baldilocks

What I'm Reading

Good book. It makes me want to go out and try to reproduce (tick, tick, tick).

(Thanks to the Los Angeles Public Library)

Goodbye...For Now

Okay. It’s break time; not “give-up” time, but break time. As many other impromptu pundits have seen fit to do, I’m going to let my blogging go for a bit. The simple facts are this:

• I need to get out and make a real living, as no one is hitting my tip jar...and why would they?
• There are dreams that I’ve long had—which indeed involve writing, but don’t involve blog-writing--that I am going to follow before I become too old to do so.
• So many events, singular and on-going, have led me to feel that my expressed opinions are useless—and that feeling has spilled over onto the quality of my blogging. Additionally, I know that there are many new trends and technologies which I could add to the site, but…I don’t want to. Or rather, simply put: I’m just not feelin’ it.

I know that, at some point I will “feel it” again. Oh not just for the occasional post which I may even put up next week, but the scheduled, sustained and tenacious type of posting which I used to practice a couple of years ago. I can’t do that now; it’s almost as if it’s become an unpleasant chore.

This site will be here for the foreseeable future and, as I said, an unforeseen subject/event may spur me toward posting even tomorrow, but as for now, I’m outtahere.

See you around.

Anal Orifices

To the individuals who are using the domain name julietteochieng.com--which I own--to send out spam: may the blue screen of death be your constant companion.

Just Reading Today

Guess Who: "Death to the Dictator!"

Black Nerds: A Short History of My People (Thanks to Michael)

No hearing for you, Masri!

“The First Refugee from Western Europe Since the Holocaust”

Real Men Defined

Another wrongfully accused man freed with help from The Innocence Project

Hanson in Iraq (Part One)

Babalu: Inside the Real Cuba

Not ready for BET: ♫Play that Country Music, Black Girl!♫

Stay Off My Side

John Hawkins asked me to participate in one of his regularly-scheduled polls of conservative bloggers. The topic of this one? Select Your Least favorite people on the Right." For the record, I submitted nine of a possible twelve candidates; six made the list, including the top four. The results feature mostly politicians and public, professional and paid pundits. My choices, however, were a tiny bit more eclectic.

He Knows When You are Sleeping

And speaking of communists and messiahs...

Yesterday--in honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin's 55th birthday--Pajamas Media featured some translations of Putin jokes, from the Russian, of course. The flavor of jokes indicates that the Russian people have to deal with their own version of a wannabe earthly savior. Some examples:

Putin can scratch his own heel without bending over.

Shirts worn by Putin are sent to a secret military facility and converted to the strongest layer of armor for the Russian tanks.

Putin’s used tissues become the property of the Department of Cartography and their content is classified.

In the movies, Putin’s part is usually played by his twin brother Chuck Norris.

Putin can power up a microphone with his stare and shut down the Windows Media Player with his voice.

Once a month the full moon howls at Putin.

Putin, who is constitutionally required to step down as president for at least one term, is reputed to be maneuvering to become Russia's Prime Minister. Again. But there is at least one group which advocates that Putin remains president. Not so funny.

A "Better" World

Speaking of Senator Obama, the deterioration of his presidential candidacy seems to be proceeding apace. From his August assertion that US troops were just “air-raiding villages and killing civilians” in Afghanistan (aren’t our efforts in Afghanistan supposed to be the “Good War?”), to his decision to cease wearing the US flag pin on the lapels of his suits (he used to wear one back when it was all the rage), the senator almost seems to be committing campaign Selbstmord.

Allahpundit features yet another of Obama’s statements—this time regarding faith. Speaking to reporters in the wake of making a campaign speech at the Redemption World Outreach Center (!), the senator disputed the assertion that Republicans hold the high ground when it comes to matters of faith. One wonders to which faith the senator was referring when he made this statement:

I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth.

Um, er, Senator, if one of your goals is to create an earthly Kingdom, that Kingdom you hope to build isn’t that of a certain Jewish Rabbi/carpenter—the one whom you claim to accept as your Savior. And, as a matter of fact, this world--this earth--is allegedly the Kingdom of that Other Guy; at least for a time.

Of course, it would be just as silly to claim that Obama is some sort of “agent of the Devil” as it is to claim that he’s some sort of Islamic Manchurian Candidate. Obama is merely spouting one of the tenets of a certain other type of “religion”—one that, however, has proven to be even more dangerous than those aforementioned, if body counts are any indication. I'd imagine that his audience, being mostly products of modern education, didn't pick up on the historical implications of an "earthly Kingdom." (That's not a slam against them, but against most public education systems.) But, sheesh! Don't any of these people--these Christians--read the Bible?

