Blogstreaking?

This is a new term to me, although it's not as salacious as I had imagined it to be. Do they have a name for those of us who constantly like to update their blogs for other people (we don't know) to see? How about Blogarcissism? Yep, I just made that up. It's ™ now.

Here's the rest of the names as Yahoo News sees them:

• EGO-SURFING: When you frequently check your name and reputation on the Internet.
• BLOG STREAKING: "Revealing secrets or personal information online which for everybody's sake would be best kept private."
• CRACKBERRY: "The curse of the modern executive: not being able to stop checking your BlackBerry, even at your grandmother's funeral." (A BlackBerry is a popular handheld device that can be used for phoning, emailing and web-browsing).
• GOOGLE-STALKING: Defined as "snooping online on old friends, colleagues or first dates."
• CYBERCHONDRIA: "A headache and a particular rash at the same time? Extensive online research tells you it must be cancer."
• PHOTOLURKING: Flicking through a photo album of someone you've never met.
• WIKIPEDIHOLISM: Excess devotion to contributing to the online collaborative encyclopaedia, Wikipedia. (Wikipedia even has a page where you can test whether you're an addict).
• CHEESEPODDING: Downloading of a song "so cheesy that you could cover it in plastic wrap and sell it at the deli counter." Cheesepodders are especially vulnerable to soft-rock favourites from the 1970s.

Creator of "Airplane" Strikes Again With New Ad

Zucker takes on the Iraq Study Group. Since the ISG turned out to be a total joke, I can't think of a better outlet for such comedic rage. Enjoy the video below, courtesy YouTube.

Marion Barry Arrested. Again.

The crack-smoking former mayor of Washington, DC was arrested this weekend for driving on a suspended license. He claims it was a "clerical error," and now wants monetary damages for being "inconvenienced" by the Park Police who arrested him. Sure, Barry, we'll recompense you after you pay the city back for the trial that sent you to prison, inconveniencing a major American city (the nation's capital, by the way) and all of its citizens for smoking crack while you were on the job.

Barry said the incident took several hours to work out and he was humiliated and severely inconvenienced. He said he wasn't able to drive all weekend due to a mistake by the D.C. government.

Waaaaaah! Please. Clerical error or no, when you're driving on a suspended license, you get busted. That's the law - something Barry obviously has zero respect for. Fix it and move on. Life is full of inconveniences... Like having to explain to family members why my former mayor was a crackhead, got busted, did time and then got reelected to the City Council.

With a Week to Go and 75 Degree Weather, How Will Santa Get Here?

That's right, 75 baby. I grew up in San Diego, so I'm used to this kind of weather during the Christmas season. But, in California, Santa is able to deliver presents on a surfboard. Every kid knows that. So, sans snow, what will be Santa's mode of transportation in the 75 degree nation's capital? Any suggestions will be forwarded to the Big Man himself.

UPDATE: Temperature record broken!

Fun for Saturday

A pledge pin?? On your uniform?!!!!! Man, Neidermeyer was the best.

Did You Know There is a 4th Credit Bureau?

I'm not kidding. Apparently, this bureau (technically they are agencies and shouldn't be called bureaus) is more secretive than the CIA. It's called Innovis and they compile your credit reports right along with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Only, Innovis doesn't have to comply with the FCRA laws in the same way the other "big 3" credit agencies do.

Recently, I have been going to great lengths trying to get a few negative items removed from my credit report. When I say great lengths, I mean great lengths, too. Getting something removed from your credit file is no easy task. It requires a lot of waiting and everything to be done in writing (for the most part).

For example, years ago I moved out of a house with 2 roommates and the Comcast cable bill was never switched out of my name - despite my seemingly successful attempt to do so. The result was a $300 bill that went unnoticed (and wasn't forwarded to my new address), that eventually made it's way into collections and onto my credit report. Only recently did I even discover it was there. So, I have been calling each of the 3 credit reporting agencies to get information on the item so that I can start the dispute process. That means I have to send a letter to all three agencies, wait for them to respond and then send them any supporting evidence I may have. Then they contact the creditor to verify the information. As per the FCRA, the creditor has 30 days in which to verify the credit item or by law, it must be removed from my credit file.

