Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Alcohol And The Healthy Heart - It's Not Just Wine Anymore

Martini sippers rejoice!! It's coming out that a cocktail or beer has heart healthy benefits according to a Harvard School of Public Health doctor in this MSNBC article.

As healthful as components of red wine may be, the primary benefit must
come from ethanol itself. In short, it's the alcohol, stupid. But don't go
overboard. Doctors say that protection comes only with light to moderate
intake—defined as two drinks a day for men or a miserly one a day for women. As
Willett points out, "Saving it all up for Saturday night doesn't do the
trick."

It seems that alcohol has a propensity for increasing HDL's, the "good" cholesterol which tends to reduce plaque in the arteries. The key continues to be moderation. Here's to good health.

Every good thing has a down side. Here it is the increased risk of tumors. I may risk a little tumor to protect myself from having the big one. Here's to good health. (That's two. I'm done.)

Just a thought.

Lynndie England Sentenced

Lynndie England, the leash holding poster child of the anti-war crowd, was sentenced to three years in prison for her role in the detainee abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. While Ol' BC doesn't condone such tactics, one has to wonder - How many of the detainees who bombed and killed people may be out of detainment before Lynndie finishes her sentence?

Just a thought.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Al-Qaida In Iraq After All

Despite all the rhetoric to the contrary, here is more evidence that there is a connection between Iraq and the war on terror.

Al-Qaida in Iraq denied that Abu Azzam was the No. 2 leader of the
organization and said “it was not confirmed” that he was killed. “Abu Azzam was
one of al-Qaida’s many soldiers and is the leader of one of its battalions
operating in Baghdad,” the group said in an Internet statement by its spokesman,
Abu Maysara al-Iraqi.

"..the leader of one of its battalions operating in Baghdad" as well as "One of Al-Qaida's many soldiers".

This has to really disappoint the Democrats, at least most of them. And how about Cindy Sheehag and her demonstrators who support the Islamist terrorists?

Just a thought.

FEMA's Brown Meat Among Piranha At Hearing

Michael Brown was attacked by Congressmen at the hearing on Hurricane Katrina. The Congressmen obviously had very little interest in hearing Brown's assessment of the situation, but rather wanted a scapegoat on which to heap blame. That pesky protocol as well as the constitutional authority given the federal government were of no interest to the panel of Congressmen early in the session.

“I’m happy you left,” said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn. “That kind of look in
the lights like a deer tells me you weren’t capable of doing that job.”
Rep.
Gene Taylor, D-Miss., told Brown: “The disconnect was, people thought there was
some federal expertise out there. There wasn’t. Not from you.”

However, Brown, who has overseen over 150 presidentially declared disasters, probably has a better understanding of how things are supposed proceed than any of the attacking Congressmen. The Congressmen, on the other hand, see an opportunity to make political hay as the media has distorted the situation along the gulf. Read the article here.

The big question of the day is - Will anyone actually address the constitutional powers in the hearings?

Probably not. That would make the media look biased against the administration. That may also lead to having to acknowledge the fact that the feds were present in the gulf much quicker than in almost every other similar instance.

Just an observation.

College Degrees and Sex Discrimination

While reading the always insightful and very informative The Baron, I came upon this very enlightening tidbit - There are 135 college degrees handed out to women for every 100 for men.

This is really somewhat disturbing. The Baron has a link to Glenn Reynolds' discussion of the subject. But let's begin with this -

One would be to treat it the way we treat other “underrepresentation”
issues in higher education: By wondering what universities are doing wrong.
There seems little doubt that universities have become less male-friendly in
recent decades, to the point of being downright unfriendly in many cases. The
kind of statements that are routinely made about males and masculinity in
classrooms and hallways would get professors fired if they were made about
blacks, gays, or many other groups.

"By wondering what the universities are doing wrong." This is soooo true. The problem with this is that it is a male underrepresentation. They can do so much wrong with so much political correctness, that nothing will be effectively done for years and years. Read Glenn's post from The Baron's.

Just a thought.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Hillary To Vote No On Roberts

The Hildabeast may have shot herself in the foot, but from Ol' BC's standpoint that isn't a bad thing. She had this to say.

After serious and careful consideration of the Committee proceedings and Judge
Roberts's writings, I believe I must vote against his confirmation.

For the Hildabeast, this may solidify her support of some of the Democratic base, but she needs to acquire some moderate support to be a factor. This doesn't help her case. You can read her entire statement here. She is obviously posturing for a run. That scares me.

Just a thought.

Gore Campaign Manager Supports Bush

I had to read this twice to believe my eyes.

Democratic political consultant Donna Brazile managed Al Gore’s 2000
presidential campaign, but she stands solidly behind his opponent when it comes
to the reconstruction of the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged areas.
"I am not a
Republican. I did not vote for George Bush – in fact, I worked pretty hard
against him in 2000 and 2004,” the New Orleans native writes in a column carried
by several newspapers.
"But after watching him speak from the heart, I could
not have been prouder of the president and the plan he outlined to empower those
who lost everything and to rebuild the Gulf Coast.

