The Voice of Treason

Somehow we started getting the Sundance Channel and I found myself watching an episode of The House of Boateng. In a nutshell, this series chronicles the adventures of British menswear designer Ozwald Boateng as he attempts to conquer America. All he wants is to open a shop in Manhattan and surround himself with competent people who will help him accomplish this. Boateng is stylish to be sure, so I’d like to see him catch on. Do I care enough to tune in on a regular basis? No. It’s not like this is Project Runway.

So after an episode with Boateng, I found myself watching The Hill. In a nutshell, this is a series about the “inner-workings” of Congressman Robert Wexler’s office where we are introduced to a number of smarmy individuals who have titles like “chief of staff” and “legislative assistant for foreign affairs.” They’re abrasive, snarky, self-absorbed, vindictive, conniving, and young and inexperienced enough to know relatively little about history, the social graces, or even the business they’re in. And these people got these jobs how?

In a nutshell, watching these people operate is like picking a scab. It’s unpleasant and probably not a good idea, but you do it anyway then regret it.

If this is what politics has become, it’s time for a new hobby.

“This is not Christian versus Jew. This is the evangelical Christians against everybody else.”

– Mikey Weinstein, 1977 Air Force Academy graduate

Mikey Weinstein has filed a lawsuit which alleges that the United States Air Force is attempting to impose evangelical Christianity on Air Force Academy cadets and, in doing so, is in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Sounds like proselytization. If these cadets - or anyone else associated with branches of our military - are being pressured to adopt a religion other than their own, and if their religion is being criticized, mocked, or insulted, there’s a problem. Mikey says there is, and Mikey doesn’t like it.

There’s a tug-of-war going on between the Left and the Right over “ownership” of Mikey. Whose side is he on anyway?

Who cares? If what he says is true, he has the right to shine a light on it. It’s difficult to fight a war against those who want to impose their ideology upon us if we can be accused of doing the same.

Christians will continue to be criticized if people can’t understand the difference between Christianity and radical Islam. Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, has said something that I like. To paraphrase, Warren says that for too long Christians have been known for what they’re against. Maybe it’s time for Christians to talk about the things they’re for.

I’m all for that.

I watched Bennett, the New York State Police Superintendent, facing reporters today and wondered when he was going to snap. Over a half hour had gone by and I could see he was losing patience, but he hadn’t quite gotten to the point of reaching into the crowd of reporters to grab one by the throat to throttle him or her for not listening and for asking the same question again and again…and again.

Once again, Bennett explained, gunfire was not exchanged.

“What time was the gunfire exchanged?”

Then an earnest little thing chirped: “Has Bucky Phillips outsmarted you again?”

It’s unfortunate, but it’s becoming clear why terrorists like to capture, torture, and behead journalists.

I keep telling myself that I’m supposed to watch Katie on the evening news, but I just keep forgetting.

Um, why am I supposed to watch her again?

Our governor is spending a fortune on his campaign. Sure he’s running for re-election, but that shouldn’t cost him more than a plugged nickel - he’s got that one in the bag. The big bucks are going into the other election - the 2008 Presidential election. And he hasn’t even announced his candidacy.

Our local paper has published poll results based on the question: “Would it be good or bad for New Mexico if Bill Richardson runs for president?”

Forty percent said it would be “a good thing.” Eighteen said it would be “bad.” Six percent wouldn’t commit either way, and thirty-six percent said “it wouldn’t matter.”

The poll made the front page of the paper, but means what exactly? On the surface it sounds like forty percent of those surveyed are in favor of the governor running for president. Again, what does that mean? Do they like him? Trust him? Want to see him in the White House? Or do they just want him out of our state?

I suspect a lot of people like the idea because New Mexico will be in the news, and maybe - for once - the other 49 states will finally realize that we’re one, too.

“If you ever doubted there are problems with the public education system, you’ve never dated an Education major.”

– Greg Payne, NM politico

There’s an argument that public education needs to be supported because citizens will benefit from having well-educated people around them. I agree that citizens will benefit from having well-educated people around them, but what does that have to do with public education?

Our mayor describes our city’s school district as “one of the most unwieldy districts in the United States.” Flatterer. The district is nothing short of an abomination. Election after election, residents vote to hand over more money to these goniffs and they can’t manage to use it to build schools. As the mayor points out, “the district has more than $350 million in existing capital for schools and an additional $90 million or so soon to come from ‘impact fees’ on new development. Yet, by their own figures, the district has never demonstrated the ability to build more than $100 million worth of projects in any given year.”

He admits they haven’t built a new high school on the fastest growing side of town “since the Ford administration.” T and I watched footage the local news team had shot of students, shoulder to shoulder, slowly making their way down the hallway, trying to get to their next class.

“What the hell is that?”

“That’s our local high school. Over three thousand kids, like sardines in a can.”

Yet, here we are again, being asked to vote “for our kids.” Our kids? Um, more than 50% of property owners who’ll be affected by this election have no kids in this district.

Speaking of percentages, about the same numbers of kids (52% at last count) drop out of this district before they graduate. And speaking of dropping out, too many companies come here to set up shop, then relocate when they discover that local employees just don’t have the skills to do the job.

Any “smart” kids that come out of the local schools are smart enough to move to other states after graduation.

So, explain to me again, slo-o-o-owly - as if I’m a product of one of these schools - why I’m supposed to vote to increase my property taxes to fund this failed school system.

