Just when you thought Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY was wacky enough, he out does even himself. Rangel wants to bring back the draft.

He doesn't want to do it because he feels it is necessary to conquer the forces of evil. No, he just wants to do it to stir up controversy over this whole 'War with Iraq' and 'Axis of Evil' predicament.

It would seem that voting against Iraq wasn't enough for Rangel. Rather than accept the fact that he was outvoted on the issue, he wants to throw a curve ball to try to derail the whole operations. (I know, metaphor alert)

Peaceniks like Rangel have been having a tough time with the anti-war movement. Part of that is because the military is solidly in favor of taking action to stave off another terror attack. I guess Rangel feels that if he could draft some 1-A peaceniks into the army, his anti-war movement would have more support from the military.

What a moroon.

The Media Research Center announced the winners of their "Fifteenth Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting" Here are a few of my favorites:

And the winner of the Media Hero Award is... Barbara Wawa.
"For Castro, freedom starts with education. And if literacy alone were the yardstick, Cuba would rank as one of the freest nations on Earth. The literacy rate is 96 percent." -- Barbara Walters narrating her interview with Fidel Castro on ABC's 20/20, October 11.

And the "Barbra Streisand Political IQ Award for Celebrity Pontificating" goes to... Jessica Lange.
"I despise him [President George W. Bush]. I despise his administration and everything they stand for....To my mind the election was stolen by George Bush and we have been suffering ever since under this man's leadership....And I think this latest thing with Iraq is absolute madness and I'm stunned that there is not opposition on a much more global scale to what he's talking about....There has to be a movement now to really oppose what he is proposing because it's unconstitutional, it's immoral and basically illegal....It is an embarrassing time to be an American. It really is. It's humiliating." -- Actress Jessica Lange at a September 25 press conference at an international film festival in San Sebastian, Spain where she was given a lifetime achievement award. Her remarks were shown in the U.S. on the syndicated show Inside Edition on October 4.

The "Good Morning Morons Award" goes to Paula Zahn.
"Iraqi citizens are preparing to go to the polls to decide whether Hussein stays in office." -- Preview of an October 14 segment on CNN's American Morning with Paula Zahn posted on CNN's Web site.

Runner up for the "See No Liberal Media Bias Award", Deborah Potter.
"I have yet to see a body of evidence that suggests the reporting that gets on the air reflects any political bias." -- Former CBS and CNN correspondent Deborah Potter, who is currently the Executive Director of NewsLab, when asked for a comment on her former colleague Bernard Goldberg's new book Bias by the Boston Globe's Mark Jurkowitz for a January 17 article. Potter had not read the book.

The Telegraph reports that the number of people paying the top tax bracket in the UK has increased 50% in recent years to more than 3 million people. Pundits accused the Inland Revenue department (apparently the UK equivalent of the IRS) of trying to bury the statistics by releasing the report during the slow Christmas week.

They point to measures taken by the current administration to effectively raise taxes by freezing the personal expemption, and scrapping numerous deductions including an allowance for married couples and mortgage interest.

There are currently movements in this country to take similar measures, including scrapping deductions for mortgage interest, and charging home owners imputed income tax on property that is owned outright. That basically means that if you paid off your house and had no house payment, you'd have to pay income tax on the payment you'd normally make to make it 'fair' to those of us that are stuck still paying for housing.

Neal's "Democrats Secret Plan for America" claims that Socialists would also go so far as to charge imputed income tax for increases in market value. So, if you had a mortgage payment of $1000, but the average rent was $1500, you'd have to pay taxes on the $500 difference as 'imputed income.' After all, it wouldn't be 'fair' to let you get away with paying less than your 'fair share'.

Here is a photo of my me and my friend Ken standing in front of a TBM-3E Avenger. We flew the TBM for about an hour, and I got some great ariel shots of the countryside. (which I'll post later)

click to enlarge

This TBM was built in 1945, as a carrier based torpedo bomber. It was meant for a crew of three, with four seats for a pilot, co-pilot, .50 caliber ball turret gunner, and bombardier. (The co-pilot would shinny down to the bombardier seat when on a bombing run.)

Feel free to check out my previous flights in his father's 1943 T-6 Texan, and 1941 Stearman Biplane.

The Register reports on some humorous RIAA defacement. A quick glance at their press release page shows some interesting hacking including a message saying the RIAA will shut down, and some gay porn.

As a webmaster, I in no way advocate hacking, but I must confess that it couldn't happen to a more deserving organization.

Fox News reports on a host of new laws coming for 2003:

Out with soaring jury awards, mercury thermometers and youngsters motor-boating without training. In with insurance coverage for substance abuse treatment, donation limits for judges' election campaigns and devices that prevent drivers from starting their cars when they're drunk.

I don't see very many promising changes coming. It looks like more of the same, and it makes me realize that the problem is the legislators.

Legislators seem to legislate for legislation's sake. That is, they don't feel like they're doing their job unless they're coming up with some new law to address some 'problem' some where. Were Amish buggies such a problem in Illinois that they felt the need to tax them? Should government committees be keeping databases on prescriptions drugs, looking for addicts and patterns of drug abuse? Tennessee thinks so. Should 'inciting others to commit a hate crime' be a crime, as it is in Illinois? That could have serious First Amendment conflicts.

Every year, legislators pass more and more laws, and every year we have the same old problems. Crime isn't going away, people still drive drunk, and the government seems to think that everything is bad for you, or at the very least 'causes cancer'.

It depresses me just thinking about the amount of government intervention in our lives. Look around your house, and try to find something that isn't taxed or regulated in some way by the government. It isn't easy. Sometimes I feel like I grew up in the wrong century.

Michele over at A Small Victory has been very busy lately. First she starts compiling a list of Required Reading for 2002, and now she is looking to put together a Ten Most Intriguing Bloggers of 2002 list.

Nominations are being accepted through midnight tonight.

Scott Norvell, who does the PC Patrol for Fox News has finally launched his daily Tongue Tied site.

This should provide much entertainment for those of us that just cannot wait for his weekly run on the Fox News site.

Still, I cannot help but point out that Scott rather uniquely notes in Spanish that he's away until after the New Year. I've got nothing against Spanish, but I'd have taken the extra time to use the Spanish 'n' rather than 'n', because "Feliz ano nuevo" literally translates to "Happy New Anus".

I've returned safe and sound from my super secret undisclosed location. I don't know how much time I'll have for blogging tonight, as I have a lot of work to catch up on before tomorrow.

Should being unemployed have benefits? So thinks CNN:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Almost 800,000 jobless workers lost their unemployment benefits Saturday because the U.S. House of Representatives recessed in November without extending them.

I hate to sound like Scrooge, but come on. CNN takes it as a matter of fact that benefits should have been extended. Not to mention that those 'losing' unemployment 'benefits' have already had up to 52 weeks of unemployment compensation. Hoping to buy votes, some congressmen and senators want to just keep extending those benefits indefinately.

