From My Position... On the way!

Just when you thought you could come up for air...

2008-07-20T17:08:00.004-04:00

I was going to write a post about the chicken-shit "leadership" I have in this outfit, but it violates rule #1 of milblogging.

--Chuck

2008-07-16T04:34:00.001-04:00

In case you were wondering...

2008-07-14T02:20:00.003-04:00

This is where I was blown up. The town is called As Saddah. Zoom out a bit if the map doesn't load.

You may need to use google earth to view it at the best resolution.

The main east-west road just to the north is BlueBabe highway, formerly RPG Alley. The town has a name, but I can't remember it. Iraqi Joint IA/IP checkpoint is located at the intersection just north of the plus sign.

--Chuck

If I ever go back, and have the opportunity, it'll be called the crater that used to be called As Saddah.

Generation kill

2008-07-14T01:04:00.002-04:00

Saw episode 1 tonight. First thoughts:

It appears that there isn't a single marine officer in this miniseries who packs the gear to tell those above him to make a goddamned decision and fight for their marines.

As for the rest of the unit, it appears that they aren't really so much of an organization as they are a Pirate Crew.

The two things they did nail on the head so far is the alien nature of the middle eastern culture, and Command Sergeants Major who focus their energies on the inane and minuscule, instead of making sure the men have what they need.

And the "Captain America" character, if he were one of my peers or one of my lieutenants, would find himself in a hurt locker really quick. I damn sure wouldn't put up with his vaginal monologues every five minutes.

We'll see how episode II goes.

Immediately following Episode I, HBO re-aired "Alive Day Memories." I made it through almost half the film before I couldn't watch anymore. I highly recommend it to all of you.

--Chuck

BHO meets Reverend Al

2008-07-11T00:40:00.000-04:00

Hat tip, Mr. Uddy

patriotism

2008-07-10T22:27:00.003-04:00

Dude told me dissent was patriotic. More to follow.

Chuck

And now, the rest of the story:

Part 1: I was home early last night, around 6:30. So, I decided to go to the mall and wander about aimlessly. After taking a seat where I could watch people, Mr. Fancypants walks over and plops down, and begins to "Minister" to me.

Great. Flypaper for freaks time again. Why do people think dressing up like a Pimp is the way to persuade people to come to Jebus?

Turns out, he was (big surprise) pentecostal, and that he was also "against rule of the big government trying to control (I shit you not) our minds." We briefly discussed the use of foil to block experimental mind-control beams, but he believes that the foil doesn't work against the new (again, I shit you not) High-definition beams. This explains the congressional order to switch all TVs from analog to digital in February, because the analog signal reduces their ability to target specific individuals through their televisions.

And people wonder why I generally wear a scowl. he told me that dissent was patriotic, which I is a slogan have seen stuck on several bumpers here in the Northwest.

People, dissent is not by its nature patriotic. Reasoned Discourse is Patriotic, and necessary in our society. People need to question the government, but that doesn't mean they need to immediately assume that everything the government does is wrong (assuming any government function will be mismanaged, over budget, or make someone money is a safe bet, however.)

Our government must be questioned. Our leaders must be scrutinized. But knee-jerk reactions to every government action, based primarily on the reason that you didn't vote for the current leadership, is purely contrariety and (although throwing rocks is really fun) generally falls to accomplish anything. I know I write frequently about the idiocy of congress and SCOTUS (because they are pretty damn funny sometimes) but I will continue to do it no matter who is running the show. I generally don't mention the White House or the President because quite frankly, I support him. Hell, I like him. I don't agree with everything he does or has done, but I do agree with the overall plan of action he has for fighting the religion of peace.

Part II later, I need to go to work.

The next time someone mentions presidential approval ratings,

2008-07-09T21:58:00.003-04:00

Tell them about this:

Apparently, the only thing we approve of less than GWB is the democrat-led congress.

--Chuck

Homage To A Government

2008-07-07T09:45:00.002-04:00

Next year we are to bring all the soldiers home
For lack of money, and it is all right.
Places they guarded, or kept orderly,
We want the money for ourselves at home
Instead of working. And this is all right.

