Thursday, March 30, 2006
The September 10 Party’s Potemkin Plan for “Real Security”
The most unintentionally hilarious headline I’ve seen in a while was in today’s Los Angeles Times. Ron Brownstein’s article about the democrats’ new “tough,” “smart” national security strategy reads “Democratic Plan to Beef Up U.S. Security Lacks Specifics.” Gee, Ron, ya think? You mean promising to get bin Ladin isn’t specific enough? I guess not, particularly since they don’t explain how exactly it is that they are going to capture bin Laden when they think President Bush should be impeached for listening to his phone calls.
The truly stunning aspect of what we’ve learned about the democrats’ plans to retake Congress is what they reveal about their attitude toward the American public. Please don’t misunderstand. When we find out that they plan to play dress-up on military bases and masquerade as passionate lovers of the Pledge of Allegiance (the version unapproved by the ACLU), or vow to “get tough,” that’s not surprising. Everyone knows that liberals have a condescending, patronizing attitude toward their fellow citizens. What is surprising is that they don’t appreciate that their disdain for the rest of us is so obvious, and that by their phony behavior, they are broadcasting it. Why not just wear a sign that says “You dumb rubes will buy anything.” It’s disgusting!
And it’s not fooling anyone.
The most unintentionally hilarious headline I’ve seen in a while was in today’s Los Angeles Times. Ron Brownstein’s article about the democrats’ new “tough,” “smart” national security strategy reads “Democratic Plan to Beef Up U.S. Security Lacks Specifics.” Gee, Ron, ya think? You mean promising to get bin Ladin isn’t specific enough? I guess not, particularly since they don’t explain how exactly it is that they are going to capture bin Laden when they think President Bush should be impeached for listening to his phone calls.
The truly stunning aspect of what we’ve learned about the democrats’ plans to retake Congress is what they reveal about their attitude toward the American public. Please don’t misunderstand. When we find out that they plan to play dress-up on military bases and masquerade as passionate lovers of the Pledge of Allegiance (the version unapproved by the ACLU), or vow to “get tough,” that’s not surprising. Everyone knows that liberals have a condescending, patronizing attitude toward their fellow citizens. What is surprising is that they don’t appreciate that their disdain for the rest of us is so obvious, and that by their phony behavior, they are broadcasting it. Why not just wear a sign that says “You dumb rubes will buy anything.” It’s disgusting!
And it’s not fooling anyone.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Breaking News-Lucky Case
As it turns out, Mark Czernick’s case is not over yet. (Thanks for the heads up, Kim.) There WAS a hearing on Monday, despite what Karen Rogers and her supporters were led to believe by the attorneys, which is why they weren’t in court as they have been throughout this ordeal.
Czernick pled guilty to two felonies, and must pay $900 restitution to Karen, but this might not be the end of the story. The judge wants to review the psych report before imposing his final sentence on 4/20.
You can read the whole story here, in today’s Daily Southtown.
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsindex/21-ds1.htm
As it turns out, Mark Czernick’s case is not over yet. (Thanks for the heads up, Kim.) There WAS a hearing on Monday, despite what Karen Rogers and her supporters were led to believe by the attorneys, which is why they weren’t in court as they have been throughout this ordeal.
Czernick pled guilty to two felonies, and must pay $900 restitution to Karen, but this might not be the end of the story. The judge wants to review the psych report before imposing his final sentence on 4/20.
You can read the whole story here, in today’s Daily Southtown.