Even President Bush has jumped on the 'unemployed vote' bandwagon buy saying that an extension should be a first order of business for the new year. He also declared the any benefit extension should be retroactive to December 28th, when the current extension expired.

So, all you unemployed folks, don't go rushing out to get a job just yet. There is still hope that you can stay home and slack.

Michele is accepting applications for articles and blog entries for her "Required Reading for 2002":

No matter what your ideology, politic or point of view, if you felt something - a blog post (yours or someone else's), a meme, a news article - was especially important, profound or maybe just hysterically funny, please send it to me [Michele] and I'll start compiling a year-end round up of what made us tick in 2002.

Feel free to leave her email or comments with your submissions.

Michele, one of the Americans for Chicken Safety minions, has dutifully noted that pestilence and disease have rocked the California poultry industry:

RIVERSIDE, California (CNN) -- Poultry farms in southern California have been quarantined and 100,000 chickens destroyed after officials detected a fast-spreading poultry disease.

Exotic Newcastle Disease can be spread by people who carry it on clothes and shoes, said Leticia Rico, spokeswoman for the CDFA. [Calif. Dept. of Food and Agr.]

This is exactly the kind of reason we need a national licensing and waiting period restrictions for chicken purchases. California, which already has the most restrictive chicken restrictions in the U.S. in place was able to move swiftly to quarantine the chickens, and their owners. Owners were easily tracked down once the chicken problem was diagnosed. Now all of their clothing and shoes can be burned to assure that there is no more chicken danger. Other states would have been defenseless to stop the fast-spreading disease.

For her due diligence, Michele earns a 'Golden Chicken Award for Chicken Safety Excellence'. Congratulations Michele, wear the badge proudly.

An elderly Florida man who had been robbed three times this year already, caught a 17 year old teenager creeping around his home after midnight. Not realizing in the dark that it was his own next door neighbor there to rob him, 89 year old George Puterbaugh administered a sucking chest wound to 17 year old Billy Bryan.

Bryan is expected to recover from his wounds, and will face charges.

Stupid is as stupid does:

DECATUR, Ala. -- Police have arrested a Huntsville man who they say tried to steal hundreds of dollars worth of saw blades from a hardware store by stuffing them down his pants.

If I were hard up for saw blades, the last place I'd try to conceal them would be inside my pants.

Perhaps I'm being just a bit too cautious, but I try not to stick anything too sharp down there.

When I checked today, Carnival was #1 on Blogdex and #6 on Popdex. I didn't see it listed on Daypop at all. Blogdex jumped to number 1 on the referral chart with several hundred hits. Hopefully we got a bunch of new unique visitors to all the participating weblogs.

Thanks to everyone who made the Carnival possible. Next week will be hosted at Solonor's Ink Well.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. I've been taking most of the day off. If you want some good articles, check out the Carnival below. There is plenty there to keep you busy until after the holiday.

CNN astonishingly reports that the Pope urges world to avoid Iraq war.

Has the Pope ever said, "Ok. Now it's ok to go to war..."?

I counted no less than four blogs that Laurence Simon popped up on. He seems to be blog-sitting half the blogosphere, and must be exhausted. I liken him to one of those New York City dog walkers, with 30 leashed dogs traveling in a big pack.

Keep up the great work Laurence, and thanks for blogsitting those weblogs that don't have an 'autopilot'.

Personally, I would have given him the reins to my weblog, but I didn't realize until late last night that he was even offering up his services. That's ok, there is always next year.

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Carnival of the Vanities. Giddy like a little school boy, I woke up early this morning, and ran down stairs to see what was under the tree.

After making his list and checking it twice, Santa left us all sorts of goodies last night...

What I did on my holiday vacation:

Solonor's Ink Well - The bloggers night before Christmas -- 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even my mouse; I sat at my keyboard in the rare quiet air, The first chance I'd gotten to sit in my chair.

Northwest Notes - A Christmas Essay -- My eight-year-old imagination stepped off the sidewalk of daily life and plunged into other centuries and lands, before Chicago existed, even farther back, when Europeans were tribes of nomads, living outside, carrying houses made of blankets, before Columbus, back when most people couldn't even read.

Solonor's Ink Well - And I invented cybersex -- We finally have my kind of people in the Patent Office: drooling morons!

The World Wide Rant - NORAD will track Santa tonight -- Anonymous Bush administration sources indicate that the Information Awareness Office's John Poindexter will be adding Britney Spears to the payroll.

A Small Victory - Testing... 1, 2, 3 - Laurence Simon: 1-800-JEW-BLOG. We Jews keep things running smoothly while y'all make drunk asses of yourselves and bitch about the pile the coats on the bed because that means you'll just have to do your cousin in the linen closet.

mfinley.com - The Last Turkey -- When the night is dark and the winter cold, the farmers lie under three comforters, wondering about the creatures in the barn, whether they will be alive in the morning or nay.

Joanie - Going without -- The last real Christmas that I recall with Grandma is one that makes me smile.

People's Rep. of Seabrook - Christmas Thoughts -- I suppose that most of us have songs that bring us back to a time, place, emotion, or a combination of the above. I'm no different than a lot of people in that respect, and I do find that music is a particularly powerful mnemonic device- sometimes a bit TOO powerful.

'Tis the season for holiday shoppers:

The Rant - Goodbye Miss Cleo -- Speculators react to business news the way horny teenagers react to strippers. They wag their tongues, whistle and stuff dollar bills into the g-strings of well-endowed corporations as they bare their debts and equities on the financial page runways.

Amish Tech Support - Welcome to the Amish Tech Support Dead Pool -- Your place for last minute 'dead pool' shopping.

Liquid Courage - Better off dead & Wanted: Sense of Humor -- That tiny part of me that still believes I might have a soul and there is such a thing as karma finds it morally reprehensible and just plain creepy to officially wish people dead, no matter how deserving they may be.

Overtaken by Events - The 12 Days -- In the interest of promoting the Christmas spirit, I am offering my own suggestions to make your little anklebiter's eyes light up like a totally non-sectarian winter celebration tree.

Politics doesn't take a holiday vacation:

Dissecting Leftism - American Attitudes to Immigration -- It looks like Australia is a lot more democratic than the USA on this one. Our government DOES go to great lengths to control immigration. It is probably one of the most effective in the world at it.

The Eleven Day Empire - Racist is as racist does -- Of course. Because all black people have the same views, and the same concerns, and should all vote the same way in a block, and should vote a straight ticket every time.

Everything Must Go - A tale of two cities -- When I showed up for work this evening, in Oakland, CA, my co-workers told me they'd noticed a badly vandalized car parked across the street, in front of a bank. The car's hood had been pried open to disable the alarm, and a door was open. The radio had been taken. The number "187" had been scratched into the roof. (187 is Oakland police code for murder.)

