According to the first poll results on FOX News 38% of responders believe Ron Paul won the Republican debate in Myrtle Beach, SC tonight. (Now they're posting 35%. HEY, you RonPaulians are slacking off. Don't stop at voting 10 times. You all can count to 20 can't you?)
Even Ron Paul knows he lost the debate and any hope he may have had to make a difference.
Look for him to do a loser thing and run as an Independent. Just like Ralph Nader and another Texas loser, Ross Perot.
I believe I am more right to support Fred Thompson after the debate this evening.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Thompson Wins In SC IMO
Fred Dalton T was very good this evening. McCain so-so. Giuliani so-so. Huckabee less so-so. Romney stubbed his toe. Ron Paul remade himself into an Admiral Stockdale, eh?
Most Clueless Secretary Of State Pegs Bush As Worst Prez
It is like Chicken Little complaining that the sky isn't falling.
Albright: Bush 'One of the Worst Presidencies' in History
Former Secretary of State pegs global warming and adjusting to globalization as goals for next president.
The stately ex- Sec of St began with an unbiased promotion of her new book;
“Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership.”
Albright believes the real future of the next president is;
Albright served under former Vice President Al Gore, one of the staunch global warming “cheerleaders” who advocates a pledge that would require all developed nations to curb their greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent.
Mad is a little short on logic, but not partisanship.
UPDATE: This Ain't Hell has some excellent thoughts on Chairwoman Halfbright:
Um. Damn, that is just halfway stupid isn’t it? Yes, we need to know what other nation’s interests are, but, the President’s job is NOT to cater to the wishes of foreigners. I guess Albright could be an authority on the interests of North Korea…
Albright: Bush 'One of the Worst Presidencies' in History
Former Secretary of State pegs global warming and adjusting to globalization as goals for next president.
The stately ex- Sec of St began with an unbiased promotion of her new book;
“Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership.”
Albright believes the real future of the next president is;
Albright served under former Vice President Al Gore, one of the staunch global warming “cheerleaders” who advocates a pledge that would require all developed nations to curb their greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent.
Mad is a little short on logic, but not partisanship.
UPDATE: This Ain't Hell has some excellent thoughts on Chairwoman Halfbright:
Um. Damn, that is just halfway stupid isn’t it? Yes, we need to know what other nation’s interests are, but, the President’s job is NOT to cater to the wishes of foreigners. I guess Albright could be an authority on the interests of North Korea…
Ron Paul Over The Cliff & Waving Bye Bye
I attended a central committee meeting and came home to watch the SC debate. I really meant to wait until the debate was over to ascertain what had been said by the candidates, but Ron Paul beat the Christmas rush and is proving he is completely incapable of being the president of the United States of America..
Belief & Heart: Politics As A Non-Profit
I'd never been to Seth's site before, but I'm glad I did because we share some similar thoughts. I'm pretty sure we didn't work together to get Ronald Reagan elected, but we just may have crossed paths through charitable non-profits. In the worlds of foundations and campaigns there is a constant; if it worked before it works now. Unfortunately, as Seth's blog shows, it no longer is the reality of non-profits. It is also no longer the reality of today's campaigning.
I gave at the office
Mark Rovner has an insightful post about the current state of fundraising and non-profits.
The short version: most big charities are based on direct mail fundraising, and as you're read here before, direct mail is dying. What to do?
I'll start with the bad news: I despair for most of the top 50 non-profits in the US. These are the big guys, and they're stuck. Unlike the Fortune 100, not known for being cutting edge in themselves, the top charities rarely change... if you're big, you're used to being big and you expect to stay big. That means that generation after generation of staff has been hired to keep doing what's working. Big risks and crazy schemes are certainly frowned upon.
The good news is this: the Internet is not a replacement for direct mail fundraising. It is, in fact, something much bigger than that for just about every non-profit.
As soon as commerce started online, many non-profits discovered lots of income from their websites. This was mistakenly chalked up to brilliant conversion and smart marketing. In fact, it was just technologically advanced donors using a more convenient method to send in money they would have sent in anyway.
The big win is in changing the very nature of what it means to support a charity. The idea of "I gave at the office" and of giving money in the last week in December speaks to obligation. Many people donate to satisfy a guilty feeling, or to please a friend. This doesn't scale. Not one bit. It's super easy to ignore a direct mail solicitation when all you have to do is hit delete and no one notices.
The big win is in turning donors into patrons and activists and participants. The biggest donors are the ones who not only give, but do the work. The ones who make the soup or feed the hungry or hang the art. My mom was a volunteer for years at the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, and there's no doubt at all that we gave more money to the museum than we would have if they'd sent us a flyer once a month.
The internet allows some organizations to embrace long-distance involvement. It lets charities flip the funnel, not through some simple hand waving, but by reorganizing around the idea of engagement online. It means opening yourself up to volunteers, encouraging them to network, to connect with each other, and yes, even to mutiny. It means giving every one of your professionals a blog and the freedom to use it. It means mixing it up with volunteers, so they have something truly at stake. This is understandably scary for many non-profits, but I'm not so sure you have a choice.
