Today’s quote of the day comes from John Dickerson in Slate:

The biggest target of Palin’s succession of happy little kicks in the groin, of course, was Barack Obama.

Heh. Happy little kicks to the groin… I’m gonna remember and use that sometime.

The Governor of Alaska… FTW!

I knew as she came out, this was going to be a good time and I was not disappointed. What I didn’t expect was some of the fun jibes at Senator Obama. Delightful!

I knew going to bed last night the this ticket not only has a chance to win, but a real good chance.

As I took a quick spin about the net this morning, I can say that I am absolutely convinced that it is Senator McCain’s election to lose. To borrow a tagline from a blogger much more famous than I am (no mean feat, mind you) the left is “unhinged” over this speech. What better endorsement do you need than “The Nation’s” hit piece titled: Palin’s Big Strikeout?

So unhinged is Ari Melber of “The Nation” that he needed to cite another notorious “in the tank, but objective” ‘reporter’ (Time’s Joe Klein) as an authority to back up his unhinged opinion.

One last thing, since when did the AP start putting out opinion pieces as news stories?

Oh… man… I ALMOST got through that sentence without tearing up from laughter…

good times

Here are my impressions…

1) No FREAKIN’ SILLY HATS!
I mean seriously dude, it’s not a convention until I see some silly hats. I saw one stuffed elephant hat and a guy dressed up like Lincoln (who looked so good it creeped me out), but thats it! Come on people, bust out the goofy hats!

2) FRED!

3) Cindy
This was the most “human” I have ever seen Cindy McCain. No disrespect, but she seems like a stiff most of the time. Maybe it’s the hair done just so, but she always came off as a cold fish to me. Last night she smiled, cried and beamed with pride. We need to see more of this…

4) FRED!

5) CSPAN!
I watched on CSPAN, but flipped around while that atrocious “singer” was on only to see Obermann highlight some small gaff made by an anonymous RNC official who clearly wasn’t used to addressing a throng on National TV. I guess there was no such gaff last week…

CSPAN, the only way to watch! Thank you!

6) FRED!

7) FRED!

8) Ouch!
It must suck to be Rep. Michele Bachmann today. She followed a high school girl that talked about her housing project. She was relaxed, natural and seemed at home on the stage. Ms. Bachmann was anything but graceful and natural. Normally, I wouldn’t expect a CongressCritter to be smooth as silk, especially a young-ish one like Ms. Bachmann, but she had the dreadful luck of following this excellent young lady. I feel your pain.

9) FRED!

10) Ouch! Pt. 2
I also feel for the Fire Captain that was just introduced and before she could even start her bit, Bush 41 and Babs entered the room to cheers that must have seemed like a million years too long for the Captain. She handed it as well as you could expect, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t painful.

11) Speaking of having to follow a big act
Senator Lieberman had to follow FRED! Good grief, whoever scheduled that should be taken out to the woodshed. Had they ended with FRED! the buzz and excitement would have carried the delegates out of the forum on a cloud of excitement, hope and positive energy, instead they got not only a buzzkill, but a nice warm glass of milk to help them sleep. Maybe my personal distaste for Senator Lieberman clouds my judgment, but he really harshed my post-FRED! mellow.

The Senator is not the most electrifying speaker (my capacity for understatement overwhelms me), but to come after FRED!? Man, ouch…

12) That was some sweet sweet FRED!
I kept asking why this man among boys wasn’t the nominee instead of McSquishy. My best guess is that’s the way he wanted it, because if he really did want the nomination he might have just compressed the rest of the field into a slimy little ball and personally put it into orbit, just sayin’

Also, FRED! was the only enthusiastic and anti-nuanced endorsement of Governor Palin I heard. Maybe I missed something along the line, but talk of the Governor was conspicuous by it’s absence. My man FRED! made a strong statement of support, for which I am personally grateful.

Tonight, Governor Palin makes her speech, you can bet the farm that I will be glued to the TV.

Today is the first day of classes for the Sinlet, she’s in First Grade this year and is very excited to go to the school and see her friends. I will take this opportunity to write about my feelings on seeing her off to school as well as my thoughts on Home Schooling.

Instapundit links this pro-home schooling article, which got me thinking about the subject in conjunction with the Sinlet going off to the public school.