Lucky for me, all 3 credit agencies deleted the Comcast file from my report. However, during my extensive web searches about how the process works, I slowly became aware of another presence. Kind of like the way Neo knew something wasn't right about the world in The Matrix by discerning subtle clues, I was able to assume the presence of another, 4th credit reporting agency. The signs were there, but no one talked about it. It seemed that out of every 100 references I read where only 3 agencies were named, one reference would mention a 4th. Then, this article finally put a name to that 4th agency, Innovis.

Apparently, Innovis maintains your credit file in much the same way as the "Big 3," agencies. Only, Innovis doesn't provide your report to credit card companies or lending institutions for the purpose of approving your credit worthiness. They have a more sinister function. Innovis acts as a sort of final clearinghouse for consumer credit information. They deal in bulk. For example, credit card companies routinely send out "pre-approval" notices and other credit-related product offers. Innovis acts as their mass mailing failsafe. In fact, Innovis has a product called FailSafe that can weed out "undesirables" that credit card companies would have otherwise pre-approved for credit worthiness.

So, even though credit card companies don't use Innovis when you apply for a card, Innovis can still be the deciding factor when it comes to the way you receive offers of credit. Therefore, it's just as important to know what is on your Innovis report as it is for the other Big 3. But since Innovis isn't one of the primary sources for credit reporting, it is somewhat exempt from FCRA statutes. This means you have to dig a little deeper into the rabbit hole to see how far it goes.

If any of you are interested in contacting Innovis to get a copy of your report from them, here is their contact information:

Innovis Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 1358
Columbus, OH 43216-1358
1-800-540-2505

Coming in 2030: All Day Rush Hour!

A nightmare in the making. New York City in 25 years will resemble the Tokyo subway system. Too many people and no room! According to a recent study, Manhattan is expected to grow by 1.1 million people in the next 25 years, which will put an unprecedented strain on the city's infrastructure. They are already predicting that NYC's energy demand will exceed output by 2012. Better be prepared for rolling blackouts and brownouts.

And before you laugh at our northern neighbors, remember that DC is not far behind on this nightmarish timeline.

World Tyrants and the Clothes They Wear (or Don't Wear)

What a fascinating tour of the despotic rich and famous, thanks to Radar Online. Some of these pictures are great. Some are naked. All are fun!

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Kucinich is gonna run for President?!!!

Haha ha ha HA haha ha MUTANT ha ha ha hah hahaha hahaha ahHAHha ahaha HHAHAHAHA WORM ahahah ahha haha ha ah aha ha aha aahahahaha ahhHAHAHAHAHAH aha Haha ha ha HA haha ha ha ha ha hah hahaha hahaha ahHAHha ahaha HHAHAHAHA ahahah ahha haha TOAD ha ah aha ha aha aahahahaha ahhHAHAHAHAHAH aha Haha ha ha HA haha FREAK ha ha ha ha hah hahaha hahaha ahHAHha ahaha HHAHAHAHA ahahah ahha haha ha ah aha ha IDIOT aha aahahahaha ahhHAHAHAHAHAH aha Haha ha ha HA haha ha ha ha ha hah hahaha WEASEL hahaha ahHAHha ahaha HHAHAHAHA ahahah ahha haha ha ah aha ha aha aahahahaha ahhHAHAHAHAHAH MORON aha Haha ha ha HA haha ha ha ha ha hah hahaha hahaha ahHAHha ahaha HHAHAHAHA ahahah ahha haha ha ah aha ha aha aahahahaha ahhHAHAHAHAHAH aha Haha ha ha HA haha ha ha ha ha hah hahaha hahaha ahHAHha ahaha HHAHAHAHA ahahah ahha haha ha ah aha ha aha aahahahaha ahhHAHAHAHAHAH aha haha!!!!!

Love Me: It's My Birthday!

Yes, I know this is the ultimate ego post! But hey, I like my birthday and I'm proud to be the age that I am (it's over 30). Besides, I may get a few cool comments on here as a result of this shameless self-promotion.

What am I doing today? Not much. Well, I mean, I'm working... so what can I really do to celebrate? Tonight my wife is taking me to dinner - after making me an awesome feast on Saturday night that I was able to share with 40 of my closest friends! Thanks for that, babe... it was extremely fun!

I'll try not to make this post a total trip down Self-Indulgent Lane... Here's some December 11th facts that all of you can enjoy. And let me tell you, 12/11 is a hap-hap-happenin' date in world history.