The Eleven Day Empire - I guess it's only fraud when Republicans do it -- Some of these fun activities included: Illegally keeping polling places open past the statutory deadline. Paying people to vote. Running a get-out-the-vote operation right out of a polling place.

Ravenwood's Universe - My Libertarian Platform Part I and Part II -- Social Security is nothing but a big ponsi scheme. If someone like you or me tried to pull a scam like this, they'd lock us up and throw away the key.

Plum Crazy - Frist gets a smear -- Looks like the games regarding the Senate Majority Leader position have already begun.

Ipse Dixit - A Pretty Lousy Code -- I know the GOP is not a racist political party. I also know that the overwhleming majority of my fellows vote Republican because they agree with the party's positions, in the main, on a whole host of economic, social, and political issues and not because they long for the return of separate bathrooms.

The Ville - Open Letter -- If you don't love and appreciate this country for all that it is, and all that it isn't, get the hell out! If you hate being free and it's just too much of a burden for you to bear...LEAVE!

Gut Rumbles - Pardon Me -- Bush announced his first Presidential pardons today, and they don't include a single rat-bastard of the sort Clinton liked to pardon.

Jingle Bell Rock:

Dustbury - Doo-wop eternal -- At various times in the Rock Era, or whatever it's called, it has been fashionable, even de rigueur, to disrespect doo-wop, its ability to grant temporary plausibility to sub-Harlequin-level romantic fantasies, its affinity for nonsense syllables, as though we're supposed to grow out of this or something. If that's the case, count me out.

The Eleven Day Empire - Oh, Where Do We Begin With This? -- We have princes conversing with ghosts, faerie kings and queens, and sorcerors on deserted islands, and that's just for a start!

JimSpot - I live in reality -- I was doing the dishes from supper tonight and I glanced out the window over the sink in the kitchen and saw them in the living room. One was on the computer, talking to the other one who was sitting on the couch. Every once in a while, as I was doing the dishes, I looked up into their living room. It occurred to me at that point that I don't live in a porno movie.

Ipse Dixit - Hobbitses And Orcses -- They kept me at rapt attention for three solid hours through an ever-escalating series of mounting climaxes such that, honestly, when the plot was obviously moving toward resolution, I found it hard to believe we were approaching the three hour mark.

Jingle Bells and Shotgun Shells:

Amish Tech Support - Smart Guns, Dumb Idea? -- Imagine how different things would have been if Alexander Hamilton had gone into the duel with Aaron Burr packing a pair of smart-gun pistols.

Plum Crazy - Bobby Fuller four wrong -- According to a Google Fight, "I" fought "The Law," and "The Law" didn't win.

We Three Terrorists of Arabia are:

The Eleven Day Empire - He's just like Santa Claus -- Well, that's apparently what Senator Patty Murray thinks of Osama bin Laden.

Liquid Courage - We've got your "loaf" for ya -- No doubt the Human Rights Watch, the Red Cross, and a slew of other religious and humanitarian whiners will be rushing to his aid, now that sniper suspect John Lee Malvo has complained about his prison food.

Thanks to Big Wig for giving me the opportunity to host this week's Carnival of the Vanities. I only hope that I lived up the the level of excellence set by the other Carnival hosts.

Also, thanks to all the bloggers that submitted entries this week. Without them, the Carnival would not be possible.

This week's Carnival was not without it's hitches. My feedback form decided to crap out at the last minute, so I hope that nobody was inadvertently left out. Also, after getting 80% of the submissions between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 PM, I have developed a new appreciation to those that get their entries in early. Never again will I wait until the last minute to submit my entry.

Next week's Carnival will be held at Solonor's Ink Well on New Years Day.

The AP notes that in September 2001, "[Deion] Sanders called Washington "a team in disarray" and said [Marty] Schottenheimer, then the Redskins' coach, was the reason he retired rather than return to the team."

Today, Schottenheimer as coach for the San Diego Chargers, blocked Sanders attempt to join the Raiders for the playoffs, by laying claim to him in the NFL waivers process. Should Sanders wish to continue his NFL career, he has to deal with the Chargers first, and then a multitude of other teams that also laid claim to him in the waivers.

Personally, I don't think it could have happened to a nicer guy. Sanders blatant attempt to add a Superbowl ring to his collection was an affront to all NFL players who play out 16 games in hopes of making it to the big show.

Remember, Carnival entries are due by Tuesday at 8 PM. They should be submitted to carnivalATravnwoodDOTcom. Or you can use the feedback form by clicking on 'Ravenwood' above any article.

UPDATE: The countdown to Carnival has begun. Get your entries in before it is too late. The official deadline is 5PM tonight. The unofficial deadline is when I get around to publishing it.

We still have very few entries. While I was expecting this one to be scaled back because of the holidays, I'm still hoping somewhat that people are simply waiting till the last minute to submit their entries.

UPDATE2: Thanks to Matthew for point out that my freakin' feedback page had crapped out. It is fixed and working now. If anyone used that to submit their entry, PLEASE SUBMIT IT AGAIN. All email entries should have been received just fine.

Like I said, I have no interest in running for public office. However, whenever I evaluate a candidate in the running, these are the values I look for. You can imagine my dissappointment in mainstream politicians.

Some would call my beliefs radical, or perhaps even wacky. Still, I consider myself to be a strict 'Constitutionalist'. That is, I think we should go back to the basics of what this country was founded upon, and stop trying to create a socialist facist paradise, where the imperial government controls and regulates every facet of private life.

That said, here is Part II of My Libertarian Platform:

Education:
Year after year public schools fail miserably. The graduate more and more students who cannot read and write, and are unprepared to enter the job market. The governmental solution has been to throw more and more taxpayer dollars at the problem, rather than come up with a real world solution. Teachers unions on the other hand are looking out only for the interest of the teachers, and lobby against any efforts to hold teachers accountable for their results.

School choice and competition can only help the situation. Schools will be forced to treat children and parents as customers rather than a chore or obligation. Providing parents with a school choice or voucher program would mean they aren't stuck with bad schools, and would be enable parents with the financial means to provide their children with a quality education.

Economics and Trade:
Lowering trade barriers provides higher quality, less expensive goods for all Americans. Companies are allowed to take advantage of cheaper labor and economies of scale in foreign markets to bring products to market at a lower cost. Contrary to popular skepticism, lowering trade barriers doesn't necessarily mean a loss of domestic jobs. History has shown that unemployment can decrease while a trade deficit increases. In fact, increasing trade barriers and tariffs, often called trade protectionism can cost domestic jobs, especially with businesses that rely on foreign imports. The trade protection tariffs are also a disproportionate tax on the poor, and can lead to tariffs and taxes on U.S. goods overseas. The U.S. should move to unilaterally eliminate import tariffs on all foreign goods, not just those protected by NAFTA and GATT.