It's hard to say who wanted it to happen,
But now it's been decided nobody minds.
The places are a long way off, not here,
Which is all right, and from what we hear
The soldiers there only made trouble happen.
Next year we shall be easier in our minds.

Next year we shall be living in a country
That brought its soldiers home for lack of money.
The statues will be standing in the same
Tree-muffled squares, and look nearly the same.
Our children will not know it's a different country.
All we can hope to leave them now is money.

Philip Larkin
England, 1969

Chuck in 2008!

2008-07-07T09:44:00.001-04:00

http://www.news3online.com/index.php?code=27TP153cMV0leL277Q6r

Two Thirty Two

2008-07-04T07:51:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been two hundred and thirty two years, and we've managed to not perish from this earth. We hold the individual's rights above any government power, even though it is sometimes to our own detriment, and that's a good thing, because it means we have not, as a nation, lost focus on what is really important.

I am the most important person in the nation. So are you. Although our elected representatives don't often behave that way, in theory we, the people are what is really important.

I am proud of my country. That isn't a new feeling for me, because I have always been proud of my country. I've been around the world and visited many foreign lands, and while attempting to experience their way of life without comparing it to mine, I've never found any country I'd trade for my own. I was raised in a family that loves its country, and serves its country. Even though that service has directly contributed to the death of one of us (my Dad, whose cancer is ONLY caused by exposure to Agent Orange) and to the maiming of another, OneBall Chuck.

Anathema are those who do not feel pride in their country until they find success, or some other reward, because they don't realize that the opportunities they have, even the ability to make their own opportunities, are one of the very blessings of liberty.

We have fought each other from Lexington to Appomattox, drawing our own blood to fight for our beliefs, whether those beliefs we loyalist or separatist, Republican or Secessionist, both times we've drawn blood have been to defend our individual ideas of freedom.

Think about that: The only times Americans have fought against each other has been over the cause and nature of Freedom. Any other internal struggle we handle in the ballot box, the courts, or the congress, but in matters of freedom we are willing to wage war on ourselves.

What is not to be proud of? We place freedom first above all else. We base our gummint on the idea that it exists because we tell the gummint it CAN exist, and we limit what it can do. We are neither given nor granted our rights, they belong to us, they always belong to us, and cannot be taken away, even if that means the government has to change. How many other nations will do that, will change the fundamental ways they do things because they identify that they are impeding citizens' rights?

Why are we great? Because whether they love us or hate us, people around the world know our nation is free. They hate us because we trade unfairly, we out-purchase and out-produce. They hate us because our gummint goes to great lengths to either influence or outright control foreign gummints, to secure our well-being. They hate us because we don't pray to their god, or we live alongside others who don't pray to their god. The reasons America is hated are legion, but there is one thing that our enemies all share: they know that the greatest thing in our country is the individual and his rights, and that scared the shit out of every tin-pot dicktater and mullah and imam and communist and socialist and tyrant in the world.

And them furriners who love us, they love us for that exact same reason.

That is why we are great, that is just one of the many reasons I love this country, (that is one reason that Mrs. Obama has apparently missed).

Happy Birthday America!

Now, I'm off to train the next year's group of warrior leaders, hopefully I'll be done this evening in time to see a firework or two.

Mulatto

2008-07-04T03:24:00.002-04:00

"America's First Black Candidate" is also America's god-knows how many-ith white candidate. (That is a public service announcement for those who vote solely on race, either way.)

But really, and here's the funny thing, look at the pictures on the right sidebar on this page.

Mulatto is not a word he bandies about.

(Which is weird, because, it's a minority demographic, right?)

As an interesting aside, mulato (small mule, person of mixed race, mulatto; from mulo, mule; from Old Spanish; from Latin mūlus), by analogy with the mule, which is the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey.

And donkey os the symbol of the DNC.

--Chuck

farking fiddlesticks!

2008-07-04T03:05:00.003-04:00

Looks like Chris "Corky" Burke has some competition.

The big difference is, this guy admits that he's ~~cognitively impaired~~ retarded.** And he (and his parents) wear that like a badge of honor. "Yeah, I'm retarded.** Doesn't mean I can't 1) be funny 2) be talented or 3) make fun of myself and others."