December 11 birthdays of famous people:
John Kerry (this fact has now ruined my birthday, forever).
John Mark Karr (why this guy qualifies as famous is beyond me).

December 11 in history:
Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community!
It's Tango Day in Argentina

I think I'll celebrate Tango Day by sending John Kerry an e-card with a picture of John Mark Karr. Or something...

Verizon's Bad Math

I recently came across this poor guy's blog about an argument he had with Verizon over the difference between .002 cents and .002 dollars. It's pretty funny. You can listen to the audio of his call here.

It just blows me away that this guy spent a total of an hour on the phone, speaking to 5 reps, none of whom were able to comprehend that if his plan says he should be charged .002 cents per kb, his total bill should be 71 cents, not $71. Looks like Verizon has a HUGE problem on their hands for people who roam to Canada.

A Peace Bombing... At a Mall

Since Islam is a "religion of peace," I don't know what else to call this terrorist plot. According to an FBI affidavit, Derrick Shareef wanted to commit "violent acts of jihad" and "disrupt Christmas." He also said (and you won't find this on CNN), "I swear by Allah man, I’m down for it too, I’m down for the cause, I’m down to live for the cause and die for the cause, man." He also talks about stabbing Jews and uses a number of racial slurs that I won't bother repeating because you get the point.

The MSM (mainstream media) will play this story as some nutjob acting alone. Now, while I don't dispute that, the fact that he's using Islam as his justification is just as newsworthy. And that particular piece of information is also what will be underreported. We need to be sensitive. Spare me. It's a motive, and motives are important. Never mind the fact that his motive and desires to kill the infidels are shared by hundreds of millions of people across the globe.

UPDATE: According to LGF, Derrick, AKA Talib Abu Salam, made a martyrdom video. Text:

This may be my last will and testament, the last words I have spoken to those who know me, to those who do not know me. My name is Talib Abu Salam Ibn Shareef. I am 22 years of age. I am from America and this tape is to let you guys know, who disbelieve in Allah, to let the enemies of Islam know, and to let the Muslims alike know that the time for jihad is now....Be strong, oh Mujahaideen. Be strong oh brothers who want to fight for jihad...This is a warning to those who disbelieve, that we are here for you, and I am ready to give my life.

Yep. I Was "That" Guy On the Metro

It was only a matter of time before my comments about obnoxious and offensive Metro riders would come back to haunt me. Granted, I haven't developed escalaphobia, nor did I break out in song. But I did contribute to metrogerms. Despite that, however, I can honestly say, I tried everything in my power to limit my offensiveness.

Those of you who read this blog daily know that last week I had a really bad cold. So, being a good citizen, I stayed away from the Metro while I was contagious, and thus was home from work for a better part of the week. I don't like showing up to work or riding the Metro all sniffly and gross. However, despite my recovery, my body hasn't been able to shake a very persistent and annoying cough. You all know what I'm talking about. It's one of those tickling, dry coughs that seems to last for weeks after recovery from the initial cold. And every once in a while, as you are suffering from this postnasal drip-like cough, you go into an uncontrollable coughing fit.

Until this morning, such fits have been limited to the privacy of my office and home - where only my coworkers and wife have to be grossed out. Fine, I can deal with that. But today, despite all of my fears and precautions (plenty of cough syrup and medicine), I entered into what can only be described as a disgusting coughing fit just a few minutes after sitting down and becoming boxed in on the Metro.

If you're one of the people asking yourself, "So what?", then you obviously haven't ridden the Metro here in DC. There are certain rules that must be followed. One of those rules is the code of absolute silence. Heaven forbid your phone should ring, or that you should have someone sitting next to you worthy of conversation. You open your mouth, you're gonna get evil eyes and cold shoulders. It's a well known fact that during rush hour, only weirdos and obnoxious tourists are the ones jabbering on the Metro. So given that setting, you can imagine how annoying it must be to hear someone cough not once, but about 30 times in a row.

I tried my hardest, I really did! The tickling in my throat just became too intense to ignore, and I let out a cough. But as most of you know, that only sets off a chain reaction when your throat feels this way. It becomes drier, which requires more coughing. I just couldn't stop! I was coughing loudly, violently, obnoxiously and disgustingly.