It is refreshing to see a Democrat put politics aside and acknowledge the effort being made.

Just a thought.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Merkel Wins Plurality - Now What?

It appears from Germany's election that there is a good percentage of the German population that is not anti-American, or at least not to the degree portrayed. This article sheds some light on the situation.



Conservative leader Angela Merkel and the chairman of Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder's Social Democrats said Monday they both had initiated contacts with
potential coalition partners as they wrestled over what government will emerge
from Germany's inconclusive parliamentary election.

This could get interesting. No doubt U.S. - Germany relations would improve if somehow Merkel can come out on top. Ol' BC has the odds at even money.

Just a thought.

Disaster Comparisons Go On And On

While reading a NewMax article, I came across another disaster response comparison that has gotten very little play. I've noted previously hurricane response comparisons that shine favorably on Dubya and his administration, no matter what the bulk of reporting seems to indicate.

President Clinton, on other the other hand, got glowing reviews for
responding to his administration's biggest disaster, the Oklahoma City bombing -
even though he took a day longer to arrive on the scene than Bush did last
week.
New Orleans' levees broke on a Tuesday - and Bush had his own
boots-on-the-ground just three days later on Friday.When the Alfred P. Murrah
Building exploded on Wednesday morning, April 19, 1995, President Clinton didn't
travel to the scene for four full days.
And when he finally arrived, there
was no grumbling by troubled pundits about the delay. In fact, Clinton's
response to Oklahoma City is remembered to this day as the turning point of his
political fortunes.

Now, for those of us old enough to remember -

The double standard becomes even more obvious when reaction to Katrina is
compared with what remains the worst law enforcement debacle in U.S. history -
the Clinton administration's decision to rout the Branch Davidians from their
encampment at Waco.
More children were killed in that April 19, 1993, assault
than died in Oklahoma City. Yet the Clinton administration received little if
any blame - and no one was forced to resign.
In fact, after then-Attorney
General Janet Reno publicly accepted responsibility, she was hailed as a hero by
sympathetic reporters, an irony that's likely not lost on Bush's allegedly
"disgraced" ex-FEMA Director Michael Brown.

It never ceases to amaze me how the light can shine so differently on an issue or situation depending on who the president is at the time. The more and more comparisons that are examined, the better Bush looks. Maybe that's why we hear so little about these things in the media.

Just a thought.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Confirmation - Cindy Sheehan Is An Idiot

CINDY SHEEHAN CALLS FOR U.S TO 'PULL OUR TROOPS OUT OF OCCUPIED NEW ORLEANS'Mon Sep 12 2005 12:42:11 ET Celebrity anti-war protester, fresh off inking a lucrative deal with Speaker's Bureau, has demanded at the HUFFINGTON POST and MICHAEL MOORE'S website that the United States military must immediately leave 'occupied' New Orleans.

"Occupied New Orleans." Idiot status confirmed.

Just an observation.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

The Baron Is Back In Action

After a long period of inactivity, The Baron is back posting. Check it out. Add him to your blogroll. He rocks.

Just an observation.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Did He Really Say That????

Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay
said, "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty
good."

Yes, it's the same Mr. DeLay, as in Tom DeLay. That one has me really scratching my head.

The article starts out

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done
so well in cutting spending that he declared an "ongoing victory," and said
there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.

One really has to wonder what's going on over there. Are they eating some mysterious mushrooms to get their vegetable servings in? I guess I shouldn't lump everyone together, but when I look at the deficit figures in spite of the large increase of government revenues as a result of Bush's tax cuts, I can't find much in the way of paring spending. Am I missing something here?

Just a thought.

Caught On Tape

I ran across this post at Wizbang that I found particularly interesting. It seems Louisiana governor Blanco didn't ask for federal troops because she was afraid the looters may be put in jail. You got it. Looters may be put in jail.

It seems that on CNN of all places, she made some comments to her press secretary unaware that camaras were rolling.

I haven't personally heard the tape, but it sure doesn't appear to be a good thing for the governor.

Just a thought.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Roberts Opening Statement - The Text

You can read it here. It really difficult to ascertain much from a sound bite.

So far, so good. The left may be getting restless. Some are already bristling.

Just an observation.

Some See Katrina Relief As Good

In Ol' BC's last post, I noted comparing Katrina to Hurricane Floyd as far as aid arriving is concerned. Now, there is this Post-Gazette.com piece which goes even further.


