Europe is Norma Desmond

Mark Steyn sees Europe as I do - a crisis waiting to happen. Perhaps Britain is an exception.
Europe as Norma Desmond 

Merman to Frist - Vox Bloguli 2.2

Hugh asks bloggers what Civil War General should be the model for Frist to follow on judicial nominees. I say we have worked the McClellan approach pretty hard so why not try the Grant plan for this go round. How could it be worse? As for the contribution/retribution angle, how about contributing to Ethel for Senate. She may be dead but even dead she has more spirit than most republicans. Is Bush the only leader we have?




Ethel M 

More on the Effigy Hangers of Sacramento

Much more comprehensive background information regarding the military effigy hangings in Sacramento from Diggersrealm.

Fear me!

Wagonboy from the Hugh Hewitt Show reveals the dangers lurking in Northridge.

IMAO asks. Bloggers Respond.

THE "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" BLOGGER QUIZ from IMAO.

1. Who the hell do you think you are?
I will have to get back to you on that after I check with my wife.

2. So, other than blogging, what's your job? Do you work at some fast food joint, dumbass?
Close. I double dip at the public trough.

3. Do you have like any experience in journalism, idiot?
You mean like a paper route?

4. Do you even read newspapers?
Is that what you do with them?

5. Do you watch any other news than FOX News propaganda, you ignorant fool?
Court TV, especially psychic detectives.

6. I bet you're some moron talk radio listener too, huh?
Only the potbangers like John and Ken.

7. So, do you get a fax from the GOP each day for what to say, you @#$% Republican parrot?
No. There is just this buzzing in my head. Maybe it is the tinfoil hat.

8. Why do you and your blogger friends want to silence and fire everyone who disagrees with you, fascist?
Conflict upsets me.

9. Are you completely ignorant of other countries, or do you actually own a passport?
Not completely ignorant yet but I am still working on it. What is this passport thingee?

10. Have you even been to another country, you dumb hick?
Unnecessary. I was born in Missouri.

11. If you're so keen on the war, why haven't you signed up, chickenhawk?
Been there. Done that.

12. Do you have any idea of the horrors of war? Have you ever reached into a pile of goo that was your best friend's face?
Are you talking about a botched facelift?

13. Have you ever reached into any pile of goo?
Like I said, I was born in Missouri.

14. Once again, who the hell do you think you are?!
once again, I will get back to you when my wife gets home.

Rove's Brilliant Plan

Hugh Hewitt wonders who leaked
this to Tim.

American Terrorist

Background about the Virginia high school valedictorian charged with plotting to assassinate the President. The Jawa Report assembles details here.


Little Green Footballs has an item about the high school here.

SoCal NorCal

20 year old son has been decking up the vehicle we were forced to buy for him to drive to college after moving up here from LA. (The community we chose for its ambiance supports no local public transportation.) One of the things you notice about young men's vehicles up here is a tendency to post a NorCal sticker somewhere conspicuous. Of course, son's vehicle must sport a SoCal sticker so while we were down south, he obtained one and applied it to the windshield. No indication yet about how this will be received at school. Will there be gang fights? turf battles? property destruction?
I report this in a continuing effort to understand and relate the differences between north and south in California. My SoCal moment was when I finally had my 310 cellphone number changed to 916 but I never stamped it on my forehead or any other conspicuous place. Stay tuned for reports on the consequences.

Jerry Brown on Hunter Thompson RIP

For those 'of an age' Jerry Brown comments on Hunter Thompson will interest. Worth reading.

Back from LA

Back from a weekend in LA seeing my tax guy and my LA son. Accompanied by by 20 year old son who has a new perspective about life (as an adult) in LA. We hit Castaic at about 5:00 PM Thursday night where we found rain and LA rush hour traffic. Three hours later we reached the motel in Torrance. It's been ten years since I did the daily rush hour commute but I remembered the drill and accepted the ordeal. My 20 year old said with amazement. "These people will be on the freeway 3 hours to get home and that is just one way. I sure don't want to live in LA."
This started me thinking. Why do people put up with this? There hasn't been a freeway built or improved in LA county since the Century started in the 70's under Governor Brown 2 and finally completed in the 80's. Meanwhile, how much money has been thrown at public transit? Why are we ashamed to drive our automobiles and to demand that a decent amount of the gas tax money actually be spent on roads? Why do we let the politicians tell us what we need and should have?

Since They Won't Build Roads in LA

Courtesy of Cool Hunting a new Dutch flying car prototype. What will it take to free SoCal from the 405?


PALV 

Jerry Brown Blog

The mayor of Oakland - former governor Jerry Brown has started a blog. This post relates to an Oakland issue but given his wide-ranging interests there may be some interesting posts here.

Update on Free Speech in Sacramento

Ericc Hogue comments on continuing conflict in the Land Park community of Sacramento where the soldier effigy was displayed on a house. A Free Speech demonstration scheduled offers a platform for the effigy-hangers and he suggests that the best course is to avoid any actions that give them satisfaction. The Bee had an article today but I could not locate it on the web. See Eric's thoughts here.

PalosVerdesBlog parses California Education Budget

Bill at Palosverdesblog mines the Claremont Institute budget analysis. It's all in the administration.

