Larry Elder's "Ten Things"

After reading Michelle Malkin's new book, Unhinged, I was feeling a little down at the hefty monetary and mental expense of a liberal-bashing solutionless book. But, like Lincoln was to Buchanan, I picked up Larry Elder's The Ten Things You Can't Say in America and followed trash with excellence.

I've always been a fan of his columns and having bravery to say what no one else will. The book is sectioned into eleven chapters of the ten things you can't say, along with an updated chapter about the 2000 election debacle:

1. Blacks Are More Racist Than Whites
2. White Condenscension Is as Bas as Black Racism
3. The Media Bias - It's Real, It's Widespread, It's Destructive
4. The Glass Ceiling - Full of Holes
5. America's Greatest Problem: Not Crime, Racism, or Bad Schools - It's Illegitimacy
6. There Is No Health-Care "Crisis"
7. America's Welfare State: The Tyranny of the Statist Quo
8. Republicans Versus Democrats - Maybe a Dime's Worth of Difference
9. The War Against Drugs is Vietnam II: We're Losing This One, Too
10. Gun Control Advocates - Good Guys with Blood on Their Hands
11. The Last Word on the "Stolen" 2000 Election and the New Administration - Will Everybody Please Quit Whining?

It's hard not to go on for hours about the knowledge I soaked up from this book, so I'll just highlight my favorite parts.

Elder declares America needs to "replace affirmative action with affirmative attitude." He makes a personal pledge which contains 32 comitments, including:

"-There is no excuse for lack of effort.
-I will not seek immediate results, as I understand life is a journey and not a destination.
-Others may be blessed with more money, better connections, better environment, and even better looks, but I can succeed through hard work, perseverance, and education.
-I expect sometimes to be teased, even ridiculed. This will not stop me; it will only make me stronger and mor determined."

Light is shed onto the feminist movement and the claim that women make less than men. On the whole, the assertion is correct. President Clinton noted that women made 75-cents-on-the-dollar to their male counterpart. However, if you look at the numbers and attitudes of women, a Korn Ferry study concluded that 14% want to be a CEO of a company. 46% of men have the similar ambition. What Clinton also didn't mention was that females get higher grates in high school than boys, earn more college degrees than men, and outnumber males in graduate schools. Still crying "sexism!"? "Women tend to major in lower-paying 'humanities' fields rather than in higher-paying disciplines such as engineering, science, and technology." When economist Jill O'Neill compared "apples to apples, ... salaries of women in the same industries as men, with the same academic background, who have been on the same job the same length of time," she found "virtually no difference in pay." Elder's solution for women to improve their prospects? Push for lower taxes, less regulation, and a downsized government. I like what I hear.

One of my favorite parts of Ten Things is a satiracle letter from Hillary to Bill concerning the health-care "crisis." In the letter, Hillary admits that the president should just give up on his plan. "215 million Americans DO have health-care insurance." Where the left focuses on the amount of people that are "suffering" without insurance, the media neglects to admit a program like Hillicare would destroy the great benefits of 215 million for the sake of 15% of the nation. Like Elder, I agree that we have the best health-care on the planet and it need not be destroyed by a bigger government. On a side note, why should I have to pay, with my taxdollars, for someone else's abortion, cosmetic surgery, or lung cancer treatment (caused by smoking)?

Ten Things does not just bash the ludacris notions of the left, Elder offers solutions to problems. His ten-point plan says America needs to:

Abolish the IRS: Pass a National Sales Tax
Reduce Government by 80%
End Welfare, Entitlements, and Special Privileges
Abolish the Minimum Wage
Legalize Drugs
Take Government Out of Education
Drop the Davis-Bacon Act
Eliminate Corporate Taxes
Charity from People - Not Government
End Protectionism
Sounds to me like he was a fan of Reagan.

True conservatives should buy this book. Don't check it out from the library - Buy this book. It is worth every penny, and then some. If you are a proponent of small government, personal responsibility, and need stellar examples to stump your Hillary-supporting friends, Elder is your man and The Ten Things You Can't Say in America will become your non-fiction book of the year.

iTunes Questions

I thought I'd take a break from politics and post something completely useless. I'm sure later I'll want my wasted time back.

open iTunes/iPod, windows media player, musicmatch jukebox, or whatever .. to answer the following.