Do you have to abandon the old ways today? Of course not. But responsible stewardship requires that you find and empower the mavericks and give them the flexibility to build something new, not to try to force the internet to act like direct mail with free stamps.
Fundraising is the major force behind campaigns and Ron Paul has shown, for example, how the Internet can be utilized as an easier and faster tool to not just raise funds, but get headlines. That fellow in Nigeria that keeps notifying me of the $25o Million he wants to give me is another example of raising funds over the Internet. As Seth points out this isn't new thinking, it is just new technology and a technology that all campaigns will eventually use.
Good ideas can spread into campaigns. Campaigns can domino into a larger effort capable of winning. Funding is only the start. Networking, thinking outside of the box, ignoring time and distance,and allowing volunteers to become local experts and to disseminate the message locally, statewide and nationally. These are the are ways to build a campaign. More importantly, it is a way for the campaign to retain and utilize volunteers to win.
Every campaign needs funding and every volunteer effort needs some ability to fund itself. When these ingredients are put together campaigns become viable. Just as small business is the lifeblood of the economy, volunteers are the lifeblood of winning campaigns. If the product is good.
Any thoughts?
I gave at the office
Mark Rovner has an insightful post about the current state of fundraising and non-profits.
The short version: most big charities are based on direct mail fundraising, and as you're read here before, direct mail is dying. What to do?
I'll start with the bad news: I despair for most of the top 50 non-profits in the US. These are the big guys, and they're stuck. Unlike the Fortune 100, not known for being cutting edge in themselves, the top charities rarely change... if you're big, you're used to being big and you expect to stay big. That means that generation after generation of staff has been hired to keep doing what's working. Big risks and crazy schemes are certainly frowned upon.
The good news is this: the Internet is not a replacement for direct mail fundraising. It is, in fact, something much bigger than that for just about every non-profit.
As soon as commerce started online, many non-profits discovered lots of income from their websites. This was mistakenly chalked up to brilliant conversion and smart marketing. In fact, it was just technologically advanced donors using a more convenient method to send in money they would have sent in anyway.
The big win is in changing the very nature of what it means to support a charity. The idea of "I gave at the office" and of giving money in the last week in December speaks to obligation. Many people donate to satisfy a guilty feeling, or to please a friend. This doesn't scale. Not one bit. It's super easy to ignore a direct mail solicitation when all you have to do is hit delete and no one notices.
The big win is in turning donors into patrons and activists and participants. The biggest donors are the ones who not only give, but do the work. The ones who make the soup or feed the hungry or hang the art. My mom was a volunteer for years at the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, and there's no doubt at all that we gave more money to the museum than we would have if they'd sent us a flyer once a month.
The internet allows some organizations to embrace long-distance involvement. It lets charities flip the funnel, not through some simple hand waving, but by reorganizing around the idea of engagement online. It means opening yourself up to volunteers, encouraging them to network, to connect with each other, and yes, even to mutiny. It means giving every one of your professionals a blog and the freedom to use it. It means mixing it up with volunteers, so they have something truly at stake. This is understandably scary for many non-profits, but I'm not so sure you have a choice.
Do you have to abandon the old ways today? Of course not. But responsible stewardship requires that you find and empower the mavericks and give them the flexibility to build something new, not to try to force the internet to act like direct mail with free stamps.
Fundraising is the major force behind campaigns and Ron Paul has shown, for example, how the Internet can be utilized as an easier and faster tool to not just raise funds, but get headlines. That fellow in Nigeria that keeps notifying me of the $25o Million he wants to give me is another example of raising funds over the Internet. As Seth points out this isn't new thinking, it is just new technology and a technology that all campaigns will eventually use.
Good ideas can spread into campaigns. Campaigns can domino into a larger effort capable of winning. Funding is only the start. Networking, thinking outside of the box, ignoring time and distance,and allowing volunteers to become local experts and to disseminate the message locally, statewide and nationally. These are the are ways to build a campaign. More importantly, it is a way for the campaign to retain and utilize volunteers to win.
Every campaign needs funding and every volunteer effort needs some ability to fund itself. When these ingredients are put together campaigns become viable. Just as small business is the lifeblood of the economy, volunteers are the lifeblood of winning campaigns. If the product is good.
Any thoughts?
The Protest Movement Is A Lie
We have protesters that on a daily basis decry the inhuman policies of the United States against those that only want to work and be good citizens even though they are here illegally. Why have the protesters and their propaganda experts not protested against the government of Mexico and those in Central and South America for abandoning their people?
This is only one example of the protest movement as a lie. What kind of government forces their people to pick lettuce in America instead of near their homes in their native country? A government that cares little of its people.
Below is an article from Pajama Media that is about Europe. Here, we only need to look at major cities and universities across our country to see a Lie Movement that ignores political reality because it is much more comfortable to have a comfy coffee shop nearby to relax in after one's protest against our system that allows them to protest conveniently.