Props go to my fellow riders, though, who didn't seem to bat an eye. Although I did notice the guy sitting next to me quietly edge further away from me. And I could have sworn the lady in front of me started shaking her head in disgust. It was a miserable situation for everyone involved.

So thus, today, I was "that" guy. I was annoying, I was offensive, and I was gross. But did that soften my heart towards others who will undoubtedly offend me in the future with their own nasty behavior on the train? Absolutely not! After all, Metro Opens Doors - not hearts!

The Weakest Generation

On this day in 1941, thousands of Americans died in a surprise attack on our country. In response, our nation, which up until that day had been neutral and stayed out of the worldwide conflict, stood up in the face of danger and banded together to fight an enemy determined to seize worldwide freedom. We gathered courage from every corner of society and turned it into a force that was unstoppable. It took 4 long and bloody years, but we eventually won the freedom for those unable to fight for themselves (namely, Europe), and then quietly returned to our own hemisphere and enjoyed a boom of prosperity unrivaled in human history.

65 years later, as an almost anti-memorial to those who perished in the name of freedom, we have decided to tuck our tails and run from a similar challenge and threat to world peace and stability. Where before we lost hundreds of thousands of lives and destroyed entire cities to bring peace to the world, we now run in the face of criticism when we have lost only a fraction of the lives required for such operations in the past. Today, we have taken every effort to avoid civilian populations so that life could go on as usual in the middle of a war zone, but still the cause is deemed unworthy by a loathsome and biased press.

Today, 65 years after an event that gave rise to the "Greatest Generation," we are too forgetful and self-absorbed to even care about how events in the world have been unfolding over the past several decades that will ultimately bring more destruction on our own citizens. It has only been 5 years since 9/11, an attack more devastating than Pearl Harbor, yet we can't get off our couches to support a cause in Iraq that will ultimately bring us safety here at home. Instead, we'd rather blame the President, point fingers and vote for people who will continue to feed our sense of laziness.

We have become the Weakest Generation in 65 short years. We would rather ferment selfishness, idolatry, rebellion and irresponsibility than promote a life of morality, helpfulness and conviction. Today is the "me" generation, only concerned with what the government can give them, rather than what they can give to their government. Our politicians are a mirror of a society headed downhill. We're not quite the walking dead that Europe has become, but we're begging to ride on their coattails.

All is not completely lost, however. There are still those people who understand the need to win in Iraq. There are those who understand what is at stake, and understand the reality of the enemy and what he stands for. Even though the quitters have buried many people's heads in the sand along with their own, telling us that just "accepting" the enemy will solve the world's problems - or worse, that we are the enemy - there are still enough people who believe in the spirit of America to keep it alive.

It is my sincere hope, on this 65th anniversary of the birth of the Greatest Generation, that the current weakest generation will grow up, and become the saving generation. Because before we can save the planet, save the whales or save anything else that keeps people's minds of the real problems in the world, we need to save each other. And we can accomplish this by supporting freedom, and overpowering an enemy who is determined to kill us at any cost.

The Tree After a Night of Song

Buying Our Tree

Israeli Capitulation or Sinister Plot?

Either this is the most imbecilic capitulation in the history of modern warfare, or the Israeli's have simply lost their minds. One can always hope that this is nothing but a political stunt. I mean, why else would the Environment Minister be suggesting this??

Since I would like to give Israeli strategists the benefit of the doubt, I have conceived an alternate theory as to why the Environment Minister would want to let this 5-life sentenced suicide bomber back into the population. The Minister, Gideon Ezra, worked as an executive at Ituran, an Israel company specializing in wireless tracking. Perhaps he has something up his sleeve... at least, let's hope he does.

JERUSALEM (AFP) - An Israeli minister has said he would agree to releasing Marwan Barghuti, the charismatic Palestinian militant leader serving five life sentences in jail for planning suicide attacks.

"I will agree to such a release if it leads thePalestinian Authority to be truly opposed to terrorism and to prevent the smuggling of weapons from Egypt into Gaza," Environment Minister Gideon Ezra told public radio Monday.

It is the first time that a current government minister has considered releasing Barghuti,Fatah's widely popularWest Bank leader who was a key player during the early days of the second intifada, or uprising, which began in September 2000. More...

Lindsay Lohan is STILL an Idiot

Sure, it was your Blackberry. Sorry, lush, we're not buying it. Those of us with Blackberries know that they cause typos, not grammatical errors. There's a big difference.