go to your library,
& then answer these:

how many songs?: 4055

sort by artist:
first artist?: 3 Doors Down
last artist?: ZZ Top

sort by song title:
first song?: 'Round Midnight, by Chick Corea
last song?: Zombie Prescription, by Snapcase

sort by time:
shortest song?: All, by The Decendents, 3 seconds
longest song?: Hitchens Ritter Tarrytown, a debate in NYC between Christopher Hitchens and John Ritter over the Iraq War, 1 hour 42 minutes

sort by album:
first album?: ...is a Real Boy, by Say Anything
last album?: (Japanese Characters) Solo, by Yo-Yo Ma

first song that comes up on shuffle?: The Glory of Love, by Jimmy Durante

how many songs come up when you search for "sex"?: 14: I Wanna Be a Homosexual, by Screeching Weasel; Sexual Healing, by Marvin Gaye; Sex Farm, by Spinal Tap; My Sexual Life, by Everclear; Sex Positions, by DJ Smallz; Tired of Sex, by Weezer; and a bunch of Sex Pistols songs

how many songs come up when you search for "death"?: 48: Death Cab For Cutie songs; Static X CD - Wisconsin Death Trip; Murder by Death songs; The Death of Us, by the New Amsterdams; Hatebreed CD - Satisfaction is the Death of Desire; The Death Song, by Marilyn Manson

how many songs come up when you search for "love"?: 151: too many to list, but it includes: Saigon Kick,toby Keith, Steve Miller Band, Whitesnake, Young Buck, Madonna, Marilyn Manson, arvin Gaye, mary Chapin Carpenter, New Amsterdams, Norah Jones, Jay-Z, Jessica Simpson, Gwn Stefani, The Get Up Kids, G-Unit, The Game, Frank Sinatra,BT, Blues Brothers, Brak, and 50 Cent

how many songs come up when you search for "you"?: 420

how many songs come up when you search for "why"?: 15: Will Smith, Weezer, Toby Mac, Simpleton Music, Reel Big Fish, Norah Jones, Koufax, Johnny Cash, Jadakiss, Hilary Duff, Gap Band, Everclear, Elton John, and All-Time Quarterback

what songs come up when you enter your name?: 29: to include Rolling Stones, Rob Zombie, Kid Rock, Gwen Stefani, Doc Watson and Richard Watson, Chicago Soundtrack, Big Tymers, The Beatles, and 50 Cent

I was right. I do want my time back.

Shadegg Gets Support

Rep. Shadegg of Arizona is one of the three contenders for Delay's old leadership role (Blunt and Boehner the other two). I'm a believer that with CNN airing "Culture of Corruption" headlines every five minutes, a smaller "contract with America" needs to come out of this leadership race. I've reviewed the three and am throwing my support behind Rep. Shadegg. He is the most distant from "super-duperlobbyist" Jack Abramoff, believes in small government and conservative values, and has the ability to put a new face on the Republican party. I also like hearing his dad ran Barry Goldwater's first Senate race and he is very against constant earmarking of bills.

I'm not the only one, however. Other conservative groups have started efforts to get Shadegg's name out there and help give the party a fresh new look, free from corruption and concerned with giving money back to the people who earned it. Here are organizations contributing to the cause:

National Review: "John Shadegg is the right man to clean house and restore the GOP majority to its core principles."
The Club For Growth: "There is no member of the House of Representatives more committed to the idea of limited government and economic freedom than John Shadegg.”
RedState: "John Shadegg understands that we need reform and a renewed commitment to our conservative principles in order to restore the confidence and support of the American public."
Human Events: "[T]here is no question [Shadegg] is the conservative candidate for the job."

I also find it amazing the new power of blogs and internet lobbying. Beltway Blogroll takes a look how campaigns have taken a new form.

Shadegg's letter to Republican colleagues describe his vision for change back to the Goldwater-Reagan view:

"We need to reform the earmark process and end secret backroom deals. We must also reform our antiquated budget process, and take a clear stand for open and honest government. No elected official, including a Member of Congress, who takes a bribe should get a taxpayer-funded pension.

"[Barry Goldwater] taught me that, 'a government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away.'

"I do not need a poll or questionnaire to tell me what Republicans stand for. The party of Reagan exists not to expand government, but to protect the American people from government’s excesses. Reagan once said, 'If you’re afraid of the future, then get out of the way, stand aside. The people of this country are ready to move again.' I think this Conference is ready to move again, and move toward the reforms the American people deserve."

I like what I hear. Go Shadegg!

Apple Now Worth More Than Dell

MacNewsDaily is reporting that Apple Computer has surpassed Dell in worth.

Today, after a little more than eight years of hard work, Apple Computer,
Inc. passed Dell, Inc. in market value. That's right, at market close Apple Computer ($72,132,428,843) is now worth more than Dell ($71,970,702,760).

Keep it up, Steve.

