Seems Like A Scam

This pretty much sums up how I've been feeling about the whole global warming debate.

The Media Have a Credibility Problem

Victor Davis Hansen points out the glaring hypocrisy in the fawning coverage of Caroline Kennedy and her bid to fill the Senate vacancy that will be left by Hillary Clinton upon her confirmation to the office of Secretary of State.

There are so many examples of hypocrisy in the media that entire blogs are devoted to the subject. This most recent example follows on the heals of the nauseatingly biased coverage of the recent presidential campaign. It's unfortunate that the media have decided to forfeit their credibility to advance their political agenda. The loss of professional, investigative journalism diminishes our society,

Happy Thanksgiving

On days like today that I like to take a few moments to count all of my blessings. It's healthy to get a proper perspective on life. So, here goes.

I am so grateful for all the rich blessings God has bestowed on me. I have a wonderful family, terrific friends, a great job, a nice house, a good church, my health (well, I've been fighting with that a little lately). I live in a nice community in the beautiful State of California in the greatest nation on earth. While she's not perfect, I'm proud of my country and especially thankful for those who place their lives on the line to protect us and preserve our way of life. Whereas he was not my choice for president, I'm proud that our country has elected her first black president. What a wonderful statement to our young people that, if you get an education and work hard, you can achieve almost anything. What a great country.

I could go on and on. But, I have to get ready to go to our annual Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt and uncle's house. So on this wonderful day I want to wish all my loved ones that happiest of Thanksgivings. I love you all and am grateful that you are a part of my life. 

What Went Wrong

This article explains in laymen's terms how we have arrived at the current financial crisis. 

The Drumbeat

Wow. I wish I had written this article.

President Bush's gaffes are numerous and well chronicled. However, the mounting number of gaffes committed by Barack Obama have garnered very little attention in the mainstream media (for obvious reasons). For instance, who knew that America has 60 states?



Not only do we have 60 states, but new ones are being created everyday! Have you ever heard of "New Pennsylvania?" Apparently Obama recently campaigned there.



President Bush has been ridiculed for years for misspeaking and mangling the language. I'm certainly not going to defend him for that. But, the growing number of gaffes by Obama have gone largely unreported. Wonder why?

Oh, one more thing, just wait until Joe Biden gets going. That guy is a pompous windbag and a gaffe machine. Get out your popcorn. This is going to be fun!

This is Just Too Funny

http://view.break.com/567077 - Watch more free videos

Wow. These people are weird.

22 Reasons

For the most comprehensive list (to date) of why I won't be voting for Barack Obama, see this article (and the photo to the left).

The Conventions

It's been a long time since I posted and there's no way I'm going to be able to catch up on everything. But, I thought I would just quickly give a few thoughts on the two recent political conventions. I didn't watch all of either of them, but I did see enough (I think) to get a flavor for what went down. Some thoughts:

Democratic convention:

Extremely well done. For the most part, very professional and aesthetically pleasing. Hillary gave a very good speech, hitting the right notes in an effort to reconcile those of her voters who are still angry about her treatment in the media and by the Obama campaign. At the end of her speech I got the sense that even Democrats who did not support Hillary's candidacy were disappointed she wasn't on the ticket.

Bill Clinton gave a very good speech, as he is certainly capable of doing. And, s

martly, he kept it relatively short (those that remember his speech at the convention in 1988 will know what I mean). There was a lot of "Clinton" in this convention, which was unavoidable.  But, the worry for the Democrats was that it would overshadow Obama. It didn't.

Joe Biden's speech was a typical VP nominee address, attacking the opponents. It was marginally effective. A fairly good speech from a completely arrogant gas bag. 

Obama gave a very good speech. It's no secret that he's an extremely gifted orator. The staging looked good, but the columns played into the "Messiah" theme, which I think is working against him a little. The energy and enthusiasm of the 80,000+ crowd was powerful. 

Overall, I thought it was an extremely good convention, although I don't think the bounce in the polls was as high as expected.

Republican convention:

The convention started during Hurricane Gustav and, therefore, most of the speakers and events of Day 1 were postponed. I watched a little of the second day. The address by Bush was stilted since he wasn't in the room, but I thought it was pretty good. I like Fred Thompson's address, but it wasn't memorable.

The big day was, obviously, Day 3. I missed the Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee addresses, although I did hear some excerpts today on talk radio. I'm not a huge Huckabee fan, but I thought he was very strong. I LOVED Rudy Giuliani. He did an excellent job of clearly contrasting the differences between McCain and Obama, using humor along the way. Lots of red meat for Republicans (which is one of the functions of conventions, to fire up the base). 