(Thanks to Gateway Pundit)

The Peace of the Grave

Whenever anyone with a certain types of name makes an entry into the public consciousness—whether that person is a presidential candidate or a girl who is kicked off of a Southwest airlines flight for dressing "inappropriately" even—some members of that public will display their ignorance with respect to the difference between race/ethnicity and religion. From this next story, one can deduce that Hamas does not make that mistake.

The body of Rami Khader Ayyad, the 32-year-old director of Gaza's only Christian bookstore, bore a visible gunshot wound to the head, and an official at Gaza's Shifa Hospital said he was also stabbed numerous times. Ayyad had been missing since Saturday afternoon.
Ayyad regularly received anonymous death threats from angry people who accused him of missionary work, a rarity among Gaza's Christians. His store, which is associated with a Christian group called the Palestinian Bible Society, was firebombed in April. [SNIP]

About 3,200 Christians live in Gaza among 1.4 million Muslims, and the Christian community has grown uneasy since Hamas routed forces of the secular Fatah movement and seized control of the coastal strip in June. During the takeover, vandals ransacked a Roman Catholic convent and an adjacent school, breaking crosses and smashing the face of a ceramic Jesus.

(Thanks to Ace of Spades HQ)

Pet Peeve Monday, October 8, 2007

...When the Big Media reports something as new which the New Media reported weeks ago:

Sandy Berger, who stole highly classified terrorism documents from the National Archives, destroyed them and lied to investigators, is now an adviser to presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Berger, who was fired from John Kerry’s presidential campaign when the scandal broke in 2004, has assumed a similar role in Clinton’s campaign, even though his security clearance has been suspended until September 2008. This is raising eyebrows even among Clinton’s admirers. “It shows poor judgment and a lack of regard for Berger’s serious misdeeds,” said law professor Jonathan Adler of Case Western Reserve University[.] [SNIP]

He added: “If Senator Clinton becomes the Democratic nominee, at some point she will begin to receive national security briefings that will include sensitive information. At such a point, continuing to keep Berger on board as a key advisor, where he might have access to sensitive material, would be beyond incomprehensible.”

Actually, I'm not too annoyed at these repeat of "breaking" news. The Berglar's role in the Clinton campaign cannot receive too much publicity.

New Mexico Republican to Retire?

Hey Mom! Ever consider running for the Senate?

Veteran Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) is expected to announce tomorrow that he will retire from the Senate in 2008, according to several informed sources, a decision that further complicates an already difficult playing field for Republicans next November. [SNIP]

Domenici's Senate office did not return a call this afternoon, but sources close to the senator say he will fly home to New Mexico tomorrow to make the announcement that he is retiring.

Actually, another member of our family--a Democrat--would be more likely to do so.

It seems that quite a few Republican senators and representatives intend to hang it up next year.

(Thanks to Hot Air)

UPDATE: Senator Domenici, 75, is retiring because he has a form of dementia--the affliction formerly known as senility. My mom mentioned that he had been looking frail lately.

Under the Weather

Back in a few days.

Cox & Forkum Strip

...ends. My thanks, Gentlemen.

My two favorite depictions: dead terrorists.

Laughing Wolf Meets Scott Beauchamp

Blake Powers aka Laughing Wolf is in Iraq and had the opportunity to talk to Scott Beauchamp.

I had heard a lot of good things about him as a soldier from the people who know him, and the leaders above him.

What we talked about?

That's between us.

Blake found Private Beauchamp to be an interesting person and notes that the private is free to communicate with whomever he pleases.

What would be the odds that the private turns out to be a good soldier? I wouldn't bet against it.

Pet Peeve Monday, October 1, 2007

Racists of any stripe are anywhere from annoying to disgusting in my playbook. And, of course, I run into them from time to time--as we all have, unfortunately. Here's a (head-)case which stands out in my mind.

I had four career fields in the USAF--three while on Active Duty and one while in Reserve status. Two of my AD careers involved foreign languages, specifically German and Russian.

Sometimes, when I mention that last fact, I will get skeptical looks. During my Reserve stint, one co-worker even expressed outright disbelief. He questioned me as to my Technical Training and my pertinent duty stations. He even went to our boss and complained that I was lying about my past military record. Boss suggested that he ask for my DD Form 214--as she told me later. After I found out that he complained to her, I began to carry a copy of the document in my wallet, but he never did ask for it. I would have presented it had he (politely) done so. Instead, he kept trying to trip me up in a lie.

I didn't have to wonder too hard as to why he refused to believe that I might have the mental tools to learn and manipulate two rather difficult foreign languages.

Oh yeah, did I mention that he wasn't white?