He says "retard**" "wetback" and "F'ing fiddlesticks."

He doesn't just make fun of retards,** he makes fun of everyone--kind of like someone else I know.

--Chuck

**Of course, I'm prolly still wrong for using the r-tard word, because I am not one. Just like I can't say, write, or think N-gger (and I don't mean 'nagger'). And I have to refer to liberal democrats as liberal democrats, not fucktarded asswipe socialists, but that's another story.

(Also, if your cruising youtube, search for chad vader. You'll be tickled.)

Recycle your phone for Joe!

2008-07-02T18:26:00.000-04:00

Mark Kenyon (ATTNEWS.US)

to tcoverride

show details 1:50 PM (1 hour ago)

Hi,

After checking out your blog I thought I might have some information that your readers and other supporters of our troops might be interested in. This July 4th, join AT&T and Cell Phones for Soldiers by recycling your old cell phone to help provide U.S. troops with free phone cards to call their friends and loved ones.

Customers can recycle their old cell phones in more than 2,000 AT&T stores across 1,100 U.S. cities, as well as at sponsored events like Vans Warped Tour 2008, the popular music festival.

For more information about donating phones or funds to Cell Phones for Soldiers, visit att.com/holidayconnect. To start your own donation drive, go to att.com/recyclewireless."

In addition to all of this great work to help support our troops AT&T is now offering the first comprehensive portfolio of mobile content tailored to the United States Military. Just in time for 4^th of July, AT&T customers now have access to ringtones, Answer Tones™, 3D graphics and animations, and videos tailored to members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Accessing these tools is fast and easy. AT&T customers can text USA to 386 and receive a link to view the entire collection of more than 300 military-themed products.

The collection will also include special photos that highlight the skill and precision of the military’s premier air demonstration squadron, the USAF Thunderbirds. A portion of each Thunderbird photo sale will be contributed by 2Thumbz to the Air Force Aid Society—the official charity of the USAF. This way, AT&T customers that utilize this exclusive wireless content won’t only be honoring our armed forces, they’ll be making a difference, as well.

For photos of Cell Phones for Soldiers and AT&T’s new military-themed applications, visit the AT&T Troop Support channel on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/shareatt/sets/72157605933116531/detail/

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you,

Mark Kenyon

mkenyon@attnews.us

Free Signs!

2008-07-01T17:12:00.000-04:00

Andre Nader

to tcoverride

I am employed at Buildasign.com and we are running a promotion that gives military families a free customizable banner to help welcome home their loved ones returning from overseas. I was wondering if you could offer me any tips or suggestions on who to get in contact with to get the message in the hands of those people that can take advantage of this promotion. If you know anyone who could take advantage of this service then please send them over to www.buildasign.com/Troops .

We are giving away 10,000 banners and also donating 15% of proceeds to the DAV.

Thank you very much for your service

Best arguments to carry a gun

2008-06-29T20:44:00.002-04:00

I've found these to be the best arguments to carry a gun
1. law-abiding citizens do just that, they abide by the law. Their carrying weapons is no threat to any other law-abiding citizen.
2. if your daughter or wife were being raped, or your child abducted, would you rather I shoot the bastard, or call the police and give them a good description of the "suspect" and then help your wife or daughter to the hospital?
3. If you think people shouldn't keep loaded guns in the house, because the threat of home invasion is so low, do you lock your doors before you go to bed?
4. When seconds count, the police are just minutes away.
5. The Supreme court of the united states has decided and upheld the decision that the police are NOT responsible for your personal security. If they were, they would be liable every time a crime was committed.
6. When I carry open, people stare at me because they aren't sure if I am a threat. When I carry concealed, they don't even know if a threat is there (why open carry should be the law of the land, or concealed carry made as common as open carry--better a criminal doesn't know you are carrying, make them wonder about the threat to them.)
7. Anyone willing to depend on the police, or the National Guard, or the Military, or any other government organization for their personal safety has already surrendered their personal freedom to the government, and is the antithesis of what our founders considered to be the most American of Ideals: A Truly Free person.
8. "I'm carrying a gun and can kill you any time I want. How long do you think it'll take the police, military, or other gummint agency to get her to stop me? Since I have a gun and you don't, you have the rest of your life to answer. "

*(regardless of individual state statutes, laws, or regulations, I retain my individual right to self defense, and will not allow neither myself nor my family to be deprived of life or liberty by a criminal, nor by a nanny state which deems my gun any more dangerous than the oil-filter wrench in my garage. Tried by twelve vs. carried by six, and I will not stand idly by and watch my family harmed.)

