Ten will most likely remain while newer will be removed. (Perfect ruling.)
• File-sharing companies are to blame for what users do with their software. (As much as I love to borrow music, it's a fair ruling.)
• Cable companies may keep rival Internet providers from using their lines. This is a decision that will limit competition and consumers' choices. (This doesn't really affect me but seems like a bad ruling.)
• Police cannot be sued for how they enforce restraining orders. This ends a lawsuit by a Colorado woman who claimed police did not do enough to prevent her estranged husband from killing her three young daughters. (Unappreciated cops deserve this. Another good ruling.)

That's the shortened version with my brief commentary following each. Stay tuned for news on Rehnquist and O'Conner resignations.

Flag-Burning Amendment

The House has given its vote in favor of an amendment that makes it unconstitutional to burn the American flag. There are challenges speculated in the Senate, but I believe it will pass and follow ratification of 3/4 the states. I am not totally decided on this issue yet. I agree with illegalizing the act, but I'm not totally swayed with a constitutional amendment.

Allow me to explain...

Mark Levin swayed my opinion with his article at The Coroner:

"In 2003, in Virginia v. Black, the Supreme Court upheld by 5 to 4 a Virginia law banning cross-burning on public or private property. The Court reached this result by contending that such expression is a form of terror and intimidation. Just as cross-burning is a particularly henious form of speech, to many flag-burning is as well, but for different reasons."

I was for the right to burn the flag until I read this and realized that the burning of the flag is associated with hate-speech as is the burning of a cross. Though, I still feel as though the founding fathers did not have it in their intentions to prevent citizens from dissenting by use of private or public burning of the American flag. I'm sure I'll find a side on the issue. For now, I'll ride the fence.

New Toy

My wife and I have decided on a new camera. It's the Canon SD 400. It's a sweet lil camera that I am trying to find under $300. We're gonna buy it before we head down to St. John's in late July.

Come For the Sun, Stay For the Interrogation

Here are some new pictures of Club Gitmo that the MSM have taken. Recently, the Pentagon opened up the prison for terrorists to quell complaints about prisoner abuse. It's not the Hilton, but pretty nice for the body guards of UBL...

Time for a new flock...

The Supreme Court is finishing up their season with some big decisions and speculations are 2 or 3 justices will step down. It looks like Antonin Scalia will be nominated to be Chief Justice to replace Rehnquist. Either way, I'm sure a few people in Congress will fillibuster like none other to prevent the appointment of justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.

And if you're wondering of my stance on the unruled case of the Ten Commandments being displayed in Kentucky Courts and on Texas public property... here it is..

1st Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."

Great News From The Digital Front

Apple has yet to announce anything (as usual), but rumor is iTunes 4.9 with podcasting ability will be available on July 7th. Another iPod is rumored to be released here shortly. I'm on pins and needles soaking up the rumors and speculations on the available functions. I would like for Apple to open it up for 3rd party developers. This would make way for cooler games and functions. Cingular and Motorola are also rumored to release an iTunes phone shortly as well. Maybe they'll make my day with a gadget that serves as a phone, PDA, iPod, and external hard drive... but I can only pray.

Borders, Language, Culture

Imagine the following situations:

A Chinese immigrant, who came to the United States one year ago, sits down with his wife to discuss their marital problems. Eventually, the wife breaks down and admits that she has been unfaithful. In a fit of rage, the husband throws his wife onto the bed and bludgeons her to death with a claw hammer. He is subsequently charged with second-degree murder.

In People v. Chen, Chen successfully argued that “cultural pressures provoked Chen into an extreme mental state of ‘diminished capacity,’ leaving him without the ability to form the intent necessary for more serious charges of premeditated murder.” Chen argued that he should not be held accountable for murder because in his culture husbands were permitted to take out their shame on their wives. Because of this defense, the original charge of second-degree murder was reduced to second-degree manslaughter, resulting in a sentence of five years probation.