For some reason this year was much harder than last year, on me at least, Mrs. Sinner was blindsided by our little girl growing up last year. While the girls were busy jumping into their school day routine (built last year), I was a blubbering fool. Kindergarten is one thing, but FIRST GRADE! zOMG! Suddenly daddy’s little girl was hefting her (oversized) backpack and merrily skipping off to school with some of her friends in the neighborhood. Mom lurked in the bushes about a block behind, in case you are wondering. She was a “big girl” now not a little kid in kindergarten. Even though this is somewhat painful for me, it is exactly what is important and the very reason we ultimately chose to send her to the public school.

When the Sinlet was born, we discussed home schooling in detail and tentatively decided that, yes we would home school. At the time, we lived in a dismal school district. We moved (a few times really) and find ourselves in a very good one. The school is 4 blocks from Casa Sins, and after meeting teachers and being able to choose the one for our little girl (both years now) really moved us off home schooling. There are other reasons as well, but I will get to that later in what seems to be shaping up as a mammoth post…

I will now revel something of myself… I was never very good in school. Shock of shocks, I’m sure your mind is spinning and your stomach churns. I bet it’s as if the very foundations of reality have buckled and snapped beneath you.

Feel better, take deep breaths… OK

So, I was really not a good student (until college), but I would NEVER give up my school memories. What did I learn? Hardly anything that you can learn in a book, but I still learned a lot. I learned how to interact with my peers and with adults, I learned to be somewhere on time, and not least of all I learned that I was accountable for my actions (this one came hard). In other words, I took out of my pre-college school days everything I needed to know in order to function as an adult in society. This is not to say that at my High School graduation I was a fully formed adult, far from it, but the seeds of what I needed to progress to that goal were firmly in place.

So here is where the home schooling zealots come back with, “Socialization is part of the program, we have combined classes and workshops all the time!”. Let me tell you, when Mom drives you to the church for a “study hall” or other group activity, you are not learning anything about life.

Notice that the last paragraph was the first mention of “church”, and then only as a meeting place.

The biggest reason we went the public school route was a friend ours that talks the talk and walks the walk of homeschooling. She has 2 kids, one my daughter’s age, the other a pre-teen. I have never seen such dysfunctional humans in my life. Their speech patterns are very rural and almost incomprehensible, they lack basic skills (like math, critical thinking, reading and writing) and they are some of the most awkward kids I have ever met. This is not typical, I understand, but it is pretty stark and really jibes with my other experiences with homeschooled kids from all walks of life. These kids are at mom’s side day and night and mom is a very active person in the community, so I often see her tell the kids to do some workbook in the van and take off to the next thing. This just can’t be “better” than sending the kids to the public school and making the effort to “de-program” the “objectionable material” when they come home.

Needless to say, the issue is creationism.

Now contrast with our work with the Sinlet during and after school. We review the curriculum and know where we need to intercede by giving her the other side of the issue and leading her to think about it instead of laying down the “facts”. Mrs. Sinner works with her on religion (since I have no grounds there) as well as art and music. I work with her on math, science and of course computers (she’s a dynamite Lineage II player btw…). We probably work harder with her than many home schooling parents.

In conclusion (finally!) I think we have to look at homeschooling articles like the one referenced my Professor Reynolds in a more critical light. It’s a great thing for some and no so great for others.

Yep, I was right, this turned into a mammoth post… sorry.

Wow… Going a long weekend without internet or TV and stuff really gets out of hand. Clearly, this is my fault for not being on top of things, as we all know I am the voice of reason.

Anyway, it turns out Governor Palin’s daughter Bristol is with child. According to some this somehow is the Governor’s fault, or her abstinence view, or the hand of God telling all right thinking Americans to vote against her ticket, or something.. I’m not quite sure.

It is no such thing, not even close.

First some quotes from my favorite voices of reason. First Jeff G.:

But hey: all is fair in love and war, and suddenly, the progressive left seems quite unconcerned with “collateral damage” and “the children!™”

As usual with all of Jeff’s post, read the whole thing as it is filled with wisdom.

Now Michelle Malkin:

The Palin family values the sanctity of life. They talk the talk and walk the walk. It is driving the Left absolutely insane beyond the farthest reaches of unhingedness. Now comes the news that 17-year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant. “News” that wouldn’t be news but for the nutroots P.D.S. conspiracy theories that won’t die.