Environment:
All species use their environment's resources. Giraffes eat leaves off of trees, and lions prey on antelope. When resources start to run low, they either move on to areas where resources are plentiful, or die out. At no time do lions punish other lions for eating more than their fair share of antelope. Contrary to what environmental wackos would tell you, we are not endangering the planet. The planet will be here long after we are gone, and will ultimately be destroyed when our sun goes nova. Attempting to alter this life cycle is arrogant, ignorant, and foolish.

As for our limited resources, if they are indeed limited, the laws of economic supply and demand will come into play. If our oil supply dwindles, the price of petroleum products will increase, which will in turn create a demand for alternatives. Trying to legislate this process is foolhardy and inefficient.

As for polluters, there is no bigger polluter than our government. Even when pressed by the EPA to clean up federal weapons plants that were leaking radioactive and toxic chemicals, government agencies simply ignored the problem. Had a private business shirked such a demand, someone would have gone to prison. The sovereign immunity of the government should be challenged or taken away so that they can no longer literally commit murder and get away with it.

Foreign Policy:
As much as I'd like it to, isolationism just doesn't work. Burying our head in the sand and remaining neutral has failed time and time again. We tried remaining somewhat neutral during World War II, and were ultimately dragged into the conflict at the cost of thousands of American lives. Now, like it or not, we are in a position to be the world's policeman. This makes us loved by many and hated by many more. Getting out of the 'policeman' role can only be done by spreading stability throughout the world. As long as there is conflict in places like Israel, the Middle East, Bosnia, the Koreas, and the Kashmir regions of India and Pakistan, we must be on our guard. I mean, we may not care who lays claim to a mountain range in Kashmir right now, but by the time nucular weapons start flying back and forth, it's too late.

Still, foreign aid needs to be cut back dramatically. Especially to these whiney countries that turn around and bash America at every opportunity. While helping out in times of crisis is still important, we need to let foreign nations know that they cannot simply criticize our nation, our people, and our system of government, and still expect us to be the cash cow that will bail them out whenever they need it. Besides, after spending more than $400 Billion in foreign aid since WWII, we have little more to show for it rather than dependence and the slowed economic development of those very nations we are trying to help.

Immigration:
Our nation has always been a nation of immigrants. People from foreign lands should be welcome to enter our country and take advantage of our economic opportunity. This isn't, however, a free pass to economic and socialist hand-outs. Open immigration will economically benefit all Americans. Studies show that immigrants actually increase the number of jobs available by expanding demand for goods and services, filling the gaps in high and low ends of the labor markets, enabling American businesses to compete with low wage markets overseas, and contributing to increased economic efficiencies through economies of scale. Not to mention that immigrants tend to be highly entrepreneurial, and create jobs through the businesses they start. (src)

National Defense:
National defense is the primary reason our states were united in the first place. Defense should be a primary responsibility of our government. That said, we should also continue to innovate new and exciting ways to effectively neutralize our enemies. Being the worlds only super power is much better than being a whipping boy to totalitarian regimes.

At the same time, we should look for aggressive ways to cut some of the fat. Our overseas presence in many countries is unnecessary. This was best illustrated when we pulled out of the Philippines. Plus we still have 60 year old agreements in place to protect Japan along with many other nations. The result is that their taxpayers are spared the financial burden of national defense, while American taxpayers pick up the tab. At the very least, we should either be allowed to tap into their tax base, or slowly withdraw our military support while they build up their own defenses.

Privacy:
A Constitutional Amendment should be passed, (or at the very least, a law) that protects an individual's right to privacy. The government should not be permitted to use electronic or covert surveillance to monitor or database an individuals actions, possessions, or private property.

Welfare and Unemployment:
Welfare and unemployment 'benefits' should be a temporary band-aid to help people get back on their feet. It should not be a permanent way of life. It is true that some politicians would love to keep people dependent on welfare and unemployment, just so that they can count on their support in the voting booth.

While both Democrats and Republicans apply 'fix-it' approaches to a failed welfare system, what is really needed is a complete overhaul. Individuals who cannot support themselves through the job market should rely on support from family, friends, churches, and private charities rather than the taxpaying American public. At the same time, gifts to private charities and charitable organizations should be fully tax deductible, dollar for dollar. This will help to transition the burden from inefficient government social programs to private charities. And of course, improvements in education and economic job creation will be necessary as well.

Nationalized Health care and other fascist programs:
The federal government should only have the powers enumerated in the Constitution. All social and fascist programs like nationalized health care should be left to private charities and organizations. The resulting removal of a thick layer of government bureaucracy will make programs more efficient, and more attuned to the recipients needs.

Here is yet another study that makes me wonder just who does these studies and how? This one shows that December is prime time for teens to lose their virginity. I guess with all the cold weather, extra time on their hands, and the spirit of giving, it should come as no surprise.

While June is the most common month for teens to have sex for the first time - be it in a casual summer fling or steady relationship - sociologists from Mississippi State University say many teens who are dating seriously choose December as the time to have sex for the first time.

Let me let MSU in on a little secret. Even for kids in a 'serious' relationship, boys don't 'choose' when to lose their virginity. They are pretty much waiting for the girl to get around to saying yes, and it takes till freakin' December to break down her will and appeal to her 'charitable' spirit.

I'd bet dollars to donuts that if a girl was more charitable in November, boys would choose a Thanksgiving consummation rather than a Christmas one.

PETA and other animal right's groups are in an uproar.

BANGKOK, Thailand - Bound and dragged from his mother into a crude wooden enclosure, 3-year-old Plai Boonsom screams as he is beaten on head and body with metal hooks.

Why is it that the PLO can do this same thing to alleged 'Israeli collaborators', and the silence from the left is deafening?

Iraqi fighter jets violated the southern no fly zone and shot down a U.S. military aircraft reports Fox News.

I wonder if the mainstream (read liberal) press will whitewash this incident like they do everything else, simply because the aircraft was a Predator reconnaissance drone, and not a manned aircraft.

Where will the UN stand on this? After all, the drones are flying over the country looking for signs of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. Is this not a material breach to hinder the search for WMD? Do we have to wait until Iraq shoots down a few manned aircraft before we are allowed to act?

Check out this blurb in the Movie & TV News section at IMDB.com. Taranto would probably file this under "World's Smallest Violin".

Jane Fonda has been attacked by right wing Israelis during a trip to Jerusalem to promote world peace. The actress and activist was heckled, as she arrived for a meeting with leading Israeli feminists Thursday morning, for her controversial stance during the Vietnam War. Fonda was dubbed "Hanoi Jane" for her peace protests during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (emphasis mine)

Who says there is no liberal bias?? A little heckling is not exactly an attack. Fonda used to get worse treatment when she sat in the stands at Braves games.

I guess that in the mind of a liberal, heckling is an 'attack', but treason is a 'peace protest'.

California is going to pry into their judges private lives, and may bar them from being Boy Scouts, reports the AP.

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- The California Supreme Court is considering prohibiting state judges from being members of the Boy Scouts because of its refusal to admit gays, the chief justice said.