Portrait of the Artist as a Dhimmified Man
Similarly, in October 2006 London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery removed erotic works by the surrealist Hans Bellmer. According to the curator, “the motive was simply to not shock the population of the Whitechapel neighborhood, which is partly Muslim.” The pictures were pulled merely one week after a Berlin opera house had cancelled — then sheepishly reinstated — performances of Mozart’s Idomeneo, in which the title character grandstands with the severed heads of Poseidon, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed. Needless to say, the severed heads of Poseidon, Buddha, and Jesus were never an issue.
Amir Taheri has compiled other disturbing cases from across the continent: German carnivals prohibiting costumes that might look “Islamic,” Spanish towns canceling traditional festivals marking the victory over the Moors, the blacklisting of books deemed critical of Islam, and the removal from public view of illuminated manuscripts that feature images of Mohammed.
To those that protest, a few questions that all have a different answer than a simple, United States.
Why are there:
No protests against a government that has forgotten them
No protest against a government that tortures
No protest against a government that kills its own citizens
No protest against a government that lies to the people
No protest against a government that legalizes rape
No protest against a government that, as policy, uses mass murder
No protest against a government that sends its people to their death
No protest against a government that purposely impoverishes the people
No protest against a government that plans the subjugation of its people and other nations
No protest against a government that has racism as an international policy
No protest against a government that funds lies by artists and educators
Comparing President Bush to Hitler is not only childish, but politically, morally and historically ignorant.
This is only one example of the protest movement as a lie. What kind of government forces their people to pick lettuce in America instead of near their homes in their native country? A government that cares little of its people.
Below is an article from Pajama Media that is about Europe. Here, we only need to look at major cities and universities across our country to see a Lie Movement that ignores political reality because it is much more comfortable to have a comfy coffee shop nearby to relax in after one's protest against our system that allows them to protest conveniently.
Portrait of the Artist as a Dhimmified Man
Similarly, in October 2006 London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery removed erotic works by the surrealist Hans Bellmer. According to the curator, “the motive was simply to not shock the population of the Whitechapel neighborhood, which is partly Muslim.” The pictures were pulled merely one week after a Berlin opera house had cancelled — then sheepishly reinstated — performances of Mozart’s Idomeneo, in which the title character grandstands with the severed heads of Poseidon, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed. Needless to say, the severed heads of Poseidon, Buddha, and Jesus were never an issue.
Amir Taheri has compiled other disturbing cases from across the continent: German carnivals prohibiting costumes that might look “Islamic,” Spanish towns canceling traditional festivals marking the victory over the Moors, the blacklisting of books deemed critical of Islam, and the removal from public view of illuminated manuscripts that feature images of Mohammed.
To those that protest, a few questions that all have a different answer than a simple, United States.
Why are there:
No protests against a government that has forgotten them
No protest against a government that tortures
No protest against a government that kills its own citizens
No protest against a government that lies to the people
No protest against a government that legalizes rape
No protest against a government that, as policy, uses mass murder
No protest against a government that sends its people to their death
No protest against a government that purposely impoverishes the people
No protest against a government that plans the subjugation of its people and other nations
No protest against a government that has racism as an international policy
No protest against a government that funds lies by artists and educators
Comparing President Bush to Hitler is not only childish, but politically, morally and historically ignorant.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Paul & Clinton Meltdown?
This speaks for itself. (See UPDATE I for the Love For Ron Lobby response)
UPDATE II
RON PAUL HAS ISSUED THIS STATEMENT:
“This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It's once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
“When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publically taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.”
Excuse me, but did Ron Paul, who wants to be POTUS, just say that he wasn't paying enough attention when some fall guy was plastering the nation with hate, racism and anti-Semeticism in his name? Geez, is that supposed to make me feel better?
Ron Paul Newsletters Unearthed: Claim MLK a Gay Pedophile, Praise David Duke, Speculate 1993 WTC Bombing Was Mossad Job...
Ron Paul Bigotry Revolution
I might add, on a personal note, that as a libertarian with significant sympathy for Paul’s platform, I initially viewed claims of his past history of racism skeptically. But the evidence is so overwhelming that the defense of Paul is now, itself, indefensible.
Some Quotes:
“I think we can safely assume that 95% of the black males in that city [Washington, D.C.] are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.”
“The cause of the riots is plain: barbarism. If the barbarians cannot loot sufficiently through legal channels (i.e., the riots being the welfare-state minus the middleman), they resort to illegal ones, to terrorism.”
“If this walking bomb had gone off, it would have demolished the House Chamber and most of the congressmen in it. Yet this attempted terrorist attack was buried by the media. Why? Because the perpetrator was an undoubtedly mad Israeli, furious over alleged slights to his country… [T]he Israeli lobby deep-sixed the story, and no one outside of Congress ever head about it.”
HILLARY UNLOADS: YOU'RE NO MARTIN LUTHER KING...