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsindex/21-ds1.htm
Justice for Lucky (sort of)
As many of you know for several months, I have followed Mark Czernick’s case with great interest. If you don’t know who he is, he was accused of kidnapping an adorable 6-month old cocker spaniel puppy named Lucky, from the Rogers family in Peotone. Last St. Patrick’s Day, Karen Rogers’ husband gave her the pup, hoping the little guy could help his wife through her grief over the death of her mother. On July 4, 2005, Lucky died at an emergency veterinary clinic, after he was found in the back yard Czernick’s house, or at least the place he was living at the time. (He has apparently moved to Indiana.) More significantly, the body was discovered after someone left a message on the Rogers’ answering machine, demanding $10,000 immediately for the dog’s safe return. If they didn’t cough up the cash, the voice said, Lucky would be thrown in the yard with the speaker’s two large dogs and probably mauled to death. Czernick’s lawyer, trying to put the best face on some pretty suspicious facts, tried to suggest that (a) Czernick was kidding and (b) it may not have been Czernick’s voice on the answering machine. Let’s see …Czernick has two large dogs. They were in his yard, as was the corpse of the poor unfortunate pup. What a coincidence that the actual perp, someone other than Czernick, would just happen to toss Lucky into Mr. C’s yard where there were two large dogs, just as he threatened to do in the ransom message! Or maybe it was just a joke. It would have been so much funnier if Lucky hadn’t been killed, don’t you think? No wonder some people think the best thing to come out of Dick Cheney’s hunting accident last month was that a lawyer got shot, and not one of the hunting dogs.
In fairness, I do need to mention that just last week, it was revealed that, according to the emergency vet, Lucky did not die from a mauling, but actually drowned. It came as a shock to even Karen Rogers. She also thought her puppy had been bitten to death. No necropsy was performed, so we can’t be sure. We also can’t be sure that even if Lucky did drown, he didn’t drown at Czernick’s hands.
Czernik could have gotten by up to four years each in prison, since he was charged with aggravated cruelty, attempted theft and criminal damage to property charges, all Class 4 felonies. He was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, but his mouthpiece, probably grateful at not having to make up any more laughably implausible explanations, and the prosecutor worked out a deal. Unfortunately, he got no jail time, but 30 months’ probation, a psych evaluation (THAT should be interesting) and a prohibition on owning animals during the time of his probation.
Thanks so much to SL (Smart Listener) Kim, not only for her excellent reporting on this case, but for her vigilance in keeping the judge honest. She and several other concerned citizens tried to keep the judge honest by showing up at the Will County Courthouse. To see a photo of them in their terrific Justice for Lucky t-shirts, please visit my photo album here on the Teri O’Brien page at wlsam.com
Read more about the case here: http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsindex/17-ds3.htm
As many of you know for several months, I have followed Mark Czernick’s case with great interest. If you don’t know who he is, he was accused of kidnapping an adorable 6-month old cocker spaniel puppy named Lucky, from the Rogers family in Peotone. Last St. Patrick’s Day, Karen Rogers’ husband gave her the pup, hoping the little guy could help his wife through her grief over the death of her mother. On July 4, 2005, Lucky died at an emergency veterinary clinic, after he was found in the back yard Czernick’s house, or at least the place he was living at the time. (He has apparently moved to Indiana.) More significantly, the body was discovered after someone left a message on the Rogers’ answering machine, demanding $10,000 immediately for the dog’s safe return. If they didn’t cough up the cash, the voice said, Lucky would be thrown in the yard with the speaker’s two large dogs and probably mauled to death. Czernick’s lawyer, trying to put the best face on some pretty suspicious facts, tried to suggest that (a) Czernick was kidding and (b) it may not have been Czernick’s voice on the answering machine. Let’s see …Czernick has two large dogs. They were in his yard, as was the corpse of the poor unfortunate pup. What a coincidence that the actual perp, someone other than Czernick, would just happen to toss Lucky into Mr. C’s yard where there were two large dogs, just as he threatened to do in the ransom message! Or maybe it was just a joke. It would have been so much funnier if Lucky hadn’t been killed, don’t you think? No wonder some people think the best thing to come out of Dick Cheney’s hunting accident last month was that a lawyer got shot, and not one of the hunting dogs.
In fairness, I do need to mention that just last week, it was revealed that, according to the emergency vet, Lucky did not die from a mauling, but actually drowned. It came as a shock to even Karen Rogers. She also thought her puppy had been bitten to death. No necropsy was performed, so we can’t be sure. We also can’t be sure that even if Lucky did drown, he didn’t drown at Czernick’s hands.
