The Barracuda?

Wow - McCain/ P A L I N ?!?!?!?!

Hmm.

I might not vote for him, but I would almost definitely vote for a good, conservative woman who can field dress a MOOSE.

Heh.

Love this woman.

Not Exactly Freedom Fighters

Those "insurgents" in Iraq (Al Qaeda in Iraq) are not just using Down's Syndrome women anymore - now they're so desperate that they're drugging their own children and wives to use as bombers.

Fortunately, a policeman found this teenage (married) woman wandering and was able to defuse the vest they'd saddled her with - she was looking for her mother to find help.

Might be good to remember next time we hear someone calling AQI "Freedom Fighters" or "patriots." Real patriots are willing to devote their lives to their country; cowards drug their children into human bombs.

Georgia Updates, from a Georgian

via Blackfive:

Part One
Part Two

Please take time to read them - it's critical to really understanding the context of the conflict and what Russia's doing over there.

It's not about "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" and self-determination; it's about Russia seeking to destroy and likely retake a democratic sovereign nation by amping up and using the potential divisions within it to pave the way for a not-very-subtle invasion (because: a, they're mad that Georgia broke away; b, Stalin was a Georgia boy, so there's a streak of nationalism; and c) Georgia was standing up and getting around the Russian energy monopoly on the continent).

So... for more history and a fuller human side, please check out those links - they're indispensable.

Really? (Okay, I checked Us mag online...)

From an Us magazine online article titled, "He's Just Like Us!":

"Spending the holidays in Hawaii is a tradition," wife Michelle (with Barack, then 28, in 1989) says.

Wow.

I don't know many people who have that tradition.

In fact, I'd bet that I don't know ANYONE who has that tradition. Most people I know have better ways to spend money than jetting to Hawaii annually during a peak travel season.

Good thing Obama knows how to relate to regular people, eh?

(In fairness, that article does have a cute little-kid pic of him riding a tricycle... and who didn't love tricycles when they were little?)

"Just like us," indeed.

We'll Pay a Price, Too

From some of the latest at Blackfive:

I fear that Georgia, Poland, the Ukraine ..., and the Baltic states may well pay a very real price for desiring autonomy and aligning with the West, and for standing up to Putin.

Evil dictators will always try to destroy free(-er) countries in order to maintain and expand their own power.

Putin is an evil* dictator** who most likely only handed over the "presidency" of Russia to avoid paperwork.

I know the situation is more complex when we look at every single possible consequence, but there is no doubt in my mind that standing up for free countries against evil dictators (or, for that matter, opposing evil dictators at every step of the way) is necessary and right.

So, while we know that Poland, Georgia, Ukraine, and pretty much anyone else over there who's got a spine will be feeling some serious Russian heat, I know we'll be paying a price, too, if we stick to our guns - and we should stick to them. I am in no way trivializing what our friends in Eastern Europe are going through. I'm just sure that the conflict is going to broaden. Greatly.

___
* Evil: "former" KGB; threatening, poisoning, and murdering "former" associates and political opponents; selling arms to rogue nations; and so much more...
** Dictator: quashing opposition (through legislation for businesses, and generally murder for individuals and journalists); cutting off oil supplies to the EU in winter to get his way; threatening other countries for making up their own minds; installing a puppet president; propping up other dictators' regimes; and so much more...

LOVE This Woman!

An 85-year-old woman took control of the situation when some punk broke into her house recently.

Gotta love that!

(and I'm glad the burglar was unarmed and not very resourceful ;-)

A Thank You Card Is in Order

According to this article, "In two decades of record keeping, no sitting Congress has passed fewer public laws at this point in the session -- 294 so far -- than this one."

KEEP IT UP, CONGRESS!!! A decreasing quantity of legislation is a good start to a GREAT trend...

(I mean, if you can't do anything GOOD, don't do anything at ALL. Please.)

Sweet!

I know the story's a couple days old, but I just have to post because I've been so fascinated by it:

Julia Child was a "listening ear" for the US during WWII.

I like her more all the time!

W00T to Pres. Bush!

For calling out Russia on their invasion of Georgia!!!

Specifically, mentioning "our solidarity with the Georgian people."

Better a little late than never, eh?

Powerline has a transcript.

Update: Blackfive has a good write-up & links to others.

Um, This Isn't Good

There's a chance that the government might look at enforcing the Fairness Doctrine on the INTERNET. As in BLOGS.

Oy.

Not that they'd come after someone like me who has virtually no traffic, LOL, but STILL. It's horrible.

Here's a summary quote:

McDowell told BMI the Fairness Doctrine isn’t currently on the FCC’s radar. But a new administration and Congress elected in 2008 might renew Fairness Doctrine efforts, but under another name.

The name? Probably "net neutrality."

Count me in on the "crash the phone bank" effort if they try it!!! Not that they'd listen, but hey... one more straw can't hurt, right?