I've sacrificed life and limb for these rights, and I will not tolerate their erosion or infringement. For any government to do so is to blatantly proclaim that everything I have sacrificed was for naught.
--Chuck

Rope, Tree, SCOTUS. Some assembly required.

2008-06-28T13:27:00.003-04:00

Justice Stephen Breyer wrote a separate dissent in which he said, "In my view, there simply is no untouchable constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to keep loaded handguns in the house in crime-ridden urban areas." [emphasis added]

Ahem:

"Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights."

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Tenth Amendment – Powers of states and people.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

Does that sound fucking familiar, you half-bald fuckstick?

Rights, all rights, belong to me, they are neither granted nor given, they are mine, not yours, and the gummint has absolutely no right to think they can take away or even limit those rights.

Madison acknowledged a major reason for some of the discontent with the Constitution as written: "I believe that the great mass of the people who opposed [the Constitution], disliked it because it did not contain effectual provision against encroachments on particular rights, and those safeguards which they have been long accustomed to have interposed between them and the magistrate who exercised the sovereign power: nor ought we to consider them safe, while a great number of our fellow citizens think these securities necessary."

The idea of adding a bill of rights to the Constitution was originally controversial. Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist No. 84, argued against a "Bill of Rights," asserting that ratification of the Constitution did not mean the American people were surrendering their rights, {so although certain rights are enumerated, and therefore guaranteed against encroachment by the government, lack of inclusion of other rights does not mean the government may encroach upon them.--Chuck} and therefore that protections were unnecessary: "Here, in strictness, the people surrender nothing, and as they retain every thing, they have no need of particular reservations." Critics pointed out that earlier political documents had protected specific rights, but Hamilton argued that the Constitution was inherently different:

Bills of rights are in their origin, stipulations between kings and their subjects, abridgments of prerogative in favor of privilege, reservations of rights not surrendered to the prince. Such was "Magna Charta", obtained by the Barons, swords in hand, from King John.

Finally, Hamilton expressed the fear that protecting specific rights might imply that any unmentioned rights would not be protected:

I go further, and affirm that bills of rights, in the sense and in the extent in which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in the proposed constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers which are not granted; and on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do?

The first 10 amendments list individual rights--they outline rights that the founders felt so important that the government had to be specifically directed not to fuck with these rights. These rights belong to every citizen, and Keeping and Bearing arms is a direct part of that. The verbiage may say "as part of a well-regulated militia" but does not say the average citizen has to be an active participant, but rather able to be mobilized for the common defense of the country, state, town, or home.

The supremes exist to interpret the constitution as the founders meant it, and to validate all laws passed by the congress to ensure they are within the limits and constraints of the constitution. Any member of the supreme court who cannot remember that the founding principle of our nation is that people have inalienable rights needs to be hauled out onto the mall, and strung by his genitals to the top of the Jefferson Rotunda until he be dead, dead, dead.

His carcass should them be moved to the top of the Washington monument, to be carried around by carrion birds until no traces remain.

There is simply no right guaranteed by the constitution. The constitution guarantees that the government, be it the President, Congress, or even the "Justices for Life" in the supreme court can encroach upon, infringe upon, or otherwise limit my rights. The second amendment guarantees that the government cannot limit or otherwise take away the one thing that gives me the means to limit tyranny--whatever form it takes.

It is my duty as a citizen, as an Army officer and defender of the constitution, and my right, a right that is mine by the simple nature of my existence, which the good "justice"thinks he has the ability and authority to limit.

