*Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada wants another investigation into pre-Iraq War intelligence in order to embarass President George W Bush. "Dingey Harry" and the rest of the Congressional Leftists think it more important to score propaganda points on the political scene than it is to prosecute the War on Terror. The "Bush lied, people died" cliche is disingenuous considering the fact that the Left's poster boy, Bill Clinton, made the exact same charges against Saddam Hussein in the late 1990's. If not for the diversion caused by the Lewinsky scandal, the US was prepared to take out the Iraqi dictator long before Hillary looted the White House on her way out the back door.
*Speaking of misguided thinking, Republicans aren't immune from moments of lunacy either. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, GOP members of the Senate, are stumping for new laws to protect the legal rights of terrorists. Deftly rewriting the Geneva Conventions, these fellow travelers want to apply the rules of conventional war to those who wear no country's uniform, murder innocent civilians, including children, without hesitation, and vow to destroy Western Civilization in the name of God! Maybe these guardians of the "rights" of Islamofascists should be forced to issue their bleatings from Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon, or the field in Shanksville, PA, where Todd Beamer and the other passengers of Flight 93's fight against terrorism ended on 9/11.
*Thanks to the St. Louis County government for mailing out property tax bills with a hefty increase. Some years back, homebuyers complained that they were being unfairly burdened with higher property taxes than those existing residents who had purchased their homes years earlier at far lower prices (Thanks to Jimmy Carter and the double-digit inflation of the late 1970s). True to their reptilian nature, local politicians agreed, and the result was a system of re-assessing all property every two years and adjusting (read:increase) taxes accordingly. Notice the true nature of this "solution": New homebuyers didn't get any relief from their tax burden, the politicos simply raised everyone else's taxes. Since home values have jumped sharply in recent years, so have tax bills.
In answer to the outraged voices of County residents, County Executive Charlie Dooley, in true statesman-like fashion, has refused to even consider reducing tax rates. Meanwhile, homeowners are selling their houses and fleeing across the Missouri River into St Charles County, where no doubt a different group of "public servants" will find ever more ingenious ways of separating citizens from their hard-earned paychecks.
*On a lighter note, the St Louis Rams, under interim head coach Joe Vitt, defeated the heavily-favored Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. Even though the Male Sheep had every reason to be distracted by the number of offensive stars out with injuries and the medical leave of Head Coach Mike Martz, the Lambs played with a lot of emotion and an inspired defense that was minus its starting Defensive End. Enjoy the bye week guys. You've earned it!
*You can now buy a new, steel,1969 Camaro convertible body and frame from a GM-authorized manufacturer, and a '68 Mustang Fastback is rumored to be in the works. What an awesome opportunity for those of us living in the Rust Belt! Will this inspire an entire series of classic musclecars from the 1960s? I sure hope so. To learn more, see the December 2005 issue of Hot Rod Magazine.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Friday, November 04, 2005
Vehicle Inspection--Your Tax Dollars at Waste
I went though the ritual of having my 2001 Mercury Marquis emissions tested today. In St. Louis, part of the license renewal process is a smog test at a privately run, state-mandated emissions station. The fee is $24, and if you pass, you breathe a sigh of relief that the bi-annual ordeal is finally over. Of course, you're lighter in the wallet, but the whole process is such a hassle that most folks are just happy to get it over and done with.
1996 and newer cars hook into a computer at the station that verifies the car's emissions controls are working properly. If not, you have to go to a state-approved repair facility and hand over your life savings to either fix the problem or get a waiver if the vehicle's beyond repairing to compliance. Older vehicles roll onto a dyno where the "technician" hooks an exhaust analyzer to the exhaust system and runs the vehicle through a "drive cycle". In reality, it sounds like they're trying to blow up the motor by continuously revving the engine to it's rpm limit!
The Missouri Legislature has tried to eliminate this boondoggle several times, but our most enlightened (read: bribed) public servants derail these efforts each year in the name of clean air. The privately-held stations are guaranteed cash cows for connected individuals, and we all know what politicians will do for money.
And I thought that only happened to you when you bought the car!
1996 and newer cars hook into a computer at the station that verifies the car's emissions controls are working properly. If not, you have to go to a state-approved repair facility and hand over your life savings to either fix the problem or get a waiver if the vehicle's beyond repairing to compliance. Older vehicles roll onto a dyno where the "technician" hooks an exhaust analyzer to the exhaust system and runs the vehicle through a "drive cycle". In reality, it sounds like they're trying to blow up the motor by continuously revving the engine to it's rpm limit!