My Commentary:

In America, we have a culture that is being diminished and blackened out by new cultures coming in. I do not suggest a closing of borders or forgetting of previous culture to immigrants. What I do suggest is for our men in black (our judges) take a stand of nationalism and American pride. We have a way of life here that is better than any other. The stomping out of our values and way of life to allow an immigrant to get away with murder for the sake of his own cruel culture is not in the best interest of our nation.

Camping Trip

I went to work yesterday only to find out I had a 4 day vacation. With the good news, my wife and I headed down to Carter Caves for a night in a tent and a hike. This morning, we woke up to make breakfast and be on our way. We started hiking at 0930 and finished at 1330. I think we traversed about 8 miles. A good time and the camelbacks came in handy.

Durbin Apologizes

I'm glad to hear that Sen. Durbin apologized for his remarks comparing the treatment of prisoners in the American-run prison for terrorists to those of the camps run by nazis, soviets, and cambodian evil-doers.
Here's what he said last week, just for a refresher:

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings,"

WWDC Keynote

For those who have not seen the hour-long keynote by Steve Joby at the World Wide Developer's Conference, it's here and oh... how it rocked.

News Hypothesis

I was thinking the other night that there is an equation for the publication of successful news. You need four types of news stories to focus in on during a news week or day. Think about them and you'll be shocked at how each week will have one. Please fill me in if other thoughts like this have occured, especially by marketing enthusiasts.

• A crime story (usually viscious)
  
• A celebrity story
  
• A political story (also includes war)
  
• A water-cooler story
  

What comes to mind this week is the Holloway girl in Aruba, Tom Cruise's new engagement, Gitmo accusations, and a man who molested 36,000 children.

Just a thought.

Evil Evil Microsoft

Gates and team of demons have given me another reason to hate their company. In communist China where freedom is not allowed by law, Microsoft has banned such words as "democracy" and "freedom" instead of pulling out their services for the priniciple love of both.

Attempts to input words in Chinese such as "democracy" prompted an error
message from the site: "This item contains forbidden speech. Please delete the
forbidden speech from this item." Other phrases banned included the Chinese for
"demonstration", "democratic movement" and "Taiwan independence".

Summer Books

I finished the book American Jihad and what a terrifying read. Steven Emerson brings to light the terrorist and terrorism-supporting organizations within the U.S. He made a documentary in the early 90's that put his life at risk. I have yet to see it, but it is on my wishlist. To continue my summer reading, the other day I picked up Condi: The Condoleeza Rice Story and The Enemy Within. I've started with Michael Savage's because it'll be a fun and crazy read. I don't agree with half of what he says, but he's fun to listen to on the radio... and it was 6 bucks. I'm also in and out of reading God's Politics, but it's such a slow read.

Animal Cruelty at PETA

I'm sure you've all heard about the two PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) employees that were charged with animal cruelty. I've posted it because it gave me more than a chuckle while I was away.

I have returned...

I'm back from PLDC in Ft. McCoy. It was 14 busy days of evaluations and classes. I enjoyed parts, but most of the experience was a little more than tolerable. I did learn a lot though. Blogging will now resume.

Kill Some Time

If you're bored, take a gander at this. It may be controversial and a bit anti-religious, but it touches on some points that make a lot of sense. He's now being blasted by Fox News because he's a Brooklyn Professor.

Update: More Evidence to show we are a Christian nation with no consideration of other's religions (or the lack of)

2 Weeks Away

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for PLDC in Ft. Mccoy, WI. If there's internet access up there, I'll post. If not, I'll have much to blog about in two weeks.

Wish me luck.

A Sea Of Red

Check this out. France rejects the first European Constitution. It would create a European Prime Minister, boost its image on the world stage, and give citizens more rights. In a continent where currency is becoming one and people of different nations are coming together, I don't see the benefit of rejecting a Constitution that binds Europeans together. I guess they're happy with their 10% unemployment rate, high gas prices, and high taxes.