If the government tries to disarm me, or passes any law saying that I am no allowed to own, possess, or otherwise operate a firearm, I will disobey. I guarantee that any person who attemps to enforce any such law will have a gun, which clearly demonstrates a tyranny of government giving itself rights it will not confer to its citizens. That is 180 degrees off true from what 10,623 of my countrymen sacrifices life or limb to protect during the revolution. If the gummint is unable or unwilling to police itself of these nitwits who think we, the people exist to support them and their Utopian ideals, and the cost of our liberties, then sadly it is time for the streets of our nations capital to once again flow with the blood of patriots, scoundrels, and tyrants.

--Chuck

New shirt ideas

2008-06-27T15:30:00.003-04:00

"I even take the position that sexual orgies eliminate social tensions and ought to be encouraged."

Antonin Scalia
September 2004

A che'-esque photo of BHO with high-contrast, in black and white.
(http://freedomsight.net/wp-content/uploads/che_obama.gif)
(http://politica2008.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/che_obama_1.jpg)
Kill Whitey (a personal favorite)

Voting for a candidate simply based on his color, no matter what his color he or she may be, is the very definition of Racism.

If you take race out of the picture, BHO has less experience than most congressional pages.

(Picture of he "Hope" slogan) with the "o" replaced with a "y"

"Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!" Barrack Hussein Obama
"Hope is not a method. Hope is simply saying 'I wish things were this way, and I'll wait for someone else to see that and do it." Chuck Ziegenfuss

" All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it's here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster." Barack Obama
(Unless, of course, you listen to scientists who have verifiable data and facts behind them who say otherwise. The climate does change, but unless we extinguish the sun, and drop the earth's temperature to 1 degree above kelvin, there's nothing we can do to fix, or even influence, the climate.)

Add your thoughts to the comments

--Chuck

Military Motivator

2008-06-25T21:31:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure if Military Motivator is one of Chuck's daily reads, but it might be after this:

I think I might start surreptitiously dropping links in his blogroll. Think he'll notice? ;)

-The Code Monkey

Well, I'm not dead...

2008-06-23T21:01:00.004-04:00

Three years ago last Saturday, I died.

Then, three years ago yesterday, I died again.

Since then, I haven't died (except, of course, for la petit mort, which is all The Mrs.' fault.) And to be honest, I've never complained about that.

Many of you, (is two equal to many?) have written to wonder if I had fallen off the face of the earth. Not quite, but I can see it from here. I planned to blog my cross-country trip to Washington, and other than a few restaurant reviews, that failed miserably.

I planned to keep everyone up to date on my current state, and that too, has failed miserably. My beloved code monkey has even wondered where I went.

Here's the 411:

Like last summer, I am out at the Leadership Development Assessment Course, living in the woods at Fort Lewis, Washington. Unlike last year, where I led patrols and had a direct impact on training individuals, this year I am the overall operations planner for the patrolling committee. I write the plans, others go on to lead the patrols. Granted, the job is more in line with my pay grade, but is far from personally rewarding. Most days I sit in a tent and work on PowerPoint slides and excel spreadsheets, get yelled at by our fairly belligerent committee chief who enjoys servicing targets with shotgun blasts instead of well-aimed and placed shots. I attribute it to poor leadership styles of those who've led him over the years.

Because I have been sequestered for so long in the woods, the internet access we were supposed to have out here (100Mbps) and backup wireless broadband, was in actuality no wireless broadband and twisted pair 9600 baud. Not exactly conducive to blogging. I managed to find and purchase a high-gain antenna for my Verizon air card, and now I have teh intarweb on my laptop, but folks seem to think that my personal laptop is open for anyone to use to chat with teen boys on yahoo and such.

Even changing my password to "eatshit" wasn't discouraging to them. I had to stop bringing my laptop to the woods, which greatly reduces my ability to use the voice software, and as such slows productivity in producing slides and such, which leads to more frequent ass-chewings. Of course, working in a noisy tactical operations center isn't exactly a prime location for the voice software either, so I suppose I'm screwed either way.

