Archive for the 'MichaelW's Page' Category
MichaelW on May 15 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Environment, Law, MichaelW's Page, energy, regulation, science
The march of the watermelons towards control of US policy continues apace:
Polar bears will now be listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.
But in announcing the listing, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne said the decision should not be “misused” to regulate global climate change.
“Listing the polar bear as threatened can reduce avoidable [...]
MichaelW on May 13 2008 | Filed under: Humor, MichaelW's Page, Notes on the war
Both via Major John at Miserable Donuts, a milblog. First, a joke as told by an Iraqi Army captain:
President Jalal Talibani summoned the leaders of the Iraqi parliament to his office for a meeting. In the middle of the meeting his wife calls him and says, “Jalal, there is a thief in our house!” [...]
MichaelW on May 09 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Foreign affairs, Media, MichaelW's Page
It should be clear by now to anyone who frequently reads blogs that the MSM is not terribly accurate in its reporting, nor does it seem to have any intention of getting better at it. Whether you think the media leans left (as I think it demonstrably does) or right, there is no denying [...]
MichaelW on May 09 2008 | Filed under: Blogs, Domestic Politics, MichaelW's Page
For those on the political right who have bemoaned the lack of any real grassroots, online activism in support of Republican(ish) causes, there is a new project in the works just for you. Political blogging mavens Jon Henke, Patrick Ruffini, and Soren Dayton are getting ready to launch The Next Right. Ruffini describes [...]
MichaelW on May 06 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page
That’s what I took from Michelle Obama’s stump speech anyway (HT: Jim Lindgren):
She tells the story of a ten-year-old girl she met in Newberry, S.C., before that state’s primary. “It was in a little beauty shop, and we were having a rally — it was me and a bunch of women and a couple of [...]
MichaelW on May 06 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Media, MichaelW's Page, Race, Religion and theology
I haven’t had much time to grace the pages of ASHC lately, but I was skimming through Memeorandum and just couldn’t resist saying something about this little screed:
Wright issue will haunt conservative media elite
By Roland S. Martin
CNN Contributor
Now that Sen. Barack Obama has denounced his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, many of his critics, [...]
MichaelW on Apr 24 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Media, MichaelW's Page, Notes on the war
This is a positive development:
Iraq’s largest Sunni bloc has agreed to return to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s cabinet after a nine-month boycott, several Sunni leaders said on Thursday, citing a recently passed amnesty law and the Maliki government’s crackdown on Shiite militias as reasons for the move.
The Sunni leaders said they were still working [...]
MichaelW on Apr 21 2008 | Filed under: Environment, MichaelW's Page, Technology, energy, science
Hoystory poses a thought-provoking question with potentially dramatic consequences for the concept of “peak oil”:
What if “fossil fuels” weren’t made of fossils at all? What if the earth naturally made petroleum? What if gasoline was a renewable resource?
Imagine the howls from the environmentalist left if there was no such thing as “peak oil.”
In answer of [...]
MichaelW on Apr 21 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
I was pleasantly surprised, and mildly irritated, to see that Condi Rice basically called Muqtada al-Sadr a coward while she was in Baghdad recently (via: Instapundit):
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice mocked anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as a coward on Sunday, hours after the radical leader threatened to declare war unless U.S. and Iraqi forces end [...]
MichaelW on Apr 17 2008 | Filed under: Blogs, Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Libertarianism, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Philosophy
There seems to be some confusion on the part of some as to exactly what sort of place ASHC is:
I was rather surprised to read this dubious and scornful appraisal of Michael Yon’s Wallstreet Journal editorial at A Second Hand Conjecture, a heretofore conservative site.
The post Mick Stockinger is referring to was created by Joshua [...]
MichaelW on Apr 10 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Humor, MichaelW's Page
I have no idea who’s going to win the election this year, but as I attempt to handicap the race I’m drawn to the old saw that the person with whom most people would rather sit down at a local watering hole and knock back a few tall cold ones with will be the eventual [...]
MichaelW on Mar 27 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Law, MichaelW's Page, regulation
Some people are hoping to hoist John McCain on his own campaign finance petard. As satisfying as it would be to see the Senator receive a healthy dose of his bitter medicine, however, the complaints filed against him with the FEC will almost assuredly fail.
In the blogosphere it is the most recent complaint filed [...]
MichaelW on Mar 25 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, MichaelW's Page, Notes on the war
Al Qaeda’s efforts in Iraq have been less than successful over the past year, due in large part to the Anbar Awakening and the related Councils of Concerned Citizens/Sons of Iraq movements, and the support offered those movements by Petraeus’ COIN methods manifested by the “surge.” Essentially, as Tigerhawk predicted a while back (and [...]