We know you carry the thing everywhere (see picture), but it doesn't mean that we'll be buying your ridiculous excuse. Ugh.

Lindsay Lohan is an Idiot

Have you all seen her illiterate "condolences" to Robert Altman's family? If you haven't, you're in for a real treat. Here's a sampling of some of her incoherent babbling:

"I am lucky enough to of been able to work with Robert Altman" To of, eh?

"Look in the mirror and thank god for every second you have and cherish all moments. The fighting, the anger, the drama is tedious." Uh, what???

"Life comes once, doesn't 'keep coming back' and we all take such advantage of what we have. When we shouldn't..." No, I'm not making this up.

"Everytime there's a triumph in the world a million souls hafta be trampled on" I think I hafta puke.

Seriously folks, I couldn't make this stuff up if I was being beaten with reeds. I know I'm gonna get strung up for this next comment by an army of teenie-boppers, but Lohan is truly a class-A moron.

Sick As a Dog

At first, I thought my voice had disappeared because I was having too much fun at Disneyland last week. But then the cough came. Oh, that miserable, horrible cough. I flew back to DC on Saturday, hoping that I was just exhausted from a great week in San Diego. But noooo! The cough got worse...starting to hurt my chest while my sinuses started to get congested. But still, I hoped.

I called in sick from work on Monday, hoping that the extra rest would do the trick and cure me. And on Monday night, it appeared to have been a great success! I went to work on Tuesday only feeling mildly uncomfortable. In fact, I felt so good yesterday that I decided to go to Fogo de Chao last night with friends for dinner. The food was excellent, as always. However, halfway through the meal my energy levels dropped to near zero. I felt like a walking zombie. And as I had done in CA, I wrote it off to the aftereffects of a great and filling meal. 2am sure proved that wrong!

The cough was back, and this time, with a vengeance! I was up most of the night hacking away, losing my sleep and my mind. I took DayQuil, hoping it would help (I'm out of NyQuil). It helped the cough... but never take DayQuil at night unless you really don't want to sleep. It gives you crazy energy, that witches brew! So by the time my alarm went off at 7am, I was a wreck. I had to call in sick again, after explaining to my boss yesterday that I felt well enough to gorge myself at Fogo. Fun times.

But for as sick as I feel, I haven't experienced the worst, crippling condition that sometimes accompanies a cold. That condition - my worst fear - plugged up ears. Yes, some of you will remember my posts from the last time I was sick, in February. My ears got so bad that I wound up in the ER. It was miserable. However this time, so far, my ears are able to process pressure changes without a problem. But I know that when they decide to clog up, it's usually a few days AFTER feeling better from the cold. So, I'm keeping a vigilant watch on them... mingled with paranoia and fear!

Family Reunion

View from Thunder Mountain

Nathan, Stephanie and Paul on Dumbo

Star Tours

My favorite ride of all!

Miss America Contestants at Disneyland

Live from Disneyland

Pirates of the Caribbean

The US Border from Mexico

A Good Dog

First day in San Diego, and got to meet the new family dog. Say hi to Daisy!

My New Phone: Samsung SGH A707

For those of you who like things slick, this phone is simply amazing. But before I get into how cool it is, let me just say that this the first phone to really catch my eye in 2 years! I purchased my last phone, the ubiquitous Motorola RAZR, 2 years ago to the day (the day it was first released - and cost $500). I was happy with that phone, mainly because of it's size and reliability. However, as a self-described gadget-freak, the lack of intriguing phones since the RAZR has been killing me (my usual turnaround time for phones is 6 months)! But finally, my wait appears to be over.

In a phone, I look for the following: Thin (this phone has the same thickness when closed as the RAZR); Camera (this has 2 megapixels); Bluetooth; Easy Menus (this runs circles around Motorola's menu system); solid feel; large memory (50mb included, plus a memory card slot); media player (this is a new requirement) and a large, bright screen. It has all of these things and more...plus, it looks great!

But what's more, this phone runs on Cingular's brand new "3G" HSDPA (as well as GSM) network. Wikipedia defines HSDPA:

High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a mobile telephony protocol, a 3G technology, which provides a smooth evolutionary path for UMTS-based 3G networks allowing for higher data transfer speeds. Current HSDPA deployments support 1.8 MBit/s or 3.6 MBit/s in downlink. Further steps to 7.2 MBit/s and beyond are planned for the future.