The Boy Scouts refusal to admit gays has been upheld by the SCOTUS, and is similar to Augusta National's refusal to admit women.

Personally, I have nothing against homosexuals, but I am a strong believer in freedom of association. I can also understand their reluctance to make kids bunk and camp together if some of them may be gay. Basically, if they don't want to admit gays, they shouldn't have to. They also shouldn't be publically pressured to do so.

Friends is turning into the series that just won't die. Personally, I think they should have wrapped it up a long time ago, rather than have us suffer through them making babies, and marrying each other.

Don't get me wrong, when the series first aired, I loved it. I still like it a lot, but it certainly isn't as fresh as it used to be. With some of the friends approaching 40, I think it is long past the time to say goodbye.

What a lot of people don't remember is that Ellen Degeneres' show originally aired as "These Friends of Mine" in 1993. (a year before 'Friends' debuted in '94) It was all about her and her friends that lived across the hall, and was a pretty damned good sitcom. Then some genius network guy decided to scrap the friends and just focus on Ellen and her lesbian ways. He's probably flipping burgers some where.

I am travelling to my super secret undisclosed location today, so blogging won't happen until this evening, if at all.

For some light reading, check out 'My Libertarian Platform' below...

Happy Trails,

'Wood

Some Canadians are willing to go to jail, rather than be forced to register their firearms. I don't blame them a bit. In numerous countries, including the US and Canada, registration of firearms has led to bans and ultimately confiscation. When handguns were banned in Canada in 1993, registrants were told they guns would be confiscated without compensation when the registrant dies. They are not to be passed down to heirs. Long guns may be next, and some Canadians are worried.

Plus there is a huge cost associated with the registry. What was originally supposed to cost only $2 Million, is now expected to cost over $1 Billion. And with some Canadians urging a silent protest by fudging the paperwork, the administration costs may rise even higher.

While it is not expected that there will be a large crack down on unregistered firearms, Canadians still run the risk of being caught while they are hunting or sport shooting. Possessing an unregistered firearm in Canada is punishable by a $2000 fine and/or 6 months in jail. Repeat offenders face up to five years in prison.

(Thanks to RWN for the link)

People often mistakenly confuse me with Republicans. Sure, I'm conservative on some issues, but I'm liberal on others. The way I look at it, I'm 'liberal' on everything, in the truest sense of the word. That is, I am pro-liberty and anti-big government. This is not to be confused with 'liberal democrats', that are anything but 'liberal'.

My Libertarian Platform (part I of II):

Freedom of Speech:
Speech should be free from government suppression. Obviously that means that the government should not only be prohibited from abridging speech, but it also means that the government cannot force others to carry the burden of your freedoms. That is, there will be no 'equal time', and media outlets are under no obligation to let you use their resources. There should also be no absolution of consequences for what you say. (Look what happened to Lott.)

Campaign Finance Reform The Incumbent Protection Act should be immediately struck down, and the National Endowment for the Arts should be dissolved.

Firearms:
The individual right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Any firearms should be permitted to be owned by private citizens who have not lost that right through criminal action. A Constitutional Amendment should bar licensing, registration, and the collection of data should be passed.

Illicit Drugs:
Drugs should be legalized, and anyone in prison for non-violent drug related offenses should be set free. Contrary to popular anti-drug propaganda, overall drug use will not increase. Currently there are obscene margins on the street price of drugs, and stricter enforcement will only drive the prices up. The steep prices and hefty profit margins contribute to a large organized criminal element. Legalization will not only eliminate a large portion of this criminal element by making the business less profitable, but it will also eliminate hard core drug pushers that prey on children. Drugs should be treated like alcohol. I say that as long as the users aren't hurting anyone around them, live and let live.

Licit Drugs:
Tobacco and alcohol should also be legalized. Drinking and smoking ages should be eliminated or lowered, and all anti-smoking laws repealed. Similarly, limits on blood alcohol content (BAC) should be eliminated. This doesn't mean that I'm advocating going soft on drunk driving. There should be stiff penalties for driving while impaired. However, impairment should be measured with a field sobriety test (a/k/a Stupid Human Tricks), and not by way of BAC. There are some people that can operate a motor vehicle fine with a BAC of 1.0 or even 1.5, and then there are those that cannot operate a motor vehicle with 0.08 or sometimes even 0.0.

Crime:
Criminals should be severely punished. Parole, and the revolving door justice system should be overhauled. Capital punishment should be protected, and corporal punishment should be brought back into our prison system. The days of cable TV and Bally's-type gymnasiums should be put behind us, and hard time should be hard time. With all those non-violent drug offenders out of our prisons, there should be plenty of room for the ones that need to be locked up.

Social Security:
Social Security is nothing but a big ponsi scheme. If someone like you or me tried to pull a scam like this, they'd lock us up and throw away the key. Anyone who understands the time value of money would realize that every dollar you put into social security is a dollar that might as well be flushed down the toilet. Anyone who plans on retiring solely on social security ought to have their head examined.

Taxes:
The taxing power of the federal government should be repealed, and all federal funds should be allocated by the states. The current system of progressive taxation stifles motivation and punishes success and should be overhauled. Businesses should no longer be bailed out, nor should people. Personal income should not be seized through the threat of lethal force, only to be redistributed to others. The imperial federal government is not here to be a cradle to grave nanny for all citizens. The size of the federal government increases year after year with no end in sight, and it needs to be addressed. Radical changes are needed.

States' Rights and the Seventeenth Amendment:
Contrary to lies told by many socialist democrats, "states' rights" is not a buzz word for racism. The fact is that your local and state government is more representative of your needs, wants, and beliefs. The power of the federal government should be derived from state and local governments, which is in turn derived from the people who are governed. In the early days of the Union, people were called Virginians and New Yorkers, not Americans. The federal government's main job was and should be limited to handling interstate issues and disputes, and to take advantage of economies of scale in the areas of national defense, the postal service, and other various common needs.

The Seventeenth Amendment, allowing for the popular election of senators, and thus the removal of the states from the legislative process and the checks and balances process, should be repealed.

Rule number one: Never video tape yourself committing a crime

Rule number two: Never leave your suvenir crime spree video at the scene of the crime.

Two Chicago area teens allegedly stole a car, videotaped their joy ride, and then left the video tape in the abandoned car.

Did California Gov. Gray "out" Davis pull a Worldcom? It would seem so, considering that the estimate for the California budget deficit has increased more than 50% in only the last four weeks. Davis is getting criticism from both ends, as some accuse him of fudging the numbers back in the fall to get him through the election, and others accuse him of fudging the numbers now to set the stage for massive tax increases.

Either way, Davis looks like a schmuck. Still, that doesn't stop him from trying to blame the projected $34.8 Billion budget deficit on the national economic policy. Never mind that he continued to increase spending, and borrowed against the future, to the tune of over $17 Billion.