MichaelW on Mar 18 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Foreign affairs, MichaelW's Page, Notes on the war
The inestimable Oliver Kamm provides a glimpse at the value our British friends find in a potential John McCain presidency:
Two points about McCain stand out. He’s not a conservative and he’s been right all along about Iraq. These are the reasons I favoured him from the outset for the Republican nomination. Indeed McCain has been [...]
MichaelW on Mar 12 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Law, MichaelW's Page
But there’s no plea deal regarding the potential federal charges. Is it possible that the feds are going to do to Spitzer what Spitzer paid to do to “Kristen”? (HT: JOM):
Eliot Spitzer’s tumultuous tumble from the zenith of a promising political career to the nadir of a shocking sex scandal came as no surprise [...]
MichaelW on Mar 12 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page
Ever since John McCain effectively wrapped up his party’s nomination, I’ve been thinking that it might not be such a great thing for the Republican ticket. Because Obama and Hillary are still battling it out for the Democrat nomination, and will continue to do so all the way to the convention in August, they [...]
MichaelW on Mar 11 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Media, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
Apparently rumors have been swirling around for awhile that Fallon was on his way out. Well, today he resigned and the speculation is that it was over a recent interview he did in Esquire, written by Thomas P.M. Barnett (regarding which Josh noted Fallon’s strange reaction last week). However, you can rest assured [...]
MichaelW on Mar 10 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Glenn Greenwald's Carnival of Fisking, MichaelW's Page
I’m sure you are all well informed on the Spitzer chronicles by now. If not, crawl through the Memeorandum links to inform yourself (get a cup of coffee or other preferred beverage, because it will take awhile). I just wanted to point to some highlights.
(1) Radley Balko: Schadenfreude — “May your fall [...]
MichaelW on Mar 07 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Glenn Greenwald's Carnival of Fisking, Media, MichaelW's Page
The inscrutable and vainglorious Boi from Brazil weighs in to explain why Republicans find Obama’s candidacy “scary”:
Conservatives love to claim that Obama supporters have excess reverence for their candidate and see him as some sort of transcendent messiah figure. There is a small minority of Obama supporters — as is true for most candidates and [...]
MichaelW on Mar 06 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Humor, MichaelW's Page
Two Messiahs. One Religion. McQ considers how this might become a problem for the Democratic Party:
There is indeed a faction on the left who want a Gore presidency badly. And for a variety of reasons, one of which, of course, has to do with global warming and their belief that we’re on an [...]
MichaelW on Mar 01 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Media, MichaelW's Page
“Why are the letters ‘NIG’ on the child’s pajamas?”
Asks a commenter — “Tom” — on my post about the new Hillary Clinton commercial, the one that shows several children sleeping and then Clinton taking a national security phone call in the middle of the night. You can see the commercial at the link, and the [...]
MichaelW on Feb 29 2008 | Filed under: Humor, Media, MichaelW's Page
Story here [via: Instapundit]
After reading the story, you will probably need a new one of these:
addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fasecondhandconjecture.com%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F02%2F29%2Fhelping-the-nyt-find-media-bias%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘Helping+The+NYT+Find+Media+Bias’;
addthis_pub = ”;
Sphere: Related Content
MichaelW on Feb 29 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Law, Media, MichaelW's Page
Does it strike anyone else as tragically ironic that, if indeed John McCain were declared not to be a “natural-born citizen” due to the locus of his birth, then an “anchor baby” could be elected President but the child of an Armed Services member born overseas could not?
Think about that. Child of illegal aliens [...]
MichaelW on Feb 28 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Law, Media, MichaelW's Page
THE LATEST non-issue hyped by (who else?) the New York Times is that “some” people are questioning whether or not John McCain is eligible to be a sitting President:
The question has nagged at the parents of Americans born outside the continental United States for generations: Dare their children aspire to grow up [...]
MichaelW on Feb 26 2008 | Filed under: MichaelW's Page, Music
Two things you probably don’t know about me and one you probably do:
(1) I’m a pretty decent musician and singer.
(2) I love American Idol.
(3) I hate John Lennon’s “Imagine” because of the message, even though I’ve always enjoyed the tune itself.
This is 17 year old David Archuleta singing his own version of “Imagine” tonight on [...]