To put into perspective - this phone transfers data faster than DSL and many cable modems. This means the data speeds RUN CIRCLES around anything by Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. It even one-ups the European carriers (they usually have better phones and networks). Those commercials by Verizon and Sprint claiming to have the fastest networks are now out of date (they compare to Cingular's old, EDGE network).

The call quality is amazing. I talked to a friend last night who was astonished at how clear the connection was. In fact, he was so impressed with the phone that he plans on dumping Verizon and moving to Cingular.

The best part... this phone retails for $300... but if you sign for a new contract, you can get the phone for $29 after a $100 mail-in rebate. You can't beat that with a stick.

Oh, and I have no idea who the girl in the picture is. I got it from the Google.

My New Phone

So here is a picture from my new phone. Those of you who know me also know how picky I am when it comes to stuff like this. So far, the phone is a winner! Oh, I'm also posting this Blog directly from my phone. :)

FLOP: Michael Jackson's "Comeback"

Was this a big surprise? The guy has apparently been in bed with children too long and has forgotten what it means to please an audience comprised of adults. The schedule was for him to perform Thriller, his biggest hit, to a crowd at the World Music Awards in London. It was also to be his first live appearance in the UK in over 10 years.

Well, not surprisingly, the King of Flop changed his plans and came on stage singing a falsetto version of We Are the World. The audience, with good reason, started to boo him within seconds. The whole thing was a debacle of monumental proportions. The Sun reports:

WACKO Michael Jackson’s plastic surgery-ravaged face looks like it is melting as he arrives at the shambolic World Music Awards last night.

Jacko, 48, was snapped looking strange as he performed live in Britain for the first time in ten years.

But expectant punters — who had spent about £100 a ticket for the London event — ended up booing in disgust at the end after he only sang THREE LINES of We Are The World — when he was meant to sing Thriller with R&B star Chris Brown.

Read the Article HERE.

Terrorists Open DC Branch Office

Again, I wish I were making this stuff up. The Muslim Brotherhood announced that they will be opening an office in the nation's capital to "infiltrate the US government and influence its apathy towards political Islam." I'm not kidding! Quoted below (thanks to LGF):

WASHINGTON DC - The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (SMB), in alliance with the ex-vice- president of Syria, Abdul Halim Khaddam, a staunch Ba’athist, have opened an office in Washington DC. The aim of the office is to infiltrate the US government and influence its apathy towards political Islam. Ammar Abdul Hamid, a Syrian intellectual who works at Brookings Institute, will be running the office for the National Salvation Front. His duties are to sell political Islam and Ba’athism to reluctant US government officials and to give the Muslim Brotherhood a platform in the Think Tank community of Washington from which they can preach democracy.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Muslim Brotherhood, I would invite you to learn more about them by clicking HERE. If that's too "right wing" for you, try Wikipedia, where it says:

The Muslim Brotherhood advocates the creation of Islamic government, believing that God has set out a perfect way of life and social organization in the Quran (as seen in the slogan, "The Quran is our constitution"). It expresses its interpretation of Islam through a strict religious approach to social issues such as the role of women...

I am all for freedom of speech, provided you aren't yelling "Fire!" in a crowded movie theater. But I hope this group finds as much "open minded" acceptance as the Neo-Nazis find at their rallies (sarcasm intended). The Muslim Brotherhood advocates a system of government that requires the destruction of our own - starting with the constitution. And if that wasn't enough, the Muslim Brotherhood gave us people like Sayyid Qutb, the man who inspired Osama bin Laden. But yeah, they're otherwise good people. Ha.

A New Culture of Corruption

As a good friend noted, "It's good to see the culture of corruption is still going to be with us in the democratic leadership of the 110th Congress. Reid with his sweethart land deals (that he forgot to report to the Senate), a disgraced and impeached former federal judge (Rep. Hastings) heading up the House Intelligence Committee and now the possible House Whip, Murtha, having entertained the idea of taking bribes back in the 80's?!"

But at least the Washington Post is reporting some of it.

Here's the Video!