But what the convention-goers, and I think the country at large, wanted to see was Sarah Palin. After nearly a week of sexist attacks from the "mainstream" media, giving credence to the outrageous lie that she faked her pregnancy to cover for her own teenage daughter (who is now 5 months pregnant), and suggesting she was a bad mom for accepting the VP nomination with 5 kids, including a 5-month-old special-needs infant (the same media who hailed Biden for taking the oath of office after the sudden death of his wife that left two young sons without a mother), among other things, the country wanted to see if Governor Palin was up to the task of being the VP nominee on the Republican ticket. And under all that scrutiny and pressure...

...she knocked it out of the park.

Her composure was astonishing. She was relaxed as she introduced herself and 

her family to the nation. She was tough on Obama, pointing out his many inconsistencies and weaknesses with a smile.  She was dignified and remarkably poised, yet commanding. She refused to play the victim, despite the media belittling her, her hobbies, and her family. I thought her address was well balanced with some policy (particularly strong on energy), biography, and attack on the opponents. As you can tell, I was very impressed with Governor Palin.

Unfortunately for McCain, there was no following that. The last night of the convention was kind of weak. I thought Cindy McCain did a good job and I thought John McCain's acceptance speech was good, but not great. However, I liked his theme of being a servant of the people. That's always been a gripe of mine about politicians. It seems that when they get elected, they think that they are our rulers; but it's exactly the opposite. They are there to serve our interests. 

I thought it was very revealing when John McCain told the story of how his time as a POW was

transformative. While undergoing inhumane torture, he came to understand for the first time what it meant to sacrifice oneself to a cause greater than himself (e.g. encouraging his fellow captives with a grin and a thumbs-up after torture sessions, not allowing the enemy to score a propaganda victory by refusing early release prior to others whom had been there longer, etc.). I thought it was an effective way to show how the notion of "service to country" went beyond mere platitude, and actually became part of him. It lends weight to his claim that he is beholden to no special interest or party affiliation. 

Certainly, McCain hasn't been perfect in this regard. There's probably instances when he failed to live up to his own high standard. But, it was the first time in recent memory where I actually half-believed a politician wanted to put the country's interests above his own. Maybe I'm allowing myself to be naive. Who knows? But, it made sense to me that such a horrific life experience would leave an indelible mark on someone, and that it could be used for good.

Overall, I thought the Democratic convention was much better than the Republican convention in terms of energy and aesthetics. In terms of speeches, although Obama's was very good, I don't think anyone tops Palin's. She gave a superb speech that gave Republicans, who had been fairly glum for the past couple of month, something to cheer. 

At the end of the day, the conventions are useful to accomplish the technical aspects of nominating candidates for the President/Vice President, as well as rallying the faithful and being a very splashy TV advertisement. How much it influences undecided voters is hard to tell. I tend to think "not much" (I think the debates are more influential). And, it's certain that the people who like their preferred candidate are not going to be dissuaded from voting for them. 

So, it comes down to the next couple of months of campaigning, debating, organizing on the ground, etc. I think Obama has a decided edge in this year when the Republican brand is in the tank. But, 2 months is nearly a lifetime in politics and anything can happen.

More, Please

It was nice to read this well-researched article in the New Yorker about the ideological battle being fought between hardcore elements of the global jihadist movement and moderate figures within the Muslim world. It seems that some of these moderates are people who were responsible for the ideological underpinnings of terrorism employed by groups like al Qaeda. 

It is very encouraging to see this debate occurring. For so long, I've wondered, "where are the moderates and when will they speak up?" Well, it turns out that the most persuasive arguments against terrorism are coming from a man who was part of the original core of al Qaeda--a man who literally wrote the book that the terrorist organization used to indoctrinate recruits and justify its despicable acts. This man, who goes by the name Dr. Fadl, has apparently had a change of heart and is now attempting to refute the very religious and political arguments that he formulated, upon which the jihadists have justified their brutality.

This is a very hopeful sign. I hope and pray that the debate continues and the moderates prevail. While terrorism is unlikely ever to be completely eradicated, it is interesting to contemplate the affect it would have on the world if it was to be delegitimized as a means to political ends.

Thank You...

...to all the men and women who put their lives on the line to serve our country, and especially to all who have lost their lives protecting our way of life. We owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.

Odds and Ends

For the past several weeks I've been studying to pass my General Securities (Series 7) exam. Last week I took a crash course that built upon the foundation of the information I'd been studying up to that point. Although grueling (8-hour classes with 2-3 hours of homework each night), I'm really glad I took the class. The teacher was extremely knowledgeable (albeit slightly strange with a corny sense of humor), having worked in the securities industry, including at the New York Stock Exchange, for more than 30 years. Up until just a few months ago, she was also on the committee that formulated questions for the test. So, she was also helpful in defining a study plan that purportedly assists more than 90% of her students in passing the exam (which I think has a first-time pass rate of like 30%, or something).

I was excited to learn on Tuesday during a coffee break that my first client had invested money with me in an investment with my new firm, Westmoore Securities. Mostly I was glad that my friend/client would benefit from an excellent short-term investment opportunity--a note that is paying 5% a month! That was a highlight of the week for me.