VIDEO: BILL FURY AT OBAMA: 'THIS WHOLE THING IS THE BIGGEST FAIRY TALE I HAVE EVER SEEN'...
MAG: Clinton campaign faces a 'cash crunch'...
UPDATE: Below are the first 15 comments on the NR site with the story about Ron Paul mentioned above. The NR is not the point here really, it is the response of Ron Paulians who haven't a clue. I truly hope Paul's quotes are out-of-context, misquotes or whatever the Ron Paul Lovein Lobby is saying these days, but they can't claim that about their comments pasted all over the inner tubies.
Posted by Ken
1 of 432 warn tnr respond
Unfortunately, your information is simply that propaganda that is misleading, inaccurate, and definitely with a political agenda. I am ashamed that I read your entire post. Moreover, you contradict yourself. Van Meses was a jew- so how can Dr. Paul be an anti-Semite. Do ytou research thoroughly without a political agenda and you will see that your are way off. Thank you very much but no thank you. Note: I am Hispanic and I despise smears.
Posted by teplukhin2you
2 of 432 warn tnr respond
THANK YOU, Mr Kirchick. Nice to see TNR back in the muckraking business-- Ryan Lizza's shoes are being filled. Appreciate especially your diligence in actually getting away from the modem and schlepping out to Lawrence KS to comb through old newsletters and do what we expect journalists to do. ------------------------------------------------------ Doesn't fully atone for this abortion of a website revamp, but you guys are making a start. I'll renew my subscription.
Posted by
3 of 432 warn tnr respond
Posted by Chris
4 of 432 warn tnr respond
Ah, the old Ghostwritten Newsletter Smear with some guilt by association thrown in. Must be that time of the month... So how is being a Giuliani shill going for you after that 4% in Iowa? Bad? It appears so.
Posted by lavaman
5 of 432 warn tnr respond
Where's your bibliography? I'd like to know the exact name, issue number, article title, etc. that each of these quotes were taken from.
Posted by Tom Demas
6 of 432 warn tnr respond
Yeah.. Paul's a closet racist...sure...dude you surprise me..I thought you guys although misguided policy wise would at least acknowledge that Paul has been consistent philisophically.
Posted by TJ
7 of 432 warn tnr respond
I thought all of these accusations had already been delt with?
Posted by paul
8 of 432 warn tnr respond
haha that's all you got. Your bark was bigger than you bite.
Posted by danimal
9 of 432 warn tnr respond
"Anyways, I don't think Ron Paul is a homophobe; I'm just cynical and enjoy getting supporters of political candidates riled up. If you were a Giuliani guy I'd have called him a fascist. But I must say, the Ron Paul supporters are the most enthusiastic of the bunch!" http://gays-for-ron.blogspot.com/2008/01/jamie-kirchick-i-dont-think-ron-paul-is.html
Posted by Antony
10 of 432 warn tnr respond
Horrible photo... Paul looks angelic, not like this ultra-close distortion.
Posted by Lucinda
11 of 432 warn tnr respond
I come from Hispanic decent and have met Dr. Paul. With that said how dare you say these things without research. This is not what the man stands for. Why don't people in the media realize all he wants to do is follow the constitution?
Posted by Richard
12 of 432 warn tnr respond
If he's a minority owner, then it's impossible that he wrote this. It's like blaming the Forbes Family for everything written in Forbes Magazine, or blaming Opera for everything written in O magazine!
Posted by ralphnelle
13 of 432 warn tnr respond
Outstanding investigative journalism.
Posted by S. Kristol
14 of 432 warn tnr respond
I see a lot of inference and innuendo, but not much in the way of solid evidence. Is it because I haven't learned the secret language or don't have the my receiver tuned to the right transmitter?
Posted by Bob
15 of 432 warn tnr respond
Or..... You could just be a rabid Romney supporter who likes to take things out of context in ad-hominem attacks against someone you see as threatening to take support away from your focus-grouped neo-con wannabe candidate.
Read all 432 comments listed if you can. If you can, maybe you should vote for "Lovey", aka Ron Paul.
UPDATE II
RON PAUL HAS ISSUED THIS STATEMENT:
“This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It's once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
“When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publically taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.”
Excuse me, but did Ron Paul, who wants to be POTUS, just say that he wasn't paying enough attention when some fall guy was plastering the nation with hate, racism and anti-Semeticism in his name? Geez, is that supposed to make me feel better?
Ron Paul Newsletters Unearthed: Claim MLK a Gay Pedophile, Praise David Duke, Speculate 1993 WTC Bombing Was Mossad Job...
Ron Paul Bigotry Revolution
I might add, on a personal note, that as a libertarian with significant sympathy for Paul’s platform, I initially viewed claims of his past history of racism skeptically. But the evidence is so overwhelming that the defense of Paul is now, itself, indefensible.
Some Quotes:
“I think we can safely assume that 95% of the black males in that city [Washington, D.C.] are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.”