Al Qaeda Planning Nuke Attack on UK

British intelligence is warning that terrorist chatter has increased surrounding the procurement of nuclear weapons and material, suggesting that a nuclear attack may be in the planning stages. The UK Guardian Reports:

British intelligence officials believe that al-Qaeda is determined to attack the UK with a nuclear weapon, it emerged yesterday. The announcement, from an officially organised Foreign Office counter-terrorism briefing for the media, was the latest in a series of bleak assessments by senior officials and ministers about the terrorist threat facing Britain.

UK officials have detected "an awful lot of chatter" on jihadi websites expressing the desire to acquire chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons. Read entire article HERE.

It's Just NOT Gonna Happen

Sorry, John. I love you as a (barely) republican, but you just don't have what it takes to be president.

You're too liberal, too old (only Reagan had the presence to fool the geezer sensors. You... not so much), too stodgy, too temperamental, and frankly, too haggard looking to win the presidency. I know you really want it, and I know you think you can create buzz about yourself by filing early...

But, no. Just... no.

We can't afford another Bob Dole in 2008. Old Senators = No White House.

Al Qaeda in Iraq Supports Democrats

No, I'm not making this up. They have announced it themselves. However, they still plan on carrying their war to the American homeland - right up until the point where they blow up the White House. Here's a clip:

"Al-Muhajir, also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri, also urged the U.S. to stay in Iraq so his group would have more opportunities to kill American troops. 'We haven't had enough of your blood yet,' he told the U.S.

"We will not rest from our Jihad until we are under the olive trees of Rumieh and we have blown up the filthiest house - which is called the White House," al-Muhajir said. It was not clear what Rumieh was referring to.

"The American people have put their feet on the right path by ... realizing their president's betrayal in supporting Israel," the terror leader said. "So they voted for something reasonable in the last elections."'

Read ENTIRE Article.

A Horrible Case of Mixed-Up Identity

OK, one of these girls committed a felony. No, they are not related. One is a criminal, the other an innocent honor student. This would be the suckiest suck to ever have happen to you.

Click HERE for the story.

Voters, I Hope You Know What You've Done

Short-sighted voters have just installed a ruinous leadership with their "protest votes" aimed at Bush. Well, that's great, vote however you want... just consider the consequences first! Because of your "open-minded" votes that were cast for a "new direction," you have paved a golden road for Pelosi and the furious-4 (Waxman, Hastings, Conyers, Rangel) to take charge of American affairs.

We know it wasn't an ideological choice on your part, otherwise you wouldn't have elected conservative democrats in record numbers. We know you're conservative, but by voting for a "D," you have subjected the country to at least 2 years of monkeyhouse politics. Because you fell sucker for what the liberal media told you about life and how you should live it, you're gonna get 700 days of unrelenting liberal lunacy. I hope you're happy.

Did you realize that with your "vote for change," you removed local politicians for relatively minor corruption charges while sending an democrat who was impeached for bribery to chair the House Intelligence Committee? Of course you didn't. You were too busy feeling good about your open-minded protest vote for change. Well, you got your change. The country will now be forever changed - and not for better.

But worst of all, because the liberal media fails to report on all of the positive change in Iraq, you fell hook-line-and-sinker for the democratic liberal propaganda machine. Now, you have just signaled to Islamic fascists all over the world that America has given up. You're inviting them to push American even more. The terrorists will be more emboldened than ever. You have sold us out, you poor, ignorant "vote your conscious" activist. Yes, you're an activist now... all of you who voted for Tester in Montana. Yep, you big-sky Montana conservatives... you just gave us Harry Reid and a liberal national agenda.

Thanks a lot.

A Liberal Big Brother

Did any of you vote this morning? And, if so, did you notice the army of democrats calling themselves “poll observers?” Wall Street Journal has an article about them today, where they claim to be “non-partisan.” However, the ones in Fairfax County had little donkey labels and pins to set them apart from other observers. Cute.

What’s worse is that (at least in Fairfax) the poll workers are required to shout out your name when you check in. This is to satisfy the “observers” with their checklists. So, just so some liberal can be satisfied that the GOP isn’t going to “steal” another election, the safety of my wife is compromised as they shout her name and address in a room full of people. Yeah, I can see how the safety tradeoff is worth it.

This is a perfect example of the kind of "feel good" measures democrats will be sure to pass if they gain control of Congress. Measures like these always satisfy the emotional element (Gee, we're doing something! Yay!), but they fail to hold up to common sense and in the end, do more damage than good.

Kerry, Just Say SORRY!