So, I've driven three thousand miles to sit in a tent for the summer. I will not get to see Bubba's first few football practices, Adelle's soccer games, or get the whole le petit mort for the next two months because I am an overpaid slide bitch. Unlike last year, hard as the training was, I actually got as much out of it as I put into it, and made an impact on training leaders. Not so much this summer, the physical discomfort is greatly reduced, but the mental stress and lack of job satisfaction has increased exponentially.

I hate this job; toc bitch, S-3, Operations Officer, whatever you want to call it. I've done it everywhere from Kuwait to Kosovo and all points in between. It's a job where the boss is never happy with you, and the people who actually need your products never get them in a timely manner because a font is wrong, or a slide isn't formatted properly. Worse still, the end users never provide good feedback to tell you when your products help, how to improve to better help them, or when you are 90 degrees off true.

Most TOC's (and especially this one) focus on form over functionality, and eye wash takes precedence over common sense. On my desk (a folding table) is a phone that isn't connected to anything, a printer with no ink, a painter's paper dropcloth as a table skirt (god forbid someone should see the stuff under my desk, and a power strip. We had to build a 1/2 height wall out of sand bags across the TOC, for no reason other than it looks cool. All charts are printed on a plotter, and hung on plastic backing boards, which means that after I figure out which slides to display above my desk (not to be confused with which slides I can actually use) I have to drive the electrons in a thumb drive 20 miles to the training aid support center to get printed on a plotter, mounted on the boards, and covered in clear plastic. Since it's a drop-off, not while you wait, that means I have to drive back (20 miles) to work, and then make a return trip (20 miles) to the training aid center later in the day (20 miles) to pick up the finished product (assuming they are complete (and I can't very well call, because there is seldom a signal in these woods) and IF the products are ready, drive them back to the TOC, hang them up, and forget about them.

80+miles in a pickup truck (a gummint vehicle, not my own) for pure unadulterated eyewash. And then someone will decide that they need a different chart, or that they don't like they way I track information because it isn't intuitive to them, or that it isn't the way they did it when they were the ops guy in another unit with a different mission.

So, work sucks, I'm tired (days start at 0500 and usually seem to end at 0400) I'm getting tired of a steady diet of beef jerky and funyuns, stale burned coffee, and cold soup. (Actually, those are supplements to my steady diet of anger, regret, and nicotine.) I'm really sick of getting my ass chewed because other people couldn't give clear guidance if they were giving someone directions down a one way street, and because things aren't progressing as fast as they want, in the manner they want. So far, I've been nodding my head and doing the "yes sir" dick dance, but my dance card is getting full and my stupid shit o-meter is pinging in the red. Sooner or later the "I'm medicated but still in pain, tired, frustrated, and really don't give a flying fuck if you don't like the way I did something, especially when the end product is only for my use... sir." argument is going to come out, and since I can only be fired and sent home early, I really don't see many drawbacks to doing that.

Just bitching.

--Chuck

Where's Waldo Chuck

2008-06-22T15:32:00.003-04:00

An update from the Code Monkey:

I just wanted to let everyone know that Chuck has not run off with Hare Krishna's or sworn off all technology to begin a new life as a Luddite or anything crazy like that. He claims the Army has got him quite busy, but I think there may be more going on.

A few of my theories:

He's building his own Death Star.
He's forming an alliance of bloggers to deal with trolls.
He's delivering pizza and words of encouragement for the folks at UMass Lowell working on the DARPA project to study limb regeneration.
Working a second job so he can win the bidding on the Sea Harrier Jump Jet Aircraft on eBay.

Feel free to add your own theories in the comments...

Fiscal responsibility

2008-06-10T00:02:00.002-04:00

Has escaped the RNC and the DNC, apparently.

Now that the wicked witch of the west wing has formally withdrawn from the race (and no, she won't be VP, either) (if you need to ask why, google "vince foster") that means that the two major parties have exactly one candidate each in the race for POTUS.

So, since both parties are SO trying to out-responsible the other when it comes to wisely spending money, why are they both continuing to hold national conventions? Why fly all the delegates in, pay for hotels, meeting halls, parties, wine, dine, and woo $upporter$, why spend the MILLIONS of dollars each party will collectively spend so they can either vote for the party's ONLY candidate or not vote?

