Hootie lives!

OK, there is no “Hootie” in the group, but Hootie & the Blowfish have a new album out. I got it last week. As always Darius’ voice is great, I think re-emphasized on this album. The harmonies are quintessential Hootie.

Now for those of you who are skeptical, go see them live. They are a band that made it big by touring endlessly before they got signed to a major label. While good on CD, they are a completely different experience in person. You won’t find any recorded help at the concert. These guys are real.

How to marginalize yourself – 101

On Monday, Pat Robertson suggested the U.S. should assasinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Of course his remarks have started a controversy.

Pat Robertson was right about one thing. Chavez is not a good man. Chavez is showing all the signs of being a totalitarian.

Robertson’s suggestion of assasination is just foolish. He has done the opposite of his intention. Instead of drawing attention to the problems of Venezuela, he has given Chavez a diverision. Even worse, Robertson is now denying he suggested assasination. Don’t try to cover yourself with such an obvious lie.

If there weren’t enough misconceptions of the so-called religious right, now we have to deal with this. Thanks Pat. As Shrek once said, “That is the opposite of help.”

Castro

USA Today published a “Snapshot” of Fidel Castro noting that Castro is one of the world’s longest reigning heads of state and that there have been 10 U.S. Presidents since he came to power in 1959.

So what should we take from this? How’s this – the United States is able to change leaders every four or eight years and still have the largest economy in the world and have freedoms. In spite of Castro’s revolution for the people in 1959, the only Cubans who know those same freedoms are the ones that live in this country.

Exploiting a mother’s grief

The sad story of Cindy Sheehan continues to get headlines. For those who don’t know, Ms. Sheehan’s son Army Spc. Casey Sheehan was killed while serving in Iraq. Ms. Sheehan has decided to stage a protest in front of President Bush’s ranch in Crawford Texas to demand an audience with him in order to berate him with her anti-war talking points.

You tell me the truth. You tell me that my son died for oil. You tell me that my son died to make your friends rich. You tell me my son died to spread the cancer of Pax Americana, imperialism in the Middle East. You tell me that, you don’t tell me my son died for freedom and democracy.

Bored reporters at the ranch are giving her air time since they have nothing else to report on. Even Fox News is asking if the President should grant her an audience.

Here’s what you haven’t heard. Cindy Sheehan did get an audience with the President in June of 2004 (hat tip James Taranto).

After that meeting she told a reporter:

“I now know he’s sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis,” Cindy said after their meeting. “I know he’s sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he’s a man of faith.”

Quite different from what she is saying a year later while acting as if the meeting never occured.

So President Bush isn’t ducking grieving parents. Let’s acknowledge the real story. An anti-war activist is using her son’s memory for her political agenda. She had her meeting with President Bush and now wants another chance to say what she choose not to say before.

Hey! You don’t sell Amway!

The couple wanted for killing a prison guard during a jail break was arrested early this moring. Jennifer Hyatte ambushed two guards as they were leading her husband out of a court hearing in Kingston, Tennessee. One of the guards died during the escape.

The couple was arrested after cab driver Mike Wagers told police where they were staying. He had driven them from Kentucky to a hotel in Ohio not realizing they were wanted. But something about their story made him suspicious.

As they were driving, the fugitves told him they were going to an Amway convention. That was the give away. When asked about what raised his suspicion Wagers said, “they didn’t strike me as the Amway type because to be honest they weren’t very pushy about their product and I’ve dealt with them before so — that was my only real suspicion.”

What gave them away is that they weren’t obnoxious enough about selling Amway. The lesson here is that if you are trying to blend in, don’t pose as an Amway salesman.

It’s all the President’s fault

The DNC has issued a press release using President Bush’s excellent results from his annual physical as an opportunity to criticize him for his policies. The Anchoress gave the DNC a good lesson in what an appropriate response would have been.

Instead of showing maturity as The Anchoress suggested, the DNC claims that the president’s “personal habits indicate that physical fitness is not just fun and games for him. Don’t our kids deserve the same opportunities to be physically fit? President Bush should stop running from his responsibility and make sure that all American children have access to physical fitness programs.”

Again, the DNC doesn’t stop to think about the stupidity of their statement. That’s because the president doesn’t rely on a government program to get fit. He gets off his ass and works out six days a week. That means that all these women and children already have exactly the same opportunities to be physically fit that President Bush does.

Now really DNC, how many people have been whining to you that they would be physically fit if only there was a government program that would fund their (lack of) effort? There was a recent time in this country when kids played sports outside instead of sitting in front of a Playstation simulating sports.

The DNC also shows how little they respect they have for women in their press release. In the press release they not that unreturned surveys of women asking about interest in college sports are assumed to be an indication of no interest. Seems reasonable. But the DNC seems to think this is some form of discrimination. They believe that women can’t be trusted to return the survey if they actually are interested so we can’t just assume that they aren’t interested if they don’t bother to return the survey. The nanny state at its finest. They know the women are interested even when the women aren’t.

But the DNC may have a point overall. Admittedly I’m a little overweight now. If only Honeybun would understand, it’s not my lack of motivation. It’s President Bush’s lack of funding my physical fitness. The DNC understands that I’m not responsible for getting outside and doing some physical activity. I can’t get on the excercise bike in the basement without a government grant. Come on Honeybun, don’t blame me. Blame the President. It’ll make us both feel better. Right?

It’s like having the DNC around so I can blame my faults on the government. Yep, life is good.

Someone who is supporting the troops

Matt Hicketheir is a young Marine completing his training before shipping to Iraq for a year. His father and mother took him to The Fort, a very expensive restaurant in Morrison, CO, this past Tuesday to celebrate before their only son left. President Clinton ate at this same restaurant when he visited Denver a few years ago.

The entire family dressed up. Matt wore his dress blues and his mother and sister wore their best dresses. They spared no expense in their dinner on this special occaision even though it was a hit on the pocket book. They drank champagne and ordered exotic dishes like rattlesnake, quail eggs and buffalo tongue to enjoy the time they had with their son and brother. This occaision was a special one that deserved some indulgence.

When they were finished, the restaurant told them another customer had given the manager his credit card and told him to keep the Hicketheir’s tab open. “Anything they order is on me,” he told the manager before he left. The man only insisted on one condition, that he remain anonymous. The Fort has kept the man’s confidence admitting only that he’s a businessman from Texas who was in town for a few days. He had been sitting at a nearby table and apparently was able to gather why the family was there.

This man’s kindness was great example of someone demonstrating love their country and the troops who fight for freedom. His avoidance of attention for his actions show what a truly kind heart this man has.

Update:
A number of people beat me to this story including:
Peenie Wallie
Michelle Malkin
Hugh Hewitt