Wednesday, December 13, 2000

John Fund of the Wall Street Journal has an interesting take on the question of "who really won Florida?"OpinionJournal - John Fund's Political Diary

Amazing: Without really ruling out recounts, the Supreme Court has simply said that they're probably impossible in the time frame left. Sage decision or weasel-words? I'm not sure yet. Yes, my guy wins, but the implications of this decision, particularly those relating to the standards for counting (and by inference, gathering) votes, if they had been the law of the land before the election, might have assured a Gore win. In other words, if the system were better, Gore might have won. And he might not have. The real bad guy here is the voting system, coupled with a wacky set of decisions by the Supreme Court and some of the canvassing boards. Charles Keating this morning commented that IF Gore had, at the beginning, asked for a state-wide recount (and, my opinion, STAYED OUT of the actual process), he a)might have actually won and b)wouldn't have put the country through 35 days of uncertainty. At this point, I don't know if Gore could ever come back from this and run again. Bush will have a very difficult presidency as well. But the union will survive, I'm sure.

Wednesday, December 6, 2000

Camille Paglia on the election, NOW & Rush Limbaugh: This babe is good.Salon.com People | The peevish porcupine beats the shrill rooster

Friday, November 24, 2000

On the election trauma and the beyond-belief Florida Supreme Court.TownHall.com: Conservative Columnists: Ann Coulter.

Thursday, November 23, 2000

Election commentary: This is truly an amazing episode in our history, regardless of your point of view. Of course my point of view is on the right. It is apparent that Al Gore's pledge to do anything to win has come true with a vengeance. But it's starting to look bleak for the veep, and I'm glad. Over the last two weeks of what I view as Democratic lying, smearing of public officials, and general dirty tricking, it has become apparent how imperative it is that the current administration be swept away. As Rush says, the Democratic party, at the top end anyway, has become completely Clintonized. These people do not care for truth, rights, law or decency, and they are incapable of being embarrassed. They are major league abusers of power and MUST be removed, hopefully for a very, very long time.

Sunday, November 12, 2000

It looks like our election is going to court.


We have now reached the point where lawyers are going to settle everything. Wonderful.

Monday, November 6, 2000

Vote Bush


I mean it, folks. This is serious. Gore's too far left, he lies, he doesn't understand people or economics. He and Slick are damn lucky they had Alan Greenspan because they knew zippo about keeping this economy going. You don't want the kind of Supreme Court judges he's likely to appoint either.


On top of all that, do you REALLY want to listen to that voice and kindergarten teacher pacing for the next four years?

Thursday, October 5, 2000

I know everyone's tired of debate analysis after two days of it, but here's one of the few that counts. The Agony of Debate (washingtonpost.com) by George Will. PS: Does Maureen Dowd write anything besides sniggering sarcastic little diatribes?


Sunday, September 10, 2000

Following is a post on my politics that I recently placed at Redcricket, with some slight revisions.



I'm voting for Bush for several reasons:




  1. Philosophically, I agree with his stance (which is the basic Republican stance) on less government, more local decision-making, a reduction, at least, in the welfare state, lower taxes and basic honesty (more about this later).


  2. Bush will put a staff a actual adults in the cabinet and other offices. I remember when Dick Cheney left and the first secretary of defense we had was Les Aspin, rest his soul. The professionalism of Cheney stood in extreme contrast to Aspin's amateurish approach. The only hold-over from Bush/Reagan was (thank God), Alan Greenspan. If you believe Clinton/Gore are really responsible for the good economy, think again. Greenspan held the lid on inflation and managed the money supply in a way that has been extremely beneficial. Inflation, folks, is the friend of the welfare state, because it gives people like Gore a way to promise big benefits now and pay for them with cheap dollars later. (Notice how MUCH Gore is promising right now in the way of gimmes?) BTW Greenspan is not a conservative: he's a former friend and intellectual protege of Ayn Rand, which means he's a better capitalist than most Republicans.


  3. Strengthened Defense: The Dems are falling all over themselves trying to defuse this issue, looking for a few military people to say everything's OK, but everything isn't. Who do you trust? Cheney, who actually prosecuted a war, or Gore, who stood by while the military was dimantled AND while his boss bombed an aspirin factory. Innocent people were KILLED so we'd be distracted from Bill's BJs. If Gore can't speak out against THIS, where's the morality?



    And, just because the cold war's over, it doesn't mean there aren't any threats out there. Hussein is still a problem (an ACTUAL one which Clinton continually threatened, but never dealt with decisively -- his weapons program has been rebuilding for about three years now with no oversight). We also have N. Korea, and most ominously, China (which Clinton/Gore supplied with our weapons technology.) I'm not looking for a fight, but when one comes, public opinion about the importance of the military will change dramatically.


  4. EDUCATION -- I don't think the Feds should be involved in education at all, but since they are, I think vouchers should be part of the equation. Gore talks about 'caring about people' but the poor and minorities really want vouchers and he won't give them to them. Why? Because they introduce accountability into public education. Teacher's Unions, which have a monopoly on standards and evaluations, don't want this, and they have a major hold on the Democratic party. But they would be good for poor families, and ultimately for the schools themselves. Good teachers are trapped by this system, and so are poor people. An element of competition, introduced via vouchers, would encourage innovation and improvement.