This gets to the heart of why this is not a problem for the campaign, in fact is a downright blessing (both the child and the fact of its existence).

You see, the pro-life person is elated that this child will be brought to term and not murdered in the womb. It is a sign of the strength of the Palin family and thier commitment to the pro-life cause. Could the campaign have any stronger statement than this that it is devoted to the pro-life cause? Well.. yes it could because of the birth of Trig Palin by the Governor herself. Trig is a Down Syndrome baby and, because of her pro-life beliefs, the Governor went through the pregnancy and had the boy.

Anyone that is pro-life will see this intrinsically and will see those that attack on this subject for the hypocrites that they are. If anything this will excite the base even more on her behalf.

As far as the nuts: I thought “pro-choice”, meant that one could choose life instead of death. I guess we should really call them “anti-choice” (a term of endearment heretofore reserved for us right-wing kooks). They are not for choice, they are for ‘their choice’.

Next it seems some deranged, Google impaired nutroots/DU denizen has come up with a quarter-baked conspiracy theory (who wudda thunk it?) that Trig is actually Bristol’s baby and the Governor’s grandson. Dispite being downright stupid on the face of it, a quick Google would disprove the “theory”.

She looks pretty darn pregnant if you ask me…

I for one, hope the nutroots hammer this home. BECAUSE OF THE HYPOCRISY!!!

UPDATE: Michele Catalano defends Palin even if she does not agree with her:

Palin was attacked on all the points one could make about a woman, and that’s what stinks most about this. The side of the political fence that is supposed to be so woman-friendly has gone out of its way to smear Palin based mostly on gender issues and motherhood and what the woman did or did not do with her womb. Hear them roar.

RTWT

Here it is, the best bit from the coverage of Gov. Sarah Palin on the net, from NPR of all places:

One of her first acts as governor was to kill the now infamous “bridge to nowhere” pork-barrel spending project. And she put the former governor’s personal jet up for sale on eBay.

Can you tell that I am excited by this pick?

OK, this rocks too:

McCain aide Jill Hazelbaker:

It is pretty audacious for the Obama campaign to say that Governor Palin is not qualified to be Vice President. She has a record of accomplishment that Senator Obama simply cannot match. Governor Palin has spent her time in office shaking up government in Alaska and actually achieving results — whether it’s taking on corruption, passing ethics reform or stopping wasteful spending and the ‘bridge to nowhere.’ Senator Obama has spent his time in office running for president.

So, Hillary! Has dropped out of the race, the convention is over and she is not on the ticket. What’s a PUMA to do? Lately Hillary! Has been sorta-kinda hinting that maybe you should consider voting for Senator Obama, in the past she made the case for Senator McCain (though not trying to I’m sure) by pointing out that both she and Senator McCain have the experience to be President and Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.

As a public service for hardcore Hillary! Supporters, here is the tale of the tape! (apologies to Nick Bakay):

Number of Vaginas on ticket
McCain/Palin: 1
Obama/Biden: 0

Advantage: McCain/Palin

Parenting stories
Senator Biden has a wonderful story. He raised his 2 sons as a single Dad after his wife’s tragic death in an auto accident. Senator Obama subjected his daughters to Doctor Jeremiah Wright for many years.

Senator McCain has an adopted Daughter and the wonderfully hawt Meghan. Governor Palin stuck to her principles even when faced with a down syndrome child in utero. Says it has changed her life in wonderful ways.

Advantage: McCain/Palin

Experience
Oddly enough, Governor Palin has the most executive experience of either ticket. Governor for less than 2 years, but was a big city Mayor for 8 years before that. She has more executive experience in her two years as governor than Obama, Biden, and McCain combined.

Surprise! Advantage: Obama/Biden

Misogyny Quotient
McCain/Palin: Female on ticket
Obama/Biden: “sweety”

Advantage: McCain/Palin

FRED! Endorsement
McCain/Palin: Heck yeah!
Obama/Biden: NOT endorsed by FRED!, a very risky position to be in.

Advantage: McCain/Palin

Youth
Governor Palin is younger than Senator Obama while Senator McCain was classmates with Jesus.