Czernik could have gotten by up to four years each in prison, since he was charged with aggravated cruelty, attempted theft and criminal damage to property charges, all Class 4 felonies. He was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, but his mouthpiece, probably grateful at not having to make up any more laughably implausible explanations, and the prosecutor worked out a deal. Unfortunately, he got no jail time, but 30 months’ probation, a psych evaluation (THAT should be interesting) and a prohibition on owning animals during the time of his probation.
Thanks so much to SL (Smart Listener) Kim, not only for her excellent reporting on this case, but for her vigilance in keeping the judge honest. She and several other concerned citizens tried to keep the judge honest by showing up at the Will County Courthouse. To see a photo of them in their terrific Justice for Lucky t-shirts, please visit my photo album here on the Teri O’Brien page at wlsam.com
Read more about the case here: http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dsindex/17-ds3.htm
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Is Arlen Specter going to pass a law against high gas prices? Against being too successful?
If not, why did he hold yet another Congressional dressing down of oil company executives on 3/14/06? It couldn’t be that these weasels are trying to capitalize on the ridiculous levels of ignorance in the American public about how the economy works, could it? Call me a pathological optimist, but I think they may be underestimating us. I went to government schools, and even I can see through this threadbare MSM (mainstream media) routine. Here’s the drill: every time gas prices go up, find some pathetic wretch who can’t fill the tank in his ’73 Buick and get him to say “They’re making billions of dollars. That’s just not right.” No, what’s not right, Pal, is a guy like you being so ungrateful to those who take the risks and invest the big bucks so that we can drive our cars, take our medications and just generally enjoy the American way of life. I don’t blame you for being so ignorant, though. After getting out of a school system that, thanks to teachers’ unions (please note that I didn’t say thanks to their members, since I think the leadership of the NEA doesn’t give a rat’s rear end about their members or rewarding the really good teachers who struggle to do their best against a tide of mediocrity) and gutless administrators, is less concerned about education than shaking down taxpayers for more benefits for themselves, you are on the receiving end of the MSM’s incessant leftist disinformation campaign.
I can’t even blame the MSM, although this ridiculously predictable rut reminds us yet again of that age-old question, are they ignorant, lazy, or politically-motivated? Most of us suspect it’s all three. The truly hideous aspect of this hackneyed exercise is the behavior of politicians. Can they possibly be more reactive? Whether its steroids in baseball—oh, there was an issue demanding Congressional attention—gas prices, or whatever latest sob story headlines the New York Times, they’ve got time to hold a hearing and get their self-righteous faces on tv!
Here’s a suggestion: instead of focusing on how to get a political advantage and get invited to lots of cocktail parties, try working on reducing the size of government, cutting taxes and explaining to your constituents that if they don’t support reforming social security they’ll end up just like those illegal aliens who supposedly pay into the system and never get a dime back.
If not, why did he hold yet another Congressional dressing down of oil company executives on 3/14/06? It couldn’t be that these weasels are trying to capitalize on the ridiculous levels of ignorance in the American public about how the economy works, could it? Call me a pathological optimist, but I think they may be underestimating us. I went to government schools, and even I can see through this threadbare MSM (mainstream media) routine. Here’s the drill: every time gas prices go up, find some pathetic wretch who can’t fill the tank in his ’73 Buick and get him to say “They’re making billions of dollars. That’s just not right.” No, what’s not right, Pal, is a guy like you being so ungrateful to those who take the risks and invest the big bucks so that we can drive our cars, take our medications and just generally enjoy the American way of life. I don’t blame you for being so ignorant, though. After getting out of a school system that, thanks to teachers’ unions (please note that I didn’t say thanks to their members, since I think the leadership of the NEA doesn’t give a rat’s rear end about their members or rewarding the really good teachers who struggle to do their best against a tide of mediocrity) and gutless administrators, is less concerned about education than shaking down taxpayers for more benefits for themselves, you are on the receiving end of the MSM’s incessant leftist disinformation campaign.