Sorry to hear about this incident for two reasons. The first: it’s unfortunate that a young guy who had so much to live for has died. The second: innocent stingrays are going to have to suffer at the hands of idiots.

I mentioned this to T and he said, “No one’s that stupid. The stingrays will be just fine.”

Like sharks after the release of Jaws? Like Sikhs after September 11?

Sangria - a wine punch that typically consists of a red wine, chopped or sliced fruit, a sweetener such as honey, and a small amount of other added spirits; the Spanish word for ‘bloodletting’

Bloodletting - a practice, from antiquity up to the late 19th century, involving the withdrawal of often considerable quantities of blood from a patient in the hopeful belief that this would cure or prevent a great many illnesses and diseases

If it’s so easy for a middle class kid in California to convert to radical Islam, why isn’t it easy for a Mexican national to come to America and assimilate?

I’ve complained here before about the frequency of animal abuse stories in our local news (a friend who used to work for a local news station has confirmed that animal and child abuse stories draw the most viewers), and now that I’ve been scouring for details of my friend’s recent assault I’m finding nothing about the incident but instead finding multiple stories about puppies having their ears cut off.

I will not use this space to detail these atrocities, but I will say that one of the incidents involves an individual who is now in federal custody and is likely to be deported. His explanation for cutting his pit bull’s ears off with a pair of scissors was that the dog had been poisoned and was foaming from the mouth, and as soon as he cut off dog’s ears off, the dog got better.

His defense attorney was prepared to argue that his client was merely practicing “sangria” - a tradition in Mexico and Central America that involves the bleeding of animals to make them better.

This is not Mexico - although sometimes it feels like it is - and it is not Central America. This is still, according to the map, the United States of America and when a dog is ill we take the dog to something called a “veterinarian.”

Frankly, this explanation is a crock and I’ll wager Jorge chopped the ears off a perfectly healthy dog in order to use it to fight another dog. Dogfighting and cockfighting. Two things we just can’t seem to stop here in Nuevo Mexico because we don’t want to insult the proud Hispanic culture.

Call me a stupid gringo, but I don’t understand how the act of making an innocent dog suffer can be protected because of some barbaric Third World practice.

Shazzam: A very cool word, that I often use. Can be used to make emphasis on something. Rather surprising. Or simply as a word sometimes used in magical spells, etc…

– The Urban Dictionary

October 2004:

“No, my fellow countrymen you are guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty. You are as guilty as Bush and Cheney. You’re as guilty as Rumsfeld and Ashcroft and Powell. After decades of American tyranny and oppression, now it’s your turn to die. Allah willing, the streets of America will run red with blood matching drop for drop the blood of America’s victims.

People of America, I remind you of the weighty words of our leaders, Osama bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri, that what took place on September 11 was but the opening salvo of the global war on America. And that Allah willing, the magnitude and ferocity of what is coming your way will make you forget all about September 11.”

September, 2006:

“If the Zionist crusader missionaries of hate and counter-Islam consultants like Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer, Michael Scheuer, Steven Emerson, and yes, even the crusader-in-chief George W. Bush were to abandon their unbelief and repent and enter into the light of Islam and turn their swords against the enemies of God, it would be accepted of them and they would be our brothers in Islam.”

– Adam Yahiye Gadahn (Aliases: Abu Suhayb Al-Amriki, Abu Suhayb, Yihya Majadin Adams, Adam Pearlman, Yayah, “Azzam the American”)

One day you’re a middle class kid in Southern California, and - Shazzam! - next day you’re a spokesman for the Islamofascists.

Shazzam: Something that should never be said to an officer of the law…

– The Urban Dictionary

Shazzam! I would love to see one of our military officers ask Azzam to step out for a bit…

“This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, Macaca, or whatever his name is, he’s with my opponent. He’s following us around everywhere. And it’s just great…

– Virginia Sen. George Allen (R)

What is this…macaca?

Macaca arctoides
stump-tailed (or bear) macaque

Macaca assamensis
Assam macaque

Macaca cyclopis
Taiwan (or Formosan rock) macaque

Macaca fascicularis
crab-eating (or long-tailed) macaque

Macaca fuscata
Japanese macaque

Macaca hecki
Heck’s macaque

Macaca maurus
moor macaque

Macaca mulatta
rhesus macaque (or monkey)

Macaca nemestrina
pig-tailed macaque

Macaca nigra
Celebes macaque

Macaca ochreata
booted macaque

Macaca radiata
bonnet macaque

Macaca sinica
toque macaque

Macaca thibetana
Pere David’s (or Tibetan stump-tailed) macaque

Macaca Shekar Ramanuja Sidarth
Or “Sid” - Capitol Hill intern and aide to James Webb (D)

In a “what-were-you-thinking” moment, George Allen opened his mouth and inserted his foot. He has since apologized, but this episode isn’t going away.

I could easily list offensive remarks from the other side, but why bother? An occasional gaffe from a politician, to me, is a good sign. It’s a human thing, misspeaking in public, and it’s good to be reminded from time to time that many of our political leaders are actually human.

Instead I’ll use this space to salute Mr. Sidarth who, when asked to submit an essay as part of the admission process for a spot in one of Larry Sabato’s seminars, simply wrote these three words:

“I am Macaca.”

Kudos, too, to Larry for awarding Sid a seat.