They're Here

The long wait for the arrival of my in-laws is over. Sandra and Evert Heskes arrived from Toronto today. Everyone is so happy to see them and they are very pleased to be here. I'm excited about our planned trip to Las Vegas with them and the Harrisons this weekend. Other than hanging out with the family, the highlight of the weekend for me will be attending the Cirque du' Soleil presentation "Love".

I can't wait.

Regurgitating The Apple

Evan Sayet gives a cogent explanation of the corrosive affect that 40 years of leftist indoctrination has had on the ability of many in our society to form basic judgments about right and wrong.

DiFi In Trouble

In my work as a commercial real estate appraiser, I am often in contact with the biggest commercial brokerage firm in the world--CB Richard Ellis. In fact, a friend of mine works for the company, and I called another one of their other brokers today. That's why I was surprised to see that CB Richard Ellis is part of a war-profiteering scandal surrounding one of the U.S. Senators representing my home state of California.

Reportedly, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has resigned from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, for which she was chairperson and ranking member for 6 years, during which time she had a conflict of interest due to her husband's ownership of two major defense contractors, who were awarded billions of dollars for military construction projects approved by Feinstein. Apparently, Feinstein's husband, Richard C. Blum, has a controlling interest in CBRE, which "holds congressionally funded contracts to lease office space to the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also is involved in redeveloping military bases turned over to the private sector. In 2005, CB Richard Ellis made $100 million in federal contracts, only half of which had been part of full and open competitive bidding."

I'm kind of bummed because, even though I mostly disagree with her politically, I actually like Senator Feinstein. She's typically fair-minded and reasonable--and a helluva lot better than our other Senator.

But, Captain Ed makes the salient point:

During the 2006 election, Feinstein's party made a lot of hay out of non-competitve contracting by the government. Democrats railed especially about Halliburton, even though Halliburton won 95% of its contract dollars by full and open competition. Now we see that Feinstein herself had no problem with non-competitive practices, as long as it meant stuffing her own pockets with taxpayer money.

Michelle Malkin reports:

The NYTimes is demanding an investigation. Arianna Huffington has launched ads lambasting Feinstein. The left-wing blogosphere is an uproar over Feinstein's war profiteering.

Kidding.

Republican Congressman Randall "Duke" Cunningham is serving jail time for taking bribes in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in government contracts. While there is no evidence that Feinstein accepted bribes--and therefore no laws appear to have been broken--it was certainly unethical to award multi-million-dollar no-bid contracts to her husband's companies. It will be interesting to see if this gets much play in the MSM.

"We've Come Here to the Viper's Nest of Anti-Semitism"

The amount of anti-Semitism on some of today's university campuses is almost unbelievable. I say almost because it is not entirely surprising, considering the intellectual corruption of our universities by faculty activists who have turned their classrooms into platforms for radical political causes.

Needless to say, the perniciuos indoctrination taking place on many university campuses has had a deleterious impact on our schools. Powerline links to a YouTube video, which is a recently-released documentary of violent demonstrations that took place at Concordia University in Montreal in 2002. The documentary shows the rabid anti-semitism directed at students trying to attend a speech by former Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. After the riot, only two students were suspended and none arrested. How were the victims treated? Well, the Israeli student group, Hillel, is banned from the student union and receives no share of the student council budget, while the Palestinian organization receives full benefits and access. Hmm. Seems fair.

Unfortunately, this venemous hatred has not abated. Pro-Palestinian students directing violence and intimidatation against others is indicative of the anti-semitism that has been allowed to flourish on many university campuses--where educators (AKA thought reformers) inculcate students with criticism of "Zionism," as an insidious cover for their Jew-hatred.

It's sad when a peaceful anti-Israel protest at Berkeley comes as shocking news.

Caption Contest Anyone?

Hillary Pilloried

The left is not going to let Hillary Clinton off the hook for her vote to authorize the Iraq War. A former UN weapons inspector claims Hillary knew during her husband's administration that Iraq had disarmed, but she voted for the resolution anyway.

In a speech delivered at the time of the vote, Hillary spoke of her "conviction" that the resolution was "in the best interests of the nation." While I do believe Hillary is a dishonest, vindictive person, I have no idea whether her vote that day was predicated on a sincere belief in the faulty intelligence that was available at the time or not.

The inspector has no such reservation:

Hillary can try to twist and turn the facts as she defends the words she spoke when casting her fateful vote in favor of a war with Iraq. But no amount of rewriting history can shield her from the failed policies of her very own husband, policies she embraced willingly and wholeheartedly when endorsing war.