No Cal Musings

Into the sixth month of full residence in NoCal (Full residence defined as having my wife and younger son living in our new house), I reflect on the differences here. The one that bugs me the most is the wimpy radio stations here. We live about 25 miles outside cental Sacramento and the AM station I prefer barely manages a signal as I near home. We only get Sacramento stations even though San Francisco is a mere 90 miles away. LA city is perhaps 100 miles from north to south and the radio stations serve the entire SoCal region. I had expected that Sacramento would be a portion of the San Francisco radio service area or would claim the attention of a wider geographic area. It's not that way. Sacramento is the big tomato for the county and apparently not much else and the bay area is a whole seperate thing.
So what is my complaint? I would like to have some radio stations that cover a big enough area to not lose signal in a normal drive. Sacramento stations should be strong enough to reach 50 or more miles from city center at a minimum.
When I used to do my weekly commutes from Sacramento to LA, SF Stations were never strong enough to reach either 99 or 5 and the only stations I could hold for more than an hour were Fresno and the amazing KFI from LA.
So there you are . NoCal is a community of small towns where SoCal is a mega community with a bunch of town nuggets woven into the urban tapestry. Maybe the normal expectation for travel up here is so short that the radio station range is irrelevant but to a conditioned SoCal person, it is offensive to have to find new radio stations every 30 miles.
So there are my first published musings about differences between NoCal and SoCal. I didn't promise to be profound and I think I succeeded.

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Joined with coworkers for the annual Chinese New Year dim sum lunch. This year we were treated to two dragons with drummers and buddahs who visited the restaurant looking for food apparently. Pretty well behaved although when they left there was a 5 minute firecracker experience.



Dragon 

Free Speech in Sacramento

Controversy over what constitutes freedom of speech in Sacramento. Homeowners not currently residing in a quiet Sacramento neighborhood hang an effigy of a soldier as a statment. Neighbors interviewed on the radio this morning suggest that the effigy may be a response to their displays of US flags on their homes - described as intimidating by the effigy hangers. Some background in the BEE. Could the hanging of the effigy be considered intimidating? Do neighbors have rights too? Stay tuned. Eric Hogue is following the story.

Hollywood Tribute

Courtesy of Professor Bainbridge this picture of a billboard seen on the Sunset Strip. Refreshing.


Sunset Strip 

Cheat Seeking Missiles: The Rest of the Story

LAT says they are not that desperate. So there!

A Daily Dose of Architecture

Interesting architecture blog I stumbled on. Good architecture is something that our culture fails to value and the architecture that we are likely to recognize as such is pretty bad. Let a trained eye be your guide.

Cheat Seeking Missiles: How Desperate is the LATimes?

Cheat Seeking Missiles finds out the LAT newest plan to keep customers.

California Population Up

New population statistics for California 36 Million strong. LA county at 10 million. LA and Orange Counties are home to 36% of Californians. More details here.

Easongate

Easongate is a new blog that gathers all the background and activities regarding Eason Jordan's comments at Davos. No MSM attention yet. Keep plugged in.

Sacramento Landmark Bridge

Sacramento has its own landmark but lit with white floods - not the blue light specials for San Pedro. Coundn't find a night picture.


Sacramento Landmark 

Vincent Thomas Bridge Off-color?

Two separate suppliers provide different colors for Vincent Thomas Bridge lights.



The Daily Breeze has the details.

Watched the State of the Union Address with my son

I was surprised that my 20 year old son wanted to watch the State of the Union address last night. My wife deferred to her usual Court TV saying she didn't like bad news. (Feminine logic eludes me and I have learned enough to avoid judgmental statements - so just the facts here.)
He kept at me to stop my running commentary mostly reflecting when Democrats would stand up in support so I finally shut up. He caught me with tears in my eyes however when the parents of the dead soldier were recognized and the Iraqi lady exchanged a hug with the mother. Powerful stuff.
What are the Democrats thinking?

Eason Jordan Details

From Davos, a summary of the discussion where Eason Jordan accuses (alleges?) US military complicity in journalist deaths. Check his report here.

Eason Jordan Thinks that North Korea is not a threat.

The man is golden. Lie about Sadam so that CNN can continue to tell lies about Iraq. Spread the unsubstantiated story about the US military killing reporters among the UN rabble at DAVOS. Of course North Korea is no threat. He probably has a villa there. Lets hope he needs it - very soon.

CNN Reports.

LA Lights Landmark Bridge

Phoblographer provides this picture of the newly lighted Vincent Thomas Bridge. South Bay residents - particularly from San Pedro and Palos Verdes will welcome this event and appreciate what it took to eliminate all the obstacles placed in the way of this project. Scroll down to pick up the condescension about San Pedro from the LAT. If you have ever looked at a map of LA you will see that only by the thinnest threads can SP be considered part of LA - and how many residents would choose to remain part of LA given a chance.




Vincent Thomas Bridge 

Eason Jordan CNN Flack

Eutychus Fell picks up the details of the latest story from the CNN flack that lied about Sadam Hussein in order to keep the CNN presence in Iraq before liberation. He provides links and detail regarding this allegation being ignored by MSM. Check him out.

In case you have to experience cold weather, a revolutionary ear protection and you can make it.