Thursday, December 29, 2005
Gimme and No
Walter in Denver makes the point "If the Pres were a Democrat we would see the blogosphere and the rest of the deep thinkers reverse arguments effortlessly. I would sound exactly the same, but with the reds and blues switched around...". Other than mis-spelling Prez, this is right on the money. And it doesn't even matter what the topic was. I find the Dems more noxious than the Reps, mainly because of their endless plans for our improvement. The 1st Amendment still carries enough force to thwart the Reps more absurd ambitions, but the 9th and 10th have been eviscerated (Robert Bork referred to the 9th as 'an inkblot') and so thwarting the Dems utopian fantasies is a constant labor - and ultimately a losing battle. As the party of 'Gimme' the Dems work with an enormous advantage. Who doesn't want free stuff? And when the argument against it is complex and tedious? And the Reps are the party of 'No'. At least for the general population. The Reps are definitely the party of 'Gimme' for their cronies. But a small class of parasites, unpleasant as it may be, won't bankrupt the republic. An entire population of them certainly will. As generally the party of 'No' the Reps have the distinct advantage of appearing as the party of responsibility and limited government. And the majority of Americans retain enough wisdom to prefer these to the sweet promises of the Dems. Gee, this thing went off on a tangent didn't it? But don't complain - it's just a blog after all.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Narnia gets it right
Saw Chronicles of Narnia yesterday. Spoiler alert. Near the end, Aslan gets the White Witch at his mercy and he kills her. For once, finally, the hero just kills the damn villian. He doesn't say "killing you would make me just as bad as you", "you're not worth killing", or any other of the trite cowardly nonsense we've come to expect from Hollywood. Usually Hollywood reserves its 'moral clarity' for the military, productive white men and gun owners. It took the long-dead C.S. Lewis to insert some real clarity into the movies. Expect a rapid return to form though, Lewis is dead and the others are still consuming oxygen.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Miscellany
Read 'The Liberal Bubble' and see if it resonates with you. I seemed perfectly in sync with my experience in talking (okay, arguing) with the the 95% of my friends and relatives who are of the leftoid persuasion.
Also, TigerHawk has an astute piece about defining victory in our current war and the importance of discrediting the Jihadist philosophy. He also links to a great piece by Steven Den Beste.
Also, TigerHawk has an astute piece about defining victory in our current war and the importance of discrediting the Jihadist philosophy. He also links to a great piece by Steven Den Beste.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Evo Morales - giving Columbia a breather
The upcoming (tomorrow) election of Evo Morales to the presidency of Bolivia will be a disaster for that country. An economic illiterate, warmonger (with Chile), and friend of Hugo Chavez. But there might be a silver lining here. One of the Evo's more 'scary' ideas is to legalize coca growing. The effect of this legalization might be helpful for Columbia, which is having a hellish time with the collision of narcotics and terrorism known as FARC. If Evo does as he says then Bolivia will explode with coca farms - with normal legal protections (i.e. no herbicides sprayed by DEA planes). This will make it very hard for Columbia to compete in the coca and cocaine business and will cut FARC's income considerably. Of course oil tick Chavez will step in with money from Venezuela's oil sales. (And said money can't be used for other mischief). But the effect will still be felt as the coca farmers in Columbia lose the need for the 'services' that FARC provides and return to subsistence farming. FARC loses influence and prestige as well as money. So, Bolivia's (further) decline might buy some breathing space for Columbia. After the misery they've gone through the past few decades they have high motivation to start healing their country. Maybe they can make a good start.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Chocolate Bourbon Balls
Bourbon Balls:
1 12 oz/ package of Nilla vanilla wafers - crushed
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 heaping tablespoons powdered bakers cocoa
3 tablespoons light corn syrup (or as we say down
South 'surp')
1/2 cup bourbon
Mix all ingredients well, form into balls about 1 inch
in diameter and dredge in additional powdered sugar. Best if put
in an airtight container and chilled for a few days
before consumption. I dredged them in cocoa one year
but it makes ones fingers messy when eating. When
crushing the wafers try not to get too much powder, it
makes for a gummy ball. Also, DON'T use a sour mash
bourbon such as the superb George Dickel or the vile
Jack Daniels. Use straight bourbon whiskey - I highly
recommend Knob Creek for kitchen and other uses. I suppose
rum or cognac would work too.
Also, try to save some for your friends and family.
It's the season for that kind of thing.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Muslim prison outreach
There's a pretty successful effort by the Muslim community to make converts among convicts. Especially black prisoners. What's the outcome when these prisoners who converted to Islam are released? Does the Muslim community support their transition to society? Do the send them to exotic places? Do they shun them? Ignore them? Give them a suicide belt? My guess is that the converts merely use Islam to justify their pathological behavior. Easy enough to do. But I'd be interested to see examples of real-world outcomes.