I can’t even blame the MSM, although this ridiculously predictable rut reminds us yet again of that age-old question, are they ignorant, lazy, or politically-motivated? Most of us suspect it’s all three. The truly hideous aspect of this hackneyed exercise is the behavior of politicians. Can they possibly be more reactive? Whether its steroids in baseball—oh, there was an issue demanding Congressional attention—gas prices, or whatever latest sob story headlines the New York Times, they’ve got time to hold a hearing and get their self-righteous faces on tv!
Here’s a suggestion: instead of focusing on how to get a political advantage and get invited to lots of cocktail parties, try working on reducing the size of government, cutting taxes and explaining to your constituents that if they don’t support reforming social security they’ll end up just like those illegal aliens who supposedly pay into the system and never get a dime back.
Monday, March 13, 2006
After the Show, 3/12/06
Unfortunately, yesterday (3/12/06), due to technical difficulties, we were unable to bring you the soundbites we had carefully culled from the Enlightened One’s (Barack Obama) appearance on Face the Nation. No matter. Here’s the money quote. After Bob Scheiffer asked if the democrats have any message right now, and he listed “the health care crisis” (everything has to be a crisis with this bunch), education and security, he said this:
“Those are all issues where, I think, if the Democrats are clear, focused and, frankly, are willing to repeat themselves--sometimes we have more problems than the Republicans just keeping our talking points simple so that the American people can--can understand
them, then I think we can be successful.”
That’s right, Senator. You have to speak very slowly and simply when you’re talking to mouth-breathing, idiot rubes that are the American people. Once again, a liberal demonstrates his condescending attitude toward the rest of us.
I hope you didn’t miss my conversation yesterday with Jeremy Zilber, author of “Why Mommy is a Democrat,” a children’s book featuring a single-parent family of adorable anthropomorphic squirrels, their mouse friends, some stereotypical uncaring humans (Republicans) and a destructive rampaging elephant. Of course, political indoctrination of little wet-behind-the-ears tots is nothing new. Stalin, Mao and dare I say it, even Hitler knew how important it was to brainwash the next generation. This book follows in that fine tradition of dishonest propaganda, designed not to enlighten, but to mislead with statements like “Democrats make sure we are always safe, just like Mommy does,” and “Democrats make sure sick people are able to see a doctor, just like Mommy does.” When I asked Jeremy how he reconciles the first statement with democrat support for gun control, which we know makes us LESS safe, he accused me of using “selective” statistics. That’s not why I mention these two of the 11 reasons in Jeremy’s book, though. I do so because to appreciate the level of confusion, even delusion, reflected in this book, you need to hear Jeremy’s response to my question about whether health care is a right. When I suggested that if health care is a right, then health care providers must be slaves, he said “You believe you have a right to handgun. How does that not constitute slavery? You are going to require people to manufacture and sell you a handgun. How is that any different from requiring people to offer health care?” Can you believe that?! He doesn’t understand the difference between the God-given to keep and bear arms, which doesn’t require any American citizen to give anything to another one, and the suggestion that the government should be able to compel one citizen to provide services to another—AND THIS GUY IS TEACHING IN COLLEGE. He’s probably teaching Economics, if the current environment on college campuses is any guide.
Jeremy doesn’t understand what makes his book propaganda, and I’m afraid our on-air intervention didn’t get him to understand that the reason is because IT’S NOT THE TRUTH. Even he admitted it’s “not 100% true,” and is an “oversimplification.”