The shit is really hitting the fan in California.

Hundreds of muslims have been rounded up and thrown in jail for failure to register with the government.

The Justice Department isn't returning my calls, so there is no report if these are resident aliens or illegal immigrants.

In a move to take over the world, or at least the online world, AOL has patented the instant message. The Reg notes that AOL has kept mum on the subject, and hasn't yet decided if it wants to collect royalties from MSN, Yahoo, and other messenger systems.

This is almost as silly as when BT patented the hyperlink and then tried to extract cash from every major ISP on the planet.

Hopefully my patents for the 'phone call', and 'yelling up the stairs', two other popular forms of communication, will come through soon.

A plastic reindeer display in a shopping center in Cape Town came complete with two golden Christmas ornaments as testicles. After several shoppers complained, managers castrated poor Rudolph, so that he couldn't play any reindeer games.

Ananova reports that Hein Conradie, of the Display House design company, said the ornaments were "fairly obvious" because of Rudolph's prominent placing in the display, and were "anatomically correct for an animal of that size."

"Because of this legislation, it's literally true that something like 1,000 people will not die each year that would have otherwise have died from secondhand smoke." -- NY Mayor Bloomberg, pulling a 'statistic' out of the air to justify his taking away the property rights of NY business owners.

Craig seems to be having trouble maintaining the humidity in his humidor and gun safe.

Personally, I gave up on standard humidification devices for my cigars years ago. I've resorted to using shot glasses stuffed with paper towels and PG-H2O solution. It seems to work pretty well, except for when the humidity in my home drops below 40%. Then my house seems to suck all the humidity out of my humidor. Worse case scenario, I abandon style and go for functionality by wrapping a plastic bag around my humidor. It may look like shit, but my cigars make it through the dry winter air.

As for a 'gun safe', my guns are usually placed strategically around my house. I figure the pistol hanging from my headboard is 'safe' enough for me.

Kim du Toit expresses his affection for women's tennis.*

It reminded me of when my staff writers noted back in July that nobody really cares if Anna Kournikova ever wins a tennis match or not..

*While the hand on the breast and the toungue in the first photo are obvious fakes, the look of lesbian lust on the second pic is true blue.

Every once in a while I get to missing my home in Georgia. I would love the opportunity to go back there, and am actively seeking such a chance. Who knows, perhaps some day I'll get back there.

I think that most of the homesickness comes from the fact that I owned my own house in Georgia and I rent an apartment in Ohio. Tonight I am in the mood to damn the consequences and blast my music, but living so close to my neighbors complicates things. In Georgia, I never had to worry about playing my music loud, as I owned a decent sized lot. Sure, it wasn't the biggest piece of land, but it was a far cry from sharing a common wall with my neighbors.

Even when I lived in Virginia, I shared a house with two chicks and felt like a stranger in my own home sometimes. Every piece of personal property I owned was in my room, and I never felt comfortable turning up the music too loud.

I can tell you with the utmost confidence that owning your own property, and living alone is just about the greatest feeling of independence you can have. Giving that up to move to Ohio was just about the hardest thing I ever had to do. I could walk around in my underwear, play loud music, and generally trash the place without a regard for anyone but myself. I didn't have to listen to anyone else's shit. Call me selfish, but sometimes having to consider other people's feelings really gets my underwear in a bind. Maybe I'll settle down and get married some day, but don't count on it. For now, I cannot imagine having to put up with all the shit.

I must have missed the part of the Constitution that said it is ok for the government to use lethal force to nullify property rights and control human behavior.

In yet another pleasure police crack down on property rights, DeKalb County is considering a smoking ban. Not only are they touting "health and safety", but they go one step further and claim it will help the environment. Atlanta has some of the worst smog in the nation, and they think a smoking ban will fix it?

"It's going to ensure [people] can go into a restaurant or go to work and not be negatively impacted by smoke," said Commissioner Burrell Ellis. "It's not only good for the environment. It's a health and safety issue."

Ellis even goes one step further to say that it'll be good for business. Citing a health department survey that found 57 percent of respondents more likely to dine in a smoke-free restaurant, Ellis claims, "It's not going to affect business. In fact, we think it's going to improve sales."

Since when is it the government's job to use the point of a gun to tell business owners how to run their operations? If people were really so affectionate towards smoke-free restaurants, there would be plenty of them to choose from. Personally, my staff writers and I are skeptical that 57% of people are so fanatical about smoking that they'll walk out of a place because of it. And even if they are, who the hell cares?! Let restaurateurs rise to meet the demand. If going smoke-free would really more than double their business (as the 'study' suggests), you can damn sure bet plenty of owners are going to do that.

The health, safety, and environment claims are all complete bullshit. The WHO's own seven year study showed that second hand smoke is not the demon everyone makes it out to be. The increased business claim is bullshit as well. Bartenders and wait staff will find out the hard way when their restaurant closes, or their tip jar isn't as full as it usually is.

The sad fact is that many non-smokers are of the mind that their personal whims should trump property rights, the rights of business owners, and the right to personal choice. Most of them are quick to empower the almighty imperial government to use the threat of force to control human behavior that they don't agree with. The rest of them say "well, I don't smoke, so what do I care?"

Well, today it's smoking in restaurants, but tomorrow it's smoking in your own home. Then it's fatty foods, and SUVs. What is the endgame for all of this? I wish people would remember that laws are enforced by the point of a gun.

The fact is that most business establishments are private property. They have the right to refuse service to assholes like you and me. They should also have the right to allow their patrons to choose to smoke if they so desire. Hell, I'd like to see a restaurant with a two smoke minimum, just to stick it to these no good busy-body dipshits. Tell them "If you want to not smoke, fine, but do it outside."

The AP reports that Larry the duck got stuck in a store sign in Cherry Hill, NJ.

CHERRY HILL, N.J. - A duck that charmed shoppers at a New Jersey strip mall has a new home, after getting himself stuck.
The duck known as Larry had spent a week waddling around Liberty Bell Plaza in Cherry Hill. Then, he disappeared.

Workers at Ace Hardware solved the mystery Tuesday when they spotted a pair of webbed feet dangling from the store's sign. It took them 45 minutes to free the duck.

Larry was moved to a pen at nearby Springdale Farms.

They spent 45 minutes on this duck? I could have remedied the situation in 30 seconds with my shotgun. The leftover 44 minutes 30 seconds could have been spent preheating the oven and getting Larry properly dressed for dinner.

Carnival of the Vanities 13 has been posted over at Heretical Ideas. I don't know if anyone is keeping score, but it looks like the biggest Carnival yet. It's going to take me all day to read all that good stuff. Still, it'll be worth it.

Next week, on Christmas Day, the Carnival stops by here. Get your entries in by Tuesday at 5 PM kiddies. Either send them to Bigwig, or carnivalATravnwoodDOTcom.