Advantage: PUSH

Hair
Senator McCain: White, partial combover
Governor Palin: Luscious curls when down, crisp and attractive when up
Senator Obama: Well trimmed. professional and attractive
Senator Biden: Horrendous combover and obvious plugs. (Seriously, the Shatner turbo 2000 would be better)

Advantage: McCain/Palin

Children
McCain/Palin: 12 (including the wonderfully hawt Meghan)
Obama/Biden: 5

Advantage: McCain/Palin

“Better than You” Quotient
McCain/Palin: “I don’t know as much as I should about that”/”Hockey Mom”
Obama/Biden: “Price of arugula”, “I think I have a much higher IQ than you”

In a SHOCKER! Advantage: Obama/Biden!

Corruption:
McCain/Palin: 1 Senator, 1 hard-nosed anti-corruption Governor
Obama/Biden: 2 Senators, 2 words: “Tony Rezko” (a tie with “Chicago, Illinois”)

Advantage: McCain/Palin

Fueling your SUV:
McCain/Palin: “Drill here, Drill now!”, “All of the above energy plan”, Lexington Project
Obama/Biden: “Drill there, Drill never!”, “Please King Aubullah, could we have some more?”

Advantage: McCain/Palin

Terrorists:
McCain/Palin: Against em!
Obama/Biden: Pals with!

Advantage: McCain/Palin

Best for Hillary! 2012!
McCain/Palin: Unlikely to run for re-election in 2012, leaving the door wide open. Maybe leading to a very beatable Palin/Romney ticket!

Obama/Biden: Will aggressively run for re-election in 2012, virtually slamming the door on Hillary!

Advantage for PUMAs: McCain/Palin

So, there you have it: LANDSLIDE McCain/Palin! It’s so easy when you break it down scientifically.

Related.

Here is my reaction to the selection of Governor Palin to the VP spot:

JohnMcCain.com

Thank you for your donation

Dear [redacted],

I want to thank you for taking the time to visit my campaign website, www.JohnMcCain.com. In addition, thank you so much for your generous contribution of $[redacted].

As this campaign progresses, I look forward to working with you as we continue to build an unmatched campaign organization. Your support today will help me recruit more people to our effort and allow me to continue my straight-talking conversation with America’s voters. Our country is the finest nation and greatest force for good in the world, and I’m honored by your confidence in me to lead further into the 21st century.

My family has long believed in the highest honor one can gain is through service to our country. I served in the company of heroes in US Navy. I was a proud foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution in the House of Representatives; and in the Senate, I have consistently fought for smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and a strong national defense. I am confident that I can lead this country as the next President of the United States and I will be straightforward with the American people about what I think is right for our country.

I honestly believe that our best days lie ahead, and together, we can forge a better future for our families and our country.

I am honored that you have chosen to stand with me at this very important time, and I am truly grateful for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,
John McCain
John McCain

P.S. Please continue to visit our website at www.JohnMcCain.com so you can be in direct contact with us and receive immediate updates and information.

At the same time please encourage your family, friends and associates to visit our website where they can become members of our John McCain 2008 team.

Please note, your contribution will be listed as eDonation on your next statement.

Thank you very much Senator McCain!

I watched a bit of the big speech last night and I must say that is interesting to see some Hillary backers unfurling the giant “Hillary 2012″ banner, but the best part by far was when she told Sen. Obama to “Kiss my royal ass” and dropped tro to revel “McCain 2008/Hillary 2012″ tattooed across her cheeks.

On second though… I’m a bit queasy just thinking about it…

Just when I was ready to throw in the towel on the Republicans this year, they so some backbone.

Frickin’ Genius

Most regular readers know that I am an off and on player of Lineage II (more on than off lately). I would like to share some joy with all y’alls…

Today was a very good day for the Lineage II community. Some of the most obnoxious assholes have been banned. The game is fantastic except for the “quality” of some of the players. Lots use bots to level their characters while they are at work or school, more likely nursery school. This is of course against the rules of the game. The real issue I have with these jerks is that they bot their way to super levels and then are bored when they actually play and go looking for honest players to gank. They are nothing but loud-mouthed griefers and the game is SOOOOOO much better without them.

I figure it should take about a month for them to bot new accounts to high enough levels to start griefing again, so I will certainly re-up for the next month.

I have not written about the soap opera going on in Green Bay and Klin, MS because I didn’t have anything to add. has the quote of the preseason from Aaron Kampman:

This is getting very drawn out, from both sides, and quite frankly I think everyone wants it to be over.