An election with only one person on the ballot is just stupid. Holding a national convention to vote, hosting multi-night pep rallies and chanting and cheering buffoonery when there is only one candidate on the ballot reminds me more of Saddam's elections than what should be hosted in America.

I honestly think that if a party can't come up with at least three viable candidates to go through all of the primaries, and then hold a convention where all states' delegates, having seen each of them under the political microscope for a year, can then select which one they want to throw their vote behind, if they can't find three good men, then that party has reached the point where it no longer can claim a viable representation of the American people.

There are Three Hundred Million of us little people. The best we can do for choosing a leader is "Sweetness and Light" or the "Jug-eared Reconquistador from Arizona." These are the two people who can best represent to the world who we are and what we believe in? If that is the case then we are well and truly screwed. I think each candidate seeking a party nomination should have to put up a 25% stake of their personal assets when they seek the nomination, which, if they stay in the race through the convention and then don't receive the nomination, get their stake back. If they quit early, they forfeit the stake and it goes into the general fund, or the hooker and booze fund, or goes into the dirty tricks and mudslinging fund. Then maybe we could see all the candidates for a party's nomination last longer than the first few primaries.

As it stands, they stay in the race until they either lose successively or lose big in a primary, someone finds out about the dead hooker from that weekend in Vegas, or (in Fred's case) they realize this popularity contest isn't about character as much as it is platitudes. Sometimes, we get really lucky and a megalomaniac gets involved and refuses to step down, and every "we're still in this" rally just becomes more and more pathetic and sad, not unlike a solitary unsold pantsuit hanging on the rack at goodwill.

But I digress. My point, already made, is that a national convention for either party at this point seems at least frivolous, and definitely worthless. Could the delegates (much like the candidates) just phone it in? If this is how the party elite are going to use the money they've raised, can we really trust either party with using our money--the money they've taken--wisely?

--Chuck

Why is Maria 'Skeletor' Shriver...

2008-06-09T23:58:00.002-04:00

Why is Maria 'Skeletor' Shriver...
Married to the guvernator?

Personally, I think it's a secret genetic experiment to try and produce a bullet-proof Kennedy.

All talk, no substance.

2008-06-09T23:31:00.003-04:00

First, Matthews is a Hillary twaddling retard.

Second, the Democratic senator from Texas, Kirk Watson, keeps trying, like many others, to say how utterly inspiring BHO is. That is, his words are inspiring.

Big, fat, hairy deal. Inspiring words. I, and about 99% of those I associate with, always place deeds over words when looking for sources of inspiration. It isn't what Christ said, but rather, what he did that makes his story inspiring.

Inspiring words? Look no further than Osama Bin Laden, Adolph Hitler, V.I. Lenin, Benny Mussolini, Joseph Smith, Jim Jones and a whole host of other assholes who used rhetoric to make their mark on Humanity. Anything he says is of little substance, because he's done nothing to prove he can do anything.

Sure, we all want to live in a world where the beer flows like wine, taxes are low and easily affordable, gas is $0.10 a gallon, everyone has a six-figure income, everyone graduates from college as valedictorian, health care is free, and of better quality than we currently have, there is no war or threat of war, everyone loves their fellow man regardless of where he goes to pray, and you can walk from California to Japan on the backs of humpback whales, dolphins, harp seals and polar bears. All of our seasons are mild, natural disasters just don't happen, and the air we breathe is cleaner than in the cleanest laboratory clean room, and where man leaves all his petty squabbling behind and only seeks to educate himself, explore, experience, and work toward the betterment of himself and mankind.

What I have yet to hear, either because he is lying about doing any of it or truly has no f'ing clue what he's talking about, is how he is going to go about implementing any of these ideas, how he plans to pay for any of these ideas, or how he'll manage these ideas.

Maybe his halo of light is really the blur of millions, nay billions of "bullshit" flags being thrown around him.

Shouldn't he still be wearing a name badge

2008-06-09T23:08:00.003-04:00

that says 'Please be patient, I'm new!" with his name hand-written on it with a grease pencil ?

Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have in terms of actual work days?

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working.

After 143 days of work experience, Obama believes he is ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan.

143 days -- It takes the Army longer than that to train a civilian to become a soldier and teach them a job skill.

In contrast, John McCain's 26 years in Congress (which I admittedly don't necessarily think is a good thing), 22 years of military service (which is a great thing) including 1,966 days in captivity as a POW in Vietnam now seem more impressive than ever.

Once again, Rapid City, SD does not disappoint.

2008-06-07T17:43:00.002-04:00

Last year, on our trip East, The Mrs. was insulted to her face when we stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn.

Since I was out of gas, having driven from Brandon, SD, where I camped overnight at Big Sioux recreation area and mosquito farm, on a single tank averaging 88 MPH--sorry, no flux capacitor or I'd already be on my way home--I had to stop in the Black Foothills for gas, and what the hell, let's eat, too.

It's 4:30 in the afternoon and I've only got 398 miles to go before I get to Billings.

Next to the Gas and Go is a nice little roadhouse named Marlin's Roadhouse. I walk in, look around, and it looks nice. Soft drinks are served in Mason Jars, of the 40 or so tables, there are maybe five with families sitting there enjoying what looks to be some tasty roadhouse fare. There's a sign saying please seat yourself, so I look for a booth with my back to the wall and a power outlet, and sit down and read my email.

Then I read through the last few day's posts on Blackfive, Kim DuToit, listoftheday, and hotchickswithdouchebags.

At the time of this writing, I've not so much as been greeted, given a menu, or offered a drink. It's now 5 PM.

Hospitality, Rapid City style.

There are FIVE servers "working" and a manger on the floor, apparently focusing on making sure there's plenty of silverware and napkin burritos taped up for what must be the dinner rush. Given that it's 4:30 in the afternoon and there are 13 people in here, I think the 175 spares they have in addition to the ones already laying unused on all the tables should be enough to last them for the next several months.

Exactlyu three tables away is a family of five, with what appears to be a three year old kid clebrating a birthday lunch. His waitron has been over to them *four times* since I sat down, and even shared a nice personal story with the family while she asked about the food, and was everything okay. I even made eye contact with her while she flapped her soup cooler.

Since I need a break from driving, I'm going to play their game a while. Whoever does finally come and wait on me had better be an angel on skates, because I tip according to service, not by some ridiculous percentage. Last night I ate at a Perkins, and although I didn't find the fried cod terribly appealing, my waitress was genuinely gracious, checked back often, made sure I had what I needed, and even asked several time if I'd like to put in another order for more fish (it was all you can eat.) On a $10 tab, she got a $10 tip. I have never stiffed a waitress, but I have left verbal tips in the "Tip" line on the check.

Two dirtbags just came in and grabbed a booth 3 spaces away. They were immediately greeted by Misty, the saucy server from the birthday party. Greeted before their asss hit the seat. It's now 5:10, and she's taking their drink order. Birthday party is getting up to leave, maybe now a server will be unbusy enough to waddle over here and ask if I'd like a menu, or if I just came in for the ambiance.

5:19 Misty finally realizes that I'm not going to go away if I am ignored. She comes over and asks if I'd like a drink and hands me a menu. She doesn't even say anything about the 49 minutes I've been sitting here, quitely typing while getting madder than hell. She just fetches my coffee and buzzes away, hell bent, I'm sure, on spreading the service to other customers that makes Marlins Famous.

I ordered a brisket sammich, mmmmm... tasty. It comes out quick, she drops it off, walks away, turns around, like when you walk into a room and forget why you're there, and then grabs the bottle of catsup in her pocket and asks if I'd like some. It does go well with fries, after all.

I bet they'll be very prompt with the bill.

Oh by the way, the coffee blows goat, too.

If the owner of this establishment ever reads this, don't fire Misty. Fire the idiot manager and the other four wait staff who stood around watching the hair on their upper lips grow instead of waiting on customers.

The total bill came to $9.38. I left a tip of 94 cents and an Obama bumper sticker I got at the gas station next door. See, I never stiff a server!