Quote of the Day

In today's hearings, Sen. Teddy *hiccup* Kennedy demanded that the Judiciary Committee subpoena four boxes of personal records kept in the Library of Congress by a publisher of the conservative National Review magazine and the founder of CAP. He feels many files that could determine the extent of Alito's involvement with the group. After a heated exchange about a letter mailed from Kennedy to Sen. Specter, the Chairman finally had enough.

"Well, Senator Kennedy, I'm not concerned about your threats to have votes
again, again and again," Specter said. "And I'm the chairman of this committee,
and I have heard your request, and I will consider it. And I'm not going to have
you run this committee and decide when we're going to go into executive session.
We're in the middle of a round of hearings. This is the first time you have
personally called [the letter or subpoena] to my attention, and this
is the first time that I have focused on it. And I will consider it in due
course."

Three cheers for Arlen!

Bloody Holiday Wishes

Awww. How kind. Al Qaeda in Iraq (IAI) has a holiday greeting for us infadels.

It reads:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN…

It appears that the only presents and gifts Santa clause will be bearing for you this year are the rotten corpses of your son and daughters in Iraq.

Gifts that are especially prepared for you America,　the most pathetic nation on God’s earth.

Celebrating what? New Year?
And exactly happy for what?

Celebrating the slaughter of your sons and daughters in Iraq who died in vain and sacrificed their worthless lives for nothing!

Or are you celebrating President Bush’s achievement in making you the world’s laughing stock, while driving your nation to the edge of the cliff, earning your more and more enemies along the way.

Celebrating the birth of Jesus while Jesus has nothing to do with your warmongering culture, Jesus has nothing to do with a merciless nation that attacks the weak to protect the interests of the wealthy and powerful elite.

Jesus has nothing to do with a naive nation that puts its trust in a stupid ape like Bush and allows themselves to be deceived by his overt and obvious lies.

The Iraqi people send you their greetings and say thank you for sending your son and daughters to become target practice to our ever-growing Army of Jihad.

We promise you, 2006 will be far worse than 2005.

Just wait for the coffins and body bags coming back home with the filthy remains of your loved ones inside.

When I return, you'll be in my crosshairs.

Sticking With Precedent

"The law must be stable, and yet it cannot stand still." - Roscoe Pound, 20-year dean of Harvard Law School and distinguished jurist.

It became abundantly clear yesterday that "upholding precedent" will be the key phrase for Democrats opposing Judge Alito's nomination. With this strategy, they are hoping to get him to crack on Roe or at least get a sound clip to use in an ad against the ABA praised judge. But how important is stare decisis? In the confirmation process, it is important for Alito to bend to Sen. Kennedy and Feinstein's questions without lying under oath. But, when presented with a case after having been approved by the Senate, it is even more important for Alito to consider the cases decided on the issue prior to his tenure. In the possible future instance, Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

What if SCOTUS justices always accepted the previous court's ruling as set-in-stone interpretation of the U.S. Constitution?

Most notably, in Plessy v. Ferguson, Justice Brown ruled that racial segregation does not constitute unlawful discrimination. Fifty-eight years later, Justice Warren wrote a unanimous opinion in Brown v. Board of Education Topeka ruling "separate ... facilities are inherently unequal." The Warren Court saw the error in the 1896 Plessy ruling and made a decision that is now considered one of the greatest of the Civil Rights Movement, perhaps the 20th century.

In 1905, Lochner v. New York's ruling took away a state's right to ban employers from making their subordinates from working excess hours. Twelve years later, Bunting v. Oregon ruled that companies must pay their workers overtime for hours worked above an agreed upon time. It is easy to see that in the latter decision, the SCOTUS stepped into private contracts to enforce protection for the employee, thus weakening the Contract Clause and the 14th Amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright overturned Betts v. Brady. The court originally claimed "appointment of counsel is not a fundamental right, essential to a fair trial." Twenty-one years later, in Gideon, Justice Black held that the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel was a fundamental right that should not only be enjoyed by all, but is essential to a fair trial – something previously denied in Betts.

In a final example, something that may one day end up in an opinion of the Nine, Katz v. United States set new precedent by overturning Olmstead v. United States. The first wiretapping case to his the court, Olmstead, said it was within the Fourth Amendment to wiretap alcohol bootleggers without judicial approval. Justice Stewart, in Katz decided that a warrant must be given in order to wiretap phones, flipping the Olmstead ruling on its head.

It is very important for each of the nine justices to respect the rulings of the past. Like the current black-robes, every justice before them went through a rigorous process to achieve their position. If previous courts only stuck to precedent and did not bring their own view of the law to the table, we may still live in a nation with separate but equal railroad cars, schools, and restrooms. Who knows how different our country would be if we only stuck with precedent?