Yep, John Kerry is a smart one. Just look at the support he has among the troops!

Also, check this out! http://johnkerryhatesvets.ytmnd.com/

The Winners

Yep, you're looking at the Halloween costumes that earned wifey and I a cool $100! That's right folks, it actually pays to be white trash... if only pretend!

Study: US full of Internet Addicts

So I fit that profile exactly. So? SO?

From Breitbart News:

US full of Internet Addicts

The United States could be rife with Internet addicts as clinically ill as alcoholics, an unprecedented study released suggested.

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in Silicon Valley said their telephone survey indicated more than one of every eight US residents showed at least one sign of "problematic Internet use."

The findings backed those of previous, less rigorous studies, according to Stanford.

Most disturbing was the discovery that some people hid their Internet surfing, or went online to cure foul moods in ways that mirrored alcoholics using booze, according to the study's lead author, Elias Aboujaoude.

"In a sense, they're using the Internet to self-medicate," Aboujaoude said. "And obviously something is wrong when people go out of their way to hide their Internet activity."

According to preliminary research, the typical Internet addict was a single, college-educated, white male in his 30s, who spends approximately 30 hours a week on non-essential computer use.

A "Clerical Error" - Suuure, Harry.

Harry Reid is starting to feel some of the same heat he's been dishing out to Republicans. I guess when a democrat breaks the law, it's a "clerical error" and not part of the "culture of corruption." Campaign fraud, non-disclosure of property sales from "friends." Maybe we should call him Harry "Duke" Reid?

Looks like democrats can add "hypocrisy" to their list of changes they plan on bringing to Washington. AP Reports:

REID USED CAMPAIGN FUNDS FOR CHRISTMAS BONUSES

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid paid cash for a $750,000 condo at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives. But when it comes to giving the doorman and other support staff Christmas bonuses, he's been using campaign donations instead of his own money.

Federal election law bars candidates from converting political donations for personal use.

Questioned about the campaign expenditures by The Associated Press, Reid's office said Monday his lawyers had approved them but he nonetheless was personally reimbursing his campaign for the $3,300 he had directed to the staff holiday fund at his residence.

Read entire story HERE

The Katie Couric Ratings Disaster

I can't make stuff like this up. From Drudge:

COURIC: CBS 'EVENING NEWS' RATINGS DISASTER
Monday, Oct. 16, 2006

NEW YORK CITY
WABC 7.1
WNBC 5.3
WCBS 3.7

LOS ANGELES
KABC 5.9
KNBC 3.1
KCBS 1.5

WASHINGTON, DC
NBC 9.3
ABC 7.8
CBS 2.5

On our way back from picking pumpkins!

If you ever want to pick your own pumpkins, and I'm talking BIG pumpkins.. Then go south in VA. Wow!

"Scary Movie" Creator Slams Dems with New Campaign Ad

From the creator of Airplane and Scary Movie, comes the political ad deemed “too hot” by the RNC. It’s extremely critical of the democrats, and it’s also extremely funny. Thanks Drudge!

Scary

Cool

Utah Game

Utah beat ranked TCU

Stuck in Chicago Again

The yellow ones are the delays and cancellations.

Going Out of Town Again!

Nowhere exotic this time, just heading to Salt Lake City to give a presentation on Hurricane Katrina to a large a conference. Will also spend some time with sister (and her new husband), cousins and friends. I'll be back in DC on Saturday. Fun times.

Expect pictures from the University of Utah game, Thursday night.

The Drudge Decade

So, my man Matt Drudge, creator of the world famous Drudge Report, is finally getting the public accolades he deserves for his (literally) newsmaking website. I've always been amazed to see stories appear on Drudge, then find their way onto the front web pages of such power-news organziations as CNN and FOX News.

Excellent job, Matt! ABC News Reports:

In the crucial congressional elections, now about five weeks away, one of the strongest weapons in the Republican arsenal is a man running a Web site out of his apartment in Miami. His name is Matt Drudge.

Drudge broke the Monica Lewinsky story and has had a tremendous influence on what you know about politics ever since.

From the comfort of his apartment, Drudge can send shock waves through newsrooms and campaign headquarters nationwide with breaking news often heralded by his trademark siren.

"If Drudge has a siren up, people know it's something they have to look at," said Mark Halperin, ABC News Political Director.

Read ENTIRE Article.