MichaelW on Feb 25 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page
The Politico notes a rather amateurish effort from Hillary Clinton:
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe accused the Clinton campaign Monday of “shameful offensive fear-mongering” by circulating a photo as an attempted smear.
Plouffe was reacting to a banner headline on the Drudge Report saying that aides to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) had e-mailed a photo calling [...]
MichaelW on Feb 22 2008 | Filed under: Humor, MichaelW's Page, Music
Did you ever wonder what it would be like if The Beatles had written Stairway to Heaven instead of Led Zeppelin? Yeah, me neither. But the Australian tribute band, the Beatnix, give us some insight anyway [via: Marginal Revolution, and Michael Blowhard]:
addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fasecondhandconjecture.com%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F02%2F22%2Fhistorical-revisionism%2F’;
addthis_title = [...]
MichaelW on Feb 21 2008 | Filed under: Economics, Education, Foreign affairs, Health Care, MichaelW's Page
A Cuban medical office with a sign reading “No prescriptions available.” Photo by: Dr. Darsi Ferrer [via The Real Cuba].
News of Fidel Castro’s retirement has elicited some interesting responses. Chris Bertram’s has to be one of the most arrogant and least informed:
So let’s hear it for universal literacy and decent standards of health [...]
MichaelW on Feb 21 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page
Obama the Confident:
Barack Obama’s campaign, riding a wave of 10 straight victories in the contest for the Democratic nomination after wins in Wisconsin and Hawaii, today urged Hillary Clinton to bow to the inevitable and accept defeat.
Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, dismissed her camp’s hopes of making a comeback when the power states of Texas [...]
MichaelW on Feb 21 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Media, MichaelW's Page
I am not a fan of John McCain, but the rumor-based smear leveled at him by the New York Times is more than a little unfair.
Early in Senator John McCain’s first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers.
A female lobbyist had been turning up [...]
MichaelW on Feb 15 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Libertarianism, MichaelW's Page
For a couple of years now, Porkbusters has been on the warpath against wasteful spending in Congress, and although it has had some notable successes (e.g. the “Bridge to Nowhere”), it’s mostly been treading water. The latest battle, dubbed a “Blogger Revolt” by the Club for Growth (via Instapundit) was ignited by the appointment [...]
MichaelW on Feb 13 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters
If you are like me, and have trouble understanding the mindset of the Berkeley City Council, here’s an easy way to figure it out.
In the City Council’s letter to the U.S. Marine Recruiting Center, why is the term “unwelcome intruder” NOT a redundant phrase?
(Answer below the fold):
addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fasecondhandconjecture.com%2Findex.php%2F2008%2F02%2F13%2Feverything-you-need-to-know-about-berkeley%2F’;
[...]
MichaelW on Feb 13 2008 | Filed under: Humor, MichaelW's Page, Music
My first thought was something along the lines of that soliloquy from The Commitments where Jimmy Rabbitte encourages his erstwhile band to internalize the thought “I’m black, and I’m proud.”
Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the [...]
MichaelW on Feb 12 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Education, Libertarianism, MichaelW's Page, regulation
Via Glenn Reynolds, Wired posts an article describing the fight to include evolution in the science curriculum for students in Florida and Texas:
Charles Darwin was born 199 years ago Tuesday, but the debate he ignited about the origins of species rages on. Florida’s department of education will vote next week on a new science curriculum [...]
MichaelW on Feb 12 2008 | Filed under: Culture, Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page, Society
The current dust-up over the Cuban-Che flag (flags?) hanging in the Houston campaign office for Barack Obama (opened by supporters, with actual staffers intended to occupy by next week), has spawned some interesting commentary. Captain Ed advised:
Oh, my. Barack Obama may want to call his new Houston office and suggest some decorating ideas…No, that’s [...]
MichaelW on Feb 11 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Libertarianism, MichaelW's Page, Philosophy, social science
For your viewing pleasure, watch Ayaan Hirsi Ali effortlessly dismantle the typical leftist tropes thrown at her in an interview with Avi Lewis (Naomi Klein’s husband). The quote serving as the title comes across as venomously pointed when read, but when Ali delivers it towards the end of the interview it sounds perfectly reasonable [...]
MichaelW on Feb 11 2008 | Filed under: Economics, Foreign affairs, Hugo Chavez, MichaelW's Page, energy
Joseph Kennedy II supports blood for oil.
In recent months, my TV has been bombarded with ads from Joe Kennedy promoting his Citizens Energy program, such as the following:
The heating oil distributed by Citizens Energy comes from Venezuela on a subsidized basis (which its been doing since 1979). Since Hugo Chavez took the reins of [...]