Run, Hillary, run. But your race towards the White House will never outpace the hypocrisy and duplicity inherent in your decision to vote for war in Iraq.

This Discussion Needs To Happen

The Free Muslims Coalition was recently contacted by Pastor Howard Gardner, a minister with the Assemblies of God, who wrote a letter that he and numerous other Christian leaders want delivered to prominent Muslim religious leaders. The Pastor made it clear that the Christian leaders are only interested in a serious dialogue rather than a superficial, politically correct, discussion. The Free Muslims Coalition have agreed to a arrange meetings between Christian and Muslim leaders and to secure a response to the “Christian letter.”

Read the letter here. Hopefully, the Free Muslims Coalition will respond and begin the process of a constructive dialogue.

On a related note: The recently-concluded Secular Islam Summit 2007 featured a collection of moderate Muslims speaking out for freedom. This link leads to a video interview of some of the featured speakers, which is well worth watching.

An Inconvenient Utility Bill

After watching the Academy Awards on Sunday night I coined a new term to describe the way in which the stars fawned over Al Gore: Goreship. The adoration heeped upon Gore during the show by the likes of Melissa Etheridge and Leo DeCaprio was just creepy. The entire audience broke out in rapturous applause as he collected the Oscar for Documentary Feature for his film An Inconvenient Truth acting as though they were being visited by a demi-Gore. And the Goracle of Global Warming (coined by Captain Ed) even had coattails--Etheridge's insipid song in Truth beat out far superior tunes from the movie Dreamgirls for the Oscar in the Music (Song) category, an act reminiscent of the Grammy's Jethro Tull Moment.

It's irritating when pampered stars, who travel by private jet and stretch limo, lecture others about how they should live. Even Al Gore apparently doesn't follow his own advice.

Gore’s mansion, located in the poseh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).

In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home. The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359. Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.

UPDATE: Al Gore has responded via Think Progress:

1) Gore’s family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.

2) Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family’s carbon footprint — a concept the right-wing fails to understand. Gore’s office explains:

What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible. Once they have done so, he then advocates that they purchase offsets, as the Gore’s do, to bring their footprint down to zero.

I think Captain Ed has it right:

Interesting that he doesn't dispute the numbers; he just tries a little misdirection instead.

First, the solar panels and the compact fluorescent light bulbs will certainly make a difference -- but the TCPR report looks at his electricity bill, which still indicates (a) a high level of usage, and (b) an increase since the movie's release. Solar panels generate electricity at the location, which should then decrease the amount of power he's buying from the utility. If it's still going up, there seems to be a serious management problem somewhere.

Second, as I mentioned above, purchasing offsets only means that Gore doesn't want to make the same kind of sacrifices that he's asking other families to make. He's using a modern form of indulgences in order to avoid doing the penance that global-warming activism demands of others. It means that the very rich can continue to suck up energy and raise the price and the demand for electricity and natural gas, while families struggle with their energy costs and face increasing government regulation and taxation. It's a regressive plan that Gore's supporters would decry if the same kind of scheme were applied to a national sales tax, for instance. (italics mine)

And basically, it doesn't address the issue of hypocrisy. If Gore and his family continue to increase their consumption of commercial energy with all of the resources they have at hand, then they have no business lecturing the rest of us on conservation and down-scaling our own use. (via The Anchoress)

Amen.

Ed-Words Hurt

The blogosphere is abuzz with the brouhaha over two lefty bloggers that were hired and apparently fired by the John Edwards campaign for anti-Catholic remarks made on their blogs. It seems the bloggers in question, Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon and Melissa McEwan of Shakespear's Sister, have written some things that aren't very...shall we say...diplomatic. Here's Marcotte on the virgin birth:

Q: What if Mary had taken Plan B after the Lord filled her with his hot, white, sticky Holy Spirit?

A: You’d have to justify your misogyny with another ancient mythology.

Charming.

Look, I'm all for people spewing whatever vile hatred that resides in their hearts on their personal blogs. Whatever. That the Edwards campaign failed to vet their new-hires more closely before making them part of the team seems odd, particularly when considering that Catholic voters are a key audience to which Edwards is tageting his populist message. Then again, this is the same guy who had to interrupt his busy schedule in the midst of building his 28,000-SF mansion in order to kick off his presidential campaign from New Orleans. So much for symbolism, John.