The Missouri Legislature has tried to eliminate this boondoggle several times, but our most enlightened (read: bribed) public servants derail these efforts each year in the name of clean air. The privately-held stations are guaranteed cash cows for connected individuals, and we all know what politicians will do for money.
And I thought that only happened to you when you bought the car!
Halloween Rainout
It rained in St. Louis on Halloween. It hasn't rained much all year, but it rained on Halloween. St. Louis is in the midst of a drought, but it rained all day and most of the night. We had 26 brave tykes and their parents show up in spite of the gloomy weather, but the soaking definitely put a damper (sorry for the pun) on the festivities.
I suppose it could have been much worse. The trick-or-treaters were all well-behaved, and we had plenty of candy to last the evening. Sometimes in the past, we'd be down to handing out change and chewing gum. The only downside is that all that chocolate around the house draws me like a nail to a magnet. I guess we could always buy less candy, but then all those varieties strewn across the stores' shelves would be left homeless, and my selection of leftovers would include things like candy corn and Sweet Tarts.
Think I'll just stick with gluttony.
I suppose it could have been much worse. The trick-or-treaters were all well-behaved, and we had plenty of candy to last the evening. Sometimes in the past, we'd be down to handing out change and chewing gum. The only downside is that all that chocolate around the house draws me like a nail to a magnet. I guess we could always buy less candy, but then all those varieties strewn across the stores' shelves would be left homeless, and my selection of leftovers would include things like candy corn and Sweet Tarts.
Think I'll just stick with gluttony.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Intelligent Design? Are You Kidding Me?
Every time I hear an argument for Intelligent Design, I get ambivalent feelings. I look at the stars in the heavens at night, or at storm clouds from the window of an airliner and think, "Yeah, it would take somebody pretty awesome to create that". Then I see Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, and Chuck Schumer and I say, "Nah!!".
Of course, maybe God's just got a really great sense of humor.
Of course, maybe God's just got a really great sense of humor.
Judge Alito
It looks like President Bush recovered pretty quickly from the Harriet Miers flap by nominating an experienced jurist to replace Sandra Day O'Conner on the US Supreme Court. Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr has a long and distinguished resume as a Federal Appeals Court judge, federal prosecutor, and lawyer. No word on whether he ever volunteered for Meals on Wheels.
That didn't stop knee-jerk liberals (including just-plain-jerk Chuckie Schumer) from attacking Alito as "dangerous" and a person "who would divide us rather than unite us". Huh?! Exactly where does it say in the job description that a Supreme Court justice must somehow 'unite' the people of the United States? I can just see the Senate hearings now: "Judge Alito, can you provide some examples of how you've brought people together since you were first appointed to the bench?". "Well, Senator, in one case involving the issue of gun control, I put a rifle, 5 bullets, and a law-abiding citizen together. It was a match made in heaven!" I bet Ted "hiccup" Kennedy's face would really blotch over that one!!
The 'Pro-Death' crowd will also be up in arms for fear that a new conservative majority on the Court will lead to greater restrictions on abortion. Funny how the same liberals who think the government should control every aspect of our lives, from where we live to where our kids go to school to how we should spend our own money get so whacko when it comes to ANY government intervention that preserves human life and dignity.
The Democrats will howl and scream, but in the end, I believe Alito will be confirmed. With any luck, more of the Court's liberal wing will decide they've had enough and give Bush the chance to add another Justice who believes in measuring laws by the Constitution and not creating law out of thin air.
That didn't stop knee-jerk liberals (including just-plain-jerk Chuckie Schumer) from attacking Alito as "dangerous" and a person "who would divide us rather than unite us". Huh?! Exactly where does it say in the job description that a Supreme Court justice must somehow 'unite' the people of the United States? I can just see the Senate hearings now: "Judge Alito, can you provide some examples of how you've brought people together since you were first appointed to the bench?". "Well, Senator, in one case involving the issue of gun control, I put a rifle, 5 bullets, and a law-abiding citizen together. It was a match made in heaven!" I bet Ted "hiccup" Kennedy's face would really blotch over that one!!
The 'Pro-Death' crowd will also be up in arms for fear that a new conservative majority on the Court will lead to greater restrictions on abortion. Funny how the same liberals who think the government should control every aspect of our lives, from where we live to where our kids go to school to how we should spend our own money get so whacko when it comes to ANY government intervention that preserves human life and dignity.
The Democrats will howl and scream, but in the end, I believe Alito will be confirmed. With any luck, more of the Court's liberal wing will decide they've had enough and give Bush the chance to add another Justice who believes in measuring laws by the Constitution and not creating law out of thin air.
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