The federal government pretty much met its standard time lines, but the volume
of support provided during the 72-96 hour was unprecedented. The federal
response here was faster than Hugo, faster than Andrew, faster than Iniki,
faster than Francine and Jeanne."
For instance, it took five days for
National Guard troops to arrive in strength on the scene in Homestead, Fla.
after Hurricane Andrew hit in 2002. But after Katrina, there was a significant
National Guard presence in the afflicted region in three.
Journalists who
are long on opinions and short on knowledge have no idea what is involved in
moving hundreds of tons of relief supplies into an area the size of England in
which power lines are down, telecommunications are out, no gasoline is
available, bridges are damaged, roads and airports are covered with debris, and
apparently have little interest in finding out.
So they libel as a "national
disgrace" the most monumental and successful disaster relief operation in world
history.


"The most monumental and successful disaster relief operation on world history" isn't exactly how this is being portrayed by any news outlets I've seen. BUT, this guy's been mobilized six times for hurricane relief. That perspective is bound to be somewhat different from the "journalists" sitting in their offices

Just a thought.

Friday, September 09, 2005

That Pesky Protocol

With all the fuss about the Fed's failure in responding to Hurricane Katrina, those who wish to carp and whine tend to forget or neglect to tell that the state has control in these situations and the Fed doesn't come swooping in until requested.

Now, Fox News' Major Garrett reported an interesting tidbit that has been kept hush hush so far. It seems there was food, water and hygiene supplies loaded and ready to move in to NOLA immediately following Katrina BUT THE STATE OF LOUISIANA SAID NO! They were afraid it would impede their evacuation efforts if the victims were provided food, water, etc. They indicated that they didn't want to encourage people to go to the Superdome. Interesting. However, the reporting of the Red Cross trucks being held up by the state has been pretty much nil.

On a side note, if any of you want to do a little research - go check out Hurricane Floyd - 1999.
Seems to Ol' BC that the Donks failed miserably when they were in charge and Floyd wasn't near the catastrophy Katrina has turned out to be. Maybe it's just that Bush is still involved with the Feds and the left despises him so much.... Here's another thought. What would they do if a conservative got elected president?

Just a thought.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Explaining Katrina

One article I read included this.

European papers have suggested that Katrina was the punishment the US
received for failing to sign onto the Kyoto accord, Islamic militants have
rejoiced that "private" Katrina has joined in the holy war against the U.S. for
- among other things - the Iraq war. Some have even suggested that the hurricane
was God's punishment on the U.S. for cooperating in the removal of Jews from the
Gaza strip.
However, beyond these speculations is a more general
acknowledgement that New Orleans, the epicentre of the disaster, was a "sin
city" which harboured few rivals. The New Orleans "southern decadence"
festival which was to take place Labour Day weekend, is described by a French
Quarter tourism site as "sort of like a gayer version of Mardi Gras" which is
"most famous (or infamous) for the displays of naked flesh which characterize
the event," with "public displays of sexuality . . . pretty much everywhere you
look."

Wow! When Ol' BC went to school, this wasn't taught as how storms develop. I feel much more enlightened now.

Just an observation.

Prayer Back In School? Sort Of

I picked up this post at LGF. It may surprise some.


CLIFFSIDE PARK, New Jersey (AP) — Yasmeen Elsamra had a simple request:
While her classmates were eating lunch, she wanted to go off by herself for a
few moments to pray.
The 14-year-old was told she couldn’t, and went home
distraught that afternoon in October 2003. Praying five times a day is a
cornerstone of her Muslim faith.
“If I wasn’t allowed to pray my second
prayer at school, I couldn’t do it at home,” she said. “When school finishes,
the third prayer begins.”
Her family contacted a Muslim advocacy group, the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, which asked the school district to
reconsider. Eventually, the district acknowledged it had no policy preventing a
student from praying on his or her own during free time, and allowed Yasmeen to
use an empty classroom to unfurl her prayer rug, face Mecca and touch her head
to the floor in a few moments of worship.
Her case was part of a nationwide
grassroots effort by Muslim parents to make public schools more friendly and
accommodating to Muslim students. The movement has gained strength since the
September 11, 2001, terror attacks.


Hmmmmm. Wonder how that would have been handled for a Christian or a Jew.

Just a thought.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Oh, Here We Go

I wondered not to long ago how long it would take for the Bush bashers to begin complaining that Hurricane Katrina was all his fault. Well, we've heard that as well as this from the U.N. goodwill ambassador. I wondered in an earlier post what Angelina Jolie would bring to the table as a U.N. goodwill ambassador. Now, we begin to get a peek.

The federal government's response must be dramatically increased in order
to prevent a further loss of life."
Jolie said she has sent letters to
members of Congress and the White House asking them to increase the speed of the
federal response. She added, "Like most people, I am simply trying to understand
the situation in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and how I can best help."

One would think that in her position with the mighty United Nations she would be lining up international contributions to assist in the efforts to bring comfort and relief to those along the gulf who are trying to deal with a catastrophy empty handed. Instead she whines about the failure of our own nation to respond quickly enough. If she had called members of Congress instead of sending letters she may have gotten her message through to the legislators much more quickly.

Just an observation.