Mary Katherine Ham @ Townhall has a few observations. Here's one:

At 28,000 square feet and 100 acres, if there are two Americas, I'm sure John can pony up and house at least one of them.

UPDATE: It looks as though Edwards is keeping the bloggers on the payroll, after getting assurances "that it was never their intention to malign anyone’s faith." I'm not buying it. Either is the religious left.

Kathryn Jean Lopez wonders how the Edwards campaign would’ve reacted if Marcotte had said something equally offensive about Mohammed.

A Muslim Defends '24'

I found this article refreshing, in light of the political correctness that pervades our society. It is an opinion article written by an American Muslim about the hit show '24'.

I am an Arab-American as well as a fan of "24." The two things are not mutually exclusive, despite what the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and other such groups have to say about this season's opening episodes possibly increasing anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice in American society.

Most of the terrorists represented in "24" through the years have been Arab Muslims. Why? Well, probably because most terrorists today are, in fact, Arab Muslims. As a descendant of Syrian Muslims, I am very well aware that the majority of Muslims world-wide are peaceful, hard working, and law abiding. That still does not change the fact that the greatest terrorist threat to the U.S. today comes not from the ETA, the IRA, etc., but from one group: Islamic terrorists.

And this is what makes "24" a compelling drama every week. Instead of pretending Islamic terrorists don't exist, the show presents frighteningly real worst-case scenarios perpetrated by Osama bin Laden's followers. So CAIR thinks it's over the top for the terrorists in "24" to blow up Los Angeles with a nuke? Please, if bin Laden and his crew had nukes, most of us would be way too dead to argue over such points.

There is a dangerous trend in the U.S. today that involves skirting the truth at the risk of offending any individual or group. When Bill Cosby talks to African-Americans about self-respect and responsibility, and says publicly what many have been saying privately for years, he's branded a "reactionary," "misinformed," "judgmental," and so on. When "24" confronts America's worst fears about al Qaeda--whose goal remains to kill as many Americans as possible whenever possible--the show is said to be guilty of fueling anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice.

Well, here's the hard, cold truth: When Islamic terrorists stop being a threat to America's survival, viewers will lose interest in "24," because it will have lost its relevancy. Until such time, I will continue to watch "24"--because, believe it or not, the idea that there are Jack Bauers out there in real life risking their lives to save ours does mean something to me.

On Giuliani's Bid

The Presidential election cycle begins seems to begin earlier every 4 years. Although we are more than 1-1/2 years from the next election, Democrat and Repbulican presidential candidates are attempting to outflank each other in hopes of attaining their party's nomination. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama appear to have taken the early lead for the Democrats, while John McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani (despite not officially declaring his candidacy) look to be the early front-runners on the Republican side.

For me, it is way too early to decide for whom I will vote. That will play out over the next year or so. However, I did run across an article about Giuliani today that gave a pretty comprehensive run-down of his accomplishments as the Mayor of New York City. The article attempts to show his credentials as a conservative, for which he is not generally regarded, due to his three marriages and his support for abortion rights, gay unions, and curbs on gun ownership. Here's a sample:

Today, Americans see Giuliani as presidential material because of his leadership in the wake of the terrorist attacks, but to those of us who watched him first manage America’s biggest city when it was crime-ridden, financially shaky, and plagued by doubts about its future as employers and educated and prosperous residents fled in droves, Giuliani’s leadership on 9/11 came as no surprise. What Americans saw after the attacks is a combination of attributes that Giuliani governed with all along: the tough-mindedness that had gotten him through earlier civic crises, a no-nonsense and efficient management style, and a clarity and directness of speech that made plain what he thought needed to be done and how he would do it.

My New Canadian Herouxs

Attention immigrants, the town of Herouxville in Quebec has a message for you: no stoning women, and no pouring acid on them either.

Don't Expect To See These Heroes At The Movies

Pulling 16-hour days, volunteering for repeated tours of duty at FBI outposts in the Middle East, constantly aware that their failures will be remembered when their successes are forgotten, the G-people are clearly heroes.

But if they're hoping that their seminar will win them props from filmmakers in general — a picture or two celebrating their courageous work in the war on terror — I suspect they are going to be disappointed.

Read why here.

Who's More Dangerous To Jews?

Mel Gibson or Jimmy Carter?