"We're disappointed someone pulled such a tasteless prank. It was inappropriate for students to view material like this. They understand we'll do our best to find the culprits." -- Principal Alf Gould of Calgary's Springbank community high school on his disappointment that someone had spliced 30 seconds of a porn flick into the morning O Canada video.

"I sat through every disgusting frame of this film. Twice." -- Principal Carter on a similar subject in Porky's II.

Cheers to Bryant Gumbel for not taking any flack from Martha Burk on her Augusta position. In his Real Sports expose on HBO, Gumbel hit her with hard questions and didn't give her the free pass that every other network has given her.

He got her to admit that Augusta isn't even a top 10 women's issue, although they stubbornly said that it was discrimination, and discrimination is the number one issue.

Gumbel also trumpeted some of Hootie Johnson's achievements, which is something you never hear in mainstream media. He helped desegregate South Carolina University, and was responsible for the appointment of women to management positions at Banker's Trust.

Still, Burk presses forward with her corporate shakedown, which Gumbel rightly labeled as 'extortion'. In her own defense, Burk retorted that she doesn't want money, so it can't be extortion.

Gumbel was at his best when Burk tried playing the race card, by comparing discrimination against women to racial slurs and discrimination against blacks. Gumbel replied, "You don't worry about your safety on this, do you? Nobody gets shot over women's rights. Nobody gets beaten or lynched over women's rights!"

While I don't condone sexual discrimination, I can't help but think that the NCWO isn't exactly hurting from all the attention. I also think there are much more important issues that time and money could be spent on. But what do I know? I'm just a man.

CNNSI reports that "Florida State quarterback Chris Rix was suspended for the Sugar Bowl on Tuesday because he overslept and missed a final exam."

You can bet if Rix had been a Heisman winner, or even contender this year, FSU would have let him play. After all, this is the same program that gave a certain wide receiver a pass for stealing because a National Championship was on the line. Football in Tallahassee was so important at the time, that prosecutors even reduced his charges from felonies to misdemeanors.

Is anyone else tired of hearing about Trent Lott? I find it interesting that both Democrats and Republicans are chomping at the bit to get a hold of Lott's leadership position and/or Senate seat.

This is the same group of scoundrels that gave a pass to Sen. Robert "Torch" Torricelli, for illegally receiving gifts from David Chang; something that Chang went to prison for.

Check out this startling NY Times correction:

An article on Nov. 10 about animal rights referred erroneously to an island in the Indian Ocean and to events there involving goats and endangered giant sea sparrows that could possibly lead to the killing of goats by environmental groups. Wrightson Island does not exist; both the island and the events are hypothetical figments from a book (also mentioned in the article), ''Beginning Again,'' by David Ehrenfeld. No giant sea sparrow is known to be endangered by the eating habits of goats.

Can we say, Fact Checking?

A jury acquitted Donte Stokes of most charges in the shooting of a priest who he said abused him for years.

Donte's mother, Tamara Stokes noted, "I'm not saying this is the way to go, but for victims coming forward, there is some light."

Martin Menton of the Baltimore chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) issued the following statement: "It has been a tough and unfortunate situation for everyone. Although SNAP in no way condones violence, we think the jury made the correct decision."

It sounds to me as though they are sending a clear message that vigilante justice is a-ok.

Fox News reports that retiring "Rep. Gary Condit sued Dominick Dunne for $11 million Monday, claiming the author slandered him in interviews about the Chandra Levy case."

How can you sue for defamation of character when you don't have any?

You know those air pumps at the gas station that cost a quarter and run for about three minutes? Well, on my way to work this morning, I heard a radio story about a certain Ohio town mandating that those be 'free'. There is already a law on the books mandating that all service stations have an air pump. Now they want to mandate that owners give the air away for 'free'.

Just who do they think is going to pay for this? The economist in me tells me that I've got to play the 'No Free Lunch' card. The fact remains that you cannot legislate economics. Someone has to pay for the expense of purchasing the air pumps, maintaining them, running them with electricity, etc. Any business, by simple definition, doesn't hold wealth. That means either the shareholders (or owner), the employees, or the customers end up picking up the tab in the form of lower shareholder equity, lower wages, or higher prices.

It seems that Legislators are always looking to give stuff away for 'free'. The problem is that it is impossible. In fact, there is absolutely nothing legislators can do to eliminate the cost. All they can do is simply defer the cost to someone else. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong.

UPDATE: The AP picked up the story.

James Jacobs of USA Today misses the beat on gun control. He postulates that if the Ninth Circus had embraced the Second Amendment rather than trying to repeal it, they would have more luck getting a national firearms registry. That of course, according to Jacobs, would be an invaluable crime fighting tool for police. Wrongo buddy.

First, can anyone tell me who would be exempted from such a registry? If you said 'felons', go to the head of the class. The FACT is that convicted felons, the criminally insane, and others who are barred from owning firearms don't have to register their guns. The SCOTUS has already ruled on this, and found that requiring a felon to register his gun would violate their Fifth Amendment protection against self incrimination. Any law requiring them to do so, would be unconstitutional by default.

Therefore, the only ones who would be required to register their firearms would be regular law abiding citizens. Those folks aren't exactly in a high risk group for becoming violent criminals.

Also, the underlying assumption is that a national database of shell casings, bullet 'fingerprints', and firearm's serial numbers would be a useful crime fighting tool. The fact remains that a large percentage of crimes that are committed with firearms are committed with stolen firearms. Even if tracking the firearm, or even more unlikely, the bullet, back to the original owner were feasible, it would likely only yield a law abiding citizen who had already reported the firearm as stolen.

Will gun owners be quick to forfeit their rights for this? I think not. The phrase 'from my cold dead hands' comes to mind.

The Smoking Gun presents Celebrity Mugshots from Stone Cold Steve Austin to Kim Delaney.

Here is some linkage love for A Small Victory, Tim Blair, The Ville, and The Unsuspecting Tourist. All four of these weblogs featured Americans for Chicken Safety recently, and game it some much needed exposure.

Please show your support for these sites, and ACS.

Neal points out a disturbing rant on Democrat Underground. It is entitled "It's official, I'm a socialist at heart."

Last night a friend drove my husband and I around after dinner to look at the Christmas lights. One area we went to, where my friends in-laws live, had multi-million dollar homes. These houses look like office buildings or hotels and most have only two people (rich, old, white couples) living in them. I can't stand it. In a country where people are homeless, children have no medical insurance, and families go hungry how could anyone sleep in a home that would hold a small town. Aaarrrggg. My friends in-laws do not give to charity unless it puts their name out in public or helps them somehow. And they sure as hell don't do anything just to help someone else. These people have so much stuff they can only fit one of their cars in their 4 car garage because its full of the expensive crap they buy & don't have room for in their mansion. They travel all over the world, by can't pay for a day nurse so an elderly relative can stay in their own home. I really cannot stand rich, selfish people. I do believe in redistribution of wealth. Rich people do not get that way by themselve, they do it on the backs of others. Thank you for allowing me to rant.