When I got home, the husband reminded me I misspoke yesterday when discussed that Southern Republican Leadership meeting, the one that had Chris “the Screamer” Matthews so exorcised, wasn’t in Nashville. It was in Memphis. I love Memphis, and I regret making that mistake, but can you blame me? After all, I was a survivor of John Kerry’s Bible School, you know the soundbite we heard in which one in which Mr. Long Story Longer, droned on about pantheism, Hinduism, values and somehow ended up talking about Jesus and Medicaid. Watching John Francois and listening to him—which is worse? It’s a toss up—serve up this incomprehensible, endless monologue is definitely a MEGO (as in My Eyes Glaze Over) experience, as I’m sure many of you can attest. My husband is the guy who should get a medal for watching this incomprehensible babbling.
Thanks for checking in here, and of course, for listening!
T
Unfortunately, yesterday (3/12/06), due to technical difficulties, we were unable to bring you the soundbites we had carefully culled from the Enlightened One’s (Barack Obama) appearance on Face the Nation. No matter. Here’s the money quote. After Bob Scheiffer asked if the democrats have any message right now, and he listed “the health care crisis” (everything has to be a crisis with this bunch), education and security, he said this:
“Those are all issues where, I think, if the Democrats are clear, focused and, frankly, are willing to repeat themselves--sometimes we have more problems than the Republicans just keeping our talking points simple so that the American people can--can understand
them, then I think we can be successful.”
That’s right, Senator. You have to speak very slowly and simply when you’re talking to mouth-breathing, idiot rubes that are the American people. Once again, a liberal demonstrates his condescending attitude toward the rest of us.
I hope you didn’t miss my conversation yesterday with Jeremy Zilber, author of “Why Mommy is a Democrat,” a children’s book featuring a single-parent family of adorable anthropomorphic squirrels, their mouse friends, some stereotypical uncaring humans (Republicans) and a destructive rampaging elephant. Of course, political indoctrination of little wet-behind-the-ears tots is nothing new. Stalin, Mao and dare I say it, even Hitler knew how important it was to brainwash the next generation. This book follows in that fine tradition of dishonest propaganda, designed not to enlighten, but to mislead with statements like “Democrats make sure we are always safe, just like Mommy does,” and “Democrats make sure sick people are able to see a doctor, just like Mommy does.” When I asked Jeremy how he reconciles the first statement with democrat support for gun control, which we know makes us LESS safe, he accused me of using “selective” statistics. That’s not why I mention these two of the 11 reasons in Jeremy’s book, though. I do so because to appreciate the level of confusion, even delusion, reflected in this book, you need to hear Jeremy’s response to my question about whether health care is a right. When I suggested that if health care is a right, then health care providers must be slaves, he said “You believe you have a right to handgun. How does that not constitute slavery? You are going to require people to manufacture and sell you a handgun. How is that any different from requiring people to offer health care?” Can you believe that?! He doesn’t understand the difference between the God-given to keep and bear arms, which doesn’t require any American citizen to give anything to another one, and the suggestion that the government should be able to compel one citizen to provide services to another—AND THIS GUY IS TEACHING IN COLLEGE. He’s probably teaching Economics, if the current environment on college campuses is any guide.
Jeremy doesn’t understand what makes his book propaganda, and I’m afraid our on-air intervention didn’t get him to understand that the reason is because IT’S NOT THE TRUTH. Even he admitted it’s “not 100% true,” and is an “oversimplification.”
When I got home, the husband reminded me I misspoke yesterday when discussed that Southern Republican Leadership meeting, the one that had Chris “the Screamer” Matthews so exorcised, wasn’t in Nashville. It was in Memphis. I love Memphis, and I regret making that mistake, but can you blame me? After all, I was a survivor of John Kerry’s Bible School, you know the soundbite we heard in which one in which Mr. Long Story Longer, droned on about pantheism, Hinduism, values and somehow ended up talking about Jesus and Medicaid. Watching John Francois and listening to him—which is worse? It’s a toss up—serve up this incomprehensible, endless monologue is definitely a MEGO (as in My Eyes Glaze Over) experience, as I’m sure many of you can attest. My husband is the guy who should get a medal for watching this incomprehensible babbling.
Thanks for checking in here, and of course, for listening!