By the way, it is a typical liberal argument to say that Republicans or conservatives are just plain stupid. I don't believe Gore or Bush either one is stupid. I just think Gore is misguided philosophically, and much more devious that anyone will say.




For me, the choice is largely based on philosophy. I see the role of government, especially the federal goverment as falling into four broad (if imperfect) categories:



  1. Defend our borders

  2. Catch bad guys

  3. Settle disputes

  4. Print Money (that's worth something)


Our system, as originally conceived, does this. Sure there are issue of infrastructure that have to be dealt with, but a lot of that is at the state and local level. The rest of the stuff the federal government does boils down to meddling, IMHO.



Gore's promises cost the "working people" he pretends to care about. It costs them in terms of higher taxes (or no tax cut), fewer choices and more control over everyone's life. It costs them in terms of continued poor education, and expanded dependence on government (if you depend on government, you are also its slave.)



Bush's promises appear 'costly' to some because they amount to a reduction in spending on dead-end programs -- this threatens those who have been lured into depending on them, but it also threatens the bureaucrats who administer them. That's why most federal employees are Democrats.



The whole issue of Bush being old-money/corporate interests generally makes me tired. First of all, Gore is the same thing. I mean, just because someone's wealthy doesn't make them evil. I mean, WE all want to be rich, right? Plus, if you aren't rich, you probably work for someone who is, or is trying to GET rich. Think about it. Gore is using wealth-envy and class-baiting to drive a wedge between people. The arguments aren't really rational, and the solutions are worse, but it doesn't matter because the point is just to get elected.



PS: A HUGE reason why there is a higher poverty percentage in Texas (which the Dems don't make clear), is that there is a high number of poor Mexicans crossing the border. Why are they crossing the border? BECAUSE THE ECONOMY IS SO GOOD IN TEXAS.




Finally, on the issue of personalities, authenticity and honesty:



Bush accidentally (and should have been more careful), called a journalist a major league a-hole. The next day, Al Gore and Clinton both made speeches that indicated they loved "all the working press." Be honest, who do you think was being more truthful?



The day the House voted to impeach, Gore said Clinton was one of the greatest presidents of all time -- or something similar. Do you think he believes this?



Gore claims to this day he does not know that the Buddhist temple event was a fund-raiser. Then why was his aide in the event, Maria Shia (sp?) indicted?



When confronted by a woman in one of his town meetings, Al Gore said he had not seen the interview with Juanita Broaddrick in which she accused the President of raping her. Do you believe him? He even stumbled around asking what channel it had been on. He went on to discuss how the President had made "mistakes" in his private life. Just to be clear, rape is not a mistake; it is a crime, which removes it from a discussion of one's "private life." Sorta like lying under oath. I don't want a guy in office who defends this.


Monday, September 4, 2000

On August 30, last Wednesday, my grandmother, Mary Lois Norris passed away. She was a very great lady, a very strong, wonderful person, and was totally devoted to my grandfather, who had passed away in March. So long, Gammy. We love you very much.

Go David Letterman!Letterman Does A Number on The N.Y. Times (washingtonpost.com)


Saturday, August 5, 2000

Overlawyered.com is a great site. I had thought a year or so ago that this kind of thing was needed, to inform people about the legal abuse of peoples' rights by plaintiff lawyers and others. Well, someone did it. This thing is very informative and, I hope, exposes lawyers who should be recipients of their own unfair tactics.


Sunday, July 30, 2000

Tuesday, July 25, 2000

Dick Cheney is GW's running mate, according to the AP today. Good choice, although I wonder how he will be as a campaigner and debater. Cheney is a total pro, very serious and was exactly the right person for the job in the Gulf War. He epitomizes one of the main differences between the Bush administration and the band of idiots brought in by Clinton. Compare Cheney's demeanor, command of the issues, etc., with Les Aspin. Couldn't have been more obvious. He has my vote -- I just hope he can be effective on the stump.

Sunday, July 2, 2000

Check out the latest re-design of my wife's web site, Excerpta. Great stories on the front page, even though that's all there is at this point. Nice reading. Love you, Michele!

Happy Independence Day.

Thursday, June 22, 2000

Yes, I did re-do this front page. This is my oldest daughter, age 5 or 6.

Vehicle saga continues: Ended up getting (leasing) a Plymouth Grand Voyager. Something of an oxymoron having a van called Voyager that is limited to 12,000 miles a year, but what the heck. Also, it's one of the last of its kind, considering the fact that Plymouth is being discontinued. Nice vehicle, five doors, counting the tailgate, pretty cool.