Mel: An entertainer with obvious psychological issues who was universally reviled, despite his profuse apologies for anti-semitic comments uttered while drunk. Certainly, he's an influential figure, due to his recent Hollywood blockbusters. But, once the tape of his tirade during a drunk driving arrest hit the airwaves, he immediately went to the media and renounced his remarks, rightly expressing embarassment and shame. I've also read reports of private meetings he has held with Jewish leaders to apologize. It's possible that he's insincere--I really don't know (or care, for that matter). But, I find the outrage surrounding Gibson a little puzzling in light of the relative quiet in the media surrounding the recent tome penned by a certain former peanut farmer.

Jimmy: A former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize winner who recently wrote a book suggesting that it's ok to kill Israeli Jews until they are willing to give in to Palestinian territorial demands, among other (outrageous) things. Not only is he not sorry for it, he's all over the media (which he intimates is controlled by the Jews) promoting his book/ideas. Members of the advisory board of his own human rights organization have resigned over the book and, to their credit, even some on the left are calling him to the carpet. I haven't read the book, but have read excerpts that are factually incorrect and/or outrageous in any context, especially coming from such a signficiant American political/social figure.

Even more disturbing:

[Former official in theU.S. Justice Department’s Office of Special Investigation, Neil] Sher has decided to go public with the hope that a public made aware of Carter’s support and defense of a Nazi SS man will help illustrate why the arbiter of the Camp David Accords came out with a book defending the Palestinians after the landslide election of the Islamist Hamas terror group.

Who do you think is more dangerous?

U.N.der Indictment

Former U.N. Oil-for-Food chief Benon Sevan has been indicted in New York federal court for allegedly taking bribes under the program from Saddam Hussein's regime, U.S. authorities announced Tuesday.

According to the press release, Sevan allegedly received $160,000 generated from the sale of Iraqi oil under the program from one Ephraim Nadler, an associate who was also indicted, on behalf of the government of Iraq. The money was allegedly used to pay off overdue credit cards and bills.

If convicted, Sevan would face a maximum sentence of 50 years' imprisonment.

It's. About. Time.

Good News on the Global Economy

According to The Grapevine by Brit Hume:

The latest version of the Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal concludes that world economies are moving toward greater freedom and prosperity — and the incomes of poor people around the world are rising because of that.

The study of 157 countries takes account such factors as freedom from government, tax rates and property rights. Hong Kong is ranked number one for the 13th straight year, with Singapore, Australia and the U.S. rounding out the top four.

The report says economically free countries enjoy significantly greater prosperity than those heavilyy regulated by government. And it says that while the world is growing richer — the gap between the haves and the have-nots is narrowing.

LTA @ The Roxy Theater

Lower Than Angels played a show at The Roxy Theater in Hollywood on January 5th, 2007. It was a fun show. Myke played/sang great, Wade was solid on the drums and Darren was a wizard on the guitar, despite a cable problem that complicated things for a couple of songs (but, he made it work!). Unfortunately, Bob Hartry couldn't participate because he was finishing a record for Vineyard Music.

I was stoked to try out my new Magic head/cab amplifier made by local amp maker and all-around good guy, Mike Moody. It sounded great in tandem with my 1964 Fender Deluxe. Overall, it was a very fun gig.

The next night, Cherie and I went to the House of Blues with a few friends to see a Led Zeppelin cover band called Led Zepagain. It was a great show and lots of fun!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Here's to hoping you have a warm, wonderful Christmas with friends and family.

His Finest Hour?

Danny Bonaduce starred in one of my favorite shows as a kid, The Partridge Family. More recently, he starred in a reality TV series on VH1 entitled Breaking Bonaduce--a "celebreality" show that chronicles his adult/family life (admitedly, it's pretty hard to watch this trainwreck). Today, Danny stars in this YouTube clip, which is, arguably, his best work to date.

An Honest Confession by an American Coward

Pat Conroy:

I looked for some conclusion, a summation of this trip to my teammate's house. I wanted to come to the single right thing, a true thing that I may not like but that I could live with. After hearing Al Kroboth's story of his walk across Vietnam and his brutal imprisonment in the North, I found myself passing harrowing, remorseless judgment on myself. I had not turned out to be the man I had once envisioned myself to be. I thought I would be the kind of man that America could point to and say, "There. That's the guy. That's the one who got it right. The whole package. The one I can depend on."

It had never once occurred to me that I would find myself in the position I did on that night in Al Kroboth's house in Roselle, New Jersey: an American coward spending the night with an American hero.