MichaelW on Feb 08 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
Probably a wise decision when up against Marines, although, as is usual with politicians, this decision is driven mainly by government largess (or the lack thereof):
As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday for his hard stance [...]
MichaelW on Feb 07 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Foreign affairs, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
Is the Iraq War hurting John McCain’s candidacy? By “hurting” I’m referring to his struggle to be the true conservative candidate who unites the party. Despite his clear lead in the primary race, McCain has not been able to capture the Christian right (who predominantly go for Huckabee), nor has he been able [...]
MichaelW on Feb 05 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page
According to some people on the ground, Mike Huckabee won West Virginia’s primary on the second ballot, but some of the 18 delegates (uncommitted “super delegates”) will switch to McCain and Paul at the Republican Convention:
Paul has been knocked out of the race, and I honestly don’t know where his votes go. Whoever wins the [...]
MichaelW on Feb 04 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Hugo Chavez, MichaelW's Page
John Lilyea has the goods:
So I decided to add my voice to the millions worldwide from here in DC.
I was really surprised that an ad hoc organization put together such a large demonstration in such a short period of time.
More at Gateway Pundit.
UPDATE: Commenter logtar supplies a link to pictures of anti-FARC rallies from [...]
MichaelW on Feb 03 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Foreign affairs, MichaelW's Page, Notes on the war
In a post at QandO, Billy Hollis explains why John McCain will not be getting his vote. Essentially, McCain-Feingold and Johnny’s continued contempt for the Bill of Rights leaves Billy cold:
This [McCain-Feingold] is THE main reason I cannot vote for the man. Heck, I almost shied away from Fred merely because he voted for [...]
MichaelW on Jan 30 2008 | Filed under: Culture, MichaelW's Page, Music
And now for an unscheduled musical interlude:
Bill Withers wrote and recorded that song while he had a job installing toilet seats on 747’s. Apparently, he had intended to write more lyrics to replace the 26 consecutive “I know’s” but was convinced by friends that he should just leave it the way it is … [...]
MichaelW on Jan 30 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page
Despite Keith’s wise admonition, many Republican leaning (or formerly R-leaning) voters have resigned themselves to the fact that Sen. John McCain will be the Republican nominee for Election 2008. That does not sit well with more than a few. Personally, since Fred! dropped out I’ve seen little reason to go on with life [...]
MichaelW on Jan 30 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Law, MichaelW's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
Attorney General Michael Mukasey sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the interrogation technique known as waterboarding. Mukasey remarked that it is not an authorized interrogation technique, and that it “is not, and may not be, used in the current [CIA interrogation] program.” As in his confirmation hearings, however, Mukasey declined [...]
MichaelW on Jan 29 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Libertarianism, MichaelW's Page
That’s part of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ response to the SOTU last night.
Jim Hoft’s reaction: “Huh?” and drawing the obvious comparison to another famous redistributionist.
My first thought was: “Ask? Well I’d be much happier if they’d ‘ask’; that implies I can say no. Instead they all seem to pretty much insist [...]
MichaelW on Jan 29 2008 | Filed under: Economics, Libertarianism, MichaelW's Page, regulation
Commenting on Bill Gates’ advocacy for “kinder capitalism,” Steven Bainbridge notes:
But when did Bill Gates ever believe in capitalism? He’s an inveterate monopolist and has been since the beginning. Monopolists hate real capitalism, precisely because they hate competition. Monopolists love corporate social responsibility because it creates barriers to entry. So of course Bill Gates is [...]
MichaelW on Jan 29 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Health Care, MichaelW's Page
As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney oversaw the implementation of state-wide universal health care, something that he touts as a major accomplishment on his campaign website. In fact, after signing the legislation into law, Romney penned a an Op-Ed for the Wall Street Journal extolling the virtues of the health care plan, even going [...]
MichaelW on Jan 22 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, MichaelW's Page
Alas, poor Frederick, we hardly knew ye:
Fred Thompson dropped his presidential bid Tuesday, after the former Tennessee senator and actor finished third in the South Carolina primary and was unable to score a victory in any of the early primaries or caucuses.
“Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope [...]
MichaelW on Jan 22 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Media, MichaelW's Page
Remarking on how the media narrative tends to frame stories, I once wrote:
An interesting side effect of this framework is the emergence of the hero-victim — e.g. a martyr for her cause, or the modern equivalent of a noble savage who speaks truth to power. No longer are there heroes who save lives and attempt [...]