“The cause of the riots is plain: barbarism. If the barbarians cannot loot sufficiently through legal channels (i.e., the riots being the welfare-state minus the middleman), they resort to illegal ones, to terrorism.”
“If this walking bomb had gone off, it would have demolished the House Chamber and most of the congressmen in it. Yet this attempted terrorist attack was buried by the media. Why? Because the perpetrator was an undoubtedly mad Israeli, furious over alleged slights to his country… [T]he Israeli lobby deep-sixed the story, and no one outside of Congress ever head about it.”
HILLARY UNLOADS: YOU'RE NO MARTIN LUTHER KING...
VIDEO: BILL FURY AT OBAMA: 'THIS WHOLE THING IS THE BIGGEST FAIRY TALE I HAVE EVER SEEN'...
MAG: Clinton campaign faces a 'cash crunch'...
UPDATE: Below are the first 15 comments on the NR site with the story about Ron Paul mentioned above. The NR is not the point here really, it is the response of Ron Paulians who haven't a clue. I truly hope Paul's quotes are out-of-context, misquotes or whatever the Ron Paul Lovein Lobby is saying these days, but they can't claim that about their comments pasted all over the inner tubies.
Posted by Ken
1 of 432 warn tnr respond
Unfortunately, your information is simply that propaganda that is misleading, inaccurate, and definitely with a political agenda. I am ashamed that I read your entire post. Moreover, you contradict yourself. Van Meses was a jew- so how can Dr. Paul be an anti-Semite. Do ytou research thoroughly without a political agenda and you will see that your are way off. Thank you very much but no thank you. Note: I am Hispanic and I despise smears.
Posted by teplukhin2you
2 of 432 warn tnr respond
THANK YOU, Mr Kirchick. Nice to see TNR back in the muckraking business-- Ryan Lizza's shoes are being filled. Appreciate especially your diligence in actually getting away from the modem and schlepping out to Lawrence KS to comb through old newsletters and do what we expect journalists to do. ------------------------------------------------------ Doesn't fully atone for this abortion of a website revamp, but you guys are making a start. I'll renew my subscription.
Posted by
3 of 432 warn tnr respond
Posted by Chris
4 of 432 warn tnr respond
Ah, the old Ghostwritten Newsletter Smear with some guilt by association thrown in. Must be that time of the month... So how is being a Giuliani shill going for you after that 4% in Iowa? Bad? It appears so.
Posted by lavaman
5 of 432 warn tnr respond
Where's your bibliography? I'd like to know the exact name, issue number, article title, etc. that each of these quotes were taken from.
Posted by Tom Demas
6 of 432 warn tnr respond
Yeah.. Paul's a closet racist...sure...dude you surprise me..I thought you guys although misguided policy wise would at least acknowledge that Paul has been consistent philisophically.
Posted by TJ
7 of 432 warn tnr respond
I thought all of these accusations had already been delt with?
Posted by paul
8 of 432 warn tnr respond
haha that's all you got. Your bark was bigger than you bite.
Posted by danimal
9 of 432 warn tnr respond
"Anyways, I don't think Ron Paul is a homophobe; I'm just cynical and enjoy getting supporters of political candidates riled up. If you were a Giuliani guy I'd have called him a fascist. But I must say, the Ron Paul supporters are the most enthusiastic of the bunch!" http://gays-for-ron.blogspot.com/2008/01/jamie-kirchick-i-dont-think-ron-paul-is.html
Posted by Antony
10 of 432 warn tnr respond
Horrible photo... Paul looks angelic, not like this ultra-close distortion.
Posted by Lucinda
11 of 432 warn tnr respond
I come from Hispanic decent and have met Dr. Paul. With that said how dare you say these things without research. This is not what the man stands for. Why don't people in the media realize all he wants to do is follow the constitution?
Posted by Richard
12 of 432 warn tnr respond
If he's a minority owner, then it's impossible that he wrote this. It's like blaming the Forbes Family for everything written in Forbes Magazine, or blaming Opera for everything written in O magazine!
Posted by ralphnelle
13 of 432 warn tnr respond
Outstanding investigative journalism.
Posted by S. Kristol
14 of 432 warn tnr respond
I see a lot of inference and innuendo, but not much in the way of solid evidence. Is it because I haven't learned the secret language or don't have the my receiver tuned to the right transmitter?
Posted by Bob
15 of 432 warn tnr respond
Or..... You could just be a rabid Romney supporter who likes to take things out of context in ad-hominem attacks against someone you see as threatening to take support away from your focus-grouped neo-con wannabe candidate.
Read all 432 comments listed if you can. If you can, maybe you should vote for "Lovey", aka Ron Paul.
New Jersey Apologizes For Slavery
New Jersey Apologizes for Slavery
Geez, I knew New Jersey's population had aged, but I've never met anyone here in Ohio old enough to have practiced slavery.
Geez, I knew New Jersey's population had aged, but I've never met anyone here in Ohio old enough to have practiced slavery.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Congratulations To LSU
LSU 38
OSU 24
Watch out next season. Our very young team will be a year older and a year wiser.