T
Monday, March 06, 2006
Oscar Reflections
You see, I told you he’s a poseur
Yes, I watch C-SPAN so you don’t have to, and a went to see “Brokeback Mountain” for the same reason. Of course, I watched the Oscars, not only to see what the actresses were all wearing—which one would be wearing the “What was SHE thinking?!” outift this year—but also to hear the preposterous, mindless drivel that these Hollywood airheads are going to come up with this time. “Courageous” George Clooney, a man who thinks it takes enormous bravery to pander to every dishonest, threadbare, left-wing cliché about Sen. Joseph McCarthy, didn’t disappoint. In the process, he came up with the perfect motto for Hollywood: Proud to be out of touch. They should print up some t-shirts, coffee mugs and other items with this tag line. It’s better than Brokeback’s annoying and socially-damaging “Love is a force of nature” because it conveys the two most dominant characteristics of this crowd. They aren’t only living in their own reality. They are PROUD of it because it demonstrates their moral, intellectual and metaphysical superiority to the rubes in the rest of the country.
Were you holding your breath to see whether Reese Witherspoon would thank her husband?
It took her long enough! So long that we were afraid it might not happen. We were afraid Ryan might whip out his cell phone and call Chad Lowe to see if he was doing anything after the show.
Was it just me, or were the folks from the Academy making a lot of pitches to get us off the couch and into the theaters?
Nice try, Guys, but I’m afraid with Netflix and Direct TV, it’s going to be pretty touch to get me back to the concrete bunker in the mall parking lot. Why? MMM …let’s think about this one. Having to leave my warm house only to sit with yammering boneheads interrupting dialogue I want to hear, paying $5 for a 2 gallon container of Diet Coke, then missing more of the movie (but not the loudmouths) while I hike to bathroom and back v. lying on the couch with the dogs, eating whatever I want, and being able to pause the movie whenever I want. Oh yeah, there’s a decision.
I’m sure there’s more, but frankly, unlike most of the media, I’ve moved on. I’ve probably given this silly show more attention than it deserves already.
You see, I told you he’s a poseur
Yes, I watch C-SPAN so you don’t have to, and a went to see “Brokeback Mountain” for the same reason. Of course, I watched the Oscars, not only to see what the actresses were all wearing—which one would be wearing the “What was SHE thinking?!” outift this year—but also to hear the preposterous, mindless drivel that these Hollywood airheads are going to come up with this time. “Courageous” George Clooney, a man who thinks it takes enormous bravery to pander to every dishonest, threadbare, left-wing cliché about Sen. Joseph McCarthy, didn’t disappoint. In the process, he came up with the perfect motto for Hollywood: Proud to be out of touch. They should print up some t-shirts, coffee mugs and other items with this tag line. It’s better than Brokeback’s annoying and socially-damaging “Love is a force of nature” because it conveys the two most dominant characteristics of this crowd. They aren’t only living in their own reality. They are PROUD of it because it demonstrates their moral, intellectual and metaphysical superiority to the rubes in the rest of the country.
Were you holding your breath to see whether Reese Witherspoon would thank her husband?
It took her long enough! So long that we were afraid it might not happen. We were afraid Ryan might whip out his cell phone and call Chad Lowe to see if he was doing anything after the show.
Was it just me, or were the folks from the Academy making a lot of pitches to get us off the couch and into the theaters?
Nice try, Guys, but I’m afraid with Netflix and Direct TV, it’s going to be pretty touch to get me back to the concrete bunker in the mall parking lot. Why? MMM …let’s think about this one. Having to leave my warm house only to sit with yammering boneheads interrupting dialogue I want to hear, paying $5 for a 2 gallon container of Diet Coke, then missing more of the movie (but not the loudmouths) while I hike to bathroom and back v. lying on the couch with the dogs, eating whatever I want, and being able to pause the movie whenever I want. Oh yeah, there’s a decision.
I’m sure there’s more, but frankly, unlike most of the media, I’ve moved on. I’ve probably given this silly show more attention than it deserves already.