Boy howdy, do I want it to be over.

My $0.02: Stay retired Brett. This drama and the idea of you ending your storied career in [gulp] Minnesota is going to hurt your future standing as a “Packer Great”. It is true that Joe Montana ended his career in Kansas City and hardly anyone remembers that, but there wasn’t the drama (both this year and years past) and press coverage of that split.

Brett, you are only hurting yourself.

Normally, I try to ignore Miss Debbie© on this blog. In fact, I’ve pretty much ignored this blog for a while now since I have so much going on in RL.

Even given that, I have to comment on the latest tantrum from youjean…

and i want the fuckwad [redacted] to come out of the abbey closet. i don’t think any real abbeywebber would be pathetic enough to jack or jill off with you pathetic, limp-lobed, limper-shlonged losers, but i’m not sure.

don’t make me get ruff wit [redacted] and his cunt!

Here we see the classic Miss Debbie©, complete with profanity, sexual references and threats to others. It is classic, but seems a bit pedestrian.

Then something “new”:

More Daddy-Daughter time… (Daughter is getting a little sick of Daddy)

Who can blame her, poor thing, spawn of such a pathetic loser as you.

While she couldn’t resist a sockpuppet, no indirect threats, no profanity and no sexual reference… This is something new…

I must think on this further.

P.S. “Pride” cuz I’m not sure what the sin of “stupid” should be filed under…

Its time to break out the seven words you can’t say on television.

George Carlin dies in L.A., aged 71

Forecast for tonight is indeed dark.

UPDATE: Allah takes a different and negative view, while I like to highlight the positive…

Harvey Korman dies at age 81.

There were so many great performances, too many to sum up by a hack blogger, but my personal favorite was his performance in the funniest motion picture EVAH, History of the World, Part I. He was exactly right for the part and played it perfectly. “Count de Money” was much more than a humorous play on the French language due to Harvey’s performance.

Insolent Flunky: Count da money.
Count de Monet: de Monet! Mo - nay! Say it with me, Mo - nay!

Yes, I know that Insty already gave you this link but, by gum, its worth re-reading.

Those price increases? Blame OPEC, for causing fuel prices to rise 60% this year, plus increased demand from China and India. At $5 per bushel, the corn in a $3 box of cornflakes “cost 8 cents when bought from the farmer. So farm commodity prices have almost no effect on the retail consumers. But the effect of oil price hikes can be huge.

You see, the point is that we are growing more corn (and wheat and rice etc…) than ever before. The rise in food prices are almost exclusively due to high fuel prices and not by grain prices. You want to be angry at agro-business, be angry at Congress for passing the bone-headed, dead-wrong farm subsidy bill.

Robert Zubrin articulates my argument for ethanol/biofuel so wonderfully. Read his stuff, its not about now its about the near future.

Would I rather see a different feed stock than corn for ethanol production? Of course! Algae is looking to be the best option from both the biofuel as a National Security issue people as well as the enviro-nuts.

Is ethanol the “final solution”? I doubt it, but it is a solution for the short term that will buy us time to make alternatives. The technology exists to run ethanol, in the form of E85 or P-Series fuels, and is cheap to implement (around $100 per vehicle). A Federal Mandate (I feel dirty just saying that, BTW) to require all cars sold in the US to be Flex-Fuel capable, would blunt the hit to the economy when (note: not if) the plug is pulled on oil supplies (most likely from jihadis). We obviously would not be able to flip a switch and run on ethanol overnight, but having all vehicles able to run on ethanol makes a quick comeback from the eventual end of oil supplies possible.

If oil was suddenly cut off, what do you think the effect on food prices (not to mention availability) would be? Think about that the next time you are ready to take a cheap shot at ethanol.

Moved my home office to teh new house this evening and just got it serviceable enough to post this and deal with email. Most likely will get the fileserver working tomorrow night.

Break down an almost 2 year office… ouch my aching back.
Compressed air out 2 desktop systems… cough/choke/sneeze
Haul computers, tables and boxes of mice, cables etc… Gee its hot in here
Set up DSL router and first desktop, ugh… I can haz drink?
First posting from teh new Casa Sins… priceless.

Going back to the house that has a bed in it…

Closed!

One last kick in the teeth, since the closing was delayed from my side, I get to pay $100/Day as a penalty.

FUN!