And a year bigger, faster and stronger. Fear the vest.
But this year belongs to LSU. Congratulations.
OSU 24
Watch out next season. Our very young team will be a year older and a year wiser.
And a year bigger, faster and stronger. Fear the vest.
But this year belongs to LSU. Congratulations.
Say It Ain't So Bro
Are the Hill people running away from the Hill?
TALK OF HILLARY EXIT ENGULFS CAMPAIGNS
Meanwhile, Democrat hopeful John Edwards has confided to senior staff that he is staying in the race because Hillary "could soon be out."
Edwards should open a Roadkill Cafe since he always seems to be picking through the political, professional and legal left overs.
TALK OF HILLARY EXIT ENGULFS CAMPAIGNS
Meanwhile, Democrat hopeful John Edwards has confided to senior staff that he is staying in the race because Hillary "could soon be out."
Edwards should open a Roadkill Cafe since he always seems to be picking through the political, professional and legal left overs.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Coney Island's Dreamland II
The Dreamland Fire
I have always been fascinated by Coney Island and places like it. Maybe I was so enamoured because under no circumstances was I ever allowed to go. I stayed quite often with a friend who's family had a beautiful place at Buckeye Lake, but the amusement park there was breathing its last breath, so it doesn't really count.
A panoramic view from across Surf Avenue. Working left to right we see:
1: "Bauer Sisters- Burned out but still doing Business"
2: "Living Freaks"
3: The remnants of the Dreamland Tower
4: "Dreamland's Animal Arena"
(Photo courtesy the Library of Congress)
...
At two in the morning on May 27, 1911 workers worked in Dreamland's Hell Gate attraction, preparing it for opening day only a few hours away. A few light bulbs burst, buckets of tar were tipped over and shortly Hell Gate was engulfed in flames. The fire spread quickly to the rest of the park. Dreamland burned through the next day. Fire companies came to the scene, but the wind's direction calmed a fire that could have otherwise engulfed the island. Coney Island icons like Thompson's Scenic Railway, the Iron Tower and all of Dreamland were destroyed. The park burned for 18 hours. The lathe & plaster structures were very flammable and the Dreamland tower was so bright it was seen in Manhattan (and that was in a period when the city's buildings averaged around only ten stories tall). Ironically, William H. Reynold's greed could have been the undoing of the park. He set down Dreamland so fast that the city did not have time to pull up their fire hydrants. The firemen reported serious issues of low pressure, which could have come from the dozens of hydrants leaking water amongst the ruins.
I have always been fascinated by Coney Island and places like it. Maybe I was so enamoured because under no circumstances was I ever allowed to go. I stayed quite often with a friend who's family had a beautiful place at Buckeye Lake, but the amusement park there was breathing its last breath, so it doesn't really count.
Scotland II - Bonnie Prince Charlie
The Cottage at Culloden - Field quarters used by government forces Welcome to Culloden
Very few place names stir stronger emotions than Culloden. When Scots hear it they think of more than just a location: the moor in the north of Scotland just to the east of Inverness. They think of the death of an era, a noble world view and a civilisation. They think of a heroic last stand against vastly superior forces, of claymores, blood soaked tartan, of religion, nationhood and the price of modernity. The connection between Culloden and all of these images and ideas is remarkable, especially if we consider that the event which connects them to this moor lasted less than half an hour: the Battle of Culloden, 16th of April, 1746. No other event in the history of Scotland has come to mean so much to so many.
...
In retreat the 5000 strong army was hounded by an 8000 strong government force right into the heart of the Highlands at Inverness. The decision by the Jacobite commanders to stand and fight on Culloden Moor, 5 miles to the east, has to go down as one of the greatest shows of incompetence in military history. The Jacobites were not just outnumbered, outgunned, exhausted and malnourished but had marshalled their men on open ground: easy targets for the long range government artillery. Driven by bombardment into a wild attack of men who know they are about to die, they charged sword in hand and were mown down in less than half an hour, most without ever reaching the government lines. When the battle was over government troops went on a rampage, indiscriminately arresting or killing everyone they came across. Bonnie Prince Charlie was amongst those to escape.
Read more here.
Haggis, Because I Was Asked
For Webutante who has the great fortune to have a son she loves and the good fortune to be visiting Scotland. Scotland beat the English. They were so rude to Rome that Hadrian built a wall to keep them in Scotland. The Scottish also gave us possibly the two greatest banes known to man, golf and Haggis. It is fully possible that the first Haggis may have been made possible by a frustrated Scotsman slaughtering a sheep with a nine iron.
Being that you are a lady, I will suggest that you only read the ingredients alone or with close friends.