The other highlight was driving home from class that same night (Tuesday) and talking to Cherie and Christian on the cell phone. In his first little league pitching outing Christian did great, striking out several batters. However, he had developed a slightly bad habit, which was related to his lack of confidence in his pitching delivery. We worked on it last Sunday and Christian was excited to tell me that he had struck out virtually everyone he faced (a 7-year-old striking out 9- and 10-year olds!). He has excellent command and a strong arm for his age. His performance helped out team (the Yankees) to beat the Padres, who had roughed us up pretty good in an earlier scrimmage before the season started. I was soooo proud of him. He was delighted and Cherie was, too. That was nice.

Christian didn't play baseball this weekend because he went to Glamis with his best friend, Michael, and his family. They had a great time, but I know the baseball team missed him (I feel a little guilty, like we let them down by not being there). Well, it was Christian's last desert trip for awhile, so I thought it would be okay for him to go.

Caley and Hannah had a choir performance last Thursday night that I was unable to attend due to my class. Our church, the Anaheim Vineyard, hosted the performance. Cherie said it went well, and the girls had a great time. Emma is still doing great at school and is such a silly girl. She is constantly cracking Cherie and me up.

Cherie is doing great. She got a new hair cut a couple of weeks ago and I love it. It's probably my favorite one. So, she's really happy about that.

Well, that's about all for now. I didn't sleep at all last night, so I'm hoping that tonight I sleep soundly. I have to take a benchmark (practice) examination tomorrow, which is supposed to simulate the real test. The results of the exam will reveal areas of weakness that I will need to shore up this week. So, one more week of study (hopefully) and I'll sit for the test.

Until next time...

That'll Leave a Mark

Taking Europeans to task for cowering in the face of radical Islam. It's a beautiful thing.

I'm Back

Something must have went haywire on Blogger because it would not let me log in for a few days. I realized tonight that I missed blogging, so I figured I give it another try and...bingo! I'm back in. Cool.

So much has transpired since I last blogged. I've left my old company, Syn-Mar Associates, for which I was a senior commercial real estate appraiser for 12 years. In mid-January I was offered, and I accepted, a new position as a securities broker for Westmoore Securities. Technically I'm not a broker until I pass the daunting General Securities Examination (AKA Series 7), which I intend to take in late March. It's reputed to be an extremely difficult examination with just a 30% pass rate on the first try. So, I have my work cut out for me.

I've been studying the exam material everyday for the past 2 weeks. Well, almost. Today I tended to my youngest daughter who has been suffering excruciating abdominal pain for the past couple of days. I called a friend who's mother is a nurse and the consensus of all involved was that it's probably just a bad case of gas. But it doesn't seem to be letting up.

If she wakes up tomorrow and is still suffering, I'll take her to the emergency room. It's awful when a precious little child is in pain and you are helpless to relieve them.

I've really enjoyed my new schedule--being home studying, having some time with my wife, and being there when the kids get home from school. But, I cannot relax until I've achieved my goal of passing the test. It's the only dark cloud on the horizon. Once that's behind me, I'm ready for the next chapter of my life to begin. It should be fun!

A Defense of Free Speech

This is a terrific defense of free speech delivered by Ezra Levant, during his interrogation by a Canadian "human rights commission." Levant was hauled before the commission for publishing the infamous Danish cartoons that caused outrage leading to rioting and killing in parts of the Muslim world. Below is Levant's opening statement to the bureaucrat leading the interrogation.

I also had to post the following exchange in which the interrogator, Ms. Shirlene McGovern, asks him about his intent in publishing the cartoons.



Levant's website has the details of the case for those interested in following the trial and for additional clips. 

Mark Steyn, a journalist and author who is also scheduled for interrogation by the "human rights commission," observes:

Ms McGovern's question reminds me of a passage from Melanie Phillips' book Londonistan:

Minority-rights doctrine has produced a moral inversion, in which those doing wrong are excused if they belong to a 'victim' group, while those at the receiving end of their behaviour are blamed simply because they belong to the 'oppressive' majority.

Ms McGovern, a blandly unexceptional bureaucrat, is a classic example of the syndrome. No "vulnerable" Canadian Muslim has been attacked over the cartoons, but the cartoonists had to go into hiding, and a gang of Muslim youths turned up at their children's grade schools, and Muslim rioters around the world threatened death to anyone who published them, and even managed to kill a few folks who had nothing to do with them. Nonetheless, upon receiving a complaint from a Saudi imam trained at an explicitly infidelophobic academy and who's publicly called for the introduction of sharia in Canada, Shirlene McGovern decides that the purely hypothetical backlash to Muslims takes precedence over any actual backlash against anybody else.

UPDATE: Ok, ok. I had to add one more clip. This guy was just on fire.