Saw the Temptations last Saturday: I say we "saw" them because it was damn hard to hear them. Outdoor concert, fairly big crowd, rude and uncouth. Makes me wonder what's wrong with people these days. There's a lot of talk lately about the loss of civility in the American public, and I think it's very real. Audiences at public events are a great example. Been to a movie theatre lately? Loud, rude people who don't really give a damn whether anybody else can hear or not. Somehow, in the last 20 years, we've raised a generation of people that have no manners at all. When we were in England a few years ago, I noticed how polite most of the people were. We're not that way in the US anymore. Even small towns like good old Elkhart have become crude and crass. I'm not talking about countrified people having little sophistication (we've always had our share of that type). I'm talking about people who are jerks and proud to be so. Too bad. Loss of respect for the rights of others has reached an epidemic in this country. We probably need some kind of major backlash. It's really time for people to stand up and say what's right and what's not, and not be afraid of being shouted down for doing so.

Wednesday, June 14, 2000

I have found what I think is the best start-page, "portal" or whatever you want to call it: Refdesk.com. I discovered this referenced on Drudge's site. This page has everything a well-stocked reference library should have right on top, with a whole lot more just a couple levels down. I'm very impressed with it.


Thursday, June 8, 2000

MS: Trials and Tribulations is a great take on Judge Jackson. Some of this is what I suspected very early on; that Jackson is quite ignorant of the kinds of technological issues involved in the development of operating systems and of the market at large.


And by the way: What business, really, does this administration's Justice Department have in invoking the "rule of law" in this case? What I mean by this is, in all the self-congratulatory photo-ops featuring Janet Reno and homunculus-in-residence Joel Klein, they kept referring to "upholding the rule of law" in the Microsoft case. Putting aside the fact that the anti-trust laws are so squishy the government itself cannot provide any guidelines for following them, who are these people kidding? The most corrupt justice department in recent memory, appointed by one of the most corrupt presidents ever, has no business waving its rule of law index-finger at Microsoft or anyone else. These are people who, frankly, don't contribute a a tenth to society that Microsoft, with all of its flaws, has, and certainly haven't demonstrated ethical fortitude on issues they SHOULD be spending time on.

Monday, June 5, 2000

George Will does it again.
This guy is brilliant.sacbee Voices - George Will


Saturday, June 3, 2000

Deadmule is one of the better writing and photography sites I've run across in a very, very long time.


Thursday, May 25, 2000

Check out Dan Beauchamp's newest "Camtoon" at RedCricket.


Wednesday, May 24, 2000

New career starting Friday...One career ends, another begins. Apparently this is the philosophy at ye olde bus company, where in the last gasps of my current job (tomorrow is my last day) I find out my boss was fired yesterday, along with several others. My new nickname is Nick O'Time.


Friday morning I wing my way down to Texas to work with a new client. Fun. We'll be developing a web site for an air cargo company.


The van (see below), was towed away today. I gave it a decent memorial this morning as I cleaned out my tapes and papers from the glove box, etc. Farewell, old friend. I'll be shopping in earnest next week.


My daughter Demarée now has a car (sort of). My mother in law was going to trade in her 14-year-old Pontiac, but we purchased it from her as a vehicle for our two teenage girls to drive. It's old, it's creaky, but it only has 60,000 miles and it's wheels! Bumbum is thrilled. Pictures to come.

Monday, May 22, 2000

Tomorrow starts my last week with the bus company...My boss will be coming in on Tuesday to see what it is I do all day (I guess), which isn't much since the budget was cut to a nub over the past year. By the end of this week, I'll be working with my brother doing stuff that should be far more fun than fending off my cash-flow-challenged company's creditors.



The van will pay off nicely, and my other project this week, besides getting ready to fly to Dallas on Friday, will be to find a new vehicle that fits the family budget. Honda Odysseys are impossible to get, unfortunately, without going on a two- to three-month waiting list. So it will have to be something else. I keep thinking I want something sportier, but how sporty is a minivan? Not very. Suggestions welcome.

Friday, May 19, 2000

Girl dies in Colorado after controversial therapy
One more argument in favor of making stupidity illegal.

Thursday, May 18, 2000

UPI News Article: Goats with spider gene produce webs  ...Somehow I wonder if we really should be doing this...

This article is no longer available.


Camille Paglia in Salon magazine is great. I don't always agree with her politics, but her take on the Million Mom March is priceless. I don't agree with her entire take on the Elian Gonzales story, however. It is disgraceful that our government sides with a wizened old killer and a dead philosophy over the freedom of one little boy. Don't get me started....



My van, because it was in such good shape, even with 95,000 miles on it, qualifies for the "dealer rate" from the insurance company. It's a total, which is a shame, because even after the Pine Tree Massacre, my big blue buddy started right up. Great family car, for as long as it lasted. I'm feeling a tear coming on, so I'll stop.

Wednesday, May 17, 2000

OK, another tweak to the front page; hope you like it.

Monday, May 15, 2000


My van is a goner, I think

The results of the storm here in Amishland last Thursday.

Sunday, May 14, 2000

If you don't read DRUDGE, you aren't really a news junkie. Besides his own stuff, he has one of the best sets of news links around.


Happy Mother's Day!

Today I re-designed the home page of this web site. Most of the other stuff will look the same for a while, but I'll get around to changing it eventually.



I started a new career on Thursday -- that is, I started the ball in motion for a new career by giving notice at my current job. I will be working with my brother Chris in his business, TransLogix Corporation, where I'll be doing web design, programming, and working with clients on their online communications. A lot of what we'll do is transportation oriented.



Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!


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