Haggis Recipes
Haggis "is typically served on Burns Night, January 25, when Scotland celebrates the birth of its greatest poet, Robert Burns, who was born in Ayrshire on that date in 1759. During the celebration, Burns poems are read, and the haggis is addressed by a member of the party, ceremonially, in the form of verses from Burns' poem, 'Address to a Haggis.' A typical meal for Burns Night would include Cock-a-Leekie, Haggis with Tatties-an'-Neeps, Roastit Beef, Tipsy Laird, and Dunlop Cheese."
Oh, and did I mention that whisky is also served?
Haggis has many ingredients, many recipes and many supporters. So do many other fetishes.
P.G. Wodehouse has the following to say about haggis:
The fact that I am not a haggis addict is probably due to my having read Shakespeare. It is the same with many Englishmen. There is no doubt that Shakespeare has rather put us off the stuff.... You remember the passage to which I refer? Macbeth happens upon the three witches while they are preparing the evening meal. They are dropping things into the cauldron and chanting "Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog," and so on, and he immediately recognises the recipe. "How now, you secret, black and midnight haggis," he cries shuddering.
This has caused misunderstandings and has done an injustice to haggis. Grim as it is, it is not as bad as that-- or should not be. What the dish really consists of -- or should consist of -- is the more intimate parts of a sheep chopped up fine and blended with salt, pepper, nutmeg, onions, oatmeal, and beef suet. But it seems to me that there is a grave danger of the cook going all whimsey and deciding not to stop there. When you reflect that the haggis is served up with a sort of mackintosh round it, concealing its contents, you will readily see that the temptation to play a practical joke on the boys must be almost irresistible. Scotsmen have their merry moods, like all of us, and the thought must occasionally cross the cook's mind that it would be no end of a lark to shove in a lot of newts and frogs and bats and dogs and then stand in the doorway watching the poor simps wade into them....
An odd thing--ironical, you might say-- in connection with haggis is that it is not Scottish. In an old cook book, published 1653, it is specifically mentioned as an English dish called haggas or haggus, while France claims it as her mince (hachis) going about under an alias. It would be rather amusing if it turned out that Burns was really a couple of Irish boys named Pat and Mike.
To paraphrase Waylan and Willie, "Mothers don't let you babies grow up to eat Haggis."
Being that you are a lady, I will suggest that you only read the ingredients alone or with close friends.
Haggis Recipes
Haggis "is typically served on Burns Night, January 25, when Scotland celebrates the birth of its greatest poet, Robert Burns, who was born in Ayrshire on that date in 1759. During the celebration, Burns poems are read, and the haggis is addressed by a member of the party, ceremonially, in the form of verses from Burns' poem, 'Address to a Haggis.' A typical meal for Burns Night would include Cock-a-Leekie, Haggis with Tatties-an'-Neeps, Roastit Beef, Tipsy Laird, and Dunlop Cheese."
Oh, and did I mention that whisky is also served?
Haggis has many ingredients, many recipes and many supporters. So do many other fetishes.
P.G. Wodehouse has the following to say about haggis:
The fact that I am not a haggis addict is probably due to my having read Shakespeare. It is the same with many Englishmen. There is no doubt that Shakespeare has rather put us off the stuff.... You remember the passage to which I refer? Macbeth happens upon the three witches while they are preparing the evening meal. They are dropping things into the cauldron and chanting "Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog," and so on, and he immediately recognises the recipe. "How now, you secret, black and midnight haggis," he cries shuddering.
This has caused misunderstandings and has done an injustice to haggis. Grim as it is, it is not as bad as that-- or should not be. What the dish really consists of -- or should consist of -- is the more intimate parts of a sheep chopped up fine and blended with salt, pepper, nutmeg, onions, oatmeal, and beef suet. But it seems to me that there is a grave danger of the cook going all whimsey and deciding not to stop there. When you reflect that the haggis is served up with a sort of mackintosh round it, concealing its contents, you will readily see that the temptation to play a practical joke on the boys must be almost irresistible. Scotsmen have their merry moods, like all of us, and the thought must occasionally cross the cook's mind that it would be no end of a lark to shove in a lot of newts and frogs and bats and dogs and then stand in the doorway watching the poor simps wade into them....
An odd thing--ironical, you might say-- in connection with haggis is that it is not Scottish. In an old cook book, published 1653, it is specifically mentioned as an English dish called haggas or haggus, while France claims it as her mince (hachis) going about under an alias. It would be rather amusing if it turned out that Burns was really a couple of Irish boys named Pat and Mike.
To paraphrase Waylan and Willie, "Mothers don't let you babies grow up to eat Haggis."
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Coney Island's Dreamland
Dreamland
If Steeplechase represented fun and sexuality, and Luna was the juxtaposition of art and youth, Dreamland was the Bible brought to Brooklyn with hints of showmanship. The park was the brainchild of a crooked businessman, William H. Reynolds. He had many connections in the Tammany politics of New York. Reynolds was the poster boy for crooked politics and seemed to have his fingers in most every pie- he even sold Chrysler the plot of land where his art-deco urban masterpiece would grow. Author Richard Snow said that Reynold's underhanded activities were brought to Coney and that Dreamland was built so fast that many islanders felt the park grew over many of the area's fire hydrants, ensuring the park free city water for its short life. Dreamland only operated from 1904-1911, but during that time the park helped turn the island into a city unlike anything the modern world had seen.