Reading the message board shows that there is an overwhelming support for these ideals, which is a major reason why Libertarians and Conservatives often refer to Democrats as Socialists.

Rational thought and logic doesn't seem to work with these folks. They don't realize that purchasing large homes, multiple cars, and countless knick knacks and furniture drives this economy. Think about how many people make their living building these multi-million dollar homes. There are the countless carpenters, masons, and people that manufacture the tile, bricks, and wallboard. Then there are the truck drivers that bring the material to the site, and the drivers that haul the waste away. Don't forget about the decorators, the landscapers, and the people that manufacture, sell, haul, install, and service all the furnishings and appliances that are needed for such a large house. Not to mention that homeowners of such large mansions pay 10 times as much property tax, even though they use roughly the same amount of city services.

Socialists would put all these folks out of work, just to satisfy their idea of equality and fairness. Then they'd go home and sleep with a big grin on their face, just because they had such 'good intentions'.

It makes me sick just thinking about it.

The Recording Industry Ass. of America is targeting retail stores this time around. The AP notes that they are doing it in typical shakedown fashion:

The stores will receive letters from the association telling them to stop making illegal music sales, demanding a settlement fee and asking for help in finding other pirated music. The RIAA did not say how much money it is demanding.

Naturally, the AP tows the RIAA sob story about declining music sales. They report that pirates cost the music industry $300 Million a year, and are the main reason that record sales are down 7% in 2002.

The Register however refutes that claim. They report what Hillary Rosen and the RIAA won't tell you. The facts are that the industry has produced 25% less over the past two years. In 1999, the recording industry released 38,900 new titles. In 2001, that number was down to 27,000. This supports what most pundits have been saying all along. More so, the Register reports that since "year-on-year unit sales have dropped a mere 10.3 per cent, it's clear that demand has held up extremely well: despite higher prices, consumers retain the CD buying habit."

Still, that doesn't stop the RIAA from crying wolf and pressing Congress to pass radical legislation, like the mandating of digital rights management technology into every electronic consumer product. Guess who'll be paying for that technology? If you said 'you and me', go to the head of the class.

Um. I really don't know what to make of this.

Is this justice to a gun grabbing liberal?

Ronald Dixon, a U.S. Navy veteran and computer analyst awoke to the noise of a burglar in his home. He confronted the burglar who was rifling through the drawers in the bedroom where his 18-month old son was sleeping. The burglar lunged at him, but Dixon was able to shoot the intruder twice with a 9mm Ruger.

Ivan Thompson, the 40 year old career burglar has 19 prior arrests and is currently on parole for a burglary conviction. Thompson is recuperating in the hospital from a sucking chest wound and a shot to the groin area. Meanwhile Dixon was arrested and charged with illegal possession of an unregistered handgun.

What do you want to bet that Dixon is prosecuted more vigorously than Thompson?

I want to thank my cousin Tazteck for inviting me out to his Christmas party tonight. He picked me up at 5:30 and dropped me off at 1:00AM, thus insuring that I got home safe and sound. He also ensured that I didn't have to sit at home and watch Al Gore on Saturday Night Live this evening, which is priceless.

Watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer tonight, I noticed that Yukon Cornelius the prospector had a revolver sticking out of his belt. I was quite surprised that the PC police hadn't airbrushed it out, the way Speilberg did to ET* on DVD.

*In case you didn't notice, the feds chasing ET had their shotguns magically transformed into walkie talkies, because we all know that federal agents always travel unarmed.

To all those that thought December 8th was going to be some huge magic date for the Iraq issue, I just want to point out that it has come and gone. For the record, I told several sources that I didn't think the 8th would be the magic date that everyone thought it would be.

Still, wouldn't it be a hoot if something happened while Sean Penn was over there, and there was this whole big Sean Penn hostage standoff ass-raping situation?

As a slap in the face to California Gov. Gray "out" Davis, a federal administrative law judge ruled that California actually owed money after the 2000-2001 energy crisis. The New York Times notes that "the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, ruled that energy companies overcharged California about $1.8 billion during the crisis, but said the state had an unpaid balance of $3 billion and thus owed $1.2 billion."

California had claimed that they were owed $9 billion in refunds.

The Ninth Circus Court of Appeals has overturned Bush's overturning of Clinton's roadless forest policy. The policy that has left thousands of acres of wild fires without any effective way for firefighters to fight them. The policy has required the use of firefighting aircraft and smoke jumpers, and arguably has cost firefighters a few dozen good men and women. (Not that enviro-wackos care about men and women)

According to The Washington Post, the judges wrote that roadless areas of national forests "help conserve some of the last unspoiled wilderness in our country" and that logging and road construction, while arguably useful in preventing forest fires and combating insects and disease, are "inimical to conservation."

If you are asking yourself what that has to do with the rule of law, the answer is nothing. It is pure activism from the bench. Stefany Bales, a spokeswoman for the Intermountain Forest Association notes that "Judge Lodge still has to rule on the merits of the case, and we'll see what happens next."

Still, the environmental wackos are reveling in their success. Eric Jorgensen, managing attorney for the Alaska office of a wacko organization called Earthjustice, whose slogan is 'Because the earth needs a good lawyer' (no shit), notes that, "There's still more to be done, more proceedings, but this is a major step forward for roadless areas in this country."

I would ask how this nut knows this is a step forward for the roadless areas? Perhaps the roadless areas want roads. The earth doesn't have any way of building roads itself, and has been waiting patiently for man to come along and pave the way (literally) to the remote areas of the forest.

So far I've been silent on Trent Lott's ill chosen words about Strom Thurmond's run for the Presidency. Lott has opened a can of worms that has every liberal chomping at the bit to point and say "See.. We care so much more for blacks than any Republican ever could." Meanwhile they aren't actually doing anything.

The NY Times, poster child for liberal media, files an op-ed piece entitled Republican Party's 40 Years of Juggling on Race, on the front page under the heading 'News Analysis'. The liberal media's ability to keep this story alive and fan the flames has been uncanny. The have been ruthlessly digging for dirt for the past few weeks trying to bury the Senator and return control of the Senate back to the Democrats.

I'm not defending Lott's comments, because there is no defense for them. Instead I offer an observation. The relationship between Congressmen and their constituents is one of co-dependence. Constituents have a 'problem' they want solved, and they depend on their elected officials to help out. Elected officials crave power and the desire to return to office year after year. More times than not, real world solutions give way to feel good measures that keep the 'problem' in place and guarantee job security for elected officials.

For the problems that the poor and 'underprivileged' face, I hear a lot of talk from the Democrats, but the problems still remain. They have been there for the past 40 years, and don't seem to be going away. I am generally skeptical of all politicians. It seems to me that they are more inclined to look after themselves than anyone else; on both sides of the aisle.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!

The