However, if Judge Alito believes that the Constitution does not provide a woman the right to terminate her pregnancy, it is within his right to rule in the way he interprets the law. If a justice feels that precedent was wrong, and a majority agree, perhaps it was. This does not mean it is right for President Bush to pack the court with people who have it in their crosshairs to overturn certain precedent. But, if Roe truly was a bad decision, it is the duty of the current SCOTUS to overturn it if a case comes before them. My crystal ball says one will.

Scholars today admit that the Burger Court was very liberal and in many instances did not exercise judicial restraint. When he assigned Justice Blackmun to write the opinion for Roe, it seems obvious the liberal slant weighed heavy. It should not seem vulgar to mention during hearings a judge's opinion on previous cases (especially those ruled during the Burger Court) or how he or she views the Constitution on the whole. It is frustrating that, due to questioning Democrats, that Judge Alito is not free to openly discuss his previous rulings or the way he interprets the law without fear of a temper tantrum…errr…I mean…filibuster. Let's hope that the left plays nicer with the current appointee than they did with Roberts. But, rational thought says that won't happen.

Birthday Wishes

Next month brings the celebration of my 23rd birthday. Because of an upcoming deployment, I will most likely not be here to blow out the candles on the 22nd. Here is my wish list:

- A repeal of the 16th Amendment
- An end to Welfare
- An end to Social Security. No private accounts, no nothing. And get back all the money I put into it so far.
- An end to Title IX Legislation
- Ariel Sharon to fully recover
- TownHall to put out an actual magazine
- An constitutional amendment clearing up the school voucher debate. Let parents have their say.
- An end to hate crimes and their stupid legislation
- Michael Moore and Michael Savage to have a televised fight to the death
- A repeal of the 22nd Amendment
- Hefty punishment for businesses hiring illegal aliens
- Cindy Sheehan living in Alaska to protest the ANWR drilling - Media is more than welcome to cover her for weeks on end
- An equally humorous Senate questioning of Alito as there was for Roberts
- Legislation making homeschooling and private school expenses tax deductable
- Bin Laden, Al Zarqawi, Al Zawarhi, Al Qaeda members, Hamas members, Palestinian Authority members, AIA members, and IRA members caught

If you can't swing any of those, check out my Amazon Wish List to the left.

President Bush's War on the Underbrush

Pulled from the Washington Post-Times-Tribune:

CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush donned his cowboy hat for the holiday season and headed down to the Western Whitehouse to command his War on the Underbrush. He said, "It is essential to the War on Terror."

When asked how he's dealing with the war, Bush told reporters, "It's a difficult job, but we must stay the course. If we give up now, weeds will conquer the ground while Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac will bring continuous attacks on the trees."

Critics say the War on the Underbrush is a distraction from the real war and was a mistake to begin with. The original reason Bush went to war in Crawford was to find a pocketwatch his dad lost twelve years ago. The intelligence was obviously flawed and has now morphed into a bigger war than supporters could have imagined.

An ABC-CBS-USA Today poll shows support for the War on the Underbrush slipping. Last year, 65% supported the war. Today, only 45% of Americans feel that the War on the Underbrush is worth fighting. In response to the polls, the Secretary of Ranch Defense commented, "If this country was run by polls, this country would be lead by Ashton Kutcher." To that proposal, Sen. Harry Reid blasted back, "Ashton's a better leader than Bush could ever be. I mean, have you seen that show 'Punk'd'"?

As of the first of the year, over 30,000 bushes have been destroyed and 20 animals killed as a result of the war.

Anti-War activist Cindy Sheeman has staged a protest outside the Western Whitehouse that gains support by the hour. The twelve activists, surrounded by hundreds of media cameras, plea for Bush to end his War on the Underbrush and come up with an exit strategy. Their idea - "PULL OUT NOW!" Ranchers say it's sad the president got us into Crawford, but it would be too damaging to get out now. Rancher Jim Hatfield said in a Texas twang, "If we get out of the Underbrush now, it would send a message to the rest of the world that we're weak and yella."

President Bush doesn't plan to hold a press conference concerning the War on the Underbrush for the next four months.

New Years Resolutions

It's the begining of a new year and many will abandon their plans for self-improvement within the next few weeks. Here are some resolutions I'm making and hoping not to discard like Tom Cruise does rational thought.

I will:
- spend more time driving the speed limit in the "fast lane."
- hum Europe's "Final Countdown" where others can hear it.
- not hold back farts in public areas (especially elevators).
- spit out my chewing gum next to car doors.
- take a full shopping cart through the "12 Items or Less" lane.
- correct people who wear their hats crooked.
- fix the collars of guys who have them "popped."
- answer my cell phone at the movie theater.
- speak loud enough on a cell phone so others know I'm important.
- correct people's grammar.
- convert people to Scientology.