During the Korean War my father-in-law protected Coney Island from attack as a crewman of a United States Navy blimp.
Coney Island was never attacked.
When It's Time To Take Mom's Car Keys
Sometimes it's obvious when, like this;
"They certainly don’t have our standards. They don’t have our ethics, and so forth."
Thank you Lord for answered prayers.
Thank you Lord for answered prayers.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Cincinnati Ohio Subway
The system was never completed but the tunnels still exist. Go to this pretty cool site to see more.
Abandoned tunnels are often the object of urban legend, but Cincinnati is in fact the site of the country's largest abandoned subway tunnel. But "abandoned" is not quite the word, as construction slowed to a stop in 1925 before even half of the 16 mile line was completed. Seven miles between Cincinnati's central business district and the industrial suburb of Norwood were tunneled, bridged, or graded, but no track was laid and no subway cars were ordered. No passengers ever rode between the six stations that were built.
Central Parkway construction, north of the Plum St. turn.
The finished Parkway, with subway beneath. The Race St. station is directly below this point.
Abandoned tunnels are often the object of urban legend, but Cincinnati is in fact the site of the country's largest abandoned subway tunnel. But "abandoned" is not quite the word, as construction slowed to a stop in 1925 before even half of the 16 mile line was completed. Seven miles between Cincinnati's central business district and the industrial suburb of Norwood were tunneled, bridged, or graded, but no track was laid and no subway cars were ordered. No passengers ever rode between the six stations that were built.
Central Parkway construction, north of the Plum St. turn.
The finished Parkway, with subway beneath. The Race St. station is directly below this point.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Who Is Major Garret? Was His Mother Captain Garret?
Huckabee seems to have won. Actually, Ed Rollins has won. This man wins, but he is backing the wrong horse.
Huckabee will go down. Hard.
Huckabee will go down. Hard.
Internet Polls, Straw Polls, Anybody's Poll Wrong. Ron Paul Won!!!!!!
There is still an outside chance. I'll hold my breath until 9:11.
Iowa Is here
For many people the campaigning for president is already tiresome. Many, including family, expressed over the holidays that they couldn't care less about all "those losers". More than few expressed their displeasure with the candidates, both Reps and Dems. Ah-hem.
If you don't like the candidates, too bad. Unless you are a complete and total moron waiting for the estimatable Michael Bloomberg to jump in, these are the candidates you have to choose from. What, your brilliant Uncle Freebus, who you Aunt thought was the smartest man on the planet, ain't running this cycle? I feel for you. Really. I don't.
Good luck to all of tonight's candidates
If you don't like the candidates, too bad. Unless you are a complete and total moron waiting for the estimatable Michael Bloomberg to jump in, these are the candidates you have to choose from. What, your brilliant Uncle Freebus, who you Aunt thought was the smartest man on the planet, ain't running this cycle? I feel for you. Really. I do
Good luck to all of tonight's candidates
Thompson's Staying In Sez Galen So Shudda Your Face
Team Fred Strongly Denies... [Byron York]
Good morning from Des Moines. I just got off the phone with Rich Galen, a top adviser to Fred Thompson, and it would be an understament to say that he is strongly denying the Politico story reporting that Thompson "will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in Thursday's caucus.
"The story cites "several Republican officials close to Fred Thompson's presidential campaign." Galen told me, "I'm a Republican official in the Thompson campaign, and I'm denying it." Galen also said that no one inside the campaign was a source for the story. "I can't put enough adjectives in front of the 'deny' to accurately describe how vehemently I'm denying the story," he said.
Galen said that "just to make sure," he checked with Thompson himself, who told him the story was not true. "We have the schedule for Saturday and Sunday in New Hampshire, and then we're going down to South Carolina," Galen told me.
If Rich Galen says it is snowing in hell, I'd make sure my boots and gloves are on. I mean if I ever had reason to be there.
Via NRO
Good morning from Des Moines. I just got off the phone with Rich Galen, a top adviser to Fred Thompson, and it would be an understament to say that he is strongly denying the Politico story reporting that Thompson "will drop out of the race within days if he finishes poorly in Thursday's caucus.
"The story cites "several Republican officials close to Fred Thompson's presidential campaign." Galen told me, "I'm a Republican official in the Thompson campaign, and I'm denying it." Galen also said that no one inside the campaign was a source for the story. "I can't put enough adjectives in front of the 'deny' to accurately describe how vehemently I'm denying the story," he said.
Galen said that "just to make sure," he checked with Thompson himself, who told him the story was not true. "We have the schedule for Saturday and Sunday in New Hampshire, and then we're going down to South Carolina," Galen told me.
If Rich Galen says it is snowing in hell, I'd make sure my boots and gloves are on. I mean if I ever had reason to be there.
Via NRO
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